Patent Publication Number: US-2021162515-A1

Title: Pocket hole jig

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a divisional of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/161,158, filed Oct. 16, 2018, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/573,128 filed on Oct. 16, 2017, the entire content of each of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     The present disclosure relates to pocket hole jigs, and more particularly to pocket hole jigs that are adjustable to accommodate workpieces of different thicknesses. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present disclosure provides, in one aspect, a pocket hole jig including a body with a base surface positionable against a workpiece, and a drill guide pivotally coupled to the body. The drill guide defines a guide axis such that a drill bit is insertable into the drill guide along the guide axis. The drill guide is pivotable relative to the body to adjust an inclination angle of the guide axis relative to the base surface. 
     The present disclosure provides, in another aspect, a pocket hole jig including a body and a drill guide pivotally coupled to the body, the drill guide defining a guide axis such that a drill bit is insertable into the drill guide along the guide axis. The drill guide is pivotable relative to the body between a plurality of angular orientations. 
     The present disclosure provides, in another aspect, a pocket hole jig including a base with a body and a guide holder extending from the body, a clamp head movably coupled to the body, and a drill guide pivotally coupled to the guide holder, the drill guide including a slanted bore configured to receive a drill bit. The clamp head and the drill guide are interconnected such that movement of the clamp head relative to the base pivots the drill guide relative to the guide holder. 
     Other features and aspects of the disclosure will become apparent by consideration of the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a pocket hole jig according to one embodiment of the disclosure set for use with a workpiece having a first thickness. 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of the pocket hole jig of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the pocket hole jig of  FIG. 1  set for use with a workpiece having a second thickness. 
         FIG. 4  is a side view of the pocket hole jig of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is an exploded view of the pocket hole jig of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a pocket hole jig according to another embodiment. 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of the pocket hole jig of  FIG. 6 , taken along line  7 - 7  in  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view illustrating an adjustment mechanism of the pocket hole jig of  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a pocket hole jig according to another embodiment. 
         FIG. 10  is a cross-sectional view of the pocket hole jig of  FIG. 9 , taken along line  10 - 10  in  FIG. 9 . 
     
    
    
     Before any embodiments of the disclosure are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The disclosure is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIGS. 1-5  illustrates a pocket hole jig  10 . The jig  10  includes a body  12 , a gimbal  14 , and a drill guide  16 . The body  12  includes a base surface  17 , recesses  18 , and arcuate slots  20  ( FIG. 5 ). Indicia  22  corresponding to workpiece thicknesses (e.g., ½ inch, ¼ inch, etc. in the illustrated embodiment) is located adjacent the slots  20 . The gimbal  14  includes posts  24  and an aperture  26  that extends centrally through the gimbal  14 . The posts  24  of the gimbal  14  are received in the recesses  18  of the body  12  to pivotally couple the gimbal  14  to the body  12 . The gimbal  14  is pivotally coupled to the body  12  so that the gimbal  14  pivots relative to the body  12  about the posts  24 . The drill guide  16  includes posts  28 , indicators  30  and an aperture  32  that extends through the drill guide  16  to define a guide axis  33  ( FIG. 2 ). In the illustrated embodiment, the aperture  32  and the guide axis  33  extend centrally through the drill guide  16 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , the drill guide  16  is received in the aperture  26  of the gimbal  14  so that the drill guide  16  pivots with the gimbal  14  relative to the body  12 . Posts  28  of the drill guide  16  are received in slots  20  of the body  12 . The slots  20  include recesses  34  for each of the indicia  22 . The posts  28  are received in the recesses  34  to releasably retain the gimbal  14  and the drill guide  16  and the position indicated by the indicator  30 . The indicator  30  points to the indicia  22  of the corresponding recess  34  in which the posts  28  are received. The posts  28 , recesses  34 , and slots  20  are sized so that the posts  28  can move within the slots  20  by pivoting the gimbal  14  about posts  24  between both ends of the slots  20 , but yet the recesses  34  hold the posts  28  of the drill guide  16 , and therefore the drill guide  16  and the gimbal  14  in the desired position relative to the body  12 . In some embodiments, the posts  28  may be biased into engagement with the recesses  34  (e.g., by a spring disposed between the drill guide  16  and the gimbal  14 ; not shown). 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the gimbal  14  is pivotable relative to the body  12  to adjust an angular orientation of the drill guide  16  relative to the body  12 . In other words, pivoting the gimbal  14  and the drill guide  16  adjusts an angle of inclination  40  of the guide axis  33  relative to the base surface  17  of the body  12 . The indicia  22  represent a plurality of different workpiece thicknesses. The indicator  30  and indicia  22  are calibrated such that aligning the indicator  30  with a selected indicia  22  (e.g., ½ inch in the position shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ) puts the drill guide  16  in the proper orientation for drilling a pocket hole in a workpiece  41  having a thickness  42  that corresponds to the selected indicia  22 . That is, when a drill bit  44  is extended through the gimbal  14  and the drill guide  16 , the bit  44  exits centrally through an edge  46  of the workpiece  41  having the thickness  42 . 
     In operation, the user grasps the drill guide  16  and pivots it (together with the gimbal  14 ) relative to the body  12  to select a desired workpiece thickness  42  by aligning the indicator  30  with the indicia  22  that corresponds with the desired workpiece thickness  42  ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ). The user then positions the base surface  17  of the main body  12  on the workpiece  41 , and, optionally, clamps the body  12  to the workpiece  41 . The user can then insert the drill bit  44  through the drill guide  16  along the axis  43  and drill a pocket hole in the workpiece  41 . 
       FIGS. 3 and 4  illustrate the pocket hole jig  10  being used to drill a pocket hole in a workpiece  50  having a different thickness  52  (e.g., 1½ inch). The user pivots the drill guide  16  so that the indicator  30  points to the indicia  22  corresponding to the thickness  52  of the workpiece  50 . The user then positions the base surface  17  of the body  12  on the workpiece  50 , and, optionally, clamps the body  12  to the workpiece  50 . The user can then insert the drill bit  44  through the drill guide  16  and drill a pocket hole in the workpiece  50  (i.e. such that the dill bit  44  exits centrally through an edge  54  of the workpiece  50  having the thickness  52 . 
       FIGS. 6-8  illustrate a pocket hole jig  100  according to another embodiment. The pocket hole jig  100  includes a base  114 , a clamp assembly  118 , and a drill guide assembly  122 . The base  114  includes a body  126  and a guide holder  130  that projects upwardly from the body  126 . The body  126  includes a substantially planar base surface  134  that is configured to support and engage a workpiece (e.g., the workpieces  41 ,  50 ) when the pocket hole jig  100  is used to facilitate drilling a pocket hole in the workpiece. In the illustrated embodiment, the body  126  and the guide holder  130  are integrally formed together as a single piece (e.g., via a molding process). In other embodiments, the guide holder  130  and the body  126  may be separate components fastened together by adhesive, welding, mechanical fasteners, or any other suitable means. 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , the drill guide assembly  122  includes a drill guide in the form of a guide block  134  pivotally coupled to the guide holder  130  at a pivot point  136 , and first and second bushings  138 ,  142  received within the guide block  134 . The first bushing  138  includes a first cylindrical passage  146  for guiding a drill bit, and the second bushing  142  includes a second cylindrical passage  150  for guiding a drill bit. The first and second cylindrical passages  146 ,  150  define respective parallel guide axes  154 ,  158 . The guide axes  154 ,  158  extend at an oblique inclination angle relative to the base surface  134 . In the illustrated embodiment, the first bushing  138  has an oval shape and is reversible to provide two different positions for the first cylindrical passage  146 . Thus, the first bushing  138  is movable between a first position to provide a first spacing between the first and second cylindrical passages  146 ,  150  and a second position to provide a second, different spacing between the first and second cylindrical passages  146 ,  150 . In some embodiments, the first spacing may be between about 1 inch and about 2 inches, and the second spacing may be between about 1.5 inches and about 2.5 inches. In the illustrated embodiment, a thumb screw  162  is provided to secure the first bushing  138  in either the first position or the second position. 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , the illustrated pocket hole jig  100  further includes a dust collector nozzle  166  coupled to a rear side of the guide holder  130 . The guide block  134  includes a rearward extending dust chute  170  that is received by the dust collector nozzle  166 . The dust chute  170  connects to the cylindrical passages  146 ,  150  in the guide block  134 . The dust collector nozzle  166  includes a port  174  for connection to a vacuum hose (not shown) such that dust and debris generated during a drilling operation may be drawn into the dust collector nozzle  166  and discharged through the port  174 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 7 and 8 , the illustrated clamp assembly  118  includes a movable clamp head  178 , an actuator  182  ( FIG. 7 ), and a clamp rod  186  extending between the clamp head  178  and the actuator  182 . A clamp arm  190  is fixed to the clamp head  178  for movement therewith. The jig  100  further includes an adjustment mechanism  194  that interconnects the clamp assembly  118  with the drill guide assembly  122 . In particular, the adjustment mechanism  194  includes a pair of link arms  198  pivotally coupled at one end to the guide block  134  and at the other end to two arms  202  extending from the clamp head  178  ( FIG. 8 ). The adjustment mechanism  194  translates longitudinal movement of the clamp head  178  into pivoting movement of the guide block  134  about the pivot point  136 . That is, movement of the clamp head  178  toward the guide block  134  pivots the guide block  134  in a first direction  206 , and movement of the clamp head  178  away from the guide block  134  pivots the guide block  134  in a second direction  210  opposite the first direction  206  ( FIG. 6 ). The adjustment mechanism  194  is calibrated to automatically align the guide axes  154 ,  158  for proper drilling of a pocket hole in a workpiece clamped by the clamp assembly  118 . 
     In addition to facilitating efficient and convenient adjustment of the drill guide assembly  122 , the illustrated embodiment of the adjustment mechanism  194  enables the pocket hole jig  100  to have a relatively thin body  126 . With reference to  FIG. 7 , the body  126  defines a thickness or height H measured between base surface  134  (which is an upper base surface in the illustrated embodiment) and a lower base surface  135  opposite the upper base surface  134 . In the illustrated embodiment, the height H is about 1.5 inches; however, in other embodiments, the height H may vary. In addition to being relatively compact, the 1.5 inch height H permits the upper surface  134  of the body  126  to sit flush with the upper surface of adjacent standard 1.5-inch thick material. Accordingly, commonly-found materials can be used to effectively extend the upper base surface  134 , which may provide increased stability when positioning large workpieces on the pocket hole jig  100 . 
     In operation, a user places a workpiece of a particular thickness on the base surface  134 , then user clamps the with the clamp assembly  118 . The adjustment mechanism  194  automatically sets orientation of the guide block  134  (and, therefore, the guide axes  154 ,  158 ) to a proper setting for the workpiece thickness. With the guide block  134  in the proper setting, a user can insert a drill bit through one of the cylindrical passages  146 ,  150  and drill a pocket hole in the workpiece. The drill bit will exit the workpiece at the appropriate location (i.e. in the center of the edge of the workpiece defining the workpiece thickness) for use as a pocket hole and a pocket hole type connection to another workpiece. 
       FIGS. 9 and 10  illustrate a pocket hole jig  300  according to another embodiment. The pocket hole jig  300  is similar to the pocket hole jig  100  of  FIGS. 6-8 , and features and elements of the pocket hole jig  300  corresponding with features and elements of the pocket hole jig  100  are given like reference numbers plus ‘ 200 .’ In the embodiment of pocket hole jig  300  illustrated in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , the drill guide assembly  322  includes a lower guide block portion  334   a  integrally formed with the guide holder  330 , and an upper guide block portion  334   b  pivotally coupled to the lower portion  334   a  at a pivot point  336 . Thus, in operation, the upper portion  334   b  is pivotable about the pivot point  336  relative to the lower portion  334   a  when clamping a workpiece of a particular thickness with the clamp assembly  318 . 
     Various features of the invention are set forth in the following claims.