CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to co-pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/047,534 filed on July 2, 2020, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates to rotar power tools, and more particularly to rotary power tools having bit holding devices for removably receiving tool bits.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Rotary power tools typically include bit holding devices to allow the power tool to be used with any number of interchangeable tool bits. Such tool bit devices usually require two hands to change a tool bit, one hand to pull back on a collar of the bit holding device, and the other hand to insert/remove the tool bit from a bore. However, if a user is constantly changing tool bits, this two-handed action proves to be slow and inefficient.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The present invention provides, in one aspect, a rotary impact tool comprising a housing, an electric motor supported in the housing, and a drive assembly for converting a continuous torque input from the motor to consecutive rotational impacts upon a workpiece. The drive assembly includes an anvil having a longitudinal bore for selectively receiving one of a plurality of interchangeable tool bits, and a plurality of radial slots extending from the longitudinal bore through the anvil. The rotary impact tool further includes a bit holding device for selectively receiving a plurality of interchangeable tool bits including a plurality of ball detents received in the respective radial slots, and a collar slidably disposed on the anvil having an interior surface configured to maintain at least a portion of the ball detents within the longitudinal bore, and collar spring configured to bias the collar rearward to a first collar position. The bit holding device further includes a helical detent spring surrounding the anvil having a continuous helical structure with a plurality of protrusions extending into the respective radial slots, the protrusions are configured to bias the respective ball detents toward an open end of the longitudinal bore.

[0005] The present invention provides, in another aspect, a rotary impact tool including a drive assembly having an anvil with a longitudinal bore for selectively receiving one of a plurality of interchangeable tool bits, a plurality of radial slots extending from the longitudinal bore through the anvil, and a bit holding device for selectively receiving one of the plurality of interchangeable tool bits. The bit holding device includes a plurality of ball detents received in the respective radial slots, and a helical detent spring surrounding the anvil having a continuous helical structure with a plurality of protrusions extending into the respective radial slots configured to bias the respective ball detents toward an open end of the longitudinal bore.

[0006] The present invention provides, in yet another aspect, a rotary impact tool including a drive assembly for converting a continuous torque input from the motor to consecutive rotational impacts upon a workpiece. The drive assembly includes an anvil having a longitudinal bore for selectively receiving one of a plurality of interchangeable tool bits, a plurality of radial slots extending from the longitudinal bore through the anvil and formed opposite each other on the anvil, and a bit holding device for selectively receiving one of the plurality of interchangeable tool bits. The bit holding device includes a plurality of ball detents received in the respective radial slots, a collar slidably disposed on the anvil having an interior surface configured to maintain at least a portion of the ball detents within the longitudinal bore, a collar spring configured to bias the collar rearward to a first collar position, and a helical detent spring surrounding the anvil having a plurality of protrusions extending into the respective radial slots. The protrusions are configured to bias the respective ball detents into engagement with one of the plurality of interchangeable tool bits to form multiple contact points between one of the tool bits and the holding device to retain one of the tool bits within the longitudinal bore.

[0007] Other features and aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration of the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a rotary impact tool in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. [0009] FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a bit holding device of the impact tool of FIG. 1.

[0010] FIG. 3 is a perspective, partial cut-away view of the bit holding device of FIG.

2

[0011] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a detent spring for use with the bit holding device of FIG. 2.

[0012] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a tool bit for use with the impact tool of FIG. 1.

[0013] Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] FIG. 1 illustrates a power tool in the form of a rotary impact tool or impact driver 10. The impact driver 10 includes a motor housing 25 in which an electric motor 40 is supported, a gear train 35, and an impact case 20 partially housing a rotary impact mechanism 55. The gear train 35 and the impact mechanism 55 are part of a drive assembly for converting a continuous torque input from the motor 40 to consecutive rotational impacts upon a workpiece.

[0015] The impact mechanism 55 includes an anvil 60 upon which a bit holding device 50 is supported, which facilitates retention and removal of a tool bit 37 (FIG. 5) from the anvil 60, as described in further detail below. The impact mechanism 55 further includes a hammer 30 configured to repeatedly strike the anvil 60 and the attached the tool bit 37 in order to perform work on the workpiece (e.g., a fastener).

[0016] With respect to FIGS. 2-5, the drive assembly includes the anvil 60 having a longitudinal bore 75 with a hexagonal cross-sectional shape for receiving the tool bit 37 (FIG. 5). The anvil 60 further includes a plurality of radial slots 115 that extend from the longitudinal bore 75 through the anvil 60. The bit holding device 50 includes a plurality of ball detents 100 received in the respective radial slots 115, a collar 70 slidably disposed on the anvil 60, a collar spring 95 that biases the collar 70 rearward to a first collar position (FIG. 2), and a washer 85 and retaining ring 90 that maintain the collar spring 95 on the anvil 60. The collar 70 further includes an interior ring 80 having an inner diameter sized to maintain at least a portion of each of the respective ball detents 100 within the longitudinal bore 75, which, in turn, are received within a circumferential groove 164 (FIG. 5) of the tool bit 37 to secure the tool bit 37 within the anvil 60. The bit holding device 50 also includes a detent spring 105 positioned around the anvil 60 having a pluralit of protrusions 110 that extend into the respective radial slots 115 for biasing the respective ball detents 100 toward the front of the respective radial slots 115 and toward the open end of the longitudinal bore 75.

[0017] With respect to FIGS. 3 and 4, the detent spring 105 includes a continuous helical structure that extends along the anvil 60 having the protrusions 110 integrally formed as part of the continuous helical structure. In some embodiments of the impact driver 10, the protrusions 110 can be in the form of U-shaped fingers extending into the plurality of radial slots 115.

[0018] In operation, to secure the tool bit 37 within the anvil 60, while the collar 70 is in the first position (FIG. 2), a user inserts the end of the tool bit 37 having the circumferential groove 164 within the longitudinal bore 75 using a single hand, pushing the tool bit 37 toward the ball detents 100. Continued insertion of the tool bit 37 causes the rear of the tool bit 37 to engage the ball detents 100, thereby pushing the ball detents 100 rearward until the ball detents 100 clear the interior ring 80, at which point continued insertion of the tool bit 37 displaces the ball detents 100 radially outward and outboard of the tool bit 37. As the ball detents 100 encounter the circumferential groove 164 of the tool bit 37, the detent spring 105 partially rebounds and pushes the ball detents 100 underneath the interior ring 80 to secure the tool bit 37 to the anvil 60.

[0019] To release the tool bit 37, the user grasps the collar 70 and moves the collar 70 forw ard toward the open end of the longitudinal bore 75. The interior ring 80 is moved forward with the collar 70, misaligning the interior ring 80 from the ball detents 100 and allowing the user to pull the tool bit 37 from the bore 75. This action displaces the ball detents 100 radially outward within the slots 115, thereby permitting the tool bit 37 to slide under the ball detents 100 and be removed.

[0020] Only requiring the user to use one hand when inserting the tool bit 37 into the device 50 is not only more efficient, but also more convenient because it allows the user to have the other hand free. Additionally, only requiring the user to actuate the collar 70 when removing the tool bit from the device 50 allows for faster interchangeability of the tool bits 37.

[0021] With reference to FIGS. 2 and 5, the plurality of ball detents 100 of the bit holding device 50 provide multiple contact points in the circumferential groove 164 of the tool bit 37; therefore, increasing the resistance between the bit holding device 50 and the tool bit 37. With this increased resistance, the tool bit 37 is prevented from prematurely releasing during certain operating conditions of the tool 10, such as high vibration. Additionally, the bit holding device 50 can provide increased tool bit 37 retention at a much lower cost than other methods presented in the art.

[0022] Various features of the invention are set forth in the following claims.