Illumination – With implement or hand held holder therefor – Hand tool
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-30
2001-03-27
Husar, Stephen (Department: 2875)
Illumination
With implement or hand held holder therefor
Hand tool
C362S089000, C362S394000, C307S13200T
Reexamination Certificate
active
06206538
ABSTRACT:
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
None
STATEMENT AS TO RIGHTS TO INVENTIONS MADE UNDER FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
None
BACKGROUND
1. Field
Cordless battery operated hand tools
2. Description of the Background
This invention relates to cordless battery operated hand tools, and more particularly to such tools having or needing to have embodied therein lighting systems adapted to illuminate the field of operation of the tools.
A cordless battery operated drill driver is a good example of a tool in which the invention advantageously may be embodied, and therefore, for convenience, the invention will be shown and described in connection with that specific type of cordless battery operated tool.
Equipping various forms of electrically operated hand tools with illumination is not new, however it has always been accomplished by providing a separate circuit off the main power source that has to be independently operated. This invariably has led to battery drain when the operator forgets to turn the illumination off, and premature re-charging of batteries when battery charge has been exhausted because of excessive illumination operation. Frequently, in both high and low ambient light conditions, the operator of the hand tool forgets that the light is still on, and puts it away with the light still glowing, with consequent battery drain.
All of the existing designs require that the operator of the hand tool hold the tool with one hand, while operating the illumination switch with the other hand. This is a two handed requirement that leaves no hand to hold the object being operated on by the tool.
Moreover, there is presently no battery operated hand tool with the capability of illuminating the work area that automatically turns the source of power to the illumination off when the tool is not in use.
The deficiencies above noted in present day approaches were not eliminated or avoided because none of the earlier approaches recognized or were able to discern the unique combination of elements and interrelationships of the present invention which is briefly outlined in the following Summary, more fully described in the following Detailed Description and which is defined by the following Claims.
SUMMARY
This invention provides a means to selectively, by single finger pressure of one hand on the operating switch of a cordless battery operated hand tool, turn the illumination of the work area on when required by the operator of the tool, then, by further finger pressure on the operating switch, turn the tool motor on and/or turn the light source off, and by releasing finger pressure on the operating switch, turn both illumination and the tool motor off. Thus battery discharge is controlled by one-handed single finger pressure on the operating switch of the tool, and is automatically terminated when the tool is not in use, conserving battery charge. The gist of the invention is the adaptation of a “Make-Before-BreaK” switch to the operating switch of the tool, which is usually configured as a spring return trigger operated “On/Off” switch housed in a pistol style grip for hand tools. The invention is, however, easily adapted to and may be readily incorporated in other types of tool operating switches, such as, but not limited to, toggle switches, push button switches, multiple pole switches, plunger switches, knife switches and the like.
Upon initial depression of the “Make-Before-Break” switch (which is affixed to and part of the trigger switch assembly) by the operator of the tool using a single finger, the light is illuminated with energy from the tool battery. Further pressure using the same finger on the switch results in “making” the second circuit, also fed by the same battery, energizing the tool motor, while the light is still illuminated. Finally, depressing the switch past the position where the light is illuminated turns the light off, while the tool motor continues to run. Thus the operator has complete selective control using a single finger both over illumination and operation of the tool itself, freeing the other hand of the operator during operation of the tool.
Then, when operation of the tool is completed and finger pressure has been removed from the operating switch, all power is automatically switched off, both to the tool motor and to the source of illumination, thus conserving battery charge without any required intentional “turn off” by the operator.
A separate single pole, single throw switch disables the light source completely when illumination is not required or desired.
With the above features in mind, the invention comprises the devices, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter set forth and illustrated in the accompanying drawings of a preferred embodiment of the invention, from which the several features of the invention and the advantages attained thereby will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2310166 (1943-02-01), Way
patent: 2517882 (1950-08-01), Johnson
patent: 2525588 (1950-10-01), Cameron
patent: 5169225 (1992-12-01), Palm
patent: 5267129 (1993-11-01), Anderson
patent: 5412546 (1995-05-01), Huang
patent: 5793130 (1998-08-01), Anderson
patent: 5797670 (1998-08-01), Smoke
patent: 6092260 (2000-07-01), Kai
Husar Stephen
Sawhney Hargobind S.
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