Patent Publication Number: US-2019184531-A1

Title: Hose clamp pliers

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a hose clamp pliers. 
     Description of the Prior Art 
     A conventional hose clamp is ring-shaped and has two leg portions crossing each other. To loosen the hose clamp, the leg portions have to be moved toward each other by usually a clamping device. 
     Typical hose clamp pliers are shown in patents TW M253450, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,634,258, and 6,736,031. The hose clamp pliers includes a pliers and a clamping device connected by a tube and a wire in the tube. The clamping device has two clamping elements which are movable with respect to each other. The two clamping elements are connected to the tube and the wire respectively. The two clamping elements are adapted for the leg portions of the hose clamp to abut against. When the wire is pulled by the pliers, the two clamping elements are moved toward each other to clamp the hose clamp so that the hose clamp is loosened. 
     However, it is difficult to put the leg portions of the hose clamp right on the two clamping elements in a narrow space. Besides, during the operation, the leg portions of the hose clamp may slip to move toward the spring biased between the two clamping elements so that the spring may be damaged, and that the operation fails. 
     In addition, the conventional clamping elements have complicated shapes and are difficult to manufacture. Also, the cost is high. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The main object of the present invention is to provide a hose clamp pliers which is able to prevent the hose clamp from touching the spring and is able to clamp the hose clamp firmly. 
     To achieve the above and other objects, a hose clamp pliers of the present invention includes a pliers assembly and a clamping device. 
     The pliers assembly includes a first handle, a second handle, and a linkage bar assembly. The first handle has a first end and a second end. The second handle has a third end and a fourth end. The first handle is pivotally connected to the third end of the second handle with the first end thereof. The linkage bar assembly is pivotally arranged between the first handle and the second handle. The clamping device includes an outer tube, a wire, a first clamping element, and a second clamping element. An end of the outer tube is connected to the first end of the first handle, and an other end of the outer tube is connected to the first clamping element. The wire is inserted through the outer tube. Two ends of the wire extend exceeding two ends of the outer tube. One of the two ends of the wire is pivotally connected to the linkage bar assembly, and the other one of the two ends of the wire is inserted through the first clamping element to connect to the second clamping element. A spring is sleeved onto the wire to be biased between the first clamping element and the second clamping element so that the first clamping element and the second clamping element tend to move away from each other. A clamping space is defined between the first clamping element and the second clamping element. The first clamping element has a first stopping portion. The second clamping element has a second stopping portion. The first stopping portion includes a first stopping wall and a second stopping wall. The second stopping portion includes a third stopping wall and a fourth stopping wall. The first stopping wall and the third stopping wall face each other. The second stopping wall extends toward the second stopping portion. The fourth stopping wall extends toward the first stopping portion. A junction between the first stopping wall and the second stopping wall and a junction between the third stopping wall and the fourth stopping wall are adapted for two leg portions of a hose clamp to abut against respectively. 
     The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, which show, for purpose of illustrations only, the preferred embodiment(s) in accordance with the present invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a partial breakdown drawing of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a partial stereogram of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a partial breakdown drawing of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a partial lateral view of the present invention; 
         FIGS. 5 and 6  are illustrations of operation of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Please refer to  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 6 , the hose clamp pliers of the present invention includes a pliers assembly  10  and a clamping device  20 . 
     The pliers assembly  10  includes a first handle  11 , a second handle  12 , and a linkage bar assembly  13 . The first handle  11  has a first end and a second end. The second handle  12  has a third end and a fourth end. The first handle  11  is pivotally connected to the third end of the second handle  12  with the first end thereof. The linkage bar assembly  13  is pivotally arranged between the first handle  11  and the second handle  12 . 
     The clamping device  20  includes an outer tube  21 , a wire  22 , a first clamping element  23 , and a second clamping element  24 . An end of the outer tube  21  is connected to the first end of the first handle  11 , and an other end of the outer tube  21  is connected to the first clamping element  11 . The wire  22  is inserted through the outer tube  21 . Two ends of the wire  22  extend exceeding two ends of the outer tube  21 . One of the two ends of the wire  22  is pivotally connected to the linkage bar assembly  13 , and the other one of the two ends of the wire  22  is inserted through the first clamping element  23  to connect to the second clamping element  24 . A spring  25  is sleeved onto the wire  22  to be biased between the first clamping element  23  and the second clamping element  24  so that the first clamping element  23  and the second clamping element  24  tend to move away from each other. A clamping space is defined between the first clamping element  23  and the second clamping element  24 . The first clamping element  23  has a first stopping portion  231 . The second clamping element  24  has a second stopping portion  241 . The first stopping portion  231  includes a first stopping wall  2311  and a second stopping wall  2312 . The second stopping portion  241  includes a third stopping wall  2411  and a fourth stopping wall  2412 . The first stopping wall  2311  and the third stopping wall  2411  face each other. The second stopping wall  2312  extends toward the second stopping portion  241 . The fourth stopping wall  2412  extends toward the first stopping portion  231 . A junction between the first stopping wall  2311  and the second stopping wall  2312  and a junction between the third stopping wall  2411  and the fourth stopping wall  2412  are adapted for two leg portions  31  of a hose clamp  30  to abut against respectively. 
     In the present embodiment, the first stopping wall  2311  and the third stopping wall  2411  are parallel to each other and both are perpendicular to an extending direction of the spring  25 . The second stopping wall  2312  and the fourth stopping wall  2412  are parallel to the extending direction of the spring  25 . That is, each of the first clamping element  23  and the second clamping element  24  is L-shaped. In addition, the first clamping element  23  and the second clamping element  24  have sections parallel to each other and slidably arranged. Thus, the movement path of the second clamping element  24  is restricted. 
     Specifically, the first stopping wall  2311  is formed with at least one aperture  23111 , and the second stopping wall  2312  is formed with at least one protrusion  23121 . The protrusion  23121  is inserted into the aperture  23111  in a tight-fit manner. 
     Similarly, the third stopping wall  2411  is formed with at least one aperture  24111 , and the fourth stopping wall  2412  is formed with at least one protrusion  24121 . The protrusion  24121  is inserted into the aperture  24111  in a tight-fit manner. As a result, the first clamping element  23  and the second clamping element  24  are easy to manufacture and assemble. Besides, the second stopping wall  2312  and the fourth stopping wall  2412  are staggered so that the second stopping wall  2312  and the fourth stopping wall  2412  never contact each other when the second clamp element  24  is moved toward the first clamp element  23 . 
     In other possible embodiments, each of the first stopping portion and the second stopping portion can be a groove. The first and the third stopping walls are the bottom faces of the grooves, and the second and the fourth stopping walls are the lateral walls of the grooves opposite to the spring. 
     About the details of the linkage bar assembly  13 , the linkage bar assembly  13  includes a long bar  131  and a short bar  132 . The first handle  11  is formed with an elongated sliding groove  111  near the second end. One end of the long bar  131  is pivotally connected to an intermediate portion of the second handle  12 , and an other end of the long bar  131  is pivotally connected to a sliding pin  133  which is slidably arranged in the sliding groove  111 . One end of the short bar  132  is pivotally connected to the sliding pin  133 , and an other end of the short bar  132  is pivotally connected to the wire  22 . Besides, an elastic element  14  is biased between the first handle  11  and the second handle  12  so that the first handle  11  and the second handle  12  tend to move away from each other. Thereby, when gripping the first handle  11  and the second handle  12 , the wire  22  is pulled back due to the linkage bar assembly  13 , and the second clamping element  24  is pulled toward the first clamping element  23 . 
     Generally, the hose clamp pliers is often used in a narrow space, so it is difficult to make the leg portions of the hose clamp positioned on the clamping device. In the present invention, the second stopping wall and the fourth stopping wall can prevent the leg portions of the hose clamp from touching the spring to damage it. 
     In addition, the first, the second, the third, and the fourth stopping walls are manufactured from metal sheets respectively, and the second and the fourth stopping walls are fixed to the first and the third stopping walls by tight-fit. Thus, the manufacture is extremely easy and quick, and the cost is reduced. 
     In conclusion, the second and the fourth stopping walls are able to block the leg portions of the hose clamp from moving toward the spring. Thus, the spring may not be damaged by the hose clamp. On the other hand, the clamping device is easy to manufacture and assemble so that the cost can be reduced.