Manual conduit bender with angle setter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11298735-B2
Application number	US-202016886845-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 29, 2020
Priority date	Aug 2, 2019
Publication date	Apr 12, 2022
Grant date	Apr 12, 2022

Abstract

A manual conduit bender includes an angle setter that can be selectively engaged with a bender head to allow users to precisely set common bend angles.

First claim

What is claims is:

1. A manual conduit bender comprising:
a bender head comprising:
an arcuate channel configured to receive a length of conduit as it is being bent, the channel defined by opposed sidewalls joined by a base, and
at least two pairs of grooves spaced along the channel, with one groove of each pair being formed in one of the sidewalls and the other groove of each pair being formed in the other of the sidewalls; and

an angle setter selectively engagable in the channel at a plurality positions defined by the spaced pairs of grooves, each position corresponding to a desired conduit bend angle, the angle setter comprising:
a stop surface to engage a length of conduit as it is being bent, and
a pair of ribs facing in opposite directions to engage each pair of grooves to selectively locate the stop surface relative to each pair of grooves;

wherein the bender head further comprises at least one structural web underlying the arcuate channel, and the angle setter further comprises an elongate channel configured to releasably receive a portion of the web to retain the angle setter in a stored position on the bender head; and
wherein the elongate channel is defined between two spaced walls with one of the ribs formed on one of the walls and the other rib formed on the other wall, and the elongate channel and the stop surface are located on opposite faces of the angle setter.

2. The manual conduit bender of claim 1 wherein the angle setter has an interference fit with the bender head with the angle setter engaged at each of the plurality of positions.

3. The manual conduit bender of claim 2 wherein each rib is biased into engagement with the corresponding one of the grooves with the ribs engaged in one of the pair of grooves.

4. The manual conduit bender of claim 2 wherein the angle setter further comprises a pair of oppositely facing side surfaces that are sized to have an interference fit with inwardly facing surfaces in the arcuate channel of the bender head with the angle setter engaged at each of the plurality of positions.

5. The manual conduit bender of claim 1 wherein the angle setter further comprises indicia to allow a user to visually align the angle setter to provide proper location of the ribs with a desired pair of the grooves.

6. The manual conduit bender of claim 1 wherein each groove is defined by a concave, semicylindrical surface, and each rib is defined by a convex semicylindrical surface.

7. The manual conduit bender of claim 1 wherein the stop surface extends along a longitudinal axis and has a convex arcuate profile transverse to the longitudinal axis.

8. The manual conduit bender of claim 1 wherein the elongate channel extends along an axis that is coplanar with the longitudinal axis.

9. The manual conduit bender of claim 1 wherein each rib is formed on a side of the corresponding wall that faces away from the elongate channel.

10. The manual conduit bender of claim 1 wherein the angle setter further comprises a bottom surface that is shaped to conform to the arcuate channel, and the stop surface and the bottom surface are located on opposite faces of the angle setter.

11. The manual conduit bender of claim 1 wherein the angle setter comprises a one-piece, unitary body and the stop surface and the ribs are formed on the body.

12. The manual conduit bender of claim 1 further comprising an elongate handle extending from the head, the head is a one-piece, unitary component, and the handle is a separate component that is assembled to the head.

Assignees

• Klein Tools Inc

Inventors

• Pearson Daniel R
• Fisher Jordan L

Classifications

• B21D7/063

  Pliers with forming dies · CPC title

• B21D7/022

  over a stationary forming member only · CPC title

• B21D7/14 Primary

  combined with measuring of bends or lengths · CPC title