Patent ID: 7241074

Claim:
A one-piece clamping element comprising two opposing first and second clamping jaws forming a laterally open cavity to receive a rod-shaped element and at least one internal hinge arranged opposite the cavity connecting the two opposing clamping jaws to one another and thereby making them movable towards and away from one another, with each clamping jaw having a bore aligned with one another, wherein the hinge is resilient and that the bores are arranged between the cavity and hinge wherein the hinge includes two resilient lateral bars, which each merge into the first and second clamping jaws wherein the lateral bars include a resilient and primarily C-shaped portion on the side of the clamping element opposite the cavity, each of which merges into the first and second clamping jaws wherein each bar has engagable part-cylindrically-shaped protrusion and complementary groove acting as stops, which allow a pre-determined distortion about an axis of the resilient lateral bars before the stops come into engagement.