Portable attachment for aligning a power tool and method
AssigneesRobert Bosch Tool Corporation, Robert Bosch GmbH
InventorMiroslav Vuckovic
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An aligning attachment includes a support aligned relative to a workpiece by a base and a collar slidably connected to the support. The aligning attachment is connected to a power tool and the power tool is guided toward the workpiece by the collar. The translation of the power tool is controlled by a control force applied to a lever pivotally connected to the collar. The lever cooperates with the support to transfer the control force to the support and the collar to counteract an input force applied to the power tool. The control force and associated reaction forces on the support and the lever lie approximately in the same plane. A user controls the translation of the power tool device by increasing or decreasing the control force applied to the lever.
Claims18
An aligning attachment, comprising:
- an elongated support defining transverse grooves spaced along the length of the support;
- a collar defining a bore configured to receive the support, the collar being slidably connected to the support through the bore so as to guide a translation of a power tool towards a surface in response to an input force applied to the power tool and carried by the collar;
- a base directly and rigidly connected to the support, the base being adjustably positionable on the surface so as to align the collar relative to the surface;
- and
- a lever rotably connected to the collar at a pivot, the lever having a first end extending into the bore and meshingly engaged with the grooves of the support and a second end configured to receive a control force applied to the second end simultaneously with and separate from the input force to control the translation of the power tool,
- wherein the second end is configured so that the control force originates on and lies approximately along a control force plane, and
- wherein the engagement of the first end with the grooves is configured to generate a reaction force that originates on and lies approximately along the control force plane.
A method of operating an aligning attachment, comprising:
- applying an input force to a power tool guided by a collar to translate the power tool towards a surface, the collar defining a bore through which an elongated support is received to slidably connect the collar to the elongated support, the collar being aligned relative to the surface by a base that is directly and rigidly connected to the support and adjustably positionable on the surface;
- and
- controlling the translation of the power tool by simultaneously applying a control force to a lever rotably connected to the collar, the lever having a first end extending into the bore and configured to cooperate with the support and a second end configured to receive the control force,
- wherein the collar has a maximum translation along the support, and wherein a maximum rotation of the lever is less than or equal to 90 degrees regardless of the maximum translation of the collar.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.