Hygienic clamp with position feedback
AssigneeTourgee & Associates, Inc.
InventorWayne Andrew Gotsch
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
This application relates to a hygienic clamp with a non-contact sensor. The clamp may also include a first clamp arm, a second clamp arm, and a hinge to movably join the first clamp arm and the second clamp arm. The non-contact sensor can sense whether the clamp is closed by detecting the proximity of one arm of the clamp to its other arm, without requiring the two arms to contact one another. Since the non-contact sensor is not mechanical, no mechanical wear is produced. It is constructed to prevent build-up that can occur with other types of sensors in industries that use clamps in their applications.
Claims16
A clamp, comprising:
- a first clamp arm with a first end and a second end, wherein:
- the first end comprises a non-contact sensor, wherein the non-contact sensor comprises at least one mounting thread, wherein the at least one mounting thread is threaded into the first end to secure the non-contact sensor in the first end;
- and
- the second end is proximate to a hinge;
- and
- a second clamp arm with a third end and a fourth end, wherein:
- the third end can be removably joined to the first end;
- the fourth end is proximate to the hinge such that the first clamp arm and the second clamp arm can move with respect to each other by the hinge between a closed configuration in which the first end of the first clamp arm and the third end of the second clamp arm are separated by a first distance, and an open configuration in which the first end of the first clamp arm and the third end of the second clamp arm are separated by a second distance greater than the first distance;
- the hinge movably joins the first clamp arm to the second clamp arm;
- and
- the non-contact sensor is configured to detect whether the clamp is in the closed configuration or the open configuration.
A clamp, comprising:
- a first clamp arm with a first end and a second end, wherein the first end comprises a non-contact sensor, wherein the non-contact sensor comprises at least one mounting thread, wherein the at least one mounting thread is threaded into the first end to secure the non-contact sensor in the first end;
- and
- a second clamp arm with a third end and a fourth end, wherein the third end can be removably joined to the first end;
- wherein:
- the second end and fourth end are proximate to at least one hinge such that the first clamp arm and the second clamp arm can move with respect to each other by the at least one hinge between a closed configuration in which the first end of the first clamp arm and the third end of the second clamp arm are separated by a first distance, and an open configuration in which the first end of the first clamp arm and the third end of the second clamp arm are separated by a second distance greater than the first distance;
- and
- the non-contact sensor is configured to detect whether the clamp is in the closed configuration or the open configuration.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.