Rotary power tool

• US 20060258274A1
• Filed: 04/19/2006
• Published: 11/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Makita Corporation
• Original Assignee: Makita Corporation
• Inventors: Hirabayashi, Shinji, Sugiura, Shin, Oki, Sadaharu
• Granted Patent: US 7,217,178 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 451/358
• CPC Class Codes: B25F 5/006 Vibration damping means
• CPC Class Codes: B25F 5/02 Construction of casings, bodies or handles B25F5/006, B25F5/008 take precedence

Abstract

In order to provide an effective technique in simplifying the vibration-proof structure of a handle equipped in a rotary power tool, a representative rotary power tool 101 is provided with a tool body 103, a rotary-disk shaped tool bit 115, a handle 109, a pivot region 121 and an elastic element 129. The handle 109 coupled to the tool body 103 is disposed in a predetermined initial position in which the handle 109 longitudinally extends parallel to the longitudinal direction of the tool body 103. The handle 109 can rotate with respect to the tool body 103 around the pivot region 121 in any direction crossing the longitudinal direction of the tool body 103. The elastic element 129 is disposed between the tool body 103 and the handle 109 to apply a biasing force to the handle 109 such that the elastic element 129 biases the handle 109 to return to the initial position.

Claims

1. A rotary power tool comprising:

a tool body,

a rotary-disk shaped tool bit having a rotating surface, the tool bit performs a predetermined operation on a workpiece by a rotating movement around a rotating axis that extends perpendicular to the rotating surface, wherein the tool bit is disposed on one tip end region of the tool body such that the rotating axis extends to cross the longitudinal direction of the tool body,

a handle coupled to the tool body at the end region of the tool body opposite to the region where the tool bit is mounted, the handle is disposed in a predetermined initial position in which the handle longitudinally extends parallel to the longitudinal direction of the tool body,

a pivot region provided between the tool body and the handle, wherein the handle rotates with respect to the tool body around the pivot region in any direction crossing the longitudinal direction of the tool body and

an elastic element disposed between the tool body and the handle, the elastic element applying a biasing force to the handle rotated around the pivot region with respect to the tool body such that the elastic element biases the handle to return to the initial position.

2. The rotary power tool as defined in claim 1, wherein the handle is prevented from moving relative to the tool body in the longitudinal direction of the handle.

3. The rotary power tool as defined in claim 1, wherein the elastic element is disposed between the tool body and the handle in a region closer to the tool body than the pivot region and wherein the elastic element applies a biasing force to the handle by being compressed and/or stretched between the handle and the tool body when the handle rotates relative to the tool body around the pivot region.

4. The rotary power tool as defined in claim 1, wherein the pivot region comprises a spherical portion provided on any one of the tool body and the handle and a spherical concave portion provided on the other of the tool body and the handle to engage with the spherical portion such that the concave portion relatively rotates with respect to the spherical portion.

5. The rotary power tool as defined in claim 4 further comprising a motor disposed within the tool body to drive the tool bit, wherein a through hole is formed through the spherical portion in the longitudinal direction of the tool body and serves as a ventilation passage for introducing air to cool the motor into the tool body.

6. The rotary power tool as defined in claim 1, wherein the handle has a rotation preventing member that prevents the handle from rotating in the circumferential direction around the longitudinal axis of the tool body while allowing the handle to rotate around the pivot region with respect to the tool body.

7. The rotary power tool as defined in claim 1, wherein the tool bit is defined by a grinding wheel arranged such that the axis of rotation of the grinder wheel extends in a direction crossing the longitudinal direction of the tool body, wherein the handle is operated by the user of the rotary power tool to rotate in the circumferential direction around the longitudinal axis of the tool body such that the handle is disposed in any one of multiple rotating positions around the longitudinal axis of the tool body,

wherein the rotary power tool having a rotation preventing member that releasably prevents the handle from rotating around the longitudinal axis of the tool body from any one of the rotating position to the other rotating position, while allowing the handle to rotate around the pivot region with respect to the tool body.