Patent Description:
The present invention relates generally to hand tools, and more particularly to clamps or spreaders.

Various tools configured to clamp and/or spread against surfaces, are known. Among other things, the present application relates to various improvements to such clamping or spreading tools, which may be used for holding together or spreading apart workpieces such as woodworking constructions, cabinets, doors, windows, framing segments, pallets, and so on. As used herein, the term clamp may be understood as generically referring to tool that may be used to move a jaw to pull into a workpiece (e.g., for clamping) or to a tool that moves a jaw to push against a workpiece (e.g., for spreading), or to a tool that may be configurable to do either pulling into or pushing against a workpiece (e.g., by changing an orientation of components thereof). This disclosure includes various improvements which may be utilized together or independently in various embodiments. Some known clamps utilize pull triggers to move an engaging assembly along a bar. Other known clamps utilize a screw mechanism (e.g., in an F-clamp). Still other known tools are hybrid clamps, which combine features of a screw clamp and a trigger clamp. The present disclosure includes various improvements to clamps, which may be utilized together or independently in various embodiments, in trigger clamps or hybrid clamps.

A clamp according to the preamble of claim <NUM> is disclosed in document <CIT>.

According to an example not covered by the invention, a clamp includes a bar having a top surface and a bottom surface, a fixed jaw fixed relative to the bar, and a movable assembly configured to selectively move along the bar. The movable assembly includes a movable jaw positioned to move with the movable assembly relative to the fixed jaw, an actuator configured to incrementally move the movable assembly along the bar towards the fixed jaw and to apply a clamp force to a clamp load, a release lever configured to disengage the movable assembly from the bar to permit free sliding of the movable assembly along the bar towards or away from the fixed jaw, and to release a clamp force when actuated; and a bearing surface formed of a low-friction material, supported in the movable assembly, and positioned to prevent the movable assembly from binding to the bar when a clamp load is released through actuation of the release lever.

According to the invention it is provided a clamp including a bar having a top surface and a bottom surface, a fixed jaw fixed relative to the bar; and a movable assembly configured to selectively move along the bar. The movable assembly includes a movable jaw positioned to move with the movable assembly relative to the fixed jaw, an actuator configured to incrementally move the movable assembly along the bar towards the fixed jaw and to apply a clamp force to a clamp load, and a release lever configured to disengage the movable assembly from the bar to permit free sliding of the movable assembly along the bar towards or away from the fixed jaw, and to release a clamp force when actuated. The release lever is movable between a first position engaging the bar, a second position where the release lever disengages the bar to permit the movable assembly to freely slide along the bar, and a third position engaging the bar, the third position being opposite the first position with the second position therebetween.

In one embodiment of the invention, the structural components illustrated herein are drawn to scale. In addition, it should be appreciated that structural features shown or described in any one embodiment herein can be used in other embodiments as long as these combinations are covered by the scope of the appended claims. As used in the specification and in the claims, the singular form of "a", "an", and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

Features of clamps in accordance with one or more embodiments are shown in the drawings, in which like reference numerals designate like elements. The drawings form part of this original disclosure in which:.

<FIG> illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of a clamp <NUM> of the present disclosure. The clamp <NUM> includes a bar <NUM>, onto which is mounted a fixed jaw <NUM>. The bar <NUM> and the fixed jaw <NUM> may be conventional in some embodiments. In an embodiment, the fixed jaw <NUM> may be removably mounted to the bar <NUM>, and may be removed or repositioned on the bar <NUM> through actuation of a fixed jaw release <NUM>. The clamp <NUM> further includes a movable assembly <NUM> configured to move along the bar <NUM> as described herein. As shown, in the illustrated embodiment the clamp <NUM> is a hybrid clamp, and as such, besides for the movable assembly <NUM> being configured to move along the bar <NUM>, the movable assembly <NUM> includes a screw clamp assembly <NUM> including a screw clamp jaw <NUM> mounted to the remainder of the movable assembly <NUM> via a screw clamp mount <NUM>.

Additional details of the clamp <NUM> may be seen in <FIG>, which illustrates a side view of the clamp <NUM> cross sectioned along the length of the bar <NUM>. As shown, the movable assembly <NUM> includes a housing <NUM>, which may include a handle <NUM> extending from or formed therewith. The movable assembly <NUM> also includes a trigger clamp mechanism <NUM>, which selectively engages and moves the movable assembly <NUM> along the bar <NUM>. The trigger clamp mechanism is discussed in greater detail below; however, it may be appreciated that the mechanism <NUM> may include an actuator <NUM> (e.g., a trigger) and a release lever <NUM> in some embodiments. Actuation of the actuator <NUM> by pulling it towards the trigger clamp mechanism handle <NUM> formed in or extending from the housing <NUM> for the trigger clamp mechanism <NUM> causes movement of the trigger clamp mechanism <NUM>, along the bar <NUM>, and as such moves the movable assembly <NUM> including the screw clamp assembly <NUM> extending therefrom on the screw clamp mount <NUM>, such that a screw clamp jaw <NUM> of the screw clamp assembly may clamp a load against the fixed jaw <NUM>.

As additionally shown, the screw clamp assembly <NUM> may include a screw clamp shaft <NUM> coupling the screw clamp jaw <NUM> to a screw clamp handle <NUM>. Once at a desired position clamping a load between the screw clamp jaw <NUM> and the fixed jaw <NUM>, further clamping force may be applied by twisting the screw clamp assembly <NUM> so that shaft threads 230a on a screw clamp shaft <NUM> between the screw clamp handle <NUM> and the screw clamp jaw <NUM> engage mount threads 170a on the screw clamp mount <NUM>, such that rotation of the screw clamp handle <NUM> may advance or retreat the screw clamp jaw <NUM> relative to the screw clamp mount <NUM>, which may further move the screw clamp jaw <NUM> towards the fixed jaw <NUM> or otherwise relative to the bar <NUM>. Likewise, fine tuning of the clamp force may be performed by twisting the screw clamp assembly <NUM> to move the screw clamp jaw <NUM> slightly away from the fixed jaw <NUM> by turning the screw clamp handle <NUM> in an opposite direction, unscrewing the screw clamp shaft <NUM> relative to the movable assembly <NUM>.

In some embodiments, such as that shown, the screw clamp jaw <NUM> may be pivotally and/or rotatably mounted on the screw clamp shaft <NUM>, so that desired engagement between the screw clamp jaw <NUM> and a workpiece may be achieved. As shown, through movement of the movable assembly <NUM> along the bar <NUM> towards the fixed jaw <NUM>, and through further movement of the screw clamp jaw <NUM> towards the fixed jaw <NUM>, a desired clamp force <NUM> may be achieved between the fixed jaw <NUM> and the screw clamp jaw <NUM> by squeezing against a clamp load <NUM> (which could comprise one or more objects secured between the fixed jaw <NUM> and the screw clamp jaw <NUM>).

Further shown in <FIG>, and as enlarged in <FIG> and shown in isolation in <FIG>, the clamp <NUM> may utilize a bearing surface (e.g., one or more bearings <NUM>) to mitigate or prevent jaw binding. It may be appreciated that while incremental movement of the trigger clamp mechanism <NUM> is actuated via the actuator <NUM>, release of a clamp force (or ability to slide the movable assembly <NUM> freely along the bar) is actuated by a release lever <NUM>. Jaw binding may occur at any point during movement between the movable assembly <NUM> of the clamp <NUM> and the bar <NUM> of the clamp <NUM>, as discussed in greater detail below, including but not limited to when a clamp force <NUM> is released (e.g., when the clamp <NUM> is applying a clamp force <NUM> to a clamped load <NUM>, and the clamp force <NUM> is released through actuation of the release lever <NUM>).

When a clamp force <NUM> is applied between the fixed jaw <NUM> and the screw clamp jaw <NUM>, and in particular when a further screw clamp force has been applied on top of the trigger clamp force formed from the trigger clamp mechanism <NUM>, a binding force may form on opposing sides of the trigger clamp mechanism <NUM> where it engages the bar <NUM>, proximal to where the screw clamp mount <NUM> meets the bar <NUM>. As described herein, the bearings <NUM> positioned at these points of contact between the bar <NUM> and the movable assembly <NUM> may be configured to prevent the movable assembly <NUM> from binding to the bar <NUM> when the clamp force is released through the release lever <NUM> of the trigger clamp mechanism <NUM>.

In an embodiment, the bearings <NUM> may be low-friction bearings. In some embodiments, the bearings <NUM> may be formed of a polymer, such as but not limited to polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), or ultra-high molecular weight (UHMW) polyethylene material. In an embodiment the bearing <NUM> may be formed of an oil impregnated material such as oil impregnated sintered bronze, or may otherwise be lubricated or self-lubricating. In some embodiments, the oil impregnated material may be that sold under the trade name Oilite® or may be formed from a similar material. It may be appreciated that such bearings <NUM> may have a desired compressive strength and a desired low coefficient of friction so as to deter binding of the movable assembly <NUM> to the bar <NUM>.

<FIG> illustrates an enlarged view of the movable assembly <NUM>, with a cover portion of the housing <NUM> omitted to reveal the trigger clamp mechanism <NUM> therein. As shown, in some embodiments bearings <NUM> may be positioned between the bar <NUM> and the remainder of the movable assembly <NUM>. For example, in an embodiment a bearing <NUM> may be below the bar <NUM> (e.g., to contact a bottom surface 110a thereof), opposite the screw clamp mount <NUM> as it extends above the bar <NUM> (e.g., at a top surface 110b thereof). In an embodiment, a bearing <NUM> may be positioned on top of the bar <NUM> (e.g., at the top surface 110b), adjacent to where the release lever <NUM> engages the bar <NUM>. In some embodiments, the screw clamp mount <NUM> may extend from a larger piece or assembly formed from a low-friction material that serves as the low friction bearings <NUM>. In an embodiment, the screw clamp mount <NUM> including the regions of the movable assembly <NUM> forward of the release lever <NUM> that surround the bar <NUM> may be formed from such low-friction materials to serve as the low-friction bearings <NUM>.

In embodiments where the bearings <NUM> are separate pieces assembled into the movable assembly <NUM>, they may be shaped appropriately to be received in the movable assembly140. For example, inset <FIG> in <FIG> illustrates an embodiment of one of the bearings <NUM> of the illustrated embodiment, having alignment features <NUM> that permit being received into or receiving corresponding alignment features <NUM> of the movable assembly <NUM>.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, in some embodiments the clamp <NUM> may be configured with a bar jump mitigation mechanism, as described below. As indicated above, while the clamp <NUM> is illustrated as a hybrid clamp, it may be appreciated that the bar jump mitigation mechanism may be implemented on other clamp configurations. Regardless, it may be appreciated that when a clamp <NUM> has applied a clamping force <NUM> to a load <NUM> held between a movable jaw (e.g., the screw clamp jaw <NUM> of the illustrated embodiment) and the fixed jaw <NUM>, release of such a clamping force, such as by the release lever <NUM>, may normally cause one or more of the movable assembly <NUM> and the fixed jaw <NUM> (as fixed to the bar <NUM>) to quickly jump or speed away from the load <NUM>. Depending on whether the fixed jaw <NUM> is itself braced against a surface, or if the movable assembly <NUM> is strongly held by a user, the movement may occur with the bar <NUM> and fixed jaw <NUM> moving away from the movable assembly <NUM> being held in a relatively fixed position, or may occur with the movable assembly <NUM> jumping away from the fixed jaw <NUM> along the bar <NUM>, thus jerking a user's engaging hand at the same time.

As shown according to the invention in <FIG>, a bar jump mitigation mechanism may be provided on the bar clamp <NUM>, such as in the trigger clamp mechanism <NUM>, and may be configured to act as a brake on the movable assembly <NUM> to hold the movable assembly <NUM> and the bar <NUM> relative to one another in a controlled manner as the clamp force is released by actuation of the release lever <NUM>, to mitigate the jumping movement between the bar <NUM> (and the fixed jaw <NUM> mounted thereto) and the movable assembly <NUM>. In particular, the release lever <NUM> may be configured to pivot relative to the bar <NUM> and move between three notable positions, each shown in one of <FIG>, <FIG>, and <FIG>.

<FIG> illustrates the bar clamp <NUM> in a clamping position, where brake plates <NUM> (also known as brake tabs) are in a first position angled relative to the bar <NUM> to prevent the movable assembly <NUM> and the fixed jaw <NUM> from moving apart (e.g., away from one another) by gripping onto the bar <NUM>. While actuation of the actuator <NUM> by pulling it towards the trigger clamp mechanism handle <NUM> would move clamp plates <NUM> so as to incrementally grab onto the bar <NUM> to walk the movable assembly <NUM> along the bar <NUM> towards the fixed jaw <NUM>, when unactuated as shown in <FIG>, a load <NUM> may be clamped between the movable assembly <NUM> and the fixed jaw <NUM>, applying an outward force that is arrested by the brake plates <NUM>.

Moving to <FIG>, when a user actuates the release lever <NUM>, the brake plates <NUM> are moved into a second position to create a gap between the brake plates <NUM> and the bar <NUM>, such that the bar <NUM> may move freely relative to the movable assembly <NUM>. In this position, when a force has been previously clamped between the movable assembly <NUM> and the fixed jaw <NUM>, such relative movement from the release of the clamping force will start to cause relative movement between the bar <NUM> and the movable assembly <NUM>. As further shown in <FIG>, in the second position the release lever <NUM> may have disengaged from the bar <NUM>, however would have not yet engaged a jump mitigation spring <NUM>, described in greater detail below, in some such embodiments.

Finally, as shown in <FIG>, the release lever <NUM> may be further pulled so that the brake plates <NUM> are in a third position, angled opposite of where they would be in the clamping position of <FIG>. It may be appreciated that some effort is required to pull the release lever <NUM> to overcome the clamp force when applied, as would be the case in <FIG>, and as such, when a user pulls on the release lever <NUM> with such sufficient force to release the clamping, the brake plates <NUM> would move through their second position of <FIG> that allows free movement of the movable assembly <NUM> relative to the bar <NUM>, and into the third position, an opposing brake position, to again prevent movement of the movable assembly <NUM> relative to the bar <NUM>. It may thus be appreciated that movement of the movable assembly <NUM> relative to the bar <NUM>, and in particular the sudden jumping movement, would be slowed or arrested as the user further squeezes on the release lever <NUM> relative to a trigger clamp mechanism handle <NUM> of the movable assembly <NUM>, as such force would not tend to result in only moving the release lever <NUM> from the first position to the second position.

As further shown in <FIG>, in some embodiments the jump mitigation spring <NUM> may be actuated with such a force overcoming pull of the release lever <NUM> (e.g., a compression spring being compressed in the illustrated embodiment). As such, it may be appreciated that once the clamp force has been released, the jump mitigation spring <NUM> may bias the release lever <NUM>, when actuated not under a clamping force, to tend to result in moving the release lever <NUM> from the first position to the second position, and deter further movement into the third position, so that sliding movement of the movable assembly <NUM> relative to the bar <NUM> may be easily accomplished (e.g., for gross adjustment of a spacing between the movable jaw (e.g., the screw clamp jaw <NUM> and the fixed jaw <NUM>).

It may be appreciated that any appropriate spring forces may be utilized on the jump mitigation spring <NUM>, or on the angles of the brake plates <NUM> as they interface with the bar <NUM>, to provide a desired braking of the relative movement of the movable assembly <NUM> and the bar <NUM>, and create a desired user feedback from actuation of the release lever <NUM> to release the clamp force or permit free movement of the movable assembly relative to the bar.

The objects, features, and characteristics of the present invention, as well as the methods of operation and functions of the related elements of structure and the combination of parts and economies of manufacture, may be apparent upon consideration of the description and drawings herein, all of which form a part of this specification, In one embodiment of the invention, the structural components illustrated herein are drawn to scale. In addition, it should be appreciated that structural features shown or described in any one embodiment herein can be used in other embodiments aslong as these combinations are covered by the scope of the appended claims. As used herein, the singular form of "a", "an", and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

In various embodiments, the hybrid clamp described herein may be formed from metal, plastic, ceramic, wood, or any other appropriate material, or combinations of such materials. It may be appreciated that the components described herein may be of different constructions or configurations, including but not limited to one or more being comprised of different material choices. For example, various components described herein may each be constructed from a variety of materials, including but not limited to one or more of fabrics, plastics, metals, rubbers, elastomers, or any other appropriate material choice, such as aluminum (e.g., machined aluminum), iron (e.g., steel), ceramic, or any other appropriate material. In addition, portions of tools leveraging the above teachings may be formed from molded plastic, metal, or combinations thereof (e.g., plastic with metal supports or fasteners coupling portions together). In some embodiments, structural and functional components may be formed from metal or hard plastic, while exterior-most gripped components positioned to engage the palm of a gripping hand to provide the palm with a comfortable gripping surface may be made of a suitable molded plastic material or elastomeric material, and may be generally formed as a bi-material suitable molded plastic material coated with a layer of an elastomeric material, such as a rubber-based material. In some embodiments, the material choices may differ from component to component. In various embodiments, some components may be integrally formed together, while other components may be assembled by any appropriate mechanism, including but not limited to fastened, welded, snap-fit, friction fit, adhesive bonding, or other appropriate securements.

Claim 1:
A clamp comprising:
a bar having a top surface and a bottom surface;
a fixed jaw fixed relative to the bar; and
a movable assembly configured to selectively move along the bar, the movable assembly comprising:
a movable jaw positioned to move with the movable assembly relative to the fixed jaw;
an actuator configured to incrementally move the movable assembly along the bar towards the fixed jaw and to apply a clamp force to a clamp load; and
a release lever configured to disengage the movable assembly from the bar to permit free sliding of the movable assembly along the bar towards or away from the fixed jaw, and to release a clamp force when actuated;
characterised in that
the release lever is movable between a first position engaging the bar, a second position where the release lever disengages the bar to permit the movable assembly to freely slide along the bar, and a third position engaging the bar, the third position being opposite the first position with the second position therebetween.