Handheld power tool with compact AC switch

• US 9,899,899 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2016
• Issued: 02/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sergyeyenko, Oleksiy P., French, Timothy W., Martinez, Phillip, Wang, Yesman
• Primary Examiner(s): Santana, Eduardo Colon
• Assistant Examiner(s): AGARED, GABRIEL T
• Application Number:
  US15/370,738
• Publication Number:
  US 20170085207A1
• Time in Patent Office: 441 Days
• Field of Search: 318504
• 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 5/02 Construction of casings, bodies or handles B25F5/006, B25F5/008 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 11/28 Manual switches
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/145 Hand-held machine tool
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 1/02 Details of starting control
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 25/24 Variable impedance in stator or rotor circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 27/00 Arrangements or methods for the control of AC motors characterised by the kind of supply voltage of two or more motors H02P5/00; of synchronous motors with electronic commutators H02P6/00; of DC motors H02P7/00; of stepping motors H02P8/00

Abstract

A power tool is disclosed having a compact AC switch assembly. An electric motor driving the power tool is contained within a housing that includes a handle. A trigger is slidingly received in the handle and moves in an axis of trigger travel along a trigger travel distance extending between an extended position of the trigger and a depressed position. A trigger switch including a printed circuit board is disposed in mechanical communication with the trigger and controls the electric motor in accordance with trigger position. The printed circuit board has a plurality of conductive traces that are sequentially arranged and linearly aligned adjacent the trigger in a direction that is transverse to the axis of trigger travel to reduce the width of the printed circuit board to a value that is less than or equal to three times the trigger travel distance.

Claims

1. A power tool having a compact AC switch assembly, comprising:

an electric motor;

a housing containing said electric motor and including a handle;

a trigger configured to selectively operate the electric motor, the trigger being movable along an axis of trigger travel between an extended position and a depressed position;

said trigger having a trigger travel distance over which it travels from said extended position to said depressed position;

a trigger switch attached to said trigger to control said electric motor in accordance with position of said trigger in relation to said trigger switch; and

said trigger switch including a printed circuit board having a width extending along said axis of trigger travel;

a variable resistor on the printed circuit board;

wherein a length of the variable resistor along the axis of trigger travel is greater than 50% of the printed circuit board width extending along said axis of trigger travel.

2. The power tool having a compact AC switch assembly of claim 1, wherein there are a plurality of conductive traces on the circuit board;

and

wherein the conductive traces pass through the axis of trigger travel.

3. The power tool having a compact AC switch assembly of claim 2, wherein the plurality of conductive traces are made of an alloy.

4. The power tool having a compact AC switch assembly of claim 3, wherein the alloy includes copper.

5. The power tool having a compact AC switch assembly of claim 3, wherein the alloy includes silver.

6. The power tool having a compact AC switch assembly of claim 3, wherein t the alloy includes copper and silver.

7. The power tool having a compact AC switch assembly of claim 2, wherein there are at least four conductive traces.

8. The power tool having a compact AC switch assembly of claim 7, wherein at least one of the plurality of conductive traces passes through the variable resistor.

9. A power tool having a compact AC switch assembly, comprising:

an electric motor;

a housing containing said electric motor and including a handle;

a trigger configured to selectively operate the electric motor, the trigger being movable along an axis of trigger travel between an extended position and a depressed position;

the trigger having a trigger travel distance over which it travels from said extended position to said depressed position;

a trigger switch attached to said trigger to control said electric motor in accordance with position of said trigger in relation to said trigger switch; and

said trigger switch including a printed circuit board having a width extending along said axis of trigger travel;

wherein the trigger travel distance is at least 33% of the printed circuit board width extending along said axis of trigger travel.

10. The power tool having a compact AC switch assembly of claim 9, wherein the trigger travel distance is at least 35% of the printed circuit board width extending along said axis of trigger travel.

11. The power tool having a compact AC switch assembly of claim 9, wherein the trigger travel distance is at least 40% of the printed circuit board width extending along said axis of trigger travel.

12. The power tool having a compact AC switch assembly of claim 9, wherein there are a plurality of conductive traces on the circuit board;

and

wherein the conductive traces pass through the axis of trigger travel.

13. The power tool having a compact AC switch assembly of claim 12, wherein the plurality of conductive traces are made of an alloy.

14. The power tool having a compact AC switch assembly of claim 13, wherein the alloy includes copper.

15. The power tool having a compact AC switch assembly of claim 13, wherein the alloy includes silver.

16. The power tool having a compact AC switch assembly of claim 13, wherein the alloy includes copper and silver.

17. The power tool having a compact AC switch assembly of claim 12, wherein there are at least four conductive traces.

18. The power tool having a compact AC switch assembly of claim 12, further comprising a variable resistor on the printed circuit board along said axis of trigger travel.

19. The power tool having a compact AC switch assembly of claim 18, wherein at least one of the plurality of conductive traces passes through the variable resistor.

20. A power tool having a compact AC switch assembly, comprising:

an electric motor;

a housing containing said electric motor and including a handle;

a tool member configured to be driven by the electric motor;

a trigger configured to selectively operate the electric motor, the trigger being movable along an axis of trigger travel between an extended position and a depressed position;

the trigger having a trigger travel distance over which it travels from said extended position to said depressed position;

a trigger switch attached to said trigger to control said electric motor in accordance with position of said trigger in relation to said trigger switch; and

said trigger switch including a printed circuit board having a width extending along said axis of trigger travel;

a variable resistor on the printed circuit board;

wherein a length of the variable resistor along the axis of trigger travel is greater than 50% of the printed circuit board width extending along said axis of trigger travel;

wherein the trigger travel distance is at least 33% of the printed circuit board width extending along said axis of trigger travel

wherein there are a plurality of conductive traces on the circuit board;

wherein the conductive traces pass through the axis of trigger travel; and

wherein at least one of the plurality of conductive traces passes through the variable resistor.