Patent ID: 7500415

Claim:
An object clamp comprising: a plurality of clamp portions having respective recesses therein collectively defining a generally circular cylindrical opening for receiving an object to be clamped, said clamp portions having respective ends defining at least one pair of opposing ends; and at least one fastener for urging the at least one pair of opposing ends toward each other during movement from a preclamped state to a clamped state; at least one of the recesses having at least one relief area therein opening outwardly to at least one adjacent end in the preclamped state and being deflected into engagement with the object in the clamped state; the generally circular cylindrical opening being defined by a main axis and a main radius extending therefrom in the preclamped state; the at least one relief area being defined by at least one relief axis and at least one relief radius extending therefrom with the at least one relief axis being offset from the main axis in the preclamped state; the at least one relief area being defined by an intersection with adjacent portions of a respective recess in the preclamped state, and the intersection being angularly spaced inward from the adjacent end in a range of about 4 to 60 degrees.