Patent Publication Number: US-9425573-B2

Title: Crimping clamp

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a crimping clamp. More particularly, the present invention relates to a crimping clamp designed such that the user can quickly replace the jaw. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     There are many types of end connectors for connecting to one end of a wire. Therefore, a shape of a crimping groove of a tool for crimping the end of the wire and the end connectors must be diverse to fit the shapes of different end connectors. Therefore, the current crimping clamp on the market is designed such that the jaw can be changed according to the requirement of the user. 
     However, the clamp body and the jaw of the crimping clamp with a replaceable jaw are combined via a screw locking method. Therefore, when the user wants to replace the jaw, the user must use a screwdriver to remove the screw for replacing the jaw, which is not convenient for the user. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a crimping clamp for allowing the user to change the jaw quickly. 
     To achieve the abovementioned object, the crimping clamp of the present invention includes a pair of clamp bodies, a pair of jaws and a pair of fixed bars. Each of the clamp bodies includes a holder end and a head end. The head end is connected to the holder end. Each of the head ends of the pair of clamp bodies includes a pair of holes. The pair of holes of the head end of the same clamp body correspond to each other. Each jaw is removably combined with the head end of each of the clamp bodies. One side of each of the jaws includes a notch. The notch includes a containing end and a gap end, and a width of the gap end is less than a width of the containing end. Each fixed bar is respectively movably located in each of the pairs of holes. Each of the pair of fixed bars includes a free part and a fastening part, a width of the free part is less than the width of the gap end, and a width of the fastening part is greater than the width of the gap end but not greater than the width of the containing end. When the fastening part of each of the fixed bars is located on the containing end of each of the notches, and each of the fixed bars is fastened to each of the jaws, allowing the pair of jaws to combine with the head end of the pair of clamp bodies. When the free part of each of the fixed bars is located on the containing end of each of the notches, each of the fixed bars is not fastened to each of the jaws, allowing the pair of jaws to separate from the head end. 
     According to one embodiment of the present invention, the crimping clamp of the present invention further includes a pair of first stoppers. Each of the first stoppers is respectively connected to one end of the free part of each fixed bar, and a width of each first stopper is greater than an aperture of at least one hole of each of the pair of holes. 
     According to one embodiment of the present invention, the crimping clamp of the present invention further includes a pair of elastic elements. The pair of elastic elements is respectively connected to each of the fixed bars and located between each of the first stoppers and the head end of each of the clamp bodies. Each of the elastic elements is used for respectively providing an elastic force to each of the fixed bars. 
     According to one embodiment of the present invention, the crimping clamp of the present invention further includes a pair of second stoppers. Each of the second stoppers is respectively connected to one end of the fastening part of each of the fixed bars. A width of each of the second stoppers is greater than the aperture of each hole. 
     According to one embodiment of the present invention, the abovementioned apertures of the pair of corresponding holes are different. The aperture of the hole with the smaller aperture is greater than the width of the free part but less than the width of the fastening part. 
     According to one embodiment of the present invention, the width of the abovementioned first stopper is greater than the aperture of the hole with the smaller aperture but less than the aperture of the hole with the larger aperture. 
     According to one embodiment of the present invention, the width of the abovementioned first stopper is greater than the aperture of each hole. 
     According to one embodiment of the present invention, two side walls next to the abovementioned notch of each of the jaw are substantially extended outwardly with an equal length, allowing the gap end of the notch to form a guiding rail. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a side view of the crimping clamp of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates an exploded perspective view of the crimping clamp of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a schematic drawing of the jaw of the crimping clamp of another embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a schematic drawing of the fixed bar of the crimping clamp of another embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5A  illustrates a schematic drawing of the fixed bar which is fastened to the jaw. 
         FIG. 5B  illustrates a schematic drawing of the fixed bar which is not fastened to the jaw. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the accompanying drawings, which disclose several embodiments of the present invention. It is to be understood that the drawings are to be used for purposes of illustration only, and not as a definition of the invention. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 4  about the structure of the crimping clamp of the present invention. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , in one embodiment of the present invention, the crimping clamp  1  of the present invention includes a pair of clamp bodies  10 , a pair of jaws  20 , a pair of fixed bars  30 , a pair of first stoppers  40 , a pair of second stoppers  50  and a pair of elastic elements  60 . 
     In one embodiment of the present invention, each of the clamp bodies  10  includes a holder end  11  and a head end  12 . The head end  12  is connected to the holder end  11 . The head end  12  of each clamp body  10  includes a pair of holes  121 ,  123 . The pair of holes  121 ,  123  of the head end  12  of the same clamp body  10  correspond to each other. An aperture of the hole  123  is greater than that of the corresponding hole  121 . Thus, the apertures of the two corresponding holes  121 ,  123  are different, but the present invention is not limited to the design. The apertures of two holes  121 ,  123  can also be the same. 
     Each of the jaws  20  is demountably combined with the head end  12  of each clamp body  10 . In one embodiment of the present invention, one side of each jaw  20  includes a notch  21 , and the other side of each jaw  20  includes a crimping notch  22 . Each notch  21  includes a containing end  211  and a gap end  212 . A width of the gap end  212  is less than that of the containing end  211 , and the two side walls next to the notch  21  are substantially extended outwardly with an equal length, allowing the gap end  212  of the notch  21  to form a guiding rail. The guiding rail is used for allowing the user to quickly combine the jaw  20  with the head end  12  of the clamp body  10 . It is to be known that, in the notch  21  of the jaw  20  of the crimping clamp  1  of the present invention, the gap end  212  may not need to form the guiding rail, but the design of the notch  21  can also be as shown in  FIG. 6 . Two side walls next to the notch  21  may be extended outwardly with different equal lengths. When two jaws  20  are combined with the head end  12  of the clamp body  10 , then via the clamping of the head ends  12  of two clamp bodies  10 , the crimping notch  22  of the two jaws  20  can be correspondingly combined to form a crimping groove, and the crimping groove can be used for crimping the wire and the connector (not shown in the figure). 
     The fixed bars  30  are respectively movably disposed in each of the pair of holes  121 ,  123 . In one embodiment of the present invention, the fixed bar  30  includes a free part  31  and a fastening part  32 . A width of the free part  31  is less than that of the gap end  212 . The fastening part  32  is connected to the free part  31 . A width of the fastening part  32  is greater than that of the gap end  212  but less than that of the containing end  211 . Thus, the width (or the size) of the fastening part  32  is greater than the width (or the size) of the free part  31 . 
     Each of first stoppers  40  is respectively connected to one end of the free part  31  of each fixed bar  30 . A width of the first stopper  40  is greater than the aperture of the holes  121 ,  123 , or it can be greater than the aperture of the hole  121  but less than the aperture of the hole  123 . The first stopper  40  is used for preventing the whole fixed bar  30  from separating from each of the holes  121 ,  123  and separating from the clamp body  10 . 
     Each of the second stoppers  50  is respectively connected to one end of the fastening part  32  of each fixed bar  30 . A width of each second stopper  50  is greater than the apertures of every hole  121 ,  123 . The second stopper  50  is also used for preventing the whole fixed bar  30  from separating from each hole  121 ,  123  and separating from the clamp body  10 . It is to be known that, if the width of the fastening part  32  of the fixed bar  30  is greater than the aperture of the hole  121 , the second stopper  50  can be omitted (as shown in  FIG. 4 ). 
     Each of the elastic elements  60  is respectively connected to the free part  31  of each fixed bar  30 , and disposed between the first stopper  40  and the head end  12  of the clamp body  10 . Each of the elastic elements  60  is used for respectively providing an elastic force to each fixed bar  30 . Therefore, when the jaw  20  is combined with the head end  12  of the clamp body  10 , the fastening part  32  of each fixed bar  30  can continue to be located in the containing end  211  of each notch  21  because of the elastic force, allowing the jaw  20  to remain combined with the head end  12  of the clamp body  10 . In one embodiment of the present invention, the elastic element  60  of the present invention is a tension spring, but the present invention is not limited to that design. 
     Finally, please refer to  FIG. 5A  and  FIG. 5B  about removing the jaw of the crimping clamp of the present invention, and also refer to  FIG. 2 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 5A , when the jaw  20  is combined with the head end  12  of the clamp body  10 , as in the abovementioned description, and since the elastic element  60  applies the elastic force to the fixed bar  30 , the fastening part  32  of the fixed bar  30  will continue to be located in the containing end  211  of the notch  21 . Since the width of the fastening part  32  of the fixed bar  30  is greater than the width of the gap end  212  of the notch  21 , the jaw  20  will be fastened by the fixed bar  30 . When the user wants to remove the jaw  20  from the clamp body  10 , the user only needs to press the first stopper  40  of the fixed bar  30  (as shown by the arrow Fl in  FIG. 5B ) to cause the fastening part  32  of the fixed bar  30  to leave the containing end  211  of the notch  21 , and the free part  31  of the fixed bar  30  to be located on the containing end  211 . At this moment, since the width of the free part  31  is less than the width of the gap end  212  of the notch  21 , the jaw  20  will not be fastened by the fixed bar  30 , such that the jaw  20  can be separated from the head end  12  of the clamp body  10  (as shown by the arrow F 2  in  FIG. 5B ). 
     Via the abovementioned description, the jaw  20  of the crimping clamp  1  of the present invention is fastened by the movable fixed bar  30 , so there is no need to use any tool to assemble or disassemble the jaw  20 , which can eliminate the inconvenience of using a screw to lock the jaw  20  of the crimping clamp  1 . 
     It is noted that the above-mentioned embodiments are only for illustration. It is intended that the present invention cover modifications and variations of this invention provided they fall within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents. Therefore, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the structure of the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.