Abstract:
A tool for uncoupling tubular connections includes a pair of bifurcated arms joined together by an integral, arcuate, bridge member wherein the bifurcated arms of the tool include sections which are arranged at an obtuse angle with respect to each other, the active end of the tool including couple disengaging semi-cylindrical sectors or heads.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This is a utility application based upon provisional application entitled Tool for Disconnection of Tubing from Coupling, Ser. No. 60/605,027 filed Aug. 27, 2004 for which priority is claimed and which is incorporated herewith by reference.  
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     In a principal aspect the present invention relates to a tool, and a set of tools, which may be utilized to disconnect coupled tubing of the type commonly used in the automotive industry.  
         [0003]     In U.S. Pat. No. 5,455,995 entitled “Tool for Uncoupling Quick Connect Tubular Couplings”, there is disclosed a tool which is useful to disconnect tubular coupling constructions, for example, couplings of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,055,359. Also disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,055,359 is a tool which may be used for disconnecting such coupling arrangements. The invention claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,455,995 is an improved disconnect tool which is useful for disconnecting couplings of various sizes.  
         [0004]     More recently in U.S. Pat. No. 6,195,862 B1 entitled “Tubular Disconnect Tool with Angled Semi-Annular Heads” there is disclosed another type of tool which is useful for disconnecting or decoupling tubing connections. U.S. Pat. No. 6,195,862 B1 is incorporated herewith by reference. In this patent, there is disclosed the utilization of first and second pivotally joined arms which are biased by an elastic member to cause the two arms to come together so that the semi-cylindrical head of each arm may fit over a tube and be engaged with a tube coupler in a manner which will effect decoupling. This patent teaches that there should be an angular relationship between the decoupling tube engagement end of the tool and the pivoting, connection leg of the tool. While such a device has worked successfully, there are environmental problems which potentially affect this tool. That is, an elastic member such as a rubber band is utilized to cause the separate jaws or legs of the tool to be biased toward one another. The rubber tends to degrade in a workplace environment and, as a result, the tool may be difficult to manipulate or may fail to achieve its intended function. For these and other reasons, an improved decoupling tool has been sought.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     Briefly, the present invention comprises a tubing disconnect tool which is made from a molded plastic material, such as acetal polymeric or resin, and which is comprised of a single molded element incorporating a pair of elastically connected, bifurcated arms with tube engaging distal or decoupling ends. The opposite end of the tool comprises a generally arcuate, integral, elastic biasing member which connects the bifurcated arms. Each arm is articulated at an included obtuse angle with respect to the decoupling end.  
         [0006]     Thus, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved tube decoupling tool.  
         [0007]     It is a further object of the invention to provide an integrally molded, unitary decoupling tool.  
         [0008]     Another object of the invention is to provide a decoupling tool which may be manufactured in any one of a number of sizes wherein the tool includes an end for engaging the tubing that is to be decoupled arranged on arms that are at an angle with respect to an opposite end wherein an elastic biasing link or element connects the arms, said biasing element being integrally molded with the biasing arms.  
         [0009]     Another object of the invention is to provide an improved decoupling tool which may be easily color coded.  
         [0010]     Another object of the invention is to provide a decoupling tool which may be manufactured in a manner which provides for an elastic connection between the arms of the tool wherein the elasticity is adjustable depending upon the size of the tool and other factors associated with the use of the tool.  
         [0011]     A further object of the invention is to provide a set of decoupling tools in combination with a tool support and storage device.  
         [0012]     These and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which follows.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
       [0013]     In the detailed description which follows, reference will be made to the drawing comprised of the following figures:  
         [0014]      FIG. 1  is a first isometric view of the tool of the invention;  
         [0015]      FIG. 2  is an isometric view of the bottom side of the tool of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0016]      FIG. 3  is a bottom auxiliary plan view of the tool of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0017]      FIG. 4  is a bottom plan view of the tool of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0018]      FIG. 5  is a right hand end view of the tool of  FIG. 4 ;  
         [0019]      FIG. 6  is a side view of the tool of  FIG. 4 ;  
         [0020]      FIG. 7  is another isometric view of the tool of the invention and  
         [0021]      FIG. 8  is a view of the tool as it is utilized.  
         [0022]      FIG. 9  is an elevation of support member or holder for a set of decoupling tools;  
         [0023]      FIG. 10  is a top plan view of the holder of  FIG. 9 ; and  
         [0024]      FIG. 11  is an elevation of the combination of a set of decoupling tools mounted on the holder of  FIG. 9 .  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0025]     Referring to the figures, the tool of the invention is comprised of an integrally molded element, molded, for example, from an elastic material such as Delrin® acetal resin, a trademarked product of E.I. Dupont de Nemours &amp; Co. Typically, the tool is made in a series of different sizes. For example, six different sizes may be made to comprise a set. Thus, each size of the tool of the invention is sized so that each tool has the capability of being utilized with specifically sized tubing and the associated tubing coupler. That is, each tool may be utilized to effect disconnection of a particular diameter sized tubing from connection with other tubing or a port in a device compatible with the particular tubing.  
         [0026]     Thus, each of the tools of the invention includes a first generally semi-cylindrical head member; such as head member  20 , and a second opposed generally semi-cylindrical, mirror image head member  22  arranged on the distal ends, respectively,  24  and  26  of elongate arms  28  and  30 . The arms  28  and  30  include a first end run or arcuate section  32  and a second end run or arcuate section  34  respectively. Runs  32 ,  34  are planar, arcuate elements and are generally transverse to a center line axis  36  of the semi-cylindrical sections  20  and  22 . Runs  32 ,  34  surround the sections  20 ,  22  respectively.  
         [0027]     Each of the arms  28  and  30  includes second runs or sections  38  and  40  respectively which connect with the first runs  32  and  34  respectively and form an obtuse angle  39  therewith. The runs  38  and  40  are joined by an arcuate, connecting, elastomeric, integrally molded ring or annular sector  42 . The connecting annular sector  42  defines a generally cylindrical passage  44 . The annular sector  42  has a spring constant which enables the arms  28  and  30  to be maintained in a spread-apart condition, but manually flexed one toward the other when the tool is in use. Additionally, the cylindrical passage  44  is sized to permit manual gripping, for example, by placement of a finger therethrough to facilitate the utilization of the tool as depicted in  FIG. 8 .  
         [0028]     The runs  32 ,  34  terminate at the end of the tool to define a linear slot with spaced, opposed, outward flared surfaces  31 ,  33 . Surfaces  31 ,  33  are flared and divergent to facilitate separation and placement of the spaced sections  20 ,  22  over a tube ( 50  in  FIG. 8 ) and thus initially cause elastic spreading of the arms  28 ,  30 . Once placed over a tube, the elastically annular sector  42  biases the arms  28 ,  30  together in position toward one another as semi cylindrical sectors  20 ,  22  fit over tubing. In the relaxed condition of the tool, the arms  28  and  30  are slightly spaced one from the other and may be manually moved toward one another so that the semi-cylindrical sections  20  and  22  are appropriately positioned about tubing to then effect disengagement of a coupling. The arms  28 ,  30  and attached elements are thus generally mirror images of each other joined by the elastic arcuate sector  42 .  
         [0029]     Among the beneficial aspects of the invention relative to the prior art is the fact that the arms  28  and  30  are maintained at a fixed distance from one another but may be easily spread to enable placement of the semi-cylindrical sectors  20  and  22  about tubing  50 . This is a result of the flexure built into the tool as a result of the annular or arcuate sector  42 . The arms  28  and  30  may thus be maintained at their rest position, for example, as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , but may be moved from that rest position to accommodate use of the tool by placement on tubing. The various dimensions associated with the sector  42  including the thickness and the depth and the length thereof may be adjusted to accommodate the elastic forces required to separate the arms  28  and  30  and to move the arms  28  and  30  one toward the other. Thus, the tool may incorporate by design the ability to be highly adjustable depending upon the size of the tubing involved, the spacing of arms  28 ,  30  and other factors associated with the use of the tool. Additionally, the plastic material utilized to make the tool may employ a color coding. That is, different sizes of tools may have a code associated or correlated with the size of tubing.  
         [0030]     The arcuate sector  42 , in the preferred embodiment, is substantially identical regardless of the diameter size for which the tool is to be used. Thus, for example, a set of six (6) tools, each tool being designed for use with a distinct size of tubing will have an arcuate sector  42  and spaced arms  28 ,  30  which are substantially identical. However, the generally semi-cylindrical sectors  20 ,  22  may be custom sized for tubing of a distinct diameter. The outer dimension of the spacing of arms  28 ,  30  and the outer diameter  70  of the arcuate sector or sector  42  are preferably generally identical. In practice with the plastic material heretofore identified for manufacture of the tool, this dimension is in the range of 0.9±0.1 inch and the inside radius of the arcuate sector  42  is about one-third (⅓) of the diameter, i.e., 0.30±0.05 inch. The thickness  72  of the arcuate sector is about 0.4±0.1 inches for the example described.  
         [0031]     By maintaining the same size condition for the arcuate sector  42 , manipulation of the tool is facilitated regardless of the tubing size involved. That is the thumb and forefinger of a technician ( FIG. 8 ) can be more easily utilized in the situation where the sizing and shape of the arcuate sector is the same and wherein the straight line gap or space  73  between the arms  28 ,  30  is constant and about 0.1±0.05 in the example given. Thus, the tool has a standard or similar feel regardless of the sizing of the semi-cylindrical sectors  20 ,  22 . This results because the spring constant for the tubing is the same for all of the tools.  
         [0032]     In the example given, six (6) distinctly tubing size tools are disclosed. Each tool has substantially the same obtuse angle (about 135°±30°) between the plane of the arms  28 ,  30  and the plane of the runs  32 ,  34 . Again, such standardization facilitates the efficient use of each of the separate tools.  
         [0033]     Referring to  FIGS. 9-11 , there is depicted a set of six (6) tools and a holder  75  for the tools. The holder  75  comprises a vertical post with a separate generally cylindrical section for receipt of each tool in descending diameter array. Thus, a planar lower rim  76  supports the post and series of six (6) generally cylindrical sections  77 ,  78 ,  79 ,  80 ,  81 ,  82  are provided each section being correlated with the effective diameter of the semi-cylindrical sectors  20 ,  22  of each tool. Each cylindrical sections  77 ,  78 ,  79 ,  80 ,  81 ,  82  includes a generally vertical rib  77 A,  78 A,  79 A,  80 A,  81 A,  82 A which fits into the space between the associated semi-cylindrical sectors  20 ,  22  of each tool so that the tools will maintain the assembled array as depicted in  FIG. 11 . The tools are also spaced vertically from one another on post by circular ribs sector rib  90  between sections  77 ,  78 . Thus, as depicted in  FIG. 11 , a first tool  92  designed for use with ⅞ inch tubings will be mounted at the bottom of post  75 . Subsequent tools  93 ,  94 ,  95 ,  96 ,  97  will, for example, be sized to cooperate with ¾ inch, ⅝ inch, ½ inch, ⅜ inch and 5/16 inch tubing.  
         [0034]     In practice, a properly sized tool is chosen based on compatibility with the tubing involved. The tool is then manually positioned and manipulated as depicted in  FIG. 8 . The semi-cylindrical sectors are placed about the tubing and squeezed if necessary. Typically, however, the sectors  20 ,  22  fit snuggly against the tubing  50 . The tool is then lifted into the coupling manually to engage active top ridge sections or members  35 ,  37  of the tool therewith.  
         [0035]     The active ridge or top edge  35 ,  37  of each head member  22 ,  20  may thus be manipulated to decouple tubing as shown in  FIG. 8  wherein a coupler  52  is engaged to be released from tubing or connector  50  of a fuel filter  54 . The thumb and forefinger can be used to grip and manipulate the tool in restricted spaces.  
         [0036]     While there has been set forth specific examples of the tool, it is to be understood that the tool construction, kit and invention are to be limited only by the following claims and equivalents thereof.