Patent ID: 8875609
Filing Date: 2014-11-04
Classification: B23Q,B27G,F16P,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A power tool comprising: a guard device including a guard element, an actuator system, a sensor system, and a control unit, wherein the actuator system is configured to move the guard element to define an opening, wherein the sensor system is configured to (i) detect at least one geometric feature of a workpiece, and (ii) detect whether a body part of a user is proximate to the opening and whether the workpiece is proximate to the opening, wherein the control unit is configured to operate the actuator system to move the guard element to (i) minimize a size of the opening when the sensor system detects the body part proximate to the opening, and (ii) adjust the size of the opening based on the at least one geometric feature of the workpiece detected by the sensor system when the sensor system does not detect the body part proximate to the opening, and wherein the guard element has a plurality of segments, each of which is connected to a respective actuator of the actuator system, and the respective actuators are configured to move each segment in the plurality of segments independently of one another.