CLAMPING DEVICE

• US 20150352691A1
• Filed: 01/28/2014
• Published: 12/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SMC Corporation (Alamo Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: SMC Corporation (Alamo Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: FUKUI, Chiaki, TAKAHASHI, Kazuyoshi, SASAKI, Hideki, KOBAYASHI, Masaharu
• Granted Patent: US 10,173,303 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 5/04 with pivoted jaws
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 5/087 actuated by a hydraulic or pneumatic piston
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 2/10 using pivoting jaws
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 2/16 using rollers or balls clamps for rods or tubes telescopically engaged F16B7/1409; used in anti-theft monitors, e.g. as used for articles of clothing in shops E05B73/0017
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 2/18 using cams, levers, eccentrics, or toggles for connections of rods or tubes engaged telescopically F16B7/1418, F16B7/1427, F16B7/1454

Abstract

A clamping device has a pair of first and second clamping arms rotatably supported with respect to a body, and a cam member having a cam surface is removably provided at one end of each of the first and second clamping arms. A pair of rollers pivotally supported by a block body constituting a drive unit are each in contact with the cam member. By a descent of the block body under the driving action of the drive unit, the cam surface of the cam member is pressed by the rollers, and the cam surface inclined in the displacement direction of the block body and recessed in a cross-sectional arc shape is pressed.

Claims

1. A clamp apparatus in which, by rotation of a pair of clamp arms, a workpiece is clamped between one clamp arm and another clamp arm, comprising:

a body;

a drive unit disposed on the body and having a displacement member that is displaced along an axial direction;

a pair of clamp arms, which are supported rotatably with respect to the body, and are arranged in mutual confronting relation to each other;

a driving force transmission mechanism having pressing members that press ends of the clamp arms, and which is connected to the drive unit and transmits to the clamp arms a driving force along an axial direction of the drive unit, to thereby cause rotation of the clamp arms; and

cam members having pressing surfaces, which are inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the axial direction and are disposed detachably with respect to the ends of the clamp arms, the cam members being pressed by the pressing members of the driving force transmission mechanism abutting against the pressing surfaces, and the pressing members pressing the cam members.

2. The clamp apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cam members are fixed with respect to the ends by bolts.

3. The clamp apparatus according to claim 1, wherein on the cam members, retaining surfaces are formed adjacent to the pressing surfaces and substantially in parallel with the axial direction, and which maintain the pressing force by the pressing members in a state in which the workpiece is clamped by the clamp arms.

4. The clamp apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressing members is rollers, which are rotatably supported, respectively, on opposite ends of a block body that is connected to the displacement body and is disposed in facing relation to the pair of clamp arms.

5. The clamp apparatus according to claim 1, wherein recesses in which the cam members are inserted are formed on ends of the clamp arms.

6. The clamp apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressing surfaces are planar shaped, or are formed with curved shapes that are recessed arcuately in cross section toward sides of the clamp arms.

7. The clamp apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressing surface of the cam member that is attached to one of the clamp arms and the pressing surface of the cam member that is attached to the other of the clamp arms are formed with different shapes.

8. The clamp apparatus according to claim 7, wherein angles of inclination of the pressing surfaces of the cam members differ from one another with respect to the direction of displacement of the displacement body.

9. The clamp apparatus according to claim 7, wherein movement characteristics of the one of the clamp arms and the other of the clamp arms are changed by varying the shapes of the pressing surfaces of the cam members.