Abstract:
A screwdriving including a housing with a handle section and a motor housing section. A longitudinal axis of the handle section is at an offset angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of the motor housing section. A motor is housed in the motor housing section. An output tool holder is selectively driven by the motor. A user actuatable trigger activates the motor. The screwdriver further includes a bit holder rotatably held on the housing, the bit holder including a first section which includes a plurality of bit retainers; and a second section including a plurality of detents. The screwdriver further includes a pin which engages with the plurality of detents to hold the bit holder in one of a plurality of rotational positions.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/257,534, filed on Nov. 19, 2015, entitled Power Driven Screwdriver. The entire contents of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/257,534 are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to a power tool, particularly a screwdriving with built-in bit storage. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    There are various existing screwdrivers. It is desired to provide an improved screwdriver with built-in storage. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    According to an exemplary embodiment, there is a screwdriver. The screwdriver includes a housing comprising a handle section and a motor housing section, a longitudinal axis of the handle section being at an offset angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of the motor housing section. A motor is housed in the motor housing section. A tool holder is selectively driven by the motor. A user actuatable trigger for activating the motor. A bit holder is rotatably held on the housing, the bit holder comprising a first section which includes a plurality of bit retainers and a second section including a plurality of detents. The screwdriver includes a pin which engages with the plurality of detents to hold the bit holder in one of a plurality of rotational positions. 
         [0005]    The bit holder further may further include a plate adjacent the bit retainers. 
         [0006]    The plate may be configured to prevent axial movement of bits held in the bit retainers. 
         [0007]    The screwdriver may further include a movable cover which selectively covers at least some of the plurality of bit retainers. 
         [0008]    The cover may be movable to an open position in which at least one bit retainer is accessible to a user. 
         [0009]    The cover may be in the open position, the user can rotate the bit holder. 
         [0010]    There may be at least three detents. 
         [0011]    There may be at least five detents. 
         [0012]    The bit holder may be fixed in an axial direction. 
         [0013]    The bit holder may include a substantially cylindrical body. 
         [0014]    The substantially cylindrical body may be at least substantially hollow. 
         [0015]    The screwdriver may include a bit holder section including a bit holder housing and wherein the bit holder is rotatably mounted to the bit holder housing. 
         [0016]    The cover may be mounted on the bit holder housing. 
         [0017]    The bit holder may have a longitudinal axis that is aligned with the longitudinal axis of the motor housing. 
         [0018]    The bit holder may be rotatable around the bit holder longitudinal axis. 
         [0019]    The bit holder housing may be integral with the handle section and a motor housing section. 
         [0020]    The cover may have a window through which a user can see bits held by at least some of the bit retainers. 
         [0021]    The cover may be rotatable. 
         [0022]    The cover may be rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the motor housing. 
         [0023]    According to another aspect there is an exemplary embodiment of a power tool, the power tool including a housing comprising a handle section and a motor housing section, a longitudinal axis of the handle section being at an offset angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of the motor housing section. A motor is housed in the motor housing section. A tool holder selectively driven by the motor. A user actuatable trigger for activating the motor. A bit holder rotatably held on the housing, the bit holder comprising a first section which includes a plurality of bit retainers. A second section including a plurality of detents. The power tool further includes a pin which engages with the plurality of detents to hold the bit holder in one of a plurality of rotational positions. The bit holder is located axially behind the motor housing section along the motor housing section longitudinal axis, wherein the tool holder side of the power tool constitutes a forward direction. 
         [0024]    The power tool may further include a movable cover which selectively covers at least some of the plurality of bit retainers. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0025]      FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a screwdriver; 
           [0026]      FIG. 2  is another perspective view of the exemplary embodiment of screwdriver with the housing partially removed; 
           [0027]      FIG. 3  is another perspective view of the exemplary embodiment of screwdriver with the housing partially removed; 
           [0028]      FIG. 4A  is a view of an exemplary embodiment of a detent section of the screwdriver; 
           [0029]      FIG. 4B  is another view of an exemplary embodiment of a detent section of the screwdriver; 
           [0030]      FIG. 5  is a cut-away view of an exemplary embodiment of an on-bit storage housing with the bit holder removed; 
           [0031]      FIG. 6  is a cut-away view of an exemplary embodiment of the bit storage section; 
           [0032]      FIG. 7  is another view of an exemplary embodiment of the bit storage section; 
           [0033]      FIG. 8  is another cut away view of an exemplary embodiment of the bit storage section; and 
           [0034]      FIG. 9  is another view of an exemplary embodiment of the bit storage section with the cover closed; 
           [0035]      FIG. 10  is another view of an exemplary embodiment of the bit storage section with the cover open; and 
           [0036]      FIG. 11  is an illustration of the exemplary embodiment of the cover part. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS 
       [0037]      FIGS. 1-9  illustrate an exemplary embodiment of a screwdriver with on-board bit storage. The basic functioning of screwdrivers is well known and is shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,772,765; U.S. Pat. No. 6,467,556; U.S. Pat. No. 6,273,200; U.S. Pat. No. 8,047,100; and US Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0203821. U.S. Pat. No. 4,772,765; U.S. Pat. No. 6,467,556; U.S. Pat. No. 6,273,200; U.S. Pat. No. 8,047,100; and US Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0203821 are all herein incorporated by reference in their entireties. 
         [0038]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , the screwdriver  10  of the exemplary embodiment is a pistol grip type screwdriver, meaning that the handle portion  20  is disposed at an angle with respect to the motor housing portion  30 . For example, a longitudinal axis A of the motor housing portion  30  may be disposed at an angle θ of between 45 and 135 degrees with respect to a longitudinal axis B of the handle portion  20 . A user actuable trigger switch  40  is disposed at the front of the handle to activate the screwdriver  10 . A direction selection switch  60  is located generally above the switch. 
         [0039]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , the screwdriver further includes an on-board bit storage  100 . The bit storage  100  includes a housing portion  110 . The housing portion  110  may be integrally formed with the rest of the screwdriver housing, particularly the handle portion  20  and the motor portion  30 . Alternatively, it may be a separate attachable part. The bit storage  100  also includes a cover  170 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , the bit storage is located along a longitudinal axis of the motor housing  30  and above the handle  20 . Details of the bit storage  100  will be described below in further detail. 
         [0040]      FIGS. 2 and 3  are another view of the screwdriver  10  with the housing partially removed. As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the screwdriver  10  includes a rechargeable battery cell  21  located in the handle  20 . The battery cell  21  is connected to a circuit board  22 , the circuit board also being connected to the user actuable trigger switch  40  and the motor  70 . As shown, the motor  70  is disposed in the motor housing portion  30 . A transmission assembly  80  is provided forward of the motor  70  and extends outwardly from the motor housing portion  30 . The motor  70  drives the tool holder  90  through the transmission  80 . The tool holder  90  in the exemplary embodiment is a hex bit holder. This type of tool holder holds the bits  200  held by the bit holder  130  (described in further detail below) so that a user can use the bits  200  held by the bit holder  130  in the tool holder  90 . In other embodiments, the transmission  80  may be omitted or may be an adjustable transmission. A charging port hole  23  is provided at a bottom of the handle  20  for providing access to charge the battery cell  21 . 
         [0041]    The bit storage  100  will now be described in further detail with reference to  FIGS. 1-9 .  FIG. 4B  illustrates a bit holder  130 . The bit holder  130  is mounted on the bit storage housing  110 . As shown in  FIG. 4B , the bit holder  130  includes a generally cylindrical body and is hollow in the exemplary embodiment. The bit holder  130  has a front section  140  with a front end  141  which faces toward the motor  70  and a rear section  150  at the opposite end with a rear end  151  which faces the opposite direction. Around an outer surface of the rear section  150 , there are a plurality of bit retainers  131 . The bit retainers  131  retain a plurality of bits  200  around the outside of the rear section  150 . The front section includes a mounting portion  142  as well as a detent section  143 . Additionally, the bit holder  130  includes a plate  180 , which separates the front section  140  and rear section  150 . The plate  180  supports a rear surface of the bits  200  and prevents them from sliding forward toward the front section  140 . It is noted that in  FIG. 4B , for the purposes of illustrating the front section  140 , the bit holder  130  is shown in an orientation opposite of the orientation in which it is mounted in the screwdriver  10 . Particularly, with reference to  FIGS. 4A and 4B , the front end  141  of the front section  140  is disposed at the front retainer  111  shown in  FIG. 4A  and the end  151  of the rear section  150  fits into the rear retainer  112  shown in  FIG. 4A . 
         [0042]      FIG. 5  illustrates the half of the bit storage housing  110  with the bit holder  130  removed.  FIG. 6  includes the mounted bit holder  130 . As shown in  FIGS. 4A, 5 and 6 , the bit storage housing includes a front retainer  111  and a rear retainer  112 . As noted above, the front end  141  of the front section  140  is disposed at and passes through the front retainer  111 . The mounting portion  142  is received in the front retainer  111 . As will be appreciated , the smooth surfaces of the front retainer  111  and the mounting portion  142  allow for relative rotation. The rear retainer  112  receives the rear end  151  of the rear section  150 . In this manner, the bit holder  130  is rotatably mounted in the housing section  110 . In the exemplary embodiment, the front retainer  111  and the rear retainer  112  are integrally formed with the housing. In other embodiments, the retainers may be formed with a different structure. 
         [0043]    As previously discussed, the bit holder  130  includes a detent section  143 . The detent section  143  is generally cylindrical and hollow with a series of detents  144  formed on an outer surface thereof. As shown in  FIGS. 6 and 8 , the detent section  143  protrudes through the front retainer  111 . As shown in  FIGS. 4A and 4B , the screwdriver includes a pin  160  formed in a pin retainer  161  and biased by a spring  162 . The pin retainer  161  is housed into a housing portion  163  of roughly corresponding shape, as shown in  FIG. 4A . The spring  162  biases the pin  160  toward the detent section  143 . As will be appreciated, the pin  160  interacts with the detents  144  to hold the bit holder  130  in place so that it does not rotate unless under load. The spring force is set such that a user can rotate (the bit holder  130  to expose different bits  200 . That is, the user can apply a load sufficient to rotate the bit holder  130 . 
         [0044]    In the exemplary embodiment, the detent section  143  includes nine detents  144 , which allows the bit holder  130  to be set in nine different rotational positions. The nine different rotational positions correspond to nine different bit retainers  131 . Alternatively, there could be more or fewer detents  144  than bit retainers  131 . For example, there could be seven detents  144  and nine bit retainers  131 . 
         [0045]    The cover  170  is best shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 . As shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , the cover  170  includes a window  171  and a user grip  172  in the form of a projection. As shown in  FIG. 9 , when the cover  170  is closed, any inadvertent loss of the bits  200  is prevented. The user can then open the cover  170  to the position shown in  FIG. 10  to remove a bit. Once removed, the bit  200  can be inserted in the front bit holder  90  and used for screwdriving. As previously described, the bit holder  130  is rotatable. Accordingly, once the cover  170  is open, the user can rotate the bit holder  130  in order to move different bits  200  to the top position where they are exposed and can be retrieved by the user. Various bits  100  of different types can be placed in the bit holder  130  so that the user can complete a number of different tasks. 
         [0046]      FIG. 11  illustrates the cover  170  alone. In this embodiment, the cover  170  does not include a window. As shown, the cover  170  includes a guide part in the form of a projection  176 . The projection  176  fits into a recess  175  formed into the bit section housing  110 .  FIG. 5  of the present application shows the recess  175 . As can be appreciated, the projection  176  slides from one end of the recess to the other as the cover  170  moves between the open and closed positions. When the projection reaches either end of the recess  175 , the end of the recess blocks the projection  176  from moving any further. In this manner, the cover  170  can be retained in the bit holder housing  110 . Other methods are also possible. For example, the housing  110  could include a projection and the cover  170  could include a groove/recess for receiving a projection from the housing  110 . 
         [0047]    A screwdriver  10  according to the exemplary embodiment can be advantageous for various reasons. As previously noted, a user of the screwdriver  10  can carry a number of different bits  200  for a variety of different jobs. The exemplary embodiment allows for a compact design. For example, a user can get to the bits  200  without any axial movement of the bit holder  130  or other part. Additionally, the bit holding section  100  does not extend unnecessarily rearward. For example, when the screwdriver is held such that the longitudinal axis A is held parallel to the ground, the bit holding section  100  of an exemplary embodiment may not extend rearward of the rear of the handle  20 . In other embodiments, the bit holding section may extend 5 cm or less rearward of the handle; 3 cm or less rearward of the handle or 2 cm or less rearward of the handle or 1 cm or less rearward of the handle. 
         [0048]    Additionally, the handle  20  meets the rest of the screwdriver at a position between the bit holder  130  and the motor  70 . This allows for a balanced screwdriver that is neither front-heavy or rear heavy. A distance C from the point where the back of the handle meets the bit holder housing section  110  to the rear of the bit holder housing section  110  may be 7 cm or less; 5 cm or less; or 4 cm or less. 
         [0049]    While the invention has been described by way of exemplary embodiments, it is understood that the words which have been used herein are words of description, rather than words of limitation. Changes may be made within the purview of the appended claims, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention in its broader aspects.