Abstract:
A power tool, in particular a right-angle grinder, includes a motor and a gear, the motor and/or the gear embodied as a mountable function module. The gear is embodied as a mountable function module, with a gear input shaft supported in a gearbox, and the gear input shaft is fixed in the gearbox via at least one detent connection.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Prior art with respect to the general construction: 
     Angle grinders, in particular those for one-handed operation, typically have an electric motor comprising a pole piece and an armature as well as a bevel gear, comprising a pinion, ring gear, and work spindle. The armature shaft is supported in the motor housing, and the pole piece is usually press-fitted into this housing. The brush holders are likewise as a rule secured in the motor housing. The motor cannot be operated outside the motor housing, since the motor housing has the function of positioning the components relative to one another. 
     The pinion is seated directly on the armature shaft of the motor. The gear can likewise not be operated without the armature shaft, since this shaft takes on the function of a gear input shaft. 
     Further, prior art with respect to the gear: 
     The right-angle gear of an electrically operated angle grinder has the tasks of deflecting the flow of force by 90° C. and stepping down the rpm of the typically high-speed electric motor to the lower working rpm. 
     The drive pinion is typically secured directly to the armature shaft of the electric motor and drives the power takeoff spindle via a ring gear. The spindle is supported in the gearbox at two bearing points, one on either side of the ring gear. The bearing points of the motor shaft are typically located in the gearbox and in the motor housing. The fixed bearing of the motor shaft is typically disposed between the pinion and the fan on the armature shaft, while the loose bearing is located on the shaft end toward the collector. The result is accordingly an assembly with a “floating” pinion. 
     Further, prior art with respect to the motor mount: 
     Electric tools typically have an electric motor, comprising a pole piece and an armature, and the armature shaft is supported in the motor housing, and the pole piece is typically press-fitted into that housing. The brush holders are likewise as a rule secured in the motor housing. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Further, the object of the invention with respect to the general construction and the gear: 
     Making a modular construction for a power tool, in particular an angle grinder possible; making assembly easier and improving the ease of servicing, as well as supporting modular systems. 
     To reduce assembly costs, the ease of assembly has particular significance. 
     Further, the object of the invention with respect to the motor mount: 
     Accommodating a completely supported electric motor, in particular an encapsulated DC motor, in a shell housing. The receptacle should position the motor in the housing, compensate for errors in position, and elastically cushion and damp impacts. 
     Further, the object of the invention with respect to the connection between the motor and the gear: 
     Structurally simple realization of a modular construction for an angle grinder to make assembly easier and improving ease of servicing as well as supporting modular systems. 
     If a completely supported motor (“cam motor”) is used in an angle grinder, then advantageously a modular construction is selected, with a motor and a gear as independent functional component groups. These groups should be joined together via the most economical possible coupling. This coupling should furthermore, especially within certain limits, be capable of compensating for an axial offset and an angle error between the armature shaft and the gearbox. The coupling described in the invention attains these objects. 
     Advantages of the invention over what is known with respect to the general construction: 
     A modular construction of electric tools facilitates assembly of the tool and makes servicing easier, since individual components can be replaced simply and quickly. 
     The development of modular systems is supported by a modular construction. 
     Further, advantages of the invention over what is known with respect to the gear: 
     A gear of the invention, in contrast to the versions in known angle grinders, has an independent, fully functional component group that can easily be combined with other component groups (such as the motor). 
     Mounting the pinion shaft with bearing points on both sides of the drive pinion, in particular in the gearbox, makes better absorption of the gear forces possible than do the usual versions with a “floating” pinion. The assembly of the pinion shaft is done without screws, by simply inserting parts into one another. This makes savings in terms of assembly costs possible. The type of assembly presented makes it possible to mount a preassembled subsidiary component group comprising the pinion shaft, pinion, ball bearing and press-fitted fan and simultaneously secure it axially. 
     Further, advantages of the invention over what is known with respect to the motor mount: 
     Compared to the known installation situations, the proposed version offers the advantage that the rubber rings provided in the bearing points, because of their resilient and damping properties, are capable of damping impacts and vibration and thus positively affect the service life and operating properties of the tool. 
     In addition, the rubber rings make it possible to compensate for axial errors; that is, the rubber rings act as a damping unit and at the same time as a compensation coupling. Especially advantageously, the proposed version can be used in a modular construction of the electric tool. Further, while this version is conceivable in various motors that appear suitable to one skilled in the art, it is especially advantageous in battery-operated motors. 
     Further, advantages of the invention over what is known with respect to the connection between the motor and the gear: 
     A modular construction of electric tools facilitates assembly of the tool and makes servicing easier, since individual components can be replaced simply and quickly. 
     The development of modular systems is supported by a modular construction. The coupling described is especially economical. Beyond its actual function, additional functions such as damping of jerking can also be integrated. Further, via the coupling, an advantageous lengthening of a short armature shaft, particularly of a cam motor, can be made possible, so that an angle grinder can advantageously be flanged on. Because of the coupling, standard motors can advantageously be used. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing a power tool in accordance with the present invention with a gear box, a fan guide wheel and a subsidiary component group; 
         FIG. 1A  is a view showing an exemplary embodiment of a motor housing of the tool in form of a shell housing; 
         FIG. 1B  is a view showing an exemplary embodiment of an angle grinder of modular construction with a shell housing; 
         FIG. 1C  is a view showing a modular construction of the elected tool with a motor and an angle grinder independently functional as separate component groups; 
         FIG. 2  is a view substantially corresponding to the view of  FIG. 1 , but in which the fan guide wheel is inserted in the gear box; 
         FIG. 2C  is a view showing a fan with an internal toothing and a gear input shaft of inventive tool; 
         FIG. 3  is a view substantially corresponding to the view of  FIG. 2 , and additionally showing a pinion shaft of the subsidiary component group inserted in the assembled gear box with the fan guide wheel; 
         FIG. 3C  shows a fan on a gear with a hexagonal socket and a cylindrical joining face; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the fan gear showing its components; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the fan guide wheel with its components as seen from another side. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       FIG. 1  shows the gearbox  10 , the fan guide wheel  20 , and a subsidiary component group  30  that comprises a pinion shaft  31 , pinion  32 , ball bearing  33 , and fan  34 . 
     The subsidiary component group  30  is preassembled by first thrusting the ball bearing  33  onto the pinion shaft  31  and then press-fitting the pinion  32  on. The fan  34  is press-fitted onto the opposite end of the shaft and has an internal toothing  35  that takes on the coupling function. For the later installation of the component group  30  in the gearbox  10 , it is necessary for the pinion  32  to have a smaller diameter, by several millimeters, than the ball bearing  33 . 
     A bearing bush or a needle bearing (not shown in the drawing) is first press-fitted into the gearbox  10 . This bearing bush or needle bearing forms the loose bearing for the pinion shaft  31 . Next, an O-ring is placed in the groove  12  in the bearing seat  11  to seal off the ball bearing  33 . 
     The fan guide wheel  20  performs a dual function: First, the laterally protruding faces  21 ,  22  cover hollow chambers in the gearbox and direct a cooling air of the motor to the air outlet openings in the gearbox. Second, the fan guide wheel  20  takes on the task of axially securing the ball bearing  33  in its bearing seat  11  in the gearbox. For assembly, the fan guide wheel  20  is pressed into the gearbox;  FIG. 2 . In the process, four tabs  23  on the guide wheel  20  engage corresponding hooks  13  on the gearbox  10  from behind. The fan guide wheel is thus clipped in place. 
     Corresponding chamfers  14 ,  24  on the gearbox  10  and on the tabs  23  of the fan guide wheel  20  assure that the fan guide wheel  20  is pressed to the rear (in the direction A) until the tabs  23  rest on the corresponding faces of the hooks  13 . The axial play required for clipping the fan guide wheel in place is thus eliminated by the elastic bracing of the fan guide wheel  20 . 
     For assembly of the component group  30 , this group is clipped into the fan guide wheel  20 . In the process, the shaft end  36  slides into the needle bearing (not shown) that has been press-fitted into the gearbox, and the ball bearing  33  slides into the corresponding bearing seat  11  in the gearbox. The outer ring of the ball bearing  33  in the process thrusts four snap hooks  25  radially outward into corresponding recesses  16  in the gearbox  10 . In the final position, the outer ring of the ball bearing  33  rests on a contact shoulder  15  in the gearbox. The snap hooks  25  can pivot back inward again into their unloaded outset position and thus prevent a displacement of the outer ring of the ball bearing  33  in the axial direction A.  FIG. 3  shows the assembled gear component group. The fan  34  is not shown in this view, to make the fan guide wheel  20  with the snap hooks  25  snapped into place visible. 
     The axial gear forces that occur in operation act in the direction A on the snap hooks  25 . The snap hooks  25  are designed such that in the relaxed state (that is, after the component group  30  has been inserted), they have a slight inward radial positioning inward. The snap hooks  25  are thereby prevented from deflecting radially outward again solely on the basis of an axial force in the direction A. Because of their geometry, the snap hooks  25  have the tendency of deflecting radially inward to avoid a force from direction A. To prevent the axial play of the component group  30  from increasing impermissibly as a result of the operative gear forces, stop cams  26  are disposed on the ends of the snap hooks  25 ; in the assembled state, these cams fit around the outer ring of the ball bearing  33 ; see  FIG. 5 . 
     Since in the assembled state the snap hooks  25  and the tabs  23  are hidden by the fan  34 , dismantling the gear component group  30  without destroying it is impossible. To remove the component group  30  from the gearbox  10 , the component group  30  is leveraged out of the gearbox  10  in the direction A. In the process, the snap hooks  25  at the fan guide ring  20  break. Once the component group  30  has been removed, the destroyed fan guide ring  20  can be removed from the gearbox  10  by either breaking out the tabs  23  or bending them back. In principle, however, nondestructive dismantling would also be conceivable. 
     Description of  FIG. 1A : 
       FIG. 1A  shows as an exemplary embodiment the motor housing ( 2 A) of an electric tool in the form of a shell housing. The motor ( 1 A) is supported completely as a unit (encapsulated motor) and is also functional even outside the motor housing ( 2 A). 
     The motor ( 1 A), on its front and rear ends, has cylindrical receiving domes. Before the motor ( 1 A) is placed in the housing shells, O-rings that fit and are made of rubber ( 3 A) are thrust over these receiving domes. 
     When the housing shells are screwed together, the rubber rings are clamped in place and enable effective damping of vibration and impacts as well as compensation for tolerances. 
     Description of  FIG. 1B : 
       FIG. 1B  shows as an exemplary embodiment an angle grinder of modular construction. The motor ( 1 B) is supported completely as a unit (“cam motor”) and is also usable outside the motor housing ( 3 B). 
     The gear has a drive shaft ( 4 B) and a power takeoff shaft ( 5 B), which are each supported in the gearbox ( 6 B). The gear can thus be operated independently of the motor ( 1 B). 
     The armature shaft ( 2 B) of the motor and the drive shaft ( 4 B) of the gear are connected by a suitable coupling. This coupling could for instance be designed as a safety coupling that interrupts the drive train if the power takeoff shaft (work spindle) is for instance suddenly blocked. This coupling will not be described in further detail here. 
     Description of  FIGS. 1C through 3C : 
       FIG. 1C  shows the modular construction of an electric tool, taking an angle grinder as an example. The motor ( 1 C) and the angle grinder ( 3 C) are independently functional as separate component groups. The coupling comprises the toothed bush ( 2 C), which is connected by nonpositive and/or positive engagement to the armature shaft of the motor ( 1 C), and the internal toothing ( 5 C) that is integrated with the fan ( 4 C). The fan ( 4 C) is in turn connected to the gear input shaft by nonpositive and/or positive engagement. 
     The internal toothing ( 5 C) and the toothed bush ( 2 C) are dimensioned such that between them a defined running play is created in the radial direction, which makes it possible to compensate for an axial offset between the armature shaft and the gear input shaft. The toothed bush ( 2 C) is furthermore shaped spherically, to enable compensating for an angular offset between the two shafts. 
       FIG. 2C  shows the fan ( 4 C) with internal toothing ( 5 C) and the gear input shaft ( 6 C). The gear input shaft ( 6 C), on its end toward the fan, has a hexagon ( 7 C) as well as a cylindrical part ( 9 C) with a plunge cut ( 8 C). 
       FIG. 3C  shows the fan ( 4 C), which on the gear side has a corresponding hexagonal socket ( 10 C) and a cylindrical joining face ( 11 C). Located inside the joining face ( 11 C) is a ring ( 12 C), with a slightly smaller inside diameter than that of the cylindrical joining face ( 11 C), and it protrudes beyond that face radially inward. 
     For assembly, the fan ( 4 C) is received in its internal toothing ( 5 C) and is pressed over the cylindrical part ( 9 C) of the gear shaft. By utilization of the elastic properties of the plastic material, the inner ring ( 12 C) becomes seated in the corresponding plunge cut ( 8 C) in the gear shaft and thus serves to secure the fan ( 4 C) axially on the shaft. Simultaneously, the hexagonal socket ( 10 C) of the fan ( 4 C) engages the shaft via the hexagon ( 7 C). The transmission of torque from the fan ( 4 C) to the gear input shaft is thus effected by both nonpositive and positive engagement.