Power tool with light emitting assembly

• US 8,820,955 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2013
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• 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, Jeffery D., Robertson, Corey G., Friedman, Brian E., Hatfield, Eric E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Guharay, Karabi
• Application Number:
  US13/933,625
• Publication Number:
  US 20130286635A1
• Time in Patent Office: 427 Days
• Field of Search: 362/119
• US Class Current: 362/119
• CPC Class Codes: B23B 45/003 Attachments
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 21/00 Portable power-driven screw or nut setting or loosening tools; details or components, e.g. casings, bodies, of portable power-driven tools not particularly related to the operation performed B25F5/00; for mounting or dismounting wheels B60B29/006; Attachments for drilling apparatus serving the same purpose machines B23P19/06
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 23/18 Devices for illuminating the head of the screw or the nut
• CPC Class Codes: B25F 5/021 with guiding devices guiding devices for hand tools on stands or supports B25H1/0078
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/0084 Hand tools; Toolboxes

Abstract

A power tool includes a housing having a large diameter rear portion and a narrow diameter nosepiece. An end effector is rotatably coupled to the housing. A holder with a substantially annular holder body is received over the nosepiece and non-rotatably coupled to the housing. A substantially annular cover having at least one transparent surface, and an internal annular groove, is received at least partially inside the holder body, and non-rotatably and axially fixed with respect to the holder. A substantially annular printed circuit board is received at least partially inside the annular groove in the cover, and non-rotatably and axially fixed with respect to the cover. A plurality of lighting elements is operatively connected to the printed circuit board and radially disposed about the printed circuit board. The lighting elements are aligned with the at least one transparent surface so as to illuminate a workpiece.

Claims

1. A power tool comprising:

a housing having a large diameter rear portion and a narrow diameter nosepiece;

an end effector rotatably coupled to the housing;

a holder having a substantially annular holder body received over the nosepiece and non-rotatably coupled to the housing;

a substantially annular cover having at least one transparent surface, and an internal annular groove, the annular cover received at least partially inside the holder body, and non-rotatably and axially fixed with respect to the holder;

a substantially annular printed circuit board received at least partially inside the annular groove in the cover, and non-rotatably and axially fixed with respect to the cover; and

a plurality of lighting elements operatively connected to the printed circuit board and radially disposed about the printed circuit board, the lighting elements being aligned with the at least one transparent surface so as to illuminate a workpiece.

2. The power tool of claim 1, wherein the lighting elements are a plurality of light emitting diodes radially disposed about the printed circuit board.

3. The power tool of claim 1, wherein a portion of the end effector extends through concentric holes defined by the holder, the cover, and the printed circuit board.

4. The power tool of claim 1, further comprising a first coupler disposed between the holder and the housing, the first coupler preventing axial and rotational displacement of the holder with respect to the housing.

5. The power tool of claim 4, wherein the first coupler comprises a locking flange on the holder and a locking channel on the housing, wherein the locking flange engages the locking channel to prevent axial and rotational displacement of the holder with respect to the housing.

6. The power tool of claim 1, further comprising a second coupler disposed between the printed circuit board and the cover, said second coupler preventing axial and rotational displacement of the printed circuit board with respect to the cover.

7. The power tool of claim 6, wherein the second coupler comprises a notch defined in the printed circuit board and a tab extending from the cover, the tab received in the notch to non-rotatably fix the printed circuit board in the cover.

8. The power tool of claim 7, wherein the tab comprises a heat meltable projection configured to be melted to axially fix the printed circuit board in the cover.

9. The power tool of claim 1, further comprising a third coupler disposed between the holder and the cover, said third coupler preventing axial and rotational displacement of the holder with respect to the cover.

10. The power tool of claim 9, wherein the third coupler comprises a slot defined in the holder and a projection extending from the cover, the projection received in the slot to prevent axial and rotational displacement of the holder with respect to the cover.

11. The power tool of claim 1, further comprising a wire operably coupled to the printed circuit board to deliver power to the lighting elements, and wherein the cover further comprises a chin portion axially and radially outward from the holder body, the chin portion providing a protective case for the wire.

12. The power tool of claim 1, further comprising a coupling member covering the printed circuit board so that the lighting element and the printed circuit board are substantially entrapped by the coupling member and the cover.

13. The power tool of claim 12, wherein the coupling member is axially retained by the holder and attached to the housing.

14. A power tool comprising:

a housing;

an end effector rotatably coupled to the housing;

a substantially annular holder axially and non-rotatably coupled to the housing;

a substantially annular cover having a transparent portion, the cover axially and non-rotatably coupled to the holder;

a substantially annular printed circuit board having a plurality of light emitting elements and axially and non-rotatably coupled to the cover;

a first coupler disposed between the holder and the housing, the first coupler preventing axial and rotational displacement of the holder with respect to the housing;

a second coupler disposed between the printed circuit board and the cover, said second coupler preventing axial and rotational displacement of the printed circuit board with respect to the cover;

a third coupler disposed between the holder and the cover, said third coupler preventing axial and rotational displacement of the holder with respect to the cover.

15. The power tool of claim 14, wherein at least one of the first coupler, the second coupler, and the third coupler comprises at least one of a heat stake joint, a bayonet joint, and a locking flange.

16. The power tool of claim 14, wherein the first coupler comprises a locking flange on the holder and a locking channel on the housing, wherein the locking flange engages the locking channel to prevent axial and rotational displacement of the holder with respect to the housing.

17. The power tool of claim 14, wherein the second coupler comprises a notch defined in the printed circuit board and a tab extending from the cover, the tab received in the notch to non-rotatably fix the printed circuit board in the cover.

18. The power tool of claim 17, wherein the tab comprises a heat meltable projection configured to be melted to axially fix the printed circuit board in the cover.

19. The power tool of claim 14, wherein the third coupler comprises a slot defined in the holder and a projection extending from the cover, the projection received in the slot to prevent axial and rotational displacement of the holder with respect to the cover.

20. A power tool comprising:

a housing;

an end effector rotatably coupled to the housing;

a substantially annular holder axially and non-rotatably coupled to the housing;

a substantially annular cover having a transparent portion, the cover axially and non-rotatably coupled to the holder;

a substantially annular printed circuit board having a plurality of light emitting elements and axially and non-rotatably coupled to the cover;

a locking flange on the holder and a locking channel on the housing, wherein the locking flange engages the locking channel to prevent axial and rotational displacement of the holder with respect to the housing;

a notch defined in the printed circuit board and a tab extending from the cover, the tab received in the notch to non-rotatably fix the printed circuit board in the cover, wherein the tab comprises a heat meltable projection configured to be melted to axially fix the printed circuit board in the cover; and

a slot defined in the holder and a projection extending from the cover, the projection received in the slot to prevent axial and rotational displacement of the holder with respect to the cover.