Expansion tool

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11819902-B2
Application number	US-202117187265-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 26, 2021
Priority date	Nov 27, 2020
Publication date	Nov 21, 2023
Grant date	Nov 21, 2023

Abstract

An expansion tool includes a housing, a collar rotatably coupled to the housing, a plurality of jaws coupled for co-rotation with the collar, a mandrel movable relative to the housing between a retracted position and an extended position to expand the jaws, and a drive mechanism including a rotatable cam. Rotation of the cam moves the mandrel between the retracted position and the extended position. The expansion tool further includes an indexing gear configured to incrementally receive torque from the drive mechanism such that continuous rotation of the drive mechanism incrementally rotates the indexing gear, and a clutch assembly including a clutch gear meshed with the indexing gear, a clutch cover surrounding the clutch gear, and a plurality of rolling elements disposed between the clutch gear and the clutch cover. The clutch cover is drivably coupled to the collar such that rotation of the clutch cover rotates the collar.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An expansion tool comprising:
a housing;
a collar rotatably coupled to the housing;
a plurality of jaws coupled for co-rotation with the collar;
a mandrel movable relative to the housing between a retracted position and an extended position, the mandrel engageable with the jaws to expand the jaws in response to movement of the mandrel to the extended position;

a drive mechanism including a rotatable cam, wherein rotation of the cam moves the mandrel between the retracted position and the extended position;
an indexing gear configured to incrementally receive torque from the drive mechanism such that continuous rotation of the drive mechanism incrementally rotates the indexing gear; and
a clutch assembly including a clutch gear meshed with the indexing gear, a clutch cover surrounding the clutch gear, and a plurality of rolling elements disposed between the clutch gear and the clutch cover, wherein the rolling elements are configured to establish a torque-transferring connection between the clutch gear and the clutch cover up to a predetermined torque threshold and to slip relative to the clutch cover to permit the clutch gear to rotate relative to the clutch cover at torques greater than the predetermined torque threshold,
wherein the clutch cover is drivably coupled to the collar such that rotation of the clutch cover rotates the collar, and
wherein the clutch assembly further includes a clutch shaft coupled for co-rotation with the collar, the clutch shaft including a bevel gear.

2. The expansion tool of claim 1 , further comprising an intermediate gear assembly disposed between the bevel gear and the collar to transmit torque from the bevel gear to the collar.

3. The expansion tool of claim 1 , wherein the drive mechanism, the indexing gear, the clutch gear, and the clutch cover are rotatable about parallel axes.

4. The expansion tool of claim 1 , wherein the clutch assembly includes a plurality of clutch springs configured to bias the plurality of rolling elements into engagement with the clutch cover.

5. The expansion tool of claim 1 , further comprising a locking assembly configured to inhibit rotation of the indexing gear when an actuator is in a locked position and permit rotation of the indexing gear when the actuator is in an unlocked position.

6. The expansion tool of claim 1 , wherein the drive mechanism includes a planetary transmission, and wherein the planetary transmission includes a carrier drivably coupled to the cam such that the cam co-rotates with the carrier.

7. The expansion tool of claim 6 , wherein the carrier includes a projection engageable with the indexing gear to incrementally rotate the indexing gear.

8. An expansion tool comprising:
a housing;
a collar rotatably coupled to the housing;
a plurality of jaws coupled for co-rotation with the collar;
a mandrel movable relative to the housing between a retracted position and an extended position, the mandrel engageable with the jaws to expand the jaws in response to movement of the mandrel to the extended position;
a drive mechanism including a rotatable cam and a planetary transmission including a carrier drivably coupled to the cam such that the cam co-rotates with the carrier, wherein the carrier includes a first projection and a second projection, and wherein rotation of the cam moves the mandrel between the retracted position and the extended position;
a locking assembly including an actuator engageable with the first projection such that the first projection is configured to move the actuator from a locked position to an unlocked position once per revolution of the carrier;
an indexing gear engageable with the second projection such that the second projection is configured to incrementally rotate the indexing gear once per revolution of the carrier,
wherein the indexing gear is drivably coupled to the collar such that rotation of the indexing gear rotates the collar,
wherein the locking assembly inhibits rotation of the indexing gear when the actuator is in the locked position, and
wherein the locking assembly permits rotation of the indexing gear when the actuator is in the unlocked position.

9. The expansion tool of claim 8 , wherein the first projection is configured to engage the actuator to move the actuator from the locked position toward the unlocked position prior to the second projection engaging the indexing gear.

10. The expansion tool of claim 8 , further comprising a clutch assembly disposed between the indexing gear and the collar.

11. The expansion tool of claim 10 , wherein the clutch assembly includes a clutch gear meshed with the indexing gear, a clutch cover surrounding the clutch gear, and a plurality of rolling elements disposed between the clutch gear and the clutch cover.

12. The expansion tool of claim 11 , wherein the rolling elements are configured to establish a torque-transferring connection between the clutch gear and the clutch cover up to a predetermined torque threshold and to slip relative to the clutch cover to permit the clutch gear to rotate relative to the clutch cover at torques greater than the predetermined torque threshold.

13. The expansion tool of claim 12 , wherein the clutch cover is drivably coupled to the collar such that rotation of the clutch cover rotates the collar.

14. An expansion tool comprising:
a housing;
a collar rotatably coupled to the housing;
a plurality of jaws coupled for co-rotation with the collar;
a mandrel movable relative to the housing between a retracted position and an extended position, the mandrel engageable with the jaws to expand the jaws in response to movement of the mandrel to the extended position;
a drive mechanism operable to move the mandrel between the retracted position and the extended position, the drive mechanism including a rotatable output member;
a locking assembly including an actuator configured to move from a locked position to an unlocked position once per revolution of the output member; and
an indexing gear configured to incrementally rotate once per revolution of the output member,
wherein the indexing gear is drivably coupled to the collar such that rotation of the indexing gear rotates the collar,
wherein the locking assembly inhibits rotation of the indexing gear when the actuator is in the locked position, and
wherein the locking assembly permits rotation of the indexing gear when the actuator is in the unlocked position.

15. The expansion tool of claim 14 , further comprising an electric motor configured to provide a rotational input to the drive mechanism.

16. The expansion tool of claim 15 , further comprising a battery removably coupled to the housing, the battery configured to provide power to the electric motor.

17. The expansion tool of claim 14 , further comprising a clutch assembly disposed between the indexing gear and the collar.

18. The expansion tool of claim 17 , wherein the clutch assembly includes a clutch gear meshed with the indexing gear, a clutch cover surrounding the clutch gear, and a plurality of rolling elements disposed between the clutch gear and the clutch cover.

19. The expansion tool of claim 18 , wherein the rolling elements are configured to establish a torque-transferring connection between the clutch gear and the clutch cover up to a predetermined torque threshold and to slip relative to the clutch cover to permit the clutch gear to rotate relative to the clutch cover at torques greater than the predetermined torque threshold.

20. The expansion

Assignees

• Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp

Inventors

• Davies Peter J
• Dai Peng
• Li Zhi Bin
• Cai jing jing
• Li jian wei

Classifications

• B21D39/20 Primary

  with mandrels, e.g. expandable · CPC title

• B21D39/16

  with torque limiting devices · CPC title

• B21D41/028

  expandable mandrels · CPC title

• B29C57/045 Primary

  rotating · CPC title