Claims
- 1. An in-line sander comprising:
an elongated sander housing configured to be grasped by a user of the in-line sander; a sanding pad holding portion defining an outwardly facing channel that opens outward from the sander housing and that extends in a direction generally along a length of the sander housing, the channel being arranged and configured for receiving and holding a profiled sanding pad; a motor housed within the housing; and an in-line oscillating mechanism operatively coupled between the motor and the sanding pad holding portion, the in-line oscillating mechanism being arranged and configured to move the sanding pad holding portion in a linear oscillating motion, the linear oscillating motion being in the direction generally along the length of the housing.
- 2. The in-line sander of claim 1, wherein the profiled sanding pad is secured within the channel of the sanding pad holding portion, and the profiled sanding pad has, in a plane substantially perpendicular to the linear oscillating motion, a particular cross sectional profile which defines, substantially consistently along the length of the pad, a profile sanding area including portions not aligned on a single common plane.
- 3. The in-line sander of claim 2, wherein the profiled sanding pad is oriented such that a portion of the pad protrudes ahead of a front end of the sander housing throughout the linear oscillating motion.
- 4. The in-line sander of claim 2, wherein the sanding area of the profiled sanding pad includes a curved sanding surface.
- 5. The in-line sander of claim 2, wherein the sanding area of the profiled sanding pad includes a plurality of planar sanding surfaces interconnected at discrete edges.
- 6. The in-line sander of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of profiled sanding pads adapted to be interchangeably secured within the channel of the sanding pad holding portion, each of the profiled sanding pads having a different cross sectional profile.
- 7. The in-line sander of claim 1, wherein the channel has a generally U-shaped cross section.
- 8. The in-line sander of claim 1, wherein the sanding pad holding portion includes a plurality of projections that extend into the channel, the projections being arranged and configured for assisting in retaining the profiled sanding pad within the channel.
- 9. The in-line sander of claim 8, wherein the projections comprise ridges.
- 10. The in-line sander of claim 9, wherein the ridges have an opposing relationship.
- 11. The in-line sander of claim 10, wherein the ridges are arranged in a substantially vertical orientation.
- 12. The in-line sander of claim 1, wherein the profiled sanding pad is frictionally retained within the channel of the pad holding portion.
- 13. The in-line sander of claim 12, wherein the profiled sanding pad has elastic characteristics, and portions of the profiled sanding pad are deformed when the pad is inserted in the channel such that the pad is frictionally retained in the channel.
- 14. The in-line sander of claim 13, wherein the pad holding portion includes projections that extend into the outwardly facing channel, the projections being arranged and configured to deform the portions of the profiled sanding pad when the profiled sanding pad is inserted within the outwardly facing channel.
- 15. The in-line sander of claim 2, wherein the sanding pad holding portion comprises a pad frame on which the outwardly facing channel is defined, the pad frame including means for detachably coupling the pad frame to the in-line oscillating mechanism.
- 16. The in-line sander of claim 15, wherein the pad frame includes substantially pointed front and back portions, and substantially parallel portions located between the front and back portions.
- 17. The in-line sander of claim 1, wherein the channel of the profiled sanding pad holding portion is defined by opposing first and second holding members.
- 18. The in-line sander of claim 17, wherein the profiled sanding pad is more elastic than the first and second holding members, and the profiled sanding pad is arranged and configured to deform when inserted between the first and second members.
- 19. The in-line sander of claim 18, wherein the first and second holding members include a plurality of projections that extend into the channel, the projections being arranged for assisting in retaining the profiled sanding pad within the channel.
- 20. The in-line sander of claim 19, wherein the projections comprise ridges.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/851,804 filed on May 7, 1997, which is a file wrapper continuation of application Ser. No. 08/389,277 filed on Feb. 9, 1995.
Continuations (6)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
10279013 |
Oct 2002 |
US |
Child |
10766482 |
Jan 2004 |
US |
Parent |
09884853 |
Jun 2001 |
US |
Child |
10279013 |
Oct 2002 |
US |
Parent |
08990587 |
Dec 1997 |
US |
Child |
09884853 |
Jun 2001 |
US |
Parent |
08931196 |
Sep 1997 |
US |
Child |
08990587 |
Dec 1997 |
US |
Parent |
08851804 |
May 1997 |
US |
Child |
08931196 |
Sep 1997 |
US |
Parent |
08389277 |
Feb 1995 |
US |
Child |
08851804 |
May 1997 |
US |