Abstract:
A combination pneumatic tool and protection boot are provided. The pneumatic tool has a housing and an exhaust port for transmitting exhaust air from the tool along a path. The protective boot is disposed about the housing and has a deflector disposed in the path of the exhaust air for redirecting the exhaust air. The deflector preferably deflects the air away from an area surrounding the workpiece the tool is engaging without creating back pressure in the tool.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to pneumatic tools, and more particularly, to protective boots therefor. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Protective boots for disposal about the housing of a pneumatic tool have previously been provided to afford protection to the tool. Users, however, often do not see any reason to use these boots and often either do not use the boots, or do not replace damaged boots. Consequently, the pneumatic tools often become damaged. 
     Additionally, deflectors have been affixed to the housing of a pneumatic tool in front of a forward-facing exhaust port to deflect exhaust air away from the workpiece the tool is engaging. The deflectors aid in preventing exhaust air from causing dust or other debris from being blown about and inhaled, or ingested, by a user. These deflectors, however, can create back pressure in the tool which lowers the output torque of the tool. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is a general object of the invention to provide an improved pneumatic tool which avoids the disadvantages of prior pneumatic tools while affording additional structural and operational advantages. 
     An important feature of the invention is the provision of a pneumatic tool which is of relatively simple and economical construction. 
     A further feature of the invention is the provision of a tool of the type set forth which diverts exhaust air emerging from the tool exhaust port without creating back pressure. 
     Another feature of the invention is the provision of a tool of the type set forth which diverts exhaust air from the vicinity of the work piece. 
     With regard to the above two features, another feature of the invention is the provision of a protective boot with a deflector for diverting the exhaust air, which encourages a user to maintain the protective boot on the housing of the tool. 
     Certain ones of these or other features may be attained by providing a combination including a pneumatic air tool having a housing and an exhaust port for transmitting exhaust air from the tool along a path, and a protective boot disposed about the housing and having a deflector disposed in the path of the exhaust air for redirecting the exhaust air. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of the invention, there is illustrated in the accompanying drawings a preferred embodiment thereof, from an inspection of which, when considered in connection with the following description, the invention, its construction and operation, and many of its advantages should be readily understood and appreciated. 
     FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the pneumatic tool and protective boot of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded, fragmentary, rear perspective view of the tool and boot of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the tool and boot of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a partial bottom plan view of the tool and boot of FIG. 1; and 
     FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view of the boot of FIG.  2 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIGS. 1-3, a pneumatic tool  10 , such as an impact wrench, includes an air inlet  12  and a body  14 . The body  14  is of “pistol-grip” configuration and includes a handle  16 , a housing  18  for containing a motor (not shown), and an exhaust port  20  for transmitting exhaust air from the tool  10 . The housing  18  has an exterior surface  19 . The tool  10  also includes a trigger  22  for controlling the amount of air to the motor. The tool  10  also has output structure  24  coupled to and rotated by the motor. The output structure  24  lies along an axis A (FIG.  1 ). In the present case, the output structure  24  includes a square  26  for coupling to a socket designed to apply torque to a fastener, such as a lug nut for a vehicle wheel. The square  26  has a free end which defines the terminal front end  28  of the tool  10 . The pneumatic impact wrench  10  is discussed in much greater detail in commonly assigned and copending application Ser. No. 09/119,683, entitled “Pneumatic Tool With Increased Power Capability”, the specification of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     The present invention also includes a protective boot  30 . The boot  30  is preferably of one-piece construction and formed of a flexible and resilient material, such as a vinyl, or the like. The boot  30  is preferably formed by dip molding, or the like. The boot  30  has a body  31  having front and rear ends  32 ,  34 , and top and bottom sides  36 ,  38 . The boot  30  includes interior and exterior surfaces  39   a  and  39   b . The body  31  defines a circular first opening  40  at the front end  32  and a second opening  42  at the bottom side  38 . 
     The bottom side  38  of the boot  30  also includes a generally U-shaped deflector  44  extending down from the exterior surface  39   b  along a forward portion of the second opening  42 . The deflector  44  has a central forward bight  46  and two rearwardly projecting legs  48 ,  50 . 
     The boot  30  is disposed about the outside of the housing  18  so that at least a portion of the output structure  24  is disposed through the first opening  40  and the handle  16  is disposed through the second opening  42 , and so that the deflector  44  is disposed in front of the exhaust port  20 . 
     When the tool  10  is operated, and the boot  30  is disposed about the housing  18 , exhaust air is transmitted out of the exhaust port  20  along a path toward the front end  28  of the tool  10 . The deflector  44  has a predetermined shape and projects a predetermined distance down from the exterior surface  19 , and the bight  46  is spaced a predetermined distance from the exhaust port  20 . In a preferred embodiment, the spacing between the bight  46  and the exhaust port  20  is 0.68 inch and the deflector  44  projects 0.44 inch from the exterior surface  19  of the housing  18 . This positioning and shaping causes the exhaust air transmitted through the exhaust port  20  to contact the deflector  44 , which then directs it along a path downward or laterally away from the terminal end  28  of the tool  10  (and the workpiece the tool  10  is engaging). The deflector  44  advantageously directs the exhaust air, without creating back pressure in the tool  10 , completely away from a circle having a radius R of at least about six inches, wherein the circle is coplanar with the terminal end  28  and coaxial with the housing  18 . It should be appreciated that the deflector  44  need not project down to the height of the bottom of the exhaust port  20  because the exhaust air hitting and being deflected down by the deflector  44  forms a wall of air which deflects the remainder of the air exiting the exhaust port  20  below the level of the deflector  44 . 
     The U-shape provides the deflector  44  with structural strength to prevent it from being deformed or displaced by the exhaust air. If the deflector  44  is formed of a strong enough material to resist deformation, it can have other shapes, such as a simple plane disposed generally perpendicular to the axis A. Additionally, the deflector, if properly spaced and shaped, can be separate from the boot  30  and simply attached by conventional means to the housing  18 . 
     While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects. Therefore, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. The matter set forth in the foregoing description and accompanying drawings is offered by way of illustration only and not as a limitation. The actual scope of the invention is intended to be defined in the following claims when viewed in their proper perspective based on the prior art.