Powered oscillating hand tool

Abstract: A powered oscillating hand tool (10) comprises (a) a drive unit (2) having an electric motor (4) and a drive shaft (6); (b) a bearing (26) mounted on the drive shaft (8) and located radially eccentrically relative to the drive shaft (8); (c) a second drive shaft (24) mounted on the eccentric bearing (26); (d) a carrier plate (16) mounted on the second drive shaft (24) and (e) a platen (36) for mounting on the carrier plate (16). The carrier plate (16) is provided with a first engagement means (44) and the platen is provided with second engagement means (54) to engage with the first engagement means (44) by rotation of the platen (36) relative to the carrier plate (16). The first and second engagement means together comprise a bayonet fitting.

Description: The present invention relates to a powered oscillating hand tool as per the preamble of claim 1. An example of such powered tool is disclosed by DE 296 14 325 U. In conventional sanders of the orbital type, with a shaped shoe, the drive system comprises an eccentric which is restrained so that the sander shoe cannot spin independently of the motor and it therefore describes a regular orbit. The shoes of such sanders are available in a range of shapes and such sanders are in general used for the removal of relatively small quantities of material, for example for detailed work or for finishing. The base of the shoe may be provided with a surface, in particular a hook and loop surface, on which an abrasive sheet may be mounted. European Patent No 610 801 describes a sander which carries a triangular shoe which can be detached from the body of the sander by means of an operating button located at the front corner of the sander. The operating button carries a bolt which is resiliently mounted on the tool and is biased towards engagement under a catch hook provided in the triangular shoe. The sander is further provided, on the edge opposite the operating button, with at least one engagement opening for engaging at least one support claw provided on the triangular shoe. German Utility Model No DE 296 14 325 describes a handheld power tool comprising a tool holder and a tool. The tool comprises latching projections mutually aligned with holes arranged on the tool holder so that the latching projections protrude through their respective holes when the tool is rotated relative to the tool holder. The tool holder and tool are each additionally provided with a locking device, each locking device being externally actuated by a manual push button. The purpose of each of the locking devices is to retain a latching projection in a respective hole thereby locking the tool on the tool holder. It is a disadvantage of these two arrangements that they are expensive to manufacture and may be difficult to operate to attach and detach the shoe or tool, in particular under the conditions in which the sander or power tool is likely to be used. It is an object of the present invention to provide a sander in which the above disadvantages are reduced or substantially obviated. The present invention therefore provides a powered oscillating hand tool as per claim 1. An embodiment of a powered oscillating hand tool according to the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a side view, in section of a preferred embodiment of a powered oscillating hand tool according to the invention, with a platen attached; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the carrier plate of Figure 1, viewed from above, and Figure 3 is a perspective view of the platen of Figure 1, viewed from above. Figure 1 shows a sanding device (10) comprising a drive unit (2) including an electric motor (4) located in a housing (6) and a drive shaft (8). A fan (12) mounted on shaft (8) is arranged to draw air in from mouth (14) of a carrier plate (16) permanently mounted to the sanding device (10) and direct it through extractor duct (18) to exhaust outlet (20). A nut is used to secure the carrier plate (16) (see Figure 2) to a second drive shaft (24) which is housed in the fan (12) by bearing (26) which is eccentrically located radially in respect to shaft (8). Three flexible columns (28) made of rubber are arranged around the drive shaft (8). The upper end (30) of each of the flexible columns (28) is held in the housing (6) and the lower end (32) is located in a recess (34) provided in the carrier plate (16). A platen (36) is detachably mounted on the carrier plate (16), as will be described in more detail with reference to Figures 2 and 3. The platen (36) is driven by the electric motor (4) through shafts (8,24). A perforated sandpaper sheet (not shown) may be attached to the outer face (38) of the platen (36), for example by the use of hook-and-loop fabric such as that sold as VELCRO (RTM) glued to face (38). Holes (40) passing through the platen (36) facilitate the removal of dust etc., from the sanding face through the platen (36) to exhaust outlet (20) via the duct (18). An extractor hose (not shown) may be attached to the exhaust outlet (20). As can be seen from Figure 2, the carrier plate (16) is made from a plastics material, for example glass filled nylon and carries on its underside a plurality of strengthening ribs (not shown). The carrier plate (16) includes three recesses (34) which are used to couple the carrier plate (16) to the sanding device (10) by means of the flexible columns (28) which locate in the recesses (34) in known manner. The centre of the carrier plate (16) has a boss (42) which is used to accept the eccentrically mounted second drive shaft (24). The carrier plate (16) has a plurality of holes (44) formed therein and spaced at 120° around the central boss (42). The holes (44) are formed so that each can accept one of a plurality of projections formed on the platen (36) which will be described in more detail below. The holes (44) are shaped so as to provide an area of relatively large cross sectional area which narrows down to a strip of narrow width. Flanking each hole (44) and extending substantially along the length from the relatively large cross-sectional area to the end of the relatively narrow strip is a further hole (46). These holes (46) are formed so as to allow the piece of plastics material (48) from which the carrier plate (16) is formed and which is situated between the holes (44) and (46) to act as a spring mechanism. The hole (44) is shaped so that an inwardly projecting piece (50) of the plastics material of the carrier plate (16) is formed at the position shown. It will also be seen from Figure 2 that each hole (44) is associated with a vertically displaced cover member (52). The platen (36) is provided with a plurality of projections (54) projecting from the inner face of the platen (36). In order to mount the platen (36) on the carrier plate (16) the platen (36) is oriented such that projections (54) are situated directly below each of the holes (44). The platen (36) is then urged toward the carrier plate (16) so that the projections (54) protrude through their respective holes (44). As can be seen from the relative orientation of each of the projections (54) and holes (44), when the platen (36) is rotated by approximately 24° then the outer peripheral shapes of the platen (36) and carrier plate (16) coincide and also the projections (54) are rotated about the boss (42) such that they are held within the holes (44) by way of the projection (50) acting as a detent and also the strip of material (48) of the carrier plate (16) between the holes (44) and (46) acting as a spring urging this detent into engagement with each projection (54). As can be seen in particular from Figure 3, each projection (54) has a portion (56) formed as a flat face. When the platen (36) and carrier plate (16) are rotated so as to be locked together as described above, this portion (56) lies flat against a face (58) of the carrier plate (16). This is necessary so that the majority of the oscillating driving force is imparted to platen (36) by the carrier plate (16) through these flat and abutting faces (56), (58). The platen (36) is retained from separating and therefore falling off the carrier plate (16) by way of hook (60) shown in Figure 3 co-operating with the cover member (52). As has been described above, the cover member (52) is situated in a plane which is vertically displaced from the plane of the carrier plate (16) and standing proud thereof. The hook (60) therefore sits between the cover member (52) and the plane of the carrier plate (16) and in this way the cover member (52) acts as a catch for the hook (60). In order to prevent the tip portion of the platen (36) coming away from the carrier plate (16) the platen (36) carries a first ramp surface (62) as shown in Figure 3, which ramp surface (62) co-operates with a second ramp surface (64) in the carrier plate (16). It will be understood that the coupling mechanism between the first ramp surface (62) and second ramp surface (64) operates to engage the two surfaces, when the platen is rotated to engage the projection (54) and its hook (60). One more alternative platen (36) can be provided, for use in different sanding operations, such as for detail sanding, sanding louvres, where the platen is provided with a finger extension and contour sanding.

Claims: A powered oscillating hand tool (10) comprising: a drive unit (2) having an electric motor (4) and a drive shaft (8); a bearing (26) mounted on the drive shaft (8) and located radially eccentrically relative to the drive shaft (8) ; a second drive shaft (24) mounted on the eccentric bearing (26); a carrier plate (16) mounted on the second drive shaft (24) and a platen (36) for mounting on the carrier plate (16), wherein the platen (36) has at least one projections (54) and the carrier plate (16) is formed with at least one hole (44) therein, the platen (36) being coupled with the carrier plate (16) when the or each projection (54) protrudes through a respective hole (44), characterised in that the or each hole (44) of the carrier plate (16) is flanked by a further hole (46) such that material of the carrier plate (16) situated between the hole (44) and the further hole (46) forms a resiliently deformable portion (48) thereof, wherein the resiliently deformable portion (48) engages with a respective projection (54) when the platen (36) is coupled with, and rotated relative to, the carrier plate (16) so that the or each projection (54) is held within a respective hole (44). A powered oscillating hand tool as claimed in claim 1 wherein the at least one projection (54) and the at least one hole (44) together comprise a bayonet fitting. A powered oscillating hand tool as claimed in either of claims 1 and 2 wherein the or each hole (44) is shaped to provide a projecting member (50), which projecting member (50) is integral with the resiliently deformable portion (48) and the projecting member (50) is directed toward the interior of the hole (44). A powered oscillating hand tool (10) as claimed in claim 3 wherein the projecting member (50) forms a detent, which detent engages with a respective projection (54) when the platen (36) is coupled with, and rotated relative to, the carrier plate (16) so that the or each projection (54) is held within a respective hole (44). A powered oscillating hand tool (10) as claimed in any one of the previous claims wherein the or each projection (54) has a first face (56) and the carrier plate (16) has at least one second face (58). A powered oscillating hand tool (10) as claimed in claim 5, wherein the or each second face (58) contacts a respective first face (56) when the platen (36) is coupled with, and rotated relative to, the carrier plate (16) to impart the oscillating driving force from the carrier plate (16) to the platen (36) through the surface-to-surface contact area between the or each second face (58) and a respective first face (56). A powered oscillating hand tool (10) as claimed in any one of the previous claims wherein the or each hole (44) has associated therewith a cover member (52) and the or each projection (54) has a hook (60), which hook (60) co-operates with a respective cover member (52) when the platen (36) is coupled with, and rotated relative to, the carrier plate (16) to prevent separation of the platen (36) from the carrier plate (16). A powered oscillating hand tool (10) according to any one of the previous claims wherein the powered oscillating hand tool (10) is a sander.

Inventors: DUFFY COLLIN, DUFFY, COLLIN
Applicants: BLACK & DECKER INC, BLACK & DECKER INC.
Application year: 1999
Main classification: B24B23
IPC codes: B24B23