CIRCLIP PLIER TIPS

1 . A circlip pliers comprising:

a head section comprising a top jaw and a bottom jaw;

a handle section comprising a top handle and a bottom handle;

a joint assembly operably coupling the head section to the handle section; and

a tip assembly having a first tip disposed at a distal end of the top jaw and a second tip disposed at a distal end of the bottom jaw; and

wherein the first and second tips each comprise a base portion, a cylindrical body portion and a retention lip disposed at a distal end of the cylindrical body portion.

2 . The circlip pliers of claim 1 , wherein the cylindrical body portion comprises a first diameter and the retention lip comprises a second diameter, and

wherein the second diameter is larger than the first diameter.

3 . The circlip pliers of claim 2 , wherein the retention lip is frustoconical in shape.

4 . The circlip pliers of claim 3 , wherein the retention lip extends from the first diameter to the second diameter at an angle of approximately 30 degrees from the cylindrical body portion.

5 . The circlip pliers of claim 2 , wherein the first diameter is 85% to 95% of the second diameter.

6 . The circlip pliers of claim 5 , wherein the first diameter is 89% to 90% of the second diameter.

7 . The circlip pliers of claim 2 , wherein the first diameter is 85% to 95% of an American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) specification for tip diameter.

8 . The circlip pliers of claim 7 , wherein the first diameter is 87.8% to 89.5% of the ASME specification for tip diameter.

9 . The circlip pliers of claim 2 , wherein the second diameter is 100% to 125% of an American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) specification for tip diameter.

10 . The circlip pliers of claim 9 , wherein the second diameter is 109.7% to 119.5% of the ASME specification for tip diameter.

11 . The circlip pliers of claim 1 , wherein the cylindrical body portion comprises a first length and the retention lip comprises a second length, and wherein the second length is 10% to 25% of the first length.

12 . A tip assembly for circlip pliers having a head section comprising a top jaw and a bottom jaw, a handle section comprising a top handle and a bottom handle, and a joint assembly operably coupling the head section to the handle section, the tip assembly comprising:

a first tip disposed at a distal end of the top jaw; and

a second tip disposed at a distal end of the bottom jaw,

wherein the first and second tips each comprise a base portion, a cylindrical body portion and a retention lip disposed at a distal end of the cylindrical body portion.

13 . The tip assembly of claim 12 , wherein the cylindrical body portion comprises a first diameter and the retention lip comprises a second diameter, and

wherein the second diameter is larger than the first diameter.

14 . The tip assembly of claim 13 , wherein the retention lip is frustoconical in shape, and

wherein the retention lip extends from the first diameter to the second diameter at an angle of approximately 30 degrees from the cylindrical body portion.

15 . The tip assembly of claim 13 , wherein the first diameter is 89% to 90% of the second diameter.

16 . The tip assembly of claim 13 , wherein the first diameter is 85% to 95% of an American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) specification for tip diameter.

17 . The tip assembly of claim 16 , wherein the first diameter is 87.8% to 89.5% of the ASME specification for tip diameter.

18 . The tip assembly of claim 13 , wherein the second diameter is 100% to 125% of an American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) specification for tip diameter.

19 . The tip assembly of claim 18 , wherein the second diameter is 109.7% to 119.5% of the ASME specification for tip diameter.

20 . The tip assembly of claim 12 , wherein the cylindrical body portion comprises a first length and the retention lip comprises a second length, and

wherein the second length is 10% to 25% of the first length.