Abstract:
A table insert for a circular saw includes a stationary panel and a movable panel. The stationary panel is fixed on a worktable of the circular saw and partially covers a trough of the worktable, and the movable panel is pivotally connected to the stationary panel and is pivotally movable relative to the stationary panel between a first position and a second position. When the movable panel is located in the first position, the movable panel partially covers the trough to enable the cutting operation to be performed. When the movable panel is located in the second position, the trough is partially uncovered for conveniently allowing a user to remove saw dust from the trough or to take out small workpieces that fall into the trough.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a circular saw, and more specifically, to a table insert for a circular saw. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A traditional circular saw (i.e. miter saw) usually has a trough formed on a worktable adapted for allowing the saw blade to pass partially through such that cuts at various angles can be made. In order to provide support to a workpiece of small size on the worktable, and to prevent sawdust or debris from falling into the trough from kickback due to rotation of the saw blade, the trough is usually covered by a table insert made of soft material. The table insert has a cutting slot formed thereon for allowing the saw blade to pass therethrough. However, when a cutting operation is performed, debris or wood chips of smaller size may still fall into the trough through the cutting slot. If the trough is not cleaned immediately, the clogged debris and wood chips may still kickback from the trough due to rotation of the saw blade and may lead to injury to the user. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the conventional table insert  4  for a circular saw is threadedly secured to the worktable through a plurality of bolts. When cleaning the trough  3 , the user must loosen all the bolts to remove the table insert. When the debris/chips are removed, the user once again needs to tighten all the bolts to secure the table insert  4  to the worktable. Therefore, it can be concluded that the conventional table insert  4  for a circular saw is inconvenient to install, which consequently impacts the cutting efficiency. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. 
     It is therefore the main object of the present invention to provide a table insert for a circular saw which allows a user to clean the chips/debris easily. 
     To achieve these and other objects of the present invention, the table insert for a circular saw in accordance with the present invention is mounted to a worktable of the circular saw. The circular saw has a trough formed thereon adapted for allowing the saw blade to pass therethrough and a trough opening which communicates with the trough. A first embodiment of the table insert for a circular saw in accordance with the present invention comprises a stationary panel and a movable panel. The stationary panel is disposed on the trough opening and partially covers the trough. The stationary panel has a first plane formed thereon. The movable panel is pivotally connected to the stationary panel and has a second plane formed thereon. The movable panel partially covers the trough and is pivotally movable relative to the stationary panel between a first position and a second position. 
     When the movable panel is at the first position, the second plane of the movable panel and the first plane of the stationary panel are substantially co-planar, and the movable panel is located on the trough opening for partially covering the trough. Therefore, a workpiece can be properly placed on the worktable and a cutting operation can be performed. When the movable panel is at the second position, a predetermined angle is formed between the second plane of the movable panel and the first plane of the stationary panel, such that the movable panel is disengaged from the trough opening and at least partially uncovers the trough for allowing the user to conveniently clean the chips/debris in the trough. 
     A second embodiment of the table insert for a circular saw in accordance with the present invention comprises a stationary panel and two movable panels. The stationary panel is disposed on the trough opening and partially covers the trough. The stationary panel has a first plane formed thereon. Each movable panel has a second plane formed thereon. Each movable panel has two ends respectively and pivotally connected to the worktable and the stationary panel such that each movable panel is pivotally movable relative to the worktable between the first position and the second position. When the movable panels are at the first position, the second planes of the movable panels and the first plane of the stationary panel are substantially co-planar, such that the movable panels partially cover the trough. Therefore, a workpiece can be properly placed on the worktable and a cutting operation can be performed. When the movable panels are at the second position, second planes of the movable panels are substantially perpendicular to the first plane of the stationary panel, such that the trough is at least partially uncovered for allowing the user to conveniently clean the chips/debris in the trough. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Advantages and features of the present invention will be understood by reference to the following specification in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numbers denote like elements of structure and component parts. 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a conventional table insert for a circular saw. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a table insert for a circular saw in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the table insert for a circular saw in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention, wherein a movable panel is at a first position. 
         FIG. 4  is a top view of the first embodiment in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a partial cross-sectional view of the first embodiment in accordance with the present invention, wherein a securing portion of the movable panel is secured to a worktable. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the first embodiment in accordance with the present invention, wherein the movable panel is at a second position. 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a second embodiment in accordance with the present invention, wherein the movable panels are at the first position. 
         FIG. 8  is a top view of the second embodiment in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the second embodiment in accordance with the present invention, wherein the movable panels are at the second position. 
     
    
    
     It should be noted that the drawing figures are not necessarily drawn to scale, but instead are drawn to provide a better understanding of the components thereof, and are not intended to be limiting in scope, but rather to provide exemplary illustrations. It should further be noted that the figures illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present invention and the components thereof, and in no way limits the structures, configurations and components thereof according to the present disclosure. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2-3 , a circular saw  10  includes a base  11 , a worktable  12  fixed to the base  11 , a saw arm  13  pivotally connected to the base  11 , and a saw blade  14  mounted to the saw arm  13 . The worktable  12  has a trough  15  formed thereon adapted for allowing the saw blade  14  to pass therethrough, and a trough opening  16  communicates with the trough  15  and has an inner flange  17  formed thereon (as shown in  FIG. 6 ). The structure of circular saws is well-known in the art, therefore the detailed structures and operation of the circular saw will not be further described herein. Referring to  FIG. 3 , a first embodiment of a table insert  18  for a circular saw in accordance with the present invention comprises a stationary panel  20  and a movable panel  30 . 
     The stationary panel  20  has two corresponding board members  22 . Each board member  22  has a first pivot member  24  formed on one end thereof (as shown in  FIG. 4 ). The two board members  22  are respectively disposed on the inner flange  17  for covering the trough opening  16 , and the board members  22  are spacedly arranged relative to each other. The two board members  22  form a first plane PL 1  that partially covers the trough  15 . It is to be noted that various structures of the stationary panel  20  can be adapted. However, it is a preferable option to apply two board members  22 . 
     The movable panel  30  has a second plane PL 2  formed thereon, two second pivot members  32  are disposed on one end of the movable panel  30  which is proximate to the stationary panel  20  (as shown in  FIG. 4 ). Each second pivot member  32  of the movable panel  30  is pivotally connected to the corresponding first pivot member  24  of the board members  22  via a pivot shaft  33 . Each pivot shaft  33  extends along an axial direction which is substantially perpendicular to an extending direction of the trough  15 , such as its longitudinal direction. Thereby, the movable panel  30  is pivotally movable relative to the stationary panel  20  between a first position P 1  and a second position P 2 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , when the movable panel  30  is at the first position P 1 , the second plane PL 2  of the movable panel  30  and the first plane PL 1  of the stationary panel  20  are substantially co-planar. The movable panel  30  is therefore disposed on the inner flange  17  of the worktable  12  such that the movable panel  30  is located on the trough opening  16  and partially covers the trough  15 . Thereby, when a cutting operation is performed, the saw blade  14  passes into the trough  15  through a gap (not numbered) which is not covered by the stationary panel  20  and the movable panel  30 . Further referring to  FIG. 6 , when the movable panel  30  is at the second position P 2 , a predetermined angle is formed between the second plane PL 2  of the movable panel  30  and the first plane PL 1  of the stationary panel  20 , such that the movable panel  30  is disengaged from the trough opening  16  for uncovering the trough  15 . The movable panel  30  has a lifting portion  34  which is formed on a distal end thereof which is away from the movable panel  20 . A securing portion  35  downwardly extends from the lifting portion  34  for securing the movable panel  30  to the worktable  12  (as shown in  FIG. 5 ) such that the movable panel  30  is stably secured when located at the first position P 1 . The lifting portion  34  allows a user to easily lift up the movable panel  30  from the first position P 1  to the second position P 2 . It is worth mentioning that various modifications and enhancements may be made as long as the movable panel  30  can be secured to the worktable  12 . 
     The operation of the table insert for a circular saw in accordance with the present invention will be described in details below. When the user wishes to lift up the movable panel  30 , he or she may use one finger to lift up the lifting portion  34  of the movable panel  30 , and gently exert force on the movable panel  30  to disengage the securing portion  35  of the movable panel  30  from the worktable  12 . As shown in  FIG. 6 , the movable panel  30  is pivotally rotated around the pivot shaft  33  from the first position P 1  to the second position P 2  and uncovers the trough  15  for allowing the user to clean the chips and debris in the trough  15 . When the trough  15  is cleaned, the user flips the movable panel  30  from the second position P 2  back to the first position P 1  (as shown in  FIG. 3 ) until the securing portion  35  of the movable panel  30  is once again secured to the worktable  12 . When the movable panel  30  is at the first position P 1 , workpiece can be properly placed on the worktable  12  and the cutting operation can be performed by operating the saw blade  14  through the saw arm  13 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 7-8 , a second embodiment of the present invention is shown. The element and effects of the second embodiment which are the same as the first embodiment are not described, only the differences are described. In this embodiment, two movable panels  50  are applied, wherein each movable panel  50  has a second plane PL 2  formed thereon. Each movable panel  50  has two ends respectively and pivotally connected to the worktable  12  and the board member  22  of stationary panel  20  via pivot shafts  52 . Each pivot shaft  52  extends along an axial direction which is substantially parallel to an extending direction of the trough  15 , such as its longitudinal direction. Thereby, each movable panel  50  is pivotally movable relative to the worktable  12  between the first position P 1  and the second position P 2 . As shown in  FIG. 7 , when the movable panels  50  are at the first position P 1 , the second planes PL 2  of the movable panels  50  and the first plane PL 1  of the stationary panel  20  are substantially co-planar, such that the movable panels  30  partially cover the trough  15 . Further referring to  FIG. 9 , when the movable panels  50  are at the second position P 2 , the second planes PL 2  of the movable panels  50  and the first plane PL 1  of the stationary panel  20  are substantially perpendicularly arranged. More specifically, the second planes PL 2  and the first plane PL 1  are perpendicularly arranged such that the trough  15  is substantially uncovered. 
     The operation of the table insert for circular saw in accordance with the second embodiment will be described in details below. When the user wishes to clean up the chips/debris in the trough  15 , he or she may extend one finger into the gap (not numbered) formed between the two movable panels  50  to lift open the movable panels  50  from the first position P 1  to the second position P 2 , such that the trough  15  is uncovered for allowing the user to clean the chips/debris in the trough  15 . When the trough  15  is cleaned, the user flips the movable panels  50  from the second position P 2  back to the first position P 1  (as shown in  FIG. 7 ). When the movable panels  50  are at the first position P 1 , a workpiece can be properly placed on the worktable  12  and the cutting operation can be performed by operating the saw blade  14  through the saw arm  13 . 
     In view of the above, the table insert  18 ,  40  for a circular saw in accordance with the present invention uses movable panels  30 ,  50  for allowing users to easily remove the chips/debris in the trough  15  without having to remove the table insert  18 ,  40 , and therefore greatly enhances the accessibility for cleaning the chips/debris compared to that of conventional designs, thus improving cutting efficiency. 
     Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.