Patent Application
20190070745
This disclosure relates generally to guide apparatuses for use with portable and/or handheld power saws.
A saw is a tool that includes a blade and/or teeth for cutting a piece of material. The blade and/or teeth are moved across or through the material in order to repeatedly remove small portions of the material. The successive removal of the small portions of the material results in the forming of a cut in the material. In some cases, saws may also use other mechanisms for cutting the material including: a thin wire, a chain, a high-pressure stream of water or air, an abrasive slurry, and/or another element for removing portions of the material. Different types of blades, blade materials, blade constructions, tooth designs, tooth pitches, and/or blade speeds may be used depending on the material being cut. Saws may be used to cut wood, lumber, plastics, polymers, wafer board, fiberboard, engineered materials, synthetic materials, metals, natural materials, stone, concrete, and/or other materials.
While some saws are manually operated, a majority of saws utilize electrically or mechanically provided power to reduce the physical effort required by the user and/or increase the speed at which cuts can be made. These saws are commonly referred to as power saws. One large category of power saws are handheld power saws, such as circular saws, jigsaws, and reciprocating saws. These types of saws are very popular for construction and remodeling activities where a user is often moving around to do work in different places and/or on structures that are already in place.
Handheld power saws may be powered from an external electrical source to which a cord of the handheld power saw is attached. In other examples, the handheld power saw may include its own rechargeable or replaceable power source, such as a rechargeable battery or fuel cell. While many of the examples herein are discussed with respect to a circular saw, it should be understood that the apparatuses, improvements, and techniques disclosed herein are also applicable to other type of power saws, handheld saws, and/or portable saws.
One of the benefits of handheld power saws is the flexibility with which material can be cut in place without having to place the material into a frame, into a guide, into a vise, in a jig, or onto a platform or table of a non-handheld saw. One additional benefit is that handheld saws are often used to make freeform cuts where the user guides the saw through the material along a path he or she chooses. While these benefits are useful in number of circumstances, they also present challenges for the user. One challenge is the fact that a user often wishes to make a straight cut through the material even through the handheld saw being used may offer further flexibility to make curved or freeform cuts. In construction and remodeling activities, straight cuts are very common and are frequently desired. In the context of this disclosure, the term ‘straight cut’ is used to refer to a cut that is substantially linear from a starting point to a finishing end of the cut. The term does not require that the cut is any particular angle with respect to an edge of the material. In other words, a straight cut may be a cut that is made at a non-90 degree angle to the material, such as a straight cut that is at a 45-degree angle relative to an edge of a board.
When using a handheld saw, the user is typically responsible for guiding the saw in a straight line to make a straight cut. Making a straight cut with a handheld power saw can be difficult for a number of reasons including: difficulty seeing the material, lack of a guide line to follow, dust, sawdust, vibration from the saw, vibration from the cutting process, an awkward position from which the cut must be made, distractions, and/or a need to concentrate effort on pushing the saw through the material. These and other problems are solved by an optional or removable apparatus which helps a user make a straight cut with a handheld power saw, while not reducing the flexibility of the saw.
For the reasons discussed herein, there is a need for improved guides for use with handheld and/or portable power saws, such as circular saws, jigsaws, and other types of saws. The improved guides disclosed herein assist users of these types of saws in making straight and/or straighter cuts than the user be able to accomplish if operating the saw in a freehand fashion. The improved guides are adjustable, retractable, and/or removable in order to maintain the original flexibility of the saws.
In one example, a guide is provided for use with a handheld power saw having a baseplate and a moving blade that extends through an opening in the baseplate to an area under a plane of the baseplate. The blade is configured for cutting a piece of material by sliding the baseplate across a top surface of the material to drive the moving blade of the handheld power saw through the material. In this example, the guide includes an attachment mechanism and a guide pin. The attachment mechanism is configured or adapted for removably attaching the guide to a back edge of the baseplate of the handheld power saw. The guide is configured or adapted to attach to the baseplate proximate a cut made in the material when the handheld power saw is operated to make the cut in the material. The guide is removable from the baseplate when not in use. The guide pin is affixed to the attachment feature and configured or adapted to extend into the cutting area under the plane of the baseplate when the attachment feature of the guide is attached to the baseplate of the handheld power saw. The guide pin is further configured or adapted to be in a plane of the blade and extend at least partially into the cut in the material made by the blade when the handheld power saw is operated to make the cut in the material.
In another example, a guide for use with a portable power saw is provided. The power saw has a baseplate and a moving blade that extends through an opening in the baseplate to an area under a plane of the baseplate for cutting a piece of material. The guide includes a guide base configured to be attached to a back edge or tail end of the baseplate of the power saw on a top surface of the baseplate. The guide base is removable from the baseplate of the power saw. A guide pin is affixed to the guide base and configured to extend into a cutting area under the plane of the baseplate when the guide base is attached to the baseplate of the power saw. The guide pin is also positioned to be in a plane of the blade such that the guide pin extends at least partially into a cut or kerf made by the moving blade in the material when the guide base is attached to the baseplate of the power saw and the power saw is operated to make the kerf in the material.
In yet another example, a handheld cutting tool for making a straight cut in a piece of material includes a guide. The handheld cutting tool has a baseplate and a moving blade that extends through an opening in the baseplate to an area under a plane of the baseplate for cutting the material in the area under the plane of the baseplate. The guide is attached to the handheld cutting tool in a location such that the attached guide will be proximate the cut made in the material when the handheld cutting tool is operated to make the cut in the material. The guide includes a guide pin configured to extend into the area under the plane of the baseplate to be in a plane of the blade and configured to extend at least partially into the cut in the material made by the blade when the handheld cutting tool is operated to make the cut in the material.
Other variations and embodiments are possible, including variations and embodiments which do not necessarily include all of the elements described above and/or variations and embodiments which may include additional elements. The embodiments described in this disclosure have been chosen to explain the principles of the concept and its practical application to enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention. It is not intended that claims be limited to only these particular embodiments. It is intended that the claims be construed to include other alternative embodiments of the invention, except as limited by the prior art. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various features or elements in the drawings may not necessarily be drawn to scale, and that dimensions or sizes of various features or elements may be expanded or reduced for illustration purposes. Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that various features or elements which may not be necessary for the explanation of a particular embodiment may be simplified and/or absent from one or more of the drawings.
Reference will now be made in detail to the representative embodiments illustrated in the drawings. The accompanying descriptions are not intended to limit the embodiments to one preferred embodiment. To the contrary, the descriptions are intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as can be included within the spirit of the described embodiments as defined by the claims.
One of the benefits of handheld power saws is the flexibility with which material can be cut in place or on a job site without necessarily placing the material into a frame, into a guide, into a vise, into a jig, or onto a platform or table of another type of saw or cutting machine. Another benefit is that handheld saws are often used to make freeform or freehand cuts in which the user guides the saw through the material along a path he or she chooses. While these benefits are useful in number of circumstances, they also present challenges to the user. One challenge is the fact that a user often wishes to make a straight cut through a piece of material even through the handheld saw may have the flexibility to make curved or freeform cuts. When using a handheld power saw, the user is responsible for guiding the saw in a straight line to make a straight cut. Making a straight cut with a handheld power saw can be difficult for a number of reasons.
Body 111 of power saw 110 may include a housing, structural features, a motor, a battery, a switch, and/or safety features of power saw 110. Handle 113 is used for carrying power saw 110 as well as for operating power saw 110 and moving power saw 110 through a piece of material for purposes of cutting the material. Power saw 110 also includes a blade 117 for cutting the material. Blade 117 is rotated by a motor or other mechanism. Blade guard 115 is a movable cover that covers at least a portion of blade 117 for safety purposes. Blade guard 115 is rotated or displaced to expose more of blade 117 as needed when a cut is taking place. Power saw 110 may include other elements such as a cord, a switch, a battery, a shield, and/or other components.
Power saw 110 also includes baseplate 112. When power saw 110 is used to cut a piece of material, baseplate 112 rests on a surface of the material as power saw 110 is pushed through the material. Blade 117 extends below baseplate 112 to extend into the material to make the cut. Baseplate 112 is often made of one or more metal materials, but may be made of one or more other materials. Baseplate 112 typically has a flat, planar surface that is used to slide across the surface of the material being cut. In the example of
As illustrated in
Guide 130 enables a user to produce a straighter cut and allows the user to focus more of his or her attention on other aspects of the cut, including safety. In some situations, the addition of guide 130 may provide enough of a straightening tendency that a user may be able to make a substantially straight cut without the additional effort of having to make a scribe or guide line across material 150 to follow.
In the example of
While guide 130 is primarily illustrated in
In one example, a prototype guide 130 was manufactured from an office supply spring clip, some hook and loop fastener material, and a nail. One portion of the hook and loop fastener was adhered to baseplate 112 while the other portion was adhered to the mouth of the spring clip. The nail was attached to the spring clip such that it will face downward when the spring clip is attached to the baseplate of the saw or to a lip of the baseplate of the saw (mimicking guide 130 of
Retractable guide 140 includes an attachment mechanism 142 and a guide pin 144. Attachment mechanism 142 may be attached to baseplate 112, or to a lip of baseplate 112, using any of the attachment components or techniques described above with respect to guide 130. Attachment mechanism 142 may be attached to baseplate 112 by an end user as an aftermarket product or may be attached by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of power saw 110. In some cases, attachment mechanism 142 may also be referred to as a base, a guide base, a base member, and/or an attachment member.
Guide pin 144 is hingedly or pivotably attached to attachment mechanism 142 such that guide pin 144 can be moved, pivoted, or rotated relative to attachment mechanism 142.
Retractable guide 140 may also have a locking mechanism, detent feature, and/or spring loaded mechanism to more positively, but still temporarily, keep guide pin 144 in either the operational position of
In another example, a guide may comprise two or more components, like retractable guide 140, but may not necessarily be retractable like guide 130. In other words, guide 140 may not be retractable in some cases. In this example, attachment mechanism 142 may be configured for removably attaching to a back edge of baseplate 112 of handheld power saw 110, where guide 140 is configured to attach to baseplate 112 proximate a cut made in material when power saw 110 is operated to make the cut in the material. Guide 140 may still be removable from baseplate 112 when not in use. Guide pin 144 is affixed to attachment feature 142 and configured to extend into the area under the plane of baseplate 112 when attachment feature 142 of guide 140 is attached to baseplate 112 of power saw 110. Guide pin 144 is in a plane of blade 117 and extends at least partially into the cut in the material made by blade 117 when power saw 110 is operated to make the cut in the material. While guide pin 144 is described as a ‘pin,’ it may have any shape and/or any cross sectional shape.
Various instances of attachment feature 142 may have different dimensions or interface characteristics designed and chosen to fit to baseplates of various different makes or types of power saws. Different power saws may have differently shaped baseplate edges or lip designs. In some cases, an attachment feature 142 may be made to attach to a particular type or group of saws having a particular baseplate and lip design. In other cases, guide 140 may include another member that is designed to attach to the particular type or group of saws and also attach to a generic attachment feature 142. In other words, the apparatus may also include or be compatible with an adapter that adapts it to fit to various types of saws and/or baseplates.
In yet another variation, the guide or guide pin may be adjustable from side to side to different angles relative to the plane of the baseplate. This adjustment accommodates saws in which the blade may be adjusted to an angle relative to the baseplate. This adjustment of the pin allows the guide function disclosed herein to be accomplished even though if the blade is not perpendicular to the baseplate.
In some cases, the apparatuses disclosed herein may be provided in the form of a system or kit which includes power saw 110 and at least one of guide 130 or retractable guide 140. In these cases, baseplate 112 may be designed and manufactured with attachment points or features for guide 130 and/or attachment feature 142. In other cases, baseplate 112 may be manufactured with guide 130 or attachment feature 142 permanently affixed to baseplate 112. Further, additional guide pins of varying lengths, thicknesses, and/or materials may be sold individually or as sets. The system or kit may include any combination of the techniques, improvements, devices, components, features, functions, and/or processes disclosed herein.
The apparatuses, techniques, improvements, devices, components, features, functions, and/or processes described herein are meant to exemplify some types of possibilities. In no way should the various examples provided herein limit the scope of the invention, as they are only exemplary embodiments.
The phrases “in some embodiments,” “according to some embodiments,” “in the embodiments shown,” “in other embodiments,” “in some examples,” “in other examples,” “in some cases,” “in some situations,” “in one configuration,” “in another configuration,” and the like generally mean that the particular technique, feature, structure, or characteristic following the phrase is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention and/or may be included in more than one embodiment of the present invention. In addition, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiments or to different embodiments.
This disclosure is presented for purposes of illustration and description. Other modifications and variations may be possible in view of the above teachings. The embodiments described in this disclosure were chosen to explain the principles of the concept and its practical application to enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention. It is intended that the claims be construed to include other alternative embodiments of the invention except as limited by the prior art.
