Clamp apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9969060-B2
Application number	US-201515119088-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 12, 2015
Priority date	Feb 24, 2014
Publication date	May 15, 2018
Grant date	May 15, 2018

Abstract

A clamp apparatus includes a pair of first and second clamp arms supported rotatably on a body. The clamp apparatus also includes a manual release mechanism capable of manually releasing a clamped state in the case that an output from a drive unit to the first and second clamp arms is stopped and the clamped state of a workpiece is locked. The manual release mechanism includes a release lever disposed rotatably on a first plate body. By an operator operating the release lever to thereby rotate the release lever, a block body of a driving force transmission mechanism is pressed and moved upwardly, and pressing forces applied to the first and second clamp arms in widthwise outside directions thereof by a pair of rollers, are released. Consequently, gripping members of the first and second clamp arms are rotated in directions away from each other to thereby cause an unclamped state.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A clamp apparatus for, by rotation of a pair of clamp arms, clamping a workpiece between one of the clamp arms and another of the clamp arms, comprising:
a body;
a drive unit disposed on the body and including a displacement member that is displaced along an axial direction;
the pair of clamp arms, which are supported rotatably with respect to the body, and are arranged in confronting relation to each other;
a driving force transmission mechanism including pressing members configured to press ends of the clamp arms, and which is connected to the drive unit, the driving force transmission mechanism being configured to transmit to the clamp arms a driving force along an axial direction of the drive unit, to thereby cause rotation of the clamp arms;
cam members including pressing surfaces which are inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the axial direction, the cam members being disposed on ends of the clamp arms, the cam members being pressed by the pressing members of the driving force transmission mechanism abutting against the pressing surfaces; and
a manual release mechanism configured to release a clamped state of the workpiece by the clamp arms, wherein the manual release mechanism comprises an urging member configured to urge the pressing members along the axial direction,
wherein the urging member is a lever that is disposed rotatably with respect to the body, wherein the pressing members are made to move by rotation of the lever.

2. The clamp apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a holder configured to retain the lever is disposed on the body.

3. The clamp apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the holder includes an opening disposed along a direction of rotation of the lever, and by the lever passing through the opening and being accommodated in an interior of the holder, rotational movement of the lever is restricted.

4. The clamp apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein projecting members that project outward of the body are disposed on the pressing members, and the projecting members are urged by abutment with the urging member.

Assignees

• Smc Corp

Inventors

• Fukui Chiaki
• Takahashi Kazuyoshi
• Sasaki Hideki
• Kobayashi Masaharu

Classifications

• B25B5/16 Primary

  Details, e.g. jaws, jaw attachments · CPC title

• B25B5/087

  actuated by a hydraulic or pneumatic piston · CPC title

• B25B5/064

  with clamping means pivoting around an axis perpendicular to the pressing direction (B25B5/122 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B25B11/02 Primary

  Assembly jigs · CPC title