Workpiece contact element for a powered fastener driver

A workpiece contact element for a fastener driver, the workpiece contact element comprising:

• a body defining a fastener receiving region through which fasteners are fed from a magazine of the fastener driver, the body having a base surface parallel with a fastener driving axis of the fastener driver;
• a fastener guiding portion disposed forward of the fastener receiving region and extending in a direction of the fastener driving axis, the fastener guiding portion including
• a ramp surface, and
• a guide surface contiguous with the ramp surface and disposed forward of the ramp surface;
• and
• a tip retainer including a longitudinal protrusion and a pair of opposed lateral protrusions, the longitudinal protrusion extending from a forwardmost end of the body, and the opposed lateral protrusions being positioned on opposite lateral sides of the body adjacent the forwardmost end, wherein the guide surface is spaced rearward of the tip retainer with the base surface of the body extending between the guide surface and the tip retainer.

A gas spring-powered fastener driver comprising:

• an inner cylinder;
• a movable piston disposed within the inner cylinder for reciprocation therein between a top-dead-center (TDC) position and a bottom-dead-center (BDC) position;
• a driver blade coupled to the piston and movable therewith, the driver blade configured to drive a fastener along a fastener driving axis and into a workpiece during a fastener driving cycle;
• an electronic control unit configured control actuation of the fastener driving cycle;
• a trigger mechanism actuatable by a user to provide a first input signal to the electronic control unit;
• and
• a safety mechanism including a workpiece contact element and a switch, the workpiece contact element configured to actuate the switch to provide a second input signal to the electronic control unit,
• wherein the electronic control unit initiates a fastener driving cycle upon receipt of the first input signal and the second input signal, and
• wherein the workpiece contact element includes
• a body having a base surface parallel with the fastener driving axis,
• a fastener guiding platform extending above the base surface, the fastener guiding platform being spaced rearwardly of a forwardmost end of the body such that the base surface extends forward of the fastener guiding platform, and
• a tip retainer extending forwardly from the forwardmost end of the body and offset below the base surface.