PEX expanding tool

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9862137-B2
Application number	US-201615133029-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 19, 2016
Priority date	Apr 20, 2015
Publication date	Jan 9, 2018
Grant date	Jan 9, 2018

Abstract

An expanding tool comprising: an actuator comprising a cylindrical housing that defines an actuator housing cavity; a primary ram disposed within the actuator housing cavity, the primary ram defining an internal primary ram cavity; a secondary ram disposed within the internal primary ram cavity; a cam roller carrier coupled to a distal end of the secondary ram; a drive collar positioned within a distal end of the actuator housing cavity; a roller clutch disposed within an internal cavity defined by an inner surface of the drive collar; a shuttle cam positioned between the roller clutch and a distal end of the primary ram; an expander cone coupled to the primary ram; and an expander head operably coupled to the drive collar. When triggered, the actuator first rotates the expander head and then the actuator expands the expander head.

First claim

We claim:

1. An expanding tool comprising:
an actuator comprising a cylindrical housing that defines an actuator housing cavity;
a primary ram disposed within the actuator housing cavity, the primary ram defining an internal primary ram cavity;
a secondary ram disposed within the internal primary ram cavity;
a cam roller carrier coupled to a distal end of the secondary ram;
a drive collar positioned within a distal end of the actuator housing cavity;
a roller clutch disposed within an internal cavity defined by an inner surface of the drive collar;
a shuttle cam positioned between the roller clutch and a distal end of the primary ram;
an expander cone coupled to the primary ram; and
an expander head operably coupled to the drive collar, wherein
when the expanding tool is triggered, the secondary ram moves in a distal direction causing the cam roller to move, causing the shuttle cam and the drive collar to rotate about the primary ram,
as the drive collar rotates, the expander head rotates a predetermined rotation amount.

2. The expanding tool of claim 1 ,
wherein the primary ram comprises a proximal end and a distal end, the primary ram further comprising a primary ram flange at the proximal end of the primary ram.

3. The expanding tool of claim 2 ,
wherein the actuator housing cavity includes a primary ram hard-stop collar.

4. The expanding tool of claim 3 ,
wherein a primary ram return spring is provided along an external surface of the primary ram between the primary ram flange and a proximal face of the primary ram hard-stop collar.

5. The expanding tool of claim 1 ,
wherein the secondary ram comprises a proximal end and a distal end,
wherein the secondary ram includes a secondary ram flange at the proximal end of the secondary ram.

6. The expanding tool of claim 5 ,
wherein the internal primary ram cavity comprises a stepped cavity, and
wherein a secondary ram return spring is provided along an external surface of the secondary ram between the secondary ram flange and a step surface of the stepped cavity.

7. The expanding tool of claim 6 ,
wherein the secondary ram includes a ridge that protrudes outward from the external surface of the secondary ram.

8. The expanding tool of claim 1 ,
wherein the actuator housing cavity includes a primary ram hard-stop collar, and wherein the shuttle cam is seated along a distal face of the primary ram hard-stop collar.

9. The expanding tool of claim 8 ,
wherein the roller clutch is configured to allow the drive collar to freewheel on the shuttle cam in a first rotary direction and allow the shuttle cam to engage and rotate the drive collar in a second rotary direction opposite the first rotary direction.

10. The expanding tool of claim 9 ,
wherein the shuttle cam includes a slanted groove that forms a cam, and
wherein the cam roller is positioned within, and configured to roll along an internal surface of the groove.

11. The expanding tool of claim 1 ,
wherein the secondary ram comprises a ridge that protrudes outward from an external surface of the secondary ram,
wherein the internal primary ram cavity comprises a stepped cavity, and
wherein the expander head rotates until the ridge of the secondary ram reaches a step surface of the stepped cavity.

12. The expanding tool of claim 11 ,
wherein the expander head comprises a plurality of expander head segments,
wherein when the ridge of the secondary ram reaches the step surface of the stepped cavity,
rotation of the expander head stops, and
the secondary ram and the primary ram move together in the distal direction driving the expander cone toward the expander head causing the plurality of expander head segments to radially expand.

13. The expanding tool of claim 1 ,
wherein the cam roller carrier is cylindrical in shape and comprises a cam roller at a distal end of the cam roller carrier.

14. The expanding tool of claim 1 , further comprising:
a cylindrical body operatively coupled to the cylindrical housing of the actuator, wherein the cylindrical body defines a cylinder body cavity.

15. The expanding tool of claim 14 ,
wherein the actuator housing cavity and the cylinder body cavity together house, and accommodate movement of, the primary ram and the secondary ram.

16. The expanding tool of claim 1 ,
wherein the drive collar comprises an engaging face comprising a plurality of lugs.

17. The expanding tool of claim 16 ,
wherein a proximal surface of the expander head comprises a plurality of grooves that are geometrically configured to match the plurality of lugs of the engaging face of the drive collar, such that rotation of the drive collar causes the expander head to rotate.

18. The expanding tool of claim 17 ,
wherein the plurality of lugs comprise a trapezoidal geometrical configuration and the plurality of grooves of the expander head are trapezoidal to match the trapezoidal geometrical configuration of the plurality of lugs.

19. The expanding tool of claim 1 ,
wherein the expander head comprises a plurality of expander head segments, and
wherein an outer surface of the plurality of expander head segments comprises a plurality of ribs provided near a frustoconical end of the expander head.

20. The expanding tool of claim 1 , further comprising:
a motor and
a pump,
wherein activation of the motor causes the pump to provide pressurized hydraulic fluid to the actuator housing cavity causing the secondary ram to move in the distal direction.

21. The expanding tool of claim 20 , further comprising:
a pressure sensor configured to provide pressure sensor information indicative of pressure of the hydraulic fluid in the actuator housing cavity,
wherein, when the pressure sensor senses that the pressure of the hydraulic fluid in the actuator housing cavity has reached a predetermined pressure level, the motor is deactivated.

22. The expanding tool of claim 21 , further comprising:
a dump valve connecting the actuator housing cavity to a fluid reservoir,
wherein, after the motor is deactivated, the dump valve is activated so as to provide a path for the hydraulic fluid in the actuator housing cavity to flow to the fluid reservoir.

23. The expanding tool of claim 1 , further comprising:
a magnetic ring disposed along an outer surface of the primary ram; and
a position sensor disposed at a proximal end of the cylindrical housing, the position sensor configured to detect the magnetic ring so as to determine a position of the primary ram within the actuator housing cavity.

Assignees

• Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp

Inventors

• Dickert Corey
• Huber Alex
• Kotes Jarrod
• Didier Will
• Zimmermann Ian

Classifications

• B29C57/045 Primary

  rotating · CPC title

• B29L2023/22

  Tubes or pipes, i.e. rigid (bent tubes not for use as pipe couplings B29L2023/004) · CPC title

• B29K2105/258

  Tubular · CPC title

• B29K2023/0691

  PEX, i.e. crosslinked polyethylene · CPC title