Patent Grant
10780564
The present application claims priority to Japanese patent application serial number 2016-198984 filed on Oct. 7, 2016, the contents of which are incorporated fully herein by reference.
The present invention generally relates to a power tool configured to linearly drive a tool accessory in a prescribed impact-axis direction.
Some power tools are configured to perform processing work on a workpiece by linearly driving (reciprocally driving) a tool accessory in a prescribed impact-axis (hammering) direction. In such power tools, a particularly large vibration is generated in the impact-axis direction. Various vibration-isolating housing structures have been proposed to deal with this vibration, i.e. to reduce the transmission of the vibration to the user. For example, in a hammer drill disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication 2014-124698, a main-body housing, which comprises a handle that is grasped by a user, is elastically coupled to, and is capable of relative movement with respect to, an interior housing, which houses a drive mechanism, and a motor housing, which is fixed to the interior housing.
In the above-mentioned known hammer drill, a lower end surface of an outer-circumferential wall of the main-body housing is designed to be in sliding contact with an upper-end surface of an outer-circumferential wall of the motor housing slidable in an effort to stabilize the sliding between the main-body housing and the motor housing. Nevertheless, in vibration-isolating housing structures of power tools, there is a demand for a much more significant improvement in the stability of the sliding of one housing relative to another housing.
It is therefore an object of the present teachings to disclose a vibration-isolating housing structure of a power tool, in which the stability of sliding of a first housing (or first housing part) relative to a second housing (or second housing part) is improved.
For example, the present teachings preferably may be applied to a power tool configured to linearly drive (reciprocally drive) a tool accessory in a prescribed impact-axis direction, i.e. along an impact axis. In one aspect of the present teachings, such a power tool may comprise a motor, a drive mechanism, a first housing (or first housing part), and a second housing (or second housing part).
The motor comprises a motor-main-body part and a motor shaft. The motor-main-body part comprises a stator and a rotor. The motor shaft extends from the rotor. The drive mechanism is preferably configured to drive, and/or includes components capable of driving, the tool accessory by using the motive power of the motor. The first housing houses the motor and the drive mechanism. The second housing is disposed such that it covers at least one portion of the first housing and it is coupled to, and is capable of relative movement with respect to, the first housing via at least one elastic element. With regard to the location of the motor, the motor-main-body part is spaced apart from the impact axis, and the motor shaft is disposed extending in a direction that intersects the impact axis.
The second housing preferably comprises a grasp part (handle), a first portion, and a second portion. The grasp part is configured to be graspable (held) by a user and extends in a rotational-axis direction of the motor shaft (i.e. extends in parallel, or substantially in parallel, with the rotational axis of the motor shaft). The grasp part has a first end part and a second end part at opposite ends thereof in the extension direction of the grasp part. The first portion of the second housing is connected to (e.g., extends perpendicularly or substantially perpendicularly from) the first end part of the grasp part, and covers the above-noted at least one portion of the first housing. The second portion of the second housing is connected to (e.g., extends perpendicularly or substantially perpendicularly from) the second end part of the grasp part.
The first housing comprises a first sliding part and a second sliding part. The first sliding part is configured to be capable of sliding relative to the first portion of the second housing. The second sliding part is configured to be capable of sliding relative to the second portion of the second housing and is provided on the side opposite the first sliding part with respect to the motor-main-body part in the rotational-axis direction of the motor shaft.
In such a power tool, the second housing, which comprises the grasp part that is grasped by the user, is coupled to, and is capable of sliding movement relative to, the first housing via the at least one elastic member. As was noted above, the first housing houses the motor and the drive mechanism constituting the sources of vibration. Therefore, the at least one elastic element that is interposed between the first and second housings makes it possible to reduce the transmission of vibration from the first housing to the second housing (particularly, to the grasp part). In addition, the two sliding parts (i.e., the first sliding part and the second sliding part), which are respectively slidable relative to the first portion and the second portion of the second housing, are provided on the first housing and are disposed on both sides of the motor-main-body part in the rotational axis direction of the motor shaft. Due to this arrangement, the sliding of the first housing relative to the second housing when the first housing and the second housing move relative to one another during operation (due to vibration generated in the first housing) can be made more stable than in embodiments in which a single sliding part is provided on only one side of the motor-main-body part.
According to another aspect of the present teachings, the second sliding part may be a sliding surface that extends parallel to the impact axis and may be configured to be capable of sliding in the impact-axis direction, relative to the sliding surface formed on the second portion, with the sliding surfaces of the second sliding part and the second portion of the second housing in contact with one another. In such an embodiment, because the sliding surface formed on the second portion contacts the sliding surface, which is disposed parallel to the impact axis and serves as the second sliding part, the sliding of the first housing relative the second housing can be guided thereby, and consequently the stability of sliding can be further increased. In addition, because the sliding direction is the impact axis direction, the largest and dominant vibration of the vibrations arising in the power tool (namely, the vibration in the impact axis direction) can be more effectively prevented from being transmitted to the grasp part owing to the fact that the first housing can (reciprocally) slide relative to the second housing (which includes the grasp part) due to the elastic connection of the first and second housings via the at least one elastic element.
According to another aspect of the present teachings, the power tool may further comprise a plate member. The plate member may be fixed to the first housing such that the plate member opposes the end part on the second portion side of the first housing in the rotational-axis direction of the motor shaft. In addition, the second portion of the second housing may comprise an interposed part (e.g., a plain linear bearing or linear motion guide). The interposed part may be configured such that at least a portion of the interposed part is disposed in a gap between the end part on the second portion side of the first housing and the plate member and is capable of sliding relative to the first housing in the impact-axis direction. The second sliding part may be formed on the end part on the second portion side of the first housing and may be configured to be capable of sliding relative to the sliding surface formed on the interposed part. Thus, by disposing the interposed part, which is capable of sliding in the impact-axis direction, between the end part on the second portion side of the first housing and the plate member, it is possible to reliably implement, with a simple configuration, a sliding-guide structure in the impact axis direction.
According to another aspect of the present teachings, at least the second sliding part of the first housing may be formed of a material that differs from the material of the second housing. In other words, within the first housing, the second sliding part (sliding surface) formed on the end part on the second portion side and the sliding surface formed on the interposed part of the second housing may be formed of different materials from each other. In such an embodiment, the second sliding part (sliding surface) and the sliding surface of the interposed part can be prevented from welding (fusing) to one another owing to frictional heat generated when the second sliding part is reciprocally sliding relative to the interposed part during operation of the power tool.
According to another aspect of the present teachings, the plate member may comprise a stop part that prohibits relative movement of the second portion with respect to the first housing beyond a prescribed (sliding) range in the impact-axis direction. In such an embodiment, it is possible to prevent the second housing from sliding relative to the first housing in the impact-axis direction more than is necessary to achieve the vibration isolating effect of the present teachings.
According to another aspect of the present teachings, the first housing and the second housing may be coupled via a plurality of elastic elements disposed between the first portion and the first housing and between the second portion and the first housing. Preferably, one or more of the plurality of elastic elements may be biasing springs that bias the first housing away from the second housing such that the grasp part (handle) spaces apart (is urged away) from the first housing. In such an embodiment, because the first housing and the second housing are coupled via biasing springs located on both ends of the grasp part, the transmission of vibration from the first housing to the grasp part (handle) can be more effectively reduced.
According to another aspect of the present teachings, the second portion may comprise a battery-mounting part, which is formed on an end part on a side that is spaced apart farther from the first portion in the rotational-axis direction of the motor shaft, and may be configured such that a battery (battery pack or battery cartridge) can be mounted thereto and dismounted therefrom. The power tool optionally may further comprise the battery (battery pack or battery cartridge), which is mounted (mountable) on the battery-mounting part. Thus, by providing the battery-mounting part on the second portion of the second housing, which is coupled, via elastic elements, to the first housing (which houses the motor and the drive mechanism), it is possible to prevent chattering (contact bounce) when the battery is mounted on the battery-mounting part and the tool is being operated (i.e. vibrations are being generated in the first housing). In addition, the mounting of the battery increases the mass of the second housing, and thereby a further reduction in vibration of the second housing can be achieved. Two or battery-mounting parts may be formed on the bottom surface of the second housing, such that two or more batteries (battery packs or battery cartridges) may be mounted on the second housing of the power tool.
According to another aspect of the present teachings, the second portion may comprise an illumination apparatus (light) configured to radiate (shine) light toward the location at which work is performed by the tool accessory. In this case, during processing work in which the power tool is used, it can be made easy to confirm the state of the tool accessory, the workpiece, and the like disposed at the work location. In addition, by providing the illumination apparatus on the second portion of the second housing, which is coupled via the elastic elements to the first housing, it is possible to protect the illumination apparatus from vibration (i.e. reduce the amount of vibration reaching the illumination apparatus, such that the light shining on the workpiece or work area shakes less during operation of the power tool).
Other objects, features, embodiments, functions, and effects of the present teachings will be readily apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the present teachings, the claims, and the attached drawings.
Embodiments of the present teachings are explained below, with reference to the drawings. It is noted that the embodiments below illustrate by example an electrically-driven hammer drill 1 (or rotary hammer), which serves as a representative, non-limiting example of a power tool (electrically-driven processing machine) according to the present teachings. The hammer drill 1 of the present embodiment is configured to perform both an operation (a hammering operation) in which a tool accessory 18, which is mounted on (in) a tool holder 34, is linearly driven (reciprocally driven) along a prescribed impact axis A1 as well as an operation (a drill operation) in which the tool accessory 18 is rotationally driven around the impact axis A1.
First, a schematic configuration of the hammer drill 1 will be explained, with reference to
As shown in
It is noted that, for the sake of convenience in the explanation below, (i) the impact axis A1 direction of the hammer drill 1 is defined as the front-rear direction of the hammer drill 1, (ii) the side on which the tool holder 34 is provided is defined as the “front side” (also called the “tip area side”) of the hammer drill 1, and (iii) the opposite side thereof is defined as the “rear side” of the hammer drill 1. In addition, (i) the direction in which the rotational axis A2 of the motor shaft 25 extends is defined as the up-down direction of the hammer drill 1, (ii) the direction in which the motor-housing part 111 protrudes from (projects below) the drive-mechanism housing part 117 is defined as the downward direction, and (iii) the opposite direction thereof is defined as the upward direction.
Referring again to
According to the above-described configuration, in the hammer drill 1 as shown in
Two battery-mounting parts 15, which are configured such that two rechargeable batteries (battery packs or battery cartridges) 19 can be respectively mounted thereon and dismounted (removed) therefrom, are provided on the lower-end side of the lower-side portion 135. In the present embodiment, the two battery-mounting parts 15 are aligned in the front-rear direction. Furthermore, the hammer drill 1 operates by using the electric power (current) supplied from the two batteries 19 mounted on the battery-mounting parts 15.
The detailed configuration of each portion of the hammer drill 1 is explained below, with reference to
First, the internal structure of the motor-housing part 111 will be explained, with reference to
The motor shaft 25, which extends in the up-down direction, is rotatably supported by a first bearing 26, which is held by (in) the lower-end part of the drive-mechanism housing part 117, and by a second bearing 27, which is held by (in) the lower-end part of the motor-housing part 111. A fan 28 is provided for cooling the motor 2 and a (below-described) controller 5 and the fan 28 is fixed to the motor shaft 25 adjacent to the upper side of the motor-main-body part 20. The fan 28 is configured such that, by driving the motor 2, it rotates integrally with the motor shaft 25, and thereby causes a cooling draft (air) to flow into the housing 10 via vents 139 (refer to
Next, the internal structure of the drive-mechanism housing part 117 will be explained, with reference to
The motion-converting mechanism 30 is configured to convert the rotary motion of the motor 2 into linear motion and to transmit such linear motion to the hammer element 36. The motion-converting mechanism 30 of the present embodiment is configured as a crank mechanism and comprises a crankshaft 31, a connecting rod 32, a piston 33, and a cylinder 35. The crankshaft 31 is disposed, parallel to the motor shaft 25, on a rear-end portion of the drive-mechanism housing part 117. The crankshaft 31 has a driven gear 311, which meshes with the drive gear 29, at a lower end thereof and has a crank pin 312 at an upper end thereof. One end of the connecting rod 32 is rotatably coupled to the crank pin 312, and the other end of the connecting rod 32 is attached to the piston 33 via a pin. The piston 33 is slidably disposed inside the circular-cylindrical cylinder 35. The cylinder 35 is coaxially coupled and fixed to a rear part of the tool holder 34, which is disposed inside the tip area of the drive-mechanism housing part 117. When the motor 2 is driven, the piston 33 moves reciprocatively in the impact axis A1 direction inside the cylinder 35.
The hammer element 36 comprises a striker 361 and an impact bolt 363. The striker 361 is disposed inside the cylinder 35 so as to be slidable in (along) the impact axis A1 direction. An air chamber 365 is formed between the striker 361 and the piston 33 and is provided for linearly moving the striker 361, which serves as a striking element, by using air-pressure fluctuations generated by the reciprocating motion of the piston 33. The impact bolt 363 is configured as an intermediate element, which transmits the kinetic energy of the striker 361 to the tool accessory 18, and is disposed inside the tool holder 34 so as to be slidable in the impact axis A1 direction.
When the motor 2 is driven and the piston 33 moves frontward, the air in the air chamber 365 becomes compressed, and thereby the internal pressure rises. Consequently, the striker 361 is pushed frontward at a high velocity and strikes the impact bolt 363, and thereby the kinetic energy is transmitted to the tool accessory 18. As a result, the tool accessory 18 is driven linearly along the impact axis A1 and strikes (impacts) the workpiece. On the other hand, when the piston 33 moves rearward, the air in the air chamber 365 expands and the internal pressure falls, and thereby the striker 361 is pulled rearward. The hammer drill 1 performs the hammering operation by repetitively performing such operations on (using) the motion-converting mechanism 30 and the hammer element 36 such that the tool accessory 18 is linearly driven in an oscillating manner.
The rotation-transmitting mechanism 38 is configured to transmit the rotational motive power of the motor shaft 25 to the tool holder 34. In the present embodiment, the rotation-transmitting mechanism 38 is configured as a gear-speed-reducing mechanism comprising a plurality of gears; the rotational motive power of the motor 2 is transmitted to the tool holder 34 after the rotational speed has been suitably reduced. It is noted that meshing-type clutches 39 are disposed along the motive-power-transmission pathway of the rotation-transmitting mechanism 38. When the clutches 39 are put into an engaged state, the rotational motive power of the motor shaft 25 is transmitted to the tool holder 34 by the rotation-transmitting mechanism 38, and thereby the tool accessory 18, which is mounted in the tool holder 34, is rotationally driven around the impact axis A1. On the other hand, when the engaged state of the clutches 39 is released (
The hammer drill 1 of the present embodiment is configured such that one of two modes (i.e., a hammer-drill mode and a hammer mode) is selectable by manipulating (manually turning) a mode-switching dial 391, which is provided on an upper side of the drive-mechanism housing part 117. In the hammer-drill mode, the clutches 39 are put into the engaged state and the motion-converting mechanism 30 and the rotation-transmitting mechanism 38 are driven, and thereby the hammering operation and the drill operation are both performed simultaneously on the tool accessory 18. In the hammer mode, the clutches 39 are put in the engagement-released state (i.e. the disengaged state) and only the motion-converting mechanism 30 is driven such that only the hammering operation is performed. Because configurations for such mode switching are well known, a detailed explanation thereof is omitted herein.
The internal structure of the second housing part 13 is explained below, with reference to
The grasp part (handle) 131 will now be explained. As shown in
Each switch comprises a fixed contact and a movable contact. In an initial state in which the trigger 14 is not being pressed, each switch is maintained in the OFF (open) state. On the other hand, when the trigger 14 is pressed, the plunger is caused to move, thereby causing the movable contact to be brought into contact with the fixed contact, whereby the switch transitions to the ON (closed) state. It is noted that, in the present embodiment, while the trigger 14 is being pressed (squeezed) from its released (un-pressed) position to its maximum depressed position, the movable contact of the illumination switch makes contact with the fixed contact of the illumination switch before the trigger 14 reaches its maximum depressed position, such that an illumination unit 6 (described below) is lit. On the other hand, only when the trigger 14 reaches its maximum depressed position, the movable contact of the motor switch first makes contact with the fixed contact of the motor switch. Thus, contact actuation times for each switch are set via the plunger.
The switch unit 140 is electrically connected to the controller 5, which is discussed below, by wiring (not shown). The ON-OFF states of the motor switch and the illumination switch are used by the controller 5 to control the start and stop of the supply of electric current to the motor 2 and to control the turning ON and OFF of the illumination unit 6.
The lower-side portion 135 will now be explained. As shown in
The configuration of the batteries 19, which are capable of being mounted onto and dismounted (removed) from the battery-mounting parts 15, will now be explained briefly. As shown in
The hook 193 and the terminals are provided on the upper side of each battery 19, and the upper side opposes the corresponding battery-mounting part 15. The hook 193 is configured such that one-end part in the longitudinal direction of the battery 19 (i.e., the left-right direction in
In the present embodiment, the two battery-mounting parts 15 are a front-side, battery-mounting part 15 that is provided on the front-side portion of the lower-side portion 135, and a rear-side, battery-mounting part 15 that is provided on the rear-side portion of the lower-side portion 135. It is noted that the front-side battery-mounting part 15 is disposed downward of the motor 2 and is intersected by the rotational axis A2. As shown in
The guide rails 151 protrude inward from left and right wall surfaces along a lower end of the lower-side portion 135 and are formed as projections extending linearly in the front-rear direction (i.e., the impact axis A1 direction). The guide rails 151 are configured such that they can engage, by sliding, with the guide grooves 191 of the battery 19. The hook-engaging part 153 is a recessed part that is recessed upward and is configured such that the hook 193 of the battery 19 can engage therewith. The battery-connection terminals 155 are configured such that they respectively electrically connect with the terminals of the battery 19 attendant with the battery 19 being fixed to the battery-mounting part 15 by the hook 193 engaging with the hook-engaging part 153.
In the present embodiment, the front-side, battery-mounting part 15 and the rear-side, battery-mounting part 15 have identical configurations but differ in the direction in which the batteries 19 are mounted and dismounted. Specifically, the front-side, battery-mounting part 15 is configured such that the battery 19 engages therewith by sliding from the front toward the rear in the state in which the hook 193 is disposed at the front-upper-end part and the guide rails 151 are engaged with the guide grooves 191. Consequently, it is configured such that the hook-engaging part 153 is disposed on the front-end part of the battery-mounting part 15, and the battery-connection terminals 155 connect, from (at) the rear, to the terminals of the battery 19. On the other hand, the rear-side, battery-mounting part 15 is configured such that the battery 19 engages therewith by sliding from the rear toward the front in the state in which the hook 193 is disposed at the rear-upper-end part and the guide rails 151 are engaged with the guide grooves 191. Consequently, it is configured such that the hook-engaging part 153 is disposed at the rear-end part of the battery-mounting part 15, and the battery-connection terminals 155 connect, from (at) the front, to the terminals of the battery 19.
Thus, the front-side, battery-mounting part 15 is configured such that the battery 19 is mounted by sliding it from the front toward the rear, and the rear-side, battery-mounting part 15 is configured such that the battery 19 is mounted by sliding it from the rear toward the front. Therefore, the (e.g., front) battery 19 mounted on one of the battery-mounting parts 15 does not interfere with the (e.g., rear) battery 19 mounted on the other battery-mounting part 15 during mounting or dismounting of either of the batteries 19. Thereby, ease of operation can be satisfactorily maintained during mounting or dismounting (removal) of the two batteries 19.
It is noted that the respective guide rails 151 of the front-side, battery-mounting part 15 and the rear-side, battery-mounting part 15 are disposed along the same two virtual straight lines extending horizontally in the front-rear direction. That is, the two battery-mounting parts 15 are aligned in one row in the front-rear direction at the same position in the up-down direction.
As shown in
As shown in
Furthermore, as shown in
The controller 5 is disposed adjacent the space 150 formed between the two sets of battery-connection terminals 155 and such that at least part(s) of the controller 5 overlap(s) the two battery-mounting parts 15 in the front-rear direction. More specifically, the controller 5 is disposed upward of the space 150 and is disposed such that, when viewed from above (or below), a center part of the controller 5 overlaps the space 150. Furthermore, the front-end part and rear-end part of the controller 5 partially overlap the front-side, battery-mounting part 15 and the rear-side, battery-mounting part 15, respectively. In addition, the controller 5 comprises wiring terminals 51, to which wiring (not shown) is connected for electrically connecting the controller 5 to the motor 2, the illumination unit 6, the switch unit 140, etc. The controller 5 is disposed such that the wiring terminals 51 project toward the space 150 below.
In the present embodiment, when the trigger 14 is pressed and the illumination switch of the switch unit 140 changes from the normal OFF state to the ON state, the controller 5 turns the LED(s) of the illumination unit 6 ON in response to an ON signal output from the illumination switch. When the trigger 14 is further pressed to its maximum depressed position such that the motor switch changes to the ON state, the controller 5 supplies electric current to drive the motor 2 in response to the outputted ON signal. It is noted that, as discussed above, the contact actuation times of the illumination switch and the motor switch differ, and therefore the illumination unit 6 turns ON before the drive of the motor 2 starts and turns OFF after the drive of the motor 2 stops.
Further details concerning the vibration-isolating housing structure of the housing 10 are explained below, with reference to
More specifically, as shown in
Further details concerning the arrangement of the first springs 71 will now be explained. As shown in
In the present embodiment, compression coil springs are used as the first springs 71. The first springs 71 are resiliently (elastically) disposed between the spring-seat parts 74, 73, in the state in which opposite end parts of the first springs 71 are externally mounted on (are mounted around the exterior sides of) the circular-column parts of the spring-seat parts 74, 73, such that the central axes (longitudinal extensions) of the first springs 71 extend in parallel to the impact axis A1 (i.e., in the front-rear direction). The first springs 71 bias (urge) the first housing part 11 (the drive-mechanism housing part 117) away from the second housing part 13 (the upper-side portion 133), i.e., such that the grasp part 131 spaces apart from the first housing part 11. In other words, the first springs 71 bias (urge) the first housing part 11 frontward in the front-rear direction, which is the impact axis A1 direction, and bias (urge) the second housing part 13, which includes the grasp part 131, rearward.
Further details concerning the arrangement of the second spring 75 will now be explained. As shown in
Furthermore, sliding-guide structures are provided in (on) the housing 10 to support and guide oscillating sliding movement of the first housing part 11 relative to the second housing part 13 during operation (i.e. when vibration is being generated in the first housing part 11). In the present embodiment, an upper-side guide part 8 and a lower-side guide part 9 are provided as the sliding-guide structures at two locations, that is, on the upper side and on the lower side of the motor-main-body part 20.
First, the configuration of the upper-side guide part 8 will be explained in more detail, with reference to
Opposite thereto, a lower surface of an opening (a lower-end part) of the upper-side portion 133 likewise is a flat surface parallel to the impact axis A1 (i.e., a flat surface whose normal line is orthogonal to the impact axis A1) and constitutes a second upper-side sliding surface 821. In the present embodiment, the second upper-side sliding surface 821 likewise is a flat surface extending in the horizontal direction, and the first upper-side sliding surface 811 is slidable relative to the second upper-side sliding surface 821 in the state in which those surfaces 811, 821 abut and contact one another (i.e. the first upper-side sliding surface 811 is in sliding contact with the second upper-side sliding surface 821). The first upper-side sliding surface 811 and the second upper-side sliding surface 821 constitute the upper-side guide part 8.
The upper-side sliding part 81, which has the first upper-side sliding surface 811, is preferably formed of a material that differs from at least the material of the upper-side portion 133, which has the second upper-side sliding surface 821. In the present embodiment, the second housing part 13 (the grasp part 131, the upper-side portion 133, and the lower-side portion 135) and the circumferential-wall part 112 and the bottom part 113 of the motor-housing part 111 are all formed of a polyamide-based resin, e.g., containing glass fibers (e.g., 20-35 weight percent) and other additives typically utilized in power tool housings; a polyamide-based resin preferably contains at least 50% weight percent of polyamide, e.g., PA66, of its total weight (i.e. 100 weight percent). The upper-side sliding part 81, on the other hand, is formed of a polycarbonate-based resin, e.g., containing glass fibers (e.g., 20-35 weight percent) and other additives typically utilized in power tool housings; a polycarbonate-based resin preferably contains at least 50% weight percent of polycarbonate of its total weight (i.e. 100 weight percent).
It is noted that, as shown in
The configuration of the lower-side guide part 9 will now be explained, with reference to
As shown in
In addition, the lower-side sliding part 91 is formed of a material that differs from at least the material of the lower-side portion 135. In the present embodiment, the lower-side sliding part 91 is preferably formed of a polycarbonate-based resin, e.g., the same as in the upper-side sliding part 81.
As shown in
In addition, as shown in
As shown in
At least one portion of the interposed part 922 (more specifically, at least one portion other than a rear part of the lower-side portion 135) is disposed in the gap between the first lower-side sliding surface 911 and the upper surface of the plate member 917 and is configured to be slidable relative to the motor-housing part 111. The thickness of the interposed part 922 in the up-down direction is substantially the same as the distance (gap) between the first lower-side sliding surface 911 and the upper surface of the plate member 917.
More preferably, the thickness of the interposed part 922 is set to be slightly less than the vertical height of the gap so that the interposed part 922 may freely slide relative to the first lower-side sliding surface 911 and the upper surface of the plate member 917 (i.e. such that the interposed part 922 is not press-fit into the gap). On the other hand, the thickness of the interposed part 922 is also preferably set to be sufficiently wide (high) so that movement of the interposed part 922 relative to the first lower-side sliding surface 911 and the upper surface of the plate member 917 in the vertical direction (in the direction of the rotational axis A2) is at least substantially blocked, thereby constraining the sliding movement of the first lower-side sliding surface 911 relative to the second lower-side sliding surface 921 to only a direction perpendicular to the rotational axis A2. By setting the thickness of the interposed part 922 in the vertical direction in this manner, the interposed part 922 acts or functions as a linear motion guide or plain linear bearing to permit movement of the first lower-side sliding surface 911 relative to the second lower-side sliding surface 921 only in a direction perpendicular to the rotational axis A2. While the interposed part 922 preferably is smooth to minimize friction, it need not function as a friction-reducing element.
The upper surface of the interposed part 922 is a flat surface parallel to the impact axis A1 (i.e., a flat surface whose normal line is orthogonal to the impact axis A1) and constitutes the second lower-side sliding surface 921. It is noted that, in the present embodiment, the second lower-side sliding surface 921 likewise is a flat surface extending in the horizontal direction. The first lower-side sliding surface 911 and the second lower-side sliding surface 921 are slidable in the state in which they abut and are in contact with one another.
When the first lower-side sliding surface 911 slides back and forth relative to the second lower-side sliding surface 921 because the lower-side portion 135 is moving (oscillating) relative to the motor-housing part 111 as a result of vibrations generated in the motor-housing part 111 during operation, a left-side portion and a right-side portion make contact with the interposed part 922 and thereby the protruding part 914 of the lower-side sliding part 91 prohibits (blocks) movement of the lower-side portion 135 in the left-right (lateral) direction with respect to the motor-housing part 111 and guides the lower-side portion 135 such that it moves in (only along) the impact axis A1 direction i.e. movement of the first lower-side sliding surface 911 relative to the second lower-side sliding surface 921 is constrained to being substantially one-dimensional movement in parallel to the impact axis A1. Consequently, in the present embodiment, the first lower-side sliding surface 911 slides back and forth relative to the second lower-side sliding surface 921 substantially only in the impact axis A1 direction (the front-rear direction) in the state in which they are in contact with one another, such that the interposed part 922 functions or acts as a plain linear bearing or linear motion guide in this respect as well.
It is noted that, in the present embodiment, the interposed part 922 extends continuously around three sides (front, left and right) of the motor housing 112, e.g., in a substantially U-shape, C-shape, oval shape or horseshoe shape. However, the shape of the interposed part 922 may be modified in various ways while still satisfying the requirements of blocking or preventing movement of the first lower-side sliding surface 911 relative to the second lower-side sliding surface 921 in the vertical (up-down) direction and/or in the lateral (left-right) direction of the power tool 1. For example, the interposed part 922 may have breaks or interruptions along its curved extension and/or one or more portions of the interior-most edge of the interposed part 922 may be straight. In addition or in the alternative, the interposed part 922 may be provided only at the longitudinal front portion of the second portion 135 of the second housing 13, such that it only blocks or prohibits movement of the first lower-side sliding surface 911 relative to the second lower-side sliding surface 921 in the vertical direction. Another structure optionally may be provided to block movement of the first lower-side sliding surface 911 relative to the second lower-side sliding surface 921 in the lateral direction, if desired. Moreover, the interposed part 922 may be provided only along the left and right side portions of the second portion 135 of the second housing 13 (i.e. no interposed part 922 is provided at the longitudinal front portion of the second portion 135), such that the pair of left, right interposed parts 922 still blocks movement of the first lower-side sliding surface 911 relative to the second lower-side sliding surface 921 in both the vertical and horizontal directions, or in only one of these directions. Various other modifications are possible as long as a linear motion guiding function is provided such that movement of the first lower-side sliding surface 911 relative to the second lower-side sliding surface 921 is blocked/prohibited in the vertical direction and/or movement of the first lower-side sliding surface 911 relative to the second lower-side sliding surface is blocked/prohibited 921 in the lateral direction.
As shown in
The functions and effects of the hammer drill 1 configured as described above will now be explained. As discussed above, the first housing part 11 and the second housing part 13 are biased frontward and rearward away from each other by the first springs 71 and the second spring 75. Thereby, as shown in
When the user presses the trigger 14 to its motor-actuation position, the drive of the motor 2 starts. Vibration arises in the hammer drill 1 (more particularly, in the first housing part 11) owing to the drive of the motor 2 and the drive mechanism 3. In the present embodiment, the second housing part 13 (comprising the grasp part 131 that is grasped by the user) is coupled to, and is capable of relative movement with respect to, the first housing part 11 (housing the motor 2 and the drive mechanism 3 that constitute the sources of the vibration) via the first springs 71 and the second spring 75. Thereby, the oscillating sliding movement of the first housing part 11 relative to the second housing part 13, which is effected by the springs 71, 75, makes it is possible to reduce the transmission of vibration from the first housing part 11 to the second housing part 13 (specifically, the grasp part 131).
In particular, in the present embodiment, the first springs 71 and the second spring 75 are composed of compression coil springs that bias the first housing part 11 away from the second housing part 13 such that the grasp part 131 is spaced apart from the first housing part 11. Furthermore, the first housing part 11 and the second housing part 13 are coupled, via the first springs 71 and second spring 75, at both ends of the grasp part 131. Thereby, the transmission of vibration from the first housing part 11 to the grasp part 131 can be more effectively reduced.
In addition, the upper-side sliding part 81 and the lower-side sliding part 91, which are configured to be slidable relative to the upper-side portion 133 and the lower-side portion 135 of the second housing part 13, respectively, are provided at two locations of the first housing part 11. More specifically, the upper-side sliding part 81 and the lower-side sliding part 91 are disposed on both (opposite) sides of the motor-main-body part 20 in the rotational axis A2 direction of the motor shaft 25. Thereby, the stability of the oscillating sliding of the first housing part 11 relative to the second housing part 13 when the first housing part 11 moves (slides) relative to the second housing part 13 can be increased more than in embodiments in which a sliding-guide structure is provided at only one location, such as on only one side of the motor-main-body part 20.
The lower-side sliding part 91 has the first lower-side sliding surface 911, which is a flat surface parallel to the impact axis A1. The first lower-side sliding surface 911 is slidable in the impact axis A1 direction (the front-rear direction) in the state in which the first lower-side sliding surface 911 is in contact with the second lower-side sliding surface 921 formed on the lower-side portion 135. In such an embodiment, because the first lower-side sliding surface 911 and the second lower-side sliding surface 921 abut and are in contact with one another, the first housing part 11 and the second housing part 13 can be guided during the sliding movement, and consequently the stability of the sliding can be further increased. In addition, because the sliding direction is the impact axis A1 direction, the largest and dominant vibration of the vibrations arising in the hammer drill 1, namely, the vibration in the impact axis A1 direction, can be effectively inhibited (blocked) from being transmitted to the grasp part 131.
It is noted that, as shown in
In the present embodiment, as shown in
In the present embodiment, within the first housing part 11, the lower-side sliding part 91, which has the first lower-side sliding surface 911, is preferably formed of a material that differs from the material of the second housing part 13, which has the second lower-side sliding surface 921. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the first lower-side sliding surface 911 and the second lower-side sliding surface 921 from becoming welded (fused) together owing to frictional heat generated by sliding friction. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the upper-side sliding part 81, which slides relative to the upper-side portion 133, likewise is preferably formed of a material that differs from the material of the second housing part 13. Thereby, the first upper-side sliding surface 811 and the second upper-side sliding surface 821 can likewise be prevented from becoming welded (fused) to one another owing to frictional heat generated by sliding friction.
In the present embodiment, the lower-side portion 135 comprises the battery-mounting parts 15, which are configured such that the batteries 19 can be mounted thereon and dismounted therefrom, on the end part on the side more spaced apart from the upper-side portion 133 in the rotational axis A2 direction (the up-down direction), that is, on the lower-end part. Because the lower-side portion 135 of the second housing part 13 is elastically coupled to the first housing part 11 such that the transmission of vibration generated in the first housing part 11 to the second housing part 13 is reduced, it is possible to inhibit or reduce chattering (contact bounce) caused by the terminals of the battery 19 rattling (bouncing) against (repeatedly separating from and then striking) the battery-connection terminals 155 of the lower-side portion 135 due to vibration when the batteries 19 are mounted on the battery-mounting parts 15 and the hammer drill 1 is being operated (i.e. vibrations are being generated by the motor 2 and the drive mechanism 3 in the first housing part 11). In addition, by mounting the batteries 19 on the battery-mounting parts 15, the mass of the second housing part 13 is increased (i.e. the mass of the batteries 19 is fixed to the second housing part 13 instead of the first housing part 11 where the vibration is generated during operation), and thereby a further reduction in vibration of the second housing part 13 can be achieved.
In another aspect of the present teachings, the two battery-mounting parts 15 of the present teachings are provided aligned in the impact axis A1 direction (the front-rear direction). Furthermore, the lower-side portion 135 has the vents 139, which are formed in the area covering the space 150 formed between the two sets of battery-connection terminals 155. The controller 5, which controls the operation of the hammer drill 1, is disposed adjacent the space 150 such that at least forward and rearward parts of the controller 5 overlap the two battery-mounting parts 15 in the front-rear direction. When multiple battery-mounting parts 15 are aligned, the space 150 between the battery-connection terminals 155 could become a dead (unused) space. However, by arranging the controller 5 and the plurality of battery-mounting parts 15 according to the present embodiment, the area that could be a dead space is effectively utilized as the area in which the vents 139 are provided, thereby making it possible to realize an increased efficiency in the cooling of the controller 5. In addition, the battery-mounting parts 15 and the controller 5 are each disposed on the lower-side portion 135, and therefore wiring between the battery-mounting parts 15 and the controller 5 can be simplified.
In addition, because the wiring terminals 51 of the controller 5 project toward the space 150 between the two sets of battery-connection terminals 155 of the battery-mounting parts 15, the wiring terminals 51 and the wiring can be effectively cooled by the cooling draft that flows in from the vents 139 formed in the area covering the space 150.
In addition, in the present embodiment, the fan 28 generates the flow of cooling draft that flows in from the vents 139, passes the periphery of the controller 5, and then passes the periphery of the motor 2; consequently, the controller 5 and the motor 2, which require cooling, can be efficiently cooled. In particular, in the present embodiment, a brushless motor is used as the motor 2. Because the control circuit, the inverter circuit, and the like are installed on the controller 5, which serves as the control apparatus of the brushless motor, the requirement for cooling is high. In response to this requirement, in the hammer drill 1, the control apparatus of the brushless motor can be effectively cooled.
A power tool such as the hammer drill 1 is configured to linearly drive the tool accessory 18 in the impact axis A1 direction; consequently, in general, it is often the case that the dimension in the impact axis A1 direction is set longer than in other directions. Thereby, as in the present embodiment, by aligning the plurality of battery-mounting parts 15 in the direction parallel to the impact axis A1, a compact arrangement becomes possible without increasing the dimensions in other directions. In addition, if multiple batteries 19 having the same shape are mounted on the battery-mounting parts 15, which are thus aligned, then, as shown in
In the present embodiment, the illumination unit 6, which is configured to radiate light toward the location at which work is performed by the tool accessory 18, is provided on the lower-side portion 135 of the second housing part 13, which is elastically coupled to the first housing part 11. Thereby, during processing work in which the hammer drill 1 is used, the user can easily confirm the state (positions) of the tool accessory 18, the workpiece, and the like disposed at the work location. In addition, by providing the illumination unit 6 on the lower-side portion 135, it is possible to protect (isolate) the illumination unit 6 from vibration.
Furthermore, the illumination unit 6 is configured to turn ON, linked to the manipulation of the trigger 14 pressed by the user in order to energize and drive the motor 2, prior to the motor 2 being energized and driven. Thereby, the user can turn the illumination unit 6 ON merely by manipulating (e.g., pressing) the trigger 14 in order to energize and drive the motor 2. Furthermore, the user can easily confirm the location at which work is performed by the tool accessory 18 even before the start of the actual work. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the illumination unit 6 is configured such that it turns OFF after the drive of the motor 2 stops, which makes it possible to also confirm the processing location of the workpiece for a period of time after the processing work (hammering, drilling, hammer-drilling, etc.) has ended.
The correspondence between the structural elements of the present embodiment and the structural elements of the present teachings are described below. The hammer drill 1 is an exemplary structure that corresponds to the “power tool” of the present teachings. The motor 2, the motor-main-body part 20, and the motor shaft 25 are exemplary structures that correspond to a “motor,” a “motor-main-body part,” and a “motor shaft,” respectively, of the present teachings. The drive mechanism 3 is an exemplary structure that corresponds to a “drive mechanism” of the present teachings. The first housing part 11 and the second housing part 13 are exemplary structures that correspond to a “first housing” and a “second housing,” respectively, of the present teachings. The grasp part 131, the upper-side portion 133, and the lower-side portion 135 are exemplary structures that correspond to a “grasp part,” a “first portion,” and a “second portion,” respectively, of the present teachings. The upper-side sliding part 81 and the lower-side sliding part 91 are exemplary structures that correspond to a “first sliding part” and a “second sliding part,” respectively, of the present teachings. The first springs 71, the second spring 75, and the O-ring 79 are exemplary structures that correspond to the “elastic element(s)” of the present teachings.
The plate member 917 is an exemplary structure that corresponds to a “plate member” of the present teachings. The interposed part 922 is an exemplary structure that corresponds to an “interposed part” of the present teachings. The forward-stop parts 918 and the rearward-stop parts 919 are exemplary structures that correspond to “stop parts” of the present teachings. The battery-mounting parts 15 and the batteries 19 are exemplary structures that correspond to a “battery-mounting part” and a “battery,” respectively, of the present teachings. The illumination unit 6 is an exemplary structure that corresponds to an “illumination apparatus” of the present teachings.
The above-described embodiment is merely an illustrative example, and power tools according to the present teachings are not limited to the configuration of the hammer drill 1 that has been described above in an exemplary manner. For example, the modifications described by example below also can be utilized to develop additional embodiments of the present teachings. It is noted that any one of these modifications can be effected alone or a plurality thereof can be used in combination with the hammer drill 1 described in the embodiments or in each of the claims.
For example, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the hammer drill 1, which is capable of a hammering operation as well as a drill operation, is given as one example of a power tool. However, the power tool could be a power hammer that is capable of only a hammering operation (that is, the drive mechanism 3 would not comprise the rotation-transmitting mechanism 38). In addition, the motor 2 is not limited to a brushless DC motor that is driven by the batteries 19 as the power supply. For example, an AC motor having brushes may be used. In such an embodiment, the hammer drill 1 would be configured (designed) without the battery-mounting parts 15.
In addition, if the battery-mounting parts 15 are provided, their number is not limited to two and may be one or three or more. The direction in which the battery-mounting parts 15 are aligned is not limited to the direction parallel to the impact axis A1 and may be a direction that intersects the impact axis A1. The direction in which the batteries 19 are mounted on or dismounted from the battery-mounting parts 15 is not limited to the example described in the above-mentioned embodiment. For example, if the two battery-mounting parts 15 are provided aligned in the front-rear direction, then the mounting-dismounting direction may be set to the left-right direction. It is noted that, from the viewpoint of preventing vibration, the battery-mounting parts 15 are preferably provided on the second housing part 13.
The number, position, and the like of the elastic elements for coupling the first housing part 11 and the second housing part 13 such that they are capable of relative movement with respect to one another is not limited to the example described in the above-mentioned embodiment and can be modified where appropriate. For example, there may be one or three or more of the first springs 71. Two or more of the second springs 75 may be disposed. Regarding the location at which the first spring(s) 71 and the second spring(s) 75 are disposed such that they are interposed, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the first spring(s) 71 is (are) disposed inside the rear-end part of the upper-side portion 133, and the second spring(s) 75 is (are) disposed inside the front-end part of the lower-side portion 135. However, for example, the second spring(s) 75 likewise may be disposed inside the rear-end part of the lower-side portion 135. In addition, from the viewpoint of preventing vibration with respect to the grasp part 131, as in the above-mentioned embodiment, the first spring(s) 71 and the second spring(s) 75 are preferably disposed between the upper-side portion 133, which is connected to the upper-end part of the grasp part 131, and the first housing part 11 and between the lower-side portion 135, which is connected to the lower-end part, and the first housing part 11, respectively, although other arrangements are not excluded. In addition, the first housing part 11 and the second housing part 13 may be directly coupled by one or more elastic elements or may be coupled via some other member in addition to the elastic element(s).
As discussed above, to prevent the first lower-side sliding surface 911 and the second lower-side sliding surface 921 from becoming welded (fused) to one another, at least the lower-side sliding part 91 is preferably formed of a material that differs from the material of the second housing part 13. However, this does not preclude these being formed of the same material. If the lower-side sliding part 91 and the second housing part 13 are formed of different materials, then not only the lower-side sliding part 91 but the entire motor-housing part 111 may be formed of the material that differs from that of the second housing part 13. In such a case, there is no need to mount the lower-side sliding part 91, as a separate member, on the motor-housing part 111, and the first lower-side sliding surface 911 should be formed on the lower-end part of the motor-housing part 111.
The above-described embodiment serves as an example in which the lower-side sliding part 91 is formed of a polycarbonate-based resin and the second housing part 13 is formed of a polyamide-based resin. However, the materials that can be used are not limited to these examples. Conversely, the lower-side sliding part 91 may be formed of a polyamide-based resin and the second housing part 13 may be formed of a polycarbonate-based resin. If the second housing part 13 is formed of a polyamide-based resin as in the above-mentioned embodiment, then, instead of a polycarbonate-based resin, for example, a polyacetal-based resin, iron, magnesium, aluminum, or stainless steel can be used as the material of the lower-side sliding part 91. It is noted that a material having a melting point (or glass transition temperature) higher than that of polyamide resin is preferably used as the material of the lower-side sliding part 91. Furthermore, the same modifications of the lower-side sliding part 91 can be effected also on the upper-side sliding part 81.
In the above-mentioned embodiment, the interposed part 922 is disposed in the gap between the lower-end part of the motor-housing part 111 (more specifically, the lower surface of the lower-side sliding part 91 (the outer-edge part 913)) and the plate member 917, and the upper surface of the interposed part 922 is configured as the second lower-side sliding surface 921. In this case, because the interposed part 922 is interposed between the lower-end part of the motor-housing part 111 and the plate member 917, sliding is further stabilized. Nevertheless, the lower-side guide part 9 may be configured without using the interposed part 922. For example, the same as in the upper-side guide part 8, the lower surface of the lower-side sliding part 91 may be configured as the first lower-side sliding surface 911, and the upper surface of the circumferential-wall part 136 of the lower-side portion 135 may be configured as the second lower-side sliding surface 921. The upper-side guide part 8 may be modified to have the same configuration as that of the lower-side guide part 9.
In the above-mentioned embodiment, all sliding surfaces constituting the upper-side guide part 8 and the lower-side guide part 9 are formed as flat surfaces that extend in the horizontal direction, but the sliding surfaces may have some other shape. However, in a power tool in which the largest dominant vibration arises in the impact axis A1 direction, the sliding surfaces are preferably disposed parallel to the impact axis A1 direction to deal with (isolate) vibration in the dominant vibration direction. In this case, the sliding surfaces may be formed as surfaces whose normal lines are orthogonal to the impact axis A1, but the sliding surfaces are not limited to flat surfaces and may be nonflat surfaces such as curved surfaces.
Furthermore, the aspects below are constructed considering the gist of the present teachings and the above-mentioned embodiment. The aspects below may be used in combination with the hammer drill 1 described in the embodiment, the above-mentioned modified examples, and/or the claims.
[First Aspect]
The first housing comprises:
wherein:
In the first aspect,
The power tool comprises:
wherein:
In another embodiment of the present teachings, a power tool, such as a rotary hammer or hammer drill, includes a first housing that contains a motor and a drive mechanism for linearly reciprocally driving a tool accessory along an impact axis, and a second housing that includes a handle, a first portion and a second portion. At least one elastic element connects the first and second housings such that the handle is biased away from the first housing. A first set of sliding contact surfaces is defined on or connected to the first housing and the first portion of the second housing. A second set of sliding contact surfaces is defined on or connected to the first housing and the second portion of the second housing. The first and second sets of sliding contact surfaces are located on opposite sides of the motor such that the rotational axis of the motor intersects the impact axis and the first and second sets of sliding contact surfaces.
Representative, non-limiting examples of the present invention were described above in detail with reference to the attached drawings. This detailed description is merely intended to teach a person of skill in the art further details for practicing preferred aspects of the present teachings and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Furthermore, each of the additional features and teachings disclosed above may be utilized separately or in conjunction with other features and teachings to provide improved power tools, such as but not limited to hammer drills, rotary hammers, hybrid impact-hammer-drills, etc. The present teachings are generally applicable, without limitation, to any kind of power tool, in which it may be desirable to block or reduce transmission of vibration generated within the tool body to a handle held by the user.
Moreover, combinations of features and steps disclosed in the above detailed description may not be necessary to practice the invention in the broadest sense, and are instead taught merely to particularly describe representative examples of the invention. Furthermore, various features of the above-described representative examples, as well as the various independent and dependent claims below, may be combined in ways that are not specifically and explicitly enumerated in order to provide additional useful embodiments of the present teachings.
All features disclosed in the description and/or the claims are intended to be disclosed separately and independently from each other for the purpose of original written disclosure, as well as for the purpose of restricting the claimed subject matter, independent of the compositions of the features in the embodiments and/or the claims. In addition, all value ranges or indications of groups of entities are intended to disclose every possible intermediate value or intermediate entity for the purpose of original written disclosure, as well as for the purpose of restricting the claimed subject matter.
1 Hammer drill (rotary hammer)
10 Housing
11 First housing part (first housing)
111 Motor-housing part (motor housing)
112 Circumferential-wall part (circumferential wall)
113 Bottom part (bottom or base)
114 Step part (step)
115 Guide part (guide)
117 Drive-mechanism housing part (drive mechanism housing)
13 Second housing part (second housing)
131 Grasp part (grip or handle)
133 Upper-side portion
134, 139 Vents
135 Lower-side portion
136 Circumferential-wall part
137 Front-contact part (front contact)
138 Rear-contact part (rear contact)
14 Trigger
140 Switch unit
15 Battery-mounting part
150 Space
151 Guide rail
153 Hook-engaging part
155 Battery-connection terminal
2 Motor
20 Motor-main-body part (main body of motor)
21 Stator
22 Rotor
25 Motor shaft
26, 27 Bearings
28 Fan
29 Drive gear
3 Drive mechanism
30 Motion-converting mechanism
31 Crankshaft
311 Driven gear
312 Crank pin
32 Connecting rod
33 Piston
34 Tool holder
35 Cylinder
36 Hammer element
361 Striker
363 Impact bolt
365 Air chamber
38 Rotation-transmitting mechanism
39 Clutch
391 Mode-switching dial
5 Controller
51 Wiring terminal
6 Illumination unit
71 First spring
72 Plate member (plate)
73 Spring-seat part (spring seat)
74 Spring-seat part (spring seat)
75 Second spring
76 Spring-seat part (spring seat)
77 Spring-seat part (spring seat)
79 O-ring
8 Upper-side guide part (upper-side guide)
81 Upper-side sliding part
811 First upper-side sliding surface
821 Second upper-side sliding surface
9 Lower-side guide part (lower-side guide)
91 Lower-side sliding part
911 First lower-side sliding surface
912 Outer-circumferential part
913 Outer-edge part
914 Protruding part (protrusion)
917 Plate member (plate)
918 Forward-stop part (forward stop)
919 Rearward-stop part (rearward stop)
921 Second lower-side sliding surface
922 Interposed part (plain linear bearing or linear motion guide)
18 Tool accessory (e.g., a tool bit)
19 Battery
191 Guide groove
193 Hook
195 Button
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| Machine Translation of DE 202015000331 (Year: 2015). |
| Extended European Search Report from the European Patent Office dated Mar. 13, 2018 in related EP application 17194957.1, including European Search Opinion, European Search Report, and examined claims 1-11. |
| Office Action and Search Report from the Japanese Patent Office in related application No. JP 2016-198984 dated Jul. 7, 2020, and translation thereof. |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20180099396 A1 | Apr 2018 | US |
