Abstract:
A foldable miter saw and folding method of miter saw are disclosed. The foldable miter saw includes a base unit, a workable, and a cutting unit. The cutting unit includes a support arm pivotally mounted on the worktable, a saw blade, and a driver. The miter saw folding method includes the step of biasing the cutting unit relative to the base unit and the step of rotating the support arm relative to the base unit and the worktable to change the cutting unit from a working position to a folded position, thus reducing the vertical space occupied by the cutting unit and facilitating delivery, storage and package of the foldable miter saw.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to processing machinery, and more particularly, to a foldable miter saw and a foldable miter saw folding method. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    A conventional miter saw (Prior art of Taiwan Patent 201325776) is known comprising a base unit, a worktable rotatable relative to the base unit, a cutting unit connected to the worktable at one lateral side, and a positioning unit. The base unit comprises a bottom frame, and two foot stands respectively fixedly mounted at two opposite lateral sides of the bottom frame. The positioning unit comprises a screw rod threaded into the worktable. When adjusting the cutting angle of the cutting unit, the operator must loosen the screw rod, and then operate the worktable to rotate the cutting unit relative to the base unit. After moving the cutting unit to the desired angle, the screw rod is again tightened. 
         [0005]    Further, in Taiwan Patent 201420239, matching between a sector plate-shaped locking member and a positioning unit allows adjustment of the tilting angle of a saw blade of a cutting unit relative to a top wall of a worktable to achieve the desired cutting angle. The maximum tilting angle of the saw blade relative to the top wall of the worktable is 45°. 
         [0006]    The aforesaid prior art miter saws allow adjustment of the cutting angle, however, when these miter saws are not in use, the bulk size of these miter saws require a large storage space. Further, when packaging the miter saws for delivery after fabrication, they require much delivery space, which increases the delivery cost. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is the main object of the present invention to provide a foldable miter saw, which can be folded into a folded position to reduce the size of the miter saw for convenient storage and delivery. 
         [0008]    It is another object of the present invention to provide a miter saw folding method, which is easy to implement and facilitates collapsing the miter saw. 
         [0009]    To achieve these and other objects of the present invention, a foldable miter saw comprises a base unit, a worktable and a cutting unit. The base unit comprises a front edge, a rear edge opposite to the front edge, a bottom wall extended from the front edge to said rear edge, and a top wall opposite to the bottom wall. The worktable is mounted at the base unit, comprising a working surface disposed opposite to the bottom wall corresponding to the top wall and an axle holder facing toward the rear edge and connected to the working surface. Further, the axle holder comprises an axis disposed in parallel to the working surface and extending from the rear edge toward the front edge. The cutting unit comprises a support arm pivotally connected to the axle holder of the worktable and biasable relative to the base unit and the worktable, a saw blade mounted at the support arm, and a driver mounted at the support arm and adapted for driving the saw blade to rotate. The saw blade comprises a first end face, and a second end face opposite to the first end face. The support arm is turnable about said axis relative to the base unit and the worktable to move the cutting unit from a working position where a contained angle within 90°˜45° is formed between the saw blade and the worktable to a folded position where the second end face is disposed in proximity to the working surface and faces toward the working surface. 
         [0010]    To achieve these and other objects of the present invention, a foldable miter saw comprises a base unit, a worktable and a cutting unit. The base unit comprises a bottom wall and a top wall opposite to the bottom wall. The worktable is mounted at the base unit, comprising an axle holder. The cutting unit comprises a support arm pivotally connected to said axle holder of said worktable and biasable relative to said base unit and said worktable, a saw blade mounted at said support arm and a driver mounted at said support arm and adapted for driving said saw blade to rotate. The cutting unit is convertible between a working position and a folded position. When in the working position, the cutting unit is movable between a lifted condition and a pressed condition. When the cutting unit is in the pressed condition, a working height is defined between the bottom wall of the base unit and the opposing topmost edge of the cutting unit. When the cutting unit is disposed in the folded position, the support arm can be turned about the axis relative to the base unit and the worktable so that a minimum height is defined between the bottom wall of the base unit and the opposing topmost edge of the cutting unit. Further, the working height is larger than the minimum height. The minimum height is about one half of the working height. 
         [0011]    To achieve these and other objects of the present invention, a miter saw folding method comprises the steps as follows: 
         [0012]    (A) Prepare a miter saw comprising a base unit, a worktable and a cutting unit. The base unit comprises a front edge, a rear edge opposite to the front edge, a bottom wall extended from the front edge to the rear edge, a top wall opposite to the bottom wall, and a fence fixedly mounted at the top wall. The worktable is mounted at the base unit. The worktable comprises a working surface disposed opposite to the bottom wall and corresponding to the top wall, and an axle holder facing toward the rear edge and connected to the working surface. The axle holder comprises an axis disposed in parallel to the working surface and extending from the rear edge toward the front edge. The cutting unit comprises a support arm pivotally connected to the axle holder of the worktable and biasable relative to the base unit and the worktable, a saw blade mounted at the support arm, and a driver mounted at the support arm and adapted for driving the saw blade to rotate. The saw blade comprises a first end face and a second end face opposite to the first end face. The support arm is turnable about the axis relative to the base unit and the worktable. 
         [0013]    (B) Enable the cutting unit to be disposed in a working position where a contained angle within 90°˜45° is formed between the saw blade and the worktable. 
         [0014]    (C) Operate the base unit and the cutting unit for relative rotation therebetween. 
         [0015]    (D) Bias the support arm relative to the axle holder to turn the cutting unit about the axis relative to the worktable until the second end face of the saw blade is disposed in proximity to the working surface where the cutting unit is disposed in a folded position. 
         [0016]    Accordingly, by means of turning the support arm relative to the base unit and the worktable and converting the cutting unit in the folded position, the size of the foldable miter saw is minimized, thus facilitating storage and delivery and reducing the package volume and delivery cost of the foldable miter saw. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0017]    Other advantages and features of the present invention will be fully understood by reference to the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference signs denote like components of structure. 
           [0018]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a foldable miter saw in accordance with the present invention. 
           [0019]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the foldable miter saw in accordance with the present invention. 
           [0020]      FIG. 3  is a schematic side plane view of the foldable miter saw in accordance with the present invention. 
           [0021]      FIG. 4  is a schematic top view of the cutting unit of the foldable miter saw in accordance with the present invention. 
           [0022]      FIG. 5  is a schematic operating view of the present invention, illustrating the cutting unit turned with the worktable through 45° relative to the base unit. 
           [0023]      FIG. 6  is a top view of the present invention, illustrating the foldable miter saw in the folded position and the cutting unit received at the back side relative to the base unit. 
           [0024]      FIG. 7  is a bottom perspective view of the present invention, illustrating the foldable miter saw in the folded position. 
           [0025]      FIG. 8  is a top plane view of the present invention, illustrating the foldable miter saw in the folded position. 
           [0026]      FIG. 9  is a bottom plane view of the present invention, illustrating the foldable miter saw in the folded position. 
           [0027]      FIG. 10  is a schematic drawing illustrating the base unit of the foldable miter saw erected for storage. 
           [0028]      FIG. 11  is a schematic drawing illustrating a shoulder strap fastened to the base unit of the foldable miter saw for carrying. 
       
    
    
       [0029]    It should be noted that the drawing figures are not necessarily drawn to scale, but instead are drawn to provide a better understanding of the components thereof, and are not intended to be limiting in scope, but rather to provide exemplary illustrations. It should further be noted that the figures illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present invention and the components thereof, and in no way limits the structures, configurations and components thereof according to the present disclosure. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0030]    Referring to  FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 , a foldable miter saw in accordance with the present invention is shown. The foldable miter saw comprises a base unit  10 , a worktable  20 , and a cutting unit  30 . 
         [0031]    The base unit  10  comprises a front edge  11 , a rear edge  12  disposed opposite to the front edge  11 , a bottom wall  13  extended from the front edge  11  to the rear edge  12 , a top wall  131  disposed opposite to the bottom wall  13 , a left edge  14  connected between the front edge  11  and the rear edge  12 , a right edge  15  disposed opposite to the left edge  14 , two hanging rings  16  respectively connected to the right edge  15  and spaced from each other at a predetermined distance. 
         [0032]    Structurally, the base unit  10  comprises a disk-like bottom frame  17 , two foot stands  18  radially connected to two opposite lateral sides of the bottom frame  17 , and two support blocks  19  respectively and retractably coupled to the foot stands  18  at an outer side. The front edge  11  and the rear edge  12  are respectively formed along a periphery of the disk-like bottom frame  17  and the foot stands  18 . The left edge  14  and the right edge  15  are respectively formed on the foot stands  18  at an outer side. The top wall  131  is formed on the foot stands  18  at a top side. Referring also to  FIG. 10 , the left edge  14  has a flat surface portion  141  defined therein that extends from the bottom wall  13  toward the top wall  131  and is perpendicularly intersected with the bottom wall  13 . A protruding portion  142  is connected to a top side of the flat surface portion  141  and outwardly protruded from flat surface portion  141  in proximity to the top wall  131 . The base unit  10  further comprises a fence  100  fixedly mounted at the top wall  131 . The fence  100  extends from the tops of the foot stands  18  to a top side above the bottom frame  17 . 
         [0033]    The worktable  20  is rotatably mounted on a top of the bottom frame  17  of the base unit  10 . The worktable  20  has a working surface  21  formed thereon and corresponding to the top wall  131  and opposite to the bottom wall  13 , an axle holder  22  connected to the working surface  21  corresponding to the rear edge  12 , and an operating handle  23  arranged opposite to the axle holder  22  and extended outwardly relative to the working surface  21 . The axle holder  22  comprises an axis L 1  extending from the rear edge  12  toward the front edge  11  in a parallel manner relative to the working surface  21 , and an operable locking pin  221 . Further, the fence  100  extends from the top wall  131  to the top side of the working surface  21 . 
         [0034]    The cutting unit  30  comprises a support arm  31  pivotally coupled to the axle holder  22  of the worktable  20  and biasable relative to the base unit  10  and the worktable  20 , a saw blade  32  mounted at the support arm  31 , and a driver  33  mounted at the support arm  31  and adapted for driving the saw blade  32  to rotate. The support arm  31  is turnable about the axis L 1  relative to the base unit  10  and the worktable  20 . 
         [0035]    A rotating member  311  is connected to an outer side of the axle holder  22  and extending along the axis L 1 , a cantilever member  312  is pivotally connected to the rotating member  311 , a locking member  313  is disposed in parallel to the axis L 1  and adapted for locking the rotating member  311  to the axle holder  22  (see  FIG. 6 ), and a saw blade guard  314  partially shields the saw blade  32 . As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the rotating member  311  has a plurality of equiangularly spaced locating holes  315 , 316 , 317  defined therein for selectively engaging with the locking pin  221 . The locating hole  317  is of elongated arcuate shape. The saw blade  32  comprises a first end face  321 , and a second end face  322  opposite to the first end face  321 . The driver  33  faces toward the second end face  322 , having a length L which is parallel to the saw blade  32  and a height H which is perpendicular to the saw blade  32  (see  FIG. 4 ). The length L is larger than the height H. 
         [0036]    As illustrated in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 3 , the miter saw is shown well assembled and set in a working position. In the working position, the driver  33  is suspended above the working surface  21  of the worktable  20 . When the workpiece is placed on the working surface  21  and stopped against the fence  100 , the saw blade  32  is vertically moved up and down relative to the rotating member  311  by operating the cantilever member  312  of the cutting unit  30 , thereby performing a vertical cutting operation. As illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the operator biases the operating handle  23  for turning the worktable  20  and the cutting unit  30  relative to the base unit  10  for performing miter cut. As illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the operator operates the locking member  313  and the locking pin  221  for enabling the support arm  31  to turn the saw blade  32  about the axis L 1  relative to the worktable  20  within a predetermined angle range for performing bevel cuts. The support arm  31  is driven to turn the saw blade  32  about the axis L 1  toward a left side or a right side, such that the locking pin  221  is either engaged with the middle locating hole  316  or the right-sided elongated arcuate locating hole  317  for locking the saw blade  32  in a position where a predetermined contained angle (not less than)40° is formed between the second end face  322  of the saw blade  32  and the working surface  21 , and the driver  33  is suspended above the working surface  21  of the worktable  20 , thus a bevel cut can be performed. When the miter saw is temporarily not in use and needs to be stored or packed for delivery, the miter saw can be folded into a collapsed condition. The folding method comprises the steps as follows: 
         [0037]    Step I: As shown in  FIG. 1 , prepare a miter saw as described above. 
         [0038]    Step II: Set the cutting unit  30  in the working position where a contained angle formed between the saw blade  32  and the worktable  20  is between 90°˜45°, i.e., selectively engaging the locking pin  221  in the locating hole  316  or  317  to adjust the contained angle between the second end face  322  of the saw blade  32  and the working surface  21 . 
         [0039]    Step III: Turn the cutting unit  30  relative to the base unit  10 , for example, in the present embodiment, the operator can rotate the worktable  20  and the cutting unit  30  to the position shown in  FIG. 5 , such that the cutting unit  30  is driven by the worktable  20  to rotate 45° toward the left edge  14 . 
         [0040]    Step IV: Thereafter, as shown in  FIGS. 6-9 , the operator operates the locking member  313  and the locking pin  221  to disengage the locking pin  221  from the locating hole  316  or  317  and then biases the support arm  31  with the rotating member  311  relative to the axle holder  22  for turning the cutting unit  30  about the axis L 1  relative to the worktable  20  to the folded position where the second end face  322  of the saw blade  32  is kept in proximity and parallel to the working surface  21 . The locking pin  221  is inserted into the locating hole  315  to lock the cutting unit  30  in the folded position. When the cutting unit  30  is locked in the folded position, the driver  33  is kept in proximity to the bottom wall  13  at a back side relative to the worktable  20  to face toward the rear edge  12 , the rotating member  311  and the cantilever member  312  are disposed at the back side relative to the worktable  20 , and the cutting unit  30  is disposed at a back side relative to the fence  100 . 
         [0041]    Thus, by performing the successive steps of the miter saw folding method of the present invention, an operator can fold the cutting unit  30  from a working position to the folded position. 
         [0042]    It&#39;s worth mentioning that except for the definition of the working position and folded position of the cutting unit  30  as described above, it can also be defined as follows. As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , when the cutting unit  30  is set in the working position, the cantilever member  312  of the cutting unit  30  can be biased relative to the rotating member  311  and the worktable  20  between a lifted condition (refer to the imaginary line in  FIG. 3 ) and a pressed condition (see the solid line in  FIG. 3 ). When the cutting unit  30  is biased to the pressed condition, a working height H 1  is defined between the bottom wall  13  of the base unit  10  and the opposing topmost edge of the cutting unit  30 . As illustrated in  FIG. 6  and  FIG. 10 , when the cutting unit  30  is disposed in the folded position, the support arm  31  can be turned about the axis L relative to the base  10  and the worktable  20  so that a minimum height H 2  is defined between the bottom wall  13  of the base unit  10  and the opposing topmost edge of the cutting unit  30 . The working height H 1  is larger than the minimum height H 2 . Further, the minimum height H 2  is about one half of the working height H 1 . 
         [0043]    It&#39;s also worth mentioning that the base unit of the foldable miter saw of the invention is not limited to the configuration described above. For example, the base unit can be as described in Taiwan Patent M374926, comprising a worktable, and first and second rotating units rotatable relative to the worktable. This alternate form can also achieve the expected operating and folding purposes (not shown). 
         [0044]    Referring to  FIG. 10 , the protruding portion  142  of the left edge  14  protrudes outwardly from the flat surface portion  141 , such that the left edge  14  can be abutted against the floor after the cutting unit  30  has been set in the folded position, thus enabling the bottom wall  13  of the base unit  10  to be supported on the wall. In this way, the bottom wall  13  is upwardly extended and gradually oriented toward the wall, preventing the foldable miter saw from falling down to the floor. Thus, the invention facilitates miter saw storage and space utilization. 
         [0045]    Referring to  FIG. 11 , the foldable miter saw of the invention further comprises a shoulder strap  40 . The shoulder strap  40  comprises two buckles  41  respectively detachably fastened to the hanging rings  16  of the base unit  10 . By buckling the shoulder strap  40  to the base unit  10  after the foldable miter saw has been locked in the folded position, the foldable miter saw can be conveniently carried by a person for delivery. 
         [0046]    In conclusion, the invention provides a foldable miter saw that can be conveniently converted to the working position for performing a cutting operation, and can also be conveniently converted to a folded position. When the foldable miter saw is in the folded position, the arrangement of the driver  33  and the cutting unit  30  can be turned to the back side of the base unit  10 , the dimension of the foldable miter saw can be significantly reduced, facilitating storage and delivery and reducing the miter saw delivery cost. 
         [0047]    Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.