Clamping device
First Claim
1. A clamping device comprising:
- an anchor having a stop;
a housing including sides that define a slot that slidably receives the anchor along a direction of slidable movement; and
a retaining bar located in the housing that includes at least a first end that projects from the housing, the first end projecting outwardly from the one of the sides of the housing and thereby defining a direction of projection that is aligned substantially transversely to the direction of slidable movement, the retaining bar engaging the stop in a resting state to retain the anchor in the slot against slidable movement, the retaining bar and the housing being constructed and arranged so that application of force to the first end in a first direction causes the retaining bar to move in a second direction away from the stop so that the retaining bar disengages the stop.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A clamping device that can be utilized to clamp an accessory to a bicycle frame provides a housing that can be attached to the frame. The housing includes a slot that slidably receives an anchor attached, typically, to an accessory. A retaining bar located in the housing includes a shoulder that projects into the slot and that engages a groove in the anchor in a normal resting state. The shoulder, by engagement with the groove, retains the anchor in the slot. The retaining bar can be activated by applying force to at least one of two ends located upon opposing sides of the housing. By applying force to one of the ends, the retaining bar buckles, folds or slides so that the shoulder is moved out of engagement with the groove. The anchor can thereby be slidably removed from the slot.
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Citations
50 Claims
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1. A clamping device comprising:
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an anchor having a stop; a housing including sides that define a slot that slidably receives the anchor along a direction of slidable movement; and a retaining bar located in the housing that includes at least a first end that projects from the housing, the first end projecting outwardly from the one of the sides of the housing and thereby defining a direction of projection that is aligned substantially transversely to the direction of slidable movement, the retaining bar engaging the stop in a resting state to retain the anchor in the slot against slidable movement, the retaining bar and the housing being constructed and arranged so that application of force to the first end in a first direction causes the retaining bar to move in a second direction away from the stop so that the retaining bar disengages the stop. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A clamping device comprising:
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an anchor having a stop; a housing including a slot that slidably receives the anchor; a retaining bar located in the housing that includes at a first end that projects from a first side of the housing, and a second end that projects from an opposing second side of the housing, the retaining bar engaging the stop in a resting state to retain the anchor in the slot, the bar and the housing being constructed and arranged so that application of force to one of the first end and the second end causes the bar to disengage from the stop. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A clamping device comprising:
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an anchor; a housing including a slot that slidably receives the anchor; and a retaining bar that is moveable between a position that retains the anchor in the slot substantially free of slidable motion of the anchor relative to the slot, to a position that allows the anchor to slide free of the slot, the anchor being slidable into the slot in at least two orientations relative to the slot and each of the anchor and the retaining bar being constructed and arranged so that the anchor is engaged by and retained by the retaining bar, free of slidable movement relative to the slot, in each of the at least two orientations. - View Dependent Claims (37)
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38. In a clamping device wherein an anchor is removably attached to a slot in a housing along a direction of slidable movement the leaf spring being elongated in a direction substantially transverse to the direction of slidable movement, a retaining bar that secures the anchor into the slot comprising:
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an elongated leaf spring that lockably engages the anchor; and at least a first leaf spring end projecting from the housing, wherein application of force to the first leaf spring end in a first direction causes the leaf spring to flex in a second direction to disengage the anchor. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. A method for removably interlocking an anchor having a stop with a housing having a slot comprising the steps of:
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slidably locating the anchor within the slot so that a flexible elongated leaf spring positioned in the housing engages the stop; applying a force in a first direction to at least a first end of the leaf spring and substantially resisting movement in the first direction at a second end, the step of applying including directing force aligned along an axis approximately between the first end and the second end so that the leaf spring buckles between the first end and the second end in a second direction away from the stop to disengage the leaf spring from the stop; and slidably removing the anchor from the slot. - View Dependent Claims (46)
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47. A clamping device comprising:
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an anchor having a stop comprising one of a projecting wall and a recessed groove; a housing including sides that define a slot that slidably receives the anchor along a direction of slidable movement; and a retaining bar located in the retaining bar located in the housing and including at least a first end that projects from the housing outwardly from one of the sides in a direction transverse to the direction of slidable movement, the retaining bar engaging the stop in a resting state to retain the anchor in the slot, the retaining bar and the housing being constructed and arranged so that application of force to the first end in a first direction causes the bar to move relative to the anchor so that the retaining bar disengages the stop.
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- 48. A clamping device as set forth in 47 wherein the retaining bar further comprises a second end that projects from the housing and wherein application of force to the second end in a third direction substantially opposite the first direction causes the bar to move in the second direction so that the retaining bar disengages the stop.
Specification