Patent Publication Number: US-2021170562-A1

Title: Plier with Sockets

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/945,945 filed on Dec. 10, 2019. The above identified patent application is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety to provide continuity of disclosure. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to pliers with sockets. More particularly, the present invention pertains to a pair of pliers with sockets on each handle portion, wherein the sockets comprise different diameters. 
     Many individuals use a variety of tools on a job site or around the house. As some tasks are particularly suited for particular tools, individuals must often carry an entire set of tools to be prepared for a variety of tasks. Additionally, several tools may be required over the course of a single task. For example, individuals may find themselves needing to frequently exchange tools between a socket wrench and a pair of pliers over the course of the task. Carrying multiple tools can be particularly cumbersome, particularly if the task is in an elevated position. A user may be required to frequently climb and descend a ladder to retrieve the required tool at a particular moment. This can be exhausting, and repeated trips up and down a ladder risks slipping or falling from the ladder, potentially causing an injury. Furthermore, as these trips may be particularly tiresome, an individual may attempt to accomplish a particular task with a non-ideal tool. For example, an individual may opt to adjust a nut using a pair of pliers when a socket wrench would be ideal. Applying such forces to the nut with a pair of pliers may cause the tool to slip, most frequently risking injury to the individual&#39;s hands and knuckles. Therefore, a tool that combines multiple frequently required tools in one is desired. 
     In light of the devices disclosed in the known art it is submitted that the present invention substantially diverges in design elements from the known art and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing plier and socket systems. In this regard, the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of plier and socket systems now present in the known art, the present invention provides a plier with sockets wherein the same can be utilized for providing convenience for the user when interchangeably using pliers and sockets without needing to exchange or operate multiple separate tools. 
     The present system comprises a pair of plier members pivotally connected together, each plier member having a handle portion opposite a jaw portion. In some embodiments, a first socket is integrally affixed to a first handle portion and a second socket is integrally affixed to a second handle portion. The first and second socket each include a first and second socket opening, respectively, wherein a first diameter of the first socket opening and a second diameter of the second socket opening are different. In another embodiment, a connector is affixed to a lower end of each handle portion, wherein the connector is configured to removably secure one of a plurality of sockets thereto. Each of the plurality of sockets includes a receiver opposite the socket opening, wherein the receiver is configured to receive the connector therein. In either embodiment, each socket opening is oriented opposite the jaw portion. 
     In some embodiments, an outer diameter of each of the first and second sockets is identical. In another embodiment, each socket comprises an identical weight. In other embodiments, the pair of plier members are spring biased towards an open position, wherein a linear distance between the jaw portions is greater when in the open position. In yet another embodiment, the first and second handle portions comprise an arcuate shape. In some embodiments, an exterior surface of each of the first handle portion and the second handle portion comprises knurling thereon. In another embodiment, a recess is disposed within each jaw portion, wherein the recess is configured to engage a fastener. In other embodiments, the recess comprises an arcuate shape. In yet another embodiment, a plurality of teeth is disposed along the recess, the plurality of teeth extending between a front side and a rear side of each jaw portion. In some embodiments, a distal end of each jaw portion comprises a planar surface, wherein the planar surface of each jaw portion is configured to rest flush together when in a closed position. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manner in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout. 
         FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the plier with sockets. 
         FIG. 2  shows a lower plan view of an embodiment of the plier with sockets. 
         FIG. 3  shows an exploded view of an alternate embodiment of the plier with sockets. 
         FIG. 4  shows a close-up view of the jaw portion of an embodiment of the plier with sockets. 
         FIG. 5  shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the plier with sockets in use. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the plier with sockets. The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any respect. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a perspective view of an embodiment of the plier with sockets. The plier with sockets  11  comprises a pair of plier members  12  pivotally connected together to form a pair of pliers. Each plier member of the pair of plier members  12  comprises a handle portion  13  opposite a jaw portion  14 . In the illustrated embodiment, the handle portions  13  each comprise an arcuate shape configured to provide a comfortable and ergonomic grip, while also increasing the force applied by the jaw portions  14  when the handle portions  13  are closed. In some embodiments, the handle portions  13  are spring biased towards an open position, wherein the open position a linear distance between each of the handle portions  13  and the jaw portions  14  is greater than when in the closed position. Furthermore, in the illustrated embodiment, the handle portions  13  each comprise knurling  25  on an exterior surface thereof, the knurling  25  configured to increase frictional engagement with a user&#39;s hand. In some embodiments, the knurling  25  extends along an entirety of the exterior surface, whereas, in the shown embodiment, the knurling  25  is disposed in a series of distinct and separate rows along the handle portions  13 . In this manner, less material is required to form the knurling  25  while still increasing frictional engagement with a user&#39;s hand. 
     A first socket  15  is disposed on a lower end of a first handle portion  16  of the pair of handle portions  13 . In the illustrated embodiment, the first socket  15  is integrally affixed to the first handle portion  16 , so as to increase structural integrity of the plier with sockets  11  as a whole. The first socket  15  comprises a first socket opening (as shown in  FIG. 2, 17 ), wherein the first socket opening is oriented opposite the jaw portion  14 . Similarly, a second socket  19  is disposed on a lower end of a second handle portion  20  of the pair of handle portions  13 . In the shown embodiment, the second socket  19  is integrally affixed to the second handle portion  20 . The second socket  19  comprises a second socket opening (as shown in  FIG. 2, 21 ), wherein the second socket opening is oriented opposite the jaw portion  14 . In this manner, the user can simply rotate the plier with sockets  11  to utilize the first and second sockets  15 ,  19  after utilizing the jaw portions  14  of the pliers. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , there is shown a lower plan view of an embodiment of the plier with sockets. As previously described, the first socket  15  and the second socket  19  each include a first socket opening  17  and a second socket opening  21 , respectively. A first diameter  18  of the first socket opening  17  comprises a different length than a second diameter  22  of the second socket opening  21 . In this manner, each of the first and second sockets  15 ,  19  can be utilized with differently sized fasteners, such as nuts, thereby reducing the number and weight of tools required in order to perform various construction tasks. In the illustrated embodiment, an outer diameter  23  of each of the first and second sockets  15 ,  19  is identical, such that the plier with sockets is relatively balanced during use. Similarly, in some embodiments, a weight of each of the first and second sockets  15 ,  19  is identical to ensure that the plier with sockets is balanced. Alternatively, in another embodiment, the outer diameter  23  of each of the first and second sockets  15 ,  19  is different, such that the user can visually identify a size of each of the first and second socket openings  17 ,  21  at a glance. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , there is shown an exploded view of an alternate embodiment of the plier with sockets. In the illustrated embodiment, the first and second sockets  15 ,  19  are removably securable to the first and second handle portions  16 ,  20 , respectively. A first connector  33  is affixed to a lower end of the first handle portion  16 , and a second connector  34  is affixed to a lower end of the second handle portion  20 , wherein the first and second connectors  33 ,  34  are configured to selectively engage the first socket  13  and the second socket  19  respectively. Each of the first and second sockets  15 ,  19  includes a receiver  35  therein opposite each socket opening. The receiver  35  is configured to selectively engage each of the first and second connectors  33 ,  34  to secure the first and second sockets  15 ,  19  to the pair of plier members. In some embodiments, the first and second connectors  33 ,  34  include a ball-detent mechanism configured to selectively engage the receiver  35 , whereas, in alternate embodiments, the receiver  35  is configured to magnetically engage each of the first and second connectors  33 ,  34 . In some embodiments, the first and second sockets  15 ,  19  are selected from a plurality of available sockets, each having a different socket opening diameter, such that the user can select a necessary socket for a particular task. In this manner, the user need not be restricted to two particular socket sizes and can readily interchange each of the first and second sockets  15 ,  19  for alternative sockets. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 4 , there is shown a close-up view of the jaw portion of an embodiment of the plier with sockets. In the illustrated embodiment, each of the jaw portions  14  includes a recess  26  configured to frictionally engage a fastener along an interior surface thereof. In the shown embodiment, the recess  26  comprises an arcuate shape configured to conform to the substantially rounded shape of nuts, bolts, and other fasteners. In the illustrated embodiment, the recess  26  further comprises a plurality of teeth  28  therein, wherein the plurality of teeth  28  extend transversely across the recess  26  between a front side and a rear side of each jaw portion  14 . In this manner, the plurality of teeth  28  are configured to increase the surface area in contact with a desired fastener and therefore increase frictional engagement therewith. Additionally, in the shown embodiment, a distal end  31  of each jaw portion  14  comprises a planar surface  32  wherein the planar surfaces  32  of the opposing jaw portions  14  are configured to rest flush together when in the closed position. In this manner, the planar surfaces  32  act as stoppers, preventing the fastener from sliding from within the grasp of the jaw portions  14 , Furthermore, the planar surface  32  provides a separately shaped interface for engaging a particular fastener, such as one having planar sides. In some embodiments, the planar surface  32  further comprises a textured surface to increase frictional engagement. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 5 , there is shown a perspective view of an embodiment of the plier with sockets in use. In one use, the plier with sockets  11  can be utilized to grasp and rotate objects or fasteners via the jaw portions as with traditional pliers. When a fastener  27  needs to be tightened, as typical with a traditional socket wrench, the user can simply alter the grip on the plier with sockets  11  to engage a first socket  15  or another socket with the fastener  27 . The user can then open the plier with sockets  11  such that the second handle portion  20  is disposed substantially perpendicular to the first handle portion  16 , thereby allowing the user to maximize the torque applied to rotating the fastener  27  within the first socket  15 . Once the fastener  27  is properly tightened, the user can then return to utilizing the jaw portions to grasp objects as necessary to complete a task. In some embodiments, the user can further exchange the first socket  15  with a separate socket having a different socket diameter to engage fasteners  27  of different sizes. In this way, the user can readily complete a task at a worksite without carrying a large number of tools or making several trips to a toolbox. 
     It is therefore submitted that the instant invention has been shown and described in various embodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, 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 the present invention. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention 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 invention.