Electromotive chain saw

• US 5,791,057 A
• Filed: 08/20/1996
• Issued: 08/11/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/1995
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: Makita Corporation
• Original Assignee: Makita Corporation
• Inventors: Kondo, Masaki, Mizutani, Makoto, Nakamura, Kazuya
• Primary Examiner(s): RACHUBA, MAURINA T
• Application Number:
  US08/704,492
• Time in Patent Office: 721 Days
• Field of Search: 30/382, 30/381, 83/DIG. 1
• US Class Current: 30/381
• CPC Class Codes: B27B 17/083 Devices for arresting movement of the saw chain
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 3/04 Means for stopping or slowing by a separate brake, e.g. friction brake, eddy-current brake brakes F16D, H02K49/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 83/01 Safety devices

Abstract

The chain of an electromotive chain saw is quickly stopped by the combined use of an electric brake and a mechanical brake when a trigger member is turned off. The rear end of a brake band disposed to tighten a brake drum by operating a hand guard is secured to a bent rod. When the trigger member is released, the brake band is normally tightened around the outer periphery of a brake drum by the urging force of a coil spring. When the trigger member is released, a circuit provided with a brake winding is closed, thereby applying a dynamic braking force. When the dynamic brake force is applied, a centrifugal clutch is released quickly and the speed of stopping the brake drum is accelerated.

Claims

1. An electromotive chain saw comprising;

a guide bar having a track extending around a periphery thereof;

a cutting chain being supported by said track of said guide bar and being rotatable therearound;

an electric motor, having an armature, being drivingly-connected to said cutting chain, via a drive mechanism, to rotate said cutting chain about the periphery of said bar along said track, and said drive mechanism including a brake drum drivingly connected to said cutting chain for rotation with said cutting chain;

a mechanical brake being arranged to engage with said brake drum, said mechanical brake having a disengaged position in which said mechanical brake is disengaged from said brake drum and permits rotation thereof, and said mechanical brake having an engaged position in which said mechanical brake engages with said brake drum and exerts a braking force on a surface of said brake drum to stop the rotation of thereof and, in turn, stop rotation of said cutting chain rotated thereby;

a dynamic brake circuit being electrically coupled to said armature of said electric motor to supply power thereto and rotate said cutting chain, in an operation position of said dynamic brake circuit, and said dynamic brake circuit having a braking position in which said dynamic brake circuit applies a braking force to said armature of said electric motor to stop rotation thereof; and

a common trigger member being directly linked to both said dynamic brake circuit and said mechanical brake such that actuation of said common trigger member to an ON position concurrently actuates both said mechanical brake to said disengaged position and said dynamic brake circuit to said operation position while actuation of said common trigger member to an OFF position concurrently actuates both said mechanical brake to said engaged position and said dynamic brake circuit to said braking position whereby both said dynamic brake force on said armature of said electric motor and said braking force on said brake drum are concurrently applied.

2. The electromotive chain saw according to claim 1, further including a hand brake device comprising a hand guard, a linkage and a steel brake band, said linkage connects a forward end of said brake band to said hand guard, said brake band is wound around a circumference of said brake drum, and said hand brake device is operated by pushing said hand guard away from an operator such that a spring is extended thereby pulling an end of said brake band to tighten said brake band and exert a braking force opposite in direction to the braking force exerted by said mechanical brake resulting in extended life for said brake band.

3. The electromotive chain saw according to claim 1, wherein said a bent rod couples said common trigger member to said mechanical brake.

4. The electromotive chain saw according to claim 3, wherein said mechanical brake is located in a clearance of a chain saw case using said bent rod without increasing the size of said chain saw.

5. The electromotive chain saw according to claim 1, wherein a rotary drive force is supplied to a drive sprocket from said electric motor via a centrifugal clutch mechanism when a rotational speed of said electric motor exceeds a predetermined number of rotations, and said rotary drive force disconnects said drive sprocket from said electric motor via said centrifugal clutch mechanism when the rotational speed of said electric motor is lower than said predetermined number of rotations.

6. The electromotive chain saw according to claim 1, wherein

rotary drive force is transmitted from said electric motor to a drive sprocket via a clutch mechanism;

said clutch mechanism comprises an engagement member formed on said brake drum,

an engaging member rotated by said electric motor rotating with a rotation shaft, said engaging member is slidable in an axial direction on said rotation shaft and engages with said engagement member on said brake drum;

an urging member for pushing and urging said engaging member against said brake drum; and

a clutch release member which releases the engagement of said engaging member on said brake drum by sliding said engaging member back against said urging member when said trigger member is moved from said ON position to said OFF position.

7. The electromotive chain saw according to claim 1, wherein said mechanical brake comprises a movable member operatively connected to said common trigger member and secured to a second end of a brake band, which extends around a circumference of said brake drum, such that said brake band is pulled and tightened around said brake drum when said trigger member is in said OFF position, and said brake band is released and loosened from said brake drum when said trigger member is in said ON position.

8. The electromotive chain saw according to claim 1, wherein said mechanical brake is provided with a brake shoe for engaging with an outer periphery of said brake drum.

9. The electromotive chain saw according to claim 2, in which said mechanical brake is provided with a brake shoe for engaging with an inner periphery of said brake drum.

10. The electromotive chain saw according to claim 9, wherein when said common trigger member is in said OFF position, said brake shoe contacts said brake drum to apply said braking force to said brake drum and when said common trigger member is in said ON position, said brake shoe is removed from contact with said brake drum thereby removing said braking force from said brake drum.

11. The electromotive chain saw according to claim 1, further comprising a trigger link brake circuit having:

a main winding and a brake winding provided in a field slot;

a single-pole double-throw switch for driving and braking said electric motor, used to change between supplying a drive current to said armature and said main winding and supplying a counter electromotive force arising on said brake winding; and

a single pole switch for disconnecting said brake winding from said main winding when said single-pole double-throw switch is changed over to supplying the drive current to said armature and said main winding.

12. The electromotive chain saw according to claim 11, wherein said electric motor, provided with said trigger link brake circuit, comprises a single-phase series commutator motor,

when driving said electromotive chain saw, said single pole switch is changed over to open the connection of said brake winding with said armature and said main winding, a clutch mechanism is engaged, and said single-pole double-throw switch is changed over to connect a power source with said armature and said main winding, and

when braking said electromotive chain saw, said single-pole double-throw switch is changed over to open the connection of the power source with said armature and said main winding and to connect said brake winding with said armature, said clutch mechanism is disengaged, and said single pole switch is changed over to connect said brake winding with said armature.

13. The electromotive chain saw according to claim 12, wherein

when driving said electromotive chain saw, after said single pole switch is changed over to open the connection of said brake winding with said armature and said main winding, said clutch mechanism is engaged and subsequently said single-pole double-throw switch is changed over to connect a power source with said armature and said main winding, and

when braking said electromotive chain saw, after said single-pole double-throw switch is changed over to open the connection of the power source with said armature and said main winding and concurrently to connect said brake winding with said armature, said clutch mechanism is disengaged, and subsequently said single pole switch is changed over to connect said brake winding with said armature.

14. The electromotive chain saw according to claim 1, wherein said brake mechanism is a steel brake band wound around a circumference of said brake drum, when said trigger member is in said OFF position said steel brake band is tightened resulting in application of said braking force to said brake drum, and when said trigger member is in said ON position said steel brake band is loosened from said brake drum thereby removing said braking force from said brake drum.