Accessory clamp having a rod clamp and an accessory interface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10190609-B2
Application number	US-201414244209-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 3, 2014
Priority date	Apr 3, 2014
Publication date	Jan 29, 2019
Grant date	Jan 29, 2019

Abstract

An accessory clamp for use with a rod includes an accessory interface and a corresponding rod clamp. The accessory interface includes at least one of at least one accessory hook and at least one accessory T-slot. By one approach, at least one of the accessory hooks comprises a pivoting accessory hook. By one approach the rod clamp can comprise a universal rod clamp. As one example in these regards, the universal rod clamp can include a selectively variable gripping surface to accommodate a variety of rod diameters. By one approach the accessory interface and the corresponding rod clamp can pivot with respect to one another.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An accessory clamp for use with a rod, comprising:
an accessory interface;
a universal rod clamp that is operably coupled to the accessory interface and having:
a main body;
a selectively movable gripping surface that moves selectively inwardly towards the main body and outwardly away from the main body for accommodating a variety of rod diameters;
a latch that is separate and discrete from the selectively movable gripping surface and that is configured to selectively lock the universal rod clamp in place on the rod and to release the universal rod clamp from that place on the rod.

2. The accessory clamp of claim 1 further comprising:
an adjustment interface by which the selectively movable gripping surface is selectively moved.

3. The accessory clamp of claim 2 wherein the adjustment interface further comprises a lock by which the selectively movable gripping surface is locked at a particular position.

4. The accessory clamp of claim 3 wherein the lock is configured to only lock the selectively movable gripping surface at any of a plurality of equally-spaced positions.

5. The accessory clamp of claim 1 wherein the accessory interface includes at least one of:
at least one accessory hook; and
at least one accessory T-slot.

6. The accessory clamp of claim 5 wherein the accessory interface includes at least both of:
the at least one accessory hook; and
the at least one accessory T-slot.

7. The accessory clamp of claim 6 wherein the accessory interface includes at least:
at least two of the accessory hooks; and
the at least one accessory T-slot.

Assignees

• Medline Ind Inc

Inventors

• Turturro Michael
• Kruse Matthew
• Kiefer Stacey

Classifications

• F16B45/00

  Hooks; Eyes (if the attaching parts or means are concerned, groups F16B13/00, F16B15/00, F16B19/00, F16B25/00, F16B35/00, F16B47/00 take precedence; for hanging pictures or the like A47G1/16; towing hooks for ships B63B21/58; for hoisting or hauling purposes B66C; hooks or eyes with integral parts designed to facilitate quick attachment to cables or ropes at any point F16G11/14) · CPC title

• A61B2090/571

  for clamping a support arm to a bed or other supports · CPC title

• F16B2/10 Primary

  using pivoting jaws · CPC title

• A61B90/57

  Accessory clamps · CPC title

• F16M13/022

  repositionable · CPC title