Sealing tool for strap

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10183769-B2
Application number	US-201615052488-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 24, 2016
Priority date	Oct 4, 2011
Publication date	Jan 22, 2019
Grant date	Jan 22, 2019

Abstract

A tool for sealing overlying courses of a strap that includes a gripping unit, a power supply unit detachably affixed to one end of the gripping unit, and a motor in the gripping unit. A cam is coupled to the motor and a notching unit is coupled to the cam by a plurality of linkages.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hand-held sealing tool for sealing a strap, the sealing tool comprising:
a housing;
a battery detachably affixed to the housing;
a motor positioned at least in part in the housing;
a first jaw and a second jaw positioned on opposite sides of a strap path;
front and back notch plates positioned on opposing sides of the first and second jaws; and
a cam to which the motor is operably connected, wherein the motor is operably connected to the first jaw and the second jaw via the cam to rotate the first jaw and the second jaw relative to the front and back notch plates from an open configuration to a closed configuration to create a notch in the strap.

2. The sealing tool of claim 1 , wherein each of the front and back notch plates has a first notch surface at a first depth in the notch plate and a second notch surface at a second depth in the notch plate, wherein the second depth is different than the first depth.

3. The sealing tool of claim 1 , further comprising a sensor positioned between the front and back notch plates and configured to detect the presence of a metallic object in the strap path.

4. The sealing tool of claim 3 , wherein the sensor is positioned above the strap path.

5. The sealing tool of claim 3 , wherein the metallic object comprises the strap and the sensor comprises a strap sensor.

6. The sealing tool of claim 3 , further including a controller configured to control the motor, wherein the sensor is configured to send a signal to the controller.

7. The sealing tool of claim 6 , wherein the sensor is an inductive sensor and the controller is configured to permit operation of the motor when the metallic object is present in the strap path and contacts the sensor to complete an electrical circuit.

8. The sealing tool of claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to prevent operation of the motor when the metallic object is not present in the strap path such that the electrical circuit is open.

9. The sealing tool of claim 6 wherein the sensor is a switch.

10. The sealing tool of claim 6 , further including a home position switch.

11. The sealing tool of claim 10 , further including a linkage connected to the cam and operably connected to the first and second jaws, wherein the home position switch is positioned such that the linkage actuates the home position switch when the cam is in a predetermined position.

12. The sealing tool of claim 11 , wherein the predetermined position is a home position in which the first jaw and the second jaw are in the open configuration.

13. The sealing tool of claim 8 , further comprising an actuatable operating switch communicatively connected to the controller, wherein the controller is configured to operate the motor responsive to an actuation of the operating switch when the metallic object is present in the strap path and contacts the sensor to complete the electrical circuit.

14. The sealing tool of claim 13 , wherein the controller is not configured to operate the motor responsive to an actuation of the operating switch when the metallic object is not present in the strap path and the electrical circuit is open.

15. The sealing tool of claim 14 , further including a linkage connected to the cam and operably connected to the first and second jaws and a home position switch positioned such that the linkage actuates the home position switch when the cam is in a predetermined position, wherein if the linkage is not contacting the home position switch when the operating switch is actuated, the controller is configured to operate the motor to move the first and second jaws to the open configuration.

16. The sealing tool of claim 1 , further including one or more linkages operably connecting the cam to the first and second jaws.

17. The sealing tool of claim 16 , wherein the first and second jaws are each rotatably connected to the front and back notch plates such that the front and back notch plates each connect the first and second jaws to one another.

18. The sealing tool of claim 17 , wherein the motor is operably connected to the cam to rotate the cam, thereby causing the one or more linkages to rotate the first jaw and the second jaw from the open configuration to the closed configuration.

19. The sealing tool of claim 18 , wherein the one or more linkages include a first linkage operably connected to the first jaw to rotate the first jaw and a second linkage operably connected to the second jaw to rotate the second jaw.

20. The sealing tool of claim 19 , wherein the first linkage and the second linkage are connected to one another by a first pin.

21. The sealing tool of claim 20 , wherein rotation of the cam about a cam rotational axis causes the first pin to move away from the cam rotational axis in a direction transverse to the cam rotational axis.

22. The sealing tool of claim 20 , wherein the one or more linkages further comprise a central linkage that operably connects the cam to the first linkage and the second linkage.

23. The sealing tool of claim 22 , wherein the central linkage is attached to the cam via a second pin and to the first and second linkages via the first pin such that rotation of the cam causes the second pin to move away from the cam, which in turn causes rotation of the first and second jaws from the open configuration to the closed configuration.

24. The sealing tool of claim 16 , wherein the motor is positioned between the battery and the first and second jaws.

25. The sealing tool of claim 24 , wherein a portion of the housing defines a channel in which the motor is positioned.

26. The sealing tool of claim 25 , wherein the portion of the housing at least partially defines a handle.

27. The sealing tool of claim 1 , further including:
a first linkage connected to the first jaw;
a second linkage connected the second jaw, wherein the cam is operably connected to the first linkage and the second linkage;
a pin connecting the first linkage and the second linkage; and
a controller configured to control the motor to rotate the cam about a cam rotational axis, which causes the pin to move away from the cam rotational axis and force the portions of the first and second linkages connected to the first and second jaws to move outward, which causes the first and second jaws to rotate from the open configuration to the closed configuration,
wherein a portion of the housing positioned between the battery and the first and second jaws defines a channel in which the motor is positioned.

28. A hand-held sealing tool for sealing a strap, the sealing tool comprising:
a housing;
a battery detachably affixed to the housing;
a motor positioned at least in part in the housing;
a notching unit drivable by the motor and having a first jaw and a second jaw positioned on opposite sides of a strap feed path, the notching unit also having front and back notch plates positioned on opposing sides of and operably connecting the first and second jaws;
a strap sensor positioned between the front and back notch plates and configured to detect the presence of a strap in the strap feed path;
a controller configured to control the motor and configured to receive a signal from the strap sensor;
a cam to which the motor is operably connected;
a linkage connected to the cam and operably connected to the notching unit; and
a home position switch positioned such that th

Assignees

• Signode Ind Group Llc

Inventors

• Figiel Janusz
• Leung Ka Kuen
• Nasiatka Jason R
• Croll John W

Classifications

• B65B13/187

  Motor means · CPC title

• B65B13/305 Primary

  Hand tools · CPC title

• B65B13/025

  Hand-held tools · CPC title