Lighted power tool

• US 9,644,837 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2015
• Issued: 05/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Inventors: Vanko, John C., Gottesman, Tal, Puzio, Daniel, Forster, Michael K., Cox, John D., Kelleher, Joseph P., Garber, Stuart, Zellerhoff, Joerg, Gehret, Robert S., Eshleman, Scott, Osborne, Stephen P., Friedman, Brian E., Usselman, Robert A., Nosov, Anatoliy, Doyle, Michael C., Norona, Joao
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Y M
• Application Number:
  US14/681,167
• Publication Number:
  US 20160010848A1
• Time in Patent Office: 762 Days
• 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 5/00 Details or components of portable power-driven tools not particularly related to the operations performed and not otherwise provided for
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/0091 using total internal reflection
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2101/00 Point-like light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2105/18 annular; polygonal other than square or rectangular, e.g. for spotlights or for generating an axially symmetrical light beam
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0008 the light being emitted at the end of the fibre
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0096 the lights guides being of the hollow type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence

Abstract

A power tool includes a tool body including a motor having an output member that drives an accessory. A chuck is coupled for rotation with the output member relative to the tool body and configured to retain the accessory. The chuck has a chuck body that defines at least one light pipe formed therethrough. A light source disposed on a light ring coupled to the tool body and includes at least one light. Each at least one light source aligns with each of the at least one light pipe intermittently during rotation of the chuck.

Claims

1. A power tool comprising:

a tool body including a motor having an output member that drives an accessory;

a chuck coupled for rotation with the output member relative to the tool body and configured to retain the accessory;

at least one bore and at least one light pipe extending through the chuck, each of the at least one light pipe inserted into one of the at least one bore to transmit light through the chuck; and

at least one light source disposed on a light ring coupled to the tool body,

wherein each at least one light source aligns with each of the at least one light pipe intermittently during rotation of the chuck.

2. The power tool of claim 1, wherein each of the at least one light sources comprises an LED.

3. The power tool of claim 1, wherein the at least one light source comprises a plurality of light sources and the at least one light pipe comprises a plurality of light pipes.

4. The power tool of claim 3, wherein a number of light sources differs from the number of light pipes.

5. The power tool of claim 4 wherein the plurality of light pipes comprise three light pipes and the plurality of light sources comprise four light sources.

6. The power tool of claim 5, wherein the three light pipes are equally spaced around the chuck and the four light sources are equally spaced around the light ring, such that one light pipe aligns with one light source for every 30 degrees of rotation of the chuck.

7. The power tool of claim 3, wherein the light sources are spaced at a first set of angles around the light ring and the light pipes are spaced at a different second set of angles around the chuck.

8. The power tool of claim 7, wherein the light pipes are spaced at 120 degree intervals around the chuck and the light sources are spaced at 90 degree intervals around the light ring.

9. The power tool of claim 1, wherein the light ring is fixedly mounted to the chuck and includes a secondary winding that receives power from a primary winding fixedly coupled to the tool body to power the at least one light source.

10. The power tool of claim 1, wherein the light ring is fixedly mounted to the tool body to remain stationary relative to rotation of the chuck.

11. A power tool comprising:

a tool body including a motor having an output member that drives an accessory;

a chuck coupled for rotation with the output member relative to the tool body and configured to retain the accessory;

a first quantity of bores and light, pipes extending through the chuck, each light pipe inserted into one of the bores to transmit light through the chuck, the light pipes fixedly coupled to the chuck for rotation with the chuck; and

a second quantity of light sources disposed on a light ring that is coupled to the tool body,

wherein a second quantity differs from the first quantity.

12. The power tool of claim 11, wherein each of the light sources comprises an LED.

13. The power tool of claim 11 wherein the first quantity of light pipes comprise three light pipes and the second quantity of light sources comprise four light sources.

14. The power tool of claim 13, wherein the three light pipes are equally spaced around the chuck body and the four light sources are equally spaced around the light ring, such that one light pipe aligns with one light source for every 30 degrees of rotation of the chuck.

15. The power tool of claim 11, wherein the light sources are equally spaced at a first set of angles around the light ring and the light pipes are equally spaced at a different second set of angles around the chuck.

16. The power tool of claim 15, wherein the light pipes are spaced at 120 degree intervals around the chuck and the light sources are spaced at 90 degree intervals around the light ring.

17. The power tool of claim 11, wherein the light, ring is fixedly mounted to the tool body to remain stationary relative to rotation of the chuck.

18. A power tool comprising:

a tool body including a motor having an output member that drives an accessory;

a chuck coupled for rotation with the output member relative to the tool body and configured to retain the accessory;

a plurality of bores and light pipes extending through the chuck, each light pipe inserted into one of the bores to transmit light through the chuck, the light pipes fixedly coupled to the chuck for rotation with the chuck, the light pipes equally spaced at a first angular interval around the chuck; and

a plurality of light sources disposed on a light ring that is coupled to the tool body, the light sources equally spaced at a second angular interval around the light ring, wherein the second angular interval is different from the first angular interval.

19. The power tool of claim 18, wherein the light pipes are spaced at 120 degree intervals around the chuck and the light sources are spaced at 90 degree intervals around the light ring.

20. The power tool of claim 18, wherein each light source aligns with each of the light pipes intermittently during rotation of the chuck.