GB2479905A

GB2479905A - Crimping pliers with switchable crimping blocks

Info

Publication number: GB2479905A
Application number: GB201007095A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Yu-Hsin Lee
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-04-29
Filing date: 2010-04-29
Publication date: 2011-11-02
Anticipated expiration: 2030-04-29
Also published as: GB2479905B; GB201007095D0

Abstract

The pliers 10 include a first, long lever 11 having a middle portion respectively coupled to a second, short lever 12 and a movable jaw member 13 by two pivots. The movable jaw member and the first lever form two opposite jaws, each of which is formed of two spaced wall plates 111, 131 that receive and releasably hold therein a crimping block 20. The two crimping blocks have sides opposing each other and form crimping notches 22 of a given specification and each crimping block has an opposite side forming crimping notches of a different specification 23. The two crimping blocks are removable from the jaws so that the surfaces thereof can be switched and re-mounted to allow for the use of crimping notches on the opposite sides for a crimping operation on wires of different gauges.

Description

TITLE: TWO-SURFACE-SW1TCHABLE

MULTIPLE-SPECIFICATION-CHANGEABLE CRIMPING

PLIERS

(a) Technical Field of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to a novel sftucture of crimping pliers that comprise crimping blocks releasably mounted to jaws of the pliers so that re-mounting the crimping blocks that each have opposite sides forming crimping notches of different specffications to the jaws in a surface-switched fashion is allowed for carrying out crimping operations on wires of different gauges.

(b) Description of the Prior Art

US Patent Application Serial No. 11/452,062 filed by the present Applicant discloses a hand tool for wires. The conventional hand too comprises a first lever that is long and pivotally coupled to a second, short lever and a movable member by two pivots. The movable member and an end of the first lever opposite to the pivot form two jaws 15, 17 each of which is coupled to an anvil 30, 40 having opposing sides forming notches 36, 47 for crimping wires. The anvils can be removed and replaced by anvils of different specifications. The levers can be operated by a user's hand to carry out wire crimping or other operations.

However, although the anvils 30, 40 that form the notches 36, 47 can be replaced by other anvils of different specffications, each anvil 30, 40 has only one side formhg the notches 36, 47 for wire crimping. Thus, the options that a user may have in using notches 36, 47 to perform wire crimping or other operations are limited. This is a functional insufficiency of the known pliers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the functional insufficiency of the previously mentioned US patent, the present invention attempts to provide a solution to overcome such a problems.

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a two-surface-switchabTe muTtiple-specffication-changeabTe crimping pliers, which comprises two jaws to which two crimping bTocks are releasably mounted to allow for selective removal and surface switching of the crimping blocks for switching crimping notches from first specification to second specffication for various wire crimping operation thereby realizing improvement for interchangeable use of double number of specffications.

Mother objective of the present invention is to provide a two-surface-switchabTe muTtipTe-specffication-changeabTe crimping pliers, which comprises jaws to which crimping blocks that form double number of crimping notches corresponding to different wire gauges are releasably mounted, whereby the number of crimpiig blocks required can be lowered and the consumption of material is reduced to thereby offer an economic advantage of cost reduction.

To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides crimping pliers, which comprise a first, long Tever having a middle portion respectiveTy coupled to a second, short lever and a movable jaw member by two pivots.

The movable jaw member and the first lever form two opposite jaws, each of which is formed of two wall plates that receives and releasably holds therein a crimping block. The two crimping blocks have sides opposing each other and forming crimping notches of a given specification and each crimping Mock has an opposite side forming crimping notches of a different specffication. The crimping blocks are removabTe from the jaws for each switching surfaces thereof To mount the crimping blocks to the jaw of the pliers, a retention bar that has a substantially square cross-section is formed and fixed in a crosswise direction between the two wall plates of each jaw and has a surface opposing the crimping block and forming a spring-biased projection. The crimping block forms a fitting slot having opposite inside surfaces each of which forms a positioning dimpTe. The crimping block is allowed to releasabTy mount to the jaw by having the fitting slot thereof fit to retention bar in a surface-switchable manner. The spring-biased projection comprises a steel ball that is biased by a sprin�^g to fit in�^to the positioning dimple of the fitting slot of the crimping block for positioning and retaining.

The two crimping blocks each have two opposite sides each forming at least one crimping notch of different specffications so that each side can perform wire crimping on different wire gauges.

The foregoing objectives and summary provide only a brief introduction to the present invention. To frilly appreciate these and other objects of the present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which wifi become apparent to those skilled in the art, the following detailed description of the invention and the claims should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specffication and drawings identical reference numerals refer to identica' or similar parts.

Many other advantages and features of the present invention wifi become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of ifiustrative example.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG 1 is an exploded view of crimping pliers constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIG 2 is a perspective view of the crimping pliers of the present invention in an assembled form.

FIG 3 is a perspective view ifiustrating crimping operation cathed out by the pliers of the present invention.

FIG 4 is a perspective view ifiustrating side switching of crimping blocks of the pliers according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following descriptions are exemplary embodiments only, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following description provides a convenient illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of the invention. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made in the function and arrangement of the eTements described without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Referring to FIG 1, which shows an exploded view of crimping pliers constructed in accordance with the present invention, the crimping pliers according to the present invention comprises crimping pliers 10 and the two crimping blocks 20.

The crimping pliers 10 comprises a first Tever 11, which is long and has a middle section pivotally coupled to a second lever 12, which is short, and a movable jaw member 13 with two pivots so as to form a main body of the pliers. The movable jaw member 13 and the first lever 11 have frontward-extending jaw sections each composed of two spaced wall plates to form ajaw 111, 131. The wall plates of each jaw 111, 131 receive and fix a retention bar 14 that is set in a crosswise direction and has a square cross-section. The retention bar 14 has upper and Tower surfaces each of which cathes a steel ball biased by a spring to constitute a spring-biased projection 141, for receiving and releasably retahiirig a crimping block 20 to fit thereto.

Each of the crimping blocks 20 comprises a metal block that shows a substantially rectangular shape, having an end in which a fitting slot 21 that has a widened opening is formed. The fitting sTot 21 is delimited by two opposite inside faces each being partly recessed to form a positioning dimple 211. Opposing sides of the crimping blocks 20 are provided with corresponding crimping notches 22 of the same, first specffication and the opposite sides of each of the crimping blocks 20 is provided with corresponding crimping notches 23 of a different, second specffication. The two crimping blocks 20 may be processed to form a reference character or mark 24 on the same surfaces, such as English Teller A or B (or otherwise C, D, E, F and the likes) as shown in the drawings, in order to facilitate identffication of the crimping blocks to prevent wrongly mounting the crimping blocks to inconect jaws 111, 131.

To assemble the pliers, the two crimping blocks 20 are mounted to the crimping pliers 10 by being respectively received between the wall plates of the jaws and having fitting slots 21 thereof respectively fit to the retention bars 14 of the two jaws 111, 131 ii such a way that the spring-biased projections 141 of the retention bars 14 are respectively received into corresponding positioning dimples 211 of the inside surfaces of the fitting slots of the two crimping blocks 20 to set the crimping blocks 20 properly in position. In this way, the two crimping blocks 20 can be efficiently mounted to the crimping pliers 10 without using any tool and the construction shown in FIG 2 is completed.

To operate, with wires of different gauges set in corresponding one of the crimping notches of the crimping blocks 20 of the crimping pliers 10, the first lever 11 and the second lever 12 are gripped by a hand to approach each other to the condition shown in FIG 3, and then crimping operation of the wires is done.

Referring to FIG 4, side switching of the crimping blocks according to the present invention is illustrated, in which the two crimping blocks 20 that are initially mounted to the two jaws 111, 131 are removed and are handled to have the surfaces of each of the two crimping blocks 20 switched (namely being switched to the opposite surface that is marked "B") and then re-fit to the two jaws 111, 131. Consequently; wire crimping can be cathed out with the crimping notches 22 of different specffication on the other side for wires of different gauges. The side or surface switching allows the pliers to provide douNe of the options for crimping wires with different gauges or specffications. Besides the apparent improvement offered, the number of crimping blocks is decreased and consumption of material is reduced to thereby offer an economic advantage.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together may also fmd a useftil application in other types of methods differing from the type described above.

WhIle certain nove1 features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modffications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A structure of pliers comprising a first, long lever having a middle portion respectively coupled to a second, short lever and a movable jaw member by two pivots, the movable jaw member and the first lever forming two opposite jaws, each of which releasably holds a crimping bTock that has opposite sides formiig crimping notches and is drivabTe by the levers to carry out a wire crimping operation, wherein the jaws of the movable jaw member and the first lever are each formed of two spaced wall plates that receive the respective crimping block therebetween, the two crimping blocks having first sides opposing each other and formhg crimping notches of first specification and opposite second sides each forming crimping notches of second specification, whereby the two crimping blocks are removabTe from the jaws for each switching surfaces thereof to use the crimping notches of the opposite sides to carry out crimping operation on wires of different gauges.
2. The structure of pliers according to claim 1, wherein each of the jaws comprises a retention bar that is received and fixed in a crosswise direction between the two wall plates and has a substantially square cross-section having a surface opposing the crimping block and forming a spring-biased projection, the crimping block forming a fitting slot having opposite inside surfaces each of which forms a positioning dimple, whereby the crimping block is releasably mounted to the jaw by having the fitting slot thereof fit to retention bar in a surface-switchable manner, 3. The structure of pliers according to cTaim 2, wherein the spring-biased projection comprises a steeT ball that is biased by a spring to fit into the positioning dimple of the fitting slot of the crimping block for positioning and retaining.4. The structure of pliers according to claim 1, 2, or 3, wherein the two crimping blocks each have a first side and an opposite second side in which at least one crimping notch of different specification is formed to allow for wire crimping for different wire gauges with the same side.5. The structure of pliers according to claim 4, wherein the two crimpiig blocks are provided with reference marks on the same surface for easy identffication in mounting the crimping blocks to the jaws so as to avoid incorrect mounting of the crimping blocks to the jaws.I CLAIM: 1. A pair of crimping pliers with switchable crimping blocks comprising: a first, long lever having a middle portion coupled to a second, short lever and to a movable jaw member by two pivots, the movable jaw member and the first lever forming two opposite jaws, each of the two jaws having two spaced wall plates formed thereon, each of the jaws having a retention bar received and fixed in a crosswise direction between the two spaced wall plates, each retention bar having a substantially square cross-section; and a crimping block releasably held between the two spaced wall plates of each jaw, the two crimping blocks being driven by the levers to carry out a wire crimping operation, each crimping block having a fitting slot formed therein, each fitting slot having two opposite inner surfaces and forming a widened opening for reception of the corresponding retention bar into the fitting slot, each crimping block having a first side and a second side opposite to the first side, the first side of each crimping block having a series of crimping notches formed therein, the two crimping notches on the two first sides being oppositely located for use in producing a first crimping configuration, the second side of each crimping block having a series of crimping notches formed therein, the two crimping notches on the two second sides being used to produce a second crimping configuration; and the two crimping blocks being removable from the jaws and switchable for changing the crimping notches of the opposite sides for the carrying out of crimping operations on wires of different gauges.2. A pair of crimping pliers according to claim 1, wherein each retention bar has a surface opposing the crimping block comprising a spring-biased projection disposed thereon and each inner surface of each of the fitting slots has a positioning dimple defined therein, so that the crimping block can be releasably mounted to the jaw as the retention bar is engaged in the fitting slot.
3. A pair of crimping pliers according to claim 2, wherein each spring-biased projection comprises a steel ball that is biased by a spring to fit into the positioning dimple of the fitting slot of the associated crimping block.
4. A pair of crimping pliers according to claim 1, wherein the two crimping blocks are provided with reference marks on a lateral surface for ease of identification during mounting of the crimping blocks to the jaws to avoid incorrect mounting of the crimping blocks to the jaws.
5. A pair of crimping pliers substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.