Tool driving or impacting – Means to drive tool about an axis – Electric motor
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-14
2002-03-19
Smith, Scott A. (Department: 3721)
Tool driving or impacting
Means to drive tool about an axis
Electric motor
C227S008000, C227S130000, C310S050000, C429S097000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06357534
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to fastener driving tools, and more particularly to a new and improved battery pack latching assembly for incorporation within such fastener driving tools.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
As disclosed within the aforenoted United States Patent applications, which are hereby incorporated herein, in their entirety, by reference, portable combustion powered fastener driving tools, for use in connection with the driving of fasteners into workpieces, are of course well known. In connection with such portable combustion powered fastener driving tools, reduced cost and reduced weight are factors which are important and which are always considered in connection with the fabrication or manufacture of such tools. In view of the fact that the fastener driving tools with which we are concerned are portable fastener driving tools, the tools have self-contained power sources which include, for example, a battery pack or holder, comprising a plurality of batteries, which is necessary for providing electrical power required for the combustion process as well as for providing electrical power required for the operation of the combustion chamber fan.
One known manner or means by which the cost and weight of the fastener driving tool may be reduced is to eliminate the ON/OFF switch for the tool. Accordingly, in order to prevent unintentional operation of the tool, and to ensure the safety of both the operator as well as other job-site personnel, some operators electrically disengage the battery pack or holder which is normally held or retained within a suitable hollow portion or battery pack socket defined within the tool housing or handle. However, such electrical disengagement of the battery pack or holder from its electrical power connection mode or state within the fastener driving tool sometimes presents other operational and safety problems. When the operator is moving, such as, for example, should the operator be climbing a ladder or moving along a scaffold, the conventional loosely held disconnected battery pack or holder may become dislodged from or fall out of the tool. Consequently, this is inconvenient for the operator who must then have to retrieve the battery pack or replace the same with a different battery pack. In addition, the battery pack may be damaged, as a result of the dropping of the same, necessitating its replacement, and lastly, the fall of the battery pack may pose a potential safety hazard to other jobsite personnel within the vicinity.
Accordingly, in accordance with the disclosure, teachings, and principles as set forth within the aforenoted United States Patent applications, and as can be appreciated from
FIGS. 1-3
, which correspond to
FIGS. 10-12
of the aforenoted patent applications, the fastener driving tool is provided with a unique battery pack or holder having separate locked operational and standby positions thereby permitting an operator to effectively turn the fastener driving tool OFF by disconnecting the battery power from the tool while simultaneously locking the battery pack or holder within the tool so as to prevent the battery pack or holder from falling out of the tool. More particularly, as best seen in
FIGS. 1 and 2
, the fastener driving tool is generally indicated by the reference character
10
and is seen to comprise a handle assembly which is generally indicated by the reference character
82
. A hollow portion or socket member
102
is defined within a lower portion of the handle assembly
82
, and a battery pack or holder
100
, which is adapted to contain a plurality of batteries
116
as best seen in
FIG. 3
, is adapted to be movable within the hollow portion or socket member
102
of the handle
82
between separate locked operational and stand-by positions. More specifically, as best seen in
FIG. 3
, the fastener driving tool
10
comprises a plurality of power contacts
114
which are mounted upon the end wall of the socket member
102
opposite the entrance to the socket member
102
, and the battery pack or holder
100
is similarly provided with a plurality of battery contacts
112
. Obviously, the battery pack or holder
100
is shown in its stand-by position, state, or mode in
FIG. 3
at which the battery contacts
112
are electrically disengaged or disconnected from the power tool contacts
114
whereby electrical power is not supplied from the batteries
116
to the tool circuitry, not shown, whereby the power tool is effectively disabled.
In order to lockingly retain the battery pack or holder
100
at either one of its operational or stand-by positions with respect to the hollow portion or socket member
102
, the socket member or hollow portion
102
is provided with two apertures
104
a
,
104
b
, and the battery pack or holder
100
is provided with a single detent or inherently biased tooth member
106
. When the battery pack or holder
100
is initially inserted into the hollow portion or socket member
102
, the tooth member
106
will initially engage itself within the first aperture
104
a
, as shown in
FIG. 3
, whereby the battery pack or holder
100
is therefore locked within the hollow portion or socket member
102
at the non-operational or standby position. The battery pack or holder
100
may be provided with written indicia, such as, for example, the word OFF, as designated at
118
in
FIG. 2
, which is adapted to be visible through aperture
104
b
whereby a visual indication to the operator of the non-operational or standby state or mode of the tool
10
is provided. When it is desired to activate the fastener driving tool
10
, the operator depresses a tab
120
, which is integrally connected to the biased tooth member
106
, so as to cause the biased tooth member
106
to be released from the first aperture
104
a
whereupon the battery pack or holder
100
can be moved longitudinally inwardly within the hollow portion or socket member
102
until the battery pack or holder contacts
112
electrically engage the power tool contacts
114
at which time the biased tooth member
106
will also be able to be engaged within the second aperture
104
b
so as to lock the battery pack or holder
100
at its operational position or state. Suitable additional written indicia, such as, for example, the word ON, not shown, may also be provided upon the battery pack or holder
100
so as to be visible through aperture
104
a
in order to provide the operator with a visual indication that the operational state of the fastener driving tool
10
has been achieved.
As might be readily realized, the aforenoted battery pack and latching system has of course been commercially successful. In fact, such battery pack and latching system has been so successful that it is now desirable to incorporate such a battery pack and latching system into virtually all different types of portable tools. However, an implementation problem exists in connection with the incorporation of such a battery pack and latching system into existing portable tools. More particularly, existing portable tools, other than the particular tool disclosed within the aforenoted United States patent applications, do not have a pair of apertures, similar to the apertures
104
a
,
104
b
provided within the aforenoted patent application tool housing, defined within their tool housings, but to the contrary, such portable tools are provided with only a single aperture for locking or latching their battery packs within their respective tools at the ON position, such tools not being provided with any means for latching or locking the battery pack upon the tool at an OFF position. Consequently, if the battery pack and latching system disclosed within the aforenoted United States patent applications were to be incorporated within the existing portable tools, a dual latching system, corresponding to the dual locked OFF and ON states of the tool, would not be able to be achieved.
More specifically, if the battery pack and latching system disclosed within the aforenoted United States patent applications w
Buetow Robert Scott
Driscoll Patrick J.
Moeller Larry
Ploss Peter D.
Breh Donald J.
Croll Mark W.
Illinois Tool Works Inc
Smith Scott A.
Soltis Lisa M.
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