Crimping tool

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11728609-B2
Application number	US-202117505946-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 20, 2021
Priority date	Oct 20, 2015
Publication date	Aug 15, 2023
Grant date	Aug 15, 2023

Abstract

A crimping tool, for attaching at least one wire to a connector, includes a housing, a first handle coupled to the housing, and a second handle coupled to the housing and movable relative to the first handle. The crimping tool also includes a working head coupled to the housing opposite the first and second handles. The working head includes an upper wall, an end wall, and a gap defined between the upper wall and the end wall. The crimping tool also includes a punch assembly slidable along the working head toward the end wall in response to movement of the second handle toward the first handle. The punch assembly is visible through the gap as the punch assembly slides toward the end wall.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A crimping tool comprising:
a housing;
a working head coupled to the housing and comprising a center channel;
a drive assembly disposed within the housing and comprising a drive pin that extends through the center channel of the working head;
a first handle coupled to the housing;
a second handle coupled to the housing, wherein movement of the second handle moves the drive assembly; and
a punch assembly comprising a first punch and a second punch coupled to the drive pin of the drive assembly on either side of the center channel, wherein movement of the drive pin from a first position to a second position causes the first punch and the second punch of the punch assembly to move parallel to the center channel from an open position to an actuated position.

2. The crimping tool of claim 1 , wherein the first punch is configured to crimp wires into a first connector type and the second punch is configured to crimp wires into a second connector type, wherein the first connector type is different from the second connector type.

3. The crimping tool of claim 1 , wherein the first punch and the second punch each comprise an axial central bore on either side of the center channel, the central bore stabilizing the first punch and the second punch on either side of the central bore as the punch assembly moves between the open position and the actuated position.

4. The crimping tool of claim 1 , further comprising a projection on the housing that rotatably couples the housing to the working head, wherein one of the working head or the projection comprises a detent and the other of the working head or the projection comprises a recess, wherein engagement between the detent and the recess resists rotation of the working head about the center channel.

5. The crimping tool of claim 1 , further comprising a biasing member in an over-center arrangement that biases the punch assembly in the open position until the drive assembly reaches an equilibrium point, wherein the biasing member biases the punch assembly in the actuated position.

6. The crimping tool of claim 1 , wherein the drive assembly comprises a rack and pinion configured to drive the punch assembly toward an end wall of the working head in the actuated position.

7. The crimping tool of claim 6 , wherein the rack is separable from the drive pin and the rack bears against the drive pin to impart axial movement of the drive pin.

8. A crimping tool comprising:
a housing defining a longitudinal axis through a center of the housing;
a drive assembly extending along the longitudinal axis and through the housing;
a first handle coupled to the housing;
a second handle coupled to the drive assembly;
a working head coupled to the housing, the working head including an end wall and a central channel; and
a punch assembly coupled to the drive assembly extending through the central channel of the working head, the punch assembly comprising a first punch and a second punch;
wherein movement of the second handle moves the drive assembly through the housing and the central channel and drives the punch assembly from an open position to an actuated position relative to the end wall of the working head.

9. The crimping tool of claim 8 , further comprising a gap between the first punch and the second punch of the punch assembly and the end wall of the working head, wherein the gap between the first punch and the end wall is equal to the gap between the second punch and the end wall in the actuated position, and wherein the gap in the actuated position is less than the gap in the open position.

10. The crimping tool of claim 8 , wherein the punch assembly and the working head are rotatable about the longitudinal axis between a first orientation and a second orientation.

11. The crimping tool of claim 10 , wherein the first punch is configured to crimp wires into a first connector type and the second punch is configured to crimp wires into a second connector type, wherein the first connector type is different from the second connector type, and wherein the first punch and the second punch rotate 180 degrees about the longitudinal axis between the first orientation and the second orientation.

12. A crimping tool comprising:
a housing;
a working head coupled to the housing and comprising a center channel;
a drive assembly disposed within the housing and comprising a drive pin that extends through the center channel of the working head; and
a punch assembly comprising a first punch and a second punch coupled to the drive pin of the drive assembly on either side of the center channel, wherein movement of the drive pin from a first position to a second position causes the first punch and the second punch of the punch assembly to move parallel to the center channel from an open position to an actuated position;
wherein the first punch and the second punch each comprise an axial central bore on either side of the center channel, the central bore stabilizing the first punch and the second punch on either side of the central bore as the punch assembly moves between the open position and the actuated position.

13. A crimping tool comprising:
a housing;
a working head coupled to the housing and comprising a center channel;
a drive assembly disposed within the housing and comprising a drive pin that extends through the center channel of the working head;
a punch assembly comprising a first punch and a second punch coupled to the drive pin of the drive assembly on either side of the center channel, wherein movement of the drive pin from a first position to a second position causes the first punch and the second punch of the punch assembly to move parallel to the center channel from an open position to an actuated position; and
a projection on the housing that rotatably couples the housing to the working head, wherein one of the working head or the projection comprises a detent and the other of the working head or the projection comprises a recess, wherein engagement between the detent and the recess resists rotation of the working head about the center channel.

14. A crimping tool comprising:
a housing;
a working head coupled to the housing and comprising a center channel;
a drive assembly disposed within the housing and comprising a drive pin that extends through the center channel of the working head;
a punch assembly comprising a first punch and a second punch coupled to the drive pin of the drive assembly on either side of the center channel, wherein movement of the drive pin from a first position to a second position causes the first punch and the second punch of the punch assembly to move parallel to the center channel from an open position to an actuated position; and
a biasing member in an over-center arrangement that biases the punch assembly in the open position until the drive assembly reaches an equilibrium point, wherein the biasing member biases the punch assembly in the actuated position.

15. A crimping tool comprising:
a housing;
a working head coupled to the housing and comprising a center channel;
a drive assembly disposed within the housing and comprising a drive pin that extends through the center channel of the working head; and
a punch assembly comprising a first punch and a second punch coupled to the drive pin of the drive assembly on either side of the center channel, wherein movement of the drive pin from a first position to a second position causes the first punch and the second punch of the punch assembly to move parallel to the center channel from an open position to an actuated position;
wherein the drive assembly compris

Assignees

• Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp

Inventors

• Hoppe Christopher S
• Graykowski Anthony S
• Cors Mark W
• Hyma Steven W
• Squiers Grant Thomas
• Roers Benjamin
• Stearns Michael

Classifications

• H01R43/0421 Primary

  combined with other functions, e.g. cutting · CPC title