Patent Publication Number: US-2022226967-A1

Title: Connector Tool Assembly

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
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     THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
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     INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM 
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     STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Field of the Invention 
     The disclosure relates to tool devices and more particularly pertains to a new tool device for compressing solar panel connectors together. The tool comprises a pair of pliers that has a pair of grips, each having a slot therein, for compressing a pair of solar panel connectors together. 
     (2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98 
     The prior art relates to tool devices including a variety of pliers that each has elongated elements coupled to respective jaws of the pliers. In each instance the elongated elements are structurally unique from each other. In no instance does the prior art disclose a pair of pliers that includes elongated elements being coupled to respective jaws of the pliers and a pair of grips that are coupled to respective elongated elements. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a pair of pliers and a pair of members that is each coupled to a jaw associated with a respective one of the pliers. A pair of grips is provided and each of the grips is coupled to a respective one of the members. Each of the grips has a slot extending therethrough to accommodate a conductor of a respective one of a pair of solar panel connectors having the solar panel connectors positioned between the grips. Each of the grips is urged toward each other when the pair of pliers is manipulated into a closed position. In this way each of the grips compresses the solar panel connectors into a connected condition. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
       The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a connector tool assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a left side view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a top view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a front view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure showing a pair of solar panel connectors being unseated from each other. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure showing a pair of solar panel connectors being seated with each other. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS. 1 through 6  thereof, a new tool device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 6 , the connector tool assembly  10  generally comprises a pair of pliers  12  that each comprises a handle  14  and a jaw  16 , and the jaw  16  associated with each of the pliers  12  has a distal end  18 . The handle  14  each of each of the pair of pliers  12  is pivotally coupled together at a pivot point  20 . In this way the jaw  16  associated with each of the pair of pliers  12  can be urged toward or away from each other when the handle  14  of each of the pair of pliers  12  is manipulated. The handle  14  of a respective one of the pliers  12  has a slot  22  integrated therein and the pivot point  20  is slidable along the slot  22 . In this way the distance between the jaw  16  associated with each of the pliers  12  can be adjusted. The pair of pliers  12  may comprise a pair of channel lock pliers or other type of pliers that has an adjustable width. 
     A pair of members  24  is provided and each of the members  24  is coupled to the jaw  16  associated with a respective one of the pliers  12 . Additionally, each of the members  24  is oriented to extend in opposite directions from each other. Each of the members  24  has a first end  26 , a second end  28  and an outer surface  30  extending therebetween, and the outer surface  30  has a top side  32  and a bottom side  34 . The bottom side  34  of the outer surface  30  of each of the members  24  is coupled to the distal end  18  of the jaw  16  associated with the respective pliers  12  at a point that is located adjacent to the first end  26  of the members  24 . Each of the members  24  is oriented to extend along a line that is oriented perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the jaw  16  associated with the respective pliers  12 . Additionally, the first end  26  of each of the members  24  is directed toward each other, and each of the members  24  may have a length ranging between approximately 1.0 inches and 2.0 inches. 
     A pair of grips  36  is provided and each of the grips  36  is coupled to a respective one of the members  24 . Each of the grips  36  has a slot  38  extending therethrough to accommodate a conductor  40  of a respective one of a pair of solar panel connectors  42  having the solar panel connectors  42  being positioned between the grips  36 . Each of the solar panel connectors  42  may be an MC4 connector that is commonly employed on photovoltaic panels for daisy chaining the photovoltaic panels together. Each of the grips  36  is urged toward each other when the pair of pliers  12  is manipulated into a closed position to compress the solar panel connectors  42  into a connected condition. 
     Each of the grips  36  has a first surface  44 , a second surface  46  and an outer edge  48  extending therebetween. The outer edge  48  of each of the grips  36  is continuously arcuate about a center point of the grips  36  such that each of the grips  36  has a disk shape. Each of the grips  36  has a hole  50  extending through the first surface  44  and the second surface  46 , and the hole  50  is centrally positioned on the grips  36 . The slot  38  in each of the grips  36  extends between the outer edge  48  and the hole  50 . Each of the grips  36  may have a diameter ranging between approximately 0.5 inches and 1.0 inch. 
     The outer edge  48  of each of the grips  36  is coupled to the top side  32  of the outer surface  30  of the respective member  24 . Additionally, the first surface  44  of each of the grips  36  is directed toward each other. Each of the grips  36  is oriented such that the slot  38  in each of the grips  36  extends along an axis that is oriented perpendicular to the top side  32  of the outer surface  30  of the respective member  24 . Moreover, each of the grips  36  is positioned adjacent to the second end  28  of the respective member  24 . 
     In use, the pair of pliers  12  is adjusted to a width sufficient to facilitate the solar panel connectors  42  to be positioned between each of the grips  36  having each of the conductors  40  on the solar panel connectors  42  being inserted into the slot  38  in a respective grip. The pair of pliers  12  is manipulated into a closed position such that the pair of grips  36  is urged toward each other. In this way the solar panel connectors  42  are compressed between the pair of grips  36  to engage each other in a connected condition. Moreover, the pliers  12  ensure that the solar panel connectors  42  are fully seated together when the solar panel connectors  42  are connected. 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.