Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application is related to Ser. No. 11/301,896, entitled Multiple Connector Compression Tool and Method, filed on Dec. 13, 2005 and is hereby incorporated by reference. 
   FIELD OF INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to compression tools for attaching connectors onto wires, cables and the like. More particularly, the present invention relates to a compression tool for use with multiple sized connectors and related method of affixing a connector to a cable or wire. 
   BACKGROUND 
   The electronics, telecommunications, and cable television industries have used a variety of cables and wires to perform various jobs. Each cable or wire has various size and shaped connectors based upon either an industry standard or in some cases a proprietary manufacturing standard. The industry has used compression tools to attach various size and types of connectors onto wires. The norm has been to use a compression tool having a universal compression head and then attaching an appropriate adapter to attach a connector of a specific length, diameter or other dimension. 
   This type of compression tool with an adjustable adapter to vary connector size is compact because it is designed to fit only one connector at a time. This is great for ease of handling and storage. Initially, in the early stages of a universal compression tool&#39;s life span the tool works as intended, but there are many drawbacks as the tool ages. One drawback is that the adapters can be lost or damaged. Another drawback is that depending on the design the additional moving parts create wear, looseness of the insert and eventual failure of the compression tool. The instant invention addresses the abovementioned drawbacks of the universal connector compression tool. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   A connector compression tool that has provisions for producing at least two different connectors permanently designed into the head to avoid the deficiencies of adapters in the form of looseness, wear and loss of adapters. The tool contains at least two or more compression channels to fit the desired connectors permanently designed into the body of the tool to avoid the prior tool deficiencies. 
   One embodiment is a multiple connector compression tool for use with multiple sized connectors and a cable, said compression tool comprising a body having an upper portion, a lower portion, a first side and a second side; an actuator, wherein the actuator is movably attached to the upper portion of the body; a first compression chamber that is operatively coupled and positioned proximate to the actuator, and configured for receiving a first cable connector of a first dimension; a second compression chamber that is operatively coupled and positioned distal to the actuator, and configured for receiving a second cable connector of a second dimension, said second cable connector being a different dimension than the first cable connector; and a first cable receiving portion, operably associated with the first compression chamber, wherein when a coaxial cable is positioned in the first cable receiving portion, a connector of a first dimension may be compressed thereon by force from the actuator; and a second cable receiving portion, operably associated with the second compression chamber, wherein when a coaxial cable is positioned in the second cable receiving portion, a connector of a first dimension may be compressed thereon by force from the actuator. 
   In another embodiment a multiple connector size compression tool comprises a body having a top, a bottom, a first side and a second side each side having a guidance portion therein; a handle, wherein the handle is pivotally attached to the body between the first side and the second side; a transfer element; a sliding head having a protruding component, wherein the protruding component of the sliding head is both retained and movable within the guidance portion of the body and the transfer element transmits force from the handle to the sliding head; an upper compression channel portion configured to receive a connector of a first dimension; a lower compression channel portion configured to receive a connector of a second dimension different than the first dimension; and a cable cradle having an upper cable receiving portion and a lower cable receiving portion, wherein the cradle is affixed to the body between the first side and the second side. 
   Another aspect of the present invention is a method of affixing a cable connector to a wire comprising: providing a body having a top, a handle attached to the top of the body, a sliding head having a protruding component that is slidably affixed to the body and operably coupled to the handle, a upper compression portion of the sliding head for receiving a connector of a first dimension, a lower compression portion of the sliding head for receiving a connector of a second dimension larger than the first dimension, and a cable cradle affixed to the body; providing a cable connector; providing a wire; inserting the cable connector and the wire onto an appropriately sized driver tip in the body; moving the sliding head to drive the cable connector onto the wire forming a connector cable; and, removing the connector cable from the body. 

   
     DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
     The following figures displays one possible manifestation of the claimed invention, one skilled in the art could modify the invention as claimed into many equivalent forms having similar functions and elements, but having a different shape or form. 
       FIG. 1  displays a top perspective view of the first end of the tool; 
       FIG. 2  displays a cross-sectional side perspective view of the tool; 
       FIG. 3  displays a cross-sectional side perspective view of the tool with connector end; 
       FIG. 4  displays a top perspective view of the second end of the tool; 
       FIG. 5  displays a top perspective view of the second end of the tool with the handle raised; and 
       FIG. 6  displays a top perspective view of the first end of the tool with the handle raised. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   A multiple connector size compression tool  100  for at least two or more different sized or types of connectors is shown in  FIGS. 1-6  that may comprise a body  10  having an upper portion  11 , a lower portion  12 , a first side  13  and a second side  14 . The compression tool  100  can be used while handheld or while resting on a surface, such as a table. The compression tool  10  has vertically offset connectors  11 ,  12  within the body  100 . Alternatively, the connectors  11 ,  12  may be referred to as adapters, couplers, or fastener members or devices. The configuration for receiving the connectors  11 ,  12  is permanently designed into the compression mechanism of the tool  100  to prevent the previous deficiencies such as looseness or misplacement of the adapters to fit various sizes. This allows for a simple tool with adaptability for multiple connectors without the problems associated with a unit designed for all possible connectors. 
   Attached to the body  10  may be an actuator, lever or handle  15  (see  FIGS. 1-6 ), wherein the handle  15  is movably attached  16  to the upper portion  11  of the body  10 . The downward movement of the handle  15  moves or linearly translates a sliding head  25 , wherein the head may be movably affixed  30  to the body  10  between either the first side  13  and/or the second side  14  of the body  10  and configured to be operatively coupled to the handle  15 . The handle  15  moves the sliding head  25  so that the force of moving the handle  15  against the body  10  may cause the sliding head  25  to translate within the interior of the body  10  from a first uncompressed position to a second compressed position. The sliding head  25  may also be advanced with a transfer element device  70  such as hydraulics, electronics or a mechanical advantage device such as a gear, screw, lever or handle to move the sliding head  25  with sufficient force to compress the connector onto the wire. The lever or handle  15  may have a material used for a grip or other ergonomic design (not shown) for ease of handling and comfort of the user. The lever or handle  15  may be movably attached to the sides or walls  13 ,  14  of the body  100  by any of a number of devices such as a bar, catch, coupling, dowel, fastener, key, lag, latch, peg, pin, rivet, rod, screw, skewer, sliding bar, spike, staple, or stud. The body  10  could be any rigid material such as metal, composites, polymers or plastic that will not torsionally flex during the compression process. The body  10 , may be stamped, cut, shaped, finished, machined, forged, cold worked, heat treated or assembled with conventional fasteners, such as stamps, welds, adhesive, rivets, pins, screws, nails and the like. If made of a plastic, polymer or composite the body may be molded and either adhered or glued, welded or mechanically or chemically fastened together. The tool is not limited to any specific material as long as it is sufficiently stiff to prevent flexing or breaking of the body  10  for a period of time to permit a useful life of the tool. A first cable connector  101  and a second cable connector  102  are shown within the compression tool  100 . 
     FIG. 4  displays the upper compression chamber portion  40  that may be adjacent to the actuator or handle  15 . The upper or first compression chamber  40  may be configured for receiving a connector of a first dimension  101 . The lower or second compression chamber  45  is adjacent to the bottom  12  of the body  10  for receiving a connector of a second dimension  102  different than the first dimension  101 . The tool may be opened by raising the handle and retracting the sliding head  25  a sufficient distance to expand the compression chamber  40 ,  45  so that at least one connector and a wire or cable can be inserted uncompressed into the connector within one of the compression chambers  40 ,  45 . The first and second dimensions can be the same or any two different sized connectors that are defined, at least in part, by the shape and dimensions of the sliding head  25 . The compression chambers  40 ,  45  are formed by the space created between the body  10  and the sliding head  25 . The compression chambers  40 ,  45  may be fully compressed when the handle  15  is substantially flushed with the body  10  or at the end of its travel. The compression chamber volume is dependent on the specific type of connector and largely controlled by the shape and end position of the sliding head  25  or the body  10 . 
     FIGS. 1 ,  3  and  4 - 6  show a cable cradle  50  having an upper cable receiving portion  52  and a lower cable receiving portion  54 , wherein the cable cradle  50  may be affixed to the body  10 . The cable cradle  50  may help to align and hold the cable during the process of attaching the cable connector end onto the wire. The cable cradle  50  may also serve to receive the end of a connector and the cradle  50  remains stationary during the compression process so that the connector is compressed onto the cable from the movement of the sliding head  25 . 
   In  FIG. 3  a protruding component  30  may be affixed to the sliding head  25  and configured to be operatively coupled either directly or indirectly such as linkage  70  with the handle  15 . The protruding component  30  works in conjunction with a receiving portion  35  that is positioned within at least one side of the body  10 . The receiving portion accepts the protruding component  30  of the head  25  to secure the sliding head  25  to the body. The linkage portion  70  moves the protruding component  30  within the receiving portion  35  so that the sliding head  25  moves toward the cable cradle  50  compressing the cable connector onto the wire. A hinge  60  pivotally affixes the handle  15  to the body  10 . The linkage portion  70  can be a rod, screw, piston, hydraulics, electrical motor, air piston, or any other force generating and/or transferring device suitable for inclusion. 
     FIG. 4  displays a first compressed length  65  that corresponds to the upper compression channel portion  40  of the head  25  and a second compressed length  66  that corresponds to the lower compression channel portion  45  of the head. The compressed lengths  65 ,  66  are controlled by the dimensions of the specific connector. The connector dimensions are designed into and controlled by the sliding head  25  and the receiving portion  35 . The sliding head  25  is limited from further travel beyond the desired connector compressed length  65 ,  66 . To further control the movement of the sliding head  25  a stop can be part of the receiving portion  35 . The toggle lever  70  also may be stopped by a toggle contact  72  on the sliding head  25  that may block further travel of the handle  15  as an additional optional feature. 
     FIG. 4  also displays a first driver tip  80  for the upper compression channel portion  40  of the sliding head  25  for receiving the connector of the first dimension. The driver tip  80 , which is a hollow tube, pipe, conduit, rod or any other device with a hole or spacing device to both protect the connector center electrode or post and to transmit the compression force from the sliding head  25  to the connector. The embodiment may also includes at least one additional driver tip or a second driver tip  82  for the lower compression channel portion  45  of the sliding head  25  for receiving the connector of the second dimension. The driver tips are received by the sliding head  25  by driver tip receivers  81 ,  83  to center and guide the driver tip or are formed integrally into the sliding head  25  itself. The driver tips  80 ,  82  that can be of the same or different diameters and lengths transmit the force from the sliding head  25  onto the connector to compress the connector onto the wire. The driver tips  80 ,  82  may alternatively be incrementally or infinitely adjustable by expanding and/or contracting the length of the driver tips  80 ,  82  through devices that would telescope or notches, pegs, ratchets or the like. The driver tips  80 ,  82  may be integral or separate parts. 
     FIGS. 1-6  display an embodiment of the multiple connector size compression tool  100  that can be made out of a metal, rigid plastic or similarly performing material that comprise a body  10  having a top  11 , a bottom  12 , a first side  13  and a second side  14  each side having a guidance portion  35  therein that can act to both control the direction and length of the stroke of the tool  100 . This tool  100  may be made in a form designed to portably fit within the grasp of a users single hand, but if desired by the user, three, four, five or more connectors compression channels can be designed to be present in the tool  100 . The tool  100  could be either permanently or removably affixed to a user&#39;s workstation, desk, or other stationary or semi-stationary fixture. 
   The tool  100  has a handle  15 , wherein the handle  15  may be pivotally attached to the body  10  to either the first side  13 , the second side  14  or to both sides and the handle  15  is attached to an linkage element  70  that actuates sliding head  25 . The optional linkage element  70  may aid in the speed of reloading the tool with an uncompressed connector because the sliding head retracts creating a larger compression chamber when the handle  15  is raised. The linkage  70  is any force transferring or generating device such as a rod, gear, pistons either hydraulic or pneumatic amongst other commonly know elements as discussed herein. The connectors are compressed onto the desired wire of the appropriate length by a sliding head  25  having an affixed protruding component  30 , wherein the protruding component  30  of the sliding head  25  may be both retained and movable within the guidance portion  35  of the body  10 . The guidance portion  35  can either be a groove, a valley formed between two raised surfaces or just a trough of sufficient depth to receive the guidance portion  35  or other similar features. The protruding component  30  can be anything that may operate with the guidance portion  35 . When the protruding component  30  is a post it can be used to assemble and retain the sliding head  25  within the body  10  by passing the post through the guidance portion  35  of the body  10  into the head  25  to be moveably affixed. The sliding head  25  can also alternatively be guided by the body if the walls of the body were assembled around the sliding head during production so that after assembly the only path for movement of the sliding head  25  would be linear and the linkage  90  would control the length of travel. 
     FIG. 4  displays a toggle lever  70  that is a linkage that is operable with the handle  15  that may work in conjunction with a portion of the body  10  and the sliding head  25  may be used to limit the travel of the handle  15  to prevent over-compression and crushing of the connector. This feature of the toggle lever  70  and a toggle contact  72  on the sliding head  25  may be used in conjunction with the guidance portion  35  of the body  10  to limit the travel to a certain desired point. The guidance portion  35  could also be placed on the sliding head  25  and the protruding component  30  could be affixed to either the handle  15  or the body  10  in an alternative method such as a bar, catch, coupling, dowel, fastener, key, lag, latch, peg, pin, rivet, rod, screw, skewer, sliding bar, spike, staple, or stud. 
   To compress the connector, the body  10  forms an upper compression channel portion  40  configured to receive a connector of a first dimension and at least one lower compression channel portion  45  configured to receive a connector of a second dimension typically different than the first dimension. The sliding head  25  is driven toward a cable cradle  50  having an upper cable receiving portion  52  and a lower cable receiving portion  54 , wherein the cradle may be affixed to the body  10  between the first side  13  and the second side  14 . 
   The handle  15  may also alternatively with an angled portion  20  contact a portion of the sliding head  25  to move the sliding head  25  from uncompressed to compressed positions or the handle  15  may use the mechanical advantage of the linkage element  70  to move the handle  15  from an uncompressed ( FIGS. 5 and 6 ) to compressed position ( FIG. 1-4 ). The contact between the guide portion and the protruding component  30  is a surface to surface contact, but optionally a bearing  32  can be disposed over the protruding component  30  such as a post of the sliding head  25 . The bearing  32  would reduce the friction and wear between the two surfaces and provide for smoother movements when moving in conjunction with the guidance portion  35  that may be a groove. 
   The connector may be pressed on by a driver trip  80 ,  82  that can be permanently affixed within the sliding head  25  or removable for replacement due to wear. The type of connector that can be compressed may be defined by a first compressed length  65  and/or diameter that corresponds to the upper compression channel portion  40  of the head. The second compressed length  66  and/or diameter that corresponds to the lower compression channel portion  45  of the head  25  may facilitate multiple connectors to be compressed by the same tool without the use of adapters. 
   A method of affixing a cable connector to a wire comprises providing a body  10  having a top  11 , a handle  15  that may be coupled to a linkage or toggle lever  70 , wherein the handle  15  is attached to the top  11  of the body  10 . This body  10  is configured to have the capacity to produce at least two different dimensioned connectors. The body  10  houses a sliding head  25  having a protruding component  32  that is slidably affixed to the body  10  and in contact with the angled portion  20  of the handle  15 , to allow movement of the sliding head  25 . The sliding head  25  and body  10  form an upper compression portion  40  of the sliding head  25  for receiving a connector of a first dimension, a lower compression portion  45  of the sliding head for receiving a connector of a second dimension larger than the first dimension, and a cable cradle  50  affixed to the body  10 . It should be understood that although a cradle  50  is depicted other shapes and devices may be within the purview of the present invention such as a fastener, catch, clasp, grip, lock, snap, vice, clamp, hole, guide, opening, aperture, cavity, chamber, cleft, cut, dent, depression, dimple, dip, gap, keyhole, lacuna, notch, orifice, outlet, or passage. The importance of the cradle  50  is for the purpose of holding or guiding the cable or wire during assembly of the connector. Once the correct tool is provided the next step is providing a cable connector and a wire start by inserting the cable connector and the wire onto an appropriately sized driver tip in the body  10 . After inserting the uncompressed cable the next step is moving the sliding head  25  to drive the cable connector onto the wire forming a connector cable by means of either a handle or other means of mechanical leverage before removing the connector cable from the body. 
   The tool  100  can compress, attach or affix two or more different sized connectors individually, consecutively or simultaneously compress and produce two cables by providing a second, third, fourth, etc. cable connector and a second, third, or fourth, etc. wire and then inserting the second cable connector and second the wire onto an appropriately sized driver tip in the body before compressing the handle. Therefore embodiments of the present invention allow for either faster production or the option of producing two different sized connectors without using an adapter. 
   While this invention has been described in conjunction with the specific embodiments outlined above, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the preferred embodiments of the invention as set forth above are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims. The claims provide the scope of the coverage of the invention and should not be limited to the specific examples provided herein.

Technology Category: 4