Patent Publication Number: US-2020290132-A1

Title: Apparatus and Methods for Improved Hole Saw Drilling

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority to U.S. provisional application No. 62/816,640, filed Mar. 11, 2019, entitled APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR IMPROVED HOLE SAW DRILLING, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety as though fully set forth herein. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The present disclosure relates to a novel hole saw, and in particular, the present disclosure relates to a novel hole saw for use with a removable guide or pilot drill bit in which either or both of the blade of the hole saw, and the tip of the removable pilot drill bit, comprise a hard material, such as diamond or tungsten carbide, on the cutting edge of the hole saw or the cutting tip of the pilot drill bit. The novel hole saw and removable drill bit is configured to improve the function of keeping the hole saw in the proper location during the hole saw cutting or drilling process, especially when cutting a hole in surfaces that are hard or slippery, such as stone, certain metal, glass or porcelain or ceramic floor, ceiling or wall tile. 
     In use, the present disclosure relates to a novel hole saw incorporating a removable pilot drill bit in which one or both of the hole saw and drill bit comprise a hard material that will cut into almost any material to be drilled. The configuration of the pilot drill bit, which extends past the edge of the hole saw, allows for the drill bit to make contact with the material to be cut or drilled first. Once the drill bit contact is made, the hole saw will follow and the entire novel hole saw will stay in the correct location while the material is cut or drilled. The hard material on the drill bit will assist in keeping the drill bit from sliding on the material to be cut or drilled, while the hard material on the edge of the hole saw will assist in keeping the hole saw in its proper location and orientation during the cutting or drilling procedure. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A drill bit is useful for creating a hole in a piece of material such as wood, metal or ceramic tile. When the need for that hole has a circumference larger than the diameter of the drill bit, one way to accomplish the task is to use a hole saw. A hale saw contains a circular or annular cup-shaped saw device that contains multiple teeth used in the hole cutting process. The hole saw also contains a shank at the end opposite the cutting teeth. The shank is configured to be inserted into and securely held by the chuck of an electric or cordless drill. 
     Usually, the hole saw also contains an indent centered on the hole saw axis, which can hold the shank of a pilot bit, that when inserted into the hole saw indent, has a tip that projects beyond the hole saw rim. Once the pilot bit is inserted into the hole saw and the hole saw shank is inserted into the drill chuck, the hole saw can be used to cut a hole in the material. 
     When the cutting process begins, the pilot bit, which extends past the cutting edge of the cutting device, makes initial contact with the surface of the material in the center of the hole to be cut. The pilot bit will enter the surface of the material in the center of the hole to be cut, for a short time before the hole saw cutting edge makes contact with the surface of the material. This step will keep the hole saw properly aligned during the beginning of the hole cutting. Once the teeth on the cutting edge of the hole saw contact the material, the circular cutting begins with the hole being cut around the center point created by the pilot bit. As the process continues, the cutting edge of the hole is driven through the Material until the hole saw finishes cutting the hole in the material. 
     The hole saw provides the hole cutting functionality using the pilot bit to reduce the hole saw from slipping or walking during the hole cutting process. However, in certain instances, the pilot drill bit and the cutting portion of the hole saw tend to slip or walk from the intended cutting target, before or during the cutting process. By slipping or walking from the intended target, at a minimum, the material being cut may be destroyed and need to be replaced, or in certain situations the hole saw and/or the drill may be damaged and the user can be injured. 
     The disadvantages are particularly troublesome when the material is harder than wood, for example certain metals, stone glass or porcelain or ceramic floor, ceiling or wall tile. In these situations it would be advantageous for the hole saw and/or the pilot drill bit to be configured to more easily cut into the hard material, such as stone, certain metals, glass or porcelain or ceramic floor, ceiling or wall tile. The present disclosure satisfies these needs. 
     SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     In general and in order to solve the above-mentioned shortcomings in the existing hole saw design and the hole saw drilling process, the present disclosure utilizes an apparatus and methods that incorporate a novel and improved hole saw with a removable pilot drill bit in which either or both of the hole saw cutting blade and the tip of the pilot drill bit comprise a material that is hard enough to cut any material without the hole slaw slipping or walking from the intended target during the cutting process. The hole saw cutting blade and/or the tip of the pilot drill bit may comprise a hard material, such as diamond or tungsten carbide, on the cutting edges or the cutting tip, for minimizing slippage or walking during the hole saw drilling process, although other hard materials will suffice. 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus that incorporates a novel and improved hole saw with a cutting edge that comprises a hard material such as diamond or tungsten carbide that is hard enough to cut any material without the hole slaw slipping, sliding or walking from the intended target during the cutting process. 
     Another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus that incorporates a novel and improved hole saw and a pilot drill bit, in which either or both of the hole saw cutting blade and the tip of the pilot drill bit comprises a hard material such as diamond or tungsten carbide or other hard materials that are hard enough to cut almost any material without the hole slaw slipping, sliding or walking from the intended target during the cutting process. 
     A further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus that incorporates a novel and improved hole saw and a removable pilot drill bit, in which either or both of the hole saw cutting blade and the tip of the pilot drill bit comprises a hard material such as diamond or tungsten carbide or other hard materials that are hard enough to cut any material without the hole slaw slipping, sliding or walking from the intended target during the cutting process. 
     A further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus that incorporates a novel and improved hole saw and a removable pilot drill bit, such that in use, the pilot drill bit of the novel hole saw, which extends past the edge of the hole saw, makes contact with the material to be cut or drilled first, in the center of the hole saw wall. Once the drill bit makes contact, the hole saw will follow and the entire novel hole saw will stay in the correct location and configuration while the material is cut or drilled. The hard material on the drill bit will assist in keeping the drill bit from sliding or slipping on the material to be cut or drilled, while the hard material on the edge of the hole saw will assist in keeping the hole saw in its proper location and orientation during the cutting or drilling procedure. 
     Additional objectives and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent to one having ordinary skill in the art after reading the specification in light of the drawing figures, however, the spirit and scope of the present invention, including the appended claims, should not be limited to the description of the embodiments contained herein. 
    
    
     
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The preferred embodiments of the disclosure will be described in conjunction with the appended drawings provided to illustrate and not to the limit the disclosure, where like designations denote like elements, and in which: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a front view of an improved hole saw and pilot drill bit in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a perspective view of an improved hole saw and pilot drill bit in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIGS. 3A and 3B  illustrate exploded and assembled perspective views of an improved hole saw and pilot drill bit in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure; and 
         FIGS. 4A and 4B  illustrate exploded and cutaway views of an improved hole saw and pilot drill bit in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the same or similar features in the various views, the present disclosure pertains to a novel hole saw assembly  10 , that is made up of multiple elements, but could also be an integrated piece containing all of the elements. The hole saw assembly  10  is intended to be inserted into and securely held by the chuck of an electric or cordless drill. 
       FIGS. 1 through 4  show the front view, perspective view, disassembled and cutaway views of an improved hole saw assembly  10 , respectively, comprising generally a cutting device  12 , an attachment shank  14 , and a removable pilot drill or guide drill bit  16 . Although the preferred embodiment discloses these elements as separate objects, the scope of the present disclosure also encompasses an integrated device in which all of the objects and functionality are combined into a single device. 
     The cutting device  12  comprises a cutting edge  18  at the open end  19  of the cutting device  12  and a cylindrically cup-shaped wall  20 , attached to the first end  13  of the shank  14 , at the other end  21  of the cutting device  12 . The shank  14  has a partial or completely hollow portion  22 , as shown in  FIG. 4 , which is accessible from the open end  26  of the cylindrical cup-shaped wall  20 . The shank  14  is configured to be inserted into a drill chuck (not shown) at the end  15  opposite the cutting device  12 , and to be tightly and securely held in place by the drill chuck on the drill. 
     Further, the pilot drill  16  comprises a cutting tip  24  at one end  17 , and is configured at the opposite end  19  of the pilot drill  16 , to be inserted into the hollow portion  22  of the shank  14 , near the first end  13 , such that the pilot drill will be centered on an axis  25  created by the center of both the cutting device  12  and the shank  14 . Once inserted into the hollow portion  22  of the shank  14 , the cutting tip  24  of the pilot drill  16  will extend past the end  26  of the cutting device  12 . 
     The shank  14  comprises a threaded hole  28 , as shown in  FIG. 4A , in the side  30  of the shank  14 , making it capable of receiving a setscrew  32 , as shown in  FIGS. 3A, 3B, 4A  and  4 B, to hold the pilot drill  16  in place inside the hollow portion  22  of the shank  14 , during the cutting or drilling process. The cutting edge  18  can be made up of multiple teeth  34  and the teeth  34  comprise a hard material  36 , such as diamond or carbide made up of or integrated into, the teeth  34  of the cutting edge  18 . 
     This hard material  36  allows the cutting edge  18  of the cutting device  12 , to cut through almost all difficult to cut materials, such as porcelain or ceramic floor, ceiling or wall tile, or certain metals, glass and stone. By using the hole saw assembly  10 , the cutting or drilling process can be accomplished without the pilot drill  16  or cutting device  12  of the hole saw  10  sliding, slipping or walking from the intended target. 
     Additionally, the end  17  of the cutting tip  24  of the pilot drill  16  also contains a hard cutting tip material  38 , such as diamond, tungsten carbide or a similar hard material. Once the opposite end  19  of the pilot bit  16  is inserted into the end  13  of the shank  14 , and the cutting tip  24  of the pilot bit  16  extends beyond the cutting edge  18  of the cutting device  12 , the hole saw assembly  10  can be used to cut a hole in the difficult to cut material, such as certain metals, stone, glass or porcelain or ceramic floor, ceiling or wall tiles. 
     When the cutting process begins, the cutting tip  24  with the hard cutting tip material  38 , which extends past the cutting edge  18 , makes initial contact with the material to be cut or drilled, at the intended target location, in the center of the hole to be cut. The cutting tip  24  of the pilot bit  16  will enter the surface of the material (not shown) for a short time before the cutting edge  12  containing the hard material  36  on the multiple teeth  34  makes contact with the material to be cut or drilled. 
     Due to the hard cutting tip material  38 , the cutting tip  24  of the pilot bit  16  will not slip, slide or walk from the intended target. Thus, the cutting edge  18  of the cutting device  12  will be properly located and aligned during the beginning of the actual hole cutting process. 
     Once the teeth  34  on the cutting edge  18  of the hole saw assembly  10  contact the surface of the difficult to cut material, the circular cutting begins with a hole being drilled or cut out around the center point created by the cutting tip  24  of the pilot bit  16 . As the process continues, the cutting edge  18  cuts through the material until the hole saw assembly finishes cutting the hole in the material. 
     The hole saw assembly  10  described herein provides the hole cutting or drilling functionality using the cutting tip  24  of the pilot bit  16  to mitigate the hole saw assembly  10  from slipping or walking during the hole cutting or drilling process. To the extent that the cutting tip  24  of the pilot drill  16  wears down over time, or a different type of cutting tip  24  is preferred or needed, the pilot drill  16  can be removed from the shank  14  by loosening or removing the setscrew  32 , removing and replacing the pilot drill  16  (with another pilot drill) and replacing or tightening the setscrew  32 . 
     While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a hole saw assembly  10 , it is not intended to be limited to the details or the preferred embodiment disclosed and shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present disclosure. 
     It will be understood that the embodiments of the present disclosure, which have been described are illustrative of some of the applications of the principles of the present disclosure. Although numerous embodiments of this disclosure have been described above with a certain degree of particularity, those skilled in the art could make numerous alterations to the disclosed embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of this disclosure. 
     All directional references (e.g., upper, lower, upward, downward, left, right, leftward, rightward, top, bottom, above, below, vertical, horizontal, clockwise, and counterclockwise) are only used for identification purposes to aid the reader&#39;s understanding of the present disclosure, and do not create limitations, particularly as to the position, orientation, or use of the disclosed system and methods. 
     Additionally, joinder references (e.g., attached, coupled, connected, and the like) are to be construed broadly and may include intermediate members between a connection of elements and relative movement between elements. As such, joinder references do not necessarily infer that two elements are directly connected and in fixed relation to each other. It is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not limiting. Changes in detail or structure may be made without departing from the spirit of the disclosed apparatus, system and methods as disclosed herein.