Pole clamp assembly and a method of its use
First Claim
1. A pole clamp assembly comprising:
- a base frame;
two jaws mounted on said base frame, said base frame and said jaws including a movement-allowing means for allowing at least the first of said jaws to be movable between a closed position in which it is relatively close to the second jaw and an open position in which it is spaced further from the second jaw;
a selectively actuatable biasing means linked to said movable jaw for being selectively switched between a biasing mode in which it allows said movable jaw to be held in one of said closed and open positions, while urging said movable, first, jaw towards said other position and a non-biasing mode in which it allows said movable jaw to be in said one of the closed and open positions without substantially urging said movable jaw towards said other position.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A pole clamp assembly (10), and a method of using same, involves two jaws (14, 16) mounted on a base frame, or housing, (12) with a first (14) of the jaws being movable on the frame along two parallel curved tracks between closed and open positions and a selectively-actuatable biasing mechanism (18) comprising an elastic or spring member (38, 102) attached between the movable jaw (14) and a reel or hub (36, 36'"'"'). By selectively moving the hub between open and closed positions, the biasing mechanism moves the jaw between the closed and open positions, but if the jaw is held in the closed position, for example, which it will be if the clamp is engaged with a pole, the biasing mechanism flexes when the hub is moved to the open position to allow the movable jaw to remain in the closed position. When the jaw is no longer held in the closed position it snaps to the open position under the influence of the biasing mechanism. Additionally, a spring loaded lock (100) which holds the movable jaw in the open position can be automatically actuated by placing a member to be clamped between the two jaws to automatically release the movable jaw, thereby allowing it to snap to the closed position under the influence of the biasing mechanism.
77 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A pole clamp assembly comprising:
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a base frame; two jaws mounted on said base frame, said base frame and said jaws including a movement-allowing means for allowing at least the first of said jaws to be movable between a closed position in which it is relatively close to the second jaw and an open position in which it is spaced further from the second jaw; a selectively actuatable biasing means linked to said movable jaw for being selectively switched between a biasing mode in which it allows said movable jaw to be held in one of said closed and open positions, while urging said movable, first, jaw towards said other position and a non-biasing mode in which it allows said movable jaw to be in said one of the closed and open positions without substantially urging said movable jaw towards said other position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of clamping a life-support pole, such as an IV-pole, to a mobile patient support comprising the steps of:
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mounting a base frame on the mobile patient support; mounting at least two jaws on the base frame with at least a first, movable jaw thereof being mounted for movement on the base frame to be movable between a closed position, in which it is relatively close to the second jaw, and an open position, in which it is further removed from the second jaw; mounting a selectively actuatable biasing means between the base frame and the movable jaw which can be selectively switched between a biasing mode in which it allows the movable jaw to be held in said closed position while urging said movable jaw toward said open position and a non-biasing mode in which it allows said movable jaw to be in the closed position without substantially urging said movable jaw toward said open position; placing said selectively actuatable biasing means in said biasing mode; placing said pole between said jaws; placing said selectively actuatable biasing means in said non-biasing mode. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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Specification