Table saws
First Claim
1. A table saw comprising:
- a table;
a circular blade;
a rotatable arbor that supports the blade;
an arbor block that supports the arbor;
an elevation carriage that supports the arbor block;
a latch that connects the arbor block and the elevation carriage during normal use of the saw;
electronics that detect contact between the blade and a person;
an actuator triggerable upon detection of contact between the blade and a person; and
a motor to rotate the arbor and blade;
where the elevation carriage moves relative to the table to change the elevation of the blade;
where the arbor block is pivotally connected to the elevation carriage;
where the arbor block has a first position in which the latch connects the arbor block and the elevation carriage;
where the arbor block has a second position in which the latch does not connect the arbor block and the elevation carriage;
where the arbor block pivots from the first position to the second position upon the occurrence of a retraction force; and
where the actuator causes the retraction force to occur.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Table saws are disclosed. The table saws can include a blade, an arbor, an arbor block, an elevation carriage, and a latch that connects the arbor block and the elevation carriage. The arbor block can have a first position in which the latch connects the arbor block and the elevation carriage, and a second position in which the latch does not connect the arbor block and the elevation carriage. The arbor block can pivot from the first position to the second position upon the occurrence of a retraction force. The table saw can include an actuator to cause the occurrence of the retraction force, and detection electronics to detect contact between the blade and a person. Woodworking machines with detection and reaction systems are also disclosed. A reaction system can include an explosive that causes retraction of a cutting tool.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A table saw comprising:
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a table; a circular blade; a rotatable arbor that supports the blade; an arbor block that supports the arbor; an elevation carriage that supports the arbor block; a latch that connects the arbor block and the elevation carriage during normal use of the saw; electronics that detect contact between the blade and a person; an actuator triggerable upon detection of contact between the blade and a person; and a motor to rotate the arbor and blade; where the elevation carriage moves relative to the table to change the elevation of the blade; where the arbor block is pivotally connected to the elevation carriage; where the arbor block has a first position in which the latch connects the arbor block and the elevation carriage; where the arbor block has a second position in which the latch does not connect the arbor block and the elevation carriage; where the arbor block pivots from the first position to the second position upon the occurrence of a retraction force; and where the actuator causes the retraction force to occur. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A table saw comprising:
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a table with an opening; a blade; an arbor, where the blade is selectively mounted to the arbor; a motor configured to rotate the arbor and blade; an arbor block, where the arbor is supported by the arbor block; an elevation carriage that moves up and down along a straight elevation line, where the arbor block is pivotally mounted to the elevation carriage, and where pivoting the arbor block causes the arbor and blade to move in an arc whereby more or less of the blade can project through the opening in the table; a release associated with the arbor block, where the release in a first configuration engages the arbor block to restrain the arbor block from pivoting and in a second configuration does not engage the arbor block; and a blade elevation adjustment mechanism that allows a user to selectively adjust the position of the blade through the opening in the table with the release in the first configuration by moving the elevation carriage up and down along the elevation line; electronics that detect contact between the blade and a person; and an actuator triggerable upon detection of contact between the blade and a person, where the actuator when triggered causes the release to transition from the first configuration to the second configuration. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A table saw comprising:
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a generally planar table with an opening; a housing configured to support the table with the plane of the table being generally horizontal; a trunnion structure pivotally mounted below the table for pivotal motion about a tilt axis generally parallel to the plane of the table; an elevation shaft mounted to the trunnion structure, where the elevation shaft is generally perpendicular to the tilt axis; an elevation carriage slidable on the elevation shaft; an arbor block that supports a rotatable arbor, where the rotatable arbor is configured to have a circular blade mounted thereto, where the rotatable arbor is positioned so that the blade mounted thereto is selectively projectable through the opening in the table, where the rotatable arbor has a rotation axis, where the arbor block is mounted to the elevation carriage for pivotal motion about a retraction axis, and where the retraction axis is generally parallel to and offset from the rotation axis of the arbor; a blade elevation adjustment mechanism configured to adjust the position of the elevation carriage relative to the trunnion structure, thereby allowing the elevation carriage and arbor block to be raised and lowered relative to the table by sliding of the elevation carriage along the elevation shaft to selectively adjust the projection of the blade through the opening in the table; a retraction release having a first configuration in which the arbor block is restrained from pivoting about the retraction axis and a second configuration in which the arbor block is released to pivot about the retraction axis, and where the retraction release can be resettably transitioned from the first to the second configuration by application of a force tending to retract the blade; detection electronics that detect contact between the blade and a person and generate an electrical signal indicative of detected contact; and an electrically-triggerable actuator associated with the arbor block and connected to the detection electronics, where the actuator is triggered by the electrical signal from the detection electronics upon detection of contact between the blade and a person by the detection electronics, and where triggering the actuator results in a force sufficient to overcome the retraction release mechanism so that the arbor block pivots about the retraction axis and retracts the blade. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A table saw comprising:
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a table; a circular blade; a rotatable arbor that supports the blade; an arbor block that supports the arbor; an elevation carriage that supports the arbor block; a latch that connects the arbor block and the elevation carriage during normal use of the saw; and a motor that rotates the arbor and blade; where the elevation carriage moves relative to the table to change the elevation of the blade; where the arbor block is pivotally connected to the elevation carriage; where the arbor block has a first position in which the latch connects the arbor block and the elevation carriage; where the arbor block has a second position in which the latch does not connect the arbor block and the elevation carriage; and where the arbor block pivots from the first position to the second position to retract the blade. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
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24. A table saw comprising:
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a work piece support surface with an opening; a swing arm movable along a swing arm path between a first swing arm position adjacent a latch hold mechanism and a second swing arm position spaced apart from the latch hold mechanism; a blade supported by the swing arm; an elevation carriage connected to the swing arm and configured to adjust the position of the blade relative to the work piece support surface when the swing arm is in the first position by linearly raising and lowering the swing arm relative to the work piece support surface; an actuating device configured to transfer a force to the swing arm when the swing arm is maintained at the first swing arm position resulting in a bias on the latch hold mechanism; and a control system configured to control the actuating device to transfer the force to the swing arm in response to a predetermined signal. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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26. A table saw comprising:
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a work piece support surface with an opening; a swing arm movable along a swing arm path between a first swing arm position adjacent a latch hold mechanism and a second swing arm position spaced apart from the latch hold mechanism; a blade supported by the swing arm; an elevation carriage connected to the swing arm and configured to adjust the position of the blade relative to the work piece support surface when the swing arm is in the first position by linearly raising and lowering the swing arm relative to the work piece support surface; a charge coupling forming a capacitor, where the charge coupling is electrically connected to the blade; an actuating device configured to transfer a force to the swing arm when the swing arm is maintained at the first swing arm position resulting in a bias on the latch hold mechanism; and a control system configured to control the actuating device to transfer the force to the swing arm in response to a sensed change in capacitance of the capacitor. - View Dependent Claims (27)
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Specification