Oscillating tool

• US 9,539,647 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2013
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sergyeyenko, Oleksiy
• Primary Examiner(s): Gates, Eric A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Su, Chwen-Wei
• Application Number:
  US14/013,065
• Publication Number:
  US 20130341876A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,230 Days
• Field of Search: 279/141, 279143-145, 836/984.1, 836/65, 836/66, 451/357, 451/359, 302/76, 303/47, 302/774, 302/88, 303/89
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B23B 31/10 characterised by the retaining or gripping devices or their immediate operating means
• CPC Class Codes: B23B 31/19 moving parallel to the axis of the chuck B23B31/185 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 23/04 with oscillating grinding tools; Accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 45/006 Quick mount and release means for disc-like wheels, e.g. on power tools
• CPC Class Codes: B27B 19/006 with oscillating saw blades; Hand saws with oscillating saw blades
• CPC Class Codes: B27B 5/32 Devices for securing circular saw blades to the saw spindle
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 279/18 Pivoted jaw
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 279/33 Member applies axial force component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 279/3451 Nonseparable or built-in
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/7045 Arcuately oscillating tool carried on single pivot
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/9457 Joint or connection
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/9464 For rotary tool

Abstract

A clamp arrangement for securing an accessory to an oscillating power tool can include a clamp assembly including a first clamp member that moves relative to the accessory between a closed position wherein the clamp assembly retains the accessory and an open position wherein the first clamp is offset from the accessory permitting removal of the first accessory from the clamp assembly. The clamp assembly can further comprise a second clamp member having a first portion that opposes the first clamp member and cooperates with the first clamp member to clamp the accessory between the first and second clamp members. An attachment plate can carry the clamp assembly. The attachment plate can have a first mating detail formed thereon that is configured to selectively and removably mate with a complementary second mating detail on the power tool in an assembled position.

Claims

1. A power tool configured to hold an accessory so as to be operable by a user of the tool to drive the accessory, the power tool comprising:

a motor;

a housing in which the motor is contained;

a spindle mounted in the housing and drivable by the motor; and

a clamp assembly arranged at a lower end of the spindle, the clamp assembly comprising opposed first and second clamping members between which a central portion of the spindle assembly extends, said portion being able to be received in an open-ended aperture in the accessory, the first clamping member being moveable, in a direction parallel to the spindle axis, from a first position which is such that the clamp assumes a closed condition whereby, when said central portion is so received, the accessory is clamped by the clamping members so as to be fixedly coupled to the spindle, to a second position which is such that the clamp assumes an open condition permitting the accessory to be moved in a direction transverse to the spindle axis such that the central portion is passed through the open end of the aperture and the accessory is thus removed from the power tool;

an actuator operable by the user to effect the movement of the first clamping member from the first position to the second position, wherein the actuator is configured such that operation of the actuator alone can effect the movement of the first clamping member from the first position to the second position;

wherein the actuator comprises an elongate member;

wherein at least one of the first clamping member and the second clamping member are located outside of the housing;

wherein the clamp assembly is configured such that the accessory can be clamped by the clamp assembly with the open end facing in a transverse direction away from the motor;

wherein the actuator is rotatable about a rotational axis; and

wherein the rotational axis is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the motor and is perpendicular to the spindle axis.

2. The power tool according to claim 1, wherein the housing includes a forwardly projecting end section in which the spindle extends and which is configured to receive thereagainst the palm of a hand of the user holding the tool such that the index finger of the hand is located at an underside of said end section rearward of the clamp assembly and adjacent thereto.

3. The power tool according to claim 1, wherein the spindle oscillates about said spindle axis when driven by the motor, whereby the accessory likewise oscillates about said spindle axis.

4. The power tool according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second clamping members includes protrusions at least some of which are receivable by holes formed in the accessory so as to rotationally locate the accessory to the clamp assembly.

5. The power tool according to claim 4, wherein the second clamping member includes the protrusions.

6. The power tool according to claim 1, wherein the second clamping members is fixed in a direction parallel to the spindle axis.

7. The power tool according to claim 1, wherein the actuator has a longitudinal axis which is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the motor;

and

wherein the longitudinal axis of the actuator is substantially perpendicular to the spindle axis at least when the actuator is in an actuator closed position wherein the accessory is clamped by the clamping members.

8. The power tool according to claim 1, wherein the spindle is arranged perpendicularly to a longitudinal axis of the motor.

9. The power tool according to claim 1, wherein the first clamping member is disposed closer to the coupling of the output member and the spindle than the second clamping member is to the coupling of the output member and the spindle.

10. The power tool according to claim 9, wherein the spindle includes a top half portion and a bottom half portion and the clamp assembly is coupled to the spindle at the bottom half portion.

11. The power tool according to claim 1, wherein the actuator comprises a lever.

12. A power tool comprising:

a housing;

a motor mounted in the housing;

an output member driven by the motor;

a spindle coupled to the output member and driven by the motor, through the output member, in an oscillating motion;

a clamp assembly coupled to the spindle and configured to retain an accessory, the clamp assembly including a first clamp member that moves between a closed position wherein the clamp assembly retains the accessory in a clamped condition with a clamping force for holding the accessory during operation of the power tool and an open position permitting removal of the accessory from the clamp assembly while the first clamp member remains coupled to the clamp assembly, the clamp assembly further comprising a second clamp member having a first portion that opposes the first clamp member and cooperates with the first clamp member to clamp the accessory between the first and second clamp members; and

an actuator operable to cause the first clamp member to move between the closed position and the open position;

wherein the spindle is arranged vertically and the clamp assembly is located at a lower end of the spindle;

wherein the actuator comprises an elongate member;

wherein the actuator is configured such that operation of the actuator alone can effect the movement of the first clamping member from the closed position to the open position;

wherein the clamp assembly is configured such that the accessory can be clamped by the clamp assembly in at least in four positions, the four positions spaced 90 degrees apart around the clamp assembly; and

wherein the actuator comprises a lever which is rotatable about an axis.

13. The power tool according to claim 12, wherein the spindle has a longitudinal spindle axis;

wherein the first clamping member is movable in a direction parallel to the spindle axis and the second clamping member is fixed in a direction parallel to the spindle axis.

14. The power tool according to claim 12, wherein the spindle includes a top half portion and a bottom half portion, the output member is coupled to the spindle at the top half portion and the clamp assembly is coupled to the spindle at the bottom half portion.

15. The power tool according to claim 12, wherein the actuator includes a longitudinal axis;

and

wherein the longitudinal axis is substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the motor at least when the actuator is in a closed position corresponding to the closed position of the first clamp member.

16. The power tool according to claim 12, wherein at least one of the first clamping member and the second clamping member are located outside of the housing.

17. The power tool according to claim 12, wherein the actuator comprises an elongated user engagement portion for operating the actuator, and

wherein the user engagement portion is non-parallel with the spindle axis at least when the actuator is in an actuator closed position wherein the accessory is clamped by the clamping members.

18. A power tool comprising:

a housing;

a motor mounted in the housing;

an output member driven by the motor;

a spindle coupled to the output member and driven by the motor, through the output member, in an oscillating motion;

a clamp assembly coupled to the spindle; and

an accessory comprising an attachment portion with an open ended aperture;

wherein the clamp assembly includes a first clamp member that moves between a closed position wherein the clamp assembly retains the accessory in a clamped position with a clamping force for holding the accessory during operation of the power tool and an open position permitting removal of the accessory from the clamp assembly while the first clamp member remains coupled to the clamp assembly, the clamp assembly further comprising a second clamp member having a first portion that opposes the first clamp member and cooperates with the first clamp member to clamp the accessory between the first and second clamp members; and

further comprising an actuator operable to cause the first clamp member to move between the closed position and the open position, the open position providing sufficient clearance between the first clamp member and the second clamp member to permit the removal of the accessory from the clamp assembly;

wherein the spindle is arranged vertically and perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the motor and the clamp assembly is located at a lower end of the spindle;

wherein at least one of the first clamping member and the second clamping member are located outside of the housing;

wherein the actuator is configured such that operation of the actuator alone can effect the movement of the first clamping member from the first position to the second position;

wherein the actuator is a tool-free mechanism;

wherein the clamp assembly is configured such that the accessory can be clamped by the clamp assembly with the open end facing in a transverse direction away from the motor;

wherein the clamp assembly is configured such that the accessory can be clamped by the clamp assembly in at least in four positions, the four positions spaced 90 degrees apart around the clamp assembly; and

wherein the actuator comprises a lever.

19. The power tool according to claim 18, wherein at least one of the first clamp member and the second clamp member comprise protrusions;

and

wherein the accessory comprises mounting features which receive the protrusions.

20. The power tool according to claim 18, wherein the accessory comprises a cutting member;

wherein the accessory further comprises a working portion and an offset portion which offsets the working portion from the attachment portion; and

wherein a plane of the working portion is parallel and offset from a plane of the attachment portion.

21. The power tool according to claim 18, wherein the output member comprises a fork and has a first end coupled to an output of the motor and a second end coupled to the spindle;

and

wherein the output member projects downwardly from the first end to the second end in a direction towards the lower end of the spindle.

22. The power tool according to claim 18, wherein at least one of the first clamping member and the second clamping member are located outside of the housing.

23. The power tool according to claim 18, wherein the actuator comprises an elongated user engagement portion for operating the actuator,

wherein the user engagement portion is non-parallel with the spindle axis at least when the actuator is in an actuator closed position wherein the accessory is clamped by the clamping members.