Patent Publication Number: US-9403262-B2

Title: Handtight clamp

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims benefit to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/785,120 filed on Mar. 14, 2013, entitled “HANDTIGHT CLAMP,” which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present disclosure relates to clamps. In particular, the present disclosure relates to clamps that are easily readjustable. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A handtight clamp comprising two parallel rods that are press-fit into a stable handle and which have a moving handle that is movable across the parallel rods. The handtight clamp also comprises a first coil spring and a second coil spring around each of the two parallel rods, the first coil spring having less bearing pressure than the second coil spring, and the first coil spring laying adjacent to the moving handle. The handtight clamp additionally comprising a jaw extending from the stable handle and the moving handle, the jaw having a rigid inner jaw portion and a semi-rigid outer jaw portion. 
     These and other features of the present invention will be described in more details below in the detailed description of the invention and in conjunction with the following figures. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings and in which like reference numerals refer to similar elements and in which: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a front perspective view of a handtight clamp and a securing key, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a front perspective view of a compressed handtight clamp and a securing key in two locations, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a front view of a handtight clamp, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a front view of a compressed handtight clamp, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a front view of a compressed handtight clamp and a locked securing key in two locations, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a back view of a compressed handtight clamp and a locked securing key in two locations, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  illustrates a side view of a handtight clamp handles, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. 
         FIG. 8  illustrates a front view, top view, and bottom view of handtight clamp handles, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to a few preferred embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, that the present invention may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well known process steps and/or structures have not been described in detail in order to not unnecessarily obscure the present invention. 
     The handtight clamp discussed herein allows a user to control the amount of pressure applied through the clamp by applying the pressure by moving the handles of the clamp together by directly closing his hands around the handles. As such, a user is able to better know how much pressure is being exerted so as to avoid over-tightening, which can result in cracking, or under-tightening, which can result in objects falling from the clamps. Additionally, jaws in the handtight clamp are semi-rigid so as to allow the jaws to form-fit to objects that are being clamped. Further, the hightight clamp has pressure that is applied gradually via general compaction so as to allow the handtight clamp to be readily adjusted. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a front perspective view of handtight clamp  100  and threaded locking screw  140 , in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. In particular,  FIG. 1  includes stable handle  105 , moving handle  110 , parallel rods  115 , first coil spring  120 , second coil spring  125 , caps  130 , threaded holes  135 , threaded locking screw  140 , and outer jaw portion  145 . Stable handle  105  has parallel rods  115  that are press-fit into it. As such, stable handle  105  is stationary with respect to the parallel rods  115 . In contrast, moving handle  110  is able to move across parallel rods  115 . In particular, as moving handle  110  moves across parallel rods  115  towards stable handle  105 , moving handle  110  compresses springs  120  and  125  that are oriented between stable handle  105  and moving handle  110 . 
     As seen in  FIG. 1 , first coil spring  120  is looser than second coil spring  125 . This is because first coil spring  120  is easier to compress than second coil spring. For example, first coil spring  120  may be a 50 pound spring while second coil spring  125  may be a 100 pound spring. As such, when you start to compress handtight clamp  100 , it requires less compression to translocate moving handle  110  across the first coil spring  120  and it is requires more compression to translocate moving handle  110  across second coil spring  125 . However, as the hand closes, less leverage is required to compress handles  105  and  110  together. 
     Accordingly,  FIG. 2  illustrates a front perspective view of a compressed handtight clamp  100  of  FIG. 1  and a threaded locking screw  140  in two locations, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. In particular,  FIG. 2  provides a depiction of handtight clamp  100  when it is in a compressed position. Accordingly,  FIG. 2  includes stable handle  105 , moving handle  110 , parallel rods  115 , first coil spring  120 , second coil springs  125 , caps  130 , threaded holes  135 , threaded locking screw  140 , and outer jaw portion  145 . In particular, when  FIG. 2  is in a compressed position, threaded locking screw  140  may be secured into threaded holes  135  so as to keep moving handle  110  in a stationary position with respect to stable handle  105 . Threaded locking screw  140  stabilizes moving handle  110  by providing pressure against a parallel rod  115 , either on a top row, a bottom row, or both. 
     As seen in  FIG. 2 , first coil spring  120  is seen as being more compressed than second coil spring  125 . First coil spring  120  is more compressed than second coil spring  125  because first coil spring  120  is compressed first. In this way, more potential energy is stocked in a compressed second coil spring  125  rather than a compressed first coil spring  120 . This additional potential energy is converted to kinetic energy when pressure that is placed on moving handle  110  is released. Accordingly, the amount of kinetic energy released by compressed, or partially compressed, second coil spring  125  is designed to allow the handtight clamp to easily release an object that is being held with handtight clamp. Additionally, caps  130  are attached to parallel rods  115  so as to keep moving handle  110  from falling off of parallel rods  115 . In alternative embodiments, other designs may be used to keep the moving handle from being removed from the parallel rods  115 . 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a front view of a handtight clamp  100  with respect to two blocks  150 , in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. In particular,  FIG. 3  includes stable handle  105 , moving handle  110 , parallel rods  115 , first coil spring  120 , second coil springs  125 , caps  130 , threaded holes  135 , threaded locking screw  140 , outer jaw portion  145 , blocks  150 , and inner jaw portion  155 . Blocks  150  have features  152  and  154 . In particular, blocks  150  have semicircular features  154  and triangular features  154 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , handtight clamp  100  is positioned to engage blocks  150 . 
       FIG. 4  illustrates a front view of a compressed handtight clamp  100  engaging blocks  150 , in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. In particular,  FIG. 4  includes stable handle  105 , moving handle  110 , parallel rods  115 , first coil spring  120 , second coil springs  125 , caps  130 , threaded holes  135 , threaded locking screw  140 , outer jaw portion  145 , blocks  150 , and inner jaw portion  155 .  FIG. 5  illustrates a front view of a compressed handtight clamp of  FIG. 1  and a threaded locking screw  140  in two locations, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. As such,  FIG. 5  includes stable handle  105 , moving handle  110 , parallel rods  115 , first coil spring  120 , second coil springs  125 , caps  130 , threaded holes  135 , threaded locking screw  140 , outer jaw portions  145 , blocks  150  having features  152  and  154 , and inner jaw portions  155 . As seen in  FIG. 5 , the threaded locking screw  140  is in an up or “locked” position. Further, threaded locking screw may be positioned in a top threaded hole  135  or in a bottom threaded hole  135 . A threaded locking screw  140  would reasonably only be locked on the moving handle  110 . While a threaded locking screw  140  may possibly be placed on a threaded hole  135  on stable handle  105 , this would only be needed if the pressure exerted against stable handle  105  were so great so as to overpower the press fit of parallel rods  115  into stable handle  105 . Accordingly, alternative embodiments of the present invention may have the threaded holes  135  on stable handle  105  removed and still be within the disclosure of the present invention so long as there is at least one threaded hole  135  on the moving handle  110 . 
       FIG. 6  illustrates a back view of a compressed handtight clamp of  FIG. 1  and a threaded locking screw  140  in two locations, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. As such,  FIG. 6  includes stable handle  105 , moving handle  110 , parallel rods  115 , first coil spring  120 , second coil springs  125 , caps  130 , threaded holes  135 , threaded locking screw  140 , outer jaw portions  145 , blocks  150  having features  152  and  154 , and inner jaw portions  155 . As seen in  FIG. 6 , the threaded locking screw  140  is in an up or “locked” position. 
       FIG. 7  illustrates a side view of a handtight clamp handles  700  and  705 , in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. In particular,  FIG. 7  includes an inner side view of stable handle  705  and moving handle  710 . As seen in  FIG. 7 , stable handle  705  and moving handle  710  have bore holes  708  through which parallel rods can pass. In particular, the bore hole  708  of stable handle  705  does not go completely through stable handle  705 , whereas the bore hole  708  of moving hand  710  does go completely through so as to allow moving handle  710  to pass freely across the rods. Additionally, an inner jaw portion  715  extends from each handle  705  and  710 . 
       FIG. 8  illustrates a front view, top view, and bottom view of handtight clamp handles of  FIG. 7 , in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. In particular,  FIG. 8  includes a front view of stable handle  705  and moving handle  710 . As seen in  FIG. 7 , an inner jaw portion  715  extends from each handle  705  and  710 . Additionally,  FIG. 8  includes an outline of outer jaw portion  720  as it is removably placed over inner jaw portion  715 . Accordingly,  FIG. 8  shows the extent that inner jaw portions  715  extend from stable handle  705  and moving handle  710 . In particular, inner jaw portion  715  is made of a rigid material and outer jaw portion  720  is made of a semi-flexible material, such as foam or gel. 
       FIG. 8  also illustrates a top view of handles  705  and  710 . In particular,  FIG. 8  shows a top view  730  of stable handle  705 . Top view  730  includes a bore hole  708  that does not go all the way horizontally through the handle. Instead, bore hole  708  of stable handle  705  is used to press fit a parallel rod into stable handle  705 . Additionally,  FIG. 8  illustrates a top view  735  of moving handle  710 . In particular, top view  735  illustrates a bore hole  708  of moving handle  710  that goes all the way through horizontally so as to allow a parallel rod to pass through moving handle  710 . Additionally, top view  735  also illustrates a cross-section that allows a threaded locking key  740  to apply pressure to a parallel rod, thus keeping the parallel rod in place. 
       FIG. 8  also illustrates a bottom view  740  of handle  705  and a bottom view  745  of handle  710 . In particular, both views illustrate the view of the handles as well as the circular impression of the inner jaw portion. 
     While this invention has been described in terms of several preferred embodiments, there are alterations, permutations, and substitute equivalents, which fall within the scope of this invention. It should also be noted that there are many alternative ways of implementing the methods and apparatuses of the present invention. It is therefore intended that the following appended claims be interpreted as including all such alterations, permutations, and substitute equivalents as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention.