Abstract:
An impact tool, comprising: a shaft; a stop on the shaft; a slider movable on the shaft for striking the stop to create an impact force; and a handle on the slider to allow a user to move the slider. The handle isolates the impact force from the user by being movably attached to the slider.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This Application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/319,413, filed on 22 Jul. 2002, herein incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    This invention relates to an impact tool. Specifically, the present invention relates to an ergonomic impact tool.  
           [0003]    Impact tools, such as dent pullers, have a variety of uses. As one example, an impact tool can assist with the disassembly of an industrial gas turbine (IGT) during an overhaul. During an overhaul, a technician must remove the various flanges from the outside of the case. However, the heat and expansion cycles encountered during use of the IGT can make the removal of these flanges difficult. One conventional method uses an impact tool to dislodge the flanges from the IGT case.  
           [0004]    Despite using the impact tool, removing the flanges can prove difficult. The technician often must actuate the impact tool a significant number of times (e.g. 20-80) to dislodge the flange. Repeating this process for each flange on the IGT case (e.g. 6 flanges per case) could take approximately one hour.  
           [0005]    The use of conventional impact tools has several drawbacks. First, conventional impact tools the impact force to transfer from the tool to the technician. Specifically, the impact forces transfer from the tool to the hand, forearm and elbow of the technician. Given the number of repetitions and the number of flanges, these impact forces may create discomfort in the hand, forearm or elbow of the technician.  
           [0006]    Second, conventional impact tools require the technician to orient the hand and forearm in an awkward position. This awkward position prevents the technician from applying the maximum possible amount of force to the impact tool. This requires the technician to actuate the impact tool a greater number of times to dislodge the flanges. Furthermore, the awkward position may also have an effect on the aforementioned discomfort with the technician.  
           [0007]    Third, conventional impact tools can also pinch the technician. When grasping the impact tool, part of the technician&#39;s hand could extend past the slider. This portion of the technician&#39;s hand could contact the stop during actuation of the impact tool. Since the slider is weighted, this pinching can also cause discomfort with the technician.  
         BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved impact tool.  
           [0009]    It is a further object of the present invention to provide an ergonomic impact tool.  
           [0010]    It is a further object of the present invention to provide an impact tool that isolates impact forces from the user.  
           [0011]    It is a further object of the present invention to provide an impact tool that allows the user to actuate the tool from a less awkward position.  
           [0012]    It is a further object of the present invention to provide an impact tool that allows the user to actuate the tool from a normal position.  
           [0013]    It is a further object of the present invention to provide an impact tool that does not tend to pinch the user.  
           [0014]    It is a further object of the present invention to provide an impact tool that allows the user to apply a greater amount of force thereto.  
           [0015]    It is a further object of the present invention to provide an impact tool that allows the user to reduce the number of actuation repetitions.  
           [0016]    These and other objects of the present invention are achieved in another aspect by an impact tool. The impact tool comprises: a shaft; a stop on the shaft; a slider movable on the shaft for striking the stop and creating an impact force; and a handle on the slider to allow a user to move the slider. The handle is isolated from the impact force.  
           [0017]    These and other objects of the present invention are achieved in one aspect by an impact tool. The tool comprises: a shaft; a stop on the shaft; a slider movable on the shaft for striking the stop to create an impact force; and a handle movably attached to the slider to allow a user to move the slider.  
           [0018]    These and other objects of the present invention are achieved in another aspect by a slider for an impact tool. The slider comprises: a sleeve; and a handle movably attached to the sleeve to allow a user to move the slider. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0019]    Other uses and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to the specification and the drawings, in which:  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional impact tool;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one embodiment of an impact tool of the present invention;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 3 is a side view of the impact tool of FIG. 2 in a first position; and  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 4 is a side view of the impact tool of FIG. 2 in a second position.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0024]    [0024]FIG. 1 displays a conventional impact tool  10 . The tool  10  includes a shaft  11  with a stop  13  at one end and a head  15  at the other end. The head  15  is used to mount the tool  10  to an object (not shown) in any known fashion.  
         [0025]    The tool  10  also includes a slider  17  that can move along the shaft  11  between the stop  13  and the head  15  along arrow T. The user grasps the slider  17  to actuate the tool  10 . The slider  17  has sufficient mass to provide an impact force to the tool  10  when the user drives the slider  17  against the stop  13 .  
         [0026]    As discussed above, the tool  10  several drawbacks. First, the tool  10  allows the transfer of the impact force to the user through the slider. Since the user grasps the slider  17  during actuation, the impact force travels directly to the hand, forearm and elbow of the user.  
         [0027]    Second, the tool  10  places the hand and forearm of the user in an awkward position. The position is awkward since the hand and forearm are not in a normal orientation. In essence, the hand and forearm of the user extend in a direction perpendicular to the actuation direction (i.e. arrow T) of the slider  17 . Although not shown, the user typically stands at a location behind the stop  13  to actuate the tool  10 .  
         [0028]    Third, the hand of the user can pinch between the slider  17  and the stop  13  (or even the head  15 ) during actuation.  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 2 displays one embodiment of an impact tool  50  of the present invention. The tool  50  can include similar components as the conventional tool  10 . Namely, the tool  50  includes a shaft  51  with a stop  53  at one end and a head  55  at the other end, and a slider  57  that can move along the shaft  51  between the stop  53  and the head  55  along arrow T. In essence, the slider  57  is a weighted sleeve that surrounds the shaft  51 .  
         [0030]    Differently than the conventional tool  10 , the tool  50  of the present invention includes a handle  59  movably attached to the slider  57 . The user grasps the handle  59  to actuate the tool  50 .  
         [0031]    The handle  59  could be made from wire, with a pair of legs  61 ,  63  and a central section  65  connecting the legs  61 ,  63 . The central section  65  extends in a direction transverse to the actuation direction (i.e. arrow T) of the slider  57 . When grasping the central section  65 , the hand and forearm of the user is in a natural position.  
         [0032]    The handle  59  can pivotally mount to the slider  57  in any known manner. Preferably, the handle  59  rotatably mounts to the slider  57 . For example, the legs  61 ,  63  can extend into openings (not shown) in the slider  57 . The handle  59  can move relative to the slider  57  along arrow R. Alternatively, each leg  61 ,  63  of the handle  59  could attach to a boss (not shown) on the slider  57  (similar to a paint can). The end of each leg  61 ,  63  could encircle a fastener (not shown) secured to the slider  57 . Finally, the handle  59  could be clamped (not shown) to the slider  57 .  
         [0033]    Since the handle  59  does not rigidly mount to the slider  57 , the impact force created when the slider  57  impacts the stop  53  does not reach the user. In other words, the handle  59  is impact isolated from the rest of the tool  50 .  
         [0034]    Also note that the central section  65  of the handle  59  is located a distance away from the slider  57 . This arrangement helps prevent pinching of the hand of the user between the slider  57  and the stop  53 .  
         [0035]    [0035]FIGS. 3 and 4 display the tool  50  during actuation by the user. Before actuating the tool  50 , the user must attach the tool  50  to the desired object. As discussed above, the desired object could be a flange (not shown) of an IGT case (not shown). The user attaches the tool  50  in any know manner.  
         [0036]    [0036]FIG. 3 displays the tool  50  at an initial position with the slider  57  adjacent the head  55 . To actuate the slider  57 , the user grasps the handle  59  (i.e. central section  65 ) and pulls. The handle  59  will rotate along arrow R to a position oriented towards the user. The slider  57  will also begin to travel along the shaft  51  towards the stop  53 .  
         [0037]    The user continues to pull the handle  59  until the slider  57  collides with the stop  53 . Since the handle  59  pivotally mounts to the slider  57 , the force of the impact will neither transfer to the handle  59  nor to the user. FIG. 4 shows the tool  50  after colliding with the stop  53 . The slider  57  is located adjacent the stop  53 .  
         [0038]    To return the tool  50  to the initial position shown in FIG. 3, the user must now move the slider  57  in the opposite direction. The user pushes on the handle  59 , causing the handle  59  to rotate along arrow R to a position oriented away from the user. The slider  57  will then begin to travel along the shaft  51  towards the head  55 . The user can either allow the slider  57  to collide with the head  55  or stop the slider  57  short of the head  55 .  
         [0039]    As desired, the user can repeat the above process any number of times to achieve a desired result. As discussed earlier, a desired result could be the successful removal of a flange (not shown) from an IGT case (not shown).  
         [0040]    The present invention has been described in connection with the preferred embodiments of the various figures. It is to be understood that other similar embodiments may be used or modifications and additions may be made to the described embodiment for performing the same function of the present invention without deviating therefrom. Therefore, the present invention should not be limited to any single embodiment, but rather construed in breadth and scope in accordance with the recitation of the appended claims.