Patent Application
20240017374
Various sanding tools exist for modifying (e.g., smoothing) surfaces such as walls, ceilings, decks, tables, etc. via abrasion. Abrading a surface causes abraded surface material to dissipate into the local environment (e.g., in the form of dust). Dissipation of the abraded material can be controlled utilizing mechanisms such as a vacuum to collect the abraded material as the sanding tool is used. Some sanding tools are configured to be coupled to a vacuum and may be referred to as vacuum sanders. Such sanding tools are often referred to as “dustless” sanders or “dust free” sanders even though a percentage of the dust created may still be dissipated into the local environment.
In various instances, a working material, which can be a sheet of abrasive (e.g., sandpaper, abrasive mesh, etc.), can be mounted onto a sanding tool. The sanding tool can be an electric/motorized sander (e.g., random orbit sander, belt sander, finishing sander, etc.) with the abrasive sheet being moved through the action of an electric motor to encourage abrasion of a surface. Motorized sanders have very specific applications including assisting in the abrasion of harder to abrade surfaces such as wood and/or metal. The motorized sanders are not always suited for abrasion of softer surfaces such as drywall compound. The motorized movement of the abrasive sheet can be too aggressive leaving the operator with little control over the amount of material being abraded away and ultimately being apt to remove too much material. Further, the abrasion of softer surfaces such as drywall compound can generate very fine dust, which unlike its more coarse counterpart generated from abrasion of harder surfaces can result in infiltration into and damage of the motorized components of the motorized sanders.
As an alternative to the electric/motorized sander, a sheet of abrasive can be mounted onto a hand sander. A hand sander can include a nonmotorized hand tool utilized to abrade a surface through the application of mechanical force generated by a human operator. Hand sanders do not include an electric motor that encourages abrasion of the surface and/or moves an abrasive sheet in relation to the surface. A hand sander can abrade a surface via an operator manually moving the abrasive sheet of the hand sander across and in contact with a surface while applying force.
Various types of sanding tools exist for abrading different surfaces. Many sanding tools, such as belt sanders, random orbit sanders, rotary sanders, etc. are motorized (e.g., electrically powered). While being effective for quickly removing large amounts of surface material, such motorized sanders often have a reduced ability of the operator to precisely control the movement of the tool and/or pressure applied to the working surface, which can lead to a reduced uniformity of the target surface.
Therefore, various non-motorized sanding tools can be more effective for certain applications such as drywall sanding (e.g., wall and/or ceiling sanding), for example. The use of non-motorized sanding tools can provide benefits such as allowing an operator to precisely adjust the force applied, the direction of an abrading action, the amount of material abraded away, and the uniformity of abrasion based on “feel.”
Some non-motorized hand sanding tools are attached to an elongate pole used to maneuver the tool, while others may include a handle (e.g., knob) located closer to the working surface. Some non-motorized sanding tools include a port (e.g., an air intake) for coupling to a vacuum, which can be used to create a more dust free operating environment. Various non-motorized vacuum sanders may not work well with multiple different types of working materials. For instance, the “dust free” operation of some vacuum sanders may vary depending on whether a non-porous abrasive sheet or a more porous (e.g., mesh) sanding sheet is used.
Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a sanding tool that can be configured to operate both with and without vacuum attachment. For example, various embodiments include a base plate that can be releasably attached to various different handles, which may or may not include a vacuum port. Embodiments of the present disclosure also include an intermediate adapter pad that can releasably engage with a rigid base plate in order to provide improved dust free operation for multiple different types of sanding abrasive sheets.
The rigid base plate 102 includes a connection portion 101 that provides the ability for the base plate 102 to be releasably attached to various different sanding handles. One example sanding handle 230 is shown in
The intermediate adapter pad 104 is configured for releasable attachment to the rigid base plate 102. The pad 104 can be formed of an elastomeric polymer (e.g., a closed cell foam material such as ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA)). As illustrated in
A lower surface of the adapter pad 104 is configured for releasable attachment to a lower pad 110, which is configured for releasable attachment to a working material 115, which can be a non-porous sanding sheet or a porous sanding sheet such as a mesh sanding disc. The releasable attachment can be via a fastening system such as hook and loop; although, embodiments are not so limited.
In various embodiments, the adapter pad 104 includes a bristle ring 108 attached thereto. In this example, the adapter pad 104 includes a channel (e.g., groove) 105 configured to receive an upper portion of the bristle ring 108. The bristle ring 108 can be releasably attached to the pad 104 via friction such that it can be removed and replaced without having to remove or replace the pad 104. A more detailed view of the attachment of the bristle ring 108 to the intermediate adapter pad 104 is shown in
The lower pad 110 includes a number of channels therethrough to facilitate dust removal from the working surface. The lower pad 110 includes a closed periphery, which can improve the dust free operation of the sanding tool. For instance, during vacuum operation, the suction at the perimeter region (e.g., between the outer edge of the pad 110 and the inner edge of the ring 108 can be improved as compared to instances in which channels through pad 110 extended to its periphery. In this example, the lower pad 110 includes an open center portion and a plurality of “fingers” 111 extending radially from the closed outer perimeter toward the center portion. Embodiments are not limited to the example pad 110 shown in
In various embodiments, the sanding tool shown in
Accordingly, the adapter pad 104 can be a standalone component that can be added to the sanding tool to provide an improved sanding capability with improved dust free operation. As one example, without the adapter pad 104, the sanding tool 100 may provide an acceptable level of dust free operation when the sanding material 115 is a non-porous sanding sheet/disc, but an unacceptable level of dust free operation when a porous mesh sanding disc 115 is used. Adding the adapter pad 104 to the sanding tool 100 can provide an acceptable and improved level of dust free operation for both a porous sanding disc (e.g., mesh) and a non-porous sanding disc.
In various embodiments, the sanding tool 100 is configured for being converted between at least a first configuration that includes the adapter pad 104 and a second tool configuration that does not include the adapter pad 104. For example, a first tool configuration can include the rigid base plate 102 being coupled to the adapter pad 104, and a second tool configuration can include an upper surface of the lower pad 110 being releasably attached to a lower surface of the rigid base plate 102; however, embodiments are not so limited.
In the present disclosure, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration how a number of examples of the disclosure can be practiced. These examples are described in sufficient detail to enable those of ordinary skill in the art to practice the examples of this disclosure, and it is to be understood that other examples can be used and that process, electrical, and/or structural changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
The figures herein follow a numbering convention in which the first digit corresponds to the drawing figure number and the remaining digits identify an element or component in the drawing. Elements shown in the various figures herein can be added, exchanged, and/or eliminated so as to provide a number of additional examples of the present disclosure. In addition, the proportion and the relative scale of the elements provided in the figures are intended to illustrate the examples of the present disclosure and should not be taken in a limiting sense. As used herein, the designator “N”, particularly with respect to reference numerals in the drawings, indicate that a number of the particular feature and/or component so designated can be included with a number of examples of the present disclosure. The designator “N” can refer to a same feature and/or component, or different features and/or components.
As used herein, “a” or “a number of” something can refer to one or more such things. For example, “a number of widgets” can refer to one or more widgets. Also, as used herein, “a plurality of” something can refer to more than one of such things.
The above specification, examples and data provide a description of the device, method, and use of the device and method of the present disclosure. Since many examples can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the system and method of the present disclosure, this specification merely sets forth some of the many possible embodiment configurations and implementations.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63389495 | Jul 2022 | US |
