Electric power tool

• US 20090160371A1
• Filed: 12/24/2008
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Electric Works Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Electric Works Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Inagaki, Kenichiro, Sekino, Fumiaki, Yamada, Yutaka
• Granted Patent: US 7,980,320 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 318/12
• CPC Class Codes: B25F 5/001 Gearings, speed selectors, clutches or the like specially adapted for rotary tools

Abstract

An electric power tool includes a motor, a reduction mechanism, a driving unit, a bearing unit, a housing, a speed changing unit, a power switch, and an operation detecting unit which detects a reduction ratio changing operation performed by the speed changing unit to control electric power supplied to the motor. The reduction mechanism transfers the rotating power of the motor, and the driving unit transfers the rotating power of the reduction mechanism to a tip end tool. The bearing unit rotatably supports the driving unit, and the housing accommodates the motor, the reduction mechanism, the driving unit and the bearing unit. The speed changing unit changes a reduction ratio of the reduction mechanism, a power switch for turning on and off a power source of the motor.

Claims

1. An electric power tool comprising:

a motor as a driving power source;

a reduction mechanism for transferring the rotating power of the motor, the reduction mechanism having two or more gear stages;

a driving unit for transferring the rotating power of the reduction mechanism to a tip end tool;

a bearing unit for rotatably supporting the driving unit;

a housing for accommodating the motor, the reduction mechanism, the driving unit and the bearing unit within a main body portion thereof, the housing provided with a handle portion;

a speed changing unit for changing a reduction ratio of the reduction mechanism, the speed changing unit being arranged in such a position as to allow an operator to operate the same from the outside of the housing;

a power switch for turning on and off a power source of the motor; and

an operation detecting unit for detecting a reduction ratio changing operation performed by the speed changing unit to control the electric power supplied to the motor.

2. The electric power tool of claim 1, wherein the operation detecting unit is operated in synchronism with the speed changing unit.

3. The electric power tool of claim 1, wherein the operation detecting unit is immovable with respect to the housing and is adapted to detect the operation of the speed changing unit by sensing a change in the position of the speed changing unit relative to the housing.

4. The electric power tool of claim 1, wherein the operation detecting unit is adapted to detect the operation of the speed changing unit without making contact with the speed changing unit.

5. The electric power tool of claim 1, wherein the operation detecting unit is adapted to detect a gear shifted by the speed changing unit when changing the reduction ratio of the reduction mechanism.

6. The electric power tool of claim 1, further comprising a braking unit configured to apply brake to the motor when the operation of the speed changing unit is detected.

7. The electric power tool of claim 1, further comprising a detecting unit configured to detect the rotational speed of the motor, and wherein the electric power supplied to the motor is controlled only when the rotational speed of the motor at the moment of detecting the operation of the speed changing unit is greater than a predetermined value.

8. The electric power tool of claim 1, further comprising a maintaining unit configured to maintain the task of controlling the electric power supplied to the motor by detecting the operation of the speed changing unit.

9. The electric power tool of claim 8, further comprising a releasing unit configured to release the task of controlling the electric power supplied to the motor.

10. The electric power tool of claim 1, wherein the speed changing unit is formed of a double story lever operable from the outside of the housing, the double story lever having an upper story portion and a lower story portion, the upper story portion being movable toward the lower story portion, the operation detecting unit including a switch or a sensor attached to the lower story portion, the upper story portion being adapted to be pushed downwardly, upon operating the double story lever, to press the switch or activate the sensor so that the speed changing operation can be detected.