Power saw with louvered blade guard
First Claim
1. A power saw having a circular disc-shaped cutting blade with cutting teeth disposed around its outer periphery, said power saw including a planar work surface for positioning a workpiece to be cut by the cutting blade, said cutting blade being movable relative to said work surface, the power saw being adapted to be operated by an operator normally positioned at an operating position relative to the power saw whereby the eyes of the operator are located above and displaced toward said operating position and away from the cutting blade so that the operator'"'"'s line of sight forms an acute angle relative to the work surface;
- characterized in that said power saw further includes a unitary circumferential guard for protecting the operator from the cutting blade and for confining and directing cutting debris away from the operator, said guard being movably mounted to the power saw and comprising a pair of spaced substantially parallel side portions and an outer radial edge portion joining said side portions and extending circumferentially about the cutting blade to thereby define a channel that covers a radial portion of said cutting blade in a first position and is movable to expose the cutting teeth of said cutting blade in a second position, said guard having a plurality of louvers formed through said outer radial edge portion, said louvers being configured to prevent the direct ejection through said louvers of cutting debris emanating tangentially from the periphery of the cutting blade, while providing said normally positioned operator with an unobstructed line of sight through said louvers along the plane of the cutting blade to the interface between the cutting blade and the workpiece when said workpiece is positioned on said work surface, said outer radial edge portion of said guard having an inner edge surface and an outer edge surface defining a radial thickness therebetween, said louvers of said guard being tapered so as to provide a greater opening at said inner edge surface than at said outer edge surface.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A power miter saw having a circumferential louvered blade guard that articulates relative to the saw blade as the miter saw is pivoted downwardly into engagement with the workpiece. The louvers in the guard are specially configured to substantially prevent or impede the ejection of cutting debris through the louvers while also permitting the operator to precisely align the saw blade with a mark on the workpiece while maintaining a stationary vision point from a natural operating position, regardless of the angle of articulation of the guard.
126 Citations
10 Claims
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1. A power saw having a circular disc-shaped cutting blade with cutting teeth disposed around its outer periphery, said power saw including a planar work surface for positioning a workpiece to be cut by the cutting blade, said cutting blade being movable relative to said work surface, the power saw being adapted to be operated by an operator normally positioned at an operating position relative to the power saw whereby the eyes of the operator are located above and displaced toward said operating position and away from the cutting blade so that the operator'"'"'s line of sight forms an acute angle relative to the work surface;
- characterized in that said power saw further includes a unitary circumferential guard for protecting the operator from the cutting blade and for confining and directing cutting debris away from the operator, said guard being movably mounted to the power saw and comprising a pair of spaced substantially parallel side portions and an outer radial edge portion joining said side portions and extending circumferentially about the cutting blade to thereby define a channel that covers a radial portion of said cutting blade in a first position and is movable to expose the cutting teeth of said cutting blade in a second position, said guard having a plurality of louvers formed through said outer radial edge portion, said louvers being configured to prevent the direct ejection through said louvers of cutting debris emanating tangentially from the periphery of the cutting blade, while providing said normally positioned operator with an unobstructed line of sight through said louvers along the plane of the cutting blade to the interface between the cutting blade and the workpiece when said workpiece is positioned on said work surface, said outer radial edge portion of said guard having an inner edge surface and an outer edge surface defining a radial thickness therebetween, said louvers of said guard being tapered so as to provide a greater opening at said inner edge surface than at said outer edge surface.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A power miter saw having a horizontally disposed planar work surface and a circular disc-shaped saw blade with cutting teeth disposed around its outer periphery, said blade being mounted to a movable arm pivotable between an inoperative position above the work surface through a range of operative positions as the saw blade is lowered into proximity to the work surface, said range of operative positions comprising the arcuate range of movement of said movable arm from an upper position wherein the saw blade initially contacts a workpiece positioned on said work surface having a maximum predetermined height to the lowermost position of said movable arm, said miter saw being adapted for operation by an operator normally positioned at an operating position relative to the miter saw whereby the eyes of the operator are located above and displaced toward said operating position and away from the saw blade so that the operator'"'"'s line of sight forms an acute angel relative to said work surface;
- characterized in that said miter saw further includes a unitary circumferential guard for protecting the operator from the cutting blade and for confining and directing cutting debris away from the operator, said guard comprising a pair of substantially parallel spaced side portions and an outer radial edge portion joining said side portions and extending circumferentially about the saw blade to thereby define an arcuate channel for covering a radial portion of said saw blade, said guard being pivotally mounted to said movable arm so that the guard rotates from a first position wherein said radial portion of the cutting blade is covered radial edge portion thereof that are configured to prevent the direct ejection through said louvers of cutting debris emanating tangentially from the teeth of the saw blade, while providing said normally positioned operator with an unobstructed line of sight through said louvers along the plane of the saw blade to the interface between the cutting blade and a workpiece positioned on said work surface throughout said range of operative positions of said movable arm, said outer radial edge portion of said guard having an inner edge surface and an outer edge surface defining a radial thickness therebetween said louvers of said guard being tapered so as to provide a greater opening at said inner edge surface than at said outer edge surface.
- View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
Specification