US 6,886,643 B2Granted

Shaft lock mechanism for a rotary power hand tool

AssigneeCredo Technology Corporation

InventorsJonathan G. Riley, David Pozgay

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A preferred embodiment comprises a power hand tool of the type which has a generally cylindrical elongated plastic housing with a motor contained within the housing and having an output shaft that extends from the front end portion of the hand tool, and which has a metal front end portion that cooperates with the plastic housing to strengthen a shaft locking mechanism located at the front end of the hand tool. The metal front end portion not only strengthens the outer surface of the housing in the front end portion of the tool, but also has a pair of internal structural ribs positioned to absorb stress that may be present in the housing as a result of force applied to the shaft locking mechanism. The preferred embodiment is also designed to enable the shaft locking pin mechanism to be easily assembled and retained without the need for an E-clip or C-clip as is commonly the practice in commercially available spiral saw hand tools.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A rotary power hand tool comprising:

an elongated generally cylindrical plastic housing having at least two mating plastic sections that fit together to form a unitary structure, said housing having at least a main portion, a front end portion, and a front opening in said housing;
a motor mounted at least partially within said main housing portion and having an elongated generally cylindrical motor output shaft extending from said main portion at least to said front end portion, said motor output shaft having at least one hole in the side surface thereof;
a locking member located in said front end portion and having an elongated pin portion slideable in a channel defined by at least one channel wall formed in said plastic front end portion, for engaging the output shaft hole to lock said motor shaft from rotation;
a front end metal portion having at least two mating sections configured to fit over said plastic front end portion, said metal portion having a pair of spaced apart structural ribs oriented generally transverse to the output shaft and extending inwardly toward the output shaft, said ribs terminating on opposite sides of said channel wall.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/656,804Filed 5 Sep 2003
Published: US 2005/0051348 A110 Mar 2005
Granted: 3 May 2005
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

B25F 5/00
Details or components of portable power-driven tools not particularly related to the
B24B 23/022
With rotating grinding tools; Accessories therefor: spindle-locking devices, e.g. for mounting or removing the tool
B25F 5/001
Details or components of portable power-driven tools not particularly related to the operations performed and not otherwise provided for:…
Y10T 409/30392
Milling: with means to protect operative or machine [e.g., guard, safety device, etc.]