4-way indent tool

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10615557-B2
Application number	US-201715832135-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 5, 2017
Priority date	Dec 5, 2017
Publication date	Apr 7, 2020
Grant date	Apr 7, 2020

Abstract

A 4-way indent tool includes a cover holding a motor and a drive screw operably coupled to the motor and an indenter holder holding four indenters positioned orthogonally around a terminal opening configured to receive a terminal. The 4-way indent tool includes a indenter actuator cam arm positioned adjacent the indenter holder to operably engage the indenters having cam surfaces engaging the corresponding indenters to actuate the indenters. The 4-way indent tool includes a drive nut threadably coupled to the drive screw being moved linearly on the drive screw between an unactuated position and an actuated position. The indenter actuator cam arm is coupled to the drive nut and moves with the drive nut between the unactuated position and the actuated position to actuate the indenters.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A 4-way indent tool comprising:
a cover having a base and a head, the base holding a motor driven by a power source, the head holding a drive screw operably coupled to the motor and being rotated by the motor when the motor is operated;
an indenter holder at the head, the indenter holder holding four indenters positioned orthogonally around a terminal opening configured to receive a terminal, the indenters being actuated to move relative to the terminal opening to crimp the terminal received in the terminal opening;
an indenter actuator cam arm positioned adjacent the indenter holder to operably engage the indenters, the indenter actuator cam arm having cam surfaces engaging the corresponding indenters to actuate the indenters, the indenter actuator cam arm having a cam lever arm; and
a drive nut threadably coupled to the drive screw, the drive nut being moved linearly on the drive screw between an unactuated position and an actuated position, the indenter actuator cam arm being coupled to the drive nut and moving with the drive nut between the unactuated position and the actuated position to actuate the indenters.

2. The 4-way indent tool of claim 1 , wherein the drive nut converts rotating movement of the drive screw to linear movement between the unactuated position and the actuated position.

3. The 4-way indent tool of claim 1 , wherein the motor is an electric motor powered by a battery defining the power source in the base of the cover.

4. The 4-way indent tool of claim 1 , wherein the head includes a cavity, the drive screw and the drive nut being positioned in the cavity and enclosed by the cover.

5. The 4-way indent tool of claim 1 , wherein the head extends between a top and a bottom, the drive nut being driven downward along the drive screw between the unactuated position and the actuated position.

6. The 4-way indent tool of claim 1 , further comprising an indenter actuator cam arm adjustment mechanism coupled to the cam lever arm and the drive nut to change a relative position of the cam lever arm with respect to the drive nut.

7. The 4-way indent tool of claim 1 , further comprising a limit switch at the head being operably coupled to the motor to switch an operation of the motor, the limit switch being configured to be actuated by the drive nut when the drive nut is in the actuated position to activate the limit switch.

8. The 4-way indent tool of claim 1 , further comprising a crimp height adjustment mechanism variably positionable relative to the head, the drive nut bottoming out against the crimp height adjustment mechanism in the actuated position, wherein the actuated position is variable and controlled by the position of the crimp height adjustment mechanism.

9. The 4-way indent tool of claim 8 , wherein the drive nut is movable along a drive stroke between the unactuated position and the actuated position, a length of the drive stroke being variable and controlled based on the position of the crimp height adjustment mechanism.

10. The 4-way indent tool of claim 8 , wherein the crimp height adjustment mechanism includes a first bottoming surface and a second bottoming surface at a different vertical height than the first bottoming surface, the crimp height adjustment mechanism being movable relative to the cover between a first position and a second position, the first bottoming surface being aligned with the drive nut and engaged by the drive nut at the actuated position when the crimp height adjustment mechanism is in the first position, the second bottoming surface being aligned with the drive nut and engaged by the drive nut at the actuated position when the crimp height adjustment mechanism is in the second position.

11. The 4-way indent tool of claim 10 , wherein the drive nut includes a bottoming surface, the bottoming surface engaging the first bottoming surface when the crimp height adjustment mechanism is in the first position, the bottoming surface engaging the second bottoming surface when the crimp height adjustment mechanism is in the second position.

12. The 4-way indent tool of claim 10 , wherein the crimp height adjustment mechanism includes a third bottoming surface at a different vertical height than the first bottoming surface and the second bottoming surface.

13. The 4-way indent tool of claim 8 , wherein the crimp height adjustment mechanism is rotatably coupled to the cover.

14. The 4-way indent tool of claim 8 , wherein the crimp height adjustment mechanism includes a bore passing therethrough, the drive shaft passing through the bore.

15. The 4-way indent tool of claim 8 , wherein the crimp height adjustment mechanism includes a ring-shaped body having a plurality of grooves, the grooves having different depths, the drive nut including a bottoming surface configured to be received in the corresponding grooves.

16. A 4-way indent tool comprising:
a cover having a base and a head, the base holding a motor driven by a power source, the cover holding a drive screw operably coupled to the motor and being rotated by the motor when the motor is operated;
a crimp height adjustment mechanism variably positionable relative to the head,
an indenter holder at the head, the indenter holder holding four indenters positioned orthogonally around a terminal opening configured to receive a terminal, the indenters being actuated to move relative to the terminal opening to crimp the terminal received in the terminal opening;
an indenter actuator cam arm positioned adjacent the indenter holder to operably engage the indenters, the indenter actuator cam arm having cam surfaces engaging the corresponding indenters to actuate the indenters, the indenter actuator cam arm having a cam lever arm; and
a drive nut threadably coupled to the drive screw, the indenter actuator cam arm being coupled to the drive nut and movable with the drive nut to actuate the indenters, the drive nut being driven on the drive screw between an unactuated position and an actuated position, the drive nut bottoming out against the crimp height adjustment mechanism in the actuated position, wherein the actuated position is variable and controlled by the position of the crimp height adjustment mechanism.

17. The 4-way indent tool of claim 16 , wherein the drive nut is movable along a drive stroke between the unactuated position and the actuated position, a length of the drive stroke being variable and controlled based on the position of the crimp height adjustment mechanism.

18. The 4-way indent tool of claim 17 , wherein the crimp height adjustment mechanism includes a first bottoming surface and a second bottoming surface and a different vertical height than the first bottoming surface, the crimp height adjustment mechanism being movable relative to the cover between a first position and a second position, the first bottoming surface being aligned with the drive nut and engaged by the drive nut at the actuated position when the crimp height adjustment mechanism is in the first position, the second bottoming surface being aligned with the drive nut and engaged by the drive nut at the actuated position when the crimp height adjustment mechanism is in the second position.

19. The 4-way indent tool of claim 17 , wherein the drive nut includes a bottoming surface, the bottoming surface engaging the first bottoming surface when the crimp height adjustment mechanism is in the first position, the bottoming surface engaging the second bottoming surface when the crimp height adjustment mechanism is in the second position.

Assignees

• Te Connectivity Corp

Inventors

• Weber Tyler Benjamin
• Schaeffer Richard Lloyd

Classifications

• H01R43/0486

  with force measuring means · CPC title

• H01R43/0488

  with crimp height adjusting means · CPC title

• H01R43/0428 Primary

  Power-driven hand crimping tools · CPC title

• H01R43/0424

  with more than two radially actuated mandrels · CPC title