Plunge router

Abstract

A portable electric plunge router (10) having an improved housing (20) including a right handle (28) and a left handle (30) each including an elongated portion (32) and a hand rest lobe portion (34). The handles of the router are conveniently gripped in two positions corresponding to a plunge operation and guided movement position and a detail or free-hand cutting position. In the plunge or guided cutting position, the elongated portion (32) of the handles are gripped. In the detailed or free-hand cutting position, the hand rest lobe portions (34) of the handles (28) and (30) are gripped while steadying the router by sliding a portion of the user's hands along the surface of the workpiece (52). An upper surface (36) of the hand rest lobe portion (34) extends radially outwardly and downwardly from the elongated portion (32) of the handles (28) and (30). A bridging portion (38) encloses wiring to switches disposed on the handles (28) and (30). A power switch (40), a power hold-on switch (42) and a speed control switch (48) are preferably located on the right handle (28). A feed release (44) and lock-down switch (46) are preferably disposed on the left handle (30).

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.