Patent Publication Number: US-2019184516-A1

Title: Rotary polishers and methods of making the same

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority to U.S. Design patent application No. 29/615,696, filed Aug. 30, 2017, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     FIELD 
     The present patent document relates generally to rotary polishers. More specifically, the present patent document relates to rotary polishers and improved designs for rotary polishers for use with automobiles. 
     BACKGROUND 
     For a very long time, America has had a fascination with the automobile. In  1908 , the Ford Motor Company® introduced the Model T, and brought the automobile to the masses. Since that time, America&#39;s love for the automobile has been second to none. Because of America&#39;s love for the automobile, a large market for car care has been created. 
     The car care market encompasses numerous products including soaps, waxes, interior cleaners, filters, buckets, sponges, sprayers and rotary polishers. Rotary polishers are used in the application and removal of wax and other polishing substances to the automobile paint surface. Although wax and other solutions may be applied by hand, this is a tedious process. A rotary polisher has a spinning head that is placed in contact with the painted surface and eliminates most of the physical labor of polishing on or off the wax or other polishing solutions. 
     Numerous rotary polishers exist on the market today. When using a rotary polisher, one problem is the steady application of the polisher such that the buffing is uniform. When the polishing is done by hand, the human naturally controls the level of force and keeps it even such that the polishing is done evenly. However, it is difficult to determine when using a rotary polisher how much force is being applied. One potential solution is offered by Japanese Patent Application JP2016022533A, in which a portable polisher has a meter attached thereto for displaying a torque value. Numerous other solutions are available on the market that have a readout. For example, the WEN 948 10 Amp Variable Speed Polisher has a digital readout that shows a single number, like 1 to 15 for example. This provides the user with some feedback on the speed but does not give accurate feedback. Other similar polishers that lack the required accuracy in the rotational feedback are also available. 
     The problem is that dividing the speed of the rotary polisher up into large RPM ranges and representing each range with a single number lacks the accuracy necessary to use the rotary polisher with the precision required. What is needed is a more accurate way to receive feedback on the rotational speed of the rotary polisher. 
     In addition to the ability to closely monitor the speed of the polisher, there is also a need to allow the rotating backing plate of the rotary polisher to be easily changed. Depending on the application, different size backing plates or backing plates made from different materials may be desired. The backing plate rotates rapidly when the rotary polisher is in operation and thus, existing polisher designs have cumbersome connections. What is needed is a rotary polisher that employs a securely connected with a quick disconnect backing plate. 
     SUMMARY OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     The embodiments of the present patent document provide rotary polishers and methods of making rotary polishers. The rotary polishers disclosed herein are designed to eliminate or at least ameliorate the deficiencies of the prior designs. In a preferred embodiment, a rotary polisher is provided. The rotary polishers comprises: a body including a neck; a spindle extending down from the body through the neck and coaxial with the neck wherein the spindle has a threaded end extending down below the neck and wherein the spindle has a cavity; a backplate coupled to the threaded end of the spindle; and a button coupled to a pin wherein the button and pin are aligned with the cavity and pass through an outside wall of the neck and wherein the pin is moveable in and out of the cavity. 
     In some embodiments, the spindle includes a boss and the cavity is formed in the boss. However, a boss is not required and some embodiments may not use a boss. 
     Many different overall configurations maybe be used for the rotary polisher. Different embodiments may have different body shapes. In preferred embodiments, the body of the rotary polisher includes a lower handle, center portion and upper handle and the spindle is located on a bottom of the upper handle. 
     In most embodiments, the backplate includes a releasable surface for connection to an applicator. Applicators are often made from foam and the releasable surface is preferably Velcro or some other hook and loop releasable connector. 
     In many embodiments, the button used to lock the spindle is round. In many other embodiments, the shape of the button is not round and may be square, or hexagon or some other shape. Although the button may be located anywhere around the circumference of the neck, in the preferred embodiments, the button is located on a front of the neck. Locating the button on the front of the neck allows the user to easily be able to depress the button with one hand while freeing up the other hand to allow rotation of the backplate. 
     In preferred embodiments, the rotary polisher further comprises a spring wherein the spring biases the pin away from the spindle. 
     In another aspect of the present patent document, a rotary polisher comprises: a body including a bottom handle, an upper handle and a neck extending down from a bottom of the upper handle; a spindle extending down from the body through the neck and coaxial with a hole through the neck wherein the spindle has a threaded end extending down below the neck and wherein the spindle has a cavity; a backplate coupled to the threaded end of the spindle; and a button coupled to the neck and moveable in a perpendicular direction to a longitudinal axis of the spindle wherein translating the button towards the spindle causes a pin to be inserted into a cavity in the spindle. 
     In still yet another aspect of the present patent document, a rotary polisher is provided that comprises: a body including a neck; a spindle extending down from the body through the neck wherein the spindle has a threaded end extending down below the neck and wherein the spindle has a hole in the outside surface of the spindle perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the spindle; a backplate coupled to the threaded end of the spindle; and a button and pin coupled to the neck and moveable in a perpendicular direction to the longitudinal axis of the spindle wherein the button and pin are aligned with the hole. 
     The rotary polishers and methods of use are described in more detail in the detailed description of the drawings below. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
         FIG. 1  illustrates an isometric view of one embodiment of a rotary polisher. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a top down view of the rotary polisher of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  shows a top down close up view of just the portion of the rotary polisher of  FIGS. 1 and 2  that includes the digital readout. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates an electrical schematic of a velocity digital readout in electrical communication with the motor controller. 
         FIG. 5  illustrates an electrical schematic of a torque digital readout. 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a front view of the rotary polisher of the previous figures. 
         FIG. 7  illustrates an exploded view of a portion of the spindle lock mechanism of the rotary polisher of the previous figures. 
         FIG. 8A  illustrates a side view of the rotary polisher of the previous figures. 
         FIG. 8B  illustrates a side exploded view of the front portion of the rotary polisher of the previous figures. 
         FIG. 8C  illustrates an isometric exploded view of the front portion of the rotary polisher of the previous figures. 
         FIG. 9  illustrates a bottom view of the head portion or upper handle portion of the body of the rotary polisher of the previous figures. 
         FIG. 10  illustrates an isometric view of the head portion or upper handle portion of the rotary polisher of the previous figures. 
         FIG. 11  illustrates an exploded view of the head portion or upper handle portion of the rotary polisher of the previous figures. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an isometric view of one embodiment of a rotary polisher  10 . The rotary polisher  10  is comprised by the body  12  and the head  14 . In operation, the user holds the body  12  and the head  14  rotates with respect to the body  12 . The head  14  comprises the backplate  16  and the applicator  17 . The backplate  16  comprises the main portion of the head  14  and typically has a releasable coupling surface, like Velcro® for example, to allow different applicators  17  to be releasably coupled to the backplate  16 . Applicators  17  may come in various different shapes and sizes. As just some examples, the applicator  17  may be, foam, cloth, rubber or any other material. The applicator  17  may also be a combination of materials such as a rubber piece designed to secure a cloth such as a microfiber cloth. In preferred embodiments, the applicator  17  has a complementary surface with a complementary releasable coupling surface to the backplate  16 . In preferred examples, Velcro® may be used and different applicators  17  may be easily added or removed from the backplate  16 . 
     In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , the body  12  comprises three separate portions: 1.) The lower handle  18 ; 2.) The midsection  20 ; and 3.) The upper handle  22 . The upper handle  22  is the portion of the body  12  coupled to the head  14 . 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a top down view of the rotary polisher  10  of  FIG. 1 . As may be seen in  FIG. 2 , rotary polisher  10  includes a digital readout  30 . As may be seen in  FIG. 2 , the digital readout is located on the lower handle portion  18  of the body  12  of the rotary polisher  10 . In particular, the digital readout  30  is located towards the middle section  20  side of the lower handle  18 . However, in other embodiments, the digital readout  30  may be located in other portions of the rotary polisher  10  including on the middle section  20  or the upper handle  22 . The important thing is that the digital readout  30  is located in a position that allows the user of the rotary polisher  10  to easily view and read the digital readout  30 . 
       FIG. 3  shows a top down close up view of just the portion of the rotary polisher  10  of  FIGS. 1 and 2  that includes the digital readout  30 . As may be seen in  FIG. 3 , the digital readout  30  is a four digit readout. Although different length readouts may be used, a four digit readout is particularly advantageous. Rotary buffers typically rotate between 300 rotations per minute (“RPM”) and 3500 RPM. To this end, a four-digit readout allows the exact RPMs to be displayed through the entire range of RPMs of the rotary polisher  10 . 
     As may be seen in  FIG. 3 , a power switch  32  is located just above the digital readout  30 . In preferred embodiments, the power switch  32  is located in close proximity to the digital readout  30 . In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3 , the power switch  32  is a slide switch. However, in other embodiments, other switches may be used. 
     In addition to the power switch  32 , a speed increase button  36  and speed decrease button  34  are located just below the digital readout  30 . In operation, the rotary polisher  10  is turned on by sliding the power switch to the on position. The user can then control the rotational speed of the head  12  by increasing or decreasing the speed using the speed increase button  36  and speed decrease button  34 . In a preferred embodiment, the buttons  34  and  36  are hooked to an analog circuit such that the speed increases and decreases proportionally. As an example, holding the speed increase button  36  for a certain number of seconds may increase the speed by a proportional amount related to the time the button is depressed. In some embodiments, the amount of speed increase may accelerate the longer the increase speed button  36  is depressed. The decrease speed button  34  may work in a similar manner. 
     In another embodiment, the increase speed button  36  may increase the speed in block increments. For example, a single press might move the speed from 0 RPM to 300 RPM. An additional press might move the speed from 300 RPM to 600 RPM. In such an example, the speed may be increased by 300 RPM with each press of the button. The speed decrease button  34  may work in a similar manner. In other embodiments, increments other than 300 RPM may be used and different increment amounts may be combined in the same embodiment. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates an electrical schematic of a velocity digital readout in electrical communication with the motor controller  35 . The motor controller  35  may be a microcontroller, CPU, ASIC, FPGA, or any other type of controller or programmable trip. As may be seen the various inputs and outputs of the motor controller  35  are in electrical communication with the digital readout  30 . In operation, the motor controller  35  sends signals to the digital readout  30  such that the readout appropriately displays the rotations per minute of the motor on the four digit readout. The output of the speed decrease button  34  and speed increase button  36  are also fed into the motor controller  35  to signal the motor controller to change the speed of the motor. In different embodiments, the digital readout may show the torque or the velocity depending on the calculations done within the microcontroller. 
       FIG. 5  illustrates an electrical schematic of a digital readout that displays the velocity or torque of the motor. As may be seen in  FIG. 5 , the speed controller  30  includes a digital display  31 . As already explained, a four-digit digital display  31  is preferred. A speed decrease  34  and speed increase button  36  are present on preferred embodiments. Note, in other embodiments the same functionality may be provided through an alternative interface such as a slide or rotating dial. Power is supplied via power supply  72 . The power supply shown in  FIG. 5  is 120 Volts but other values may be used. For example, some embodiments may use 230 Volts. A 230 Volt version may be useful for sale in places like Europe and Australia where 220 V is a common power supply. A stator circuit  76  surrounds the rotor  79  and carbon brushes  78 . In the embodiment shown, a capacitor  74  is placed in parallel with the rotor  79 . The capacitor  74  is not required for 120 V power supplies but is required for 230 V power supply embodiments. 
       FIG. 6  illustrates a front view of the rotary polisher  10  of  FIGS. 1-3 . As may be seen in  FIG. 6 , the rotary polisher  40  may include a spindle lock mechanism  40 . The spindle lock mechanism  40  is designed to allow the detachment of the head  14  including both the back plate  16  and the applicator  17 . The rotary polisher&#39;s  10  streamline configuration utilizes a spindle lock mechanism  40  for quick detachment of the head that does not require tools. As may be seen in  FIG. 6 , the spindle lock mechanism  40  includes a button  41 . In operation, the button  41  is pressed to engage the spindle lock mechanism  40 . The unique push button  41  is located at the base of the head of the rotary polisher  10  where it can be easily accessed. In preferred embodiments, the button is made of plastic and the spindle is made of metal. However, in other embodiments, the button may also be made from metal or other materials. Ideally, the spindle is made from steel or a steel alloy. 
       FIG. 7  illustrates an exploded view of a portion of the spindle lock mechanism  40  of the rotary polisher  10  of  FIGS. 1-4 . In  FIG. 7 , the back plate and applicator are not shown to allow the spindle  42 , also known as shaft  42  or rotating shaft  42  to be seen. The spindle  42  rotates about longitudinal axis  43  and has a threaded end  44  on one end. The threaded end couples the spindle  42  to the back plate (back plate shown in  FIG. 7 ). The opposite end of the shaft from the threaded end  44  couples the spindle  42  to the rotary polisher  10  and in particular, to the motor of the rotary polisher  10 . The spindle  42  may also have a boss  47 . Boss  47  is a larger diameter portion of the spindle  42  that is located between the two ends of the shaft  42 . 
     As may be seen in  FIG. 7 , the housing of the rotary polisher  10  has a neck  46 . The neck  46  is on the bottom side of the upper handle  22 . The neck  46  surrounds and is coaxial with the spindle  42 . The spindle  42  passes through the neck  46  up into the rotating polisher  10 . 
     The spindle  42  also has a cavity  45 . In the embodiments shown in  FIG. 7 , the spindle  42  actually has two identical cavities, one on each side such that the cavities  45  oppose each other. The second cavity  45  on the back side of the spindle  42 , cannot be seen in  FIG. 7 . In preferred embodiments, the cavities are aligned around a circumference of the spindle  42 . Although the word “cavity” is used, in some embodiments, the cavity may be thought of as a hole or slotted hole. In different embodiments, a different number of cavities  45  may be used. Anywhere from 1 to 10 or even more cavities may be used. In some embodiments, two cavities  45  may be formed by a single hole that passes through the diameter of the spindle  42 . Regardless of the embodiment, at least one cavity  45  is required. 
     The cavity  45  in the embodiment of  FIG. 7  is cylindrical in shape however, the cavity  45  may be any shape. As will be explained in more detail below, the cavity  45  preferably has a reciprocal shape to a pin or plunger activated by the button  41 . In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 7 , the cavity  45  is bored into the boss  47  of the spindle  42 . In preferred embodiments, the cavity  45  is positioned on the boss  47  because the boss  47  provides increased strength after the cavity  45  is created. The shaft of the spindle  42  has a widened center or boss  47  with two indents on it. This is where the locking pin slides into to lock the spindle  42  and prevent it from spinning. Without the boss  47 , the integrity and strength of the spindle  42  would be greatly compromised when the hole or indents are added. One benefit of the design of the spindle  42  is that it allows the lock to easily slide in while minimizing wear and tear. In other embodiments, the spindle  42  may not have a boss  47  and the cavity  45  may be positioned anywhere on the spindle  42 . 
       FIG. 8A  illustrates a side view of the rotary polisher  10  of the previous figures. As may be seen in  FIG. 8A , the neck  46  extends down from the bottom side of the upper handle  22 . The spindle  42  is coupled to a motor within the body of the rotary polisher  22 . The threaded end  44  of the spindle  42  extends down below the neck  46 . In operation, the back plate, (not shown in  FIG. 8A ) couples to the threaded end  44  of the spindle  42  by receiving the threaded end in a complimentary threaded fastener. The spindle  42  rotating in the opposite direction to the threads of the threaded end  42  so that in operation, the back plate is not unscrewed from the threaded end by the rotation of the spindle  42 . 
     As may be seen, button  41  is located on an outside portion of the neck  46 . Neck  46  has a passage  50  that passes through the outer wall of the neck  46  and allows access to the interior of the neck  46  and the spindle  42  by the button  41 . The back side or interior facing side of the button includes a pin, plunger, rod or shaft  52  that may be extended into and out of the interior of the neck by pressing on the button  41 . Once the pin  52  is pushed in and the pin  52  aligns with the spindle  42  of the polisher  10 , the pin  52  will lock the spindle allowing batching plates with different sizes to be easily switched. In preferred embodiments, a spring  54  biases the pin  52  and button  41  such that the pin  52  wants to return to the retracted position and only protrudes into the interior of the neck  46  when the button is pressed  41 . In preferred embodiments, the pin  52  and button  41  may be made as a single entity. In other embodiments, they may be comprised of separate elements. 
     As may be seen in  FIG. 8B , the neck  46  is comprised of two portions. The first portion is the neck protrusion  63  and the second portion is the flange  62 . The flange portion  62  is a larger diameter than the neck protrusion  63 . The flange portion  62  interfaces with the body  12  along the upper portion of the handle  22 . 
     The pin  52  may be a simple cylindrical pin or may be keyed to prevent rotation. In a preferred embodiment, the pin may have a boss  64  at the end. Similar to the boss on the spindle  42 , the boss  64  on the pin  52  adds important strength to the pin  52 .  FIG. 8C  illustrates an isometric exploded view of the front portion of the rotary polisher of the previous figures. As you can see in  FIG. 8C , in some embodiments, the passage, or hole,  50  may include a number of flanges or steps. 
     In operation, the button  41  is depressed and forces the pin  52  farther into the interior of the neck  46  such that the pin  52  engages with the outside surface of the spindle  42 . The button  41  and pin  52  are vertically aligned with the same level as the cavity  45 . Accordingly, when the pin  52  engages the outside surface of the spindle  42 , if the shaft is rotated, the pin  52  will eventually find the cavity  45 . Once the pin  52  aligns with the cavity  45 , the pin  52  is inserted into the cavity  45 . The insertion of the pin  52  into the cavity  45  prevents the further rotation of the spindle  42 . 
     As one may appreciate, removing the head  14  including the backplate  16  from the spindle  42  could be very difficult if the spindle  42  was allowed to continuously rotate. This is because anytime the head  14  is spun to try and unscrew it from the spindle  42 , the spindle  42  would spin in response instead of the head  14  and backplate  16  rotating against the threads. However, if button  41  is depressed and the pin  52  engages the cavity  45  of the spindle  42 , the spindle  42  is now held in place and a torque on the head  14  and backplate  16  may be realized on the threaded interface. To this end, the head  14  may be easily and quickly separated from the spindle  42 . Accordingly, the backplate  16  and/or applicator  17  can be removed from the rotary polisher  10  without the use of tools. 
       FIG. 8  illustrates a bottom view of the head portion or upper handle portion of the body of the rotary polisher of the previous figures. As may be seen in  FIG. 8 , a boss may also be formed on the neck  46  surrounding the button  41 . This boss helps prevent the button  41  from accidently being depressed during normal operation. 
       FIG. 10  illustrates an isometric view of the head portion or upper handle portion  22  of the rotary polisher  10  of the previous figures. The boss  60  around the button  41  may be clearly seen in  FIG. 10 . In the embodiment of  FIG. 10 , the boss  60  does not go all the way around the button  41 . In some embodiments, the boss  60  may go all the way around. However, in other embodiments like the one shown, a portion of the boss  60  at the bottom may be cut off to maintain a flat plane where the back plate  16  attaches. 
       FIG. 11  illustrates an exploded view of the head portion or upper handle portion  22  of the rotary polisher  10  of the previous figures. In  FIG. 11 , the cavity  45  may be clearly seen in the boss  47 . 
     If a user is desirous of swapping out the back plate  16  to a different size, or for any other reason, the user can begin by placing the polisher  10  on its back. For safety reasons, it should be confirmed that the rotary polisher  10  is unplugged. The spindle release button  41 , located beneath the backing plate, may be gripped with a thumb, placing the remaining figures around the metal housing. By using the thumb placed on the spindle lock button  41  to apply pressure, the spindle lock button may be depressed until it moves completely inward. Pressure should be maintained on the button  41  until the backing plate  16  spins freely. Holding the spindle release button  41  locks the spindle  42  in place so that the backing plate  16  can rotate independently of the spindle  42 . With the hand not on the rotary polisher  10 , rotate the backing plate  16  counterclockwise. Some resistance will be felt when turning the backing plate  16 . A small amount of force is needed to get the backing plate  16  to spin. Continue to turn the backing plate  16  counter clockwise until it is fully dislodged from the spindle  42 . 
     Although the invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments and specific examples, it will readily be appreciated by those skilled in the art that many modifications and adaptations of the methods and devices described herein are possible without departure from the spirit and scope of the embodiments as claimed hereinafter. In addition, elements of any of the embodiments described may be combined with elements of other embodiments to create additional embodiments. Thus, it is to be clearly understood that this description is made only by way of example and not as a limitation on the scope of the claims below.