Tool having an inclined handle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10418795-B2
Application number	US-201715616572-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 7, 2017
Priority date	Jun 8, 2016
Publication date	Sep 17, 2019
Grant date	Sep 17, 2019

Abstract

An example tool includes a housing; an inclined handle coupled to, and extending obliquely from, a top portion of the housing, where the inclined handle has a first trigger button and a second trigger button; and an interlocking mechanism disposed in the inclined handle. The interlocking mechanism is configured to disable one of the first trigger button or the second trigger button while the other of the first trigger button or the second trigger button is triggered.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tool comprising:
a housing;
an inclined handle coupled to, and extending obliquely from, a top portion of the housing, wherein the inclined handle has a first trigger button and a second trigger button; and
an interlocking mechanism disposed in the inclined handle, wherein the interlocking mechanism comprises a toggle lever configured to prevent one of the first trigger button or the second trigger button from being triggered while the other of the first trigger button or the second trigger button is triggered.

2. The tool of claim 1 , further comprising:
a toggle switch configured to assume one of at least three positions, wherein:
when positioned at a first position, the toggle switch locks one of the first trigger button or the second trigger button in a released state,
when positioned at a second position, the toggle switch is in a neutral state, and
when positioned at a third position, the toggle switch locks one of the first trigger button or the second trigger button in a triggered state.

3. The tool of claim 2 , wherein positioning the toggle switch at the second position enables the first trigger button or the second trigger button to be triggered or released.

4. The tool of claim 2 , wherein the inclined handle includes a cutout section on a top surface of the inclined handle, wherein the toggle switch protrudes through the cutout section and is configured to slide within the cutout section between the three positions.

5. The tool of claim 2 , further comprising:
an actuator coupled to the housing;
one or more jaws coupled to the actuator; and
a controller coupled to the housing, wherein the controller is in wireless communication with a remote device, and wherein the controller is configured to perform operations comprising:
receiving a first signal from the remote device indicating a request to operate the tool remotely,
receiving information indicating that the first trigger button has been locked in the triggered state by way of the toggle switch being in the third position,
sending a second signal to the remote device indicating that the first trigger button has been locked in the triggered state, and
in response to receiving a third signal from the remote device, causing the actuator to move the one or more jaws to operate the tool remotely.

6. The tool of claim 5 , wherein the controller is configured to operate the tool in a normal mode or a remote-cut mode, wherein:
in the normal mode, the controller operates the actuator to cause the one or more jaws to move in response to the first trigger button being in the triggered state, and
in the remote-cut mode, the controller operates the actuator to cause the one or more jaws to move in response to (i) receiving the third signal from the remote device, and (ii) the toggle switch being in the third position.

7. The tool of claim 6 , wherein the operations further comprise:
switching the tool from operating in the normal mode to the remote-cut mode in response to receiving at least the first signal.

8. The tool of claim 6 , wherein the operations further comprise:
determining that remote operation of the tool has been successful; and
responsively, switching the tool from operating in the remote-cut mode into the normal mode.

9. The tool of claim 1 , wherein the inclined handle defines a handle axis, which intersects with a horizontal axis and a vertical axis of the housing at respective inclined angles.

10. The tool of claim 1 , further comprising:
wherein at least a portion of an exterior profile of the inclined handle comprises a first depression and a second depression spatially arranged in series along the portion of the exterior profile, and wherein the first trigger button is disposed in the first depression and the second trigger button is disposed in the second depression.

11. The tool of claim 1 , further comprising:
a stand rotatably coupled to a bottom of the housing, wherein the stand is rotatable between at least two positions, wherein in a first position, the stand enables the tool to be positioned on a work surface while maintaining a desired orientation, and in a second position, the stand is folded underneath the housing.

12. The tool of claim 1 , further comprising:
a hydraulic actuator cylinder coupled to the housing;
a piston slidably accommodated within the hydraulic actuator cylinder; and
a ram coupled to the piston and configured to drive one or more jaws, wherein the first trigger button is configured to cause the piston to extend and the one or more jaws to move toward each other, and the second trigger button is configured to cause the piston to retract and the one or more jaws to move away from each other.

13. The tool of claim 12 , further comprising:
a clevis having a first end coupled to the hydraulic actuator cylinder and a second end coupled to the one or more jaws; and
a basket-style handle coupled to the clevis and extending upward.

14. The tool of claim 13 , wherein the basket-style handle is pivotably mounted to the clevis such that an angle between the basket-style handle and the clevis is adjustable.

15. The tool of claim 1 , wherein the toggle lever comprises a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end being pivotably mounted inside the inclined handle, and the distal end being disposed between the first trigger button and the second trigger button.

16. The tool of claim 15 , wherein the first trigger button includes a groove at a bottom end of the first trigger button, and the second trigger button includes a respective groove at a top end of the second trigger button, such that:
when the first trigger button is pulled, the toggle lever rotates downward and the distal end of the toggle lever engages the respective groove of the second trigger button thereby preventing the second trigger button from being triggered, and
when the second trigger button is pulled, the toggle lever is pushed upward and the distal end of the toggle lever engages the groove of the first trigger button thereby preventing the first trigger button from being triggered.

Assignees

• Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp

Inventors

• Ballard Jim
• D'Antuono Marc
• Zimmermann Ian
• Skinner Luke
• Norquist Eric
• Ellice Joe

Classifications

• B25F5/005

  Hydraulic driving means · CPC title

• B25B27/10

  inserting fittings into hoses · CPC title

• H01H13/14

  Operating parts, e.g. push-button · CPC title

• H02G1/005 Primary

  for cutting cables or wires, or splicing · CPC title

• G05B15/02

  electric · CPC title