Power tool wire form hook assembly

A power tool housing can include a circumferential housing groove having at least one detent. A wire can include a central bend forming a hook end of a wire body, and can include two free ends of the wire forming a coupling end of the wire body. The coupling end can be received in the housing groove, and the coupling end can have at least one cooperating detent. The at least one detent and the at least one cooperating detent can be engaged in a storage position in which the hook end is positionable adjacent the power tool housing, and can be engaged in an in-use position in which the hook end is positionable extending away from the power tool housing ready for use in hanging the tool. The coupling end can be slidable along the housing groove between the storage and in-use positions.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a power tool hook assembly for hanging the power tool in which a hook end is movable between a storage position and an in-use position.

BACKGROUND

Power tool hook assemblies having hook ends that are moveable between a storage position and an in-use position can often be comprised of relatively large numbers of components in order to achieve all of the desired functionality. These components must be manufactured, inventoried and assembled together, resulting in increased costs to manufacture the power tool. In addition, such power tool hook assemblies can often only be completed when the components are assembled together with the remainder of the power tool. For example, a housing groove supporting a power tool hook can in some cases only be formed when a portion of the power tool hook assembly carrying one circumferential edge wall of the groove is joined to another portion of the power tool carrying the opposing circumferential edge groove. This means the assembly of the power tool hook assembly must occur on the manufacturing line with the remainder of the tool, rather than being able to be pre-assembled into an independent unit off-line. Such in-line assembly can also lead to increased manufacturing costs.

SUMMARY

In accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure, a power tool wire form hook assembly for hanging the power tool can include a power tool housing including a housing groove extending circumferentially around a portion of the power tool and having at least one detent. A wire can include a central bend forming a hook end of a wire body, and can include two free ends of the wire forming a coupling end of the wire body. The coupling end can be received in the housing groove, and the coupling end can have at least one cooperating detent. The at least one detent and the at least one cooperating detent can be engaged in a storage position in which the hook end is positionable adjacent the power tool housing, and can be engaged in an in-use position in which the hook end is positionable extending away from the power tool housing ready for use in hanging the tool. The coupling end can be slidable along the housing groove between the storage and in-use positions.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, a power tool wire form hook assembly for hanging the power tool can include a power tool housing including a first housing component and a second, annular housing component. The second, annular housing component can include a housing groove extending circumferentially around the second, annular housing component. The second, annular housing component can be a single-piece housing component including opposing circumferential edge walls of a housing groove and the housing groove can have four detents. A wire can include a central bend forming a hook end of a wire body, and can include two free ends of the wire forming a coupling end of the wire body. The coupling end can be received in the housing groove, and the coupling end can have four cooperating detents. The four detents and the four cooperating detents can be engaged in a storage position in which the hook end is positionable adjacent the power tool housing, and can be engaged in an in-use position in which the hook end is positionable extending away from the power tool housing ready for use in hanging the tool. The coupling end can be slidable along the housing groove between the storage and in-use positions.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1-6illustrate one example of a power tool wire hook assembly20for hanging the power tool24in accordance with the present disclosure. As examples, a cordless electric stapler or nail gun, such as the framing nailer power tool24ofFIG. 1, can include the power tool wire hook assembly20. The power tool24can include a housing26. For example, the housing26of the power tool24can include two clamshell housing halves28, a magazine housing58, and a battery coupling housing38.

The housing26of the power tool24can additionally include a housing groove30that can extend circumferentially around a portion of the power tool24. As in the illustrated example, the housing groove30can be provided by a housing component32that is separate from the clamshell halves28of the housing26. The housing component32can be mounted at a base34of a handle36of the power tool24. The annular housing32can be mounted between the handle36and a battery receptacle or coupling housing38.

The separate housing component32can be a single-piece housing component32and can have an overall annular shape. As with this example housing component32, a single-piece housing32can include both opposing edge walls40of the housing groove30. In this case, the single-piece housing component32can include both of the opposing side walls40throughout the entire circumference of the housing groove30. Similarly, when the housing groove30is integrally formed by clamshell housing halves28, each of the clamshell halves28can provide a single-piece housing component that can include both opposing edge walls40of the housing groove30. In this case, each single-piece clamshell half28can provide a single-piece housing component28that can include both opposing edge walls40of each radial half of the housing groove30.

In both cases, there is no need to split the housing groove30in a transverse direction; and therefore, the edge walls40of the housing groove30that oppose each other can be provided by a single-piece component. In the clamshell housing halves28example, no additional components are required to fully form the housing groove30beyond the clamshell housing halves28themselves. In the single-piece annular housing component example, the power tool wire form hook assembly can be formed as an independent assembled unit. Each of these can minimize the number of parts required for the assembly20, can simplify manufacturing and assembly, or both.

A wire42can include a central bend44that can form a distal hook end46of a wire body48. The wire42can also include two proximal free ends50that together form a coupling end52of the wire body48. The coupling end52of the wire can be received in, and slidable around or along, the housing groove30. The groove30can have at least one detent54, and the coupling end52of the wire42or wire body48can have at least one cooperating detent56.

The example detents54of the groove30can be provided as flats along the circumference of the groove30and the cooperating detents56of the wire42can be provided as cooperating flats along the coupling end52of the wire42. The detents54and cooperating detents56can combine to total at least three. For example, the groove30can be provided with four detents54and the coupling end52of the wire42can be provided with four corresponding detents56; combining to total eight.

The detents54of the groove30and the cooperating detents56of the wire42can be selectively engaged with each other to position and retain the hook end46in a storage position in which the hook end46is adjacent the power tool housing26. For example, as illustrated inFIG. 1, the hook end46can be positioned in alignment with the primary central plane (indicated by “P” in the figures) of the power tool24, and can extend alongside the magazine housing58in the storage position. In addition, the hook end46can be located in the storage position within a central opening or window60of the housing26of the power tool24. This window60can be defined by clamshell housing halves28including the handle36, the battery mount housing38, and the magazine housing58.

The detents54of the groove30and the cooperating detents56of the wire42can be selectively engaged with each other to position and retain the hook end46in an in-use position in which the hook end46extends away from the power tool housing26ready for use in hanging the tool. For example, the wire body48can be rotated 90 degrees from the storage position (FIGS. 1 and 4), into an in-use position (FIG. 6) so that the hook end46is located on the right side of the tool24, and is spaced or extends away from the housing26of the power tool24. As another example, the wire body48can be rotated an additional 90 degrees (180 degrees total) into another in-use position in which the hook end46is located behind the tool and is spaced or extends away from the rear of the tool24along the tool plane P. As yet another example, the wire body48can be rotated again an additional 90 degrees (270 degrees total or 90 degrees in the opposite direction from the storage position) into another in-use position in which the hook end46is located on the left side of the tool24, and is spaced or extends away from the housing26of the power tool24.

In any of the positions noted above, the detents54and cooperating detents56are selectively engaged with each other to help retain the wire body48in the selected position. The two free ends50of the coupling end52of the wire42can be arranged to engage opposite radial sides of the housing groove30. The wire42can be made of spring steel and the two free ends50of the coupling end of the wire42can be biased toward each other to facilitate cooperation of the detents54,56. Rotating the wire body48between any of the positions in which the detents54and cooperating detents56are selectively engaged with each other can cause the coupling end52to slide along the housing groove30(FIG. 5). Such rotation of the wire body48can also disengage the detents54and the cooperating detents56from each other and can increase the distance between the two free ends50of the wire42at the coupling end52.

A wire limiter62can be provided to engage and prevent the two free ends50of the wire42at the coupling end52from moving away from each other sufficiently to escape the housing groove30. The wire limiter62can be formed of two components64, such as the exemplified upper and lower components, that can be coupled together via a threaded fastener70around the two free ends50of the wire42. The two free ends50can extend through the wire limiter62. A first of the two free ends50of the wire42can extend through a first aperture66of the wire limiter62and a second of the two free ends50can extend through a second aperture68of the wire limiter62. The first aperture66can have a circular shape and the second aperture68can have an elongated or slotted shape. The wire limiter62can permit sufficient increase in the distance between the free ends50of the wire42at the coupling end52to permit disengagement of the detents from each other, but prevent this distance from increasing to an extent that the free ends50of the wire42at the coupling end52could escape the groove30.

As noted above, the housing26of the power tool24can include a number of housing components or portions, including the clamshell halves28, the battery coupling housing38, and the magazine housing58. The annular housing32can be a separate component or part from all of these other housing components. The annular housing32can be a single-piece component that can fully define the entirety of the housing groove30. The annular housing32, the wire42forming the hook end46and the coupling end52of the wire body48, and the wire limiter62can all be couplable together to form the wire form hook assembly20as an independent assembled unit that is separate from the other housing components. This independent assembled unit or assembly20can be coupled to the one or more of the other housing components. For example, the wire form hook assembly20can be coupled between the clamshell halves28and the battery coupling housing38.