Patent ID: 9579731
Date: 2017-02-28
CPC Classifications: B23B,Y10S,Y10T

Claim:
1. A drill chuck assembly comprising: a body including an upper end, a lower end configured to threadably engage a rotational drive, and a bore extending longitudinally therethrough; the bore including a trilobe configuration configured to interchangeably receive a triangular drill bit shank and a hexagonal drill bit shank; a plurality of slots extending longitudinally along the body, one of the plurality of slots disposed at each lobe of the body; wherein the plurality of slots are in communication with the bore; a collar disposed about the body at the upper end thereof, the collar including an angled wall; wherein the angled wall and the body defined a channel therebetween, the channel including a depth that increases from the upper end towards the lower end; a sleeve slidably positioned along the body, the sleeve longitudinally slidable between a first position and a second position; the sleeve biased to the first position by a spring; the sleeve including a plurality of apertures, wherein each of the plurality of apertures are aligned and in communication with one of the plurality of slots between the first position and the second position; a plurality of detent balls, one of the plurality of detent balls positioned in one of the plurality of apertures and extending into one of the plurality of slots aligned therewith; wherein the plurality of detent balls are slidable along the plurality of slots; the plurality of detent balls including a diameter larger than a width of the plurality of slots; wherein the plurality of detent balls are configured to laterally depress and transition longitudinally along the angled wall when a drill bit shank is inserted into the bore, thereby sliding the sleeve towards the lower end to a locked position in which the depth of the channel is equal to the diameter of the plurality of detent balls; the locked position securing the drill bit shank within the bore via a bias force exerted by the spring; wherein moving the sleeve to the second position moves the plurality of detent balls to a position in the channel wherein the depth is larger than the diameter of the plurality of detent balls, releasing the drill bit shank; a plug mounted in an interior of the body, the annular plug including a bore extending longitudinally therethrough and a groove disposed annularly around the plug; and a tubular channel extending perpendicularly through the body relative to the longitudinal axis of the body, the tubular channel being offset from the bore of the plug and aligned with the groove such that they are in communication, the tubular channel and groove configured to receive a dowel pin therethrough.