Patent Abstract:
A cordless nailer is provided having a magazine assembly with improved features. An improved latch mechanism for clearing nail jams is provided that reduces wear on the latch. A driver retention feature is provided to retain a drive blade from accidentally escaping the nailer. A pusher assembly is provided having a simplified and efficient construction. A pusher retention feature is provided that prevents the driver blade from impacting a nail pusher. A nail retention feature is provided to allow easy loading and unloading of nails into the nailer. Finally, a method of assembling the magazine assembly is provided.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent application No. 12/622,501 filed Nov. 20, 2009, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,006,883, entitled “Fastener Driver Having Nosepiece Cover”, which is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/050,280, filed Feb. 3, 2005, entitled “Magazine Assembly For Nailer”, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,641,089, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/559,342, filed on Apr. 2, 2004, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a cordless nailer, and more particularly to a magazine assembly for a cordless nailer. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Fastening tools, such as power nailers and staplers, are relatively commonplace in the construction trades. Often times, however, the fastening tools that are available may not provide the user with a desired degree of flexibility and freedom due to the presence of hoses and such that couple the fastening tool to a source of pneumatic power. Similarly, many features of typical fasteners, while adequate for their intended purpose, do not provide the user with the most efficient and effective function. Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for an improved fastening tool. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A nailer is provided having a magazine assembly with improved features. An improved latch mechanism for clearing nail jams is provided that reduces wear on the latch. A driver retention feature is provided to keep a nail driver and a nail aligned and to constrain buckling loads. A pusher assembly is provided having a simplified and efficient construction. A pusher retention feature is provided that allows the pusher assembly to move behind nails loaded in the magazine assembly. A nail retention feature is provided to allow easy loading and unloading of nails into the nailer. Finally, a method of assembling the magazine assembly is provided. 
     Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a side view of an exemplary nailer having a magazine assembly constructed according to the principles of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a nosepiece of the nailer having a latch mechanism used with the magazine assembly of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a back perspective view of a latch wire and latch tab used with the latch mechanism of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a side view of the nosepiece having a driver blade and nail retention mechanism used with the magazine assembly of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5A  is a perspective disassembled view of a nail pusher used with the magazine assembly of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5B  is a top view of the nail pusher of  FIG. 5A ; 
         FIG. 6A  is a front view of the nosepiece having a nail pusher pocket feature used in the magazine assembly of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6B  is a side sectional view of the nosepiece having a nail stop used in the magazine assembly of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7A  is a top view of a nail retention system used in the magazine assembly of the present invention in an unlocked position; 
         FIG. 7B  is a side view of the nail retention system shown in  FIG. 7A ; 
         FIG. 7C  is a top view of the nail retention system of  FIG. 7A  in a locked position; 
         FIG. 7D  is a side view of the nail retention system shown in  FIG. 7C ; 
         FIG. 8A  is an expanded side view of the magazine assembly of the present invention illustrating a method of assembling the magazine assembly; and 
         FIG. 8B  is an enlarged perspective view of the area indicated by circle  8 B- 8 B in  FIG. 8A . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The following description of the preferred embodiment(s) is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses. 
     With reference to  FIG. 1 , a magazine assembly  10  constructed according to the principles of the present invention is shown in operative association with an exemplary cordless nailer  12 . It should be appreciated, however, that the present invention may be employed with various other nailers. The cordless nailer  12  generally includes a housing  14  with a motor (not shown) located therein. The motor drives a nail driving mechanism for driving nails (not shown) from the magazine assembly  10 . A handle  16  extends from the housing  14  and terminates in a battery pack  18 . The battery pack  18  is configured to engage a base portion  20  of the handle  16  and provides power to the motor. 
     The magazine assembly  10  includes a nosepiece assembly  22  and a magazine  24 . The nosepiece assembly  22  is mounted to the housing  14 . The magazine  24  is coupled to the nosepiece assembly  22  at one end thereof and is mounted to the base  20  of the handle  16  at an opposite end thereof. 
     Turning to  FIG. 2 , the nosepiece assembly  22  includes a latch mechanism  26  having an improved design. The nosepiece assembly  22  includes a nosepiece  28  that is mounted to a backbone structure (not shown) within the housing  12  ( FIG. 1 ) at an end  30  thereof. The nosepiece  28  includes a pair of hooks  32  that extend upwards therefrom. A nose cover  34  is pivotally mounted to the nosepiece  28  near the end  30  at a pin connection  36  extending between a pair of lugs  37 . The nose cover  34  extends along the length of the nosepiece  28  between the hooks  32 . The nose cover  34  includes a rib  38  that extends along its length. The rib  38  provides strength to the nose cover  34  and provides a line-of-sight for the operator of the nailer  12  to align the nails (not shown). The nosepiece  28  and the nose cover  34  define a channel (as will be described in greater detail below) that receives a nail therein. 
     The latch mechanism  26  is mounted to the nose cover  34  and includes a latch tab  40  and a latch wire  42 , as best illustrated in  FIG. 3 . The latch mechanism  26  is used to lock and unlock the nose cover  34  to the nosepiece  28 . The latch tab  40  is pivotally connected to the nose cover  34  at pin  44 . 
     With reference to  FIG. 3 , the latch wire  42  is pivotally coupled to the latch tab  40  at enlarged slots  46 . The enlarged slots  46  allow the latch wire  42  to be easily installed on the latch tab  40  and to eliminate the need for swaging the latch wire  42  into the slots  46 . The latch wire  42  has a pair of parallel “s” shaped arms  48  (viewed from the side) which may be perpendicular to a center portion  49 . It should be appreciated that various other shapes having the “s” shaped arms  48  may be employed. The center portion  49  has a hump portion  51  sized to fit over the rib  38  (as best seen in  FIG. 2 ). 
     With reference to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , when the nose cover  34  is in its locked position over the nosepiece  28 , the latch wire  42  is locked firmly within the hooks  32  of the nosepiece  28 . The center portion  49  in turn presses firmly down upon the nose cover  34  on each side of the rib  38 . This assures that the nose cover  34  is tightly engaged to the nosepiece  28 . To unlock the nose cover  34 , the latch tab  40  is urged away from the nose cover  34 . This in turn disengages the latch wire  42  from the hooks  32 , thus allowing the nose cover  34  to pivot about the pin connection  36  away from the nosepiece  28 . In the unlocked position, an operator may then clear any nail jams within the nosepiece assembly  22 . 
     Turning now to  FIG. 4 , a driver retention feature will be described. The nosepiece  28  includes a groove  50  formed therein that cooperates with the nose cover  34  (when the nose cover  34  is in its locked position) to form a channel  52 . The channel  52  is sized to receive a nail  53  from the magazine  24 . A driver blade  54  extends from the housing  14  into the channel  52 . The driver blade  54  is driven by the motor and nail driver mechanism (not shown) and engages the head of the nail  53  to drive the nail  53  through the nosepiece  28  and out of the nailer  12 . 
     However, when the nose cover  34  is in its unlocked position (shown in dashed lines in  FIG. 4 ), the driver blade  54  may escape the groove  50 . Accordingly, the nose cover  34  includes a cam portion  56  (best seen in  FIG. 2 ) formed at an end thereof on an opposite side of the pin connection  36 . As the nose cover  34  is moved to its unlocked position, the cam portion  56  engages the driver blade  54 , thereby constraining the driver blade  54  to the groove  50  and preventing the driver blade  54  from escaping. 
     Turning back to  FIG. 1 , the magazine  24  holds a plurality of nails (not shown) therein. The nails are fed forward into the nosepiece assembly  22  by a pusher assembly  60 . The pusher assembly  60  rides within the magazine  24  and protrudes partially therefrom to be engaged by the operator of the nailer  12 . 
     Turning to  FIG. 5A , the pusher assembly  60  includes a runner portion  62 , a pusher portion  64  and a spring member  80  that, at most, constitute three members to provide a simplified assembly that can be put together without tools. The runner portion  62  includes a runner  66  having a channeled portion sized to fit and slide on a liner (described in detail herein below) of the magazine  24  ( FIG. 1 ). A handle  68  extends out from the runner  66  and out from the magazine  24 . A pin  70  extends out from the runner  66  and includes a bayonet portion  72 . A hook  73  extends out from the runner  66  and receives a portion of a biasing member, as will be described below. The upper portion  62  is a one piece unitary structure. 
     The pusher portion  64  includes a pusher  74  that engages the nails (not shown) to move them towards the nosepiece assembly  22  ( FIG. 1 ). The pusher  74  includes a hole  76  sized to receive the pin  70  and bayonet portion  72  therein for providing a bayonet connection therebetween. An arm  78  extends out from the pusher  74  on an opposite side of the hole  76 . The runner portion  62  and the pusher portion  64  are coupled together by inserting the pin  70  into the hole  76  such that the bayonet portion  72  locks the runner portion  62  to the pusher portion  64 . The pusher portion  64  is a one piece unitary structure. 
     The pusher  74  includes a first surface  75  and a second surface  77 . The first surface  75  is angled with respect to the second surface  77  and includes a notch  79  formed therein, as best seen in  FIG. 5B . The notch  79  is configured to partially receive nails (not shown) therein (this can best be seen in  FIG. 6B ). The second surface  77  is angled to allow the driver blade  54  ( FIG. 4 ) to strike the second surface  77 , thereby moving the pusher assembly  60  out of the way of the driver blade  54  during a stroke of the driver blade  54 . 
     With reference to  FIG. 5B , the pusher assembly  60  further includes a biasing member  80  such as, for example, a spring. The biasing member  80  is mounted between the runner  66  and the arm  78  to bias the pusher  74  such that the bayonet portion  72  cannot be accidentally disengaged from the hole  76 . Moreover, the biasing member  80  biases the pusher  74  to be in alignment with the nails (not shown) loaded within the magazine  24  ( FIG. 1 ). 
     Turning to  FIG. 6A , as noted above, the pusher assembly  60  slides within the magazine  24  ( FIG. 1 ) to drive the nails  53  into the channel  52  of the nosepiece assembly  22 . However, when all the nails  53  have been expended from the magazine  24 , the pusher  74  enters the channel  52 . If nails have been loaded into the magazine  24  while the pusher  74  of the pusher assembly  60  is located within the nosepiece  28 , the pusher  74  would force the nails back until such time as the pusher  74  is no longer within the nosepiece  28  and the pusher  74  may move out of alignment with the loaded nails. Accordingly, the channel  52  includes a pusher pocket  82  formed therein and sized to receive the pusher  74 . This allows the pusher  74  to be moved out of alignment with the loaded nails when the pusher  74  is within the nosepiece  28 . 
     The nosepiece  28  further includes a nail stop  83  that bridges the channel  52 . As best seen in  FIG. 6B , the nail stop engages each nail  53  as they are pushed by the pusher  74 . This assures that the head of the nail  53  within the channel  52  is aligned with the driver blade  54 . Moreover, the nail stop  83  prevents any buckling that may occur as the driver blade  54  strikes the nails  53 . The nail stop  83  is formed as part of the nosepiece  28  as a single unitary structure. This integrated nail stop  83  and nosepiece  28  reduces manufacturing costs. 
     Turning to  FIGS. 7A-D , loading and unloading of the magazine  24  will now be described. The magazine  24  includes a nail track  90  that is sized to accept a plurality of nails  53  ( FIG. 6B ) therein. The nails  53  are supported on one end thereof within the liner  42  at another end thereof with a lower magazine (further described below) which forms part of the magazine  24 . The nails  53  slide up the magazine  24  towards the nosepiece assembly  22  ( FIG. 1 ) by the pusher assembly  60 . As noted above, the pusher assembly  60  slides along a portion of the magazine  24 , specifically, along a liner  92  shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     Nails  53  are loaded into the nail track  90  of the magazine  24  by inserting them into the nail track  90  through an opening (not shown) in the back of magazine  24 . In order to keep the nails  53  within the nail track  90 , the magazine  24  further includes a nail retaining spring  93  ( FIGS. 7A and 7C ) mounted therein. The nail retaining spring  93  acts as a one way valve to allow nails  53  to enter the nail track  90  while preventing them from exiting. Specifically, the nail retaining spring  93  includes a spring arm  94  fixed to the magazine  24  at one end thereof and a head portion  96  at a free end thereof. The head portion  96  is aligned with the nail track  90  when in an unbiased condition (e.g., when the spring arm  94  has not been fully deflected from its rest position), as shown in  FIG. 7A . The head portion  96  includes an alignment tab  98  sized to engage a portion of the pusher assembly  60 , as will be described below. 
     The spring arm  94  and the head portion  96  cooperate to form an inclined surface  100  such that nails  53  introduced into the magazine  24  will deflect the nail retaining spring  93  out of the way. The nail retaining spring  93  then snaps back into place, thereby preventing the nails  53  from accidentally exiting the magazine  24 . 
     In order to load or unload the magazine  24 , the pusher assembly  60  is moved to the back of the magazine  24 . The rear arm  78  of the pusher assembly  60  then engages a cam surface  102  ( FIG. 7C ) in the magazine  24  near the back thereof (specifically located on a portion of the magazine  24  as seen in  FIG. 8 ). Simultaneously, the alignment tab  98  moves into alignment with the pusher  74 , as seen in  FIGS. 7C and 7D . The cam surface  102  and the arm  78  cooperate to rotate the pusher  74  out of alignment with the nail track  90 , as seen in  FIG. 7C , against the force of the biasing member  80 . This rotation is transferred to the nail retaining spring  93  through the alignment tab  98 . Accordingly, the nail retaining spring  93  is moved out of alignment with the nail track  90  by the pusher  74 . Nails  53  may then freely exit (or enter) the nail track  90  without interference. In this way, the pusher assembly  60  cooperates with the nail retaining spring  93  to allow the magazine to be loaded in either a “load and draw” mode (e.g., wherein, nails are first inserted in the magazine  24  and then the pusher assembly  60  is then “rotated” out of the plane of the nail track  90  upon contact with the nails and drawn behind the loaded nails) or in a “cock and load” mode (e.g., wherein, the pusher assembly  60  is drawn to the back of the magazine and cocked out of alignment with the nail track  90  by the cam surface  102  thereby allowing nails to be loaded and unloaded without restriction). 
     Turning now to  FIG. 8A , the assembly of the magazine assembly  10  will be described. As noted previously, the nosepiece assembly  22  is fixed to a backbone structure (not shown) within the housing  14  of the nailer  12 . The magazine  24  generally includes the liner (or guide)  92 , a lower magazine  91 , and an upper magazine  95 . 
     First, the lower magazine  91  is coupled to the nosepiece assembly  22  near the lower end of the nosepiece assembly  22 . In the particular example provided, screws  97  are used to couple the lower magazine  91  to the nosepiece assembly  22 , although various other methods may be employed. 
     Next, the liner  92  is inserted into a receiver  110  in the nosepiece assembly  22  from the back thereof. The pusher assembly  60  is coupled to the liner  92  such that the runner  66  slidingly engages the liner  92 . A constant force spring  112  (in the form of an axle-free rolled memory-type sheet steel) is then hooked onto hook  73  of the pusher assembly  60 . The constant force spring  112  engages a portion of the magazine  24  as will be described below and biases the pusher assembly  60  towards the nosepiece assembly  22 . The liner  92  is then coupled to a base portion  116  on the lower magazine  91 . As seen in  FIG. 8B , the base portion  116  on the lower magazine  91  includes a slot  118  for receiving an end of the liner  92  therein. The slot  118  includes a plurality of ribs  119  that engage the liner  92  and create a snap-fit or tight engagement therebetween. Alternatively, the base portion  116  may include a hole (not shown) sized to receive the liner  92  therein, or may include any other means of locking the liner  92  to the lower magazine  91 . 
     Returning to  FIG. 8A , the liner  92  and lower magazine  91  cooperate to form a fixed subassembly  93 . The upper magazine  95  is then inserted overtop of the base portion  116  of the lower magazine  91  and overtop of the liner  92 . Specifically, the upper magazine  95  includes a screw receiver  120  extending therefrom with a wall  121  formed near the screw receiver  120 . The screw receiver  120  is sized to fit within an opening  124  formed in the housing  14  of the nailer  12 . A screw  123 , as seen in  FIG. 1 , extends through the housing  14  and engages the screw receiver  120 , thereby securing the upper magazine  95  to the nailer  12 . The wall  121  aligns with the opening  124  thereby covering the opening  124 . 
     The upper magazine  95  further includes a spring retainer  122  extending therefrom. The spring retainer  122  has a cup shape and is sized to receive and secure the rolled portion of the constant force spring  112  therein. As the pusher assembly  60  is drawn away from the nosepiece assembly  22 , the constant force spring  112  acts to bias the pusher assembly  60  towards the nosepiece assembly  22 . 
     A ribbed flange  126  extends out from the upper magazine  95  and engages a matching ribbed recess  128  formed in the base  20  of the nailer  12  as the upper magazine  95  is coupled to the lower magazine  91  and the housing  14 . The ribbed flange  126  lends structural support to the magazine assembly  10  when assembled. Moreover, the upper magazine  95  includes ramps  134  formed therein for aligning the liner  92  when the upper magazine  95  is coupled overtop the subassembly  93 . In this way, the components of the subassembly  93  are fixed automatically during alignment thereof to reduce the number of components that must be held in place manually by an individual. 
     The method of assembling the magazine assembly  10  allows a user to quickly and efficiently do so by creating subassemblies which aid alignment. Moreover, engagement of the parts of the magazine  24  within receivers and apertures allows for quick and easy alignment of the parts. 
     The description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1