Patent Application
20070045353
The present invention relates to assembly tools. More particularly, the present invention relates to an assembly tool for fabricating or repairing fluid lines. Still more particularly, the invention relates to the assembly of fluid lines for motor vehicles.
Fluid lines typically require a variety of tools and a great deal of effort to fabricate. At a minimum, a clamping tool is needed to securely hold the line in place while another tool is used to insert a second component into the line. Existing line fabrication tools are similar in concept and design to a typical caulking gun. One such tool is the K-Line® AT3610 Nylon Fuel Line Fitting Connector Tool. K-Line's® AT3610 is basically a caulk gun modified to include a series of sub-assemblies for holding a fitting and driving it into fuel line. Each time a different fuel line or fitting is required, one or more of these sub-assemblies must be modified or interchanged to accommodate the variation(s). Since modifying and interchanging these sub-assemblies requires additional tools, line assembling with these caulk-gun-like tools can consume large amounts of time and effort.
Accordingly, it is desirable to have a tool that is easily adaptable to fittings and fluid lines of various shapes and sizes and requires minimal time and effort to arrange and implement.
The present invention is a tool for assembling a fluid line. The tool comprises a handle having a mounting face and a drive mechanism, a draw bar, a first holder, and a second holder. The first holder is connected to the draw bar and clamps a work piece in position along a longitudinal axis. The second holder holds a work piece in position with the longitudinal axis. The drive mechanism draws the first and second holders towards each other and assembles the work pieces.
A more detailed understanding of the invention may be had from the following description of the preferred embodiments, given by way of example and to be understood in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:
Referring to
The first holder 104 is preferably connected to the draw bar 108 with an appropriate fastening means, such as with a thumb screw 105, through an aperture 101 in the draw bar 108. The thumb screw 105 is preferably extended through a non-threaded opening 120 in the portion of the first holder 104 positioned on one side of the draw bar aperture 101 until it passes through the draw bar aperture 101 and engages a threaded aperture 122 in the portion of the first holder positioned on the opposite side of the draw bar aperture 101. When connected, the holder 104 is positioned along a longitudinal axis A. The second holder 106 is mounted to the mounting face 103 in position with the longitudinal axis A and aligned with a desired location on the first holder 104.
In a preferred embodiment, the first holder 104, as illustrated in
Each of the first plurality of apertures 203-1, 203-2, 203-3 is generally circular and has a different diameter for securing a particularly-sized fluid line. A portion of each aperture 203-1, 203-1, 203-1 is grooved at 212-1, 212-2, 212-3, respectively, to provide a gripping surface for securing a line. These grooves 212-1, 212-2, 212-3 provide a uniform compression means that firmly secures the line without crushing or deforming it. The non-grooved portions 213-1, 213-2, 213-3 of the apertures 203-1, 203-2, 203-3 have a slightly larger diameter than the grooved portions 212-1, 212-2, 212-3. These enlarged portions 213-1, 213-2, 213-3 provide room for a secured line to expand while being drawn over the barbs of a fitting.
The second plurality of apertures 205 define complementary openings that receive the draw bar 108. These apertures 205 are used to selectively secure the first holder 104 to the draw bar 108 in a desired vertical position relative to the line-securing apertures 203-1, 203-2, 203-3 about the longitudinal axis A and aligned with the second holder 106.
The line-securing blocks 202, 204 may be secured together by any appropriate means, such as with the thumb screws 210 shown in
Tightening the thumb screws 210 provides the means for securing a line in one of the line-securing apertures 203-1, 203-2, 203-3. The thumb screws 210 may have fully threaded shafts, as shown in
Referring now to
The rear portion of the second holder 106 defines a complementary mounting slot 309 for receiving the mounting face 103, thereby providing a means for securely attaching the second holder 106 to the tool handle 102 without requiring the use of additional tools.
An alternate second holder 406, illustrated in
The rear portion 402 of the holder 406 is preferably an angle block that defines a complementary mounting slot 407 that receives a mounting face 103, which provided a means for securely connecting the second holder 406 to the tool handle 102 without requiring the use of additional tools.
The cradling portion 404 of the second holder 406 is preferably composed of a non-slip, resilient material, such as urethane rubber with a derometer measurement of 95 Shore A, and has a contoured inside surface that forms a cradling pocket for holding elbowed fittings in position aligned with the first holder 104.
The clamping mechanism 420 of the holder 406 preferably comprises an angled clamp plate 422, a guide dowel 424, and a tightening means, such as a thumb screw 426.
An elbowed fitting is secured in the holder 406 by first placing the fitting in the cradling portion 404. The clamp plate 422 is then slid over the guide dowel 424 through an aperture 425 in the clamp plate 422 until a front portion of the clamp plate 422 contacts the fitting. In a preferred embodiment, the front portion of the clamp plate 422 is angled downwardly to urge the fitting into the cradling portion 404. Once the fitting and clamp plate 422 are in position, the thumb screw 426 is passed through aperture 423 and engaged in the threaded aperture 410. The height, and hence, the amount of compression exerted on the clamp plate 422 is adjusted along the dowel 424 by tightening and loosening the thumb screw 426.
For securing smaller elbow fittings, a cradling insert 450 may optionally be inserted into the cradle portion 404 of the second holder 406, as illustrated in
Referring now to
The rear portion 502 comprises a U-shaped bracket having opposed lateral sides 506. These lateral sides 506 define at least one aperture 513 for securing the line-securing blocks 505, 507 to the rear portion 502 in a desired position aligned with the first holder 104. The blocks 505, 507 are opposed and when secured together, such as with a thumb screw 511, as previously described, the blocks 505, 507 define a plurality of generally circular apertures 509-1, 509-2, 509-3 for securing fluid lines of various sizes. A portion of each aperture 509-1, 509-2, 509-3 is grooved at 510-1, 510-2, 510-3, respectively, to provide a gripping surface for securing a fluid line to be fitted with a fitting. These grooves 510-1, 510-2, 510-3 provide a uniform compression means that firmly secures a line without crushing or deforming it. The non-grooved portions 512-1, 512-2, 512-3 of the apertures have a slightly larger diameter than the grooved portions 510-1, 510-2, 510-3. These enlarged portions 512-1, 512-2, 512-3 provide room for a secured line to expand while being drawn over the barbs of a fitting.
Referring now to
It should be noted that the various embodiments of the second holders described above are preferably interchangeable with one another. Further, since each adapter has a mounting slot for slidedly engaging the mounting face 103, no additional tools are required to interchange these holders.
Although the features and elements of the present invention are described in the preferred embodiments in particular combinations, each feature or element can be used alone without the other features and elements of the preferred embodiments or in various combinations with or without other features and elements of the present invention.
