This document relates, generally, to an exhaust system, and in particular, to an exhaust air system for a pneumatic tool.
Powered tools, and in particular, pneumatic tools, may be driven by compressed air provided by a compressed air source. An operation mode of the pneumatic tool, such as, for example, operation in a forward mode or a reverse mode, may be controlled by a direction of the flow of compressed air through the pneumatic tool. Efficient and effective control of the flow of the compressed air through the pneumatic tool may enhance performance of the tool, and may simplify use of the tool.
Problems inherent in many powered ratcheting tools are limitations to the power output that is generated by a motor and due in large part to the size of the motor contained within the tool's housing. Standard pneumatic powered ratchets have a motor capacity that is generally based on having two housings, one to contain internal tool components and another for directing air flow. Having two housings limits the space available for components that can be contained within the housing and the operation of air flow in the pneumatic tool, without increasing overall size of the tool.
Other problems found in powered ratchets generally include connecting the tool housing to other tool parts, such as attaching the body of the tool housing to a ratchet head through internal threads on body of tool, coupled through externally threaded intermediary connecting part that is housed within the body of the tool. This connection method takes up space in the interior of a tool housing and limits the type, number, and size of tool components that can be contained within the tool housing. Therefore, a need exists for a motor housing exhaust air system.
In one aspect, a pneumatic-powered tool may include a first housing, a motor chamber defined in the first housing, an exhaust chamber defined in the first housing, a motor assembly installed in the motor chamber, a discharge space defined between the motor assembly and the motor chamber, at least one exhaust air channel guiding exhaust air, discharged in a radial direction or an axial direction from the motor assembly, into the discharge space, at least one exhaust slot guiding exhaust air from the discharge space into the exhaust chamber, and an exhaust air outlet guiding exhaust air out of the exhaust chamber in a radial direction or an axial direction for discharge from the tool.
In some implementations, the first housing may include a coupling interface. The coupling interface may be configured for joining a second housing to the first housing.
In some implementations, the first housing comprises an externally threaded portion of the first housing configured for threaded coupling to at least one other housing.
In some implementations, the first housing may include the motor chamber, the at least one exhaust slot, and the at least one exhaust air channel.
In another aspect, a first unitary housing for a pneumatic-powered tool may include a motor chamber defined in an inner portion of the first unitary housing, an exhaust chamber defined at an outer peripheral portion of the first unitary housing, at least one exhaust slot guiding exhaust air, discharged in a radial direction or an axial direction from a motor assembly received in the motor chamber, from the motor chamber into the exhaust chamber, and an exhaust air outlet guiding exhaust air out of the exhaust chamber in a radial direction or an axial direction for discharge from the first unitary housing.
This implementation of the invention, in particular, may be desired because the single unitary housing may allow for a larger or smaller tool size as the interior housing capacity can be adjusted to account for different sized internal components. This implementation may have an advantage in providing a motor housing that has increased internal volume for a motor, while not increasing external size of the housing and still providing the function of a typical exhaust air system, or maintaining the size of a motor while decreasing external size of housing and still providing the function of a typical exhaust air system. In this implementation, the housing can contain a bigger motor that can permit the tool to produce an increased power output while also remaining substantially the same size as a comparable tool that a smaller motor.
This implementation of the invention may also be desired, in particular, because the housing includes an external threaded interface on an outer peripheral of the housing. This implementation with the coupling interface increases interior space over standard pneumatic tools and may allow for additional tool components in the interior space, such as a larger motor for increased tool power output, or larger exhaust slots or exhaust channel for increased air flow. This implementation may have an advantage to couple with other tool parts in its attachment mechanism, such as a ratchet head, to body of the tool housing through external threads on tool housing, and an intermediary connecting part, that is internally threaded, located externally to the tool housing, allowing for maximal space internal to the tool housing to be used for tool components. This implementation may allow for maximum space within cavity of ratchet head or motor housing, while maintaining structural integrity under high momentary loading, allowing maximum space for transmission and clutch components, and executing exhaust design that allows for reduced overall tool size or larger motor.
This implementation of the invention, in particular, may also be desired as it provides many of the same exhaust functionality as other pneumatic tools but allows for a reduction in material use, e.g. such as a thickness of a housing wall, while still providing structural integrity and proper exhaust discharge for the tool.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing implementations or embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms, “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the root terms “can”, “include”, “can include”, “may”, and/or “have”, when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of at least one other feature, step, operation, element, component, and/or groups thereof.
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 features is not necessarily limited only to those features but may include other features not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.
For definitional purposes and as used herein “connected”, “coupled” or “attached” includes operation or physical, whether direct or indirect, affixed or coupled, as for example, the housing 105 may include a first housing 110 coupled to a second head 120 at a threaded interface 130. Thus, unless specified, “connected”, “coupled” or “attached” is intended to embrace any operationally functional connection.
As used herein “substantially,” “generally,” “slightly” and other words of degree are relative modifiers intended to indicate permissible variation from the characteristic so modified. It is not intended to be limited to the absolute value or characteristic which it modifies but rather possessing more of the physical or functional characteristic than its opposite, and preferably, approaching or approximating such a physical or functional characteristic.
The details of one or more implementations are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.
An example implementation of a pneumatic-powered tool 100 is shown in
As shown in
Some pneumatic-powered tools having an air driven motor may include a discharge component, such as, for example, a discharge sleeve, fitted on, or over, the housing. The discharge component, or discharge sleeve, may direct radially discharged exhaust air from the motor out of the tool, in a radial direction. This discharge component may increase overall size of the tool in the area of the motor, and/or may impact (i.e., decrease) a volume available to accommodate the motor, potentially decreasing the size and/or output power of the motor that can be accommodated in the available space.
An exhaust air outlet, in accordance with implementations described herein, may direct exhaust air, discharged in a radial direction from the air motor received within the housing, in an axial direction, toward a forward portion of the tool, rather than radially outward from the tool. The orientation of the exhaust air outlet, together with an internal geometry of the exhaust air outlet and adjacent exhaust chamber, may provide for a change in the flow direction of discharge exhaust air (i.e., from a radial air flow direction as it is discharged from the motor, to an axial air flow direction as it is discharged from the tool), and the subsequent forward discharge of the exhaust air. In directing the exhaust air in this manner, the exhaust air may travel around a body of the motor, within the housing, thus cooling the motor prior to being discharged from the housing. In some implementations, this longer discharge path, and change in direction (i.e., from a radial air flow direction to an axial air flow direction), and/or an expanding volume of the discharge chamber, may provide for audible noise reduction. An exhaust air outlet, in accordance with implementations described herein, may be defined by a corresponding portion of the housing, rather than as a separate discharge component coupled to the tool. In other words, an exhaust air outlet, in accordance with implementations described herein, may be formed as an integral portion of the housing, thus eliminating the need for a separate component to direct discharged exhaust air out of the tool. This may reduce an overall size of the tool, and/or may allow a larger diameter motor to be accommodated within the housing, without increasing the overall size of the tool.
As shown in
In a pneumatic-powered tool, in accordance with implementations described herein, an air flow path may extend from the air driven motor assembly 240, through the discharge space 285 in the motor chamber 280, into the exhaust chamber 272, and out through the exhaust air outlet 270. Along this air flow path, the flow of discharge air may be guided by the respective components defining the flow path. That is, the exhaust air may flow in a radial direction as it is discharged from the motor assembly 240, through the exhaust channels 282 and into the discharge space 285 in the motor chamber 280. In the discharge space 285 of the motor chamber 280, the exhaust air may flow, substantially circumferentially, toward the exhaust chamber 272. One or more exhaust slots 286, formed in the peripheral wall 284 of the motor chamber 280, may guide the air into the exhaust chamber 272, where the exhaust air flows in a radial direction for discharge through the exhaust air outlet 270. An internal geometry, or contouring, of the motor chamber 280, the exhaust chamber 272, and the one or more exhaust slots 286, may guide this change in air flow direction along the exhaust air flow path. This will be described in more detail with respect to
That is, the plurality of exhaust slots 286 may guide exhaust air from the motor chamber 280 into the exhaust chamber 272 for discharge. A shape and/or a position and/or a contour of the air exhaust channels 282 may guide the radial exhaust of air from the motor assembly 240 into the discharge space 285 in the motor chamber 280. A shape and/or a contour of the peripheral wall 284 of the motor chamber 280 and/or the peripheral wall 244 of the motor assembly 240 (defining the discharge space 285) may guide the flow of exhaust air through the motor chamber 280, around the motor assembly 240, and toward the exhaust slots 286. A shape and/or a contour and/or a position of the exhaust slots 286 may facilitate, or guide, the flow of air from the motor chamber 280 into the exhaust chamber 272. In some implementations, the exhaust slots 286 may be formed at a position in the peripheral wall 284 of the motor chamber 280 that is somewhat opposite, or separated from, the exhaust channels 282 to provide for as much air flow as possible along the periphery of the motor assembly 240. As the exhaust air is introduced into the discharge chamber 272 and encounters an inner wall portion 271 of the exhaust chamber 272, the geometry of the exhaust chamber 272 may guide the flow of the exhaust air, or change the flow direction of the exhaust air, so that the exhaust air flows in an axial direction out of the exhaust chamber 272 through the exhaust air outlet 270.
More specifically, as shown in
In the exemplary implementation illustrated in
In a pneumatic-powered tool, in accordance with implementations described herein, an arrangement of one or more air exhaust channels 282, one or more air exhaust slots 286, and an exhaust chamber 272, may allow air discharged from the motor assembly 240 in the radial direction to be discharged from the tool in the axial direction. As noted above, the orientation of the exhaust air outlet 270, together with the arrangement of the one or more air exhaust slots 286 relative to the motor chamber 280, the exhaust chamber 272 and the exhaust air outlet 270, may provide for a change in the flow direction of discharge exhaust air, and the subsequent forward discharge of the exhaust air. In directing the exhaust air in this manner, the exhaust air may circulate around an outer periphery of the motor assembly 240, thus cooling the motor assembly 240 prior discharge. As also noted above, the relatively longer discharge path (compared to a direct radial discharge of exhaust air), and change in direction (i.e., from a radial air flow direction to an axial air flow direction), and/or an expanding volume of the discharge chamber 272, may provide for audible noise reduction during operation of the tool.
In a pneumatic-powered tool, in accordance with implementations described herein, the exhaust chamber 272 may be defined by a protruded portion 274 of the housing 210, or an exhaust scoop 274 defined in the housing 210. In some implementations, the exhaust scoop 274 may be integrally formed with the housing 210, to allow for a single piece construction of the housing 210 and the exhaust chamber 272. As noted above, this single piece, or integral construction, together with the one or more exhaust slots 286 formed in the peripheral wall 284 of the motor chamber 280, may eliminate the need for a separate component to direct discharged exhaust air out of the tool, and/or may reduce an overall size of the tool, and/or may allow a larger diameter motor assembly 240 to be accommodated within the housing 210, without increasing the overall size of the tool.
While certain features of the described implementations have been illustrated as described herein, many modifications, substitutions, changes and equivalents may occur to those skilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the scope of the implementations. It should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only, not limitation, and various changes in form and details may be made. Any portion of the apparatus and/or methods described herein may be combined in any combination, except mutually exclusive combinations. The implementations described herein can include various combinations and/or sub-combinations of the functions, components and/or features of the different implementations described.