Ball Joint Press Tool with Coupleable Adapters
AssigneeRobert Bosch GmbH
InventorsRobert Kochie, Robert Jensen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A ball joint press tool having at least one spring-plunger engageable with at least one adapter to releasably couple the adapter to the tool allowing for single handed placement of the tool regardless of orientation of the tool. The ball joint press tool has at least one adapter-receiving aperture and the spring-plunger has an adapter-engagement head, such as a ball, spring biased to at least partially extend into the adapter-receiving aperture on the tool. An adapter having a connecting projection defining a spring-plunger engaging detent, such as a groove, is insertable into the adapter-receiving aperture wherein the adapter-engagement head of the spring-plunger engages with the spring-plunger engaging detent.
Claims20
A ball joint press tool, comprising:
- a frame defining an adapter-receiving aperture having a first centroid and a press-assembly aperture having a second centroid, wherein the first and second centroids define a press axis, and the frame defining a spring-plunger aperture having an intersecting-end of the spring-plunger aperture intersecting a portion of the adapter-receiving aperture;
- a spring-plunger at least partially disposed in the spring-plunger aperture, the spring-plunger having an adapter-engagement head at least partially disposed within the spring-plunger aperture and at least partially extendable into the adapter-receiving aperture;
- a press assembly disposed in and extending through the press-assembly aperture configured to actuate along the press axis toward and away from the adapter-receiving aperture;
- and
- an adapter having a connecting projection defining a spring-plunger engaging detent, the connecting projection at least partially disposable within the adapter-receiving aperture wherein the adapter-engagement head of the spring-plunger is engageable with the spring-plunger engaging detent.
A ball joint press tool, comprising:
- a C-shaped frame having a first end and a second end, the first end defining a first adapter-receiving aperture having a first center point and the second end defining a press-assembly aperture having a second center point, the first and second center points of the apertures defining a press axis, and
- the C-shaped frame further defining a first spring-plunger aperture having a first intersecting-end intersecting a portion of the first adapter-receiving aperture;
- a first spring-plunger disposed in the first spring-plunger aperture, the first spring-plunger having a first spring disposed within the first spring-plunger aperture and a first ball at least partially disposed within the first spring-plunger aperture and spring biased by the first spring to extend at least partially into the first adapter-receiving aperture;
- a press assembly disposed in and extending through the press-assembly aperture having an adapter-receiving segment disposed between the first adapter-receiving aperture and the press-assembly aperture, the adapter-receiving segment defining a second adapter-receiving aperture and a second spring-plunger aperture having a second intersecting-end intersecting a portion of the second adapter-receiving aperture, and
- the adapter-receiving segment comprising a second spring-plunger disposed in the second spring-plunger aperture, the second spring-plunger having a second spring and a second ball, wherein the second spring is disposed within the second spring-plunger aperture, and the second ball at least partially disposed within the second spring-plunger aperture and spring biased by the second spring to extend at least partially into the second adapter-receiving aperture;
- and
- a first adapter and a second adapter, each having a respective a first and second connecting projection defining first and second spring-plunger engaging detents, the first and second connecting projections at least partially disposable within the first and second adapter-receiving apertures,
- wherein the first and second balls of the first and second spring-plungers are at least partially engageable with the first and second spring-plunger engaging detents to releasably couple the first and second adaptors to the ball joint press tool during use.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.