Refrigerant charging tool

A tool for use in dispensing fluid from a selected one of at least first, second and third differently shaped and sized containers into a refrigeration system, the tool comprising:

• a handle assembly including first and second pivotably attached handles, each of said handles having a grip portion and a container receiving portion, the first and second handles being separately formed from each other and pivotably attached via a hinged connection opposite the grip portion of each handle, each container receiving portion being generally semi-circular shaped, the first and second handles being releasably securable in a closed position by a locking device positioned between the first and second handle grip portions, and a container piercing member projecting inwardly from the first handle container receiving portion;
• and
• first and second interchangeable container spacers, each of the container spacers being adapted to releasably attach to the second handle container receiving portion and being configured to position a corresponding one of the at least first and second containers laterally away from the second handle container receiving portion and toward the container piercing member, the third container being operably receivable in the handle assembly when neither of the first and second spacers is attached to the second handle container receiving portion said first and second interchangeable container spacers having dual surfaces defining a single unit that engages inner and outer surfaces of said second handle container receiving portion.

A tool for dispensing fluid into a refrigeration system from a selected one of an industry standard R-134a refrigerant. container, an industry standard oil charge container and an industry standard R-12 refrigerant container, the tool comprising:

• a handle assembly including:
• first and second pivotably attached handles, each of said handles having a grip portion and a container receiving portion, the first and second handles being separately formed from each other and pivotably attached to each other via a hinged connection joining the container receiving portions to each other, each container receiving portion being generally semi-circular shaped, the first and second handles being releasably securable in a closed position by a locking device positioned between the first and second handle grip portions,
• a container piercing member molded within and projecting inwardly from the first handle container receiving portion, the piercing member being positioned between the hinged connection and the first handle grip portion, and positioned opposite the second handle container receiving portion, and
• a gasket disposed about the piercing member and received in a recess formed in an inner side surface of the first handle container receiving portion;
• multiple connections configured for interconnection to corresponding multiple refrigerant systems, each of the multiple connections being in fluid communication with the container piercing member, a first one of the connections being configured to connect to an R-134a refrigeration system, and a second one of the connections being configured to connect to an R-12 refrigeration system;
• and
• first and second interchangeable container spacers adapted to releasably attach to the second handle container receiving portion, the first container spacer being configured to position the oil charge container laterally away from the second handle container receiving portion and toward the piercing member, the first container spacer including an inner side surface complementarily shaped relative to the oil charge container, the second container spacer being configured to position the R-12 container laterally away from the second handle container receiving portion and toward the piercing member, the second container spacer including an inner side surface complementarily shaped relative to the R-12 refrigerant container, and the handle assembly being configured to operably receive the R-134a refrigerant container therein when neither of the spacers is attached to the second handle container receiving portion, and the second handle container receiving portion being radiused to receive the R-134a refrigerant container.