ATTORNEY DOCKET NO. 3906.LOVE.PC

TITLE DUST SHROUD WITH ADJUSTABLE MOUNTING MECHANISM

1. The Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to dust shrouds. More specifically, the present invention relates to a universal dust shroud for angle grinders.

2. State of the Art

Dust shrouds have become more commonly used for multiple purposes. Angle grinders, for example, are commonly used for grinding cement or other similar tasks. Without a dust shroud, debris is scattered over a wide area. It is desirable to contain the dust which is created for several reasons. It is desirable to contain the dust and debris to keep the workplace cleaner and to minimize the time necessary to clean up afterwards. Fine dust is often created while grinding cement, for example, which spreads a large distance and can be quite difficult to clean up afterwards. It is also desirable to contain the dust and debris to keep the same from getting into the tool itself, causing premature failure of the bearings, motor, etc. Additionally, debris such as concrete dust poses a health risk to the machine operator and others who may breathe it. It is thus desirable to collect the dust to minimize any exposure to the dust.

One difficulty in providing dust shrouds is the fact that each particular tool will have different mounting requirements. For angle grinders, each grinder will typically have a collar which is concentric to the output shaft which may be used to mount a dust shroud. For each grinder, however, the collar may be a different diameter and may be a different height from the grinding disk. As such, the dust shroud must accommodate the particular mounting diameter and height of the desired tool. Another difficulty in providing dust shrouds is in providing a dust shroud which does not overly interfere with the use of the grinder itself.

It is thus appreciated that the requirements for a dust shroud varies according to the particular angle grinder with which the dust shroud is being used. Many stores, however, do not wish to stock many different models of dust shrouds. It is similarly not desirable for a manufacturer to make many different models of dust shrouds, as it increases the tooling and production costs. Individual consumers do not wish to special order a dust shroud and wait for weeks for it to arrive. There is thus a need for universal dust shrouds which allow a single shroud to be used with many different brands of tools while still performing properly. Such a universal dust shroud should safely and securely mount to a wide variety of angle grinders while effectively collecting dust and debris and without interfering with the use of the angle grinder.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved universal dust shroud. According to one aspect of the invention, a dust shroud is provided which is adjustable to fit varying diameters of mounting collars on different tools. The mounting brackets which attach to the collar are movable inwardly or outwardly to accommodate different tool sizes.

According to another aspect of the invention, the distance between the mounting brackets and the shroud body is adjustable to properly position the shroud around the grinding disk.

According to another aspect of the invention, the shroud body is vertically movable relative to the mounting brackets during use so as to allow the operator to contact a surface with the grinding disk as desired. These and other aspects of the present invention are realized in a universal dust shield as shown and described in the following figures and related description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various embodiments of the present invention are shown and described in reference to the numbered drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a shroud according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows a side view of the shroud of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a top view of the shroud of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 shows a bottom view of the shroud of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 shows a partial cross-sectional view of the shroud of FIG. 1. It will be appreciated that the drawings are illustrative and not limiting of the scope of the invention which is defined by the appended claims. The embodiments shown accomplish various aspects and objects of the invention. It is appreciated that it is not possible to clearly show each element and aspect of the invention in a single figure, and as such, multiple figures are presented to separately illustrate the various details of the invention in greater clarity. Similarly, not every embodiment need accomplish all advantages of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The invention and accompanying drawings will now be discussed in reference to the numerals provided therein so as to enable one skilled in the art to practice the present invention. The drawings and descriptions are exemplary of various aspects of the invention and are not intended to narrow the scope of the appended claims.

Turning now to FIG. 1, a perspective view of a shroud 10 is shown. The shroud 10 is designed for use with an angle grinder. The shroud includes a body 14 which has a generally flat top 18 and a skirt 22 which will enclose the top and sides of a grinding disk. The body 14 may include a removable hatch 26 which exposes a side of the grinding disk for grinding into a corner, such as grinding a floor against a wall. A vacuum port 30 is used to connect a conventional 1.25 inch vacuum hose (although other sizes of hoses could be used) to the shroud to capture the dust created while grinding. In order to accommodate a variety of different angle grinders with a single shroud

10, the shroud includes three mounting brackets 34 which are attached to the body 14. The mounting brackets 34 are attached to the body 14 via slots 38, and can slide inwardly and outwardly to adjust the space between the mounting brackets. A worm drive hose clamp 42 is held in slots in the brackets 34 and is used to securely fasten the brackets to an angle grinder so that the output shaft of the angle grinder passes through the hole 46.

The brackets are typically attached to the body 14 by bolts which pass through the slots 38 and springs 50 and are secured to the brackets 34. While the present invention describes the use of springs 50, it will be appreciated that many biasing elements such as a resilient foam or elastomeric tubing such as vinyl, silicone, or latex tubing will provide the desired amount of flexibility and movement. Thus, although described primarily as springs 50, the biasing element 50 may be a flexible tube or piece of foam and such is intended to be included in the definition of biasing elements or springs as used herein. The springs 50 allow some compression between the brackets 34 and the body 14, allowing the operator flexibility in choosing which part of the grinding disk contacts the work surface and in choosing how much pressure to apply while grinding.

Turning now to FIG. 2, a side view of the shroud 10 is shown. The clamp 42 is omitted for clarity. It can be seen how the brackets 34 float above the body 14, and how compression of the springs 50 allow for movement there between.

Turning now to FIG. 3, a top view of the shroud 10 is shown with the clamp 42 omitted. The brackets 34 may be formed with a hexagonally shaped recess 54 on the top to receive a nut, such as a nylon lock nut. The bolt which connects the brackets 34 to the body will pass through the body 14, through the bracket, and thread into the nut. It will be appreciated that the bolt may thread directly into the brackets 34, but using a nut will help prevent damage to the bracket and will allow for replacement of the engaging threads if they become damaged.

Turning now to FIG. 4, a bottom view of the shroud 10 is shown. The slots 38 are better seen. The slots 38 may have beveled edges on the bottom side so as to allow a flat- head bolt to fit flush with the underside of the body 14. Although the bolts are omitted for clarity, they would pass through the slots 38 so that the head of the bolt is adjacent the top 18 of the body 14. It can be seen how the vacuum port 30 is open to the space which is enclosed by the body 14 so as to collect the dust created by a grinding disk.

Turning now to FIG. 5, partial cross-sectional view of a bracket 34 and body 14 is shown. A single bracket 34 is shown, and the portion of the body 14 near the slot 38 is shown. The bracket 34, body 14, and spring 50 are shown in cross section. A bolt 58, preferably a flat head bolt, is used to attach the bracket 34 to the body 14. The bolt 58 passes through the slot 38, the spring 50, a hole 62 in the bracket 34, and is secured to a

lock nut 66. The lock nut 66 is placed in the hexagon shaped recess 54. It can be seen how tightening the bolt 58 will move the bracket 34 closer to the body 14 and allow a user to adjust the position of the shroud as mounted to a grinder. The bolt 58 can move back and forth laterally in the slot 38, allowing the size of the opening between brackets 34 to be adjusted. In this manner, the shroud 10 will fit many different angle grinders. Thus, a single shroud may fit virtually any angle grinders which use a particular size of grinding disk.

While described primarily as a bolt 58 and nut 66, the brackets 34 may be attached to the body 14 with other fasteners such as a metal pin or the like. Bolts 58 and nuts 66 are preferable as they are adjustable in length and commonly available. Thus, if the bolts 58 or nuts 66 become damaged or worn they may be easily replaced. The length of the bolt 58 extending from the nut 66 may be easily adjusted to adjust the height of the brackets 34 relative to the body 14, allowing a user to better fit the shroud to a particular angle grinder or to a particular grinding disk or pad which is taller or thinner. In use, the shroud body 14 will often extend slightly below a grinding disk and the user will press on the shroud in order to press the grinding disk into the work surface. The springs 50 allow the shroud to move upwardly relative to the grinding disk and allow a grinding disk to be pressed against the work surface while keeping the shroud body 14 against the work surface to collect the dust and debris. Thus, the user may set the resting position of the shroud 10 relative to the angle grinder so that the shroud extends around the grinding disk and encloses it. While using the grinder, the user would press the grinder downwardly towards a surface, typically causing the shroud 10 to first contact the surface, causing one or more of the springs 50 to compress to thereby allow the shroud to move upwardly relative to the angle grinder and grinding disk, and allowing the grinding disk to contact the work surface as desired.

The bracket 34 has a slot 70 which receives the clamp 42. When the brackets 34 are not fastened to an angle grinder via clamp 42, the brackets 34 are able to move back and forth in the slots 38 to adjust to the size of the opening between the brackets 34. The opening is adjusted to fin a desired angle grinder, and the angle grinder is placed into the opening. The clamp 42 is then tightened to hold the brackets 34 securely against the angle grinder. The arrangement of the slots 38 prevent movement of the body 14 relative

to the brackets 34 once the shroud 10 is installed on the angle grinder, preventing accidental contact between the shroud body 14 and a grinding disk.

The shroud 10 is significantly easier to install than available universal dust shrouds and fits a greater range of sizes of angle grinders. Other designs require the operator to tighten multiple band clamps and screws to attach the shroud to a grinder where the present shroud only requires the user to tighten a single band clamp 42. Additionally, the shroud provides increased adjustability in mounting the shroud to the angle grinder, and allows the mounted shroud skirt to move relative to the grinding disk while the grinder is in use, allowing the operator greater flexibility in using the grinder while still properly collecting the dust and debris generated by the grinder.

There is thus disclosed an improved universal dust shroud. It will be appreciated that numerous changes may be made to the present invention without departing from the scope of the claims.