Light for a power tool and method of illuminating a workpiece

• US 8,328,381 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2009
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dixon, Eva J., Krout, Daniel L., Kusmierski, Robert G., Osborne, Stephen P., Miller, Amanda, Delcamp, Jeff, Robertson, Corey G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Y My Quach
• Application Number:
  US12/379,585
• Publication Number:
  US 20100214768A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,385 Days
• Field of Search: 362/109, 362/119, 362/120
• US Class Current: 362/119
• CPC Class Codes: B25F 5/021 with guiding devices guiding devices for hand tools on stands or supports B25H1/0078

Abstract

A power tool including a end effector rotatable with respect to the housing, a collar rotatable with respect to the housing, a printed circuit board (PCB) rotatably fixed with respect to the housing, and a light element operatively connected to the PCB and adjacent to the end effector and in a recess of the collar and located to illuminate a workpiece machined by the power tool. A method of providing light for a workpiece being machined by a power tool including locating lighting elements around a spindle of a power tool, aligning the lighting elements to shine light on a workpiece being machined by the power tool, operatively connecting the lighting elements to a PCB, containing and supporting the PCB with a guide, supporting wires configured to provide power to the PCB with the guide, locating the lighting elements, PCB and guide in a rotatable collar, and preventing the lighting elements, PCB and guide from rotating when the collar rotates.

Claims

1. A power tool comprising:

a housing;

an end effector rotatable with respect to the housing;

a collar rotatable with respect to the housing to select at least one of a clutch setting, a drive setting, a drill setting, and a hammer setting of the power tool, the collar having a rear end and a front end adjacent the end effector;

a printed circuit board (PCB) rotatably fixed with respect to the housing; and

a lighting element operatively connected to the PCB and adjacent to the front end of the collar and to the end effector and in a recess of the collar, and located to illuminate a workpiece machined by the power tool.

2. The power tool of claim 1, further comprising a guide supporting the PCB and wires configured to provide power to the PCB.

3. The power tool of claim 2, further comprising additional lighting elements, wherein the lighting elements are light emitting diodes (LEDs) located on the PCB and the PCB and a portion of the guide are generally circular in shape, the LEDs are annularly arranged on the PCB and portion of the end effector extends through a hole in the defined by the guide and PCB.

4. The power tool of claim 2, wherein the guide defines a groove and the PCB is located in the groove.

5. The power tool of claim 4, further comprising snap-in features on the guide configured to allow the PCB to be snapped into the groove in the guide and held in place in the guide.

6. The power tool of claim 2, further including a channel defined by the guide, the channel providing a protective case for the wires.

7. The power tool of claim 6, further comprising a plug terminating the wires and plug holding structure on the guide for securing the plug in place on the guide.

8. A power tool comprising:

a housing;

an end effector rotatable with respect to the housing;

a collar rotatable with respect to the housing;

a printed circuit board (PCB) rotatably fixed with respect to the housing;

a lighting element operatively connected to the PCB and adjacent to the end effector and in a recess of the collar and located to illuminate a workpiece machined by the power tool;

a guide supporting the PCB and wires configured to provide power to the PCB; and

a collar stop on the guide to define a limit of rotation of the collar.

9. A power tool comprising:

a housing;

an end effector rotatable with respect to the housing;

a collar rotatable with respect to the housing;

a printed circuit board (PCB) rotatably fixed with respect to the housing;

a lighting element operatively connected to the PCB and adjacent to the end effector and in a recess of the collar and located to illuminate a workpiece machined by the power tool;

a guide supporting the PCB and wires configured to provide power to the PCB; and

an alignment tab on the guide for aligning the guide to a desired position.

10. A power tool comprising:

a housing;

an end effector rotatable with respect to the housing;

a collar rotatable with respect to the housing;

a printed circuit board (PCB) rotatably fixed with respect to the housing;

a lighting element operatively connected to the PCB and adjacent to the end effector and in a recess of the collar and located to illuminate a workpiece machined by the power tool;

a guide supporting the PCB and wires configured to provide power to the PCB; and

alignment tabs on the PCB and alignment grooves on the guide, the alignment tabs on the PCB and the alignment grooves on the guide are dimensioned and located so that the alignment tabs on the PCB fit into and are retained in the alignment grooves on the guide to keep the PCB and the guide aligned.

11. A power tool comprising:

a housing;

an end effector rotatable with respect to the housing;

a collar rotatable with respect to the housing;

a printed circuit board (PCB) rotatably fixed with respect to the housing;

a lighting element operatively connected to the PCB and adjacent to the end effector and in a recess of the collar and located to illuminate a workpiece machined by the power tool;

a guide supporting the PCB and wires configured to provide power to the PCB; and

engaging structure on the guide configured to butt against corresponding engaging structure on a nose cone to lock the guide from rotating with respect to the nose cone.

12. A power tool comprising:

a housing;

an end effector rotatable with respect to the housing;

a collar rotatable with respect to the housing;

a printed circuit board (PCB) rotatably fixed with respect to the housing;

a lighting element operatively connected to the PCB and adjacent to the end effector and in a recess of the collar and located to illuminate a workpiece machined by the power tool;

a guide supporting the PCB and wires configured to provide power to the PCB; and

a lens cover covering the lighting element and the PCB so that the lighting element and the PCB are entrapped by the guide and the lens cover.

13. The power tool of claim 12, further comprising a raised blister on the lens cover located to cover the lighting element and configured so that light emitted from the lighting element passes through the blister.

14. The power tool of claim 12, wherein the lens cover, except a portion covering the lighting element, is a dark color.

15. The power tool of claim 12, further comprising a retaining ring, wherein the lens cover is axially retained by the retaining ring attached to a nose cone.

16. The power tool of claim 15, further comprising a groove on the nose cone wherein the retaining ring resides in the groove.

17. The power tool of claim 15, wherein the collar is axially locked at least in part by the retaining ring.

18. A power tool comprising:

a rotatable chuck;

a rotatable collar rotatable to select at least one of a clutch setting, a drive setting, a drill setting, and a hammer setting of the power tool;

a printed circuit board (PCB);

light elements operatively connected to the PCB and adjacent to the end effector and located to illuminate a workpiece machined by the power tool; and

a guide supporting the PCB and wires configured to provide power to the PCB for illumination the lighting elements, wherein the PCB and a portion of the guide are generally circular in shape, the lighting elements are annularly arranged on the PCB and portion of the end effector extends through a hole defined by the guide and PCB and the guide defines a groove and the PCB is located in the groove.

19. The power tool of claim 18, further comprising snap-in features on the guide configured to allow the PCB to be snapped into the groove in the guide and held in place in the guide.

20. A power tool comprising:

a housing;

a handle extending downward from the housing;

a trigger switch coupled to the handle;

a chin region just above the trigger switch and just below the housing;

an end effector rotatable with respect to the housing;

a front housing portion;

a printed circuit board (PCB) rotatably fixed with respect to the housing; and

a lighting element operatively connected to the PCB and adjacent to the end effector and in a recess of the front housing portion and located to illuminate a workpiece machined by the power tool; and

a chin shroud in the chin region housing wires running from the PCB to a power source.

21. A power tool comprising:

a housing;

an end effector rotatable with respect to the housing;

a collar rotatable with respect to the housing to select at least one of a clutch setting, a drive setting, a drill setting, and a hammer setting of the power tool, the collar having a rear end and a front end adjacent the end effector; and

a generally ring-shaped printed circuit board (PCB) rotatably fixed with respect to the housing and disposed within the collar, and

a plurality of lighting elements mounted to the PCB and adjacent to the front end of the collar and to the end effector to illuminate a workpiece machined by the power tool.

22. The power tool of claim 21 wherein the collar is generally opaque.

23. The power tool of claim 21, further comprising a generally ring-shaped lens cover in front of the lighting elements, the lens cover disposed inside of the collar and rotatably fixed with respect to the housing.

24. The power tool of claim 21, further comprising a guide supporting the PCB and wires configured to provide power to the PCB.

25. The power tool of claim 24, wherein the guide defines a groove and the PCB is located in the groove.

26. The power tool of claim 24, further including a channel defined by the guide, the channel providing a protective case for the wires.

27. The power tool of claim 24, further comprising alignment tabs on the PCB and alignment grooves on the guide, the alignment tabs on the PCB and the alignment grooves on the guide are dimensioned and located so that the alignment tabs on the PCB fit into and are retained in the alignment grooves on the guide to keep the PCB and the guide aligned.

28. The power tool of claim 24, further comprising engaging structure on the guide configured to butt against corresponding engaging structure on a nose cone to lock the guide from rotating with respect to the nose cone.