WO2000064636A1

WO2000064636A1 - Wire nut tool

Info

Publication number: WO2000064636A1
Application number: PCT/US2000/010719
Authority: WO
Inventors: Kevin Cline
Original assignee: Kevin Cline
Priority date: 1999-04-22
Filing date: 2000-04-20
Publication date: 2000-11-02
Also published as: AU4477200A

Abstract

The wire nut tool (10) of the present invention includes a handle (12), a holder (18), and a shaft (14) extending from the holder (18) which is received within an aperture (15) formed in the handle (12). The holder (18) contains an aperture (22) which receives the wire nuts. The aperture (22) has a plurality of shallow slots located along its circumference. These shallow slots are adapted to receive wingless wire nuts (28') of various sizes and engage with small grooves (32) found on many wire nuts, with or without wings. The aperture (22) also includes a plurality of deeper slots intermixed with the shallow slots. These slots are arranged in pairs spaced opposite one another to accommodate a plurality of different sized wire nuts (28) having wings (30).

Description

WIRE NUT TOOL

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a wire nut tool used to spin wire nuts onto electrical wires thereby connecting them to one another. More particularly, the present invention is a wire nut tool adapted to receive wire nuts of different sizes and various types. In a preferred embodiment, the wire nut tool of the present invention is comprised of nonconductive materials to protect the user from the potential risk of electrical shock.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The use of wire nuts for connecting electrical wires together is common in most industries. Wire nuts are made up of an elongated shell, covered with pliable insulation. The shell is enclosed at only one end. The other end of the shell is longitudinally hollowed with a threaded connecting socket coupled within the hollowed shell. Typically, the connecting socket is comprised of a conductive material such as metal or aluminum. Most wire nuts also have outwardly extending wings, which aid in turning the wire nut during installation. However, wire nuts can come without wings, as well. Wire nuts are available in many different sizes and shapes.

Generally, wire nuts are manually connected onto the ends of the wires. To connect two or more wires using a wire nut, the user aligns the ends of the wires so they are even, then the wire nut is placed over the ends of the wires and twisted by hand until secure. The wires become threaded within the socket of the wire nut and twist or are pressed together creating electrical continuity between the wires. To obtain an effective connection, a great deal of pressure must normally be applied by hand, and more specifically, by the user's fingers which can cause calluses, cramps, tenderness, numbness and/or tingling. The repetitive action involved in manually connecting a large number of wire nuts can even result in the user being afflicted by carpel tunnel syndrome. If ample pressure is not applied, the wire nut will not be connected securely, possibly resulting in circuit failure and/or electrical arching within the wire nut, possibly causing the wire nut to melt. Electricians are often required to install a large number of wire nuts by hand, which is slow and tedious. Other wire nut tools have helped solve some of these problems, but not enough to be accepted by all in the field. Prior art wire nut tools are often bulky and/or ineffective. The use of pliers on wire nuts can result in crackingOf the plastic shell and a consequent risk of short circuits. Some wire nut wrenches are time consuming to use due to the wire nut becoming jammed in the tool. These wrenches generally result in a greater installation time then if the wire nuts had just been manually installed. Other wrenches only install one or two types of wire nuts. Electricians and other users are thus forced to carry multiple wire nut tools. Finally, some wrenches are fabricated from metal or aluminum, which can cause the installer to experience an electrical shock when applying the wire nuts to electrical wires.

None of the prior art wire nut tools have alleviated the present difficulties of installing wire nuts efficiently and safely. Consequently, most wire nuts are still installed my hand. A more efficient means is needed for greater ease and to speed-up the installation process. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The wire nut tool of the present invention is designed to install or remove wire nuts simply and expeditiously by spinning the wire nuts on or off electrical wires by rotating the wire nut tool. The present invention includes a handle, a holder, and a shaft extending from the holder which is received within an aperture formed in the handle. The holder contains an aperture which receives the wire nuts. The aperture has a plurality of shallow slots located along its circumference. These shallow slots are adapted to receive wingless wire nuts of various sizes and engage with small grooves found on many wire nuts, with or without wings. The aperture also includes a plurality of deeper slots intermixed with the shallow slots. These slots are arranged in pairs spaced opposite one another to accommodate a plurality of different sized wire nuts having wings.

More particularly, the shaft of the present invention is connected to the handle via a "C" type washer that is coupled within a recess near the distal end of the shaft. The "C" type washer allows the shaft to spin freely within the shaft on the inner surface of the "C" type washer. In addition, the holder in the preferred embodiment is injection molded from nylon with the shaft integrally coupled within the nylon. In a preferred embodiment, the wire nut tool of the present invention is comprised primarily of nonconductive materials to protect the user from the potential risk of electrical shock.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a front elevational view in partial cross-section along lines A-A of the wire nut tool of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the holder of the wire nut tool shown in

Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevational view of the holder adapted to receive a plurality of sizes of winged and wingless wire nuts;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged side elevational view of an alternative holder adapted to receive a plurality of sizes of winged and wingless wire nuts.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged side elevational view of a tailed wire nut.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to Fig. 1 , wire nut tool 10 of the present invention is comprised of handle 12 having an aperture 15 that receives a shaft 14 extending from a holder 18. Shaft 14 is connected to holder 18 such that holder 18 moves when shaft 14 moves. Shaft 14 is connected to handle 12 by a "C" type washer 11 that is coupled within a recess 13 found near the distal end 19 of shaft 14. The "C" type washer 11 is larger in diameter than the recess 13 of shaft 14, thereby retaining the shaft 14 within the handle 12. The "C" type washer 11 becomes compressed within recess 13 as shaft 14 is inserted into aperture 15 of handle 12. Once the shaft 14 is in place within the aperture 15, the outward tension of the "C" type washer 11 pushing against the walls of the aperture 15 keeps the shaft 14 coupled within the aperture 15. The recess 13 keeps the shaft 14 from separating from the "C" type washer 11 , which in turn allows shaft 14 to spin freely on the inner surface of the C type washer 11 , within the aperture 15 of the handle 12. Handle 12 and shaft 14 make up the spinning portion of the wire nut tool 10. In a preferred embodiment, shaft 14 is curved at approximately a right angle 16 then attached to the holder 18. Shaft 14 is integrally coupled within the holder 18 by being placed within the plastic used to injection mold the holder 18. The injection molding forms a lip 17 onto shaft 14 to reinforce the connection. In operation, holder 18 rotates with shaft 14 as it rotates within the handle 12. The right angled curve of the shaft 14 provides for a more secure coupling within the material making up the holder 18. The curved portion and the lip 17 make it difficult for the shaft 14 to come loose and separate from the holder 18. The attachment of the shaft 14 within the molding of the holder 18 also provides more torque when the wire nut tool 10 is in use.

The shaft 14 is releasably retained within the handle 12 so that the combination of the holder 18 and shaft 14 can be removed from the handle 12. The holder 18 and shaft 14 combination can be replaced with an alternative holder and shaft combination which contains a different sized aperture and/or different sized slots. These differently sized apertures and/or slots receive various sizes of wire nuts 28 (28') . Therefore, the wire nut tool 10 can be adapted to receive almost any size of wire nut 28 (28'), without the user having to purchase a separate tool.

A typical wire nut 28 includes outwardly extending wings 30. Wire nuts 28 come in a variety of different sizes. Wire nuts 28' can also come without wings. In addition, Fig. 5 shows a relatively new wire nut called a tailed wire nut 40. These wire nuts have an aperture in the end 31 of the elongated shell through which a wire 33 protrudes. The end of the wire within the hollowed shell of the wire nut 40 is connected to the metal threads located along the sidewalls of this hollowed shell. The opposite end of wire 33 contains a c-shaped connector 35 which allows wire 33 to be coupled to an outside connection. Because of the variety of wire nuts available, holder 18 is configured to receive several different sizes and types of wire nuts 28 ( 28'). As shown in Figs. 2-4, to accommodate different types and sizes of wire nuts 28 (28'), slots 34, 36, 37, and 38 are positioned within the sidewalls of the aperture 22 in holder 18.

Referring to Fig. 2, holder 18 includes an open-ended aperture 22 near the distal end 26 of holder 18. The wire nuts 28 or 28' (shown in Fig. 1 ) are inserted by their closed elongated end 31 , into the top 24 of the aperture 22 and protrude through the aperture 22 at its bottom 20. The side grooves 32 of the wingless wire nut 28' are matched to the shallow slots 34. In contrast, the wings 30 of the wire nut 28 are matched to the appropriate deeper slots 36, 37, or 38 (shown in Fig. 4). The wings 30 and side grooves 32 connect with the respective slots 34, 36, 37, or 38 of the aperture 22. Holder 18 maintains the wire nut 28 (28') in position thereby acting as a socket. The wire nut tool 10 is then rotated by the user to rotate or spin the wire nut 28 (28') onto the wires. In an alternate embodiment, the holder 18 has an aperture where the bottom is closed (not shown). A closed-bottom aperture would still receive wire nuts 28 or 28' however, tailed wire nuts 40 would not be able to be used in such a holder.

In a preferred embodiment, handle 12 and holder 18 are fabricated from a plastic or polymer material and shaft 14 is fabricated from metal or aluminum. It should be understood that any number of other materials could be used to fabricate or form handle 12, shaft 14, and holder 18 including, but not limited to metal, aluminum, wood, graphite, ceramic materials, and any number of alloys or

polymer combinations. In a preferred embodiment, wire nut tool 10 is fabricated from materials that provide some electrical isolation, which aids in preventing the user from receiving an electrical shock when applying wire nuts to energized or "live" electrical conductors or wires.

Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, aperture 22 includes a plurality of slots 34, 36, 37, and 38 (shown in Fig. 4). A plurality of shallow slots 34 are positioned around the circumference 24 of the aperture 22 to accommodate various sizes of wire nuts 28' that do not include wings 30, but instead include side grooves 32. The plurality of shallow slots 34 also assist with wire nuts 28 that include wings 30 when the winged wire nuts include side grooves 32, as some types do. The deeper slots 36, 37, and 38 are positioned in predetermined positions behind shallow slots 34 on opposite sides of the aperture 22. The deeper slots 36, 37, and 38 are shaped to receive various sizes of wire nuts 28 having wings 30. Smaller slot 37 is disposed within larger slot 36 to allow the wire nut tool 10 to receive small or large winged wire nuts 28. Wire nut slots 34, 36, 37, and 38 extend outwardly from the circumference 24 of the aperture 22 and downwardly toward the bottom 20 (shown in Fig. 1 ) of the holder 18. Wire nut slots 36 converge towards and terminate into wire nut slots 37. Whereas, wire nut slots 37 and 38 converge towards and terminate into wire nut slots 34. Finally, wire nut slots 34 progressively narrow 45 and terminate at the bottom 20 of the aperture 22 within holder 18. By varying the length, depth and angle of the slots, whether as separate slots or as slots within slots as shown in Fig. 1 , the holder 18 of the wire nut tool can accommodate a wide range of wire nut types and sizes.

In use, wire nuts 28' (no wings) are inserted in holder 18 by matching their side grooves 32 to the matching shallow slots 34. In contrast, wire nuts 28 (with wings 30) are inserted in holder 18 by matching their wings 30, depending on their size, to the appropriate slots 36, 37, or 38. Elongated slots 36 allow the aperture 22 of the holder 18 to receive large wire nuts. Smaller wire 37 or 38 allow the aperture 22 of the holder 18 to receive smaller wire nuts thereby making wire nut tool 10 a more versatile and useful tool.

In using the wire nut tool 10, the exposed ends of the wires are inserted within a wire nut 28 (28'). The wire nut 28 (28') is then received within the aperture 22 of the holder 18, by aligning the outwardly extending wings 30 or the side grooves 32 with the respective wire slots 34, 36, 37 or 38. The aperture 22 of the holder 18 maintains the wire nut 28 (28') in position thereby acting as a socket or wrench.

To operate the wire nut tool 10, the user should place one hand-on the electrical wires to keep the wires stationary. Next, the user holds the wire nut tool 10 by the handle 12, which is turned so as to spin or rotate the wire nut 28 (28') onto the ends of the wires. The wires become threaded into the wire nut 28 (28') and twist or are pressed together creating an electrical contact.

Although the principles, preferred embodiments and preferred operation of the present invention have been described in detail herein, this is not to be construed as being limited to the particular illustrative forms disclosed. It will thus become apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications of the preferred embodiments herein can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. A wire nut tool comprising: a handle; a holder having an aperture; and a shaft extending from said holder; wherein said shaft is releaseably coupled to said handle; and wherein said aperture comprises a plurality of shallow slots and at least one pair of deeper slots formed along the circumference of said aperture for receiving wire nuts of different types and sizes.

2. A wire nut tool as recited in claim 1 , wherein said handle is comprised of non-conductive material selected from the group consisting of nylon, plastic, polymer, ceramic, and wood.

3. A wire nut tool as recited in claim 1 , wherein said holder is comprised of non-conductive material selected from the group consisting of nylon, plastic, polymer, ceramic, and wood.

4. A wire nut tool as recited in claim 1 , wherein said shaft is curved.

5. A wire nut tool as recited in claim 1 , wherein said shaft is curved at approximately a right angle.

6. A wire nut tool as recited in claim 1 , wherein said handle includes an aperture to receive said shaft, wherein said shaft includes a "C" type washer coupled within a recess formed in said shaft near the distal end of said shaft, thereby allowing said shaft to spin freely within said aperture in said handle.

7. A wire nut tool as recited in claim 1 , wherein said holder is molded around a portion of said shaft thereby coupling said shaft to said holder.

8. A wire nut tool as recited in claim 1 , wherein said plurality of shallow slots extend outwardly from the circumference of said aperture and downwardly toward the bottom of said holder.

9. A wire nut tool as recited in claim 1 , wherein said at least one pair of deeper slots is located behind a pair of said plurality of shallow slots on opposing sides of said aperture, and wherein said at least one pair of deeper slots is sized to receive different sized wire nuts.

10. A wire nut tool comprising: a means for receiving different types and sizes of wire nuts; and a means for spinning said wire nuts onto electrical wires.

11. A wire nut tool as recited in claim 10, wherein said receiving means is comprised of a holder having an aperture with a plurality of shallow slots located along the circumference of said aperture, and wherein said receiving means further comprises at least one pair of deeper slots located along the circumference of said aperture.

12. A wire nut tool as recited in claim 10, wherein said spinning means comprises a handle having an aperture, wherein said aperture receives a shaft extending from said receiving means.

13. A method of coupling two or more wires, which comprises: holding said two or more wires together; inserting said two or more wires within a wire nut, wherein said wire nut includes a plurality of grooves; inserting said wire nut within a holder having an aperture that includes a plurality of slots, wherein said slots engage said grooves; and rotating said holder until said wire nut electrically connecting said two or more wires.