Unitary clamp

• US 3,896,527 A
• Filed: 05/23/1973
• Issued: 07/29/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gale W. Miller, James L. Geraci
• Original Assignee: Gale W. Miller, James L. Geraci
• Inventors: Miller, Gale W., Geraci, James L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gilliam, Paul R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dorner, Kenneth J.
• Application Number:
  US05/363,034
• Time in Patent Office: 797 Days
• Field of Search: 24/258,81HH,81HS,81PA,81CC,81TH,249R,249LL,249SL,249PP,248B,248L 128/346 224/5H,28A,28R 16/DIG.13 220/31S
• US Class Current: 24/499
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/2812 with a single pivotal connection A61B17/29 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/024 having a clip or clamp system
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/02 Holding devices, e.g. on the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1418 Clips, separators or the like for supporting tubes or leads
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 16/13 Plastic hinge
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 24/22 Jaw structures, teeth
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/2708 Combined with diverse fastener
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/3936 Pivoted part
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/44017 with specific mounting means for attaching to rigid or semirigid supporting structure or structure-to-be-secured
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/44376 Spring or resiliently biased about pivot
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/44538 Integral locking-means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/44564 having specific surface material or irregularity on or along engaging face

Abstract

A clamp comprises a pair of integral jaws hingedly connected at one end for pivotal movement between opened and closed positions. One jaw contains a latch strike while the other jaw includes a projecting latching member selectively engageable with the latch strike for securely though releasably interconnecting the jaws in various locked positions. The clamp is fabricated from a semirigid plastic material having a high fatigue level, and is particularly adapted for releasably securing medical tubing and the like to or immediately adjacent a patient in a medical environment.

Claims

1. A one-piece, plastic clamp for clamping tubing and the like to a support member, comprising a pair of elongate jaws integrally hinged together at one of their ends of pivotal movement to open and closed poSitions, one of said jaws having an opening therethrough between the ends thereof and spaced from the hinged end, a latch strike on said one jaw at one side of said opening, an upstanding latch member on the other jaw spaced from the hinged end thereof in a position to extend through the opening in said one jaw and having serrations on one side thereof engageable with the latch strike to releasably latch the jaws in closed position, a plurality of transverse arcuate channels in each jaw between the latch and hinged end thereof and extending completely across the width of the jaws, said channels forming a plurality of transverse throughpassageways in the clamp when the jaws thereof are disposed in closed juxtaposition for clamping tubing and the like between the jaws, and an upstanding guide post on one of said jaws at the side of at least one of said channels and projecting into said channel to engage the side of a tube therein to guide the tube into proper registry with the channel during closing movement of the jaws and to lock the tube in proper position in the channel when the jaws are in closed juxtaposition.

2. A clamp as recited in claim 1, wherein the latch member is permanently biased toward the latch strike.

3. A clamp as recited in claim 2, wherein said bias in generated by a flexible hinge joining the pair of jaws, said hinge being of tapered, wedge shaped configuration and decreasing in thickness from said one jaw toward said other jaw.

4. A clamp as recited in claim 1, wherein the attaching means comprises a series of ribs in each of said jaws adjacent their terminal ends, and wherein the ribs of said one jaw are out of phase with the ribs of said other jaw, forming a meshing relationship when said jaws are disposed in closed juxtaposition.

5. A clamp as recited in claim 1, wherein said jaws constitute curvilinear members conforming substantially to the contour of human limb or the like.

6. A clamp as recited in claim 5, wherein the attaching means includes means for carrying a strap member for securing the clamp to a human limb or the like.

7. A clamp as recited in claim 1, wherein guide posts are on one of said jaws adjacent one side of said at least one channel and extending toward the other jaw for aligning a flexible tube relative to said channel prior to locking said jaws in closed position.

8. A clamp as recited in claim 1, wherein locking posts are in said channels for releasably securing the tubes against longitudinal movement in the channel.

9. A clamp as recited in claim 1, wherein the clamp includes means for attaching a hangar to one or the other of said jaws.

10. A clamp as recited in claim 1, wherein that end of each of said jaws remote from the hinged ends thereof include a series of transverse ribs which project outwardly from and extend completely across the width of the jaws, and wherein the transverse ribs in one jaw are longitudinally offset from the ribs of the other jaw whereby said ribs are disposed in interlocking, side-by-side, meshing registry when the jaws of the clamp are disposed in closed juxtaposition, said ribs constituting means for securing the clamp to a support member.

11. A clamp as recited in claim 10, which includes nodules projecting from each of said ribs thereby enhancing the gripping characteristics of the clamp when the jaws of the clamp are disposed in closed juxtaposition.

12. A clamp as in claim 1, wherein the jaws are curvilinear, said other jaw having a pair of longitudinally spaced, transversely extending openings therethrough between the latch member and the hinged end thereof, said jaw having a recess therein in communication at its opposite ends with said last mentioned openings, and said openings and recess adapted to receive a strap for securing said other jaw member to a human limb or the like.

13. A clamp as recited in claim 1, wherein said hinge decreases in thickness from one jaw to the other jaw so that the hinges is more flexible adjacenT said other jaw whereby the jaws are resiliently urged longitudinally relative to one another when in closed position and the latch serrations and latch strike are accordingly urged into secure locking engagement with one another.

14. A clamp as recited in claim 1, wherein a guide post is at the side of each channel, and said guide posts are disposed centrally of the width of said one jaw and are aligned with one another in the direction of the longitudinal axis of said one jaw, and a pair of locking posts are on said one jaw at the side of one of said channels opposite the guide post therein, said locking posts disposed adjacent the opposite ends of said one channel.