Self-tightening clamp
OwnerHans Oetikerinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A self-tightening lamp formed from spring steel band material which exerts clamping forces by the inherent springiness of the band material. To minimize outwardly projecting parts with their injury danger and to obtain an inner clamping surface substantially devoid of any gaps or steps, the end of the outer band end portion is provided with an elongated slot adapted to receive the tongue-like overlapped inner band end portion. Temporary locking of the clamp is realized by a detent member in the tongue-like inner band end portion adapted to be lockingly engaged by a locking surface in the outer band portion. The elongated slot is thereby of such width as to accommodate the tongue-like inner band portion whereby the detent member is located in the elongated slot when the clamp is in its clamping position.
Claims49
A self-tightening clamp operable to assume a reduced diametric dimension as a result of its inherent springiness and adapted to be expanded in its diametric dimension to enable installation over a hose, comprising clamping band means made from spring steel and normally defining a substantially circular configuration, said clamping band means having overlapping end portions, one clamping band end portion having a tongue-like configuration of a width less than the width of the clamping band means, the other clamping band end portion being provided with an elongated slot of such width as to permit the tongue-like inner band end portion to extend through same, detent means in said one band end portion, said detent means being located to be within the area of said slot when the clamp is in its reduced diametric dimension corresponding to its clamping position, said outer band portion being provided with locking means to lock the clamp in its expanded diametric dimension corresponding to the open clamp position by engagement with said detent means, and further means to minimize the danger of injury by the free ends of any inner and outer band end portions which are so constructed that the free end of any inner and outer band portion extends at most only a limited distance in a direction radially outwardly from the outer surface of the clamping band means.
A self-tightening clamp operable to assume a reduced diametric dimension as a result of its inherent springiness and adapted to be expanded in its diametric dimension to enable installation over a hose, comprising clamping band means made form spring steel and normally defining a substantially circular configuration, said clamping band means having overlapping end portions, one clamping band end portion having a tongue-like configuration of a width less than the width of the clamping band means, the other clamping band end portion being provided with an elongated slot of such width as to permit the tongue-like inner band end portion to extend through same, detent means in said one band end portion, said detent means being located to be within the area of said slot when the clamp is in its reduced diametric dimension corresponding to its clamping position, said outer band portion being provided with locking means to lock the clamp in its expanded diametric dimension corresponding to the open clamp position by engagement with said detent means, and further means to minimize the danger of injury within the area of the free ends of the inner and outer band end portions, said locking means including an outwardly extending bridging portion in the outer band end portion whose internal width is slightly larger than the width of said tongue-like inner band end portion and whose internal height is such that during expansion of the clamp the detent means is able to slide underneath the bridging portion until operable to engage with said locking means as a result of the latter's inherent springiness.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.