US 12,220,796 B2
Low profile clamping device
William D. Macy, St. Peters, MO (US); and Nathan D. Eversole, Colorado Springs, CO (US)
Assigned to 3D SYSTEMS, INC., Rock Hill, SC (US)
Filed by 3D Systems, Inc., Rock Hill, SC (US)
Filed on Apr. 27, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/731,214.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/182,894, filed on May 1, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0347820 A1, Nov. 3, 2022
Int. Cl. B25B 5/00 (2006.01); B25B 5/16 (2006.01); B33Y 30/00 (2015.01)
CPC B25B 5/16 (2013.01) [B33Y 30/00 (2014.12)] 7 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A clamping device for applying clamping force to a clampable assembly, the clampable assembly comprising one or more items to be clamped upon insertion into the clamping device, the clamping device comprising:
a rigid frame having at least one concavity into which the clampable assembly enters the clamping device, wherein a first inward face of the concavity faces inwardly toward the middle of the concavity and is configured to contact the clampable assembly entering the clamping device and configured to apply a clamping force to the clampable assembly in a first direction inwardly toward the middle of the concavity and wherein a second inward face of the concavity, distanced from the first inward face, faces inwardly toward the middle of the concavity and wherein the rigid frame immovably holds the first inward face and second inward face at a permanently fixed distance regardless of whether or not the clampable assembly has entered the clamping device;
a contacting member, coupled to the second inward face, configured to make contact with the clampable assembly and to apply an inward clamping force upon the clampable assembly in a second direction substantially opposite to the first direction, the contact member configured to rotate about at least one axis perpendicular to a direction along which the clampable assembly enters the concavity;
a force-maintaining element configured to apply closing force to the contacting member in a direction generally towards the first inward face, the force-maintaining element applying closing force to the contacting member both with and without the clampable assembly having been inserted; and
a displacement-limiting element configured to block the contacting member from making contact with first inner face due to the applied closing force.