Patent Publication Number: US-6704987-B1

Title: Tool used in combination with cable security device

Description:
Cable security terminators are used in the cable television industry to terminate existing cable ports at or near homes and businesses. The cable security terminator prevents the unauthorized establishing of a link between the cable port and the home or business, without paying the subscription fees. Cable security terminators are designed to require a special tool for installation or removal of the cable security terminator to or from the cable port. The cable security terminator has a cable port end and a tool end. The cable port end is the end which attaches to the cable port. The tool end is the end which receives the special tool to remove or install the cable security terminator. The tool end is a hollow cylinder which is part of a main body and leads to the center of the cable security terminator. Starting at the center of the cable security terminator is a rotatable unit within the main body that screws onto the cable port. One end of the rotatable unit near the tool end is a slotted end which includes two inside slots on an inside surface. The inside slots are for receiving an end of the special tool, which rotates the rotatable unit to screw or unscrew the rotatable unit on or off the cable port. Currently, there are tools on the market which include more than one moving part to mount the tool to the cable security, terminator and require more than one hand movement by the user. More moving parts equates to more chances the tool will break or malfunction. Also, any tool that requires less labor by the user is desirable to the user. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a tool for the removal and installation of a cable security terminator which reduces the amount of moving parts. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a tool which reduces the amount of movement by the user to remove or install a cable security terminator. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a terminator tool for installing or removing a cable security terminator. The terminator tool includes a handle, a shaft, a retaining pin and a spring member. The shaft is hollow and extends from the handle. The shaft includes a pin hole to receive the retaining pin, a handle end and a terminator end. The handle end is the end inserted and secured into the handle. The terminator end includes two ear slots and receives the spring member. The terminator end is sized to fit into a tool end of the cable security terminator. Ears of the spring member extend from the ear slots of the shaft. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a terminator tool according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a terminator tool according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a cut-a-way view of a terminator tool before insertion into a cable security terminator according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 4 a cut-a-way view of a terminator tool during insertion into a cable security terminator according to the present invention; and 
     FIG. 5 a cut-a-way view of a terminator tool after insertion into a cable security terminator according to the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present invention is a terminator tool  10  for installing or removing a cable security terminator  12 , as shown in FIGS. 1-5. The terminator tool  10  includes a handle  14 , a shaft  16 , a retaining pin  18  and a spring member  20 , as shown in FIGS. 1-2. The shaft  6  is hollow and extends from the handle  14 . The shaft  16  includes a pin hole  22  to receive the retaining pin  18 , a handle end  26  and a terminator end  28 . The handle end  26  is the end inserted and secured into the handle  14 . The terminator end  28  includes two ear slots  30 . The terminator end  28  is sized to fit into a tool end  32  of the cable security terminator  12 . The spring member  20  includes a fastening end  34  and two legs  36 . The fastening end  34  includes a fastening hole  38  to receive the retaining pin  18 . The two legs  36  extend from the fastening end  34  and each leg  36  includes an ear  40  extending outward from each leg  36 . The two legs  36  are flexible in relation to the fastening end  34  and the legs  36  can be flexed toward each other. The spring member  20  is inserted into the terminator end  28  of the hollow shaft  16 , until the fastening hole  38  is aligned with the pin hole  22  and the ears  40  slide into the ear slots  30 . The retaining pin  18  is inserted into pin hole  22  and the fastening hole  38  to retain the spring member  20  in the shaft  16 . The retaining pin  18  is usually of a roll pin variety. The ears  40  are angled or rounded on a front corner  42  and a rear corner  44 , so there are no sharp corners on the ears  40 . The ears  40  extend outward from the ear slots  30 . 
     The use of the terminator tool  10  with the Cable security terminator  12  is shown in FIGS. 3-5 and is as follows. The user grasps the handle  14  of the terminator tool  10  and inserts terminator end  28  of the terminator tool  10  into the tool end  32  of the cable security terminator  12 . The insertion of the terminator end  28  is allowed due to the shape of the front corners  42  of the ears  40  and the flexing of the legs  36  toward each other, due to the force of pushing the terminator tool  10  in the cable security terminator  12 . As the terminator end  28  is initially inserted into the tool end  32 , the legs  36  and ears  40  flex toward each other, as the ears  40  are pushed into the shaft  16  due to the contact between the ears  40  and the tool end  32 . The terminator tool  10  is inserted until the ears  40  enter into a slotted end  46  of a rotatable unit  48  of the cable security terminator  12  and snap into inside slots  50 . Twisting of the terminator tool  10  when the ears  40  are in the slotted end  46  may be necessary to snap the ears  40  into the inside slots  50 . Once the ears  40  are in the inside slots  50 , the terminator tool  10  is rotated by the handle  14 , which in turn rotates the rotatable unit  48 , due to the interlocking of the ears  40  and the inside slots  50 . To remove the terminator tool  10 , the user simply pulls the terminator tool  10  away from the cable security terminator  12 . The terminator tool  10  is allowed to be removed due to the shape of the rear comers  44  of the ears  40 , in which the force of pulling on the terminator tool  10  forces the legs  36  and ears  40  toward each other and the ears  40  snap out of the inside slots  50 . 
     While different embodiments of the invention have been described in detail wherein, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and alternatives to the embodiments could be developed in light of the overall teachings of the disclosure. Accordingly, the particular arrangements are illustrative only and are not limiting as to the scope of the invention which is to be given the full breadth of any and all equivalents thereof.