FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to clamps and more particularly to a pole clamp that can readily attach a medical device to poles of different diameters.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Poles for attaching devices come in various sizes, for example, 0.5 inch and 1.5 inch. Thus, for the different diameter poles to be used in hospitals, different U-shaped frames each with a simple screw-threaded shaft mounted to one arm are used to attach medical instruments to poles of different diameters. Each pole is usually fitted between the two arms of the clamp and the knob on the screw is rotated to bring the opposite end of the shaft to bear on the pole and clamp it firmly against the inside of the opposite arm.
The problem with these clamps is the need to twist or rotate the threaded shaft through multiple turns in order to adjust the clamp between the different sized poles. Also, the need to provide multiple sized clamps to cover all of the poles that may be used in a hospital environment can be a problem for the user if she does not have the correct clamp, and for the manufacturer, due to the need to manufacture different clamps to fit onto the different sized poles.
There are a number of pole clamps known in the prior art. However, those pole clamps are either not adaptable to be used with different diameter poles, or are designed to require a myriad of parts. Those pole clamps known to the assignee of the instant invention are described in: U.S. Pat. No. 4,844,397, U.S. Pat. No. 5,169,106, U.S. Pat. No. 5,230,496, U.S. Pat. No. 5,779,207, U.S. Pat. No. 5,836,559 and GB 581429.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
The pole clamp of the instant invention is a substantially U-shaped clamp that has two legs, with one of the legs being substantially V-shaped to be better able to grippingly hold one side of the outer circumferential surface of a pole, and another leg to which a channel is formed along a longitudinal axis toward the one leg so that a threaded shaft or screw may slide through the channel. Also formed in the other leg is a bore that intersects the channel. An actuator mechanism that has a guide in the form of either a threaded surface or a semicircular threaded opening, is fitted to the bore and is actuated to at least two positions, with one of the positions being such that the threads of the screw or the threaded outer circumferential surface of the shaft comes into a threaded relationship with the guide so that the threaded shaft or screw is movable longitudinally toward the interior wall of the one leg when the shaft or screw is turned or twisted.
The threaded shaft has a contact end that faces the V-shaped leg of the clamp member and a knob at its other end that makes it easier for the user to turn the shaft, when the actuator is positioned to guide the movement of the threaded shaft. The actuator mechanism may also be moved to a second position such that the threaded guide is moved away from the threads of the screw or the threaded outer circumferential surface of the shaft, to thereby enable the threaded shaft to freely slide bidirectionally through the channel.
Thus, a pole of any diameter may be placed between the two legs of the clamp member, and the user does not have to twist or turn the threaded shaft an inordinately number of turns in the event that the pole to be used is of a smaller diameter than the previously used pole, as the user only has to position the actuator to move the guide away from the threaded shaft so that the shaft may be pushed toward the V-shaped leg to come into contact with the opposite side surface of the pole. At which time, the actuator mechanism is repositioned to engage the guide with the threads of the threaded shaft, so that the user only has to turn the knob of the threaded shaft a minimal amount to fixedly hold the clamp to the pole. To remove the clamp from the pole, the user only has to move the actuator mechanism to disengage the guide from the threads of the threaded shaft, so that the threaded shaft can simply be pulled away from the pole.
The pole clamp of the instant invention therefore is a device that is simple both in terms of its manufacture and use, that reduces the efforts a user has to spent to both attach and remove the clamp from a pole, that is adaptable to be used with poles of different diameters, and that is easy and inexpensive to manufacture.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
The present invention will become apparent and the invention itself will be best understood with reference to the following description of the present invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the pole clamp of the present invention showing the contact end of the threaded shaft remote from the V-shaped leg of the clamp member;
FIG. 2 shows the pole clamp of FIG. 1 but with the major portion of the threaded shaft being between the two legs of the pole clamp;
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of section 3-3 as shown in FIG. 1 showing the threaded surface of the push button actuator being in a threaded relationship with the threads or threaded outer circumferential surface of the threaded shaft;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 3 but shows the threaded surface of the actuator disengaged from the threads of the threaded shaft;
FIG. 5 is an illustration showing the actuator being pushed in so that the threaded shaft can be moved longitudinally through the channel at the one leg to make contact with the pole which is in contact with the other leg of the clamp;
FIG. 6 shows a user turning the knob of the threaded shaft to press the contact end of the threaded shaft against the pole, so that the clamp, which has coupled thereto a bracket that may be used to hold an instrument, is fixedly held to the pole;
FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a second embodiment of the clamp of the instant invention, with the clamp being attached to a pole of a smaller diameter;
FIG. 8 shows the FIG. 7 clamp with its actuator having been moved to a second position to allow the threaded shaft to be moved bidirectionally relative to the pole;
FIG. 9 shows the clamp of FIG. 7 fixedly holding a pole of a larger diameter;
FIG. 10 shows the clamp having its actuator moved to a position whereby the threaded shaft, which is in contact with the pole, can readily be moved away from the pole;
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the slider actuator used with the clamp of FIGS. 7-10; and
FIGS. 12 and 13 are respective front and back perspective views of another exemplar slider actuator similar to that shown in FIG. 11.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
With reference to FIG. 1, a pole clamp 2 of the instant invention is shown to have a substantially U-shaped body or member 4 with a first leg 6 and a second leg 8 extending from body 4. For the exemplar pole clamp 2 shown, member 4 has an elongated body with a concave interior wall 10 that extends to leg 6, which has a finger portion 12 extending outwardly, so that leg 6 is substantially V-shaped, per shown by directional arrow 14 pointing to the valley of leg 6. So configured, the interior wall 10 of leg 6 is adapted to grippingly contact a first side of the circumferential surface of a pole, such as pole 16 shown in FIG. 5, and firmly hold the pole were a force applied against the opposite side surface of the pole. It should be noted that the particular shape of leg 6 is not of utmost import to the invention so long as it is understood that leg 6 may have any interior wall adaptable to hold a side surface of a pole placed between legs 6 and 8.
Extending from member 4 at its other end is leg 8 that has a through channel 18 extending longitudinally along an axis 20. A shaft 22 having a threaded outer circumferential surface is movably fitted through channel 18. Shaft 22 may be a screw or a screw shaft with threads, and for the remainder of this discussion is simply referred to as a threaded shaft. Threaded shaft 22 has a contact end that faces interior wall 10 of leg 6 and is movable along axis 20 to make contact with the pole positioned between legs 6 and 8. The other end of shaft 22 is shown to have fitted thereto a knob 26 that allows a user to twist or turn shaft 22 per shown by bi-directional arrow 28. Thus, shaft 22 may be moved bidirectionally along axis 22, per shown by bidirectional arrows 30, as well as rotated bidirectionally per shown by bidirectional rotational arrows 28.
Also formed at leg 8 is a bore 32 orthogonal to and intersect channel 18. For the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, bore 32 extends into leg 8 a given distance, per shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. Fitted into bore 32 is an actuator slider or slide mechanism 34 having one end in the shape of a push button 34a that extends to a nut that has a threaded surface 36 and a smooth surface 38. Thus, slide mechanism 34 may be considered a half nut in that half of it, along its lower half for the exemplar embodiment, is threaded, while the other half, along its upper surface for the exemplar embodiment, is smooth. The grooves and the peaks of the threaded surface 36 of slide member 34 can best be shown in FIG. 4. As further shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a spring 38 is provided in bore 32 between the floor 32b of bore 32 and the bottom surface 34b of slide mechanism 34 to bias against actuator slider 34.
As was discussed earlier, shaft 22 has a threaded outer circumferential surface and may therefore considered to be a screw shaft or a threaded shaft. The threaded outer circumferential surface, or the screw threads, of shaft 22 are best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, per designation 22a showing one of the peaks of the threads and 22b showing one of the grooves. The outer diameter (OD) of the shaft 22 is represented by the peaks of the threads. As best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the OD of shaft 22 is slightly smaller than the inner diameter (ID) of the channel 18 so that shaft 22 may be freely slidable along channel 18, per illustrated in FIG. 4.
With reference to FIG. 3, when actuator 34 is in the position as shown, with spring 38 biasing against the bottom surface 34b of slide mechanism 34, the threaded surface of the half nut enters into a threaded relationship with the outer threaded circumferential surface or threads of shaft 22. Slide mechanism accordingly acts as a guide for shaft 22 to move longitudinally along channel 18. As a consequence, to move shaft 22 longitudinally along the directions per shown by directional arrows 30, a user has to turn knob 26 per shown by circular bidirectional arrows 28. Given that the half nut lower portion of slide mechanism 34 has a top smooth portion 38, when slide mechanism 34 is actuated per shown in FIG. 4, i.e., pushed inwards towards bore 32, the threaded surface of slide mechanism 34 disengages from the threads of shaft 22, so that the user only needs to push or pull shaft 22 in order to move shaft 22 bidirectionally, per indicated by bidirectional arrows 30.
Due to spring 38 biasing against slide mechanism 34, when the pressure applied to actuate slide mechanism 34, per shown by directional arrow 40, is removed, spring 38 would push slide mechanism 34 upwards, as represented by directional arrow 42, so that the threaded portion of the half nut slide mechanism 34 engages the threads of shaft 22. Once the respective threads from the slide mechanism 34 and shaft 22 are engaged, to move shaft 22 bidirectionally along the longitudinal axis 20, per shown by bidirectional arrows 30, a user has to turn knob 26 along the circular directions per designated by directional arrows 28. With the threaded surface of half nut slide mechanism 34 in the position as shown in FIG. 3, slide mechanism 34 acts as a regulator to precisely control the movement of shaft 22 so that once shaft 22 has been moved a given distance relative to leg 6, it would stay there. In other words, a pole placed between legs 6 and 8 will be securely and fixedly held by clamp 2, once contact end 34 of shaft 22 presses against one side surface of the pole with another side surface of the pole being held by leg 6. With additional rotations of knob 26, presumably clockwise, shaft 22 may be tightly pressed against the pole, so that clamp 2 and the pole are held fixedly relative to each other.
As shown in FIG. 2, the contact end 24 of shaft 22 may be moved to the distance shown, relative to the valley of interior wall of the V-shaped leg 6, so that a pole of a smaller diameter may also be held fixedly to clamp 2.
As further shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, clamp member 4 has a slot 44 at its backside into which a portion 46a of a bracket 46, per shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, may be slidably fitted, so that a device such as a blood pressure transducer, a pump or other medical devices, may be attached to pole 16 by way of clamp 2. To secure the flange portion 46a to slot 44, threaded bolts such as 48a and 48b, per shown in FIG. 5, may be threaded into internally threaded holes 50a and 50b, respectively.
In operation, with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, pole 16 is placed between legs 6 and 8. Thereafter, the user pushes against the button portion of slide mechanism 34 so that the threaded surface of the half nut portion of slide mechanism 34 disengages with the threads of shaft 22, per shown in cut away view of FIG. 4. At which time the user can push shaft 22 along the direction per shown by directional arrow 30a so that contact end 24 of shaft 22 would make contact with a side surface 16a of pole 6, per shown in FIG. 6. As pole 16 is held by the interior wall of leg 6 at another side surface 16b that may be opposite to side surface 16a, by twisting or turning knob 20 clockwise as shown by directional arrow 28a, shaft 22 is threadedly moved further along the direction indicated by directional arrow 30a to press against pole 16 via its contact end 24, so that the clamp 2 is fixedly held to pole 16. And as the bottom surface 34b of slide mechanism 34 is continuously being biased by spring 38, per shown in FIG. 3, without a counterclockwise rotation of knob 20 or the user pushing slide mechanism into bore 32 per shown by directional arrow 40 in FIG. 4, shaft 22 will remain at the position as shown in FIG. 6, to thereby fixedly hold clamp 2 and pole 16 relative to each other.
To release clamp 2 from pole 16, a user applies pressure against the top button portion of slide mechanism 34, per shown in FIG. 4, to disengage the threaded surface of the half nut from the threads of shaft 22, so that shaft 22 can be pulled away from pole 16, per the direction indicated by directional arrow 30b. The pole clamp of the instant invention therefore provides a fast and easy way of attaching and removing a pole clamp from a pole. Moreover, given that the mouth of clamp 2 as defined by inner wall 10 of leg 6 and the interior wall of leg 8 is of a sufficient size to accommodate poles of different diameters, the changing of a pole of a given diameter, for example the afore-mentioned 1.5 inch pole, to a pole of a much smaller diameter, for example a 0.5 inch diameter pole, would not require multiple turns of the threaded shaft 22, as the horizontal movement of the shaft can be done by disengaging the threads of the shaft from the threaded surface of the half nut and pulling or pushing the shaft through channel 18. It should be noted that the clamp of the instant invention may be used in any orientation relative to a pole, for example a horizontal pole instead of the upright pole shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.
FIGS. 7-13 illustrate a second embodiment of the instant invention pole clamp. Elements that are the same for the second embodiment as the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-6 are labeled the same.
As shown in FIGS. 7-11, instead of having a half nut as the actuator for engaging and disengaging the shaft, the guide that is used in this second embodiment to guide the movement of shaft 22 is in the form of a yolk slider or yoke slide mechanism 51, shown in perspective view in FIG. 11 with an alternate embodiment thereof shown in FIGS. 12 and 13. Instead of the exemplar circular bore 32 for the embodiment of FIGS. 1-6, for the second embodiment, the bore in leg 8 is a rectangularly shaped bore 52 that extends through leg 8 orthogonally to channel 18 so that there is an aperture 52a on the upper surface of member 4 at leg 8 and an aperture 52b, per designated in FIG. 9, on the lower surface of member 4 at leg 8.
As shown in FIG. 11, the yolk slide mechanism 51 has a first end member 54a and a second end member 54b. Each of end members 54a and 54b has a dimension that is larger than apertures 52a and 52b so that yoke slider mechanism 51 is slidably confined to bore 52. Connecting the end members 54a and 54b are two arms 56a and 56b. At the portion proximate to first end 54a there is a semicircular threaded opening 58 formed by a semicircular member 60 with a threaded upside down U-shaped cutout 62 that defines a threaded opening 58. Threaded opening 58 enables the threaded outer circumferential surface of shaft 22 to be threadedly guided and moved relative to member 60. The lower portion of yolk slide mechanism 51 has a wider gap, designated 63, between arms 56a and 56b. The gap is of a sufficient size that it forms an opening that is larger than the diameter or the OD of threaded shaft 22.
Another exemplar yoke slider 51′ is shown in FIGS. 12 and 13. Elements that are the same or substantially the same as the yoke slide mechanism 51 shown in FIG. 11 are labeled the same. As shown in FIG. 12, the side of the yoke slider 51′ that faces the knobbed end 20 of shaft 22 has a concave surface 65 (into the paper) that forms an edge 62′ that defines the semicircular opening 58′ proximate to end member 54a. The diameter of the semicircle formed by edge 62′ is designed to enable edge 62′ to fit within the grooves of the threads of threaded shaft 22 so that semicircular opening 58 defined by edge 62′ forms a guide for the longitudinal movement of shaft 22, when semicircular opening 58 is in orthogonal alignment with shaft 22 and shaft 22 is turned.
The wider gap between the arms 56a and 56b of yoke slider 51′ is designated opening 63′, which has a diameter that is larger than the OD of the threaded shaft 22. Thus, when opening 63′ is in orthogonal alignment with threaded shaft 22, shaft 22 is movable through opening 63′ without any hindrance. Putting it differently, shaft 22 is movable longitudinally through channel 18 by simple pull and push motions when opening 63′ is in orthogonal alignment with shaft 22.
FIG. 13 shows the back side of yoke slider 51′ that, when slider 51′ is fitted into bore 54, faces the contact end 24 of shaft 22.
With reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, it can be seen that yolk slide mechanism 51 (or alternate slider 51′) is slidable or movable bidirectionally, per designated by bidirectional arrows 64. Slide mechanism 51 is shown in FIG. 7 to have its first end 54a positioned such that the semicircular threaded opening 58 (58′) is in orthogonal alignment, or intersection, with shaft 22. As a consequence, the threads of shaft 22 are guided by threaded cutout 62 of member 60, as knob 20 is turned along directional arrow 28a to tighten shaft 22 against pole 16, so that clamp 2 is fixedly held to pole 16.
As shown in FIG. 8, yolk slide mechanism 51 has been moved to a position whereby the wider gap opening 63 (63′) is in orthogonal alignment with shaft 22. As a consequence, a user only needs to move shaft 22 along the direction as indicated by directional arrow 30a, in order to disengage the contact end 24 of shaft 22 from pole 16, so that clamp 2 can readily be removed from pole 16. Conversely, to tighten clamp 2 to pole 16, the user only needs to push shaft 22 in the direction of directional arrow 30b until contact end 24 of shaft 22 comes into contact with pole 16. Thereafter, yoke slide mechanism 51 is moved to the position as shown in FIG. 7, so that the user can twist the knob 20 a minimal amount to turn shaft 22 to tightly press contact end 24 against pole 16 to thereby fixedly hold clamp 2 to pole 16.
FIGS. 9 and 10 show the placement of a larger diameter pole between legs 6 and 8 of clamp 2. The respective placements of yoke slide mechanism 51 relative to bore 52 are again shown. As shown in a first position in FIG. 9, the semicircular threaded opening 58 at one end of the yoke slide mechanism 51 is in orthogonal alignment with shaft 22 to guide the rotation of shaft 22 to thereby fixedly hold the larger diameter pole 16 in place with leg 6. In the second position as shown in FIG. 10, the wider gap opening 63 of the yoke slide mechanism 51 is in orthogonal alignment with shaft 22, so that shaft 22 may simply be pulled away along the direction designated by directional arrow 30 to disengage shaft 22 from pole 16, and the subsequent removal of clamp 2 from pole 16. So instead of having to rotate knob 20 in the direction of 28b, per shown in FIG. 9, in order to disengage shaft 22 from pole 16, which may require multiple turns of knob 20, a user can simply push yoke slide mechanism 51 to the position as shown in FIG. 10, and pull shaft 22 away from pole 16.
Inasmuch as the present invention is subject to many variations, modifications and changes in detail, it is intended that all matter described throughout this specification and shown in the accompanying drawings be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense. Accordingly, it is intended that the instant invention be limited only by the spirit and scope of the hereto appended claims.
Patent Application
20100314517
