Hand held grinder

• US 6,386,961 B1
• Filed: 07/11/2000
• Issued: 05/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thomas D. Cureton
• Original Assignee: Thomas D. Cureton
• Inventors: Cureton, Thomas D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eley, Timothy V.
• Application Number:
  US09/613,668
• Time in Patent Office: 672 Days
• Field of Search: 451/344, 451/354, 451/356, 451/357, 451/358, 451/359, 451/352, 451/353
• US Class Current: 451/358
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 23/02 with rotating grinding tools; Accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 45/006 Quick mount and release means for disc-like wheels, e.g. on power tools

Abstract

A hand-held grinder includes a motor and a mounting surface coupled to the motor. A housing supports the mounting surface and the motor. A grinding wheel abuts and is secured to the mounting surface, and the grinding wheel extends beyond an end of the housing. A line that is tangential with the grinding wheel distal from the housing, and that is tangential with the end of the housing, may be at an angle of less than about 45° relative to a plane of rotation of the grinding wheel. The grinder may also include a drive shaft coupled to the motor, a driving gear coupled to the drive shaft, and a driven gear engaging the driving gear and fixed to the mounting surface. The driven gear and the mounting surface may be part of a unitary member. The housing may define a bottom housing surface that is substantially coplanar with the mounting surface. The housing may also define a tapered end. The grinder may also include a telescoping feature wherein the housing includes a first member that is moveable relative to a second member to change a length of the grinder. The grinder may include a lock pin that may be selectively forced into engagement with the drive shaft, thereby preventing rotation of the drive shaft relative to the housing.

Claims

1. A hand-held grinder comprising:

a motor;

a mounting surface coupled to the motor;

a housing supporting the mounting surface and the motor; and

a grinding wheel abutting the mounting surface and extending radially therefrom beyond an end of the housing, the grinding wheel being releasably secured to the mounting surface, such that the motor drives the grinding wheel;

wherein a line that is tangential with the grinding wheel distal from the housing and that is tangential with any point on the housing is at an angle of less than about 45°

relative to a plane of rotation of the grinding wheel.

2. The grinder of claim 1, wherein the wheel is about 4 inches in diameter.

3. The grinder of claim 1, wherein the line is at an angle of less than about 300 relative to the plane of rotation of the grinding wheel.

4. The grinder of claim 1, further comprising

a drive shaft coupled to the motor;

a driving gear coupled to the drive shaft; and

a driven gear engaging the driving gear and fixed to the mounting surface;

wherein the driven gear and the mounting surface are part of a unitary member.

5. The grinder of claim 4, wherein the housing comprises a first member and a second member that is movable relative to the first member, and wherein movement of the second member relative to the first member changes a length of the grinder.

6. The grinder of claim 1, further comprising:

a drive shaft supported by the housing, the drive shaft coupled to the motor and to the mounting surface, and the drive shaft defining a radial hole; and

a radially extending lock pin supported by the housing that is generally biased away from the radial hole but that is aligned with the radial hole, such that the lock pin may be selectively forced into engagement with the radial hole, thereby preventing rotation of the drive shaft relative to the housing.

7. The grinder of claim 1, wherein the housing defines a bottom housing surface that is substantially coplanar with the mounting surface.

8. The grinder of claim 7, wherein the bottom housing surface extends from the mounting surface toward the motor.

9. The grinder of claim 8, wherein a wheel portion of the bottom housing surface extends from the mounting surface and faces the grinding wheel.

10. The grinder of claim 8, wherein the housing further comprises:

a top housing surface opposite from the bottom housing surface; and

a first angled housing surface between the bottom housing surface and the top housing surface, the angled housing surface forming a first acute angle with the bottom housing surface, and thereby forming a tapered end of the housing.

11. The grinder of claim 10, wherein the first acute angle is less than about 45°

.

12. The grinder of claim 10, wherein the housing further comprises a second angled housing surface between the bottom housing surface and the top housing surface, the second angled housing surface being adjacent the first angled housing surface.

13. A hand-held grinder comprising:

a motor;

a drive shaft coupled to the motor;

a driving gear coupled to the drive shaft, wherein the driving gear is axially movable relative to the motor;

a driven gear engaging the driving gear;

a mounting surface fixed to the driven gear;

a grinding wheel abutting the mounting surface and extending radially therefrom, the grinding wheel being releasably secured to the mounting surface, such that the motor drives the grinding wheel; and

a housing defining a bottom housing surface substantially parallel with the grinding wheel and substantially coplanar with the mounting surface, at least a portion of the bottom housing surface facing the grinding wheel;

wherein the driven gear and the mounting surface are part of a unitary member.

14. The grinder of claim 13, wherein the mounting surface is within about 0.1 inch of being coplanar with the bottom housing surface.

15. The grinder of claim 14, wherein the mounting surface is within about 0.01 inch of being coplanar with the bottom housing surface.

16. The grinder of claim 13, wherein the grinding wheel extends beyond an end of the housing, and wherein a line that is tangential with the grinding wheel distal from the housing, and that is tangential with any point on the housing, is at an angle of less than about 45°

relative to a plane of rotation of the grinding wheel.

17. The grinder of claim 16, wherein the line is at an angle of less than about 30°

relative to a plane of rotation of the grinding wheel.

18. The grinder of claim 13, further comprising:

a radial hole defined by the drive shaft; and

a lock pin supported by the housing that is generally biased away from the radial hole but that is aligned with the radial hole, such that the lock pin may be selectively forced into engagement with the radial hole, thereby preventing rotation of the drive shaft relative to the housing.

19. The grinder of claim 13, wherein the bottom housing surface extends from the mounting surface toward the motor, and wherein the bottom housing surface comprises a wheel portion that extends from the mounting surface and faces the grinding wheel.

20. The grinder of claim 19, wherein a distance from the wheel portion to the grinding wheel is about 0.01 inch.

21. The grinder of claim 19, wherein the housing further comprises:

a top housing surface opposite from the bottom housing surface; and

a first angled housing surface between the bottom housing surface and the top housing surface, the first angled housing surface forming a first acute angle with the bottom housing surface, and thereby forming a tapered end of the housing.

22. The grinder of claim 21, wherein the housing further comprises a second angled housing surface between the bottom housing surface and the top housing surface, the second angled housing surface being adjacent the first angled housing surface.

23. A hand-held grinder comprising:

a motor;

a drive shaft coupled to the motor, the drive shaft defining a radial hole;

a driving gear coupled to the drive shaft;

a driven gear engaging the driving gear;

a mounting surface fixed to the driven gear, the driven gear rotatable in a direction that is substantially normal to a direction of rotation of the driving gear;

a grinding wheel abutting the mounting surface and extending radially therefrom beyond an end of the housing, the grinding wheel being releasably secured to the mounting surface, such that the motor drives the grinding wheel;

a housing defining;

a bottom housing surface that is substantially coplanar with the mounting surface, the bottom housing surface extending from the mounting surface toward the motor, and the bottom housing surface comprising a handle portion that forms part of a handle of the grinder and a wheel portion that extends from the mounting surface and faces the grinding wheel;

a top housing surface opposite from the bottom housing surface;

a first angled housing surface between the bottom housing surface and the top housing surface, the first angled housing surface forming a first acute angle with the bottom housing surface; and

a second angled housing surface between the bottom housing surface and the top housing surface, the second angled housing surface being adjacent the first angled housing surface and forming a second acute angle with the bottom housing surface; and

a radially extending lock pin supported by the housing that is generally biased away from the radial hole but that is aligned with the radial hole, such that the lock pin may be selectively forced into engagement with the radial hole, thereby preventing rotation of the drive shaft relative to the housing;

wherein the driven gear and the mounting surface are part of a unitary member; and

wherein a line that is tangential with the grinding wheel distal from the housing, and that is tangential with the housing, is at an angle of less than about 30°

relative to a plane of rotation of the grinding wheel.

24. The grinder of claim 23, wherein the driving gear is axially movable relative to the motor.

25. The grinder of claim 24, further comprising a motor shaft that is coupled to the drive shaft and that is axially slidable relative to the drive shaft, such that sliding movement of the drive shaft relative to the motor shaft changes a length of the grinder.

26. The grinder of claim 25, further comprising a locking mechanism for selectively preventing axial movement of the drive shaft relative to the motor shaft.