Abstract:
A cordless nailer is provided having a magazine assembly with improved features. A pusher assembly is provided having a simplified and efficient construction. A pusher retention feature is provided that prevents the driver blade from impacting a nail pusher. A nail retention feature is provided to allow easy loading and unloading of nails into the nailer. Finally, a method of assembling the magazine assembly is provided.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/943,325, filed Jun. 12, 2007. The disclosure of the above application is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a nailer, and more particularly to a magazine assembly for a nailer. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Fastening tools, such as power nailers and staplers, are relatively commonplace in the construction trades. Often times, however, the fastening tools that are available may not provide the user with a desired degree of flexibility and freedom due to the presence of hoses and such that couple the fastening tool to a source of pneumatic power. Similarly, many features of typical fasteners, while adequate for their intended purpose, do not provide the user with the most efficient and effective function. Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for an improved fastening tool. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A nailer is provided having a magazine assembly with improved features. An improved latch mechanism for clearing nail jams is provided that reduces wear on the latch. A pusher assembly is provided having a simplified and efficient construction. A pusher retention feature is provided that allows the pusher assembly to move behind nails loaded in the magazine assembly. A nail retention feature is provided to allow easy loading and unloading of nails into the nailer. 
     Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a side view of an exemplary nailer having a magazine assembly constructed according to the principles of the present invention; 
         FIG. 1A  is a side view of an exemplary pneumatic nailer having a magazine assembly constructed according to the principles of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an expanded side view of the magazine assembly of the present invention illustrating a method of assembling the magazine assembly; 
         FIG. 3A  is a perspective view of a nail pusher used with the magazine assembly of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3B  is a side view of the nail pusher of  FIG. 3A  assembled to a magazine; 
         FIG. 3C  is a front view of the nail pusher of  FIG. 3A ; 
         FIG. 4A  is a top view of a nail retention system used in the magazine assembly of the present invention in an unlocked position; 
         FIG. 4B  is a side view of the nail retention system shown in  FIG. 4A ; 
         FIG. 4C  is a top view of the nail retention system of  FIG. 4A  in a locked position; 
         FIG. 4D  is a side view of the nail retention system shown in  FIG. 4C ; 
         FIG. 5A  is an upper rear perspective view of a nail pusher used with the magazine assembly of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 5B  is a side perspective view of the nail pusher of  FIG. 5A  assembled to a magazine; and 
         FIG. 5C  is a rear perspective view of the nail pusher of  FIG. 5A . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The following description of the preferred embodiment(s) is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses. 
     With reference to  FIG. 1 , a magazine assembly  10  constructed according to the principles of the present invention is shown in operative association with an exemplary cordless nailer  12 . It should be appreciated, however, that the present invention may be employed with various other nailers. By way of example, a pneumatic nailer  12 ′ is shown in  FIG. 1A , in which the magazine assembly  10  can be incorporated. The cordless nailers  12 ,  12 ′ generally include a housing  14  with either a motor or pneumatically driven nail driving mechanism located therein. The nail driving mechanism drives nails (not shown) from the magazine assembly  10 , as is well known in the art. A handle  16  extends from the housing  14  and terminates in a battery pack  18 . The battery pack  18  is configured to engage a base portion  20  of the handle  16  and provides power to the motor. 
     The magazine assembly  10  includes a nosepiece assembly  22  and a magazine  24 . The nosepiece assembly  22  is mounted to the housing  14 . The magazine  24  is coupled to the nosepiece assembly  22  at one end thereof and is mounted to the base  20  of the handle  16  at an opposite end thereof. 
     Referring again to  FIG. 1 , the magazine  24  holds a plurality of nails (not shown) therein. The nails are fed forward into the nosepiece assembly  22  by a pusher assembly  60 . The pusher assembly  60  rides within the magazine  24  and protrudes partially therefrom to be engaged by the operator of the nailer  12 . 
     Turning to  FIGS. 3A ,  3 B and  3 C, the pusher assembly  30  includes a carrier  32 , a pusher  34  pivotally mounted to the carrier  32  by a pivot pin  36  and a spring member  38 . The carrier  32  includes a runner portion  40  having a channeled portion  41  sized to fit and slide on a liner (described in detail herein below) of the magazine  24  ( FIG. 1 ). A handle  42  extends out from the runner portion  40  and out from the magazine  24 , as shown in  FIG. 3B . The pivot pin  36  is received in support holes  44  provided in the handle portion  42  of the carrier  32 . The carrier  32  is a one piece unitary structure. 
     The pusher  34  includes a front nail engaging portion  46  that engages the nails (not shown) to move them towards the nosepiece assembly  22  ( FIG. 1 ). The pusher  34  includes a pair of flanges  48  each having a pivot hole  50  sized to receive the pivot pin  36  therein for pivotally connecting the pusher  34  to the carrier  32 . An arm  52  extends out from the pusher  34  on an opposite side of the pivot pin from the nail engaging portion  46 . A grip  54  can be mounted to the arm  52   
     The nail engaging portion  46  of the pusher  34  includes a first surface  56  configured to engage nails and a second surface  58  angled with respect to the first surface  56 . The second surface  58  is angled to allow a nail driver blade of the nailer  10  to strike the second surface  58 , thereby moving the pusher  34  out of the way of the driver blade during a stroke of the driver blade. 
     With reference to  FIG. 3A , a biasing member such as, for example, the spring  38  is mounted between the handle  42  and the pusher  34  to bias the pusher  34  such that the nail engaging portion  46  is biased in alignment with the nails (not shown) loaded within the magazine  24  ( FIG. 1 ). 
     Turning to  FIGS. 4A-D , loading and unloading of the magazine  24  will now be described. The magazine  24  includes a nail track  60  that is sized to accept a plurality of nails therein. The nails are supported on one end thereof within the liner  62  at another end thereof with a lower magazine (further described below) which forms part of the magazine  24 . The nails slide up the magazine  24  towards the nosepiece assembly  22  ( FIG. 1 ) by the pusher  34 . As noted above, the pusher  34  slides along a portion of the magazine  24 , specifically, along a liner  62  shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     Nails are loaded into the nail track  60  of the magazine  24  by inserting them into the nail track  60  through an opening (not shown) in the back of magazine  24 . In order to keep the nails within the nail track  60 , the magazine  24  further includes a nail retaining spring  64  ( FIGS. 4A and 4C ) mounted therein. The nail retaining spring  64  acts as a one way valve to allow nails to enter the nail track  60  while preventing them from exiting. Specifically, the nail retaining spring  64  includes a spring arm  66  fixed to the magazine  24  at one end thereof and a head portion  68  at a free end thereof. The head portion  68  is aligned with the nail track  60  when in an unbiased condition (e.g., when the spring arm  66  has not been fully deflected from its rest position), as shown in  FIG. 4A . 
     The spring arm  66  and the head portion  68  cooperate to form an inclined surface  72  such that nails introduced into the magazine  24  will deflect the nail retaining spring  64  out of the way. The nail retaining spring  64  then snaps back into place, thereby preventing the nails from accidentally exiting the magazine  24 . 
     In order to load or unload the magazine  24 , the pusher  34  can be moved to the back of the magazine  24 . The rear arm  52  of the pusher  34  then engages a cam surface  74  ( FIG. 4C ) in the magazine  24  near the back thereof (specifically located on a portion of the magazine  24  as seen in  FIG. 2 ). The rear arm  52  of the pusher  34  includes an aperture  52   a  therein, as best shown in  FIG. 3B . The aperture  52   a  receives a tab  74   a  disposed adjacent to the cam surface  74 . The tab  74   a  retains the arm  52  of the pusher  34  in the rearward position. The cam surface  74  and the arm  52  cooperate to rotate the pusher  34  out of alignment with the nail track  60 , as seen in  FIG. 4C , against the force of the spring  38 . Nails may then freely exit (or enter) the nail track  60  without interference from the pusher  34 . In this way, the pusher  34  cooperates with the nail retaining spring  64  to allow the magazine to be loaded in either a “load and draw” mode (e.g., wherein, nails are first inserted in the magazine  24  and then the pusher  34  is then “rotated” out of the plane of the nail track  60  upon contact with the nails and drawn behind the loaded nails) or in a “cock and load” mode (e.g., wherein, the pusher  34  is drawn to the back of the magazine  24  and cocked out of alignment with the nail track  60  by the cam surface  74  thereby allowing nails to be loaded and unloaded without restriction by the pusher  34 ). To disengage the pusher  34  from the tab  74   a , the grip  54  is provided to allow the user to push the arm  52  out of engagement with the tab  74   a . As an alternative embodiment as shown in  FIGS. 5A-5C , a push button  54 ′ can be utilized to disengage the pusher  34 ′ from the tab  74   a . In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 5A-5C , the spring  38  can be disposed inward from the push button  54 ′. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 2 , the assembly of the magazine assembly  10  will be described. The nosepiece assembly  22  is fixed to a backbone structure (not shown) within the housing  14  of the nailer  12 . The magazine  24  generally includes the liner (or guide)  62 , a lower magazine  80 , and an upper magazine  82 . 
     First, the lower magazine  80  is coupled to the nosepiece assembly  22  near the lower end of the nosepiece assembly  22 . In the particular example provided, screws  84  are used to couple the lower magazine  80  to the nosepiece assembly  22 , although various other methods may be employed. 
     Next, the liner  62  is inserted into a receiver  86  in the nosepiece assembly  22  from the back thereof. The carrier  32  is coupled to the liner  62  such that the runner  40  slidingly engages the liner  62 . A constant force spring  88  (in the form of an axle-free rolled memory-type sheet steel) is then hooked onto the carrier  32 . The constant force spring  88  engages a portion of the magazine  24  as will be described below and biases the carrier  32  and pusher  34  towards the nosepiece assembly  22 . The liner  62  is then coupled to a base portion  90  on the lower magazine  80 . The base portion  90  on the lower magazine  80  includes a slot for receiving an end of the liner  62  therein. The slot can include a plurality of ribs that engage the liner  62  and create a snap-fit or tight engagement therebetween. Alternatively, the base portion  90  may include a hole (not shown) sized to receive the liner  62  therein, or may include any other means of locking the liner  62  to the lower magazine  80 . 
     The liner  62  and lower magazine  80  cooperate to form a fixed subassembly  94 . The upper magazine  82  is then inserted overtop of the base portion  90  of the lower magazine  80  and overtop of the liner  62 . Specifically, the upper magazine  82  includes a screw receiver  96  extending therefrom with a wall  98  formed near the screw receiver  96 . The screw receiver  96  is sized to fit within an opening  100  formed in the housing  14  of the nailer  12 . A screw  102 , as seen in  FIG. 1 , extends through the housing  14  and engages the screw receiver  96 , thereby securing the upper magazine  82  to the nailer  12 . The wall  98  aligns with the opening  100  thereby covering the opening  100 . 
     The upper magazine  95  further includes a spring retainer  104  extending therefrom. The spring retainer  104  has a cup shape and is sized to receive and secure the rolled portion of the constant force spring  88  therein. As the pusher  34  is drawn away from the nosepiece assembly  22 , the constant force spring  88  acts to bias the pusher  34  towards the nosepiece assembly  22 . 
     A ribbed flange  106  extends out from the upper magazine  82  and engages a matching ribbed recess  108  formed in the base  20  of the nailer  12  as the upper magazine  82  is coupled to the lower magazine  80  and the housing  14 . The ribbed flange  106  lends structural support to the magazine assembly  10  when assembled. Moreover, the upper magazine  82  includes ramps  110  formed therein for aligning the liner  62  when the upper magazine  82  is coupled overtop the subassembly  94 . In this way, the components of the subassembly  94  are fixed automatically during alignment thereof to reduce the number of components that must be held in place manually by an individual. 
     The method of assembling the magazine assembly  10  allows a user to quickly and efficiently do so by creating subassemblies which aid alignment. Moreover, engagement of the parts of the magazine  24  within receivers and apertures allows for quick and easy alignment of the parts. 
     The description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention.