Orbital tool

• US 6,306,024 B1
• Filed: 05/16/2000
• Issued: 10/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: One World Technologies (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: One World Technologies Inc (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Inventors: Fukinuki, Masatoshi, Curcuri, Jeremy J., Kai, Nobuto, Nemazi, John E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hail, III, Joseph J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): OJINI, EZIAMARA ANTHONY
• Application Number:
  US09/571,828
• Time in Patent Office: 525 Days
• Field of Search: 451/357, 451/358, 451/359, 451/524, 451/557
• US Class Current: 451/357
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 23/03 the tool being driven in a combined movement
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 41/007 Weight compensation; Temperature compensation; Vibration damping
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 45/00 Means for securing grinding wheels on rotary arbors suppression of vibrations in systems F16F15/00; testing static or dynamic balancing of machines G01M1/00

Abstract

An orbital tool includes a housing, a motor, and an eccentric drive member rotatably driven by the motor shaft. A working member has an input portion engaging an output portion of the eccentric drive member. An annular pivot control member includes an annular central hub cooperating with the working member, an annular flange attached to the housing, and a web extending between the flange and the central hub. The pivot control member controls pivotal movement of the working member relative to the housing. The web enables the working member input portion to orbit about the drive axis as the eccentric drive member is rotated by the motor shaft.

Claims

1. An orbital tool comprising:

a housing;

a motor oriented within the housing and having a rotatable motor shaft;

an eccentric drive member pivotally supported relative to the housing and rotatably driven by the motor shaft about a drive axis, the eccentric drive member having an output portion aligned along an eccentric axis generally parallel to and radially offset from the drive axis;

an intermediate drive member pivotally supported relative to the eccentric drive member and having an output portion aligned along a working axis generally parallel to and radially offset from the eccentric axis to define a working offset between the working axis and the drive axis, the intermediate drive member being selectively rotatable through different positions about the eccentric drive member to vary the working offset;

a working member having an input portion aligned along the working axis pivotally engaging the output portion of the intermediate drive member, and a working surface perpendicular to the drive axis and extending radially outboard of the working member input portion;

a first balance mass positioned to rotate together with the intermediate drive member about the eccentric axis, the first balance mass being selected and positioned based in part on a first distance defined between the eccentric and working axes to substantially minimize the moments of mass about the eccentric axis due to the working member; and

a second balance mass positioned to rotate together with the eccentric drive member about the drive axis, the second balance mass being selected and positioned based in part on a second distance defined between the drive and eccentric axes to substantially minimize the moments of mass about the drive axis due to the first balance mass and the working member,

wherein the first distance is less than the second distance to reduce the moment of inertia about the eccentric axis due to the first balance mass and the working member.

2. The orbital tool of claim 1 further comprising:

an annular pivot control member including an annular central hub having a mating surface, an annular flange engaging the housing at a location spaced from the central hub, and a web extending circumferentially about the drive, eccentric, and working axes between the flange and the central hub, the central hub mating surface cooperating with a working member mating surface to control pivotal movement of the working member relative to the housing while the web enables the working member input portion to orbit about the drive axis as the eccentric drive member is rotated by the motor shaft.

3. The orbital tool of claim 1 wherein the intermediate drive member is rotatable relative to the eccentric drive member over a finite angle less than 180 degrees between a first position defining a first working offset, and a second position defining a second working offset which is different than the first working offset, and

wherein the intermediate drive member is selectively rotated by reversing motor rotational direction.

4. The orbital tool of claim 3 wherein the finite angle is less than about 135 degrees.

5. The orbital tool of claim 4 wherein the finite angle is not more than about 90 degrees, and wherein the second working offset about twice the first working offset.

6. The orbital tool of claim 1 wherein the intermediate drive member is rotatable relative to the eccentric drive member through a variety of different angular positions at which the intermediate drive member may be fixed relative to the eccentric drive member to allow a variety of different working offsets.

7. The orbital tool of claim 6 further comprising:

a spring biasing the intermediate drive member into locking engagement with the eccentric drive member wherein urging the intermediate drive member against the bias of the spring unlocks the intermediate and eccentric drive members to allow adjustment of the working offset by rotating the intermediate and eccentric drive members relative to each other.