US 11,439,422 B2Granted

Ambidextrous locking clamp system

OwnerRobert F. Biolchini, Jr.inventor

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Abstract

An ambidextrous locking clamp system for providing a user the ability to use the right or left hand to engage and disengage a ratcheting means on the clamp. The clamp includes hingedly connected first and second elongated members each with a finger engaging member, a working head, and a latching member featuring ratcheting teeth. The teeth are engaged by moving the finger engaging members toward each other in an engaging motion, and are disengaged by sliding them in a disengaging motion perpendicular to the engaging motion with opposing force applied to the finger engaging members. One of the elongated members includes a planar portion that is rotatably received in a slot defined in a female portion of the other elongated member. The planar portion can include a wedge that contacts a side of the female portion that defines the slot when the clamp is in a closed position.

Claims18

Dependent claims

An ambidextrous locking clamp system for allowing a right hand or left hand user to operate said clamp, said system comprising:

at least one first member comprising:
at least one first elongated body including a planar portion, at least one first working head located at an end of said first elongated body, and a first pair of wedges laterally extending away from each other from opposite sides of said planar portion and perpendicular therewith;
at least one first finger engaging member;
and
at least one first latching member including first member ratcheting teeth;
at least one second member comprising:
at least one second elongated body including a female portion defining a slot, and at least one second working head located at an end of said second elongated body, said slot being configured to receive said planar portion of said first member;
at least one second finger engaging member;
and
at least one second latching member including second member ratcheting teeth;
wherein said first and second members being in a pivotable relationship about a pivot point so that said first and second working heads move toward each other when said first and second finger engaging member are moved toward each other;
and
wherein said first and second member ratcheting teeth being orientated to be engageable with each other by an engaging motion when said first and second finger engaging members are moved toward each other;
wherein each of said wedges being configured to contact an interior side of said female portion that defines said slot, respectively, when said first and second working heads are in a closed position.

11 more elements

A method of using an ambidextrous locking clamp system, said method comprising the steps of:

a) operating a first finger engaging member of a first member and a second finger engaging member of a second member by a user to move said first and second finger engaging members toward each other about a pivot point in an engaging motion, said pivot point being configured to pivotably connect said first and second members to each other;
b) rotating a planar portion of said first member and a female portion of said second member about said pivot point during the engaging motion, said planar portion being receivable in a slot defined in said female portion so that a first pair of wedges laterally extending away from each other from opposite sides of said planar portion and perpendicular therewith contacts an interior side of said female portion that defines said slot, respectively, when said first and second working heads are in a closed position;
c) engaging ratcheting teeth of first and second members with each other by the engaging motion until said ratcheting teeth of said first and second members overlap one another in succession to a user desired tension when a working head of said first member and said second member are in the closed position;
and
d) disengaging said ratcheting teeth of said first and second members by a disengaging motion perpendicular to said engaging motion until said ratcheting teeth are slidably disengaged, the disengaging motion being produced by moving said first and second members in opposite directions when an opposing force is applied to said first and second finger engaging members by pushing on at least one of said first and second finger engaging members and pulling on the other of said first and second finger engaging members thereby slidably separating said ratcheting teeth of said first and second members out of engagement.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/353,010Filed 14 Mar 2019 · continuation in part
Priority: 2 Aug 2004
Published: US 2019/0209191 A111 Jul 2019
Granted: 13 Sep 2022
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

A61B 17/2833
With a single pivotal connection: locking means
A61B 17/122
For ligaturing or otherwise compressing tubular parts of the body, e.g. blood vessels or umbilical cord: clamps or clips, e.g. for the umbilical cord
A61B 17/3201
Surgical cutting instruments: scissors
A61B 2017/0042
Surgical instruments, devices or methods: with special provisions for gripping

Family

Application10/909,623Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 2 Aug 2004
Application11/733,280Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 10 Apr 2007
US 7,758,609 B1Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 20 Jul 2010
Application13/272,676Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 13 Oct 2011
US 8,070,771 B1Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 6 Dec 2011
Application15/070,272Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 15 Mar 2016
US 9,427,245 B1Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 30 Aug 2016
US 2019/0209191 A1Pre-grant publication · published 11 Jul 2019
US 10,327,792 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 2016/0192958 A1Published application
US 11,439,422 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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