1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an impact drill for use in a drilling operation on a concrete, mortar or tile, for example, and more particularly to an impact drill having a drill mode for performing a drilling operation by rotating a drill bit and an impact drill mode for performing a drilling operation by rotating and vibrating the drill bit.
2. Description of the Related Art
Reference numeral 5 denotes a stationary ratchet disposed at a position opposed to the rotational ratchet 4, in which the serrated irregularities are also formed on one face 5a of the stationary ratchet. The stationary ratchet 5 has a hollow cylindrical shape, and is fixed to the inner cover 18, irrespective of the rotation and axial movement of the spindle 2.
On the other hand, a motor 8 is disposed inside the housing 7 linked to the handle portion 6. A rotational driving force of the motor 8 is transmitted via a rotation shaft 9 to a gear 10. Since the gear 10 is press fit into a second pinion 11, the rotational driving force is transmitted to the second pinion 11. The second pinion 11 has two pinion portions 11a, 11b having a different number of teeth, which are engaged with a low speed gear 12 and a high speed gear 13, respectively. When the second pinion 11 is rotated, both the gears 12, 13 are also rotated.
Reference numeral 14 denotes a clutch disk engaged with the spindle 2 and mounted to be slidable in the axial direction. If the clutch disk 14 is inserted into a concave portion of the low speed gear 12, the rotation of the second pinion 11 is transmitted via the low speed gear 12 and the clutch disk 14 to the spindle 2, as shown in
Reference numeral 15 denotes a change lever for changing the operation mode of the impact drill, namely, between a drill mode and an impact drill mode. A change shaft 16 is press fit into the change lever 15, whereby when the change lever 15 is rotated, the change shaft 16 is also rotated. The change shaft 16 has a notch portion 16a, as shown in
(A) Drill Mode
When a drill bit (not shown) attached in the drill chuck 3 is contacted with a machined surface and the handle portion 6 is pressed in a direction of the arrow in
(B) Impact Drill Mode
In an impact drill mode, the notch portion 16a of the change shaft 16 is brought into the position of
In drilling the machined surface, if the spindle 2 is rotated in the state of
However, when the impact drill is operated in the impact drill mode, the vibration caused by rotation of the spindle in the state where the irregular faces of the ratchets 4 and 5 are contacted under pressure is transmitted not only to the drill bit, but also through the stationary ratchet 5 and the inner cover 18 from the housing 7 to the handle portion 6. Therefore, there is a problem that the user of the impact drill undergoes a great vibration, and feels uncomfortable. Especially when the impact drill is continuously employed for a long time, care must be taken not to transmit the vibration to the user and cause adverse effect on the health of the user.
Several proposals for reducing the vibration transmitted to the user have been made. For example, in JP-UM-B-2-30169, a structure was disclosed in which a clutch cam 22 is supported movably in the axial direction of the spindle 20, and pressed and urged to a rotary cam 21 by a spring 23, as shown in
On the other hand, the clutch cam 22 is composed of a hollow cylindrical portion slidable in the axial direction of the spindle 20 and a flange portion 22b. A cam face 22c of the flange portion 22b is formed with a serrated irregular face.
The spring 23 is provided between the flange 22b of the clutch cam 22 and a plate 24a engaging a groove 22a of the clutch cam 22, and always urges the clutch cam 22 toward the rotary cam 21. Thus, when the spindle 20 is moved backward, the cam faces 21a and 22c are contacted under pressure. If a pressing force applied to the spindle 20 overcomes a resilient force of the spring 23, the spring 23 is compressed, so that the clutch cam 22 is moved backward (to the right in the figure). When the clutch cam 22 is moved forward from the back position due to a resilient force of the spring 23, it strikes against the rotary cam 21, so that the rotary cam 21 is vibrated together with the spindle 20.
With this structure, since the vibration caused by contact between the cam faces 21a and 22c is relieved by the spring 23 and transmitted to the handle portion (not shown), there is the effect that the vibration transmitted to the user is reduced as compared with the structure in which the ratchet 5 is firmly disposed as shown in
On the other hand,
When the notch portion 16a of the change shaft 16 is at the position as shown in
In this impact drill mode, if a pressing force is applied to the main body (not shown), the spindle 20 is moved to the right. However, when the pressing force is weak, a right end portion of the spindle 20 slightly enters the notch portion 16a, and the cam faces 21aand 22c of
On the other hand, when the pressing force is strong, a right end portion of the spindle 20 deeply enters the notch portion 16a, and the cam faces 21a and 22c are greatly engaged, so that the clutch cam 22 is greatly moved backward, whereby the restoring force of the spring 23 is great, and the stroke force from the clutch cam 22 to the rotary cam 21 is significant.
Herein, when an object to be drilled which is hard and thin tile or concrete is positioned for drilling, or drilled prudently, it is necessary to sustain a state where the pressing force is weakened to suppress the stroke force, as described above. Several proposals have been conventionally made for the structure in which the magnitude of stroke force is adjustable.
In Japanese Patent No. 3002284, the maximal movement amount of the rotational ratchet and the spindle is made larger than engageable with the stationary ratchet, in which the stationary ratchet is provided movably in the axial direction, and biased forward by the spring. A biasing force of the spring is adjusted by changing a force for pressing the main body.
In JP-A-62-74582, there was described an impact drill in which the rotational ratchet and the spindle can not be moved in the axial direction, and the stationary ratchet is provided movably in the axial direction, and biased forward by the spring, whereby a member for regulating the axial movement of the stationary ratchet is provided adjustably from the outside. The stationary ratchet is regulated from moving forward beyond a predetermined position by adjusting the regulating member, so that the intermeshing depth of ratchets is adjusted.
In Japanese Patent No. 2754047, there was described an impact drill in which the rotational ratchet and the spindle can not be moved in the axial direction, and the stationary ratchet is provided movably in the axial direction, and biased forward by the spring, whereby a second spring for adjusting the compression amount from the outside is provided, in addition to a first spring for always biasing the stationary ratchet. By adjusting the compression amount from the outside, a combination of the first spring and the second spring is varied to adjust the biasing force of the spring.
In JP-A-3-178708, there was described an impact drill in which the rotational ratchet and the spindle are provided to be movable backward to the position at which they are engaged with the stationary ratchet, and the stationary ratchet is provided movably in the axial direction, and biased forward by the spring, whereby the axial position of a spring seat is provided adjustably from the outside. The biasing force of the spring is adjusted by moving the spring seat from the outside. Also, there was described a similar impact drill in which the length of an outer frame itself is provided adjustably. In this case, the biasing force of the spring is adjusted by changing the length of the outer frame itself.
In JP-A-4-240010, there was described an impact drill in which the rotational ratchet and the spindle are provided to be movable backward to the position at which they are engaged with the stationary ratchet, and the stationary ratchet is provided movably in the axial direction, and biased forward by the spring, whereby the axial position of a seat accepting the spring from behind is provided adjustably from the outside. The biasing force of the spring is adjusted by changing the axial position of the seat accepting the spring from behind.
In Japanese Patent No. 3,002,284, it is difficult to keep the pressing force constant, and particularly when a small stroke force is attained by the weak pressing force, the stroke force is too excessive if the pressing force is too strong, resulting in a problem that the fragile partner member is possibly broken.
In JP-A-62-74582 the vibration transmitted from the spindle to the housing is not relieved, and the intermeshing depth of ratchets may be reduced but the relative position of the ratchet and the spring is invariable, resulting in a problem that the biasing force of the spring can not be weakened. Likewise, with this constitution, the intermeshing depth of ratchets may be increased, but the relative position of the ratchet and the spring is invariable, whereby the biasing force of the spring could not be increased. That is, with this constitution, the intermeshing depth of ratchets may be changed but the relative position of the ratchet and the spring is invariable, resulting in a problem that the adjustment width of the stroke force is small.
In Japanese Patent No. 2754047, JP-A-3-178708, and JP-A-4-240010, the vibration transmitted from the spindle to the housing is not relieved, and the biasing force of the spring may be changed but the intermeshing depth of ratchets may not be changed, resulting in a problem that the adjustment width of the stroke force is small.
It is an object of the invention to provide an impact drill that solves the above-mentioned problems associated with the prior art. It is a further object of the invention to provide an impact drill in which a state of generating a set stroke force is maintained even if the biasing force is excessive, the adjustment width of the stroke force is large, and the vibration transmitted to the user is reduced.
According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided with an impact drill including: a spindle rotated by a motor and movable in an axial direction; a drill chuck fixed to the spindle and mountable with a drill bit; a first ratchet fixed to the spindle and having a face of an irregular portion; a second ratchet having a face of an irregular portion opposed to the face of the irregular portion of the first ratchet and movable in the axial direction but unrotatable; and a spring for urging the second ratchet in a direction of the first ratchet, in which the spindle is given an axial vibration by a contact and separation action between the irregular faces of the first and second ratchets due to a relative rotation of the first ratchet to the second ratchet, wherein a regulating member regulates an amount of movement of the spindle at a plurality of positions in a range where the first and second ratchets can be engaged.
According to another aspect of the invention, the regulating member is movable relative to a main frame portion to come into contact with the spindle. The regulating member is formed to gradually change an interval between the spindle and the regulating member, when the regulating member is moved relative to the main frame portion.
According to another aspect of the invention, the regulating member has a columnar shape. The regulating member has a plurality of notch portions having a different distance from a center of the regulating. The regulating member is rotatably provided in the main frame portion so as to make the notch portions contactable with the spindle.
According to another aspect of the invention, the regulating member has a plate-like shape. The regulating member has a plurality of step portions having a different depth. The regulating member is movably provided in the main frame portion so as to make the step portions contactable with the spindle.
According to another aspect of the invention, the movement amount of the spindle movable in the axial direction is regulated to be a minimum value (as a first mode). The movement amount of the spindle movable in the axial direction is regulated to be a middle value (as a second mode). The movement amount of the spindle movable in the axial direction is regulated to be a maximum value (as a third mode).
According to another aspect of the invention, the first mode is a mode of regulating the movement amount of the spindle to an extent that the irregular portion of the first ratchet and the irregular portion of the second ratchet are contacted with each other. The second mode is a mode of regulating the movement amount of the spindle to an extent that the irregular portion of the first ratchet and the irregular portion of the second ratchet are engaged with each other at a bottom portion of the first ratchet and the second ratchet. The third mode is a mode of regulating the movement amount of the spindle to an extent that the irregular portion of the first ratchet and the irregular portion of the second ratchet are engaged with each other to a bottom portion of the first ratchet and the second ratchet. The second ratchet is further moved backward by pressing a main frame of the impact drill onto a workpiece.
According to another aspect of the invention, a fourth mode of regulating the movement amount of the spindle to an extent that the irregular portion of the first ratchet and the irregular portion of the second ratchet are not contacted with each other.
Since the amount of back movement of the spindle and the rotational ratchet is regulated, the work may be performed with such a pressing force that the spindle comes into contact with the regulating member, whereby even though the pressing force is further increased, the compression amount of the spring is not increased, and the biasing force of the spring is not increased, so that the stroke force does not become excessive to prevent the partner member from being broken.
When the stroke force is weakened, the amount of back movement of the spindle and the rotational ratchet is regulated to be smaller, whereby the intermeshing depth of ratchets is not only shallower, but also the compression amount of the spring is reduced, so that the biasing force of the spring can be weakened. Accordingly, the stroke force can be weaker than conventionally, and therefore made adequate for the fragile partner member.
Moreover, when the stroke force is intensified, the amount of back movement of the spindle and the rotational ratchet is regulated to be larger, whereby the intermeshing depth of ratchets is not only deeper, but also the compression amount of the spring is increased, so that the biasing force of the spring can be intensified. Accordingly, the stroke force can be stronger than conventionally, and therefore made adequate for the partner member difficult to be drilled.
If the work is performed with such a pressing force that the spindle does not come into contact with the regulating member, the vibration of the spindle in the axial direction is relieved and transmitted via the ratchet and the spring to the outer frame portion, whereby the operator performs the work comfortably with less vibration transmitted to the operator.
The preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail.
First Embodiment
A spindle 102 is provided in a main frame portion 101 and moved forward (to the left in the figure) or backward (to the right in the figure) relative to a workpiece 119. A chuck 103 for mounting a drill bit 118 is provided at the top end of the spindle 102. A first ratchet 104 and a second ratchet 105 are provided in the almost central part of the main frame portion 101. The first ratchet 104 is rotated along with the spindle 102 and moved axially, and has serrated irregularities 104a on one face. The second ratchet 105 is formed with serrated irregularities 105d on a bottom portion 105c. Also, the second ratchet 105 has a dual cylindrical shape, in which an inner cylindrical portion 105a slides on the spindle 102 and an outer cylindrical portion 105b slides in the axial direction of the spindle 102 along an inner wall of the main frame portion 101, but has a notch portion in a part on the circumferential face to prevent rotational motion.
Moreover, a side wall portion 122 extends in a direction of the spindle inside the main frame portion 101, and a spring 120 is provided between the side wall portion 122 and the cylindrical bottom portion 105c. Reference numeral 109 denotes a rotation shaft to which a rotational driving force is transmitted from a motor (not shown), in which its rotational driving force is transmitted via a gear 110 to a second pinion 111. Reference numeral 112 denotes a low speed gear, 113 denotes a high speed gear, and 114 denotes a clutch disk, in which when the clutch disk 114 is at the position as shown, a rotational force is transmitted via the low speed gear 112 to the spindle 102.
On the other hand, if the clutch disk 114 is rotated to the position where the high speed gear 113 and the spindle 102 are engaged by rotating a change lever 117, a rotational force of the second pinion 111 is transmitted via the high speed gear 113 to the spindle 102. Accordingly, the spindle 102 can be rotated at low speed or high speed depending on the rotated position of the change lever 117.
As a result of the experiment, it has been confirmed that the vibration transmitted to the user in the drilling operation, namely, the vibration of an impact drill main body, is reduced owing to the above configuration.
According to first embodiment of the invention, a steel ball 125 is provided at a rear end of the spindle 102, and contacted with a columnar change shaft 141 having a plurality of notch portions different in the depth.
The operation of the impact drill with the above constitution will be described below.
(a) Drill Mode
A drill mode is shown in
(b) Weak Stroke Impact Drill Mode
(c) Strong Stroke Impact Drill Mode
(d) Stroke Force Variable Impact Drill Mode
As described above, with the first embodiment, the change lever 140 is rotated by changing the face of the change shaft 141 in contact with the steel ball 125, whereby vibration modes for various stroke forces can be implemented.
Second Embodiment
That is,
(a) Drill Mode
A drill mode is shown in
(b) Weak Stroke Impact Drill Mode
(c) Strong Stroke Impact Drill Mode
(d) Stroke Force Variable Impact Drill Mode
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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P 2004-061881 | Mar 2004 | JP | national |