Cable cutter system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10196136-B2
Application number	US-201715630535-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 22, 2017
Priority date	Oct 3, 2014
Publication date	Feb 5, 2019
Grant date	Feb 5, 2019

Abstract

Some examples of a cable cutting system include a first cutting apparatus that includes a recess to receive a cable. The system includes a second cutting apparatus separate from and attached to the first cutting apparatus. The second cutting apparatus includes multiple cutting surfaces arranged to cut the cable received at the recess.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cable cutting system for a vehicle comprising: a first cutting apparatus comprising a recess to receive a cable and a second cutting apparatus separate from and attached to the first cutting apparatus at a pivot position located behind the recess of the first cutting apparatus; the second cutting apparatus comprising a first cutting member and a second cutting member arranged to pivot at the pivot position about an axis that is perpendicular to the first cutting apparatus; wherein at least one of the first and second cutting members has a first cutting surface capable of being positioned in the recess, wherein the recess is disposed between a first guiding surface and a second guiding surface formed on said first cutting apparatus, and the first guiding surface is affixed to a surface of the vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second cutting apparatus comprises a plurality of cutting surfaces formed respectively on the first and second cutting members and capable of being positioned in the recess.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a spring member in an energized state connected to the first cutting member, the spring member to force the first cutting member and the second cutting member toward each other in response to the cable being received between the first cutting member and the second cutting member.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the first cutting member is arranged above the second cutting member and the spring member is connected to the second cutting member.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the first cutting member and the second cutting member form a four bar mechanism with a first support bar and a second support bar to force the first cutting member and the second cutting member toward each other in response to the cable being received between the first cutting member and the second cutting member.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the spring member comprises a trigger structure to release the spring member from the energized state to a de-energized state.

7. A method to cut a cable encountered by a vehicle comprising: providing a cable cutting system comprising a first cutting apparatus and a second cutting apparatus, the first cutting apparatus comprising a recess to receive a cable and the second cutting apparatus including at least one cutting surface capable of being positioned in the recess, wherein the recess is disposed between a first guiding surface and a second guiding surface of the first cutting apparatus, and the first guiding surface is affixed to a surface of the vehicle, the second cutting apparatus separate from and attached to the first cutting apparatus at a pivot position located behind the recess of the first cutting apparatus, and the second cutting apparatus comprising a first cutting member and a second cutting member arranged to pivot at the pivot position about an axis that is perpendicular to the first cutting apparatus wherein the at least one cutting surface is formed on at least one of the first and second cutting members; the method further including the steps of receiving the cable in the recess formed in the first cutting apparatus; and cutting the cable using the second cutting apparatus.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising applying a force on the cutting surface of the second cutting apparatus to cut the cable.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the second cutting apparatus includes a plurality of cutting surfaces, one cutting surface formed on each of the first and second cutting members, further comprising cutting the cable using the plurality of cutting surfaces positioned in the recess of the first cutting apparatus.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein cutting the cable using the second cutting apparatus further comprises forcing the first cutting member and the second cutting member toward each other using a spring member in an energized state connected to the first cutting member.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising releasing the spring member from the energized state to a de-energized state using a trigger structure.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising returning the spring member to the energized state after the cable is cut.

13. The method of claim 7 , wherein cutting the cable using the second cutting apparatus further comprises forcing the first cutting member and the second cutting member toward each other, wherein the first cutting member and the second cutting member form a four bar mechanism with a first support bar and a second support bar.

Assignees

• Bell Helicopter Textron Inc

Inventors

• Smith Michael
• Tho Cheng-Ho
• Marimuthu Anand Kumar

Classifications

• B26D2001/0066

  having shearing means, e.g. shearing blades, abutting blades · CPC title

• B64C27/006 Primary

  Safety devices · CPC title

• B26D1/12

  having a cutting member moving about an axis (B26D1/547 takes precedence; cup or like cutting members B26D1/44) · CPC title

• B26D1/25

  with a non-circular cutting member · CPC title

• B26D2001/006

  the cutting blade having a special shape, e.g. a special outline, serrations · CPC title