Angle grinder

• US 7,537,065 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2003
• Issued: 05/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gallagher, William, Goddard, William, Hatfield, Eric, Weiford, David W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rada; Rinaldi I.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chukwurah; Nathaniel
• Application Number:
  US10/339,634
• Publication Number:
  US 20030190877A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,329 Days
• Field of Search: 173/170, 173/216, 173/217, 173/218, 173/169, 408/124
• US Class Current: 173/170
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 23/02 with rotating grinding tools; Accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 55/00 Safety devices for grinding or polishing machines; Accessories fitted to grinding or polishing machines for keeping tools or parts of the machine in good working condition of general applicability for machine tools B23Q11/00; in general F16P
• CPC Class Codes: B25F 5/001 Gearings, speed selectors, clutches or the like specially adapted for rotary tools
• CPC Class Codes: B25F 5/008 Cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: B25F 5/02 Construction of casings, bodies or handles B25F5/006, B25F5/008 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 13/04 Connections between commutator segments and windings
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 23/08 having series connection of excitation windings
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 23/30 having lap or loop windings
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 23/36 having two or more windings; having two or more commutators; having two or more stators
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 23/66 Structural association with auxiliary electric devices influencing the characteristic of, or controlling, the machine, e.g. with impedances or switches
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 3/00 Details of windings
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 5/10 with arrangements for protection from ingress, e.g. water or fingers
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 5/148 Slidably supported brushes
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 5/1732 radially supporting the rotary shaft at both ends of the rotor H02K5/1737 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/106 with dynamo-electric brakes
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/1163 where at least two gears have non-parallel axes without having orbital motion

Abstract

An angle grinder is provided including a rotating handle configuration allowing the handle of the angle grinder to be locked in different positions relative to the angle grinder housing. A switch mounting configuration is provided for simplifying the assembly of the switch device. A gear wheel lock mechanism is also provided to allow the grinding wheel spindle to be prevented from rotating during removal or installation of a grinding wheel on the spindle. A gear case cooling and air bleed arrangement are also provided.

Claims

1. A gear case for a power tool, comprising:

a housing portion including an inner wall and an outer wall, said inner wall defining a gear well portion adapted for receiving a drive gear and a driven gear therein, said inner wall being disposed between said outer wall and said gear well portion and said inner and outer walls defining an air flow cavity therebetween;

a wheel spindle cavity disposed in said inner wall on an opposite side from said air flow cavity, said wheel spindle cavity being adapted to receive a spindle of the driven gear therein;

an air bleed hole disposed in said inner wall connected between said wheel spindle cavity and said air flow cavity, said air bleed hole being substantially conical in shape with a narrow end thereof opening into said air flow cavity and a wide end thereof opening into said wheel spindle cavity.

2. The gear case according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of baffled openings disposed on said outer wall in fluid communication with said air flow cavity.

3. A gear case for a power tool, comprising:

a housing including a wall portion defining a gear well adapted for receiving a drive gear and a driven gear therein;

a wheel spindle cavity disposed in an interior side of said wall portion, said wheel spindle cavity being adapted to support an end of a spindle of the driven gear therein;

an air bleed hole disposed in said wall portion connected directly between said wheel spindle cavity and an outer surface of said wall portion; and

a porous material disposed in said wheel spindle cavity over said air bleed hole.

4. The gear case according to claim 3, wherein said air bleed hole is substantially conical in shape with a wide end thereof opening into said wheel spindle cavity.

5. A gear case for a power tool, comprising:

a housing including a wall portion defining a gear well adapted for receiving a drive gear and a driven gear therein;

a wheel spindle cavity disposed in an interior side of said wall portion, said wheel spindle cavity being adapted to support an end of a spindle of the driven gear therein; and

an air bleed hole disposed in said wall portion connected directly between said wheel spindle cavity and an outer surface of said wall portion, said air bleed hole being substantially conical in shape with a wide end thereof opening into said wheel spindle cavity.

6. A gear case for a power tool, comprising:

a housing portion including an inner wall and an outer wall, said inner wall defining a gear well portion adapted for receiving a drive gear and a driven gear therein, said inner wall being disposed between said outer wall and said gear well portion and said inner and outer walls defining an air flow cavity therebetween;

a wheel spindle cavity disposed in said inner wall on an opposite side from said air flow cavity, said wheel spindle cavity being adapted to receive a spindle of the driven gear therein;

an air bleed hole disposed in said inner wall connected between said wheel spindle cavity and said air flow cavity; and

a porous material disposed over said air bleed hole.