# US 2018/0320719 A1 · Modular clamping system

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- Number: US 2018/0320719 A1
- Document ID: US20180320719A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/038,602
- Filed: 2018-07-18
- Published: 2018-11-08
- Earliest claimed: 2011-05-09
- Inventors: Christopher A. Swan
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180320719A1

## CPC

- F16B 2/185: {using levers}
- B25B 5/062: {with clamping means pivoting around an axis parallel to the pressing direction}
- B25B 5/12: using toggle links
- F16M 13/022: {repositionable}
- B25B 5/08: using cams
- B25B 5/087: {actuated by a hydraulic or pneumatic piston}
- B25B 5/16: Details, e.g. jaws, jaw attachments
- H04R 1/025: {Arrangements for fixing loudspeaker transducers, e.g. in a box, furniture}
- H04R 2201/021: Transducers or their casings adapted for mounting in or to a wall or ceiling
- Y10T 29/49826: Assembling or joining
- Y10T 29/49998: Work holding
- F16B: DEVICES FOR FASTENING OR SECURING CONSTRUCTIONAL ELEMENTS OR MACHINE PARTS TOGETHER, e.g. NAILS, BOLTS, CIRCLIPS, CLAMPS, CLIPS OR WEDGES; JOINTS OR JOINTING (couplings for transmitting rotation F16D)
- B25B: TOOLS OR BENCH DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, FOR FASTENING, CONNECTING, DISENGAGING, OR HOLDING
- F16M: FRAMES, CASINGS OR BEDS OF ENGINES, MACHINES OR APPARATUS, NOT SPECIFIC TO ENGINES, MACHINES OR APPARATUS PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE; STANDS; SUPPORTS
- H04R: LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS (producing sounds with frequency not determined by supply frequency G10K)
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

A clamping system includes a housing, a clamping lever pivotally coupled relative to the housing, a clamping arm pivotally coupled relative to the housing and the clamping lever, and an expandable link coupled to the clamping arm. The clamping lever and the clamping arm are rotatable from an open position to a closed position. A method of mounting a device on a substrate using the clamping system is also provided.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of mounting a device on a substrate, the method comprising:
inserting a clamping system of the device at least partially into an opening in the substrate;
actuating a clamping lever to rotate a clamping arm toward a closed position; and
causing, via the actuating of the clamping lever, the clamping arm to rotate from a position within the opening in the substrate to a position over an interior surface of the opening of the substrate, and simultaneously moving the clamping arm toward the closed position such that a portion of the clamping arm comes into contact with the interior surface of the substrate.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising:
causing, via the actuating of the clamping lever, the clamping arm to move from an open arm position to a closed arm position using a track configured for guiding movement of the clamping arm.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2 wherein the track is configured such that the movement of the clamping arm from the open arm position to the closed arm position includes rotational and translational movement.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein moving the clamping lever from an open lever position to a closed lever position moves a clamping assembly to an over-toggle position, the over-toggle position configured to prevent the clamping lever from rotating toward the open lever position when the clamping lever is in the closed lever position.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 where moving the clamping lever from an open lever position to a closed lever position comprises expanding an expandable link biased to pull the clamping arm toward a closed arm position when the clamping lever is in the closed lever position.

### Claim 6

A method of mounting a structure on a substrate having a hole, the method comprising: inserting the structure in the hole, the structure coupled to at least one clamping system in an open position, the at least one clamping system comprised of:
a housing;
a link assembly comprising:
a right first link pivotally coupled to the housing,
a left first link pivotally coupled to the housing, and
a second link pivotally coupled to the right first link and the left first link, and slidably coupled to the housing;
a clamping assembly, wherein a portion of the clamping assembly is encased within the housing and configured to slidably move within the housing, the clamping assembly further comprising a clamping arm coupled to an expandable link, the expandable link coupled to the second link;
a clamping lever pivotally coupled to the second link, the second link pivotally coupled to the housing, wherein the clamping arm is in an open arm position when the clamping lever is in an open lever position, the open arm position including the clamping arm located entirely within a perimeter of the hole when the structure is inserted in the hole and the clamping arm not in contact with the substrate, and whereby moving the clamping lever to a closed lever position moves the clamping arm to a closed arm position such that the clamping arm is located at least partially outside the perimeter of the hole and contacts the substrate;
moving the clamping lever from the open lever position to the closed lever position, resulting in a movement of the clamping arm from the open arm position to the closed arm position.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of mounting the structure on the substrate of claim 6, wherein the housing includes a track configured for guiding movement of the clamping arm from the open arm position to the closed arm position.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of mounting the structure on the substrate of claim 7, wherein the track is configured such that the movement of the clamping arm from the open arm position to the closed arm position includes rotational and translational movement.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The method of mounting the structure on the substrate of claim 6, wherein the clamping arm is a dog-ear shape.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The method of mounting the structure on the substrate of claim 6, the at least one clamping system further comprising an extender coupled to an end of the clamping arm not coupled to the housing.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of mounting the structure on the substrate of claim 10, wherein a surface of the extender opposite to the side of the extender coupled to the clamping arm includes a textured surface.

### Claim 12 (depends on 6)

The method of mounting the structure on the substrate of claim 6, wherein an end of the clamping arm not coupled to the housing includes a textured surface.

### Claim 13 (depends on 6)

The method of mounting the structure on the substrate of claim 6, wherein a screw couples the clamping arm to the expandable link.

### Claim 14 (depends on 6)

The method of mounting the structure on the substrate of claim 6, wherein the housing includes a left slot and a right slot parallel to the left slot and on an opposite side of the housing, and the coupling of the expandable link to the second link further includes a cross pin coupled to the expandable link and pivotally coupled to the second link, the cross pin located perpendicular to the left slot and the right slot, with a right end engaged in the right slot and a left end engaged in the left slot, wherein the clamping lever is moving from the open lever position to the closed lever position results in the cross pin moving the expandable link in a direction of the left slot and the right slot.

### Claim 15 (depends on 6)

The method of mounting the structure on the substrate of claim 6, the structure including a flange, wherein the substrate is clamped between the flange and the clamping arm when the clamping arm is in the closed arm position.

### Claim 16 (depends on 6)

The method of mounting the structure on the substrate according to claim 6, wherein moving the clamping lever from the open lever position to the closed lever position moves the clamping assembly to an over-toggle position, the over-toggle position configured to prevent the clamping lever from rotating toward the open lever position when the clamping lever is in the closed lever position.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of mounting the structure on the substrate according to claim 16, further comprising the step of:
moving the clamping lever from the closed lever position to a stored position, wherein the over-toggle position prevents the clamping arm from moving when the clamping lever is moved from the closed lever position to the stored position.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The method of mounting the structure on the substrate according to claim 16, wherein the link assembly and the clamping assembly are configured such that moving of a clamping lever pivot joint, the clamping lever pivot joint coupling the clamping lever to the second link, away from the structure when the at least one clamping system is in an over-toggle position results in a release of the over-toggle position and movement of the clamping arm away from the substrate, and further comprising the step of:
moving of the clamping lever pivot joint away from the structure, resulting in the release of the over-toggle position and movement of the clamping arm away from the substrate.

### Claim 19 (depends on 6)

The method of mounting the structure on the substrate according to claim 6, wherein the expandable link is a spring.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of mounting the structure on the substrate according to claim 19, wherein the expandable link is biased to pull the clamping arm toward the closed arm position when the clamping lever is in the closed lever position.