PORTABLE CIRCULAR SAW HAVING LIGHT IRRADIATION UNIT

Abstract

A portable circular saw includes a housing, a motor, a circular saw blade, a saw cover, and a light irradiation unit. The motor is accommodated in the housing. The circular saw blade is driven by the motor for cutting a cutting object in a cutting direction. The circular saw blade has one side surface and another side surface. The saw cover is provided to the housing for partially covering the circular saw blade. The light irradiation unit is provided on the saw cover. The light irradiation unit includes a first irradiation device located on the one side surface side of the circular saw blade and a second irradiation device located on the another side surface side of the circular saw blade for emitting a light to illuminate a region including a leading end portion of the circular saw blade and a spot on the cutting object. The spot is ahead of the leading end portion in the cutting direction.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a portable circular saw according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the portable circular saw from a opposite side of the housing according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the portable circular saw from the housing side according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a detailed cross-sectional view along a line IV-IV in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a detailed cross-sectional view along a line V-V in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a view showing a procedure for attaching a light irradiation unit of the portable circular saw according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a view showing a state in which the light irradiation unit has been attached to the portable circular saw according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the portable circular saw according to the embodiment of the present invention, when cutting operation is conducted; and

FIG. 9 is a side view of the portable circular saw from the opposite side of the housing according to the embodiment of the present invention, when an amount of protrusion of a circular saw blade has been changed.

Claims

1. A portable circular saw comprising: a housing;a motor accommodated in the housing;a circular saw blade driven by the motor for cutting a cutting object in a cutting direction, the circular saw blade having one side surface and another side surface;a saw cover provided to the housing for partially covering the circular saw blade; anda light irradiation unit provided on the saw cover and comprising a first irradiation device located on the one side surface side of the circular saw blade and a second irradiation device located on the another side surface side of the circular saw blade for emitting a light to illuminate a region including a leading end portion of the circular saw blade and a spot on the cutting object, the spot being ahead of the leading end portion in the cutting direction.

2. The portable circular saw according to claim 1, further comprising: a base pivotally movably supporting the housing and the saw cover and having a contact surface that contacts the cutting object, the circular saw blade protruding through the contact surface; anda protrusion amount changing mechanism provided on the base for changing an amount of protrusion of the circular saw blade from the contact surface,wherein the light irradiation unit is configured to emit the lights to illuminate the region regardless of a change in the amount of protrusion.

3. The portable circular saw according to claim 1, wherein the protrusion amount changing mechanism comprises: a pivot support portion provided on a front section of the base in the cutting direction for pivotally movably supporting the housing and the saw cover with respect to the base to change the amount of protrusion; anda regulator provided on a rear section of the base in the cutting direction and capable of fixing and releasing a pivot position of the housing and the saw cover with respect to the base, the light irradiation unit being positioned in the vicinity of the pivot support portion.

4. The portable circular saw according to claim 1, wherein the first irradiation device and the second irradiation device are positioned radially inward of the circular saw blade.

5. The portable circular saw according to claim 1, wherein the saw cover has one side wall that covers the one side surface of the circular saw blade and another side wall that covers the another side surface of the circular saw blade, and wherein the light irradiation unit comprises a resin case bridging between the one side wall and the another side wall, the resin case having one end section at the one side wall and another end section at the another side wall, the first irradiation device being provided on the one end section, and the second irradiation device being provided on the another end section.

6. The portable circular saw according to claim 5, wherein the resin case comprises a first case positioned at the one side wall and a second case positioned at the another side wall.

7. The portable circular saw according to claim 6, wherein the first case and the second case define a parting face therebetween, the parting face being linearly aligned with the circular saw blade.

8. The portable circular saw according to claim 7, wherein the first irradiation device and the second irradiation device provides a first optical axis and a second optical axis respectively, the first optical axis and the second optical axis being directed toward a blade edge of the leading end portion of the circular saw blade.

9. The portable circular saw according to claim 1, wherein the motor is located on the one side surface side of the circular saw blade, and wherein the first irradiation device includes a plurality of first light sources, and the second irradiation device includes at least one second light source, the number of the first light sources being greater than that of the at least one second light source.