Abstract:
A reciprocating saw that includes a spindle including a blade slot configured to receive a saw blade. The saw further includes a blade clamp operable to removably couple the saw blade to the spindle, and the blade clamp includes a first actuator pivotable about the spindle between a locked position and an unlocked position, and a first locking member movable relative to the blade slot between an engaged position and a disengaged position in response to movement of the first actuator between the locked position and the unlocked position. The blade clamp further includes a second actuator pivotable about the spindle between a locked position and an unlocked position, and a second locking member movable relative to the blade slot between an engaged position and a disengaged position in response to movement of the second actuator between the locked position and the unlocked position.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/613,296, filed Mar. 20, 2012, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to reciprocating power tools, and more particularly to keyless blade clamps for quickly and easily replacing and securing a saw blade to a spindle of a reciprocating saw. 
         [0003]    Reciprocating tools, such as reciprocating saws, include removable blades to permit the use of different types of blades and to allow for replacement of worn or damaged blades. Accordingly, reciprocating saws typically include a blade mounting system that allows for blade replacement while firmly coupling the blade to the tool. Often, blade mounting systems utilize a tool, such as an allen wrench or special key, in order to replace and secure the blade. Alternatively, the saw may include a keyless blade clamp that does not utilize a special tool. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    In one embodiment, the invention provides a reciprocating saw including a spindle having a blade slot configured to receive a saw blade, and a blade clamp operable to removably couple the saw blade to the spindle. The blade clamp includes a first actuator pivotable about the spindle between a locked position and an unlocked position, and a first locking member movable relative to the blade slot between an engaged position and a disengaged position in response to movement of the first actuator between the locked position and the unlocked position. The first locking member is configured to engage the saw blade to couple the saw blade to the spindle when the first locking member is in the engaged position and the first locking member is configured to allow removal of the saw blade from the blade slot when the first locking member is in the disengaged position. The blade clamp further includes a second actuator pivotable about the spindle between a locked position and an unlocked position, and a second locking member is movable relative to the blade slot between an engaged position and a disengaged position in response to movement of the second actuator between the locked position and the unlocked position. The second locking member is configured to engage the saw blade to couple the saw blade to the spindle when the second locking member is in the engaged position and the second locking member is configured to allow removal of the saw blade from the blade slot when the second locking member is in the disengaged position. 
         [0005]    In another embodiment, the invention provides a reciprocating saw including a spindle having a blade slot configured to receive a saw blade, and a blade clamp operable to removably couple the saw blade to the spindle. The blade clamp includes a first actuator movable relative to the spindle between a locked position and an unlocked position, and a first locking member movable relative to the blade slot between an engaged position and a disengaged position in response to movement of the first actuator between the locked position and the unlocked position. The first locking member is configured to engage the saw blade to couple the saw blade to the spindle when the first locking member is in the engaged position and the first locking member is configured to allow removal of the saw blade from the blade slot when the first locking member is in the disengaged position. The blade clamp further includes a second actuator movable relative to the spindle between a locked position and an unlocked position, and a second locking member movable relative to the blade slot between an engaged position and a disengaged position in response to movement of the second actuator between the locked position and the unlocked position. The second locking member is configured to engage the saw blade to couple the saw blade to the spindle when the second locking member is in the engaged position and the second locking member is configured to allow removal of the saw blade from the blade slot when the second locking member is in the disengaged position. 
         [0006]    Other aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a reciprocating saw according to one embodiment of the invention. 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a spindle and a blade clamp of the saw of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is an alternative perspective view of the spindle and the blade clamp of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is an end view of the spindle and the blade clamp of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the spindle and the blade clamp of  FIG. 2 , with a portion of the blade clamp removed. 
           [0012]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the spindle and the blade clamp of  FIG. 2  taken along lines  6 - 6  in  FIG. 8 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of the spindle and the blade clamp of  FIG. 2  taken along lines  7 - 7  in  FIG. 8 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view of the spindle and the blade clamp of  FIG. 2  taken along lines  8 - 8  in  FIG. 4 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view of the spindle and the blade clamp of  FIG. 2  taken along lines  9 - 9  in  FIG. 2 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view of a portion of the blade clamp of the saw of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0017]      FIG. 11  is a side view of a saw blade for use with the saw of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0018]      FIG. 12  is a side view of another saw blade for use with the saw of  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
       [0019]    Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0020]      FIG. 1  illustrates a reciprocating saw  14 . The reciprocating saw  14  includes a spindle  16 , a blade  18 , and a blade clamp  20  that couples the blade  18  to the spindle  16 . The reciprocating saw  14  is operable to reciprocate the spindle  16 , and thereby the blade  18 . 
         [0021]    Referring to  FIG. 11 , the blade  18  includes a cutting edge  24  and a tang  26  that is received by the clamp  20  to couple the blade  18  to the spindle  16 . The cutting edge  24  includes cutting teeth (not illustrated) that extend along the length of the cutting edge  24 . The tang  26  includes a top edge  28 , a bottom edge  30 , and a back edge  32 . A semi-circular aperture  34  is located on the top edge  28  and a semi-circular aperture  36  is also located on the bottom edge  30 . A generally U-shaped aperture  38  opens to the back edge  32 . A locking aperture  40  extends through the blade  18  from side to side as illustrated in  FIG. 11 . 
         [0022]    Referring to  FIGS. 5 and 8 , the spindle  16  includes a front end  44  and a blade slot  46  that extends into the spindle  16  from the front end  44 . A locking member aperture  48  extends generally normal to the blade slot  46  and the locking member aperture  48  extends into the blade slot  46 . 
         [0023]    Referring to  FIGS. 8 and 9 , the blade clamp  20  includes a sleeve  52 , a first locking member  54 , and a second locking member  56 . The sleeve  52  couples the blade clamp  20  to the spindle  16  via a pin  58 . The first locking member  54  is a pin in the illustrated embodiment that slides within the locking member aperture  48 . A biasing member  60 , which is a coil spring in the illustrated embodiment, biases the pin  54  out of the blade slot  46 . The illustrated second locking member  56  includes a first ball  62  and a second ball  64  that is directly opposed to the first ball  62  (i.e., the first ball  62  is located  180  degrees from the second ball  64  around the spindle  16 ). Referring to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , as will be discussed in more detail below, the pin  54  moves into and out of the blade slot  46  on an axis  65   a  between engaged and disengaged positions of the pin  54 . The balls  62  and  64  move into and out of the blade slot  46  on an axis  65   b  between engaged and disengaged positions. In the illustrated embodiment, the axis  65   a  is perpendicular to the axis  65   b.  In other embodiments, the axis  65   a  and the axis  65   b  may not be perpendicular to each other. For example, in other embodiments the angle between the axis  65   a  and the axis  65   b  can range from about 70 degrees to about 90 degrees. Also, in the illustrated embodiment, the balls  62  and  64  both move into and out of the blade slot  46  on the same axis  65   b.  In other embodiments, the balls  62  and  64  can move into an out of the blade slot on different axes. For example, in one embodiment, the upper ball  62  can move into and out of the blade slot  46  along an axis that is about 80 degrees relative to the axis  65   a  and the lower ball  64  can move into and out of the blade slot  46  along an axis that is about 75 degrees relative to the axis  65   a.  The angle measurements of 80 degrees and 75 degrees are merely exemplary and can be other suitable angles in other embodiments. 
         [0024]    The blade clamp  20  further includes a first actuator  66 , a second actuator  68 , a base  70 , and a cover  72 . The first actuator  66  includes a recess  76  ( FIG. 6 ) having a shallow end  78  and a deep end  80 . The actuator  66  pivots or rotates around the spindle  16  relative to the spindle  16  and the pin  54  slides along actuator  66  within the recess  76  between the ends  78  and  80  to move the pin  54  into the blade slot  46  and allow the biasing member  60  to move the pin  54  out of the slot  46 . Rods  82  ( FIGS. 5 and 6 ) couple the first actuator  66  and the base  70  for co-rotation about the spindle  16 . As best seen in  FIG. 3 , a biasing member  84 , which is a torsion spring in the illustrated embodiment, rotationally biases the base  70  and the first actuator  66  around the spindle  16  in the direction of arrow  86  in  FIG. 6 . The cover  72 , which is made from rubber in one embodiment, extends from the base  70  to the first actuator  66  and the cover  72  can be grabbed by a user to rotate the actuator  66 , the base  70 , and the cover  72  against the bias of the spring  84 . 
         [0025]    Referring to  FIG. 7 , the second actuator  68  includes recesses  88  each having a shallow end  90  and a deep end  92 . The second actuator  68  pivots or rotates around the spindle  16  relative to the spindle  16 . The balls  62  and  64  slide along the actuator  68  in the adjacent recess  88  between the ends  90  and  92  to move the balls  62  and  64  into the blade slot  46  and to allow the balls  62  and  64  to move out of the blade slot  46 . A biasing member  94  ( FIG. 5 ), which is a torsion spring in the illustrated embodiment, biases the actuator  68  around the spindle  16  in the direction of arrow  96  in  FIG. 7 . The biasing member  94  extends through a recess  98  ( FIG. 6 ) in the first actuator  66  to couple to the second actuator  68 . As will be discussed in more detail below, the second actuator  68  further includes recesses  100  that allow the second actuator  68  to rotate a predetermined amount with respect to the first actuator  66  about the spindle  16 . 
         [0026]    Referring to  FIGS. 8 and 10 , in the illustrated embodiment, the blade clamp  20  further includes an ejector mechanism  104 . The illustrated ejector mechanism  104  includes a plunger  108 , a pin  110 , and a biasing member  112 , which is a coil spring in the illustrated embodiment. The spring  112  and the plunger  108  push the blade  18  out of the blade slot  46 . The pin  110  moves into and out of slots  114  ( FIG. 10 ) in the base  70  to hold the blade clamp  20  in an unlocked position, which will be discussed in more detail below. 
         [0027]    In operation, the blade clamp  20  is moved from a locked position to an unlocked position to remove the blade  18  from the spindle  16 . Referring to  FIGS. 6 ,  7 , and  9 , in the locked position, the first actuator  66  pushes the pin  54  into the engaged position where the pin  54  is located in the slot  46  and through the locking aperture  40  of the blade  18  couple the blade  18  to the spindle  16 . The biasing member  84  rotationally biases the base  70 , and therefore the first actuator  66  toward the locked position (i.e., in the direction of the arrow  86  of  FIG. 6 ), because of the interconnection via the rods  82 , and the actuator  66  pushes the pin  54  into the slot  46  and the actuator  66  holds the pin  54  in the engaged position. Also, in the locked position, the second actuator  68  pushes the balls  62  and  64  into the engaged position and holds the balls  62  and  64  in the engaged position where the balls  62  and  64  are located in the slot  46  and in the adjacent aperture  34  and  36  of the blade  18  to provide an additional clamping force to the blade  18  to couple the blade  18  to the spindle  16 . The spring  94  rotates the second actuator  68  in the direction of the arrow  96  of  FIG. 7  (i.e., toward the locked position) to push the balls  62  and  64  into the slot  46  and into engagement with the blade  18 . 
         [0028]    To release the blade  18  and uncouple the blade  18  from the spindle  16 , the user rotates the cover  72  against the bias of spring  84  to rotate the first actuator  66  and the base  70  in the direction of arrow  116  of  FIG. 6  from the locked position to an unlocked position. Such rotation allows the pin  54  to move on axis  65   a  into the disengaged position and out of the locking member aperture  40  of the blade  18  because the deep end  80  of the recess  76  is adjacent the pin  54  and the spring  60  moves the pin  54  out of the aperture  40 . Meanwhile, sufficient rotation of the first actuator  66  causes the rods  82  to contact the second actuator  68  (i.e., ends of the recesses  100 ) to rotate the second actuator  68  in the direction of arrow  118  in  FIG. 7  from the locked position to an unlocked position. Rotation of the second actuator  68  moves the deep end  92  of the recesses  88  adjacent the balls  62  and  64 , which allows the balls  62  and  64  to move on axis  65   b  and out of the blade slot  46  and into the disengaged position. When the blade clamp  20  reaches the unlocked position, the recesses  114  ( FIG. 10 ) of the base  70  are aligned with the pin  110  ( FIG. 8 ) of the ejector mechanism  104 , which allows the pin  110  to move into the recesses  114  and also allows the plunger  108  and the spring  112  to push the blade  18  out of the slot  46 . With the pin  110  received in the recesses  114  of the base  70 , the pin  110  retains the blade clamp  20  in the unlocked position against the bias of the torsion springs  84  and  94 . 
         [0029]    Referring to  FIG. 8 , to attach the blade  18  to the spindle  16 , the user inserts the blade  18  into the slot  46  and eventually the blade  18  contacts the plunger  108  and pushes the plunger  108  against the bias of the spring  112  and moves the pin  110  out of the recesses  114  ( FIG. 10 ) of the base  70 . The torsion spring  84  automatically rotates the first actuator  66  toward the locked position (i.e., in the direction of the arrow  86  in  FIG. 6 ) to push the pin  54  into the engaged position and into the locking member aperture  40  of the blade  18 . The torsion spring  94  automatically rotates the second actuator  68  toward the locked position (i.e., in the direction of the arrow  96  in  FIG. 7 ) to push the balls  62  and  64  into the engaged position and into the adjacent apertures  34  and  36  of the blade  18 . The recesses  100  of the second actuator  68  allow for a limited amount of relative rotation between the first actuator  66  and the second actuator  68  so that both the first actuator  66  and the second actuator  68  can move to locked positions independently, which allows the blade clamp  20  to be used with blades having different dimensions (e.g., different blade thicknesses). 
         [0030]    As another example of a different blade dimension, referring to  FIG. 12 , the blade clamp  20  can be used with a blade  124  having a tang  126  and a locking member aperture  128 . The tang  126  does not include the semi-circular recesses  34  and  36  for receiving the balls  62  and  64  like the blade  18  of  FIG. 11 . However, because the first actuator  66  can rotate relative to the second actuator  68 , the first actuator  66  can move the pin  54  into the locking member aperture  128  even though the balls  62  and  64  are unable to move into the blade slot  46  or only a small distance into the blade slot  46 . Thus, the pin  54  can engage the blade  124  and lock the blade  124  to the spindle  16  regardless of whether the balls  62  and  64  can engage recesses in the blade  124 . 
         [0031]    Therefore, the invention provides, among other things, a blade clamp for a reciprocating saw that includes a first locking member (e.g., pin  54 ) and a second locking member (e.g., the balls  62  and  64 ) that engage a saw blade, but yet the blade clamp can be used with blades that do not include features for the second locking member and with blades having different blade thicknesses. Thus, the blade clamp can be used with multiple types of saw blades. 
         [0032]    Various features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following claims.