Angle grinder dust shroud with unitary adjustable mounting collar

• US 8,702,478 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2010
• Issued: 04/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dustless Depot
• Original Assignee: Dustless Depot
• Inventors: Loveless, Michael, Loveless, Spencer
• Primary Examiner(s): Hail, Joseph J
• Assistant Examiner(s): CRANDALL, JOEL DILLON
• Application Number:
  US12/775,859
• Publication Number:
  US 20100285729A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,446 Days
• Field of Search: 451/456, 451/451, 451/452, 451/453, 451/454, 451/457, 451/344, 451/353, 451/354, 451/356, 451/357, 451/358, 451/359, 144/252.1, 403/361, 403/326, 246/81, 246/83, 246/85, 246/86
• US Class Current: 451/453
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 23/028 Angle tools
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 55/04 Protective covers for the grinding wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 55/102 with rotating tools
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/45874 having axially extending expansion slit along side of cavity
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/45885 Allows bodily movement facilitating interlock

Abstract

A universal dust shroud includes a unitary mounting bracket on top of the shroud body. The bracket includes a plurality of collar sections attached to the body via a ‘Z’ shaped joint which allows the collar sections to move radially inwardly and outwardly relative to each other to accommodate different angle grinders. The bracket may include slots formed at the base of the bracket. The slots allow air to flow in through the slots, out past the grinding disk, and to the vacuum port. As such, the slots can aid in cooling the grinder output and bearings, and helps keep dust and debris away from the bearings in order to extend the life of the grinder.

Claims

1. A dust shroud for use with an angle grinder comprising:

a shroud body having an upper surface and a skirt extending downwardly therefrom so as to generally enclose a grinding disk in the interior thereof, the upper surface having an opening formed in the center thereof for allowing the shaft of an angle grinder to pass therethrough, the shroud extending horizontally from a central axis;

a vacuum port attached to the shroud body, the vacuum port being in fluid communication with the interior of the shroud body;

an attachment collar extending upwardly from the shroud body and around said opening in said center of the shroud body, the collar having a plurality of generally vertical slots therethrough such that the collar comprises a plurality of separated generally vertical sections; and

a plurality of joints attached between the base of the collar and the top of the shroud body, each joint corresponding to one of the vertical sections of the collar, each joint comprising a first section which extends upwardly from the top of the shroud body and a second section which extends downwardly and inwardly from a top of the first section towards the center of the shroud body, the second section being disposed at an angle of about 45 degrees from horizontal, wherein the first sections and the second sections of the plurality of joints are separated from adjacent joints by the generally vertical slots and wherein the plurality of joints allow the vertical sections of the collar to move radially inwardly and outwardly to vary the size of the collar; and

wherein the attachment collar sections extend upwardly from a bottom of the second section of the plurality of joints to a position above the plurality of joints.

2. The shroud of claim 1, further comprising air passages formed through the plurality of joints and the base of the collar sections, the air passages terminating near the plurality of joints such that the air passages do not extend into a portion of the collar sections disposed upwardly above the plurality of joints.

3. The shroud of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of holes formed adjacent the perimeter of the top surface, the plurality of holes consisting essentially of a series of holes extending across approximately one quarter of the circumference of the top surface, said quarter of the circumference being adjacent the vacuum port and being disposed counterclockwise from the vacuum port.

4. The shroud of claim 1, wherein, when viewed from above, the first section and the second section of the plurality of joints are arcuately shaped and concentric to the opening.

5. A system comprising the shroud of claim 1, and further comprising an angle grinder, wherein the collar sections are clamped to the output shaft housing of the grinder, wherein the grinder output shaft extends through the opening in the center of the shroud body, and wherein a grinding disk is positioned in the shroud body.

6. A dust shroud for use with an angle grinder comprising:

a shroud body having an upper surface and a skirt extending downwardly from the upper surface;

a vacuum port having a first end connected to the shroud body and having a second end configured for connection to a vacuum hose to thereby draw air from the shroud body, through the vacuum port, and into the vacuum hose;

a hole through the center of the shroud body upper surface;

a flex joint disposed around the hole, the flex joint comprising a plurality of flex joint sections, each of the plurality of flex joint sections comprising a first portion attached to the upper surface of the shroud and extending upwardly from the upper surface of the shroud, a second portion attached to the first portion and extending inwardly and downwardly towards the upper surface of the shroud at an angle of about 45 degrees relative to the upper surface of the shroud body; and

a mounting collar extending around said hole, the mounting collar being formed from a plurality of collar sections, each of the plurality of collar sections being attached to the second portion of the flex joint section and extending upwardly therefrom to a height above the flex joint section, wherein the first portion and second portion of each the plurality of flex joint sections and the collar section attached thereto are separated from adjacent flex joint sections and collar sections by a slot, and wherein the collar sections may bend to move radially to thereby vary the size of the mounting collar.

7. The shroud of claim 6, wherein the mounting collar comprises slots between the collar sections and extending into the upper surface.

8. The shroud of claim 6, wherein the shroud has air passages formed through the plurality of flex joint sections, the air flow passages being disposed adjacent the base of the mounting collar and terminating adjacent the flex joint sections such that the air flow passages do not substantially extend into the mounting collar sections disposed above the flex joint sections.

9. The shroud of claim 6, wherein the shroud has a series of air passages consisting of a plurality of air passages which extend through the upper surface of the shroud adjacent the skirt, said series of air passages extending across approximately one quarter of the perimeter of the shroud, said one quarter of the shroud being located adjacent the vacuum port and extending counterclockwise therefrom.

10. The shroud of claim 6, wherein the mounting collar is attached to a grinder with a clamp.

11. A dust shroud for an angle grinder comprising:

a body having an upper surface and a skirt extending downwardly from the upper surface;

an opening formed in the center of the upper surface;

a vacuum port connected to the upper surface;

a flex joint attached to the upper surface of the shroud around the opening, the flex joint comprising multiple flex joint sections, each flex joint section comprising a first portion extending upwardly from the upper surface of the body and a second portion attached to the top of the first portion and extending downwardly and inwardly therefrom at an angle of about 45 degrees relative to the upper surface of the body, the first portion and the second portion of the flex joint sections being divided into separate flex joint sections;

an attachment collar attached to the flex joint, the attachment collar extending vertically above the flex joint and extending around the opening, the attachment collar being divided into vertical attachment collar sections corresponding to the multiple flex joint sections, the vertical collar sections being movable radially to vary the size of the attachment collar.

12. The shroud of claim 11, wherein, when viewed from above, the first portion and the second portion of the flex joint sections are arcuately shaped and concentric to the opening.

13. The shroud of claim 12, further comprising air passages disposed through the flex joint sections.

14. The shroud of claim 11, wherein the flex joints inhibit movement of the collar sections relative to the shroud body once the collar sections are clamped to a grinder.

15. The shroud of claim 11, wherein the shroud comprises air passages disposed in the flex joint sections and in the base of the attachment collar sections independent of slots dividing the collar into collar sections, said air passages terminating adjacent the top of the flex joint sections so as to not extend into the attachment collar sections above the flex joint sections.

16. The shroud of claim 15, wherein said air passages are formed through the second portion of the flex joint sections but not the first portion of the flex joint sections.

17. The shroud of claim 11, further comprising air passages through the upper surface of the body adjacent the skirt, the air passages consisting of a series of openings beginning adjacent the vacuum port and extending counterclockwise therefrom for about one quarter of the perimeter of the shroud.

18. The shroud of claim 11, further comprising horizontal lines formed on the attachment collar for allowing a user to cut the attachment collar at a desired height.