POWER TOOL DIRECTION SELECTOR
First Claim
1. An apparatus comprising:
- a power tool structured to engage a workpiece and operable to provide a bi-directional driving torque to the workpiece, the power tool including;
a housing having an interior into which extends an abutment structure;
a driving motor disposed within the interior of the housing and useful to generate the force to provide the driving torque;
a switch disposed within the housing having a forward and reverse position, the switch configured to control the bi-directional driving torque delivered from the driving motor; and
a selector button interconnected with the switch and structured to engage the abutment structure, wherein the selector button and abutment structure engage each other along a sawtooth shape having a plurality of front facing sides and rearward facing sides, the plurality of front facing sides structured to produce a different contact force vector than the plurality of rearward facing sides when the selector button is moved in a forward or a rearward direction, respectively, each of the contact force vectors including a sliding force component and a normal force component, wherein a magnitude of the normal force component varies as a function of whether the selector button is moved in a first direction or a second direction as a result of the different front facing side and rearward facing sides.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A power tool includes a button useful to select a direction of rotation of the power tool. The button can be used to select between forward, reverse, and neutral. The power tool includes a housing which is coupled with an abutment structure which engages with the button. A sawtooth engagement is formed between the abutment structure and the button. The sawtooth engagement can be asymmetric in shape to provide different force vectors depending on whether the button is pushed in a first or a second direction. The sum of the resistive forces can be the same whether the button is pushed in the first or second direction, owing to the asymmetric forces caused by the sawtooth engagement which make up for differences in other internal resistive forces.
1 Citation
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
a power tool structured to engage a workpiece and operable to provide a bi-directional driving torque to the workpiece, the power tool including; a housing having an interior into which extends an abutment structure; a driving motor disposed within the interior of the housing and useful to generate the force to provide the driving torque; a switch disposed within the housing having a forward and reverse position, the switch configured to control the bi-directional driving torque delivered from the driving motor; and a selector button interconnected with the switch and structured to engage the abutment structure, wherein the selector button and abutment structure engage each other along a sawtooth shape having a plurality of front facing sides and rearward facing sides, the plurality of front facing sides structured to produce a different contact force vector than the plurality of rearward facing sides when the selector button is moved in a forward or a rearward direction, respectively, each of the contact force vectors including a sliding force component and a normal force component, wherein a magnitude of the normal force component varies as a function of whether the selector button is moved in a first direction or a second direction as a result of the different front facing side and rearward facing sides. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An apparatus comprising:
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a hand-held power tool structured having an housing and structured to provide driving torque to an operative end useful to impart work to a workpiece, the housing including an abutment structure useful to determine a direction of the driving torque; a driving motor disposed internal to the housing of the hand-held power tool and useful to generate the torque to be provided to the operative end, the operative end structured to provide bi-directional torque; a switch disposed within the housing having a forward and reverse position, the switch configured to control a direction of torque delivered from the driving motor to the operative end; and a selector button interconnected with the switch and structured to engage the abutment structure, the selector button configured to translate along a button depressing axis, wherein the selector button and abutment structure form a plurality of ridges each defined between opposing walls where the plurality of ridges are separated by a plurality of valleys, the plurality of valleys representing the forward and reverse position of the switch, each of the plurality of ridges having asymmetrical shape such that a first of the opposing walls is at a different absolute angle to the button depressing axis than a second of the opposing walls. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method comprising:
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depressing a selector button on a power tool in a first direction with a first force, the control selection button useful to place the power tool in a forward operating position and a reverse operating position; as a result of the depressing the selector button on in the first direction, engaging a front facing side of a sawtooth shape defined between an actuation surface of the control selection button to generate a first force, the engaging the front facing side performed at a first acute angle relative to an axial motion of the selector button; depressing the selector button on the power tool in a second direction opposite the first direction with a second force; and as a result of the depressing the selector button on in the second direction, engaging a rearward facing side of the sawtooth shape to generate a second force, the engaging the rearward facing side performed at a second acute angle relative to an axial motion of the selector button, the second acute angle smaller than the first acute angle. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification