Patent Grant
10603759
None.
Not Applicable.
Not Applicable.
The field of the present invention relates generally to rotary tools and their accessory apparatuses that are utilized to accomplish grinding, sanding, buffing and like rotary operations on a work object to transform the work object into an improved work object. In particular, the present invention relates to rotary bits that are attached to a rotary tool and rotatably driven thereby for use in performing such rotary operations. Even more particularly, this invention relates to rotary bits that are specially configured to facilitate such operations on a work object having curved surfaces without damaging the work object.
Many people utilize powered rotary tools to accomplish a wide variety of work operations, such as drilling, grinding, sharpening, cutting, cleaning, sanding, routing, carving and engraving, on a work object with a rotary bit that is attached to and rotated by the rotary tool to transform the work object. As well known, work objects may be made out of stone, wood, metal, glass, composites or like materials. One of the most common types of rotary tools utilized by both professionals and homeowners are those rotary tools that are adaptable to being utilized with a variety of different types of rotary bits so the rotary tool may be used for different types of work operations. Examples of such rotary tools are those which are generally commercially available from Dremel, Foredom and RotoZip (among others). As well known in the art, these and other rotary tools have a rotating element, typically a chuck, collet and/or other clamping mechanism, that clamps onto and rotates the shaft of a mandrel which is attached to or integral with a drill bit, burr or other tool component to perform the desired work operation. The rotating element of the power tool rotates the tool component such that when the tool component is placed in direct contact with the work material it accomplishes the desired work operation. The rotating element of the power tools are operatively connected to a source of power that provides the necessary rotating speed and torque. Typical sources of power for such power tools include air motors that are connected to a pneumatic source and electric motors that are connected to an electrical source, which may include batteries and/or a power cord that connects to an outlet or other source of electricity. One common use for such rotary tools is for the work operation to be of the type that is generally considered finishing work, such as grinding, sanding and buffing, to improve on more basic work, such as cutting and carving, that had already been done on the work object.
With regard to many such work objects, this finishing work is of critical importance and, in fact, is often what actually makes the final work object have value. Naturally, any mistakes that are made during the finishing process are very costly with regard to the person's time and, often, with regard to the material(s) utilized as the work object. Much of the finishing work is accomplished with various types of sand, diamond grit, carbide grit or other abrasive materials (hereinafter, all such materials are collectively referred to as “abrasive materials”) that are typically attached to or embedded in one side of a heavy backing paper having the abrasive material forming an abrasive outward face (hereinafter, when the abrasive material is attached to, embedded in or otherwise associated with the backing paper, the abrasive material and paper are collectively known as “grit paper”). The abrasive materials that are attached to or embedded in the grit paper are provided in a variety of different sizes, which are commonly referred to by their grit size or designation and are typically intended to accomplish different results when worked against the work material. The grit sizes are utilized to inform the person using the grit paper, at least in a general manner, the relative amounts of surface material that will be removed by the grit paper, with the larger grit sizes generally being less coarse to remove more material and the smaller grit sizes being finer to remove less material (i.e., commonly also referred to by the more general descriptions as coarse, medium, fine, extra fine and the like).
Often, the grit paper is utilized with a rotary tool to more quickly, and sometimes more precisely, apply the abrasive material thereon to the work object. With the type of rotary tools described above, typically the grit paper is attached to a rotary bit comprising a support head that is attached to or integral with a mandrel having a shaft which is received into and rotatably supported by the chuck of the rotary tool. The support head of the rotary bit is stiff to transfer the rotary motion from the rotary tool to the grit paper attached thereto. When the grit paper held by the rotary bit is pressed against the work material, the abrasive material thereon will remove some of the material from the work object, preferably as desired by the person who is working on the work object, to remove any scratches therefrom or to polish the surface of the work object. Although the stiffness of the support head has certain benefits, the stiffness of the support head can lead to problems with regard to using the rotary tool on certain work objects, problems which can lead to loss of time and loss of the work object itself. Because of these problems, many people would rather sand by hand than utilize the benefits of the rotary tool to avoid the potential loss of time and material.
One such potential problem of using a rotary tool to work grit paper against the work object is that the grit paper may remove too much material from the surface of the work object or unintentionally cut into or scrape areas of the work object that have already been worked to their desired shape and polish. This problem is particularly an issue when the user is utilizing a rotary tool to grind, sand or buff a work object having a round, curved or other shaped surface. Moving the grit paper across or next to the shaped surface must be done with care to avoid undesirably changing the shape of the shaped surface. Likewise, significant care must be utilized when using a rotary tool to apply grit paper to sand, buff or polish an area that is next to a shaped surface so the edge of the grit paper does not flatten or cut into a portion of the shaped surface. As well known in the art, if the user of the rotary tool is not particularly careful, the grit paper being rapidly rotated by the rotary tool can easily gouge or score the partially or fully finished surface of the work object. In addition to causing the user to waste time, often a significant amount of time, fixing the damage that was done to the work object, the features of the work object that have been unintentionally gouged or scored may be damaged beyond repair, resulting in loss of the entire work object and the materials and time associated with that work object.
Another potential problem with regard to the use of presently available rotary bits on certain work object materials is that the vibration from the rotary tool may be transferred to the work object. Unfortunately, many materials that are used for work objects, particularly those work objects which are intended to be art, are at least somewhat if not very sensitive to vibration forces. These vibration forces can cause the material utilized for the work object to fracture and/or develop fracture lines therein, typically resulting in loss of the work object and the time and materials associated with that work object.
Because many of the materials which are used for such purposes are quite expensive, the financial loss of the material can be significant. The loss of time that was spent on the work product until the damage was done can be both discouraging and very expensive, at least with regard to income potential from completing the work object. This loss of time is made worse because the problems associated with using the rotary tool to sand and buff the work object typically arise when the user is close to finishing the work object, resulting in loss of most of the time that was anticipated to be spent on the work product.
What is needed, therefore, is an improved rotary bit for use with rotary tools that can be utilized to accomplish one or more work operations on a work object that reduces the likelihood of causing damage to the work object which could result in loss of time or materials that are or have been associated with the work object. The new rotary bit should be structured and arranged for use with a rotary tool and abrasive materials, whether alone or as part of grit paper, to allow the user to perform a variety of grinding, sanding, buffing and like work operations on a work object in a manner that reduces the likelihood of damaging the work object while doing the work operations. Preferably, the improved rotary bit will allow the user to perform these work operations on various round, curved and other shaped surfaces of the work object with a rotary tool with less likelihood of cutting, gouging, scoring or otherwise damaging the shaped surfaces and areas adjacent to the shaped surfaces. The improved rotary bit should be structured and arranged to be utilized with a wide variety of different types of available rotary tools and with conventional grit paper and other abrasive materials. Preferably, the rotary bit will be relatively inexpensive to manufacture.
The form-following rotary bit of the present invention provides the benefits and solves the problems identified above. That is to say, the present invention discloses a rotary bit which is configured for use with a power rotary tool to provide improved grinding, sanding, buffing and like work operations on a work object. More specifically, the rotary bit of the present invention is structured and arranged to be utilized with a rotary tool to allow the user to more efficiently and effectively accomplish one or more work operations on a work object in a manner that substantially reduces the likelihood of causing damage to the work object. As such, the rotary bit of the present invention reduces the likelihood that the intended work operations on the work object will inadvertently cause damage that requires additional time to repair the damage or which may result in loss of the materials associated with the damaged work object. The improved rotary bit of the present invention is structured and arranged to be substantially form-following, which will allow the user to better perform the desired work operations on round, curved and other shaped surfaces of the work object with a rotary tool being less likely to cut, gouge, score or otherwise damage the shaped surfaces and surfaces adjacent to the shaped surfaces. The improved rotary bit of the present invention is structured and arranged to be utilized with a wide variety of different types of rotary tools and with a wide variety of conventional, commonly available grit paper and/or other abrasive materials. In a preferred configuration, the rotary bit of the present invention is relatively inexpensive to manufacture.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the improved rotary bit for accomplishing a work operation on a work object having one or more shaped surfaces generally comprises a mandrel that is secured to and rotated by the rotary tool, a flexible member that is attached to the mandrel and abrasive material on the flexible member that is selected so as to accomplish the desired work operation. The mandrel has an elongated shaft with a first end and a second end, with the first end being sized and configured to be secured to the rotary tool and rotated thereby. The flexible member has a compressible body with a proximal end and a distal end, with the proximal end being attached to the second end of the elongated shaft. The material for the compressible body is selected so as to allow the distal end of the compressible body to flex as the rotary bit is moved across the shaped surfaces of the work object to substantially prevent damage to the shaped surface and to any areas that are adjacent to the shaped surfaces. The abrasive material, which is typically associated with grit paper, is placed at or near the distal end of the compressible body. In one embodiment, the flexible member of the rotary bit is fixedly attached to the second end of the elongated shaft. In another embodiment, the flexible member is removably attached to the second end of the elongated shaft with a connecting mechanism comprising either a threaded member connecting to an aperture associated with the flexible member or a threaded member that connects to socket. In another embodiment, the rotary bit has a base member that is attached to either the elongated shaft or the flexible member that is configured to support the socket of the connecting mechanism. The compressible body is made from a closed cell foam material, silicone, rubber, composites or other materials that provide the desired flexibility. In a preferred embodiment, the compressible body has one or more grooves between the proximal end and the distal end thereof that are sized and configured to increase the flexibility of the flexible member. The compressible body can have one or more cored areas, alone or in addition to the grooves, that are also sized and configured to increase the flexibility of the flexible member. In one embodiment, the grit paper, or abrasive material if applied alone, is sized and configured to define a buffer area at the distal end of the compressible body to further reduce the likelihood of damage to the work object. The grit paper can be fixedly attached to the compressible body or it can be removably attached to the compressible body with a securing mechanism, such as a hook and loop material like VELCRO® or the like.
Accordingly, the primary aspect of the present invention is to provide an improved rotary bit for use with rotary tools that has the advantages discussed above and which overcomes the various disadvantages and limitations associated with prior art rotary bits utilized with such rotary tools.
It is an important aspect of the present invention to provide a rotary bit for use with rotary tools that is structured and arranged to reduce the likelihood of damaging a work object when the rotary tool is being utilized to accomplish work operations, such as grinding, sanding, buffing and the like, on the work object.
It is also an important aspect of the present invention to provide an improved rotary bit for use on rotary tools that is structured and arranged to allow the user to utilize commonly available rotary tools to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of accomplishing a wide variety of work operations on a work object while reducing the likelihood that those operations will damage the work object, which is likely to result in loss of time and/or material.
It is also an important aspect of the present invention to provide an improved rotary bit for use on rotary tools that allows the user to grind, sand, buff and accomplish other work operations on the round, curved and other shaped surfaces of a work object while significantly reducing the likelihood that those operations will cut, gouge, score or otherwise damage the shaped surfaces and the surfaces adjacent to the shaped surfaces.
It is also an important aspect of the present invention to provide an improved rotary bit for use on rotary tools that is structured and arranged to be utilized with a wide variety of different types of rotary tools and with commonly available conventional grit paper and other abrasive materials.
Another important aspect of the present invention is to provide an improved rotary bit for use on rotary tools to grind, sand and buff a work object that is relatively inexpensive to manufacture.
The above and other aspects of the present invention are explained in greater detail by reference to the attached figures and to the description of the preferred embodiments which follows. As set forth herein, the present invention resides in the novel features of form, construction, mode of operation and combination of the above presently described and understood by the claims.
In the drawings which illustrate the preferred embodiments and the best modes presently contemplated for carrying out the present invention:
With reference to the figures where like elements have been given like numerical designations to facilitate the reader's understanding of the present invention, the preferred embodiments of the present invention are set forth below. The enclosed text and drawings are merely illustrative of one or more preferred embodiments and, as such, disclose one or more different ways of configuring the present invention. Although specific components, materials, configurations and uses are illustrated, it should be understood that a number of variations to the components and to the configuration of those components described herein and in the accompanying figures can be made without changing the scope and function of the invention set forth herein. For instance, although the figures and description provided herein show certain shapes and configurations and describe certain materials for the various components of the rotary bit, rotary tool and work object, those skilled in the art will understand that these are shown merely for exemplary purposes and to simplify this disclosure and that the rotary bit of the present invention is not so limited.
A rotary bit that is configured pursuant to various embodiments of the present invention is shown generally as 10 in
As will be readily understood by those skilled in the art, rotary tool 12 generally comprises a tool body 18 that encloses a motor (not shown) that is sized and configured to perform the tasks normally associated with rotary tool 12. The rotary tool 12 has a first end 20 and a second end 22 with a rotating assembly 24 generally at the second end 22 and a source of power 26 at or near the first end 20, with the motor being disposed inside the rotary power tool body 18 between the first 20 and second 22 ends of the rotary tool 12. The source of power 26 may be a rechargeable battery pack 28 (as shown in
The rotating assembly 24 of the typical rotary tool 12 has a chuck 34, such as shown in
As well known in the art, the grit paper 38 can be fixedly attached to the mandrel head 46, as shown in
The rotary bit 10 of the present invention is particularly structured and arranged for use with a work object 14 having a variety of round, curved or other shaped surfaces 58, such as shown in the example object of
In the embodiment shown in
The rotary bit 10 of the present invention generally comprises the mandrel 36, abrasive material 37 and grit paper 38, as they may be differently configured for rotary bit 10, of the prior art rotary bits 16. However, as shown in
The compressible body 74 of the flexible member 72 can be made out of a variety of materials or combination of materials. The material for compressible body 74 should be selected to allow the flexible member 72 to flex, however it must also be able to withstand the rotation from the rotary tool 12 as it is pressed against the work object 14. In one embodiment of the rotary bit 10 of the present invention, the compressible body 74 is made from a closed cell foam material that will flex, as shown in
To control and/or improve the flexibility of the flexible member 72, the compressible body 74 can have one or more grooves 80 disposed between the proximal end 76 and the distal end 78 thereof, as shown in
In the embodiments of
As an alternative to or in addition to the grooves 80, the compressible body 74 of the flexible member 72 can comprise one or more sections that are made out of different material than the remaining portion(s) of the compressible body 74 to provide the desired degree of flexibility for the flexible member 72. The size and number of these section(s) of different materials can be selected to affect the amount of flexibility of flexible member 72. Likewise, although it is likely to be preferred to have the cored area(s) 82 of the compressible body 74 to be empty due to the cost of manufacturing the rotary bit 10, in an alternative embodiment the cored area(s) 82 may be filled with a gel or other material to affect, whether less or more, the flexibility of the flexible member 72. As with the grooves 80 and cored areas 82 themselves, the use of different materials in the compressible body and filling of the cored areas 82 with gel or the like will likely require experimentation to obtain the desired amount of flexibility for flexible member 72.
The relationships between the mandrel 36 and/or the grit paper 38 and the flexible member 72 may have a wide variety of different configurations. For instance, in the embodiments of
In the embodiments of
As set forth above with the prior art rotary bit 16, the grit paper 38 can be fixedly attached to the mandrel head 46 of the rotary bit 10, as shown in
In the embodiment of
In use, the first end 42 of the elongated shaft 40 of the rotary bit 10 of the present invention is placed in the chuck 34 of the rotary tool 12 and secured thereto as may be appropriate for the rotary tool 12. When powered, the rotating assembly 24 of the rotary tool 12 will rotate the rotary bit 10. The user places the abrasive face 56 of the abrasive material 37 at the distal end 78 of compressible body 74, whether part of a grit paper 38 or directly applied to the distal end 78 of the compressible body 74, against the surface of the work object 14 and performs the desired work operation. Unlike prior art rotary bits 16, the rotary bit 10 of the present invention will at least slightly compress as a result of the user pressing the flexible member 72 against the work object 14. As the user moves the rotary bit 10 across shaped surfaces 58 of the work object 14, the compressible body 74 of the flexible member 72 will flex, as shown in
As will be readily appreciated by persons skilled in the art, use of the rotary bit 10 of the present invention allows the user to have the benefits of using a powered rotary tool 10 to accomplish certain work operations, including reduced time for performing the work operations, while reducing the likelihood that the work operations will inadvertently cause damage to the work object 14 that will require additional time for the user to repair or which may result in loss of the materials associated with the damaged work object 14. Because the rotary bit 10 of the present invention is structured and arranged to be substantially form-following, the user will be able to better perform the desired work operations on round, curved, contoured and other shaped surfaces 58 of the work object 14 while being much less likely to cut, gouge, score or otherwise damage the shaped surfaces 58 and the adjacent areas 59. The rotary bit 10 can be utilized with a wide variety of different types of rotary tools 12 and with a wide variety of conventional, commonly available grit paper 38 or abrasive materials 37. The rotary bit 10 of the present invention will provide more effective use of the abrasive materials 37 and/or the grit paper 38. As will be readily appreciated by persons skilled in the art, the rotary bit 10 of the present invention will be relatively inexpensive to manufacture, thereby providing a reasonably cost rotary bit 10 that will provide the various benefits and accomplish the objectives set forth above.
While there are shown and described herein a specific form of the invention, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is not so limited, but is susceptible to various modifications and rearrangements in design and materials without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. In particular, it should be noted that the present invention is subject to modification with regard to any dimensional relationships set forth herein and modifications in assembly, materials, size, shape and use. For instance, there are numerous components described herein that can be replaced with equivalent functioning components to accomplish the objectives of the present invention.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2531775 | Kenerson | Nov 1950 | A |
| 2991596 | Walters | Jul 1961 | A |
| 3707059 | Burtch | Dec 1972 | A |
| 3858368 | Cocherell | Jan 1975 | A |
| 4055897 | Brix | Nov 1977 | A |
| 6517423 | Ueno | Feb 2003 | B2 |
