Crimping head for use in tool

Abstract

The embodiment of the utility model provides a crimping head used in a tool. The crimping head comprises: a U-clip comprising: a U-clip body having a cylindrical base and defining a base surface; a first leg integrally formed with the cylindrical base, the first leg having a first inner surface and a first curved transition region adjacent the base surface; a second leg integrally formed with the cylindrical base, the second leg having a second inner surface and a second curved transition region adjacent the base surface; and an indenter movable in an axial direction between a retracted position and an extended position, and having a first arm and a second arm extending radially on opposite sides of a body of the indenter.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of a utility model patent application with international application number PCT / US2021 / 045174, international filing date August 9, 2021, national application number 202190000650.X, date of entry into the national phase February 22, 2023, and utility model name "Die - less Practical Crimping Tool". Technical Field

[0002] The present utility model relates to a crimping head used in a tool. Background Art

[0003] Crimpers and cutters typically include a crimping or cutting head and certain crimping and cutting features, depending on the specific configuration of the tool. Some crimpers and cutters are hydraulically powered tools that include a piston that can apply a force to the crimping head, and this piston can be used to move the crimping feature to perform crimping or compression work at a target crimping location. The size and material composition of the crimping and cutting features affect the weight and usability of the tool. In some cases, it may be useful to have a crimping or cutting tool with a lighter weight. Summary of the Utility Model

[0004] Embodiments of the present utility model provide a crimping head for use in a tool. In one embodiment, the crimping head includes a U - clip and a crimping head. The U - clip includes: a body having a base surface; a first leg having a first inner surface and a first curved transition region adjacent to the base surface; a second leg having a second inner surface and a second curved transition region adjacent to the base surface; a first groove formed in the first leg and partially extending into the first inner surface; and a second groove formed in the second leg and partially extending into the second inner surface. The crimping head is movable between a retracted position and an extended position. The crimping head includes a first arm disposed in the first groove and a second arm disposed in the second groove.

[0005] In some embodiments, the crimping head includes a U - clip, a nested assembly, and a crimping head. The U - clip includes a first leg having a first groove and a second leg having a second groove, and the first leg and the second leg extend from a cylindrical body. The nested assembly is releasably coupled to the first leg and within the first groove. The crimping head includes a body having a working surface and a base, the working surface being on the side of the body opposite to the base. The base is configured to engage the base surface of the cylindrical body of the U - clip.

[0006] Some embodiments of the present utility model provide a crimping joint for use in a tool. The crimping joint may include a U-shaped clip, a nested assembly, and a crimping head. The U-shaped clip may include a first leg having a first groove and a second leg having a second groove. The first leg and the second leg may extend from a cylindrical body having a base surface. The nested assembly may be releasably coupled to the first leg and within the first groove. The crimping head may include a body having a working surface and a base, the working surface being on a side of the body opposite the base. The base may be configured to engage the base surface of the cylindrical body in a retracted position.

[0007] Some embodiments of the present utility model provide a crimping joint for use in a tool. The crimping joint may include a U-shaped clip, a nested assembly, and a crimping head. The U-shaped clip may define a U-shaped clip body and include a first leg and a second leg having respective first inner surfaces and second inner surfaces, first grooves and second grooves at least partially formed in the respective first inner surfaces and second inner surfaces, and first crossbars and second crossbars extending perpendicular to the respective first surfaces and second surfaces within the respective first grooves and second grooves. The nested assembly may include a first end and a second end. Each of the first end and the second end may be configured to secure the U-shaped clip body adjacent to the respective first crossbar and second crossbar. The crimping head may be movable between a retracted position and an extended position and may include a first arm and an opposite second arm. The first arm and the opposite second arm may be configured to extend into the respective first groove and second groove and extend distally beyond the respective first crossbar and second crossbar when the crimping head is in the extended position. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] The drawings incorporated in and forming a part of this specification illustrate embodiments of the present utility model and, together with the description, are used to explain the principles of the embodiments of the present utility model:

[0009] Figure 1 is an exploded isometric view of a crimping joint according to an embodiment of the present utility model, the crimping joint including a U-shaped clip, a crimping head, and a nested assembly.

[0010] Figure 2 is Figure 1 an isometric view of the U-shaped clip of

[0011] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional isometric view of the U-shaped clip taken along line 3-3 of Figure 2 of

[0012] Figure 4 is Figure 1 an isometric view of the crimping head of

[0013] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional side view of the crimping head taken along line 5-5 of Figure 4 of

[0014] Figure 6 is Figure 1 an isometric view of a crimp head.

[0015] Figure 7 is Figure 6 a cross-sectional side view of a crimp head. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 062,519, filed on Aug. 7, 2020, entitled “Dieless Utility Crimper,” the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0017] The following discussion is presented to enable a person skilled in the art to make and use embodiments of the present disclosure. Various modifications to the illustrated embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles herein may be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from the embodiments of the present disclosure. Thus, the embodiments of the present disclosure are not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown, but are to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein. Read the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals in different drawings denote like elements. The drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, depict selected embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the examples provided herein have many applicable alternatives and fall within the scope of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0018] As used herein, unless otherwise stated or limited, the terms “mounted,” “connected,” “supported,” and “coupled” and variations thereof are used broadly and encompass both direct and indirect mountings, connections, supports, and couplings. Further, “connected” and “coupled” are not limited to physical or mechanical connections or couplings.

[0019] A dieless crimper for use with crimping and cutting tools is described below. Some crimpers that include the dieless crimper described below employ a crimping head to produce a dent of a predetermined size in a crimping operation of a certain type. A lightweight crimping or cutting tool may generally be useful. For example, a lightweight and maneuverable tool that can be used with one hand may be useful for performing repetitive crimping. Other situations where a lightweight, compact crimping tool may be useful are possible. For example, a lightweight and compact crimping tool can be used to perform crimping in an environment with restricted access (such as within an enclosure or in an area crowded with various components).

[0020] Figure 1Shows a crimping head 10 according to an embodiment of the present utility model. In some embodiments, the crimping head 10 can be used with a hydraulic hand tool. For example, the crimping head 10 can be used with a utility crimper. As Figure 1 shown, the crimping head 10 includes a U-shaped clamp 12, a crimping head 14, and an insert kit 16. The crimping head 10 also includes a pivot pin 18 and a nesting pin 20 that fix the insert kit 16 to the U-shaped clamp 12.

[0021] Figure 2 Shows Figure 1 the U-shaped clamp 12. The U-shaped clamp 12 includes a body 22 having a first leg 24 and a second leg 26. Each of the first leg 24 and the second leg 26 includes a first orifice 28 and a second orifice 30, respectively. In addition, each of the first leg 24 and the second leg 26 includes a first inner surface 32 and a second inner surface 34. The first leg 24 includes a first groove 36 that partially extends into the first inner surface 32. Similarly, the second leg 26 includes a second groove 38 that partially extends into the second inner surface 34. The body 22 is a generally cylindrical portion that includes a base surface 40 having a base orifice 42 formed therein.

[0022] The first leg 24 and the second leg 26 extend from the body 22 and define a working area 43. Each of the first groove 36 and the second groove 38 extends beyond the first inner surface 32 and the second inner surface 34, respectively, into the working area 43. A portion of the first inner surface 32 is generally parallel to a portion of the second inner surface 34. The U-shaped clamp width is defined as a line segment perpendicular to each of the first inner surface 32 and the second inner surface 34. The U-shaped clamp width can be defined at any number of points between the first leg 24 and the second leg 26. By way of example, the U-shaped clamp width 44 is shown in Figure 2 and Figure 3 .

[0023] Near the base surface 40, each of the first inner surface 32 and the second inner surface 34 has a first smooth transition region 54 and a second smooth transition region 56, respectively. The first smooth transition region 54 and the second smooth transition region 56 can reduce stress concentration in the U-shaped clamp 12, especially when compared to alternative transition regions with relatively sharp corners. Generally, the smooth transition regions 54, 56 provide a continuous curved surface between the respective inner surfaces 32, 34 and the base surface 40. In some embodiments, the smooth transition regions 54, 56 can define a radius of curvature between 0.2 inches and 1.2 inches, or between 0.4 inches and 0.6 inches. In some embodiments, the first inner surface 32 is planar with the base surface 40 (i.e., the first inner surface is a curved plane), and the second inner surface 34 is planar with the base surface 40.

[0024] Figure 3 shows a Figure 2 cross-section of the U-shaped clip 12. The first groove 36 includes a first undercut 46 and a first crossbar 48, the first undercut being adjacent to the base surface 40 and the first crossbar being adjacent to the insert 16 when assembling the crimping head 10. Similarly, the second groove 38 includes a second undercut 50 and a second crossbar 52, the second undercut being adjacent to the base surface 40 and the second crossbar being adjacent to the insert 16 when assembling the crimping head 10 (e.g., see Figure 7 ). Each of the first crossbar 48 and the second crossbar 52 extends in a direction generally parallel to the base surface 40. The first undercut 46 and the second undercut 50 each provide arcuate surfaces that extend laterally into the first leg 24 and the second leg 26, respectively.

[0025] Figure 4 and Figure 5 shows a Figure 1 crimping head 14. The crimping head 14 includes a body 60 that defines a base 62 and a working surface 64. A first arm 66 and a second arm 68 extend radially on opposite sides of the body 60. In the illustrated example, the working surface 64 includes a conical surface sized to provide a particular crimp indent profile. Other examples of the working surface may include one or more of a conical surface, a faceted surface, a planar surface, or a curved surface. In some embodiments, the crimping head 14 can be used as a die in the crimping head 10 such that the crimping head 14 can be interchanged within the crimping head 10 to provide additional or alternative crimping head geometries.

[0026] As Figure 5 further shown, the crimping head 14 includes a fastener recess 70 formed in the base 62 and extending toward the working surface 64 within the crimping head 14. In some embodiments, the fastener recess 70 has internal threads. The fastener recess 70 is configured to receive a fastener (not shown) that, when in a retracted position (e.g., see Figure 6 and Figure 7 ), extends through the base aperture 42 to couple the crimping head 14 to a hydraulic tool adjacent the base aperture 42 and the base surface 40 of the U-shaped clip 12.

[0027] Figure 6 and Figure 7Shows the crimping head 10 in the retracted position. In the retracted position, the base 62 of the ram 14 is adjacent to and at least partially engages the base surface 40 of the body 22. Additionally, the first arm 66 is disposed within the first undercut 46 and the second arm 68 is disposed within the second undercut 50. The ram 14 is configured to move from the retracted position to the extended position. In some embodiments, the ram 14 is moved from the retracted position to the extended position via a hydraulic piston. When moving from the retracted position to the extended position, the first arm 66 and the second arm 68 are guided along the first slot 36 and the second slot 38, respectively. The orientation of the ram 14 is controlled by the first slot 36 and the second slot 38. In the extended position, the base 62 moves away from the base surface 40 of the body 22, and the working surface 64 moves towards the insert kit 16.

[0028] In some embodiments, the insert kit 16 is configured as a latching assembly. The insert kit 16 is configured to pivot relative to the U-bolt 12 at the pivot pin 18. The pivot pin 18 extends through the second aperture 30 of the second leg 26 and the insert kit 16 at the second end 82. Correspondingly, the nesting pin 20 extends through the first aperture 28 of the first leg 24 and the insert kit 16 at the first end 80. The nesting pin 20 is configured to releasably secure the insert kit 16 to the U-bolt 12. In use, the first end 80 of the insert kit 16 can be released from the U-bolt 12, and a workpiece to be crimped can be inserted into the working area 43 laterally defined by the first leg 24 and the second leg 26. Then the insert kit 16 can be secured to the U-bolt 12, and the working area 43 can be further defined distally by the insert kit 16.

[0029] The insert kit 16 includes a body having an arcuate outer portion and a receiving area 84 opposite the arcuate outer portion. The receiving area 84 of the insert kit 16 is configured to face the working area 43 when the insert kit 16 is secured in the closed position relative to the U-bolt 12 (e.g., see Figure 6 ). In some embodiments, the receiving area 84 defines a generally V-shaped profile configured to receive a workpiece. In use, an actuator can initiate the movement of the ram 14 from the retracted position to the extended position. The working surface 64 can engage a workpiece within the working area 43, which can engage the receiving area 84 of the insert kit 16, and provide a crimp with a predetermined force. Then the ram 14 can be moved to the retracted position and the crimped workpiece can be removed from the working area 43.

[0030] As Figure 7 shown, each of the first undercut 46 and the second undercut 50 allows the ram 14 to fully return close to the body 22 of the U-bolt 12, which helps to maximize the capacity within the working area 43. Alternative embodiments of the crimping head may include elongated U-bolt legs to increase the capacity within the working area. As Figure 6 and Figure 7Further shown, the widths of the first groove 36 and the second groove 38 in the planes of the first inner surface 32 and the second inner surface 34 respectively remain beyond the first crossbar 48 and the second crossbar 52. The constant widths of the first groove 36 and the second groove 38 allow the ram 14 to extend distally along the first leg 24 and the second leg 26 beyond the crossbars 48, 52 to maximize the traversable distance within the working area 43. In particular, in the extended position, when the insert kit 16 is in the locked position relative to the U-shaped clip 12, each of these arms 66, 68 of the ram 14 is allowed to pass by each of the respective ends 80, 82 of the insert kit 16 (e.g., see Figure 6 and Figure 7 ).

[0031] In some embodiments, the crimp joint 10 is made of metal. In some embodiments, for example, the crimp joint 10 is made of a lightweight metal (such as aluminum, magnesium, titanium, beryllium, and their alloys). In some embodiments, the U-shaped clip 12 is made of a lightweight metal (such as aluminum).

[0032] Providing the above description of the disclosed embodiments enables any person skilled in the art to make or use the present utility model. Various modifications to these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present utility model. Therefore, the present utility model is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but should be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A crimping joint used in a tool, characterized in that, The crimping joint includes: A U-shaped clamp, which includes: A U-shaped clamp body having a cylindrical base and defining a base surface; A first leg integrally formed with the cylindrical base, the first leg having a first inner surface and a first curved transition region adjacent to the base surface, and the first leg having a first groove; A second leg integrally formed with the cylindrical base, the second leg having a second inner surface and a second curved transition region adjacent to the base surface, and the second leg having a second groove; and A press head capable of moving between a retracted position and an extended position relative to the first leg and the second leg in an axial direction, and the press head having a first arm and a second arm extending radially on opposite sides of the body of the press head, and when the press head moves from the retracted position to the extended position, the first arm is guided along the first groove and the second arm is guided along the second groove.

2. The crimping joint according to claim 1, characterized in that, The base surface extends parallel to the first rung and the second rung of the respective first leg and second leg of the U-shaped clamp.

3. The crimping joint according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first leg and the second leg of the U-shaped clamp include transition regions to reduce stress concentration in the U-shaped clamp body.

4. The crimping joint according to claim 3, wherein, The transition region defines a radius of curvature between 0.2 inches and 1.2 inches.

5. The crimping joint according to claim 3, wherein, The transition region defines a radius of curvature between 0.4 inches and 0.6 inches.

6. The crimping joint according to claim 3, wherein, The transition region forms a smooth curved surface having a base surface.

7. A compression joint used in a tool, characterized in that, The crimping joint includes: A U-shaped clamp that defines a U-shaped clamp body and includes: A first leg and a second leg having respective first inner surfaces and second inner surfaces; A first rung and a second rung that extend perpendicular to the respective first inner surface and second inner surface within respective first grooves and second grooves; A first groove and a second groove that are at least partially formed in the respective first inner surface and second inner surface, and the first groove and the second groove extend in an axial direction, the entire length of the first groove and the second groove exceeds the first rung and the second rung, and the first groove and the second groove define a constant width in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction; A nesting kit pivotally coupled to the second leg by a pivot pin, the nesting kit removably coupled to the first leg, and A press head that can be removed from the U-shaped clamp body when the nesting kit is released from the first leg.

8. The crimping joint according to claim 7, wherein The press head is capable of moving between a retracted position and an extended position and includes a first opposing arm and a second opposing arm.

9. The crimping joint according to claim 8, wherein, The press head defines a press head base configured to engage the base surface of the U-shaped clamp body when the press head is in the retracted position.

10. The crimping joint according to claim 8, wherein, The press head extends along the first leg and the second leg.

11. The crimping joint according to claim 7, wherein, The nesting kit has a first end and a second end, each of the first end and the second end configured to be fixed to the U-shaped clamp body adjacent to the respective first rung and second rung and extending into the respective first groove and second groove.

12. The crimping joint according to claim 11, characterized in that, The nesting kit includes a pivot pin and a nesting pin, the pivot pin for rotatably fixing the nesting kit to the first leg, the nesting pin for fixing the nesting kit in a closed position, and Wherein, when the nested pin is removed from the nested set, the nested set moves between a closed position and an open position.

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