Structural backbone/motor mount for a power tool

• US 8,231,039 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2005
• Issued: 07/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Inventors: Buck, John E., Berry, Alan, Bradenbaugh, Charles L. IV, Schell, Craig A., Gross, Paul, Baskar, Ashok S., Colello, Steven R., Kenney, James J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Durand, Paul R
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHUKWURAH, NATHANIEL C
• Application Number:
  US11/095,727
• Publication Number:
  US 20050218184A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,679 Days
• Field of Search: 227/133, 227/134, 227/131, 227/120, 227/146, 173/122, 173/171, 173/162.2, 173/205, 173/162.1, 310/47, 310/91
• US Class Current: 227/133
• CPC Class Codes: B25C 1/06 operated by electric power

Abstract

A hand-held tool with a backbone, a motor assembly that is mounted to the backbone, and a plastic housing. The motor assembly can include a driver and can be selectively actuatable to translate the driver along an axis. The plastic housing can be coupled to the backbone and can shroud at least a portion of the backbone.

Claims

1. A tool for holding a plurality of fasteners and selectively setting a first one of the fasteners into a workpiece, the tool comprising:

a housing defining an internal cavity;

a backbone attached to the housing and disposed in the internal cavity; and

an drive motor assembly having a driver and a power source for translating the driver along an axis, the power source being mounted on the backbone;

wherein the power source includes a motor that provides a rotary output; and

wherein the backbone defines a motor cavity that abuts a side of the motor and wherein a motor strap is coupled to the backbone to secure the motor to the backbone, the motor strap extending about at least a portion of motor on a side opposite the motor cavity.

2. A tool for holding a plurality of fasteners and selectively setting a first one of the fasteners into a workpiece, the tool comprising:

a housing defining an internal cavity;

a backbone attached to the housing and disposed in the internal cavity; and

an drive motor assembly having a driver and a power source for translating the driver along an axis, the power source being mounted on the backbone;

wherein the power source includes a motor that provides a rotary output; and

wherein the backbone includes at least one torsional grounding feature that resists rotation of the motor relative to the backbone.

3. A tool for holding a plurality of fasteners and selectively setting a first one of the fasteners into a workpiece, the tool comprising:

a housing defining an internal cavity;

a backbone attached to the housing and disposed in the internal cavity;

an drive motor assembly having a driver and a power source for translating the driver along an axis, the power source being mounted on the backbone; and

a nosepiece coupled to the backbone, the driver including a driver blade that is received in the nosepiece;

wherein the power source includes a motor that provides a rotary output; and

wherein the power source further includes a flywheel that is driven by the motor and wherein a skid plate is coupled to the backbone, the skid plate shielding an area of the backbone between the flywheel and the nosepiece to thereby direct the driver outwardly away from the backbone as it is being positioned in a returned position.

4. A hand-held tool comprising:

a backbone;

a motor assembly mounted to the backbone, the motor assembly including a driver and a return mechanism, the motor assembly being selectively actuatable to translate the driver along an axis, the return mechanism having a mechanism housing and a return cord, the return cord resiliently coupling the driver to the mechanism housing, the mechanism housing including a leg member and a bayonet, the leg member engaging a first tab that is formed on the backbone and the bayonet resiliently engaging a second tab that is formed on the backbone to thereby fixedly but removably couple the mechanism housing to the backbone; and

outer housing coupled to the backbone, the outer housing shrouding at least a portion of the backbone.

5. A hand-held tool comprising:

a frame having a first and second frame structures that are fixedly coupled to one another, the frame defining a driver axis, a rotational axis and an actuator mount, the rotational axis being perpendicular to the driver axis, the actuator mount including a bore that is disposed generally perpendicular to both the driver axis and the rotational axis;

a motor assembly with a flywheel, a motor, a driver, a roller, and an actuator, the flywheel being rotatably mounted to the frame for rotation about the rotational axis, the motor being coupled to the frame and producing an output for driving the flywheel, the driver being located proximate a peripheral edge of the flywheel, the roller being pivotally mounted to the frame and movable between a first position and a second position in which the roller forcibly contacts the driver to abut the driver against the flywheel to thereby transmit energy from the flywheel to the driver to drive the driver along the driver axis toward an extended position, the actuator including a linear actuator that is received in the bore, the actuator being selectively operable for driving the roller from the first position into the second position; and

an outer housing coupled to the backbone, the outer housing shrouding at least a portion of the backbone, the outer housing defining a handle.

6. The hand-held tool of claim 5, wherein the frame defines a motor mount having an arcuate mount surface that is configured to abut a peripheral surface of the motor.

7. The hand-held tool of claim 6, further comprising a strap that is releasably coupled to the motor mount to secure the motor to the arcuate mount surface.

8. The hand-held tool of claim 5, wherein the linear actuator is adjustably mounted in the bore.

9. The hand-held tool of claim 8, wherein the actuator mount includes a pair of slots that are generally parallel to an axis of the bore and wherein the linear actuator includes a solenoid and a pair of arms that are telescopically received in the pair of slots.

10. The hand-held tool of claim 5, wherein the motor assembly includes a clutch that is engagable to the frame to inhibit movement of the linear actuator in a direction that permits the roller to move away from the second position.

11. The hand-held tool of claim 10, wherein the frame includes a ground plate that is removably coupled to the first and second frame structures.

12. The hand-held tool of claim 5, wherein the motor assembly includes a return mechanism having a mechanism housing and a return cord, the return cord resiliently coupling the driver to the mechanism housing, the mechanism housing including a leg member and a bayonet, the leg member engaging a first tab that is formed on the frame and the bayonet resiliently engaging a second tab that is formed on the frame to thereby fixedly but removably couple the mechanism housing to the frame.

13. The hand-held tool of claim 5, further comprising a controller and a trigger, the controller being mounted to the frame and including a trigger switch, the controller being operable for actuating the motor and the linear actuator based at least partially on a state of the trigger switch, the trigger being movably mounted to the outer housing proximate the handle.

14. The hand-held tool of claim 5, wherein the outer housing includes first and second housing shells.

15. The hand-held tool of claim 5, wherein the outer housing is formed of a non-metallic material.

16. A hand-held tool comprising:

a frame defining a rotational axis;

a motor assembly with a flywheel, a motor, a driver, a roller, and an actuator, the flywheel being rotatably mounted to the frame for rotation about the rotational axis, the motor being coupled to the frame and producing an output for driving the flywheel, the driver being located proximate a peripheral edge of the flywheel, the roller being movably mounted to the frame and movable between a first position and a second position in which the roller forcibly contacts the driver to abut the driver against the flywheel to thereby transmit energy from the flywheel to the driver to drive the driver along a driver axis toward an extended position, the actuator being coupled to the frame and selectively operable for driving the roller from the first position into the second position;

an outer housing coupled to the backbone, the outer housing shrouding at least a portion of the backbone, the outer housing defining a handle; and

an upper bumper;

wherein the frame defines an upper bumper cavity with a pair of ribs, which are disposed transverse to the driver axis, and an end wall, and wherein the upper bumper is slidingly received into the upper bumper cavity and into abutment with the end wall and at least one of the ribs.

17. The hand-held tool of claim 16, wherein the ribs are not perpendicular to the driver axis.

18. The hand-held tool of claim 16, further comprising a lower bumper and wherein the frame defines a lower bumper cavity that is configured to slidingly receive the lower bumper in a direction that is angled relative to the driver axis.

19. The hand-held tool of claim 18, wherein the direction that the lower bumper cavity slidingly receives the lower bumper is perpendicular to the driver axis.