초록 ▼

A clamp comprising a band (10) having, at one end, a pair of axially spaced jaws (16, 18) comprising an upper jaw (16) and a lower jaw (18) and, at the other end, a tongue (28) that can be inserted between the jaws. The tongue has an upper surface and a lower surface and the top jaw (16) has a lower

A clamp comprising a band (10) having, at one end, a pair of axially spaced jaws (16, 18) comprising an upper jaw (16) and a lower jaw (18) and, at the other end, a tongue (28) that can be inserted between the jaws. The tongue has an upper surface and a lower surface and the top jaw (16) has a lower surface that includes a single engagement tooth (20). The upper surface of the tongue includes an engagement tooth (29) having a cavity (30) behind it that can accommodate the engagement tooth (20) of the upper jaw to hold the clamp in a closed position. The lower surface (48) of the tongue is provided with a recess (40) that accommodates the lower jaw (18) when the clamp is in the said closed position.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. A clamp for encircling an article and exerting a compression force thereon, the clamp comprising: a band having a first end and a second end; and a head for joining the first end of the band to the second end of the band, the head comprising: a pair of opposed side face

The invention claimed is: 1. A clamp for encircling an article and exerting a compression force thereon, the clamp comprising: a band having a first end and a second end; and a head for joining the first end of the band to the second end of the band, the head comprising: a pair of opposed side faces, the head having a width between the pair of side faces; a pair of axially spaced jaws, said pair of jaws being connected to the first end of the band and comprising: an upper jaw extending across the width of the head between said side faces and a lower jaw having a width in the direction between said side faces that is less than the width of the head and, a tongue that is connected to the second end of the band and that (a) extends across the width of the head between said side faces (b) has a rear end adjoining the band and a front end, (c) can be inserted between the jaws and (d) that has an upper surface and a lower surface, wherein the upper and lower jaws define a mouth at the front of the jaws and are connected together at the rear of the jaws; wherein the upper jaw has a lower surface that includes one engagement tooth located at the front of the upper jaw and that is taller than any other tooth on said lower surface of the upper jaw; wherein the upper surface of the tongue includes an engagement tooth having a cavity behind it that can accommodate said engagement tooth of the upper jaw, whereby said engagement teeth can be brought into engagement with each other by inserting the tongue between the jaws to hold the clamp in a closed position; wherein the cavity behind the engagement tooth on the tongue is deeper than the cavity behind any other tooth on said upper surface of the tongue; wherein the clamp has only a single closing position with said engagement tooth on the jaw being engaged in the recess behind the engagement tooth on the tongue; wherein the lower surface of the tongue is provided with a recess that extends only part of the way across the width of the tongue and that accommodates the lower jaw when the clamp is in said closed position; and wherein said engagement teeth each has a base, a tip and a rear surface that is in contact with the rear surface of the other engagement tooth when the clamp is in the closed position and wherein said rear surface of the engagement tooth on the upper jaw slopes towards the rear of the jaws in the direction from the base of the tooth to the tip of the tooth and said rear surface of the engagement tooth on the tongue slopes towards the front end of the tongue in the direction from the tip of the tooth to the base of the tooth. 2. A clamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein only a single engagement tooth is provided on the lower surface of the upper jaw. 3. A clamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein said upper jaw has an upper surface opposed to said lower surface and wherein said upper surface forms the outermost part of the clamp when the clamp is in the closed position. 4. A clamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein the engagement tooth on the top surface of the tongue has a deeper cavity behind it than any other tooth on the top surface of the tongue. 5. A clamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tongue has only one engagement tooth on the top surface of the tongue that can engages a tooth on the jaws when the clamp is in the closed position with said engagement tooth on the jaw being engaged in said recess behind the engagement tooth on the tongue. 6. A clamp as claimed in claim 1, which include at least one further tooth located on the top surface of the tongue in front of said engagement tooth and wherein said at least one further tooth can hold the engagement tooth on the top jaw prior to the band being placed in said closed position, wherein at least one further tooth defines a cavity behind it that is shallower than the cavity behind the engagement tooth on the top surface of the tongue. 7. A clamp as claimed in claim 6, wherein the engagement tooth on the top jaw has a front face and a rear face that converge at the tip of the tooth and wherein the slope of the front face adjacent to the tip has a slope that is greater than the slope of the front face further away from the tip. 8. A clamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recess in the lower surface of the tongue has a shape corresponding to the lower jaw whereby the clamp, when in the closed position, has a substantially continuous internal profile. 9. A clamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recess in the tongue occupies approximately one quarter to three quarters of the width of the head between the side faces. 10. A clamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cavity behind the engagement tooth on the tongue can accommodate the whole of said engagement tooth on the jaw and is the only cavity on the upper surface of the tongue that can accommodate the whole of said engagement tooth on the jaw. 11. A clamp for encircling an article and exerting a compression force thereon, the clamp comprising: a band having a first end and a second end; a pair of opposed side faces, the clamp having a width between said side faces; a pair of axially spaced jaws, said pair of jaws being connected to the first end of the band and comprising: an upper jaw extending across the width of the clamp between said side faces and a lower jaw having a width in the direction between said side faces that is less than the width of the clamp and, a tongue that is connected to the second end of the band and that (a) extends across the width of the clamp between said side faces (b) has a rear end adjoining the band and a front end, (c) can be inserted between the jaws and (d) that has an upper surface and a lower surface, wherein the upper and lower jaws define a mouth at the front of the jaws and are connected together at the rear of the jaws; wherein the upper jaw has a lower surface that includes one engagement tooth located at the front of the upper jaw and that is taller than any other tooth on said lower surface of the upper jaw; wherein the upper surface of the tongue includes an engagement tooth having a cavity behind it that can accommodate said engagement tooth of the upper jaw, whereby said engagement teeth can be brought into engagement with each other by inserting the tongue between the jaws to hold the clamp in a closed position; wherein the cavity behind the engagement tooth on the tongue is deeper than the cavity behind any other tooth on said upper surface of the tongue, wherein the clamp has only a single closing position with said engagement tooth on the jaw being engaged in the recess behind the engagement tooth on the tongue; wherein the lower surface of the tongue is provided with a recess that has a width in the direction between said side faces that is less than the width of the clamp and that accommodates the lower jaw when the clamp is in said closed position; and wherein said engagement teeth each has a base, a tip and a rear surface that is in contact with the rear surface of the other engagement tooth when the clamp is in the closed position and wherein said rear surface of the engagement tooth on the upper jaw slopes towards the rear of the jaws in the direction from the base of the tooth to the tip of the tooth and said rear surface of the engagement tooth on the tongue slopes towards the front end of the tongue in the direction from the tip of the tooth to the base of the tooth.