Abstract:
A table saw is constructed to include a machine base supporting a work table, a saw blade pivotally mounted in a slot in the work table for cutting the workpiece, a blade guard detachably mounted on the worktable to protect the saw blade, a rip fence detachably mounted on the work table, two brackets bilaterally located on one peripheral side of the machine base. The brackets each has a rear retaining part and a front receiving open chamber for securing the rip fence and the blade guard after removal of the rip fence and the blade guard from the work table.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates generally to table saws and, more particularly, to such a table saw, which has storage means for storing detachable parts removed from the table saw.  
           [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0004]    A regular table saw, as shown in FIG. 1, is generally comprised of a machine base  1 , a table  2 , a saw blade  3 , a blade guard  4 , a mounting plate  5 , and a rip fence  6 . The machine base  1  supports the table  2  on the floor. The saw blade  3  is vertically adjustably installed in a saw slot in the table  2 . When the saw blade  3  adjusted to an elevation where a part of the teeth protruding over the top side of the table  2 , the saw blade  3  can be driven to cut the workpiece. The blade guard  4  is a transparent guard adapted to protect the saw blade  3 , having one end pivoted to the mounting plate  5 , which is fastened to the table  2 . The rid fence  6  is transversely provided at the top side of the table  2  and horizontally movable relative to the saw blade  3  for stopping the workpiece in the cutting position for cutting by the saw blade  3 . This design of table saw is functional, however it still has numerous drawbacks as outlined hereinafter.  
           [0005]    1. When the blade guard, mounting plate, rib fence of the table saw removed from the table, the user must find an external storage place to keep the detached parts of the table saw, i.e., the machine base has no room for storing parts or other accessories.  
           [0006]    2. The whole structure of the table saw is heavy, not conveniently movable. When wishing to change the installation place of the table saw or to move the table saw to another place for cleaning, it requires many personals to carry the heavy table saw to the desired place.  
           [0007]    3. When carrying the table saw to another place, the blade guard tends to be vibrated and damaged, and the rib fence may be forced out of place.  
           [0008]    Therefore, there is desirable to provide a table saw that eliminates the aforesaid drawbacks.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0009]    The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is one object of the present invention to provide a table saw, which has means to receive detached parts of the table saw in good order.  
           [0010]    It is another object of the present invention to provide a table saw, which is equipped with wheels convenient for moving.  
           [0011]    It is still another object of the present invention to provide a table saw that requires less storage space when packed for delivery.  
           [0012]    To achieve these objects of the present invention, the table saw comprises a machine base; a work table supported on the machine base and having an elongated slot thereon and a saw blade detachably mounted in the elongated slot; a rip fence detachably mounted on the work table and horizontally adjustable relative to the saw blade for stopping a workpiece in place for cutting by the saw blade; and a blade guard detachably mounted on the work table and adapted to protect the saw blade. Wherein the table saw further comprises a bracket unit protruded from one peripheral side of the machine base and adapted to receive the rip fence and the blade guard after removal of the rip fence and the blade guard from the work table, the bracket unit having retaining means adapted to retain the rip fence and holder means adapted to receive the blade guard. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]    [0013]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a table saw constructed according to the prior art.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a table saw constructed according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 3 is an exploded view in an enlarged scale of a part of the table saw according to the present invention.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a part of the table saw according to the present invention, showing the positioning of the bracket unit in the machine base and the received status of the saw blade and the wrench in the machine base.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a part of the table saw according to the present invention, showing the rip fence received in the brackets.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a part of FIG. 5, showing the retaining flange hooked in the longitudinal groove of the rip fence.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 7 is a perspective view in an enlarged scale of a part of the present invention, showing the blade guard and the rip fence received in the brackets.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 8 is schematic drawing showing the blade guard positioned in the brackets according to the present invention.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 9 is similar to FIG. 8 but showing the mounting plate turned outwards, the notch of the mounting plate disengaged from the rib of the right bracket.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 10 is a schematic drawing showing the table saw moved on the floor by the user according to the present invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0023]    Referring to FIG. 2˜ 4 , a table saw  100  is shown comprised of a machine base  10 , a work table  20 , a saw blade  30 , a rib fence  40 , a blade guard  50 , a wrench  60 , a bracket unit  70 , two wheels  80 , and a folding stand  90 . The machine base  10 , the work table  20 , the saw blade  30 , the rip fence  40 , the blade guard  50 , and the wrench  60  are similar to equivalent members of prior art designs. The main features of the present invention are outlined hereinafter.  
         [0024]    The machine base  10  has a recessed receiving chamber  11  formed in one vertical peripheral side, namely, the rear vertical peripheral side on the middle, two hook holes  12  and  13  symmetrically disposed in the rear vertical peripheral side at two sides of the recessed receiving chamber  11 , and a screw hole  14  located on the center of the recessed receiving chamber  11  for the mounting of a hand screw  15  to secure the saw blade  30  and the wrench  60  to the inside of the recessed receiving chamber  11  when the saw table  100  not in use (see FIG. 4). The wheels  80  are bilaterally pivoted to the two opposite bottom corners of an opposite vertical peripheral side, namely, the front vertical peripheral side of the machine base  10 , and disposed outside the machine base  10 . The folding stand  90  is fastened pivotally with the bottom wall of the machine base  10 , and alternatively set between the extended position where the folding stand  90  supports the machine base  10  above the floor (see FIG. 2) and the received position where the wheels  80  touch the floor to make the table saw  100  easy to move (see FIG. 10).  
         [0025]    The rip fence  40  is detachably mounted on the top side of the work table  20 , having a longitudinal groove  41  in the top side.  
         [0026]    The blade guard  50  is adapted to protect the saw blade  30 , having a mounting plate  51  pivoted to one end thereof The mounting plate  51  is detachably fastened to the work table  20 , having a notch  52  in the outer end thereof near the top.  
         [0027]    The bracket unit  70  comprises a left bracket  71  and the right bracket  72 . The brackets  71  and  72  are respectively molded from plastics, each having a hook  711  or  721  for hooking in the hook hole  12  or  13  to secure the respective bracket  71  or  72  to the machine base  10 . The left bracket  71  comprises two uprights  712  arranged in parallel at a rear side, a first vertical stop face  713  and a second vertical stop face  714  respectively formed in the respective vertical inner side of the uprights  712  and facing each other, a horizontal bearing face  715  perpendicularly extended from the second vertical stop face  714  toward the second vertical stop face  713 , a vertical crevice  716  disposed between the first vertical stop face  713  and the horizontal bearing face  715  below the elevation of the horizontal bearing face  715 , a retaining flange  717  formed in one upright  712  at the top of the first vertical stop face  713 , a receiving open chamber  718  disposed in front of the uprights  712  at a relatively lower elevation, and a rib  719  suspended inside the receiving open chamber  718  near the bottom. Due to the presence of the vertical crevice  716 , the uprights  712  can be bent outwards in reversed directions. The receiving open chamber  718  has an open top side and a close bottom side.  
         [0028]    The right bracket  72  comprises two uprights  722  arranged in parallel at a rear side, a first vertical stop face  723  and a second vertical stop face  724  respectively formed in the respective vertical inner side of the uprights  722  and facing each other, a horizontal bearing face  725  perpendicularly extended from the second vertical stop face  724  toward the second vertical stop face  723 , a deep groove  726  disposed between the first vertical stop face  723  and the horizontal bearing face  725  below the elevation of the horizontal bearing face  725 , a retaining flange  727  formed in one upright  722  at the top of the first vertical stop face  723 , a stepped receiving open chamber  728  disposed in front of the uprights  722  at a relatively lower elevation, and a rib  729  suspended inside the stepped receiving open chamber  728  near the bottom. The stepped receiving open chamber  718  has an open top side and a close bottom side.  
         [0029]    The aforesaid statement described the parts of the table saw  100  and their relative positioning. The stop faces and bearing faces of the aforesaid bracket unit  70  form a retaining structure adapted to receive the rip fence  40 . As illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, after removal of the rip fence  40  from the work table  20 , the rip fence  40  is inserted into the brackets  71  and  72 , keeping the top side facing the machine base  10 , one lateral side supported on the respective horizontal bearing faces  715  and  725 , and the bottom side respectively stopped at the respective second vertical stop faces  714  and  724  of the brackets  71  and  72 . When set into position, the retaining flanges  717  and  727  of the brackets  71  and  72  are respectively hooked in the longitudinal groove  41  of the rip fence  40  to hold down the rip fence  40  in the brackets  71  and  72 . When biasing the rip fence  40  to stretch the uprights  712  and  722  of the brackets  71  and  72 , the rip fence  40  can then easily be removed from the brackets  71  and  72 .  
         [0030]    Further, the receiving open chambers  718  and  728  of the brackets  71  and  72  are adapted to accommodate the blade guard  50 . As illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8, after removable of the blade guard  50  with the mounting plate  51  from the work table  20 , the blade guard  50  is turned upside down and then put in the receiving open chambers  718  and  728  of the brackets  71  and  72 . When set in position, the rib  719  of the first bracket  71  is stopped against one side edge of the blade guard  50 , and the rib  729  of the right bracket  72  is engaged into the notch  52  of the mounting plate  51 . When wishing to remove the blade guard  50  from the brackets  71  and  72 , turn the mounting plate  51  outwards to move the blade guard  50  relative to the brackets  71  and  72 , thereby causing the notch  52  to be disengaged from the rib  729  of the right bracket  72 .  
         [0031]    As indicated above, the installation of the bracket unit  70  does not hinder cutting operation of the table saw  100 . When the table saw  100  not in use, the user can remove the rip fence  40  and the blade guard  50  with the mounting plate  51  from the work table  20  and then receive the rip fence  40  and the blade guard  50  with the mounting plate  51  in the bracket unit  70 .  
         [0032]    Further, when the folding stand  90  received, the wheels  80  are peripherally disposed in contact with the floor, as shown in FIG. 10, and the user can move the table saw  100  on the floor conveniently with less effort. Because the detached parts (the rip fence, the blade guard, and the wrench) are well received in one side of the machine base  10  remote from the wheels  80 , they do not fall from the table saw  100  during movement of the table saw  100 .