PEX expanding tool

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10926451-B2
Application number	US-201916241783-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 7, 2019
Priority date	Apr 20, 2015
Publication date	Feb 23, 2021
Grant date	Feb 23, 2021

Abstract

An expanding tool comprising: an actuator comprising a cylindrical housing that defines an actuator housing cavity; a primary ram disposed within the actuator housing cavity, the primary ram defining an internal primary ram cavity; a secondary ram disposed within the internal primary ram cavity; a cam roller carrier coupled to a distal end of the secondary ram; a drive collar positioned within a distal end of the actuator housing cavity; a roller clutch disposed within an internal cavity defined by an inner surface of the drive collar; a shuttle cam positioned between the roller clutch and a distal end of the primary ram; an expander cone coupled to the primary ram; and an expander head operably coupled to the drive collar. When triggered, the actuator first rotates the expander head and then the actuator expands the expander head.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of operating a tool, comprising the steps of:
creating a pressure differential across a primary dump valve;
shifting the primary dump valve to a closed position;
drawing fluid from a fluid reservoir;
pumping fluid to an actuator; and
extending a ram in a distal direction as fluid is pumped into the actuator.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of starting a motor.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of drawing fluid from the fluid reservoir into a pump chamber.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of utilizing the ram to drive a cam roller carrier in a distal direction.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising the step of pushing a cam roller of the cam roller carrier through a cam provided by a shuttle cam.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising the step of rotating the shuttle cam.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising the step of transmitting torque from the shuttle cam to a drive collar.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising the step of transmitting torque from the drive collar to an expander head.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of extending the ram in the distal direction until a ram hard stop engages a second hard stop.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising the step of extending the ram in the distal direction until the ram hard stop engages the second hard stop of a primary ram.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising the step of operatively coupling the primary ram to an expander cone.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising the step of extending the primary ram and the expander cone in the distal direction.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising the step of pushing the expanding cone into an expander head.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising the step of shifting a plurality of head segments of the expander head radially outward to expand an outer diameter of the expander head.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising the step of extending the primary ram until it reaches a hard-stop.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising the step of deactivating a motor once a pressure within a cylinder body reaches a predetermined setpoint.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising the step of disabling user input of the tool after the motor has been deactivated.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising the step of disabling user input of the tool until a full retract of at least a primary ram is sensed.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising the step of sensing the full retract of the at least primary ram by way of a position sensor.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising the step of pulsing a valve solenoid to open a pilot dump valve to the fluid reservoir.

21. The method of claim 20 , further comprising the step of allowing an internal pressure drop.

22. The method of claim 21 , further comprising the step of allowing a return spring to force the primary dump valve to open.

Assignees

• Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp

Inventors

• Dickert Corey
• Huber Alex
• Kotes Jarrod
• Didier Will
• Zimmermann Ian

Classifications

• B29K2105/258

  Tubular · CPC title

• B29C57/045 Primary

  rotating · CPC title

• B29K2023/0691

  PEX, i.e. crosslinked polyethylene · CPC title

• B29L2023/22

  Tubes or pipes, i.e. rigid (bent tubes not for use as pipe couplings B29L2023/004) · CPC title