Tool for creating a seal with a surface

Abstract

A tool 10 is provided for creating a seal with an external surface (20, figure 6B) of a vehicle component (26), the tool comprising a body 12 with a first wall 38 at a first end of the tool, and a sealing member 14 with a sealing portion which is moveable between a sealing position engaged with the external surface and a disengaged position remote from the external surface. A handle 18 is provided at the first end of the tool and is moveable between a first and second position. An actuating mechanism 16 is coupled to the handle and configured to cause movement of the sealing portion between the sealing and the disengaged positions when the handle is moved from the first to second positions. A gap (139) is defined between the handle and the first wall when the handle is in the second position. The tool enables leak testing to be carried out on the vehicle component, using tracer gas.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to a tool for creating a seal with a surface, and in particular with a surface of a component of a vehicle during leak testing of the component. Aspects of the invention relate to a tool, to a method, and to a leak testing kit. BACKGROUND It is known to leak test components of a vehicle to verify that the component is sufficiently leak-proof to prevent, for example, ingress of water during wading of the vehicle. Leak testing may include use of a tracer gas which is injected into the component, such that portions of the component that are not leak-proof can be identified through detection of tracer gas leaking from these portions. Because leak testing is typically carried out before the component is assembled in the vehicle, it is usual to seal off portions of the vehicle component that define openings in the vehicle component before assembly, but that will ultimately be sealed off when the vehicle component is assembled in the vehicle, during the leak testing process. This prevents tracer gas from escaping through these known openings during leak testing, and potentially compromising the detection of unwanted openings or cracks in the vehicle component that this process is intended to identify. For this, a tool, which is sometimes known as a blanking tool, may be used to create a seal around known openings of the vehicle component during leak testing, so as to block this escape route for tracer gas during leak testing. Such a tool may be operated by movement of a handle, and may require the handle to be moved in such a way that a user’s hand may become pinched between the handle of the tool and a body of the tool, resulting in discomfort to the user and / or requiring the user to adjust their grip position when using the tool. It is an aim of the present invention to address one or more of the disadvantages associated with the prior art. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to an aspect of the invention there is provided a tool for creating a seal with an external surface of a vehicle component. The tool comprises: a tool body comprising a first wall provided at a first end of the tool; a sealing member comprising a sealing portion that is movable between a sealing position in which the sealing portion is arranged to sealingly engage the external surface, and a disengaged position in which the sealing portion is arranged to be remote from the external surface; a handle disposed at the first end of the tool and movable between a first handle position and a second handle position; and actuating means coupled to the handle and configured to cause movement of the sealing portion from the disengaged position to the sealing position when the handle is moved from the first handle position to the second handle position. The first wall of the tool body has a stepped profile that defines a gap between the handle and a portion of the first wall when the handle is in the second handle position. The stepped profile of the first wall advantageously provides a gap or space between the handle and the first wall when the handle is in the second handle position. This gap provides clearance between the handle and the first wall in which a user’s hand that grips the handle can be received when the handle is in the second handle position. This reduces the likelihood of the user’s hand being pinched between the handle and the first wall in use and increases comfort for the user, who need not adjust their grip to comfortably operate the tool. The stepped profile may be defined by first and second surfaces of the first wall that are spaced from one another along a central axis of the tool by a step height of at least 15mm. The first and second surfaces may extend in generally parallel planes. A longitudinal axis of the handle may extend in a direction that is generally parallel to the planes of the first and second surfaces in the second handle position. According to anotheraspect of the present invention there is provided a tool for creating a seal with an external surface of a vehicle component. The tool comprises: a tool body comprising a first wall provided at a first end of the tool; a sealing member comprising a sealing portion that is movable between a sealing position in which the sealing portion is arranged to sealingly engage the external surface, and a disengaged position in which the sealing portion is arranged to be remote from the external surface; a handle disposed at the first end of the tool and movable between a first handle position and a second handle position; actuating means coupled to the handle and configured to cause movement of the sealing portion from the disengaged position to the sealing position when the handle is moved from the first handle position to the second handle position; and a spacer that extends between the first wall of the tool body and the handle to provide a gap between the first wall and the handle for receiving a portion of a user’s hand when the handle is in the second handle position. The spacer advantageously provides a gap or space between the handle and the first wall when the handle is in the second handle position. This gap provides clearance between the handle and the first wall in which a user’s hand that grips the handle can be received when the handle is in the second handle position. As above, this reduces the likelihood of the user’s hand being pinched between the handle and the first wall in use and increases comfort for the user, who need not adjust their grip to comfortably operate the tool. The spacer may comprise an upper surface that is spaced from the first wall of the tool body along a central axis of the tool by at least 15mm to provide the gap. The handle may be rotatable between the first handle position and the second handle position. The handle may be rotatable between first and second orientations of the second handle position having an angular separation of 180°. This allows the direction of rotation of the handle from the first handle position to the second handle position to be adjusted if necessary, for example if there is not adequate space to accommodate the handle in one of its orientations, for example due to component clash. The tool body may comprise first and second body portions that are movable relative to one another. The sealing member may be arranged between the first and second body portions. This arrangement advantageously enables the sealing member to be squeezed between the first and second body portions to effect movement of the sealing portion from the disengaged position to the sealing position. The actuating means may comprise an actuating rod and an actuating pin that together define a cam arrangement configured to convert rotational movement of the handle between the first handle position and the second handle position to linear movement of the actuating rod between a first rod position and a second rod position. The actuating rod may couple the first body portion to the second body portion and be configured such that movement of the actuating rod in a first direction, from the first rod position to the second rod position, causes movement of the second body portion towards the first body portion in the first direction. Movement of the second body portion towards the first body portion in the first direction may cause compression of the sealing member in the first direction, expansion of the sealing member in a plane that extends substantially perpendicularly to the first direction, and lateral movement of the sealing portion in the plane from the disengaged position to the sealing position. The sealing member may be positioned at a second end of the tool that is opposed to the first end of the tool. This advantageously allows for the sealing to be effected remote from the handle disposed at the first end of the tool, providing sufficient space for the required movement of the handle to drive movement of the sealing portion. According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of creating a seal between the tool of any preceding paragraph and an external surface of a vehicle component. The method comprises: positioning the tool adjacent the external surface with the sealing portion of the sealing member remote from the external surface in the disengaged position; moving the handle from the first handle position to the second handle position to drive movement of the sealing portion to the sealing position; and sealingly engaging the external surface with the sealing portion to create a seal between the tool and the external surface. According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a leak testing kit comprising a vehicle component for leak testing and the tool of any preceding paragraph. The vehicle component may be a battery module. Within the scope of this application it is expressly intended that the various aspects, embodiments, examples and alternatives set out in the preceding paragraphs, in the claims and / or in the following description and drawings, and in particular the individual features thereof, may be taken independently or in any combination. That is, all embodiments and / or features of any embodiment can be combined in anyway and / or combination, unless such features are incompatible. The applicant reserves the right to change any originally filed claim or file any new claim accordingly, including the right to amend any originally filed claim to depend from and / or incorporate any feature of any other claim although not originally claimed in that manner. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS One or more embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a cross-sectional side view of a tool for creating a seal with an external surface, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional side view of a first body portion of the tool of Figure 1 in isolation, illustrating a lower chamber of the first body portion; Figure 3 shows a side view of a second body portion of the tool of Figure 1, in combination with a sealing member and biasing means; Figure 4 shows a perspective view of the second body portion, sealing member and biasing means of Figure 3; Figure 5a shows a handle of the tool of Figure 1 in isolation; Figure 5b shows an actuating pin of the tool of Figure 1 in isolation; Figure 5c shows the cross-sectional shape of the body of the actuating pin of Figure 5b; Figure 6a shows the tool of Figure 1 in a disengaged configuration, with the sealing member remote from an external surface; Figure 6b shows the tool of Figure 1 in a sealing configuration, with the sealing member engaged with the external surface to create a seal; Figure 7 shows a plan view of the handle of the tool coupled to an actuating rod of the tool; and Figure 8 shows connection ports of a battery module with which the tool may be used; and Figure 9 shows a side view of a tool for creating a seal with an external surface, in accordance with another embodiment of the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION It is usual to test a vehicle component for leaks before the component is assembled in a vehicle. This ensures that the component is sufficiently leak-proof to prevent ingress of water, and possible damage to internal elements of the component, during e.g. wading of the vehicle. In a known method of leak testing, a tracer gas is injected into the component to be tested, and portions of the component that are not leak-proof are identified through detection of the tracer gas as it escapes from those portions. When leak testing is carried out before the vehicle component is assembled in the vehicle, it is necessary to first seal off openings of the vehicle component that will ultimately be blocked when the vehicle component is assembled in the vehicle. This prevents the escape of tracer gas through these openings during leak testing, which would otherwise potentially hinder the detection of tracer gas from portions of the vehicle that are not leak-proof, and that the process is intended to identify. The present invention relates to a tool 10 for providing a seal around a portion of a vehicle component during a leak testing process. Figure 1 illustrates a tool 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The tool 10 comprises a tool body 12, a sealing member 14, actuating means 16 and a handle 18. As will be explained in more detail below, the tool 10 is configurable between a sealing configuration (illustrated in Figure 6b) and a disengaged configuration (illustrated in Figure 6a). In the sealing configuration, the sealing member 14 is arranged to engage with a surface 20 of a vehicle component 26, to create a seal 22 around an area or portion 24 of the vehicle component 26 that comprises openings 28. As will be explained, the sealing configuration is produced by compressing the sealing member 14, which in this example is a rubber seal, between two parts 32, 34 of the tool body 12, which in turn expands the rubber seal 14. In the disengaged configuration, the sealing member 14 is arranged to be remote from the surface 20, such that no seal 22 is created. In the example shown in Figures 6a and 6b the vehicle component 26 is a battery module, and the openings 28 are defined by electrical connection ports 30. In other examples the vehicle component 26 may differ, as may the purpose and arrangement of the openings 28. The tool body 12 is generally rectangular in plan view, and comprises a first body portion 32 and a second body portion 34. The first and second body portions 32, 34 are movable with respect to one another along a central axis 36 of the tool 10 when the tool 10 is assembled. The first body portion 32 is shown in isolation in Figure 2. The first body portion 32 is generally rectangular in plan view, and includes a first, upper, wall 38 at a first end 40 of the tool 10, and a second, lower, wall 42 at a second end 44 of the tool 10. The upper wall 38 has a stepped profile defined by first and second upper surfaces 46, 48 that are spaced from one another by an upper step height 50. The first upper surface 46 extends in a horizontal plane that is parallel to the plane of the second upper surface 48, and the upper step height 50 is constant at all positions across the tool body 12. In this embodiment the upper step height 50 is 15mm, but in other embodiments this may vary. It should be appreciated that in other embodiments the configuration of the first and / or second upper surfaces 46, 48 may differ from that shown in Figure 2. For example, in some embodiments the first and / or second upper surface 46, 48 may be sloped, such that one or both of the first and second upper surfaces 46, 48 extend in planes that are neither horizontal nor vertical, and that are not parallel to one another. In this way, the upper step height 50 may vary across the tool body, for example as the first and or second upper surfaces 46, 48 slope towards or away from one another. The lower wall 42 also has a stepped profile. The stepped profile of the lower wall 42 is defined by first and second lower surfaces 52, 54 that are spaced from one another by a lower step height 56. As with the first and second upper surfaces 46, 48, the first and second lower surfaces 52, 54 extend in horizontal, parallel, planes in this embodiment, but in other embodiments this may vary. Still referring to Figure 2, the first body portion 32 further comprises a first portion opening 58 that extends through the first body portion 32, from the upper wall 38 to the lower wall 42. The first portion opening 58 defines an upper chamber 60, a middle chamber 62 and a lower chamber 64, each of which are dimensioned to receive and house specific components of the assembled tool 10, as will be explained. Referring now to Figure 3 and 4 in particular, the second body portion 34 is generally rectangular in plan view, and comprises a main body 66 having upper and lower ends 68, 70. A rim 72 projects from a peripheral wall 74 of the main body 66, at the lower end 70 of the main body 66, and extends about the entire perimeter of the second body portion 34. The rim 72 includes a support surface 76 for supporting the sealing member 14 when the tool 10 is assembled. The second body portion 34 is dimensioned such the main body 66 can be slidably received in the lower chamber 64 of the first portion opening 58 when the tool 10 is assembled. The sealing member 14 comprises a flexible body 78 that, in this example, is formed of rubber, but may be formed of other suitable materials in other embodiments. When the tool 10 is assembled, the sealing member 14 sits on the support surface 76 of the second body portion 34, and extends around the entire perimeter of the second body portion 34. As such, the sealing member 14 is an annular ring that defines a generally rectangular shape in plan view. The sealing member 14 is adhered to the support surface 76 of the second body portion 34 when the tool is assembled, and is arranged between the first and second body portions 32, 34. An outer edge 80 of the sealing member 14 defines a sealing portion that engages the external surface 20 of the vehicle component 26 when the tool 10 is in the sealing configuration. Turning now to the actuating means 16, these comprise an actuating rod 82, a rod housing 84, biasing means 86 and an actuating pin 87. As will be explained, the actuating means 16 are configured to effect adjustment of the tool 10 between the disengaged configuration and the sealing configuration on movement of the handle 18. The actuating rod 82 comprises an elongate body 88 that terminates at a first end 90 in a lip 92 that extends perpendicularly with respect to a longitudinal axis 94 of the actuating rod 82. A through-hole 96 is provided at a second end 98 of the actuating rod 82 for receiving the actuating pin 87 when the tool 10 is assembled. As best seen in Figure 4, the actuating rod 82 is generally cylindrical along a first portion 102 of its length, but two opposing cut-outs 104 in the actuating rod 82 (only one of which can be seen in Figure 4) define a second portion 105 having a generally rectangular cross-sectional profile. As best seen in Figures 3 and 4, the lip 92 of the actuating rod 82 is embedded in the second body portion 34 when the tool is assembled, and the actuating rod body 88 extends directly upwards from the upper end 68 of the second body portion 34. Referring to Figures 5b and 5c, the actuating pin 87 comprises an elongate pin body 89 and a projection 91 that extends outwardly from the pin body 89 at a first end 93 of the actuating pin 87. A second end 95 of the actuating pin 87 comprises a pin opening 97. As illustrated in Figure 5c, the pin body 89 is oval in crosssection, having a major cross-sectional axis 99a and a minor cross-sectional axis 99b. Referring again to Figure 1, the rod housing 84 is generally cylindrical, and comprises a housing wall 106 having a generally circular cross-sectional profile, and a circumferential flange 108. The circumferential flange 108 extends from a lower face 110 of the housing wall 106, to define a rod chamber 112 through which the actuating rod 82 extends when the tool 10 is assembled. The rod housing 84 is arranged in the upper chamber 60 of the first portion opening 58 when the tool 10 is assembled, and multiple annular supports 114 in the form of washers in this example are provided between the actuating rod 82 and the rod housing 84 to provide additional support to the actuating rod 82 as is extends through the upper chamber 60. Referring now also again to Figure 4, the biasing means 86 take the form of a coil spring 116 in this embodiment. In the assembled tool 10, the coil spring 116 surrounds the actuating rod 82, and is positioned between the first and second body portions 32, 34. Turning finally to the handle 18 of the tool 10, best shown in Figures 5a and 7, this element is elongate and extends from a first handle end 118 to a second handle end 120. The first handle end 118 comprises two opposing handle projections 122 that extend parallel with and at either side of a central longitudinal axis 124 of the handle 18, such that the handle projections 122 define a handle gap 126 between them. Each handle projection 122 includes a through-hole 128 that extends in a direction that is generally perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis 124 of the handle 18. When the tool 10 is assembled for use, the main body 66 of the second body portion 34 is arranged in the lower chamber 64 of the first portion opening 58. A small gap (not shown) is provided between the peripheral wall 74 of the main body 66 and an innerwall 130 of the lower chamber 64 to enable movement of the second body portion 34 relative to the first body portion 32 along the central axis 36 of the tool 10. The sealing member 14 is supported on the support surface 76 of the second body portion 34, and is positioned between the support surface 76 of the second body portion 34 and the first lower surface 52 of the first body portion 32. The actuating rod 82, embedded in the second body portion 32, extends through the middle and upper chambers 62, 60 of the first portion opening 58. The coil spring 116 surrounds the actuating rod 82 and is positioned between the second body portion 34 and a ledge 132 of the lower chamber 64 of the first portion opening 58. The annular supports 114 and the rod housing 84 surround the actuating rod 82 and are housed in the upper chamber 60 of the first portion opening 58. It will be noted that the rod housing 84 extends upwardly out of the first body portion 32 by a small distance in this example, although this is not required. The actuating rod 82 extends upwardly from the first body portion 32 of the tool body 12, and is coupled to the handle 18 via the actuating pin 87. For this, the second end 98 of the actuating rod 82 is arranged between the handle projections 122. The pin body 89 extends through the through-holes 128 of the handle projections 122 and the through-hole 96 of the actuating rod 82, and is fixedly secured to the handle 18. When assembled in this way, a pivot axis, about which the handle is rotatable between a first handle position shown in Figure 6a and a second handle position shown in Figure 6b, is defined orthogonal to a longitudinal axis 136 of the actuating pin 87. As mentioned above, the tool 10 is configurable between a disengaged configuration (shown in Figure 6a) and a sealing configuration (shown in Figure 6b). Figure 6a and 6b schematically illustrate part of an electric traction battery 26 of a vehicle. That comprises a closed and sealed chamber housing battery cells. The cells may from time to time, or at least when they develop a fault, emit gases that need to be restricted as far as possible from escaping. When emitted, the pressure in the chamber increases (if the chamber is sealed) whereby the increase in pressure can be detected and an alarm raised. Also, where the pressure increases beyond a safe limit, a pressure relief valve (not shown) can open and the gases vented in a selected direction away from the vehicle. Such a battery must have, however, openings through which services to and from the battery can pass, including electric terminals 30. Such terminals may be surrounded by a shroud 138 forming a socket to receive a plug for connection to the electric cables. The terminals are normally sealed when battery cells and appropriate cabling and terminals have been installed in the chamber and a socket inserted in the shroud 138. Openings 30 are normally sealed closed by electric cabling passing through them for connection by a plug inserted in the socket 138. However, prior to installation of battery cells and respective cabling and other services in the chamber 26, the chamber is pressure tested to ensure there are no unintended leakage paths form gases may escape during use. To seal off an area 24 of a vehicle component 26 such as a traction battery chamber for the purpose of leak testing, the tool 10 is initially arranged in the disengaged configuration shown in Figure 6a in which it is inserted into the socket formed by the shroud 138. In the disengaged configuration, the handle 18 extends upwardly from the first body portion 32, and is in the first handle position. In this embodiment, the handle 18 extends directly upwards from the first body portion 32, such that the longitudinal axis 124 of the handle 18 is parallel to the central axis 36 of the tool, and perpendicular to the planes of the first and second upper surfaces 46, 48 of the first body portion 32. The actuating pin 87 is arranged in a first pin position, in which the minor cross-sectional axis 99b of the actuating pin 87 extends parallel to the central axis 36 of the tool 10. With the actuating pin 87 in the first pin position, the actuating rod 82 is supported by the actuating pin 87 in a first rod position. In the first rod position, the actuating rod 82 supports the second body portion 34 relative to the first body portion 32 such that a gap is provided between the support surface 76 of the second body portion 34 and the first lower surface 52 of the first body portion 32 to accommodate the sealing member 14 without compression. As shown in Figures 6a, 6b and 8, the area 24 of the vehicle component 26 to be sealed off is bounded by the shroud formed by projection 138 that extends upwardly from an outer surface 140 of the vehicle component 26. The projection 138 defines a generally rectangular shape in plan view, and has an inner surface 142 with which the sealing member 14 engages to create the seal 22 when the tool 10 is in the sealing configuration, as will be explained. While still in the disengaged configuration, the tool 10 is positioned over the area 24 as shown in Figure 6a. The second lower surface 54 of the first body portion 32 rests on an upper edge 143 of the projection 138. The sealing member 14 is not compressed at this stage, and the sealing portion 80 is remote from the inner surface 142, in a disengaged position. To create a seal 22 around the area 24, the handle 18 is rotated about the pivot axis orthogonal with the longitudinal axis 136 of the actuating pin 87, from the first handle position shown in Figure 6a to the second handle position shown in Figure 6b. During this rotation of the handle 18, the actuating pin 87 rotates from the first pin position to a second pin position in which the major cross-sectional axis 99a of the actuating pin 87 extends parallel to the central axis 36 of the tool 10. Rotation of the actuating pin 87 in this way drives linear movement of the actuating rod 82 in a first direction 144, along the central axis 36 of the tool 10, from the first rod position to a second rod position. In this way, and as will be understood by the skilled person, the actuating pin 87 and the actuating rod 82 together define a cam arrangement, with the actuating pin 87 defining a cam and the actuating rod 82 defining a follower. As such, the actuating pin 87 accepts input motion in the form of rotary motion caused by rotation of the handle 18, and imparts linear motion to the actuating rod 82. Movement of the actuating rod 82 in the first direction 144 drives linear movement of the second body portion 34 in the first direction 144 towards the first body portion 32. This results in compression of the sealing member 14 in the first direction 144, and expansion of the sealing member 14 in a plane that extends perpendicularly to the first direction 144. Expansion of the sealing member 14 in this way results in lateral outwards movement of the sealing portion 80 in directions 146 that are substantially perpendicular to the first direction 144, from the disengaged position to a sealing position shown in Figure 6b. In the second rod position, the actuating rod 82 supports the second body portion 34 relative to the first body portion 32 such that the sealing member 14 is compressed between the support surface 76 of the second body portion 34 and the first lower surface 52 of the first body portion 32. As shown, in the sealing position the sealing portion 80 engages and forms a seal 22 with the inner surface 142 of the projection 138. The seal 22 extends about the entire perimeter of the tool 10 so as to surround and create a seal 22 around the area 24, so as to prevent escape of tracer gas from this area 24 during leak testing of the vehicle component 26. As will be appreciated, reconfiguring the tool 10 from the disengaged configuration to the sealing configuration requires movement of the handle 18 from the first handle position to the second handle position. Furthermore, when the handle 18 is in the second handle position, the handle 18 extends in a direction that is generally parallel to the plane of the first upper surface 46 of the upper wall 38. The stepped profile of the upper wall 38 is advantageous to provide a gap or space 139 between the handle 18 and the upper wall 38 when the handle 18 is in the second handle position, and in particular between the handle 18 and the second upper surface 48 of the upper wall 38. This gap 139 provides clearance of at least 15mm in this example, as defined by the step height, between the handle 18 and second upper surface 48 in which a user’s hand that grips the handle can be received when the handle 18 is in the second handle position. Without this gap 139, it will be appreciated from Figure 6b in particular that a user’s hand may become pinched between the handle 18 and the tool body 12 on rotation of the handle 18 from the first handle position to the second handle position, leading to discomfort for the user. The stepped profile of the upper wall 38 mitigates this issue, providing a gap 139 that enables the user to comfortably move the handle 18 between first and second handle positions, so as to reconfigure the tool 10 between disengaged and sealing configurations with ease. Figure 9 illustrates a tool 210 in accordance with another embodiment of the invention. The tool 210 of Figure 9 has many features in common with the tool 10 of Figure 1, and for conciseness these like features will not be described again. The tool 210 of Figure 9 differs from the tool 10 of Figure 1 in that the upper wall 238 of the first body portion 32 of the tool 210 does not have a stepped profile. Instead, the gap or space 239 for receiving a portion of a user’s hand between the handle 218 and the upper wall 238 when the handle 218 is in the second handle position is provided by the rod housing 284. Specifically, the rod housing 284 is dimensioned and arranged to extend between the upper wall 238 and the handle 218 to provide a gap or space 239 that is suitable for receiving a user’s hand when the handle 218 is in the second handle position. As such, the rod housing 284 defines a spacer between the tool body 212 and the handle 218 in this embodiment of the invention. In the embodiment of Figure 9, the rod housing 284 comprises an upper surface 250 that is spaced from the upper wall 238 of the tool body 212 along a central axis 236 of the tool 212 by 15mm to provide the gap 239, although in other embodiments this spacing may vary. It will be noted that in the embodiment of Figure 1, in which the rod housing 84 extends only a small distance from the tool body 12, and the gap or space 139 for the user’s hand is primarily defined by the stepped profile of the upper wall 38. It will be appreciated, though, that the stepped profile of the embodiment of Figure 1 and the spacer feature of the embodiment of Figure 9 could be combined. It will be appreciated that various changes and modifications can be made to the present invention without departing from the scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A tool for creating a seal with an external surface of a vehicle component, the tool comprising:a tool body comprising a first wall provided at a first end of the tool;a sealing member comprising a sealing portion that is movable between a sealing position in which the sealing portion is arranged to sealingly engage the external surface, and a disengaged position in which the sealing portion is arranged to be remote from the external surface;a handle disposed at the first end of the tool and movable between a first handle position and a second handle position; andactuating means coupled to the handle and configured to cause movement of the sealing portion from the disengaged position to the sealing position when the handle is moved from the first handle position to the second handle position;wherein a gap is defined between the handle and a portion of the first wall when the handle is in the second handle position.

2. The tool of Claim 1, wherein the first wall of the tool body has a stepped profile that defines said gapand wherein the stepped profile is between first and second surfaces of the first wall that are spaced from one another along a central axis of the tool by a step height of at least 15mm.

3. The tool of Claim 2, wherein a longitudinal axis of the handle extends in a direction that is generally parallel to the planes of the first and second surfaces in the second handle position.

4. The tool of Claim 1, wherein a spacer extends between the first wall of the tool body and the handle to define the gap.

5. The tool of Claim 4, wherein the spacer comprises an upper surface that is spaced from the first wallof the tool body along a central axis of the tool by at least 15mm to provide the gap.

6. The tool of any preceding claim, wherein the handle is rotatable between the first handle position and the second handle position.

7. The tool of Claim 6, wherein the handle is rotatable between first and second orientations of the second handle position having an angular separation of 180°.

8. The tool of any preceding claim, wherein the tool body comprises first and second body portions thatare movable relative to one another, and wherein the sealing member is arranged between the first and second body portions.

9. The tool of Claim 8, wherein the actuating means comprise an actuating rod and an actuating pin that together define a cam arrangement configured to convert rotational movement of the handle between thefirst handle position and the second handle position to linear movement of the actuating rod between a first rod position and a second rod position.

10. The tool of Claim 9, wherein the actuating rod couples the first body portion to the second body portion and is configured such that movement of the actuating rod in a first direction, from the first rod position to the second rod position, causes movement of the second body portion towards the first body portion in the first direction.

11. The tool of Claim 10, wherein movement of the second body portion towards the first body portion in the first direction causes compression of the sealing member in the first direction, expansion of the sealing member in a plane that extends substantially perpendicularly to the first direction, and lateral movement of the sealing portion in the plane from the disengaged position to the sealing position.

12. The tool of any preceding claim, wherein the sealing member is positioned at a second end of the tool that is opposed to the first end of the tool.

13. A method of creating a seal between the tool of any preceding claim and an external surface of a vehicle component, the method comprising:positioning the tool adjacent the external surface with the sealing portion of the sealing member remote from the external surface in the disengaged position;moving the handle from the first handle position to the second handle position to drive movement of the sealing portion to the sealing position; andsealingly engaging the external surface with the sealing portion to create a seal between the tool and the external surface.

14. A method of leak testing a vehicle traction battery that comprises a chamber having electric terminal openings surrounded by a shroud, the method comprising employing the method of claim 13, wherein said shroud is the external surface of the vehicle component, and pressurising the chamber using a tracer gas, whereby escape of the tracer gas from the chamber through the terminal openings is prevented.

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