BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIGS. 1-3 are perspective views of a handheld tool mounted on a portable compressor that is shown in three different positions;
FIGS. 4-6 are perspective views illustrating three steps of a procedure for mounting the tool on the compressor; and
FIGS. 7 and 8 are perspective views showing the tool mounted on two other compressors.
DESCRIPTION
The apparatus shown in FIG. 1 has parts that are examples of the elements recited in the claims. The apparatus thus includes examples of how a person of ordinary skill in the art can make and use the claimed invention. It is described here to meet the requirements of enablement and best mode without imposing limitations that are not recited in the claims.
The apparatus includes a compressor 1. It has an air pump 10 with a pump housing 12 that supports an air tank 14. The tank 14 stores air compressed by the pump 10. A hose 16 is configured to conduct the air stored in the tank 14 to a pneumatic device, such as a handheld pneumatic power tool 20. The tool 20 is removably mounted on the compressor 1 by a mounting bracket 22 attached to the housing 12.
The housing 12 has a handle 26 and first and second opposite surfaces 31 and 32 extending from the handle 26 to an end surface 33 opposite the handle 26. The first surface 31 supports the bracket 22. The compressor 1 is configured to be lifted and carried by its handle 26 as shown in FIG. 1. When carried, the compressor 1 is in a vertical orientation, with the first and second surfaces 31 and 32 vertical and the end surface 33 spaced above and facing a floor 34.
When stored or used, the compressor 1 can remain in the vertical orientation as shown in FIG. 2, but with the end surface 33 resting on the floor 34. Alternatively, the compressor 1 can be pivoted 90° into a horizontal orientation shown in FIG. 3. The second surface 32 rests on the floor 34 or a tabletop. The first surface 31, adjoining the bracket 22, faces upward.
The bracket 22 is molded as a one-piece structure. With respect to the compressor's vertical orientation shown in FIG. 4, the bracket 22 has upper and lower fingers 41 and 42 projecting horizontally outward from opposite ends of a vertical side bar 43. The bracket 22 has a cavity 50 bounded by the fingers 41 and 42 and the side bar 43. Distal ends 51 and 52 of the fingers 41 and 42 define an opening 54 to the cavity 50. A width WO of the opening 54 is the vertical distance between the distal ends 51 and 52. A cavity depth DC is the horizontal distance from the opening 54 to the opposite end of the cavity 50.
The tool 20 in this example is a nail gun. It has a barrel 60, a nail cartridge 62 perpendicular to the barrel 60, a pistol grip 64 parallel with the cartridge 62, and a trigger 66. The gun 20 is configured for a hand to grasp the grip 64 while the hand's index finger squeezes the trigger 66. The hand grip 64 has a longitudinal axis A and a cross-sectional profile P perpendicular to the axis A. The profile P has a longest dimension LP and a shortest dimension WP that are perpendicular to each other and to the axis A. The long dimension LP is larger than both the opening width WO and the cavity depth DC. The short dimension Wp is equal to or smaller than both the opening width WO and the cavity depth DC.
A procedure for mounting the tool 20 to the compressor 1 has two steps. The first step is an insertion step indicated by arrow 71 in FIG. 4. This step begins with the barrel 60 directed away from the housing 12 and the grip width Wp aligned with the opening width WO. A user manually moves the pistol grip 64, without rotation, linearly through the bracket opening 54 into an intermediate position shown in FIG. 5. In the intermediate position, a portion of the grip 64 remains outside the cavity 50, because the grip's profile length LP exceeds the cavity depth DC.
The second step is a rotation step. The user rotates the gun (arrow 73) downward about the grip axis A into a mounted position shown in FIG. 6. To enable the grip 64 to clear the lower edge 52 of the opening 54 during rotation and to bring the grip 64 fully into the cavity 50, the user displaces the grip 64 toward the upper right hand corner 74 (with respect to the orientation in FIG. 6) of the cavity 50 as indicated by dashed lines 76 in FIG. 6.
In the mounted position shown in FIG. 6, the barrel 60 extends downward. The profile's long dimension LP is parallel with the opening width WO. The grip 64 is captured in the cavity 50, because its profile length LP is larger than the opening width WO. The bracket's fingers 41 and 42 simultaneously engage the grip 64 to prevent the grip 64 from moving vertically. Enlarged sections 80 and 82 at longitudinally opposite ends of the grip 64 are too large to enter the cavity 50 and thus prevent the grip 64 from sliding along its longitudinal axis A out of the cavity 50. If the compressor 1 is subsequently pivoted into its horizontal orientation (FIG. 3), the barrel 60 will rest on the surface 31 that supports the bracket 22.
To remove the gun 20 from the compressor 1, the barrel 60 is manually pivoted (arrow 91 in FIG. 6) upward about the grip axis A. This returns the gun 20 back to the intermediate position (FIG. 5) with the grip width Wp parallel to the bracket's opening width WO. The grip 64 can then be moved horizontally, without rotation, out of the cavity 50 through the opening 54.
The following features of the mounting and removing procedures are apparent: Both procedures do not require bending, moving or squeezing the bracket 22, so the bracket 22 can be made rigid and have no moving parts. Both procedures do not require the user to forcibly push one thing against another or to apply any force beyond lifting the gun 20. The grip 64 must be rotated, assisted by gravity, to be brought into its captured position and must be rotated again, against gravity, to be withdrawn from its captured position.
For marketing to a user, the compressor 1 can be packaged together with the nail gun 20. Additionally, other pneumatic hand tools can be sold for use with the compressor. These tools can include nail guns differing in size and shape, and handheld power tools other than nail guns. Although the sizes and shapes of these tools could differ greatly, their hand grips would be sized and shaped so as to be interchangeably attached to the same bracket 22, like the grip 64 described above.
FIG. 7 shows a second compressor 1′. Like the first compressor 1 (FIGS. 1-6), this compressor 1′ has a pump 10′, a housing 12′, a tank 14′, a handle 26′, and a hose 16′. The hose 16′ can be attached to the nail gun 20. A mounting bracket 22′, like the bracket 22 described above, is attached to a vertical side surface 31′ of the housing 12′. The procedure for mounting/removing the gun 20 to/from this compressor 1′ is the same as described above for the first compressor 1.
Unlike the first compressor 1, the housing 12′ of this compressor 1′ does not support the tank 14′ but instead rests on top of the tank 14′. This compressor 1′ is not configured to be manually carried. It instead has wheels 36′, to be wheeled over a floor 34 while pushed by its handle 26′. During use or when stored between uses, the second compressor's wheels 36′ and two feet 38′ rest on the floor 34 as shown in solid lines in FIG. 7. To enable wheeling the compressor 1′, it is tilted (arrow 93) about its wheels 36′ to raise the feet 38′ off the floor 34 as shown in dashed lines.
FIG. 8 shows a third compressor 1″. Like the first and second compressors 1 and 1′, it has a pump 10″, a housing 12″, a tank 14″ and a hose 16″. A bracket 22″, like the brackets 22 and 22′ described above, is attached to a vertical side surface 31″ of the housing 12″ for mounting the nail gun 20. However, in contrast to the other compressors 1 and 1′, this compressor 1″ has no handle or wheels and is not configured to be tilted.
This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal language of the claims.
Patent Application
20070269318
