Lubricant-impregnated bushing for impact tool
AssigneeMilwaukee Electric Tool Corporation
InventorsPeter Malak, Michael R. Sande, Ryan Allen Dedrickson, Guang Hu, Fan Bin Zeng, Wei Chao Xu, Qiao Cai
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A tool includes a housing, a drive assembly including an output shaft extending from the housing such that a tool element for performing work on a workpiece is attachable to the output shaft, and a bushing disposed within the housing. The bushing rotatably supports the output shaft. The bushing is impregnated with lubricant such that the bushing is self-lubricating, and the bushing has an impregnation ratio between about 5% and about 25%.
Claims16
A method of manufacturing a tool comprising:
- providing a bushing;
- molding a housing around the bushing to secure the bushing within the housing;
- immersing the housing in lubricant such that the lubricant is wicked into the bushing to impregnate the bushing with the lubricant;
- and
- providing a drive assembly including an output shaft extending from the housing such that a tool element for performing work on a workpiece is attachable to the output shaft;
- wherein the bushing has an impregnation ratio between 5% and 25%.
A method of manufacturing a tool comprising:
- providing a bushing;
- insert-molding the bushing within a housing;
- immersing the housing in lubricant to impregnate the bushing with the lubricant providing a drive assembly including
- an anvil extending from the housing,
- a camshaft, and
- a hammer configured to impart consecutive rotational impacts upon the anvil in response to rotation of the camshaft;
- and
- inserting the anvil into the bushing such that the bushing rotatably supports the anvil,
- wherein the bushing is configured to gradually release the lubricant over time during ordinary operation of the tool.
A method of manufacturing a tool, the method comprising:
- forming a bushing;
- inserting the bushing into a mold cavity;
- molding a gear case of the tool in the mold cavity around the bushing;
- and
- immersing the gear case in lubricant such that the lubricant is wicked into the bushing to impregnate the bushing with the lubricant.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.