Back to results
US 6,311,399 B1Granted
Multi-pin air release tool and method
Assignee3M Innovative Properties Company
InventorsRonald S. Steelman, John R. David
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Tools and methods for releasing air entrapped between sheeting material and a substrate around a rivet are disclosed. The tools include movable pins biased outwardly by a resilient member. As a result, the pins can retract when encountering a discontinuity on an otherwise planar surface, such as a rivet, while still allowing for perforation of the sheeting around the rivet.
Claims20
An air-release tool for the application of sheeting to a surface, the tool comprising:
- a handle;
- a face;
- a plurality of pins protruding from the face, each pin of the plurality of pins being mounted for movement along an axis and biased in a first direction along the axis, wherein the plurality of pins are arranged on the face in an annular ring that has an inner radius and an outer radius, wherein at least one of the pins is located on an inner edge of the annular ring and at least one of the pins is located on an outer edge of the annular ring, and further wherein a radial distance between the inner radius and the outer radius is greater than the thickness of one of the pins;
- and
- at least one resilient member biasing the plurality of pins in the first direction.
2 more elements
An air-release tool for the application of sheeting to a surface, the tool comprising:
- a handle;
- a face having a center;
- a plurality of pins protruding from the face, each pin of the plurality of pins being mounted for movement along an axis and biased in a first direction along the axis, wherein the plurality of pins are arranged on the face in at least two different distances from the center of the face;
- and
- at least one resilient member biasing the plurality of pins in the first direction.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.