Battery-powered hand-guided power tool

• US 6,357,533 B1
• Filed: 01/28/2000
• Issued: 03/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nemetz, Uwe, Buchholz, Achim
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Scott A.
• Application Number:
  US09/493,454
• Time in Patent Office: 781 Days
• Field of Search: 173/217, 173/216, 173/117, 173/104, 173/170, 310/47, 310/50
• US Class Current: 173/217
• CPC Class Codes: B25F 5/02 Construction of casings, bodies or handles B25F5/006, B25F5/008 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/244 Secondary casings; Racks; Suspension devices; Carrying devices; Holders characterised by their mounting method
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/247 specially adapted for portable devices, e.g. mobile phones, computers, hand tools or pacemakers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery powered, hand guided power tool, such as a hammer, includes a tool housing 3 that contains an electric motor M, a grip portion 2 and a rail-and-channel structure 36,37,54,55 for releasable mounting of a rechargeable battery pack 50. A locking device is provided on the tool housing 3 and includes a latch element 18,19 which is movable into a latch recess 52,53 formed in a housing of the battery pack 50, whereby the battery pack is locked in an operative position on the tool housing, movable by a user, against the force of a spring 20,21. The latch element 18,19 can be pivoted by a user to extract the latch element from the latch recess 52,53 for the release of the battery pack 50 from assembly with the tool housing 3. On the tool housing 3 adjacent to the rail-and-channel structure 36,37,54,55, there is provided a frame part 15 that includes at least one frame-part recess 16,17. The latch element 18,19 and the associated spring 20,21 are introduced into the frame-part recess 16,17 from an open side thereof. An operating element 22,23, in the form of a two-armed lever, is pivotally mounted laterally of the frame-part recess 16,17, where one arm 24,25 of the lever is accessible for pivoting by the user and the other arm 26,27 is in engagement with the latch element 18,19 to facilitate displacement of the latch element from the locking position. Also, the operating element 22,23 supports the latch element 18,19 from being displaced completely from the frame-part recess 16,17.

Claims

1. A battery-powered, hand-guided power tool having structure for the releasable mounting of a battery pack, which comprises:

a tool housing which includes a gripping portion;

a rail-and-channel structure for the releasable mounting of the battery pack with the tool housing upon relative movement between the battery pack and the tool housing in a prescribed direction;

a locking device located on the tool housing;

the locking device including at least one latch element movable, in a direction substantially perpendicular to the prescribed direction, into a latch recess formed in a housing of the battery pack in a locking position in which the battery pack is locked in an operative position on the tool housing;

a frame part located on the tool housing;

a frame-part recess formed in the frame part adjacent the rail-and-channel structure for receipt of the at least one latch element in the locking position;

a biasing element located on the tool housing for normally urging the at least one latch element in a direction away from the frame-part recess;

an operating element in the form of a lever mounted for pivotal movement relative to the tool housing;

a first arm formed on the lever which is accessible for pivoting movement thereof by a user;

a second arm formed on the lever which is in engagement with the at least one latch element for enabling the at least one latch element to be moved, upon movement of the first arm, between battery-pack locking and release positions; and

the operating element supporting the latch element from being displaced completely from the frame-part recess.

2. A power tool according to claim 1, wherein the operating element is in the form of an L-shaped lever.

3. A power tool according to claim 1 wherein the second arm of the operating element extends through a slit-shaped opening in a wall of the latch recess.

4. A power tool according to claim 1, wherein the second arm of the operating element extends into a laterally open engagement aperture in the latch element.

5. A power tool according to claim 1, wherein a pivot axis of the operating element is formed by two pivot pins, that are snapped into bearing sleeves provided on the tool housing.

6. A power tool according to claim 1, wherein a pivot axis of the operating element is formed by two pivot pins, that are snapped into bearing sleeves provided on the tool housing and the bearing sleeves are open on their side remote from the recess.

7. A power tool according to claim 1, wherein the biasing element is a compression spring located between an inner end of the latch element and a floor of the latch recess.

8. A power tool according to claim 1, wherein a cover is fastened laterally to the tool housing and has a through opening through which the first arm of the operating element is accessible.

9. A power tool according to claim 1, wherein a cover is fastened laterally to the tool housing and has a through opening through which the first arm of the operating element is accessible and the cover forms a part of the rail-and-channel structure.

10. A power tool according to claim 1, which includes two latch elements located in adjacent recesses and each latch element has an associated operating element located such that the first arms of the operating elements are located on opposite sides of the tool housing.

11. A power tool according to claim 1, which further comprises:

a tool holder mounted on a forward end of the tool housing along a longitudinal axis of the tool housing and the tool holder;

the rail-and-channel structure extending at least approximately parallel to the longitudinal axis;

the grip portion of the tool housing extending in a direction away from the longitudinal axis adjacent a rear end of the tool housing; and

a tool-housing part of the rail-and-channel structure located adjacent and forward of the grip portion.