AU730840B2 - Wire crimping tool - Google Patents

Description

-1- P/0/001 1 Regulation 32

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

Name of Applicants: Actual Inventors: Address for service ROSS CLARK and HEATHER CLARK ROSS CLARK and HEATHER CLARK in Australia: CARTER SMITH BEADLE 2 Railway Parade Camberwell Victoria 3124 Australia Invention Title: WIRE CRIMPING TOOL Details of Associated Provisional Application: P04078 filed 5 December 1996 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us -2- This invention relates to a tool which can be used to perform a variety of functions such as to cut, strip and crimp material such as wires. The tool is particularly useful for the electrical and electronics fields.

Tools that facilitate the crimping of wires, commonly referred to as wire crimpers, are regularly used by electricians and auto electricians or the like in order to facilitate the connection and crimping of a wire to a connector, such as a male or female pin, or crimp eyelet, or, alternatively, the joining and crimping of two lengths of wire via a connecting sleeve.

The types of tools currently available on the market to facilitate wire crimping are traditionally a combination of a set of pliers and crimping means, where the crimping means, commonly referred to as crimper teeth, are set into the mouth of the plier head.

S"In use, said tools are used perpendicular to the lengths of wire which are to be crimped. This angle of use of the tool restricts the ability of the user to access and crimp wxvires or terminals which are located in confined or narrow spaces, for :'"'"example, within the terminal box of a motor vehicle.

A further problem encountered by people who work in the electronics field is the necessity to use a number of different tools to facilitate various steps during a specific task, such steps including the cutting, stripping and crimping of wires.

20 For example, when two wires are required to be connected, firstly, the wires need to be cut to the required length by a cutter. Secondly, the ends of the wires need to be stripped of their insulation to expose the wire, where stripping of the wires requires a specific wire stripper, and thirdly, the wires need to be joined via a connecting sleeve with the ends of the wires inserted into the connecting sleeve and the sleeve crimped to secure and connect the wires, crimping being effected by means of a wire crimper.

It is therefore desirable to provide a tool which can perform a variety of functions, which eliminates the necessity for a number of separate tools for a variety of different functions.

It is also desirable to provide a means whereby the wires requiring joining is KMI:NP:#2529.CAP 5 DccmbeW 197 -3able to be held either perpendicularly or longitudinally in relation to the crimping means.

It is also desirable to provide a crimping tool, which may have wire stripping and cutting facilities, which can be used to provide a number of different types of crimps.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a tool which can perform the function of crimping, particularly for electrical wires.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a for crimping wires, the tool including: two longitudinal arms pivotally connected to one another, one end of each arm being shaped so as to form a first pincer jaw and a second pincer jaw; a wire crimping means which includes at least one detachable crimping tip adapted to be positioned at the end of the first pincer jaw and a crimping groove positioned at the end of the second pincer jaw; whierein when an aicle to be crinped is plarc between said first niner jaw and said second pincer jaw the closing together of the first pincer jaw and the second pincer jaw causes the crimping tip to be received by the crimping groove and crimp said article in the crimping groove.

In one form of the invention, the arms of the tool are made of any suitable material, preferably metal.

In the preferred form of the invention, the ends of the arms are protected and insulated by insulating handle means, which are known and used in the art.

In the preferred form of the invention, a plate means is connected to and extends perpendicular from an internal surface of each arm of the tool and wire engaging elements are connected to or formed by the plate means.

In the preferred form of the invention, the wire engaging elements includes a combination of wire stripping and cutting elements, where said elements are located on the internal opposing edges of the plate means, which are shaped to facilitate a plurality of functions. It is preferred that the plate means includes a series of paired semi-circular recesses of increasing size, so that, when the plate KLIM:NP:26529.CAP9 5 Dcombu 197 -4means are brought together into their closed position, the paired recesses each define an aperture which is adapted to surround an insulated wire. The closing of the plate means causes insulation to be cut on an inserted wire without the wire being cut or nicked When the wire is pulled away from the tool the portion of cut insulation is stripped from the wire this preparing the wire for crimping.

In a still further form of the invention a portion of the internal edge of the plate means may be sharpened to form a cutting edge so that when the plate means are brought together into a closed position, a length of wire is cut.

In one form of the invention the wire crimping means is located in the ends of the pincer jaws, the wire crimping means being preferably centrally located in the ends of the pincer jaws. At the end of the first pincer jaw a centrally located hole S"or channel is formed therethrough which is adapted to receive a crimping protrusion 0 or tip. It is preferable that the hole or channel in the pincer jaw is adapted to receive a variety of sizes of tips, where different sized and shaped tips are used to 1I per'u.. a variety of nct.ions.

e It is also preferred that the second pincer jaw has a crimping groove located therein, where preferably, the crimping groove is centrally located, so that when the first and second pincer jaws are brought together to their closed position, the crimping groove at the end of the second pincer jaw receives the crimping tip located at the end of the first pincer jaw.

In the preferred form of the invention, the crimping tips are located on the ends of extension members, said extension members preferably being in the form of nail like members, threaded screws or the like.

In an alternative form of the invention, there may be provided at least one extension member, which is adapted to receive different crimping tips.

As described above, the extension members may be threaded. In this form of the invention the hole or channel through the first pincer jaw is also threaded to enable threading of the extension member therethrough. Use of a threaded extension member and threaded hole in the first pincer jaw is advantageous in some applications as the length of the extension member and/or crimping tip which KLM:NP:#26529.CAP 5 Dccember 1997 protrudes from the hole is able to be controlled. This in turn controls the length of crimping tip which is received by the crimping groove and hence, the strength of the crimp.

In the event of any wear or bending of the pincer jaws the threaded extension allows, as described above, the length of the crimping tip to be adjusted.

In a further form of the invention a lock nut is located on the end of the extension member to ensure that there is no inadvertent rotation of the extension member during crimping and therefor eliminating unwanted adjustment of the length of the extension member and/or crimping tip during use.

In the preferred form of the invention the crimping tips may be of a variety of sizes and shapes to perform a variety of functions.

In a further form of the invention the pincer jaws may be adapted to have wire stripping means and cutting means located thereon. Using controlled pressure on the handles of the tool, enables the cutting means located on the pincer jaws to be used as strippers. In pnrti,,lr for strinnpping, the insulation off a wire longitudinally.

One embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings in which: Figure 1 is side view of a tool for crimping wires in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 is an end view of the tool of Figure 1; and Figures 3a, 3b and 3c are examples of different crimping tips which can be used in combination with the tool in Figures 1 and 2 for crimping wire.

Figure 1 is a side view of the tool 30 where arms 10 are shaped to form first and second pincer jaw 11 and 12 respectively, whilst the other ends of arms 10 are protected and insulated by handle insulating means. 19.

The arms 10 of the tool 30 are curved in a U-shaped fashion. Extending from the internal surface of each arm 10 of the tool are plate means 21. Located on the internal opposing edges of the plate means 21, are the wire engaging elements 15 and 16 which includes a series of paired recesses 22 of various sizes, so that KM:NP:#2629.CAP S [ombalI997 -6when arms 10 are brought together into their closed position, apertures form the stripping elements 15. One of the plate means 21 also has on its internal edge a cutting edge 16 so that when the arms 10 are brought together into their closed position, a wire is cut thereby.

Located at the ends of the pincer jaw 11 and 12 is the wire crimping means.

A hole or channel 23 passes through the end of the first pincer jaw 11, said hole or channel 23 being adapted to receive a detachable crimping tip 24 which is located on the end of an extension member 13.

A crimping groove 14 is located at the end of the second pincer jaw 12, the crimping groove 14 being adapted to receive a crimping tip 24 when the first and second jaws 11 and 12 are brought together into their closed position.

Figure 2 is an end view of the tool 30 as shown in Figure 1 where the pincer jaws 11 and 12 are in their closed position and where the crimping tip 24 is engaged within crimping groove 14.

Located on either sidp of the pincer jaws 11 and 12 are fiurther wire cutters 17 and strippers 18.

Figure 3a, 3b and 3c are examples of different crimping tips 24 which may be used to perform different crimping results.

In use, the arms 10 of the tool 30 are spread into their open position. A length of wire is placed between the cutting edge 16 and the plate means 21, or, alternatively, between the cutting edge 17 and second pincer jaw 12. The arms of the tool 30 are then brought together into their closed position to cut the wire.

The arms 10 of the tool 30 are then again spread to their open position and the end of the cut wire is placed in between the paired recesses 22 of appropriate diameter to strip but not cut the wire. Once the wire is in position, the arms 10 of the tool 30 are brought together into their closed position, closing the plate means which causes the insulation to be cut without the wire being cut or nicked. The wire is then pulled away from the tool 30 and the portion of cut insulation is stripped from the wire.

Alternatively the stripping means 18 may be used to strip the wire.

KLM:NP:#26529.CAP 5 December 1997 -7- To crimp the wire, the required extension member 13 and crimping tip 24 is selected and inserted into hole or channel 23, where the crimping tip 24 extends out of the end of the hole or channel 23 and passed the end of the first pincer jaw 11.

The arms 10 of the tool 30 are again spread into their open position and the stripped wire is inserted into the desired connector (not shown) and placed between the crimping tip 24 and the crimping groove 13. The arms 10 of the tool 30 are brought together into their closed position and, in turn, the crimping tip 24 and the crimping groove 14 crimp the connector and wire.

o KLM:NP:#26529.CAP S December 1997

Claims (13)

1. A tool for crimping wires, said tool including: two longitudinal arms pivotally connected to one another, one end of each arm being shaped so as to form a first pincer jaw and a second pincer jaw; a wire crimping means which includes at least one detachable crimping tip adapted to be positioned at the end of the first pincer jaw and a crimping groove positioned at the end of the second pincer jaw; wherein when an article to be crimped is placed between said first pincer jaw and said second pincer jaw the closing together of the first pincer jaw and the second pincer jaw causes the crimping tip to be received by the crimping groove and crimp said article in the crimping groove.

2. A tool for crimping wires as claimed in claim 1 wherein the wire crimping means includes a hole or channel formed through the end of the first pincer jaw, said channel adapted to receive the crimping tip, and wherein the :'"'"crimping groove located in the end of the second pincer jaw.

3. A tool for crimping wires as claimed in claim 2 wherein the crimping tip and S. the crimping groove mate when the first and second pincer jaws are brought together to their closed position.

4. A tool for crimping wires as claimed in claim 3 further including a locking means which controls the length of crimping tip which is received by the crimping groove.

A tool for crimping wires as claimed in claim 4 further including an extension member having the crimping tip connected to its end thereof.

6. A tool for crimping wires as claimed in claim 5 wherein the crimping tip is detachable from the extension member to allow a number of different interchangeable crimping tips to be connected to the end of the extension member.

7. A tool for crimping wires as claimed in claim 6 wherein the extension member and the hole or channel are threaded so that the length of the KLM.NP:#26529.CAP 5 Decmbr 1997 -9- crimping tip protruding from the hole or channel is adjustable.

8. A tool for crimping wires as claimed in claim 7 further comprising a plate means connected to a surface of each arm, where wire engaging means are connected to or formed by the plate means.

9. A tool for crimping wires as claimed in claim 8 wherein the wire engaging means includes at least one wire stripping element and at least one wire cutting element.

A tool for crimping wires as claimed in claim 9 wherein the wire stripping element is a paired recess which defines an aperture when the plate means are brought together into their closed position.

11. A tool for crimping wires as claimed in claim 10 wherein the cutting element is a sharpened portion of the internal edge of least one of the plate means.

12. A tool for crimping wires as claimed in claim 11 further including at least one wire stripping element and at least one wire cutting element located on at the end of the pincer jaws.

13. A tool for crimping wires as claimed in any of the preceding claims with reference to the accompanying drawings. 5 December 1997 S **AND HEATHER CLARK S e DATED: 5 December 1997 CARTER SMITH BEADLE Patent Attorneys for the Applicant: ROSS AND HEATHER CLARK KLM:NP:#26529.CAP 5 Decmber 1997