Miter saws having locking assemblies for optimal positioning of cutting blades

A miter saw comprising:

• a base;
• a table disposed on said base, said table having a top surface extending between a front end and a rear end of said table;
• a cutting assembly overlying said table, said cutting assembly including a rotatable cutting blade having a peripheral cutting edge, and a motor for driving said cutting blade;
• at least one guide rail interconnecting said table and said cutting assembly for guiding sliding movement of said cutting assembly over said table between a rear-most position and a forward-most position;
• and
• a locking assembly coupled with said cutting assembly for locking said cutting assembly in only one position, an intermediate position, located between the rear-most position and the forward-most position, wherein said locking assembly remains coupled with said cutting assembly while said cutting blade moves downwardly during a cutting operation for preventing sliding movement of said cutting assembly, wherein said locking assembly comprises a latch having a locking slot formed in a lower edge of said latch, and wherein said latch has a stop flange projecting from an edge of said locking slot, said stop flange extending laterally below said lower edge of said latch for defining the widest section of said latch;
• wherein the locking assembly further comprising a latch pivot axis and a latch post, wherein said latch rotates about said latch pivot axis such that said latch post is captured within said locking slot of said latch for locking said cutting assembly in the only one position;
• wherein said latch pivot axis and said latch post are arranged on a plane substantially parallel to said guide rail.

A miter saw comprising:

• a base;
• a table rotatably disposed on said base, said table having a top surface extending between a front end and a rear end thereof;
• a cutting assembly overlying said table, said cutting assembly including a rotatable cutting blade having a peripheral cutting edge, and a motor for driving said cutting blade;
• at least one guide rail coupled with said table and said cutting assembly for guiding sliding movement of said cutting assembly over the top surface of said table between the front and rear ends of said table;
• a fence secured to said base and having a front face that overlies the top surface of said table, said front face and the top surface of said table defining a corner;
• and
• a locking assembly coupled with said cutting assembly for locking said cutting assembly in only one position, an intermediate position, between the front and rear ends of said table, wherein in the intermediate position the peripheral cutting edge of said cutting blade intersects the corner defined by the front face of said fence and the top surface of said table, and said locking assembly latch remains coupled with said cutting assembly while said cutting blade moves downwardly during a cutting operation for preventing sliding movement of said cutting assembly, wherein said locking assembly comprises a latch having a locking slot formed in a lower edge of said latch, and wherein said latch has a stop flange projecting from an edge of said locking slot, said stop flange extending laterally below said lower edge of said latch for defining the widest section of said latch;
• wherein the locking assembly further comprising a latch pivot axis and a latch post, wherein said latch rotates about said latch pivot axis such that said latch post is captured within said locking slot of said latch for locking said cutting assembly in the only one position;
• wherein said latch pivot axis and said latch post are arranged on a plane substantially parallel to said guide rail.

A miter saw comprising:

• a base;
• a table rotatably disposed on said base, said table having a top surface extending between a front end and a rear end of said table;
• a guide rail support housing connected with said table;
• a guide rail extending through said guide rail support housing, wherein said guide rail support housing is adapted to guide sliding movement of said guide rail within a plane that is substantially parallel with the top surface of said table;
• a cutting assembly overlying said table, said cutting assembly including a rotatable cutting blade having a peripheral cutting edge, and a motor for driving said cutting blade, said guide rail being coupled with said cutting assembly for guiding sliding movement of said cutting assembly over the top surface of said table between the front and rear ends of said table;
• a fence secured to said base and having a front face that overlies the top surface of said table, said front face of said fence and the top surface of said table defining a corner;
• and
• a locking assembly coupled with said cutting assembly for locking said cutting assembly in only one position, an intermediate position, between the front and rear ends of said table, wherein in the intermediate position the peripheral cutting edge of said cutting blade crosses the corner defined by the front face of said fence and the top surface of said table, wherein said locking assembly remains coupled with said cutting assembly while said cutting blade moves downwardly during a cutting operation for preventing sliding movement of said cutting assembly, wherein said locking assembly comprises a latch having a locking slot formed in a lower edge of said latch, and wherein said latch has a stop flange projecting from an edge of said locking slot, said stop flange extending laterally below said lower edge of said latch for defining the widest section of said latch;
• wherein the locking assembly further comprising a latch pivot axis and a latch post, wherein said latch rotates about said latch pivot axis such that said latch post is captured within said locking slot of said latch for locking said cutting assembly in the only one position;
• wherein said latch pivot axis and said latch post are arranged on a plane substantially parallel to said guide rail.