Patent ID: 8091457

Claim:
A guard assembly for use with a circular saw blade, comprising: a semicircular inner guard and a semicircular outer guard defining a space therebetween for receiving a portion of a circular saw blade, the saw blade having two parallel sides and an outer edge defining an outer boundary of the saw blade, and the semicircular inner guard having a lower portion with an arcuate opening for receiving a rotating axis of the saw blade; wherein the outer guard portion is pivotably mounted to the inner guard portion about a pivotal axis substantially parallel to each side of the saw blade, wherein the outer guard portion can be pivotally moved from the inner guard portion to expose the saw blade; a fixing device for fastening the outer guard to the inner guard, wherein the fixing device comprises a knob coupled to a screw extending from an inner surface of one of the inner and outer guard and a fixing plate disposed on an inner surface of the other of the inner and outer guard with a corresponding threaded hole therein for receiving the screw, the fixing plate being positioned on the side of the saw blade facing away from the one of the inner guard and the outer guard having the fixing plate, wherein the threaded hole receives the screw at a location outside the outer boundary of the saw blade; a connecting means, wherein the connecting means is located along the curvilinear periphery of one of the semicircular inner guard and semicircular outer guard, wherein the connecting means comprises a first connecting member having a first threaded portion and a second cylindrical portion, and wherein the connecting means further comprises a protruding member, wherein the protruding member is disposed on one of the inner guard and the outer guard, the protruding member including a first sleeve and a second sleeve for receiving at least a portion of the first connecting member; and wherein the connecting means further comprises a second protruding member disposed on the other of the inner guard and the outer guard, and at least a portion of the second protruding member including an aperture for rotatably receiving the second portion of the first connecting member.