Crimping tool

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10424890-B2
Application number	US-201615298398-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 20, 2016
Priority date	Oct 20, 2015
Publication date	Sep 24, 2019
Grant date	Sep 24, 2019

Abstract

A crimping tool, for attaching at least one wire to a connector, includes a housing, a first handle coupled to the housing, and a second handle coupled to the housing and movable relative to the first handle. The crimping tool also includes a working head coupled to the housing opposite the first and second handles. The working head includes an upper wall, an end wall, and a gap defined between the upper wall and the end wall. The crimping tool also includes a punch assembly slidable along the working head toward the end wall in response to movement of the second handle toward the first handle. The punch assembly is visible through the gap as the punch assembly slides toward the end wall.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A crimping tool comprising:
a housing;
a first handle coupled to the housing;
a second handle coupled to the housing and movable relative to the first handle;
a working head coupled to the housing opposite the first and second handles; and
a punch assembly slidably coupled to the working head along a longitudinal axis;
wherein the punch assembly and the working head are rotatable together about the longitudinal axis of the housing from a first orientation to a second orientation.

2. The crimping tool of claim 1 , wherein the punch assembly is slidably coupled to the working head, the punch assembly includes a first punch coupled to a second punch, wherein the first punch is configured to perform a crimping operation on a connector of a first type and the second punch is configured to perform a crimping operation on a connector of a second type.

3. The crimping tool of claim 2 ,
wherein the working head includes an upper wall extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis, an end wall extending generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and a gap defined between the upper wall and the end wall, and
wherein the punch assembly is slidable toward the end wall in response to movement of the second handle toward the first handle.

4. The crimping tool of claim 3 , wherein the first punch is visible through the gap as the punch assembly moves toward the end wall.

5. The crimping tool of claim 1 , further comprising a drive assembly at least partially disposed within the housing, the drive assembly configured to drive the punch assembly along the longitudinal axis as the second handle moves toward the first handle.

6. The crimping tool of claim 5 , wherein the drive assembly includes a rack and pinion.

7. The crimping tool of claim 5 , wherein the drive assembly includes an over-center linkage.

8. The crimping tool of claim 5 ,
wherein the drive assembly includes a drive pin coupled to the punch assembly,
wherein the punch assembly includes a first punch, a second punch, and a connecting portion coupling the first punch and the second punch, and
wherein the drive pin is engageable with the connecting portion to move the punch assembly within the working head along the longitudinal axis.

9. The crimping tool of claim 5 ,
wherein a front end of the housing includes a projection extending from the front end into the working head along the longitudinal axis, the projection including a first recess and a second recess, and
wherein the working head includes a detent that is engageable with the first recess when the working head is in the first orientation and that is engageable with the second recess when the working head is in the second orientation.

10. The crimping tool of claim 1 ,
wherein the working head and the pushing member punch assembly are rotatable about the longitudinal axis relative to the housing between a first orientation and a second orientation offset about 180 degrees from the first orientation.

11. A crimping tool for attaching at least one wire to a connector, the crimping tool comprising:
a housing;
a first handle coupled to the housing;
a second handle coupled to the housing and movable relative to the first handle;
a working head coupled to the housing opposite the first and second handles, the working head including an upper wall, an end wall, and a gap defined between the upper wall and the end wall, the working head being rotatable relative to the housing between a first orientation and a second orientation; and
a punch assembly slidable along the working head toward the end wall in response to movement of the second handle toward the first handle, the punch assembly being rotatable relative to the housing between a first orientation and a second orientation,
wherein the punch assembly is visible through the gap as the punch assembly slides toward the end wall.

12. The crimping tool of claim 11 ,
wherein the punch assembly is slidable along a longitudinal axis, and
wherein the working head and the punch assembly are rotatable between the first orientation and the second orientation about the longitudinal axis.

13. The crimping tool of claim 11 , wherein the punch assembly is coupled to the working head and comprises a first punch configured to perform a crimping operation on a connector of a first type and a second punch configured to perform a crimping operation on a connector of a second type.

14. The crimping tool of claim 11 , further comprising a drive assembly at least partially disposed within the housing, the drive assembly configured to drive the punch assembly toward the end wall as the second handle moves toward the first handle.

15. The crimping tool of claim 14 , wherein the drive assembly includes a rack and pinion.

16. The crimping tool of claim 14 , wherein the drive assembly includes an over-center linkage.

17. The crimping tool of claim 14 ,
wherein the drive assembly includes a drive pin,
wherein the punch assembly includes a first punch, a second punch, and a connecting portion extending between the first punch and the second punch, and
wherein the drive pin is engageable with the connecting portion of the punch assembly to move the first punch and the second punch toward the end wall of the working head.

18. The crimping tool of claim 17 , wherein the punch assembly is biased toward the drive pin.

19. The crimping tool of claim 11 , further comprising a drive pin in the working head that couples with the channel portion between a first punch and a second punch of the punch assembly, the first punch being visible through a first gap on a first side of the drive pin, the first gap being defined between a first upper wall and the end wall, and the second punch being visible through a second gap on a second side of the drive pin, the second gap being defined between a second upper wall and the end wall.

20. A crimping tool, comprising:
a housing;
a first handle coupled to the housing;
a second handle coupled to the housing and movable relative to the first handle;
a working head extending along a longitudinal axis and coupled to the housing at an end opposite of the first and second handles, the working head including an upper wall, an end wall, and a central channel;
a drive pin extending along the longitudinal axis and located within the central channel;
a first punch slidable along the central channel of the working head toward the end wall in response to movement of the second handle toward the first handle, and
a second punch slidable along the central channel of the working head toward the end wall in response to movement of the second handle toward the first handle;
wherein the working head, the first punch, and the second punch are rotatable relative to the longitudinal axis of the housing between a first orientation and a second orientation.

Assignees

• Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp

Inventors

• Hoppe Christopher S
• Graykowski Anthony S
• Cors Mark W
• Hyma Steven W
• Squiers Grant Thomas
• Roers Benjamin
• Stearns Michael

Classifications

• H01R43/0421 Primary

  combined with other functions, e.g. cutting · CPC title