Patent Publication Number: US-8533940-B2

Title: Angled wire crimping tool

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to a wire crimping tool. More particularly, the present invention relates to an angled wire crimping tool. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Vehicles such as automobiles, trucks, planes, boats and trains have wiring harnesses in them. The wiring harness provides various functions including communications, power, control and electrical connections. Wire crimping tools having a straight crimping portion are used to service the wiring harness when a wire needs to be replaced or new connections made. In essence, the crimping tool can be used to remove insulations and to connect two or more wires together. The wiring harness, however, may be located in certain parts of the vehicle that are difficult to access. In cases where the wiring harness is difficult to reach, a crimping tool having a straight crimping portion may not work or is difficult to use to service the wiring harness. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide have a crimping tool having an angled crimping portion. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The foregoing needs are met, to a great extent, by the present invention, wherein in some embodiments an angled crimping tool having an angled crimping portion is provided. The crimping tool may have replaceable or adjustable angled crimping portions. 
     In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a crimping tool is provided, which can comprise a first and second handle located at a first end of the crimping tool, a pivoting portion coupling the first and second handles together, and an angled crimping portion at a second end of the crimping tool, the angled crimping portion having an angle relative to an axis of the pivoting portion. 
     In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a crimping tool is provided, which can include a first and second handle means located at a first end of the crimping tool, a pivoting means configured to couple the first and second handle means together, and an angled crimping means located at a second end of the crimping tool, the angled crimping means configured to have an angle relative to an axis of the pivoting means. 
     In accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention, a method of crimping a connector, which can include selecting a crimping tool having an angled crimping portion, placing the angled crimping portion with the connector, and crimping the connector with the angled crimping portion. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, certain embodiments of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof herein may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional embodiments of the invention that will be described below and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of embodiments in addition to those described and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein, as well as the abstract, are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
     As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a wire crimping tool having an angled crimping portion. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a wire crimping tool according to another embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates the wire crimping tool having a replaceable angled crimping portion according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates the wire crimping tool having an adjustable angled crimping portion. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The invention will now be described with reference to the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout. Embodiments in accordance with the present invention provide a wire crimping tool having an angled crimping portion and a method to service wire connections using the angled crimping portion. The wire crimping tool can be used to crimp different gauges of wire including 10 to 22 gauges. In other embodiments, the wire crimping tool can be used to crimp wire terminals. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a wire crimping tool  10  having an angled crimping portion  25 . The wire crimping tool  10  includes a first body  11 , a second body  15 , a handle portion  12 , a pivoting portion  14 , a pivot point  16 , and the angled crimping portion  25 . The wire crimping tool  10  may be made of any materials including steel, aluminum, and tin. The material chosen should be of a material of sufficient strength for the intended purpose of the wire crimping tool  10 . 
     The handle portion  12  is at one end of each of the bodies  11 ,  15  of the wire crimping tool  10  and is configured to interact with a user&#39;s hand. The handle portion&#39;s width may be larger than the rest of the wire crimping tool. The handle portion  12  may include an elastomeric covering to provide a better grip to the user&#39;s hand during use. The length of the elastomeric may be as long as the handle portion  12  or as short as desired by the user. The elastomeric covering can be any color and can be used to color code different crimping tools having, for example, different angles of the angled crimping portion  25 . Red can be used to let the user know that the crimping angle is 45 degrees, while blue can be used to signify the crimping angle being 60 degrees and so on. The second body  15  includes a stop  13  so that the first body  11  does not slide past the second body  15  during use. Alternatively, the stop  13  can also be placed on first body  11  for the same purpose. 
     The pivoting portion  14  includes the pivot point  16 , which is where the two bodies  11 ,  15  of the crimping tool are coupled together. This allows portions of the two bodies  11 ,  15  to pivot away from each other or to engage each other during use of the tool. The pivot point  16  includes a pivot pin  17  where the bodies rotate or pivot in relation to each other. 
     The angled crimping portion is constructed and designed to crimp and/or strip insulated and non-insulated terminals. The angled crimping portion  25  may include a first angled portion  18  and a second angled portion  20 . The first and second angled portions  18 ,  20  are angled in relation to the first and second bodies  11 ,  15  or the pivoting portion  14 . The first angled portion  18  can be angled at any degree in relation to the first and second bodies  11 ,  15  or pivoting portion including from about 1 to 120 degrees. The second angled portion  20  can be angled in relation to the first and second bodies  11 ,  15 , or the pivoting portion or the first angled portion  18  handle including from about 1 to 120 degrees. In various embodiments, the first and second angled portions  18 ,  20  can be in the same or different angles from each other. By having the first and second angled portions  18 ,  20  at various angles allow for more flexibility to use the wire crimping tool in various hard to reach places. Alternatively, the angled crimping portion  25  is one piece. That is the angled crimping portion is one continuous portion. Further, the angled crimping portion can be formed as one piece with the respective first and second bodies  11 ,  15 . That is the first end of the bodies  11 , 15  is relative flat and the second end is bent at angle relative to the first end. 
     In one embodiment, the first angled portion  18  is at the same angle as the first and second bodies  11 ,  15 , or pivoting position and the second angled portion  20  may be between about 1 to 120 degrees. By being angled at these degrees, wires that are unreachable or hard to reach with a straight crimping portion are easier to reach and easier to work with. 
     The second angle portion  20  includes a working portion  22 . The working portion  22  includes a teeth  24  and a receiving portion  26 . The connector or wire can be inserted between the teeth  24  and receiving portion  26  in order to be serviced. The teeth  24  and receiving portion  26  are constructed and designed to mate with each other. The working portion  22  can be used to remove insulation from the wire or to connect two or more wires together. There can be different teeth  24  and different receiving portion  26  as needed and the teeth and receiving portion may be of different sizes, shapes and features. The amount of teeth  24  and receiving portion  26  in the working portion can be as much as or as little as desired. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a wire crimping tool  30  according to another embodiment of the invention. The wire crimping tool  30  includes a first body  31 , a second body  35 , a handle portion  32 , a pivoting portion  34 , a pivot point (not shown), the angled crimping portion  35 . 
     The handle portion  32  is at one end of each of the bodies  31 ,  35  of the wire crimping tool  30  and is configured to interact with a user&#39;s hand. The handle portion  32  may include an elastomeric covering to provide a better grip to the user&#39;s hand during use. The length of the elastomeric may be as long as the handle portion  32  or as short as desired by the user. The elastomeric covering can be any color and can be used to color code different crimping tools having, for example, different angles of the angled crimping portion as discussed herein. The bodies  31 ,  35  may include a stripping portion  42  that includes holes formed when the bodies are pressed towards each other. The holes are sized for different gauges of wire. Markings of the gauge sizes may be marked next to the respective holes. 
     The pivoting portion  34  includes the pivot point (not shown), which is where the two bodies  31 ,  35  of the crimping tool  30  are coupled together. This allows portions of the two bodies  31 ,  55  to pivot away from each other or to engage each other during use of the tool. The pivot point includes a pivot pin  37  where the bodies rotate or pivot in relation to each other. 
     The angled crimping portion  35  may include a first angled portion  38  and a second angled portion  40 . The first and second angled portions  38 ,  40  are angled in relation to the first and second bodies  31 ,  35 , or the pivoting position  34 . The first angled portion  38  can be angled at any degree in relation to the first and second bodies  11 ,  15  including from about 1 to 120 degrees. The second angled portion  40  can be angled in relation to the first and second bodies  31 ,  35 , or the pivoting position  34 , or the first angled portion  18  handle including from about 1 to 120 degrees. In various embodiments, the first and second angled portions  38 ,  40  can be in the same or different degrees from each other. By having the first and second angled portions  38 ,  40  at various angles allows for more flexibility to use the wire crimping tool in various hard to reach places 
     In one embodiment, the first angled portion  38  is at the same angle as the first and second bodies  31 ,  35 , or the pivoting position  34 , and the second angled portion  40  may be between about 60 to 90 degrees. By being angled at these degrees wires that are unreachable or hard to reach with a straight crimping portion are easier to reach and easier to work with. 
     The second angle portion  40  includes a working portion  32 . The working portion  32  includes teeth  34  and receiving portions  36 . The wire or the connector can be inserted between the teeth  34  and receiving portions  36  in order to be serviced. The teeth  34  and receiving portion  36  are constructed and designed to mate with each other. The working portion  32  can be used to remove insulation from the wire or to connect two or more wires together. There can be different teeth  34  and different receiving portion  36  as needed and the teeth and receiving portion may be of different sizes, shapes and features. The amount of teeth  34  and receiving portion  36  can be as much as or as little as desired. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates the wire crimping tool  10  having replaceable angled crimping portion  25  according to an embodiment invention. In this embodiment, the wire crimping tool  10  can be constructed and arranged to have replaceable angled crimping portion  25 . The angled crimping portion  25  may include the first angled portion  18  and the second angled portion  20  as previously described. The tool  10  can include various angled crimping portions  25  (A-D) each having different angles. 
     The first angled portion  18  may in this embodiment may be flat or angled and may be split into two pieces, a first piece  58  integral with the angled crimping portion and a second piece  66  integral to the bodies  11 ,  15 . The first piece  58  and second piece  66  includes a fastener receiving portion  60  that receives a threaded portion of a bolt  52 . The bolt  52  secures the angled crimping portion  25  to the tool  10  when coupled with nut  56 . Optionally, there may be a washer positioned between the nut and the bolt for better coupling. Although a bolt and nut are discussed herein, the angled crimped portion may be friction fit with the crimping tool  10  or other fastening means can be used such as a screw, magnets, adhesive, and rivets. 
     In one embodiment, the first and second pieces  58  and  66  are coupled together by being next to each other. In another embodiment, the first piece  58  can be received within the second piece  66  or vice versa. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates the wire crimping tool  10  having movable angled crimping portion  25 . In this embodiment, the wire crimping tool  10  can be constructed and arranged to have adjustable angled crimping portion  25  including the ones shown as A-D in  FIG. 3 . The angled crimping portion  25  includes a first attachment portion  70  at an end. A first fastener receiving portion  72  is located in the middle of the first attachment portion  70 . A complementary second attachment portion  74  is located at an end of the bodies  11 ,  15 . The second attachment portion  74  includes a second fastener receiving portion  76 . Once the first and second attachment portions  70 ,  74  are coupled and the first and second fastener receiving portions  72 ,  74  are aligned with each other, then bolt  52  can be inserted into the first and second fastener receiving portions and secured with the nut  56 . In some embodiments, the nut can be a wing nut for easy adjustment of the angled crimping portion  25 . As an example, the wing nut can be rotated in a first direction to loosen its connection with the bolt, thereby, allowing the angle of the angled crimping portion to be adjusted by the user. Once the angled crimping portion is angled at the desired angle, then the wing nut can be rotated in a second direction to tighten its connection with the bolt, thereby, holding the angled crimping portion at the adjusted angle for use. 
     In this embodiment, the angled crimping portion  25  can be further angled at other angles. In other words, the angled crimping portion  25  can be manufactured at one angle, for example, 15 degrees and can further adjusted to further angles such as 30-90 degrees or any angle desired by the user. This way, the user can have any angle (of the angled crimping portion) desired to reach hard to reach places and have one crimping tool instead of many that fixed at various angles. This reduces costs to repair facilities. 
     In operation, the user can use the crimping tool to crimp electrical connectors at various angles. The crimping tool can be used to crimp wire terminals. The crimping tool can be manufactured with the angled crimping portion having fixed angles. The crimping tool can be manufactured with replaceable angled crimping portion having different angles. Alternatively, the crimping tool can be manufactured with adjustable angled crimping portion. With the crimping tools described herein, a user should be able to crimp connectors even at various angles that previously could not be reached with a straight crimping portion. 
     The many features and advantages of the invention are apparent from the detailed specification, and thus, it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such features and advantages of the invention which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and variations will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation illustrated and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.