Patent ID: 7020970

Claim:
A circular saw with automatic blade guard lifting system comprising: a circular saw having a housing, said circular saw having a motor positioned within said housing, said motor having a shaft extending through a wall of said housing, said circular saw having a blade operationally coupled to said shaft, said housing having an upper blade guard for covering a perimeter edge of said blade above said shaft; a lower guard member pivotally coupled to said housing, said lower guard member having a deployed position and a stored position, said deployed position being defined by said lower guard member covering at least a 75 degree arc of said perimeter edge of said blade below said shaft, said stored position being defined by a leading edge of said lower guard member being adjacent to a leading edge of said upper blade guard, a guard member motor coupled to said housing and said lower guard member, said guard member motor being for moving said lower guard member from said deployed position to said stored position, said guard member motor being operable separately from said motor of said circular saw; a gear assembly operationally coupling said guard member motor to said lower guard member; a spring member having a first end and a second end, said first end being operationally couplable to said housing, said second end being coupled to said lower guard member, said spring member being positioned such that said spring member opposes action of said guard member motor and said gear assembly, said spring member biasing said lower guard member towards said deployed position; and wherein said spring member having a tension force sufficient to overcome said guard member motor and said gear assembly when said guard member motor is not powered.