Force relieving mechanism and ratchet clamp having force relieving mechanism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10272546-B2
Application number	US-201415323389-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 2, 2014
Priority date	Jul 2, 2014
Publication date	Apr 30, 2019
Grant date	Apr 30, 2019

Abstract

The present invention discloses a force relieving mechanism and a ratchet clamp having a force relieving mechanism. The force relieving mechanism includes a first ratchet member, a second ratchet member, a locking member, an actuating member and a restoring member. A first clamp arm of the ratchet clamp is fixedly arranged with a first ratchet member having a first set of ratchets, and a second ratchet member having a second set of ratchets is coupled to the second clamp arm. The second ratchet member is provided with a first hole, the locking member passing through the first hole and being rotatable and translationally movable in the first hole. The actuating member applied a first actuation and a second actuation in turn to the locking member so as to cause the second set of ratchets to be detached from the first set of ratchets.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A force relieving mechanism, which is arranged on a tool and used for at least partly releasing a clamping force applied by the tool to an object, comprising a locking member, an actuating member, a first ratchet member having a first set of ratchets and a second ratchet member having a second set of ratchets, one end of the first ratchet member fixedly arranged on the tool, the second ratchet member coupled to the tool, the first set of ratchets engaged with the second set of ratchets, characterized in that, the second ratchet member is provided with a first hole comprising a first hole portion and a second hole portion; the locking member being arranged passing through the first hole;
the actuating member connecting the locking member, the actuating member applying a first actuation to the locking member; the first actuation causing the locking member to rotate from a first position to a second position in the first hole portion, the first ratchet member driving the second ratchet member by the first set of ratchets and the second set of ratchets that are engaged with each other, the locking member entering the second hole portion through the first hole portion, the clamping force being at least partly released;
wherein the locking member comprises a first column whose cross-section is an arch, the first column rotating in the first hole portion and the first column moving translationally in the second hole portion, a non-smoothly connected portion being provided between the first hole portion and the second hole portion.

2. The force relieving mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein, after the first actuation, the actuating member also applies a second actuation to the locking member, the second actuation causing separation between the first set of ratchets and the second set of ratchets.

3. The force relieving mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the non-smoothly connected portion is a step, when the first column is in the first position in the first hole portion, the step being engaged against a curved sidewall portion of the first column to prevent the locking member from entering the second hole portion from the first hole portion; when the first column is in the second position in the first hole portion, the step not coming into contact with the curved sidewall portion of the first column and the locking member being able to enter the second hole portion from the first hole portion.

4. The force relieving mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein a first end of the actuating member connects the locking member so as to drive the locking member, the actuating member having a handle part extending from the first end thereof.

5. The force relieving mechanism according to claim 4 , wherein the second ratchet member is provided with a blocking part, the blocking part protruding from the second ratchet member; the blocking part being arranged on a path of the handle part swinging toward an end part of the first ratchet member that is fixed to the tool.

6. The force relieving mechanism according to claim 5 , wherein the mechanism also comprises a restoring member comprising a first elastic element arranged at the second hole portion, the first elastic element engaged against a sidewall of the first column; wherein the restoring member also comprises a second elastic element engaged against a sidewall of the handle part that is away from the blocking part.

7. A ratchet clamp, used for clamping an object, comprising a first clamp arm, a second clamp arm, a locking member, an actuating member, a first ratchet member having a first set of ratchets and a second ratchet member having a second set of ratchets, the first clamp arm and the second clamp arm being rotatable around a first shaft connecting the first clamp arm and the second clamp arm; one end of the first ratchet member fixedly arranged on the first clamp arm, the second ratchet member coupled to the second clamp arm, the first set of ratchets engaged with the second set of ratchets, characterized in that,
the second ratchet member is coupled to the second clamp arm by a second shaft arranged on the second clamp arm, the second ratchet member being rotatable in relation to the first ratchet member;
the second ratchet member being provided with a first hole comprising a first hole portion and a second hole portion, the locking member being arranged passing through the first hole;
the actuating member connecting the locking member, the actuating member applying a first actuation to the locking member; the first actuation causing the locking member to rotate from a first position to a second position in the first hole portion, the first ratchet member driving the second ratchet member by the first set of ratchets and the second set of ratchets that are engaged with each other, the locking member entering the second hole portion through the first hole portion, a clamping force being at least partly released;
wherein the locking member comprises a first column whose cross-section is an arch, the first column rotating in the first hole portion and the first column moving translationally in the second hole portion, a non-smoothly connected portion being provided between the first hole portion and the second hole portion.

8. The ratchet clamp according to claim 7 , wherein, after the first actuation, the actuating member also applies a second actuation to the locking member, the second actuation causing separation between the first set of ratchets and the second set of ratchets.

9. The ratchet clamp according to claim 7 , wherein the non-smoothly connected portion is a step, when the first column is in the first position in the first hole portion, the step being engaged against a curved sidewall portion of the first column to prevent the locking member from entering the second hole portion from the first hole portion; when the first column is in the second position in the first hole portion, the step not coming into contact with the curved sidewall portion of the first column and the locking member being able to enter the second hole portion from the first hole portion.

10. The ratchet clamp according to claim 9 , wherein the first set of ratchets and the second set of ratchets are arranged such that the first set of ratchets and the second set of ratchets allow a movement of the first clamp arm and the second clamp arm toward each other and obstruct the movement of the first clamp arm and the second clamp arm away from each other.

11. The ratchet clamp according to claim 10 , wherein a first end of the first ratchet member is fixed to the first clamp arm, a second end of the first ratchet member pointing toward the second clamp arm; a first end of the second ratchet member pointing toward the first clamp arm, a second end of the second ratchet member pointing toward the second clamp arm; the second set of ratchets starting from the first end of the second ratchet member to be distributed on a side part of the second ratchet member toward the first shaft; the first set of ratchets distributed on a side part of the first ratchet member away from the first shaft.

12. The ratchet clamp according to claim 10 , wherein a first end of the actuating member connects the locking member so as to drive the locking member, the actuating member having a handle part extending from the first end thereof.

13. The ratchet clamp according to claim 12 , wherein the second ratchet member is also provided with a blocking part, the blocking part being a portion protruding from the second ratchet member along a direction parallel to the first shaft; the blocking part being arranged on a path of the handle part swingin

Assignees

• Hangzhou Great Star Tools Co Ltd
• Hangzhou Great Star Ind Co Ltd

Inventors

• Li Yueming

Classifications

• B25B5/04

  with pivoted jaws · CPC title

• B25B7/14 Primary

  Locking means {(B25B7/123 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B25B5/06

  Arrangements for positively actuating jaws · CPC title