POWER TOOL WITH BASE CLAMP

• US 20090145521A1
• Filed: 12/02/2008
• Published: 06/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Black & Decker Corporation (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.), Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Black & Decker Corporation (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Inventors: Carroll, Craig A., Wall, Daniel P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,900,662 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 144/135.200
• CPC Class Codes: B25F 5/02 Construction of casings, bodies or handles B25F5/006, B25F5/008 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B27C 5/10 Portable hand-operated wood-milling machines; Routers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 409/306608 End mill [e.g., router, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 409/309912 including relatively movable components and means to relatively immobilize these components

Abstract

A power tool includes a motor assembly, a base assembly, and a clamp assembly coupled to the motor assembly or the base assembly to selectively provide a retention force to the other to removably couple the motor assembly and the base assembly. The clamp assembly includes a handle member, a fulcrum member, and a biasing lever member. The lever member includes a first portion and a second portion disposed on opposite sides of the fulcrum member. The handle member is coupled to the first portion, and the handle member is movable between an open and closed position. The handle member rotates the first and second portions of the biasing lever member about the fulcrum member when moving from the open to the closed position, causing the second portion of the lever member to provide the retention force.

Claims

1. A power tool comprising:

a motor assembly;

a base assembly; and

a clamp assembly coupled to one of the motor assembly and the base assembly to selectively provide a retention force to the other of the motor assembly and the base assembly to removably couple the motor assembly and the base assembly, the clamp assembly including a handle member, a fulcrum member, and a biasing lever member, the biasing lever member including a first portion and a second portion disposed on opposite sides of the fulcrum member, the handle member coupled to the first portion of the biasing lever member, the handle member movable between an open position and a closed position, the handle member rotating the first and second portions of the biasing lever member about the fulcrum member when moving from the open position to the closed position, causing the second portion of the biasing lever member to provide the retention force to removably couple the motor assembly and the base assembly, and the handle member rotating the first and second portions of the biasing lever member about the fulcrum member when moving from the closed position to the open position, causing the second portion of the biasing lever member to reduce the retention force.

2. The power tool of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the biasing lever member is longer than the second portion.

3. The power tool of claim 1, wherein the handle member rotates and resiliently deflects the biasing lever member when moving from the open position to the closed position, causing the second portion of the biasing lever member to provide the retention force.

4. The power tool of claim 1, further comprising an adjustment member movably coupled to the one of the motor assembly and the base assembly, the adjustment member being movable relative to the one of the motor assembly and the base assembly to change an amount of the retention force provided by the biasing lever member when the handle member is in the closed position.

5. The power tool of claim 4, wherein the one of the motor assembly and the base assembly defines an axis, and wherein the adjustment member is positionally adjustable in a direction transverse to the axis to change the amount of the retention force provided by the biasing lever member.

6. The power tool of claim 5, further comprising a set screw that adjustably couples the adjustment member to the one of the motor assembly and the base assembly.

7. The power tool of claim 4, further comprising a pin that is fixedly coupled to the one of the motor assembly and the base assembly and that is received in an aperture of the adjustment member to couple the adjustment member to the one of the motor assembly and the base assembly.

8. The power tool of claim 4, wherein the adjustment member includes a rounded pivot surface, and wherein the one of the base assembly and the motor assembly includes a pivoting indent that receives and pivotally supports the pivot surface.

9. The power tool of claim 1, wherein the one of the motor assembly and the base assembly defines an axis, wherein the handle member includes a cam surface and the clamp assembly includes a support surface, the cam surface camming against the support surface, thereby pulling the first portion of the biasing lever member away from the axis to rotate the first and second portions of the biasing lever member about the fulcrum, thereby causing the second portion of the biasing lever member to provide the retention force.

10. The power tool of claim 1, further comprising a clamp pad coupled to the second portion of the biasing lever member, the clamp pad selectively abutting the other of the base assembly and the motor assembly to apply the retention force and removably couple the base assembly and the motor assembly.

11. The power tool of claim 10, wherein the one of the base assembly and the motor assembly includes an aperture that receives the clamp pad.

12. The power tool of claim 11, wherein the clamp pad includes a tapered support surface, wherein the one of the base assembly and the motor assembly includes a tapered support surface on a periphery of the aperture, and wherein the tapered support surface of the clamp pad abuts against the tapered support surface of the one of the base assembly and the motor assembly to limit movement of the clamp pad out of the aperture.

13. The power tool of claim 11, wherein the clamp pad includes a flange disposed outside the one of the base assembly and the motor assembly, wherein the flange at least partially overlaps a periphery of the aperture.

14. The power tool of claim 1, wherein the one of the motor assembly and the base assembly includes a flange, and wherein the fulcrum member is fixed to the flange.

15. The power tool of claim 1, further comprising a pin coupled to the handle member, the handle member rotating about an axis defined by the pin, wherein the first portion of the biasing lever member includes a hook that is coupled to the pin.

16. The power tool of claim 1, wherein the one of the motor assembly and the base assembly defines an axis, and the biasing lever member is disposed between the axis and the fulcrum member.

17. A router comprising:

a motor assembly;

a base assembly defining an aperture and an axis; and

a clamp assembly coupled to the base assembly to selectively provide a retention force to removably couple the motor assembly and the base assembly, the clamp assembly including a handle member with a pin coupled thereto, a fulcrum member fixed to the base assembly, a biasing lever member with a first portion having a hook coupled to the pin, an adjustment member movably coupled to the base assembly, and a clamp pad coupled to a second portion of the biasing member and being received by the aperture, the first and second portions of the biasing lever member disposed on opposite sides of the fulcrum member, the first portion of the biasing lever member being longer than the second portion, the handle member rotatable about an axis defined by the pin between an open position and a closed position, the handle member camming against the adjustment member when rotating from the open position to the closed position to thereby moving the pin away from the axis, pulling the hook away from the axis, and rotating the first and second portions of the biasing lever member about the fulcrum member, thereby resiliently deflecting the biasing lever member, thereby biasing the clamp pad against the motor assembly to provide the retention force, the adjustment member being movable relative to the motor assembly to change an amount of the retention force provided by the biasing lever member when the handle member is in the closed position.

18. The router of claim 17, wherein the clamp pad includes a flange disposed outside the base assembly, and wherein the flange at least partially overlaps a periphery of the aperture.

19. The router of claim 17, wherein the base assembly defines an axis, and the biasing lever member is disposed between the axis and the fulcrum member.