Wire clamp

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11233368-B2
Application number	US-201715719883-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2017
Priority date	Sep 29, 2017
Publication date	Jan 25, 2022
Grant date	Jan 25, 2022

Abstract

A wire clamp includes a base and first and second jaws. The first jaw is pivotally mounted to a first upright portion of the base via a first pivot axle, and the second jaw is pivotally mounted to a second upright portion of the base via a second pivot axle. The first and second jaws crisscross each other at an overlap area, and are spring-biased to pivot relative to the base towards a closed position. Respective hook members of the first and second jaws define a mouth above the overlap area that is configured to receive a wire. A size of the mouth adjusts automatically to a size of the wire within the mouth as the first and second jaws pivot towards the closed position. The wire may be held within the mouth in an in-line orientation with a corresponding terminal to which the wire will be crimped.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wire clamp comprising:
a base including a first upright portion and a second upright portion; and
a pair of first and second jaws mounted to the base, the first jaw pivotally mounted to the first upright portion via a first pivot axle, the second jaw pivotally mounted to the second upright portion via a second pivot axle that is spaced apart laterally from the first pivot axle, the first and second jaws each including a respective hook member, the first and second jaws crisscrossing each other at an overlap area, the hook members of the first and second jaws defining a mouth between the first and second jaws that is configured to receive a wire, wherein the overlap area is disposed below the mouth and above the first and second pivot axles,
wherein the first jaw is coupled to a first drive shaft and the second jaw is coupled to a second drive shaft, the first drive shaft extends from the first jaw and is coupled to a first spring mounted to the first upright portion of the base, the second drive shaft extends from the second jaw and is coupled to a second spring mounted to the second upright portion of the base, the first and second springs biasing the first and second jaws, via the first and second drive shafts, respectively, to pivot relative to the base from an open position towards a closed position, and wherein a size of the mouth adjusts automatically to a size of the wire within the mouth when the first and second jaws are allowed to pivot towards the closed position.

2. The wire claim of claim 1 , wherein, as the first and second jaws pivot towards the closed position, the first and second jaws pivot in opposite directions about the corresponding first and second pivot axles.

3. The wire claim of claim 1 , wherein the hook members of the first and second jaws are configured to overlap one another across a top of the mouth as the first and second jaws pivot towards the closed position.

4. The wire claim of claim 1 , further comprising a lever mounted to the first jaw via a fastener that extends through both the lever and the first jaw, the lever including a handle configured to be gripped by an operator to manually move the first and second jaws towards the open position for loading and unloading the wire in the mouth.

5. The wire claim of claim 1 , wherein the first drive shaft is connected to one end of a link, the link including a linking pin at an opposite end of the link, the linking pin coupling to the second jaw at a location spaced apart from the second drive shaft.

6. The wire clamp of claim 5 , wherein the link is disposed between the first and second jaws and spaced apart from the mouth, wherein the link synchronizes the pivoting movement of the first and second jaws.

7. The wire claim of claim 1 , wherein the first and second springs are each coupled to a different, corresponding set screw within the base, the set screws being adjustable to selectively control an amount of spring-biasing force exerted on the respective first and second jaws via the first and second drive shafts.

8. The wire claim of claim 1 , wherein the first and second jaws have identical sizes and shapes.

9. The wire claim of claim 1 , wherein the size of the mouth is configured to adjust automatically to the size of the wire within the mouth when a diameter of the wire is between about 0.05 inches and about 1.0 inch.

10. The wire clamp of claim 1 , wherein the first spring and the first drive shaft are disposed within a guide slot defined in the first upright portion of the base.

11. A wire clamp comprising:
a base including a first upright portion and a second upright portion; and
a pair of first and second jaws mounted to the base, the first jaw pivotally mounted to the first upright portion via a first pivot axle, the second jaw pivotally mounted to the second upright portion via a second pivot axle that is spaced apart laterally from the first pivot axle, the first and second jaws each including a respective hook member, the first and second jaws crisscrossing each other at an overlap area, the hook members of the first and second jaws defining a mouth between the first and second jaws that is configured to receive a wire, the mouth located above the overlap area,
wherein the first jaw is coupled to a first drive shaft and the second jaw is coupled to a second drive shaft, the first drive shaft extends from the first jaw and is coupled to a first spring mounted to the first upright portion of the base, the second drive shaft extends from the second jaw and is coupled to a second spring mounted to the second upright portion of the base, the first and second springs biasing the first and second jaws, via the first and second drive shafts, respectively, to pivot relative to the base from an open position towards a closed position, and wherein a size of the mouth adjusts automatically to a size of the wire within the mouth when the first and second jaws pivot towards the closed position,
wherein the first jaw is connected to the second jaw via a link and pivoting of the first jaw relative to the base causes the second jaw to pivot relative to the base via the link.

12. The wire clamp of claim 11 , wherein the overlap area is disposed between the mouth and the first and second pivot axles.

13. The wire clamp of claim 11 , further comprising a lever mounted to the first jaw via a fastener, the lever including a handle for manually opening the first and second jaws.

14. The wire clamp of claim 11 , wherein one end of the link is connected to the first drive shaft and an opposite end of the link is connected to a linking pin that is coupled to the second jaw at a location spaced apart from the second drive shaft.

15. The wire clamp of claim 11 , wherein the first spring and the first drive shaft are disposed within a guide slot defined in the first upright portion of the base.

16. A wire clamp comprising:
a base including a first upright portion and a second upright portion; and
a pair of first and second jaws mounted to the base, the first jaw pivotally mounted to the first upright portion via a first pivot axle, the second jaw pivotally mounted to the second upright portion via a second pivot axle that is spaced apart laterally from the first pivot axle, the first and second jaws each including a respective hook member, the first and second jaws crisscrossing each other at an overlap area, the hook members of the first and second jaws defining a mouth between the first and second jaws that is configured to receive a wire, the mouth located above the overlap area,
wherein the first jaw is coupled to a first drive shaft and the second jaw is coupled to a second drive shaft, the first drive shaft extends from the first jaw and is coupled to a first spring mounted to the first upright portion of the base, the second drive shaft extends from the second jaw and is coupled to a second spring mounted to the second upright portion of the base, the first and second springs biasing the first and second jaws, via the first and second drive shafts, respectively, to pivot relative to the base from an open position towards a closed position, and wherein, as the first and second jaws pivot from the open position towards the closed position, a size of the mouth decreases and a center of the mouth moves in a direction away from the base.

17. The wire clamp of claim 16 , wherein the overlap area is disposed between the mouth and the first and second pivot axles.

18. The wire clamp of claim 16 , wherein the first jaw is connected to the second jaw via a link and pivoting

Assignees

• Te Connectivity Corp
• TE Connectivity Services Gmbh

Inventors

• Kerstetter Chadwick Alan
• Dobson Jr Richard R

Classifications

• B25B5/04 Primary

  with pivoted jaws · CPC title

• Y10T29/53265

  with work-holder for assembly · CPC title

• B25B1/2489

  Slideways · CPC title

• H01R43/048 Primary

  Crimping apparatus or processes (H01R43/042 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01R43/052

  with wire-feeding mechanism · CPC title