Patent Application
20240351117
A drill guide bushing provides assistance in drilling a straight-line hole in an object. The drill guide bushing includes a hollow cylindrical body with a central passage in which a bit of the drill is positioned and moves axially during the drilling process.
Embodiments of the current invention provide a distinct advance in the art of drill guide bushings for use with a drill and a bit to drill a hole in an object. Specifically, the current invention provides a drill guide bushing assembly broadly comprising a bushing holder and a drill guide bushing. The bushing holder includes at least one upper wall, at least one lower wall, and a body connected to the at least one upper wall and the at least one lower wall. The body includes a bushing channel oriented along the axis thereof and having a hollow cylindrical shape. The drill guide bushing includes a central passage configured to receive the bit. The drill guide bushing is positioned within the bushing channel and configured to move axially therein. The drill guide bushing is coupled to the body of the bushing holder such that the drill guide bushing does not rotate within the bushing channel when the hole is being drilled.
Another embodiment of the drill guide bushing assembly broadly comprises a bushing holder, a drill guide bushing, and a pin. The bushing holder includes at least one upper wall, at least one lower wall, and a body connected to the at least one upper wall and the at least one lower wall. The body includes a bushing channel oriented along the axis thereof and having a hollow cylindrical shape. The drill guide bushing includes a disc having a cutout along a circumference thereof and a central passage configured to receive the bit. The drill guide bushing is positioned within the bushing channel and configured to move axially therein. The pin is connected to the body of the bushing holder and is positioned in the cutout such that the drill guide bushing is prevented from rotating within the bushing channel.
Yet another embodiment of the drill guide bushing assembly broadly comprises a method for using a drill guide bushing assembly with a drill and a bit to drill a first hole in a first object using a second hole in a second object for assistance. The method comprises the following: inserting a drill guide bushing of the drill guide bushing assembly into the second hole, wherein the second object is positioned on the first object; pressing a bushing holder, which holds the drill guide bushing, so that a lower edge of the bushing holder contacts a surface of the second object; and drilling the first hole in the first object with a drill bit that is positioned in a central passage of the drill guide bushing.
This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. Other aspects and advantages of the current invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiments and the accompanying drawing figures.
Embodiments of the current invention are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein:
The drawing figures do not limit the current invention to the specific embodiments disclosed and described herein. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the invention.
The following detailed description of the technology references the accompanying drawings that illustrate specific embodiments in which the technology can be practiced. The embodiments are intended to describe aspects of the technology in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the technology. Other embodiments can be utilized and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the current invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense. The scope of the current invention is defined only by the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.
Relational and/or directional terms, such as “above”, “below”, “up”, “upper”, “upward”, “down”, “downward”, “lower”, “top”, “bottom”, “outer”, “inner”, etc., along with orientation terms, such as “horizontal” and “vertical”, may be used throughout this description. These terms retain their commonly accepted definitions and are used with reference to embodiments of the technology and the positions, directions, and orientations thereof shown in the accompanying figures. However, embodiments of the technology may be positioned and oriented in other ways or move in other directions. Therefore, the terms do not limit the scope of the current technology.
A drill guide bushing assembly 10, constructed in accordance with various embodiments of the current invention, is shown in
The drill guide bushing 12 has a generally hollow cylindrical body 22, a disc 24, and a standoff 26, all of which are formed from high strength materials such as metals and/or metal alloys. The body 22 includes a central passage 28 or bore that extends longitudinally. Referring to
In some embodiments as shown in the figures, the body 22 has a first outer diameter along a first length extending from the first end, and a second outer diameter along a second length extending from the second end. In other embodiments, the body 22 may have a single outer diameter along the entire length. In general, the first outer diameter and the second outer diameter are each greater than the first inner diameter and the second inner diameter by enough distance to provide sufficient thickness of the body 22 in order to give the drill guide bushing 12 sufficient structural strength.
The disc 24 is attached to the body 22 in the vicinity of the first end and includes an upper surface, a lower surface, and a circumferential or outer surface. The disc 24 also includes a cutout 32 in which the pin 14, described in more detail below, is located. The cutout 32 extends from the upper surface to the lower surface and is positioned along the circumferential surface. The cutout 32 may include three planar orthogonal surfaces, as shown in the figures, with first and second surfaces facing one another and a third surface positioned therebetween. Or, the cutout 32 may include a single, arcuate or partial cylindrical surface. The cutout 32 has dimensions that can accommodate the pin 14. That is, the space between the first and second surfaces and the distance from the third surface to the circumference is greater than a diameter of the pin 14. Alternatively, the diameter of the partial cylindrical surface is greater than the diameter of the pin 14. The outer diameter of the disc 24 is typically greater than the first outer diameter of the body 22 by an amount so that the cutout 32 is positioned to provide sufficient space between the pin 14 and the body 22.
The standoff 26 has a generally cylindrical ring shape with an upper surface, a lower surface, and a circumferential or outer surface. The standoff 26 is attached to the body 22 above the disc 24 so that the lower surface of the standoff 26 is in contact with the upper surface of the disc 24. The standoff 26 has an outer diameter that is greater than the second outer diameter of the body 22 so as to provide a first boundary for the spring 16. The axial length of the standoff 26 may determine, at least in part, the amount of travel for the drill guide bushing 12.
In some embodiments, the components of the drill guide bushing 12 may have a unitary, monolithic, or single piece construction.
The pin 14, also known as a “dowel”, has a generally elongated cylindrical shape and is formed from generally rigid, hardened, and/or high structural strength materials. In some embodiments, the pin 14 may have a threaded outer surface. In other embodiments, the pin 14 may have a quadrilateral or any other polygonal cross-sectional shape.
The spring 16 is of a coil type and has an inner diameter that is greater than the second outer diameter of the body 22. The axial length of the spring 16 may determine, at least in part, the amount of travel for the drill guide bushing 12.
The retaining ring 18 is positioned in the groove 30 of the drill guide bushing 12 and has a generally circular or disc shape. The retaining ring 18 may be formed from resilient materials or flexible materials which allow the retaining ring 18 to be placed in the groove 30 and remain in the groove 30. The retaining ring 18 may also include a locking mechanism which prevents the retaining ring 18 from unintentionally coming out of the groove 30.
The bushing holder 20 includes an upper wall 34, a lower wall 36, and a body 38. The upper wall 34 has a generally hollow cylindrical shape with an upper section and a lower section, wherein the upper wall 34 tapers inwardly from the upper section to the lower section. The upper wall 34 is connected to the body 38 at the lower section. The lower wall 36 also has a generally hollow cylindrical shape with an upper section and a lower section, wherein the lower wall 36 tapers inwardly from the lower section to the upper section. The lower wall 36 is connected to the body 38 at the upper section. The lower wall 36 includes one or more cutouts along the upper section having an arcuate shape. The body 38 has a generally hollow cylindrical shape with a bushing channel 40 having an inner diameter that is slightly larger than the second outer diameter of the drill guide bushing 12. The body 38 includes a recess 42 at a lower end of the bushing channel 40, wherein the recess 42 accommodates the spring 16. The body 38 further includes a cylindrically shaped pin channel 44 extending axially and positioned radially outward from the bushing channel 40. The pin channel 44 retains the pin 14. In some embodiments, the pin channel 44 may be threaded. In the figures, the pin channel 44 is depicted as extending the entire axial length of the body 38. In various embodiments, the pin channel 44 may extend for only a portion of the axial length of the body 38, such that the pin channel 44 is open at one end but closed at the opposite end. The bushing holder 20 typically has a unitary, monolithic, or single piece construction.
In other embodiments, instead of having a single wall with a generally cylindrical shape for the upper wall 34 and the lower wall 36, the bushing holder 20 may include a plurality of upper walls 34 and a plurality of lower walls 36, wherein the upper walls 34 are connected to one another and the lower walls 36 are connected to one another to have a polygonal cross-sectional shape. For example, the bushing holder 20 may include three upper walls 34 connected to one another and three lower walls 36 connected to one another which have a triangular cross-sectional shape. Or, the bushing holder 20 may include four upper walls 34 connected to one another and four lower walls 36 connected to one another which have a quadrilateral cross-sectional shape, and so forth. In addition, the bushing holder 20 need not have the same number of upper walls 34 and lower walls 36. Furthermore, instead of the body 38 of the bushing holder 20 having a single outer surface with a generally cylindrical shape, the body 38 may have a polygonal outer surface with multiple sides.
The drill guide bushing assembly 10 may be assembled as follows, although not necessarily in the order described. The pin 14 is positioned in the pin channel 44 of the bushing holder 20. The length of pin 14 and the depth of the pin channel 44 combine so that a bottom end of the pin 14 is positioned at approximately the lower surface, or just below the lower surface, of the disc 24 of the drill guide bushing 12 when the drill guide bushing assembly 10 is assembled and not in use. The pin 14 is connected to the body 38 of the bushing holder 20 and may be removably positioned in the pin channel 44, fixedly positioned in the pin channel 44, or screwed into the pin channel 44, if the pin 14 and the pin channel 44 are each threaded.
The spring 16 is positioned on the body 22 of the drill guide bushing 12 in contact with the standoff 26, as shown in
With the drill guide bushing 12 positioned in the bushing channel 40 of the bushing holder 20, the retaining ring 18 is positioned in the groove 30 of the drill guide bushing 12, as shown in
Referring to
When drilling of the hole 110 is completed, the drill bit 100 is retracted at least from the hole 110. The operator lifts the bushing holder 20 and removes the drill guide bushing 12 from the hole 108, which decompresses the spring 16 and extends the drill guide bushing 12. If all holes 110 have been drilled, then the operator removes the drill bit 100 from the drill guide bushing 12. If there are more holes 110 to be drilled, then the operator places the drill guide bushing 12 in another one of the holes 108 of the second object 106, and repeats the process described in the previous paragraph. Furthermore, after all of the holes 110 are drilled, each hole 110 may be enlarged by redrilling the hole 110 using a larger diameter drill bit 100, without the use of the drill guide bushing assembly 10.
At least a portion of the steps of a method 200 for using a drill guide bushing assembly 10 with a drill 102 and a bit 100 to drill a first hole 110 in a first object 104 using a second hole 108 in a second object 106 for assistance is shown in
Referring to step 201, a drill guide bushing 12 of the drill guide bushing assembly 10 is inserted into the second hole 108. Referring to
Referring to step 202, a bushing holder 20, which holds the drill guide bushing 12, is pressed so that a lower edge of the bushing holder 20 contacts a surface of the second object 106. Referring to
Referring to step 203, the first hole 110 is drilled in the first object 104 with a drill bit 100 that is positioned in a central passage 28 of the drill guide bushing 12. The drill bit 100 may be inserted in the central passage 28 either before or after the bushing holder 20 is pressed against the second object 106. The drill 102 is activated and the bit 100 rotates. Referring to
When drilling of the hole 110 is completed, the drill bit 100 is retracted at least from the hole 110. The operator lifts the bushing holder 20 and removes the drill guide bushing 12 from the hole 108, which decompresses the spring 16 and extends the drill guide bushing 12. If all holes 110 have been drilled, then the operator removes the drill bit 100 from the drill guide bushing 12. If there are more holes 110 to be drilled, then the operator places the drill guide bushing 12 in another one of the holes 108 of the second object 106, and repeats the process described in the previous paragraph. Furthermore, after all of the holes 110 are drilled, each hole 110 may be enlarged by redrilling the hole 110 using a larger diameter drill bit 100, without the use of the drill guide bushing assembly 10.
Throughout this specification, references to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, or “embodiments” mean that the feature or features being referred to are included in at least one embodiment of the technology. Separate references to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, or “embodiments” in this description do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment and are also not mutually exclusive unless so stated and/or except as will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the description. For example, a feature, structure, act, etc. described in one embodiment may also be included in other embodiments, but is not necessarily included. Thus, the current invention can include a variety of combinations and/or integrations of the embodiments described herein.
Although the present application sets forth a detailed description of numerous different embodiments, it should be understood that the legal scope of the description is defined by the words of the claims set forth at the end of this patent and equivalents. The detailed description is to be construed as exemplary only and does not describe every possible embodiment since describing every possible embodiment would be impractical. Numerous alternative embodiments may be implemented, using either current technology or technology developed after the filing date of this patent, which would still fall within the scope of the claims.
Throughout this specification, plural instances may implement components, operations, or structures described as a single instance. Although individual operations of one or more methods are illustrated and described as separate operations, one or more of the individual operations may be performed concurrently, and nothing requires that the operations be performed in the order illustrated. Structures and functionality presented as separate components in example configurations may be implemented as a combined structure or component. Similarly, structures and functionality presented as a single component may be implemented as separate components. These and other variations, modifications, additions, and improvements fall within the scope of the subject matter herein.
As used herein, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” “including,” “has,” “having” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is not necessarily limited to only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.
The patent claims at the end of this patent application are not intended to be construed under 35 U.S.C. § 112 (f) unless traditional means-plus-function language is expressly recited, such as “means for” or “step for” language being explicitly recited in the claim(s).
Although the technology has been described with reference to the embodiments illustrated in the attached drawing figures, it is noted that equivalents may be employed and substitutions made herein without departing from the scope of the technology as recited in the claims.
Having thus described various embodiments of the technology, what is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent includes the following:
