Patent Publication Number: US-11642760-B2

Title: Woodworking clamp having connector

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a connector, and more particularly to a woodworking clamp having a connector for increasing the distance between two clamping members of the woodworking clamp. Furthermore, the connector can be mounted to and dismounted from the woodworking clamp with ease. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A conventional woodworking clamp comprises a connector, which is able to adjust the clamping distance of the woodworking clamp. Two ends of the connector are provided with a pair of clamping bodies, and the clamping faces of the two clamping bodies face each other to constitute the woodworking clamp. At least one of the clamping bodies is slidable on an adjustable bar, so that the clamping distance of the woodworking clamp can be adjusted. The connector is configured to prolong the distance between the two clamping bodies, so the woodworking clamp can be applied to thicker workpieces. 
     The installation of the woodworking clamp is achieved by a screw rod inserted in the connector and secured by two sides of the clamping body. When the connector is to be dismounted, it is laborious and time-consuming to remove the screw rod from the clamping bodies. 
     Thus, the need for improvement still exists. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore one object of the invention to provide a woodworking clamp having a connector. Two ends of the connector are connected with two clamping members to constitute the woodworking clamp. The connector comprises a housing, a receiving tube, a U-shaped buckle, a spring, and a button. The housing is composed of a front housing and a rear housing. Two opposing ends of the housing are formed with bar openings, respectively. A top of the housing is formed with a button opening. The receiving tube has two receiving openings at its two ends. The receiving openings are aligned with the bar openings of the housing. A bar of each clamping member is inserted in the receiving tube from a corresponding one of the bar openings. An end face of each receiving opening is recessed inwardly to form a guide groove. The U-shaped buckle has a bottom and two side walls extending upwardly from two sides of the bottom. Upper and lower ends of the spring abut against the housing and the bottom of the U-shaped buckle, respectively. The receiving tube is accommodated between the two side walls. Two opposing ends of each side wall each extend outwardly to form a hook. A notch is formed between the hook and the side wall and aligned with at least one part of the guide groove. The notch and the guide groove are configured to position a positioning pin of the bar. Each side wall has a restricting slot. The restriction slot and a pin hole in a middle portion of the receiving tube overlap for insertion of a restricting pin. The button is accommodated in the button opening and abuts against an outer edge of the button opening. The button spans the receiving tube. A top surface of each side wall of the U-shaped buckle abuts against an underside of the button. The above structural arrangement enables the U-shaped buckle to swing or return to the original position below the button. When the bar of the clamping member is inserted in the bar opening, the bar is in contact with the end face of the U-shaped buckle, so that one end of the U-shaped buckle is inclined downward to enlarge the clamping opening between the notch and the guide groove. When the end of the bar of the clamping member is fully inserted in the notch, the spring provides a force to return the U-shaped buckle to its original position to complete the locking. Similarly, the end of the bar of the other clamping member is also clamped inside the connector. For releasing the engaging state, the button is pressed down, that is, the hook of the U-shaped buckle is pressed down, the positioning pin is released from the receiving tube and the U-shaped buckle so that the bar of the clamping member can be pulled out from the connector. 
     Preferably, the housing has a guide wall that extends vertically and is adjacent to the button opening. The guide wall is configured to position an end face of the button. 
     Preferably, the housing has a retaining wall for positioning the receiving tube, so that the receiving tube won&#39;t be moved. 
     Preferably, the housing has a spring positioning portion for positioning the spring. The spring positioning portion may be a groove. 
     Preferably, the guide groove has a closed end face that is an arc end face for accommodating the positioning pin. 
     Preferably, the button has a press side and two extension sides extending from the press side. The top surfaces of the side walls of the U-shaped buckle abut against the two extension sides, respectively. Besides, the outer edge of the button opening extends inwardly to form a stop portion. A top of the button is blocked by the stop portion. 
     Preferably, an end face of the hook is an inclined side. The inclined side is aligned with the bar opening. When the positioning pin of the bar of the clamping member is inserted in the receiving opening from the bar opening, the positioning pin abuts against the inclined side to press down one end of the U-shaped buckle, so as to open the clamping opening smoothly. 
     Preferably, the receiving tube is a flat tube. An outer contour of the bar corresponds to an inner contour of a part of the receiving tube, so that the bar won&#39;t be moved easily when it is connected to the connector. 
     The above and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a perspective view of the connector of the invention; 
         FIG.  2    is an exploded view of the connector of the invention; 
         FIG.  3    is a cross-sectional view of the connector of the invention; 
         FIG.  4    is an exploded view of the woodworking clamp of the invention; 
       and 
         FIGS.  5  to  10    are schematic views showing the installation process of the woodworking clamp respectively. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to  FIGS.  1  to  10   . 
     The invention discloses a woodworking clamp  60  having a connector  1 , which is capable of adjusting a clamping distance. Two ends of the connector  1  are connected with a pair of clamping members  61 , and the clamping faces of the two clamping members  61  face each other, so as to constitute the woodworking clamp  60 . At least one of the clamping members  61  is slidable on a bar  62 , so that the clamping distance of the woodworking clamp  60  can be adjusted. The connector  1  is configured to prolong the distance between the two clamping members  61 , so the woodworking clamp  60  can be applied to thicker workpieces. 
     The connector  1  includes a housing, a button  20 , a receiving tube  30 , a U-shaped buckle  40 , and a spring  50 . The button  20 , the receiving tube  30 , the U-shaped buckle  40  and the spring  50  are arranged sequentially in a top-down direction in the housing. The housing includes a front housing  111  and a rear housing  112 . Both the front housing  111  and the rear housing  112  have screw holes  172 . Screws  171  are screwed to the screw holes  172 , so as to lock and connect the front housing  111  and the rear housing  112 . Two opposing ends of the housing are formed with bar openings  121 ,  122 , respectively. The top of the housing is formed with a button opening  13 . 
     The receiving tube  30  is a flat tube. The receiving tube  30  has two receiving openings  31  at its two ends. An end face  311  of the receiving opening  31  is recessed inwardly to form a pair of guide grooves  32 . 
     At least one of the front housing  111  and the rear housing  112  has retaining walls  133 ,  141 ,  142 ,  143  extending inwardly for positioning the receiving tube  30 . In detail, the retaining walls  133 ,  141  are in contact with the arc end faces at the middle portion of the receiving tube  30 , the retaining wall  142  is in contact with the arc end face above the receiving opening  31 , and the retaining wall  143  is in contact with both end faces of the receiving opening  31  of the receiving tube  30 , such that the receiving tube  30  is positioned inside the housing. The receiving tube  30  after being positioned is aligned with the bar openings  121 ,  122  of the housing, so that the bar  62  of each clamping member  61  can be inserted in the receiving tube  30  from the corresponding bar opening  121 / 122  and the receiving opening  31 . 
     The U-shaped buckle  40  has a bottom  41 , two side walls  42  extending upwardly from two sides of the bottom  41 , and an accommodating groove  43  defined between the bottom  41  and the two side walls  42  for accommodating the receiving tube  30 . The upper and lower ends of the spring  50  abut against a spring positioning groove  16  on the bottom of the housing and the bottom  41  of the U-shaped buckle  40 , respectively. The centers of the button  20 , the receiving tube  30 , the U-shaped buckle  40  and the spring  50  are arranged in the same straight line. 
     Two opposing ends of each side wall  42  of the U-shaped buckle each extend outwardly to form a hook  421 . A notch  422  facing upwardly is formed between the hook  421  and the side wall  42  and is aligned with at least one part of the guide groove  32 . The top surface  431  of the side wall  42  is higher than the top of the hook  421 . The top of the hook  421  and part of the guide groove  32  of the receiving tube  30  form a clamping opening  35 . Each side wall  42  has a restricting slot  45 . The restriction slot  45  and a pin hole  33  in the middle portion of the receiving tube  30  overlap for insertion of a restricting pin  48 . The above structural arrangement enables the U-shaped buckle  40  to swing or return to the original position below the button  20 . When the bar  62  of the clamping member  61  is inserted in the receiving tube  30 , the notch  422  and the guide groove  32  are configured to position a positioning pin  63  of the bar  62 . 
     The button  20  is accommodated in the button opening  13 , spans the receiving tube  30 , and abuts against the outer edge of the button opening  13 . In detail, the button  20  has a press side  22  and two extension sides  23  extending from the press side  22 . The top surface  431  of the side wall  43  of the U-shaped buckle  40  abuts against the underside of the corresponding extension side  23 . The button  20  is configured to control the engaging state of the receiving tube  30  and the U-shaped buckle  40 . When the button  20  is pressed down, the entire U-shaped buckle  40  will be pressed down, the overlapping state of the notch  422  of the U-shaped buckle  40  and the guide groove  32  will be released, and the clamping opening  35  will be enlarged. 
     It is worth mentioning that as long as the top surface  431  of the side wall  42  of the U-shaped buckle  40  abuts against the underside of the button  20 , and the extension side  23  of the button  20  may be in the form of a flat side or a plurality of side-by-side thin rods, the engaging state can be released. 
     In addition, the outer edge of the button opening  13  extends inwardly to form a stop portion  132 . The surface of the press side  22  of the button  20  is reduced inwardly to form a shoulder portion  21 . The shoulder portion  21  is blocked by the stop portion  132 . At least one of the front housing  111  and the rear housing  112  has a guide wall  131  that extends vertically and is adjacent to the button opening  13 . The extending direction of the guide wall  131  is the same as the press direction of the button  20 , so that an end face  231  of the extension side  23  of the button  20  can move back and forth along the guide wall  131 . 
     As shown in  FIG.  2   ,  FIG.  3   , and  FIG.  5    through  FIG.  10    specifically, when the connector  1  has not yet docked with the bar  62  of the clamping member  61 , the spring  50  supports the button  20  and the U-shaped buckle  40  above the spring  50 , the receiving tube  30  is retained inside the housing, and the receiving openings  31  are aligned with the rod openings  121 ,  22 , allowing the U-shaped buckle  40  to swing or return to its original position under the button  20 . 
     When the bar  62  of the clamping member  61  is inserted in the bar opening  121 , the bar  62  is in contact with the end face of the U-shaped buckle  40 , so that one end of the U-shaped buckle  40  is inclined downward to enlarge the clamping opening  35  between the notch  422  and the guide groove  32 . When the end of the bar  62  of the clamping member  61  is fully inserted in the notch  422 , the positioning pin  63  is positioned by the notch  422  and the surface of the guide groove  32 , and the spring  50  provides a force to return the U-shaped buckle  40  to its original position to complete the engagement. Similarly, the end of the bar  62  of the other clamping member  61  is also clamped inside the connector  1 . 
     For releasing the engaging state, the button  20  is pressed down, that is, the hook  421  of the U-shaped buckle  40  is pressed down, the positioning pin  63  is released from the receiving tube  30  and the U-shaped buckle  40 , so that the bar  62  and the positioning pin  63  of the clamping member  61  can be pulled out from the connector  1 . 
     In addition, the outer contour of the bar  62  corresponds to the inner contour of part of the receiving tube  30 , so that the bar  60  won&#39;t be moved easily when it is connected to the connector  1 . The guide groove  32  has a closed end face  321  that is an arc end face to match the circular surface of the positioning pin  63  and accommodate the positioning pin  63 . 
     In addition, the end face of the hook  421  is an inclined side  423  which is inclined upward. The inclined side  423  is aligned with the bar opening  121 . When the positioning pin  63  of the bar  62  of the clamping member  61  is inserted in the receiving opening  31  from the bar opening  121  or  122 , the positioning pin  63  abuts against the inclined side  423  to press down one end of the U-shaped buckle  40 , so as to open the clamping opening  35  smoothly. 
     While the invention has been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention can be practiced with modifications within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.