Patent Publication Number: US-2009224454-A1

Title: Vise quick-release structure for miter saw

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to a miter saws, and more particularly, to a vise quick-release structure for a miter saw. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Referring to  FIG. 13 , a vise  100  of a conventional miter saw  110  includes a fixture  101 , a screw rod  103  inserted through the fixture  101 , a first vising member  102 , and a second vising member  104  mounted to a front end of the screw rod  103 . The fixture  101  provides a strong point for the whole vise  100 . The screw rod  103  is controllably turned clockwise or counterclockwise to drive the second vising member  104  to move close to or away from the first vising member  102 . The fixture  101  can be screwingly fixed to a bench  111  of the miter saw  110  by means of at least two screw bolts  105 . In this way, the fixture  101  can be though fixed, but when the miter saw  110  is moved or encased for delivery, a user usually must remove the two screw bolts  105  by tool before detaching the fixture  101  from the bench  111  for further convenient delivery of the miter saw  110  or separate encasement of the parts for reduced size of the encasement. Therefore, the way to fix the fixture  101   b  the screw bolts  105  only brings inconvenience for the detachment and installation of the fixture  101  from and into the bench  111 . 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a vise quick-release structure for a miter saw, which enables the user to quickly install and detach the vise and which facilitates delivery and convenient encasement of the miter saw to reduce the size of the encasement. 
     The foregoing objective of the present invention is attained by the vise quick-release structure for the miter saw. The vise quick-release structure includes a base frame, at least one clamp, at least one bar-shaped member, and at least one vising member. The base frame is located at a bottom side of the miter saw, having at least one position and release set, which has two through holes. Each of the through holes defines an install portion and a retain portion. Each of the retain portions is less wide than the install portion. The clamp includes a fixture and two pillars connected with a bottom side of the fixture. Each of the pillars passes through the corresponding through hole and has a head portion formed at a free end thereof. The diameter of the head portion is defined between the widths of the install portion and the retain portion. The fixture can be forced for movement between a first position and a second position. When the fixture is located at the first position, the two pillars are located at the install portion. When the fixture is located at the first position, the two pillars are located at the install portion. When the fixture is located at the second position, the two pillars are located at the retain portion and the head portions are engaged with the retain portion. The bar-shaped member is inserted through the fixture. The vising member is connected with one end of the bar-shaped member. Accordingly, the clamp can be quickly released from or installed onto the base frame, thus facilitating the delivery of the whole miter saw or the separate encasement of the parts. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the miter saw in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is an enlarged view taken from A indicated in  FIG. 2 , illustrating the convex portions. 
         FIG. 4  is a top view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic view of a part of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, illustrating that the stopping member is inserted into the slot. 
         FIG. 6  is similar to  FIG. 5 , illustrating that the stopping member is inserted into the slot. 
         FIG. 7  is a sectional view taken from a line  7 - 7  indicated in  FIG. 4 , illustrating that the clamp is engaged with the base frame. 
         FIG. 8  is similar to  FIG. 7 , illustrating that the clamp is moved to the install portion. 
         FIG. 9  is similar to  FIG. 7 , illustrating that the clamp is released from the base frame. 
         FIG. 10  is similar to  FIG. 7 , illustrating that the fixture and the two pillars are formed in one piece. 
         FIG. 11  is a sectional view taken from a line  11 - 11  indicated in  FIG. 4 , illustrating that the vising member is engaged with the base frame. 
         FIG. 12  is similar to  FIG. 11 , illustrating that the vising member is being released from the base frame. 
         FIG. 13  is a perspective view of the conventional miter saw. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-12 , a vise quick-release structure  10  for a miter saw  1  in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention is composed of a base frame  20 , a clamp  30 , two pillars  35 , a bar-shaped member  40 , and a vising member  50 . 
     The base frame  20  is located at a bottom side of the miter saw  1  and includes a chassis  201  and a plate  202  mounted onto the chassis  201 . The plate  202  has two position and release sets  21  for shifting the clamp  30 . Each of the position and release sets  21  has two through holes  22 , an elongated groove  24 , and a slot  26 . For the illustrative convenience, the following recitation is based on one of the position and release sets  21 . Each of the through holes  22  defines an install portion  221  and a retain portion  22 , wherein the install portion  221  is wider than the retain portion  222 . Each of the elongated grooves  24  has a release portion  241  and a slide portion  242 . The release portion  241  is close to the through hole  22 . The slide portion  242  is connected with the release portion  241 . The release portion  241  is wider than the slide portion  242 . The slot  26  is an elongated hole and located close to the release portion  241 . 
     The clamp  30  includes a fixture  32 , a gripping member  34 , and a stopping member  36 . The fixture  32  has two extension parts  33  extending parallel outwards. Each of the extension parts  33  has a threaded hole  331 . In this embodiment, each of the two pillars  35  is a screw nut. Each of the screw nuts  35  at one end is screwed into the corresponding threaded hole  331  to be connected with a bottom side of the fixture  32 . Each of the screw nuts  35  has a head portion  37  at the other end (free end) thereof. The diameter of the head portion  37  is between the respective widths of the install portion  221  and the retain portion  222 . The fixture  32  can be forced to move between a first position P 1  and a second position P 2 . When the fixture  32  is located at the first position P 1 , as shown in  FIG. 8 , the two screw bolts  35  are located in the install portions  221  respectively. When the fixture  32  is located at the second position P 2 , the two screw bolts  35  are located at the retain portions  222  respectively, the head portions  37  being jammed at the retain portions  222 . Each of the head portions  37  has a stepped portion  371  in contact with a bottom side of the plate  202  for friction, thus preventing the fixture  2  from random sliding. For more frictional resistance, a plurality of convex portions  372  can be formed on the stepped portion  371  of the head portion  37 , as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     The gripping member  34  is pivoted to a top side of the fixture  32 . The user can cock/press the gripping member  34  to release/position the bar-shaped member  40  inserted through the fixture  32 . 
     The stopping member  36  has one end pivoted to the fixture  32  via a pin  361 , having the other end defined as a stopping portion  362 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the clamp  30  is fixed to the base frame  20 , and meanwhile, the stopping portion  362  is stopped in the slot  26 . In this way, the fixture  32  while forced is still stationary and positioned at the second position P 2 . The stepped portions  371  of the head portions of the two screw bolts  35  also engage the bottom side of the plate  202 , such that the fixture  32  is more positioned. 
     When the user intends to detach the clamp  30  from the base frame  20 , the user can first disengage the stopping portion  362  from the slot  26 , as shown in  FIG. 6 . Next, the user can push the fixture  32  from the second position P 2  to the first position P 1  to enable the two screw bolts  35  to be located at the install portions  221  respectively. In the meantime, the two screw bolts  35  are no longer stopped by the plate  202  to allow taking away the clamp  30  straight because the diameter of the head portion  37  is smaller than the width of the install portion  221 . On the contrary, as shown in  FIG. 9 , when the user intends to install the clamp  30  into the base frame  20 , the user can align the screw bolts  35  with the install portions  221  respectively and then insert the screw bolts  35  into the respective install portions  221 . Next, the user can push the fixture  32  toward the retain portion  222  to enable the head portions  37  to be jammed at the retain portions  222  again and to enable the stopping portion  362  to be stopped in the slot  26 . Finally, the installing operation is completed. Therefore, the present invention provides convenient and quick operation. 
     As an alternative, the fixture  32  and the two pillars  35  can be formed in one piece as the clamp  30 ′ shown in  FIG. 10 . The clamp  30 ′ can do the same effect as the clamp  30  does. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 11-12 , the vising member  50  is pivoted to one end of the bar-shaped member  40  in such a way that a pivot bolt  51  is inserted through the vising member  50  to be threaded with a screw nut  52 . The screw nut  52  and a bottom part of the pivot bolt  51  are defined as a limiter for preventing the pivot bolt  51  from disengaging from the slide portion  242 . The width of the limiter is defined between those of the slide portion  242  and the release portion  241 , and the screw nut  52  of the vising member  50  is stopped by the plate  202 , such that the vising member  50  located at the slide portion  242  can only slide to and fro transversally along the slide portion  242 . When the vising member  50  is moved to the release portion  241 , the vising member  50  can be lifted away from the elongated groove  24  to further disengage from the base frame  20  because the screw nut  52  is no longer stopped by the plate  202 . Accordingly, the vising member  50  can be quickly detached. As for installing the vising member  50  into the base frame  20 , the vising member  50  is first placed on the base frame  20 , then the pivot bolt  51  and the screw nut  52  are inserted into the release portion  241 , and finally the vising member  50  is moved to the slide portion  242  for completion of the installation. 
     In conclusion, the vise quick-release structure  10  of the present invention is designed in such a way that the position and release set  21  coordinates with the pillars  35  and the vising member  50  to allow the user&#39;s quick detachment and installation of the clamp  30  and the vising member  50  away from and into the base frame  20 . Compared with the prior art, the present invention is more convenient for the delivery of the miter saw and the encasement of the parts thereof. 
     Although the present invention has been described with respect to a specific preferred embodiment thereof, it is no way limited to the details of the illustrated structures but changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims.