Abstract:
A metal seal crimping tool includes a one or more of a variety of modifications to facilitate an improved rate of quality seals made through crimping metal seals, for example, around strapping. One such modification includes shaping and mounting opposing jaws in the crimping tool to overlap by cutting out matching portions of the jaw tips so that the opposing jaws can interlace. Another modification includes having a rounded jaw-seal engagement profile portion that transitions to a flat portion. The rounded jaw-seal engagement portion is disposed to bend the short flange of the metal seal, and the flat portion is disposed to compress a long edge of the metal seal during the crimping process. Another modification includes having lateral extensions on tips of the jaws disposed on outer portions of the crimper tool to extend the reach of the tool further to the ends of the metal seal.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application No. 62/072,597 filed Oct. 30, 2014, and U.S. provisional patent application No. 61/990,444 filed May 8, 2014, both of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The invention relates generally to the packaging industry and, more specifically, to crimping tools for closing metal seals to lock strapping around a secured object. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Metal seals, both smooth and serrated, are known and used for securing strapping around an object, for example, for securing an object to a pallet for shipping. The strapping is typically a flat metal or plastic strap less than an inch wide. The seal is typically a metal seal that is crimped around two ends of the strap, in effect tying the two ends together in securing the strap to an object. A common metal seal includes a main body having a width sized to receive the strapping&#39;s width. The seal also includes a short flange extending from the main body and a long flange extending from the main body. A crimping tool pinches the long flange toward the strapping and main body to lock the strapping within the thusly closed seal. The crimping tool also folds the short flange over the end of the long flange during the crimping process. 
         [0004]    Known crimping tools for metal seals use a plurality of jaws mounted to rotate with movement of a handle. An example known crimping tool is illustrated in  FIG. 1 . The jaws have a profile edge that engages the short and long flanges to bend them in closing the metal seal. The typical crimping tool must be used in a proper orientation relative to the metal seal. In other words, one side of the crimping tool holds jaws with a longer tip designed to engage and close the long flange, and the other side of the crimping tool holds jaws with a shorter tip designed to engage and close the short flange. Where users apply seals and tools without focus or at high speed, the seal may be inserted into the crimping tool with a wrong orientation, potentially compromising the resulting sealing of the strapping, which could allow the strapping to slip at an undesirably low force. 
         [0005]    Attempts to produce a metal seal crimping tool that is agnostic with respect to orientation of insertion of the metal seal into the crimping tool have been made. In one approach, a highly specific profile edge used to engage the flange was used in combination with offsetting the jaws so that opposing jaws do not align. A different approach is described with this disclosure. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0006]    Generally speaking and pursuant to these various embodiments, a metal seal crimping tool includes a one or more of a variety of modifications to facilitate an improved rate of quality seals made through crimping metal seals, for example around strapping. One such modification includes shaping and mounting opposing jaws in the crimping tool to overlap by cutting out or machining away matching portions of the jaw tips so that the opposing jaws can interlace or interlock. The interlocked arrangement allows for a crimping force to be applied completely across the metal seal. Another modification includes having a rounded jaw-seal engagement profile portion that transitions to a flat portion. The rounded jaw-seal engagement portion is disposed to bend the short flange of the metal seal, and the flat portion is disposed to compress a long edge of the metal seal during the crimping process. Such a configuration has shown an improved ability to handle both short and long flanges of the metal seal regardless of the orientation of the seal relative to the crimping tool. Another modification includes having lateral extensions on tips of the jaws disposed on outer portions of the crimper tool to extend the reach of the tool further to the ends of the metal seal, which provides a further crimping effect. 
         [0007]    These and other benefits may become clearer upon making a thorough review and study of the following detailed description. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    The above needs are at least partially met through provision of the crimper for metal seals described in the following detailed description, particularly when studied in conjunction with the drawings, wherein: 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  comprises a perspective exploded view of an example prior art metal seal crimping tool; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  comprises a perspective view of a crimping end of a metal seal crimping tool using outer jaws configured in accordance with various embodiments of the invention; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  comprises a top view of a metal seal crimping tool using inner jaws having cut out portions to facilitate an interlocking arrangement as configured in accordance with various embodiments of the invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  comprises a set of engineering drawings of an example jaw with a jaw-seal engagement portion profile configured in accordance with various embodiments of the invention; 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  comprises a set of engineering drawings of an example jaw with a jaw-seal engagement portion profile and angled end portion configured in accordance with various embodiments of the invention; 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  comprises a set of engineering drawings of another example jaw with a jaw-seal engagement portion profile and angled end portion configured in accordance with various embodiments of the invention; 
           [0015]      FIG. 7  comprises a perspective top view of a crimping end of a metal seal crimping tool using outer jaws with angled end portions configured in accordance with various embodiments of the invention. 
       
    
    
       [0016]    Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions and/or relative positioning of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of various embodiments of the present invention. Also, common but well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment are often not depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these various embodiments. It will further be appreciated that certain actions and/or steps may be described or depicted in a particular order of occurrence while those skilled in the art will understand that such specificity with respect to sequence is not actually required. It will also be understood that the terms and expressions used herein have the ordinary technical meaning as is accorded to such terms and expressions by persons skilled in the technical field as set forth above except where different specific meanings have otherwise been set forth herein. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0017]    Referring now to the drawings and, in particular to  FIGS. 1 and 2  an example apparatus for clamping a metal seal will be described.  FIG. 1  illustrates a known crimping tool for metal seals. The jaws  3  and  4  of  FIG. 1  can be replaced with jaws described below to create a new crimping tool without modifying any of the rest of the crimping tool of  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 2  illustrates one such example. A plurality of jaw units  202 ,  204 ,  206 ,  208 ,  212 ,  214 ,  216 , and  218  are mounted in a metal seal crimper  220  to move in response to a movement of a handle  225 ,  227  of the metal seal crimper  220  to close a metal seal disposed within the metal seal crimper  220 . More specifically, the metal seal is placed in the crimper with the main body resting against the shear elements  230  with the handle in an open position. 
         [0018]      FIG. 2  illustrates the crimper with the jaw units  202 ,  204 ,  206 ,  208 ,  212 ,  214 ,  216 , and  218  in a closed position in which the metal seal would be closed around the secured strapping. For instance, a first opposing pair  212  and  214  of the plurality of jaw units are mounted to close toward each other during the movement of the handle  225 ,  227  to overlap across the metal seal during closing. In one approach, the first opposing pair  212  and  214  of jaw units have a same jaw-seal engagement portion profile. A second opposing pair  202  and  204  of the plurality of jaw units are mounted at an outer portion of the metal seal crimper  220  and to close toward each other during the movement of the handle  225 ,  227 . At least one of the second opposing pair  202  and  204  of jaw units includes an extension  242 ,  244  extending away from an inner portion of the metal seal crimper  220  and coextensive with a portion of a jaw-seal engagement portion to engage an outer edge of a metal seal. So configured, the crimper can pinch along more if not all of the length of the metal seal as compared to known metal seal crimping tools, improving the folding of the ends of the metal seal during the crimping process. This additional crimping can improve overall gripping of the strapping by the seal. 
         [0019]      FIG. 3  illustrates another aspect where opposing jaws may include cut out portions to facilitate an overlapping/interlocking of the jaws to increase a surface of the metal seal engaged by the jaws during crimping. More specifically, each of the first opposing pair  312  and  314  of the plurality of jaw units includes an end portion  352  and  354  having a cut out  362  and  364 . The cut out  362  of a first jaw unit  312  of the first opposing pair corresponds to the cut out  364  of the second jaw unit  314  such that the end portion  352  of first jaw unit  312  and the end portion  354  of the second jaw unit  314  interlock to effect the overlap across the metal seal during closing. 
         [0020]      FIG. 4  illustrates a still further aspect. The illustrated example jaw  412  has a body section  460  configured to be secured to the metal seal crimper via the through holes  462  and  464 . The body  460  has an inside edge  466  leading to the jaw-seal engagement portion  470 . The inside edge  466  bends inward toward the body following a first and inward curve  472 . The first and inward curve  472  transitions to a second and outward curve  474  away from the body  460  that follows an outward curve radius. The second and outward curve  474  transitions to a flat portion  476  disposed to compress a long edge of the metal seal during the movement of the handle of the crimping tool in which the jaw  412  is mounted. In one aspect, when the jaw  412  is disposed in a closed position in the metal seal crimper, at least a portion  475  of the second and outward curve  474  extends farther away from the metal seal than the flat portion  476 . This curling of the jaw downward toward the metal seal before transitioning to the flat portion  476  helps facilitate rolling over the lips of the metal seal ends, in particular the short flange end to be pinched over the long flange. So configured, a metal seal can be more reliably crimped around a set of strapping to seal and secure the strapping regardless of the orientation of the metal seal&#39;s short and long flanges with respect to particular jaws of the metal crimper. Accordingly, the risk of a seal or strapping failure caused by a user error in aligning a seal&#39;s short flange with particular jaws is reduced. 
         [0021]    Another example jaw design that effects overlap across the metal seal is illustrated in  FIGS. 5-7 . Here, instead of the jaw units having cut out portions to allow overlapping coverage over the metal seal, the jaw units have complimentary angled tips to allow the overlap.  FIGS. 5 and 6  illustrate complimentary jaw units  512  and  514 , respectively. The curved profile of the seal engaging portions of these jaw units  512  and  514  match that of the example jaw unit  412  illustrated in  FIG. 4  above. Accordingly,  FIG. 5  illustrates a jaw unit  512  with a body  511  having an inside edge  516  leading to the jaw-seal engagement portion  520 . The inside edge  516  bends inward toward the body following a first and inward curve  522 . The first and inward curve  522  transitions to a second and outward curve  524  away from the body  511  that follows an outward curve radius. The second and outward curve  524  transitions to a flat portion  526  disposed to compress a long edge of the metal seal during the movement of the handle of the crimping tool in which the jaw  512  is mounted. In one aspect, when the jaw  512  is disposed in a closed position in the metal seal crimper, at least a portion  525  of the second and outward curve  524  extends farther away from the metal seal than the flat portion  526 . This curling of the jaw downward toward the metal seal before transitioning to the flat portion  526  helps facilitate rolling over the lips of the metal seal ends, in particular the short flange end to be pinched over the long flange. The end portion profile of the jaw  512  includes an angled end portion  532 . The angled end portion  532  of the jaw  512  corresponds to an angled end portion of a second jaw unit of the opposing pair of jaws such that the end portions interlock to effect an overlap across the metal seal during closing. 
         [0022]      FIG. 6  illustrates a jaw unit  514  complimentary to the jaw unit  512  of  FIG. 5  such that they could form an opposing pair in a metal crimper. Like the jaw unit  512  of  FIG. 5 , the jaw unit  514  of  FIG. 6  has a body  561  having an inside edge  566  leading to the jaw-seal engagement portion  570 . The inside edge  566  bends inward toward the body following a first and inward curve  522 . The first and inward curve  572  transitions to a second and outward curve  574  away from the body  561  that follows an outward curve radius. The second and outward curve  574  transitions to a flat portion  576  disposed to compress a long edge of the metal seal during the movement of the handle of the crimping tool in which the jaw  514  is mounted. In one aspect, when the jaw  514  is disposed in a closed position in the metal seal crimper, at least a portion  575  of the second and outward curve  574  extends farther away from the metal seal than the flat portion  576 . This curling of the jaw downward toward the metal seal before transitioning to the flat portion  576  helps facilitate rolling over the lips of the metal seal ends, in particular the short flange end to be pinched over the long flange. The end portion profile of the jaw  514  includes an angled end portion  582 . The angled end portion  582  of the jaw  514  corresponds to the angled end portion  532  of the jaw  512  of  FIG. 5  such that jaw units  512  and  514  can comprise opposing jaw units in a metal seal in a configuration where the end portions  532  and  582  of the jaws  512  and  514  interlock to effect an overlap across the metal seal during closing. 
         [0023]      FIG. 7  illustrates an example metal seal crimper  701  using opposing jaw units  712  and  714  that comprise mirror images of those illustrated in  FIGS. 5 and 6 .  FIG. 7  illustrates how the end portions of the jaw units  712  and  714  interlock to fully overlap across a metal seal when the metal seal crimper  701  is in a closed, sealing position. The angled end portions  732  and  782  of the respective jaw units  512  and  514  complement each other to effect the interlocking overlap across the metal seal. As illustrated in  FIG. 7 , all the jaw units can include angled end portions to facilitate the interlocking overlap across the metal seal. So configured, the metal seal is contacted across its full width during the crimping process thereby improving the folding of the ends of the metal seal during the crimping process. This additional crimping can improve overall gripping of the strapping by the seal. 
         [0024]    Those skilled in the art will recognize that a wide variety of modifications, alterations, and combinations can be made with respect to the above described embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. For instance, any of the above aspects can applied to a known metal seal crimping tool alone or in any combination to improve different aspects of the crimping tool&#39;s performance. Such modifications, alterations, and combinations are to be viewed as being within the ambit of the inventive concept.