Portable hand held power tool with interchangeable head

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11426850-B2
Application number	US-201816201551-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 27, 2018
Priority date	Nov 28, 2017
Publication date	Aug 30, 2022
Grant date	Aug 30, 2022

Abstract

Portable, hand held, battery operated, hydraulic tools are provided with a tool frame and one or more interchangeable working heads. When the working head is connected with the tool frame, a piston actuated by a hydraulic system within the tool frame applies force to the working head to perform a task. A coupling mechanism holds the working head to the tool frame. The coupling mechanism allows the working head to be removed from the tool frame and another working head to be joined to the tool frame. The coupling mechanism can hold the working head at a fixed rotational angle with respect to the tool frame. The coupling mechanism can also allow the working head to rotate with respect to the tool frame.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hydraulic tool comprising:
a tool frame comprising:
a piston adapted to exert a force in a distal direction; and
a tool connecting portion; and
a tool head comprising:
an impactor adapted to apply the force to a workpiece; and
a head connecting portion,
wherein engagement of the tool connecting portion with the head connecting portion removably connects the tool head with the tool frame and engages the piston with the impactor,
wherein the tool connecting portion comprises a T-shaped slot, wherein the piston at least partially protrudes within the T-shaped slot,
wherein the head connecting portion comprises a ring connected with the tool head and two arms connected with the ring, wherein the arms extend in a proximal direction from the tool head wherein the arms are separated from one another by a gap between the arms extending a full width in a first direction perpendicular to the distal direction, wherein the arms form a T-shaped cross section sized to slide into the T-shaped slot, wherein the head connecting portion and the tool connecting portion engage with one another by sliding the arms into the T-shaped slot in a second direction perpendicular to the distal direction and perpendicular to the first direction,
wherein the gap is distal of the ring, and
wherein the piston extends in the distal direction through the gap.

2. The tool of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the two arms comprise a distal-facing engagement surface and wherein the T-shaped slot comprises a proximal-facing engagement surface and wherein, when the head connecting portion and the tool connecting portion are engaged, the distal-facing and proximal-facing engagement surfaces contact one another at an oblique angle to the distal direction.

3. The tool according to claim 1 , further comprising a locking mechanism, the locking mechanism releasably locking the head connecting portion and the tool connecting portion into engagement.

4. The tool of claim 3 , wherein the locking mechanism comprises a hole on one of the head connecting portion and the tool connecting portion and ball biased by a spring to engage with the hole on the other of the head connecting portion and the tool connecting portion.

5. The tool of claim 1 , further comprising a piston connector, the piston connector releasably connecting the piston with the impactor when the head connecting portion and the tool connecting portion are engaged.

6. The tool of claim 5 , wherein the piston includes a groove near its distal end and wherein the piston connector comprises a T-shaped engagement adapted to slideably engage with the groove.

7. A hydraulic tool comprising:
a tool frame comprising:
a piston adapted to exert a force in a distal direction; and
a tool connecting portion; and

a tool head comprising:
an impactor adapted to apply the force to a workpiece; and
a head connecting portion,

wherein engagement of the tool connecting portion with the head connecting portion removably connects the tool head with the tool frame and engages the piston with the impactor,
wherein the tool connecting portion comprises:
a cylinder;
a rotatable collar around the cylinder;
one or more pins extending through a side of the cylinder and operatively connected with the collar, wherein a rotation of the collar in a first direction causes the pins to move into an interior of the cylinder and a rotation in a second direction causes the pins to move out from the interior of the cylinder, and
wherein the head connecting portion comprises:
a shaft disposed at the proximal end of the head and sized to fit into the cylinder; and
one or more engagement surfaces on the outer surface of the shaft,
wherein when the pins are moved into the interior of the cylinder the pins engage with the one or more engagement surfaces.

8. The tool of claim 7 , further comprising a torsion spring connected with the collar and adapted to bias the collar in the first direction.

9. The tool claim 7 , wherein the one or more engagement surfaces comprises a plurality of holes on the surface of the shaft positioned to correspond to respective ones of the pins when the tool connecting portion with the head connecting portion are engaged.

10. The tool of claim 7 , wherein the one or more engagement surfaces comprise a circumferential groove around the shaft.

11. A hydraulic tool comprising:
a tool frame comprising:
a piston adapted to exert a force in a distal direction; and
a tool connecting portion; and
a tool head comprising:
an impactor adapted to apply the force to a workpiece; and
a head connecting portion,
wherein engagement of the tool connecting portion with the head connecting portion removably connects the tool head with the tool frame and engages the piston with the impactor,
wherein the tool connecting portion comprises a T-shaped slot, wherein the T-shaped slot comprises two openings at opposing ends of the T-shaped slot along an insertion direction perpendicular to the distal direction, wherein the piston at least partially protrudes within the T-shaped slot;
wherein the head connecting portion comprises two arms connected with the tool head and extending in a proximal direction separate from one another defining a gap between the arms, wherein the arms are separated from one another by a gap spanning a space between the arms extending a full width in a first direction perpendicular to the distal direction and perpendicular to the insertion direction, wherein the arms form a T-shaped cross section sized to slide into the T-shaped slot,
wherein the head connecting portion and the tool connecting portion engage with one another by sliding the arms into the T-shaped slot along the insertion direction, and wherein the arms are adapted to slide into the T-shaped slot through one or the other of the two openings.

Assignees

• Hubbell Inc

Inventors

• Lefavour John David
• Faucher Thomas Romeo
• Brown Lawrence
• Wason Peter Matthew
• Vachon Bernard P
• Laperriere Sarah
• Chiasson Mark A

Classifications

• B25B27/146 Primary

  Clip clamping hand tools · CPC title

• H01R43/0427

  fluid actuated hand crimping tools · CPC title