Patent ID: 6877410

Claim:
A miter saw comprising: a base assembly defining a cutting zone and configured to support a workpiece in the cutting zone; a pivot arm assembly coupled to the base assembly and selectively pivotable toward and away from the cutting zone, where the pivot arm assembly includes a first housing, an arm extending between the base assembly and the first housing, a second housing, and at least one link interconnecting the base assembly and the second housing, where the pivot arm assembly is configured so that the second housing pivots relative to the first housing in a direction counter to the pivoting of the pivot arm assembly; a rotatable arbor supported by the pivot arm assembly, where the arbor has an axis of rotation and where that axis of rotation is the axis around which the second housing pivots; a rotatable blade supported by the arbor and positioned at least partially within the first housing and configured to cut workpieces supported within the cutting zone, where the blade has an angular momentum when rotated; a detection system configured to detect a dangerous condition between a person and the blade; and a braking system located on the second housing and actuatable to decelerate the blade upon detection by the detection system of the dangerous condition, where the braking system is configured to transfer at least a fraction of the angular momentum of the blade to the pivot arm assembly; and where the pivot arm assembly is further configured to use that angular momentum to urge the blade away from the cutting zone.