CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/651,776, filed April 3, 2018, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates to power tools, and more specifically to jigsaws.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] There are various power tools known in the art that consider ergonomics as a factor in the design process. These power tools can include many benefits for the user due to the increases comfort a user experiences while using these tools.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The present invention provides, in one aspect, a power tool including a drive system and a housing at least partially supporting the drive system. The housing includes a base configured to support the power tool relative to a workpiece on which the power tool operates. The power tool includes a handle coupled to the housing. The handle defines a longitudinal axis and includes a first portion positioned between the longitudinal axis and the base and a second portion opposite the first portion along the longitudinal axis. The power tool includes an activation switch coupled to a side surface of the housing. The activation switch is slidable in a direction parallel with a switch axis that intersects the longitudinal axis from a deactivated state, in which the drive system is non-operable, to an activated state, in which the drive system is operable. The activation switch is slidable toward the second portion of the handle from an intersection point between the switch axis and the longitudinal axis.

[0005] The present invention provides, in another aspect, a power tool including a housing and a handle coupled to the housing. The handle is configured to be gripped by an operator to manipulate the power tool. The power tool also includes a drive system supported in one of the housing or the handle. The drive system includes a frame, a motor at least supported by the frame, and a transmission driven by the motor. The transmission is at least partially supported by the frame. The frame is composed of a non-electrically conductive material.

[0006] The present invention provides, in yet another aspect, a power tool including a housing and a handle coupled to the housing. The handle includes a longitudinal axis configured to be oriented parallel to a workpiece in which the power tool is operable to cut. The power tool also includes a drive system supported in one of the housing and the handle. The drive system includes a frame composed of a non-electrically conductive material, a motor at least supported by the frame, and a transmission driven by the motor. The transmission is at least partially supported by the frame. The drive system also includes an output spindle driven by the transmission. The output spindle is configured to reciprocate a cutting blade along a blade axis. The power tool further includes an activation switch coupled to a side surface of the housing. The activation switch is slidable in a direction parallel with a switch axis that intersects the longitudinal axis between a deactivated state, in which the drive system is non-operable, and an activated state, in which the drive system is operable. The switch axis is oriented at an acute angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the handle.

[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 first perspective view of a jigsaw in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

[0009] FIG. 2 is a second perspective view of the jigsaw of FIG. 1.

[0010] FIG. 3 is a side view of the jigsaw of FIG. 1.

[0011] FIG. 4 is a side view of the jigsaw of FIG. 1 with a portion of a housing of the jigsaw removed.

[0012] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a portion of a drive system of the jigsaw, illustrating a motor, a transmission, and a frame supporting the motor and transmission.

[0013] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the frame of the drive system. [0014] 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. Terms of degree, such as“substantially,”“about,”“approximately,” etc. are understood by those of ordinary skill to refer to reasonable ranges outside of the given value, for example, general tolerances associated with manufacturing, assembly, and use of the described embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] FIG. 1 illustrates a power tool, such as a jigsaw 10, including a housing 14 having a handle 18, a battery 22 removably coupled to the handle 18 at a rear portion of the housing 14, a guide plate 26 pivotably coupled to the housing 14 and configured to contact a workpiece 28 (FIG. 3) during a cutting operation, and a cutting blade 30 protruding from a front portion of the housing 14 and a lower surface of the guide plate or base 26. The jigsaw 10 includes a drive system 34 (FIG. 4) powered by the battery 22 and operable to impart reciprocating motion to the cutting blade 30 for cutting the workpiece 28. The handle 18 defines a longitudinal axis 38 extending centrally through handle 18 with the longitudinal axis 38 oriented substantially parallel (e.g., within 10 degrees) to the workpiece 28 in which the guide plate 26 abuts. Moreover, the longitudinal axis 38 is substantially perpendicular to a blade axis 40— the blade axis 40 being substantially parallel to a central (vertical) axis of the housing 14— along which the cutting blade 30 generally reciprocates during a cutting operation. The handle 18 includes a first or lower portion 41 (FIG. 3) positioned between the longitudinal axis 38 and the guide plate 26, and a second or upper portion 43 (FIG. 3) positioned opposite the lower portion 41 along the longitudinal axis 38.

[0016] With reference to FIGS. 1-3, the jigsaw 10 also includes gripping surfaces 42a, 42b disposed on the housing 14 and the handle 18, respectively, that are graspable by a user to operate and maneuver the jigsaw 10 relative to the workpiece 28. The gripping surfaces 42a, 42b, in addition to the housing 14 and the handle 18, are composed of a non-conductive material (e.g., plastic with or without an elastomeric overmold). Such a non-conductive material electrically insulates the user in the event that the user inadvertently cuts an electrical wire during a cutting operation, thus inhibiting, or at least mitigating, an electrical shock. The gripping surface 42b on the handle 18 further includes a pair of recessed gripping portions 46a, 46b (FIGS. 1 and 2) disposed on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis 38 and generally located proximate the intersection of the housing 14 and the handle 18. Each recessed gripping portion 46a, 46b is defined by a raised lip 50 that extends substantially around the periphery of the recessed gripping portions 46a, 46b and includes a step 52. The step 52 and the raised lip 50 define an indentation 53 that is formed into at least one of the housing 14 and the handle 18 with the indentations 53 sized to receive a thumb or a finger (e.g., the index finger or the middle finger) of a user to prevent the users’ thumb/finger from inadvertently slipping out of the recessed gripping portions 46a, 46b.

[0017] With continued reference to FIGS. 1-3, the jigsaw 10 further includes a first activation switch 54 (FIG. 1) and a second activation switch 58 (FIG. 2) in electrical communication with the drive system 34 to selectively supply power to the drive system 34 via the battery 22, discussed in more detail below. The first activation switch 54 is provided on a first lateral side 62 of the housing 14 adjacent the first recessed gripping portion 46a, and the second activation switch 58 is provided on a second lateral side 66— opposite the first lateral side 62— of the housing 14 adjacent the second recessed gripping portion 46b. In other words, the activation switches 54, 58 are located on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis 38. Both switches 54, 58 are slidable parallel to a switch axis 70, which is oriented at an acute angle Al relative to the longitudinal axis 38 (e.g., the acute angle Al is located entirely above the longitudinal axis 38; FIG. 3). Specifically, the switch axis 70 intersects the longitudinal axis 38 and at least extends through the housing 14 such that the switch axis 70 is positioned between the first and second activation switches 54, 58. In the illustrated embodiment, the angle Al of the switch axis 70 is approximately 42 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis 38, as illustrated in FIG. 3. In other embodiments, the angle Al of the switch axis 70 may be approximately 42 degrees ± 22.5 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis 38. That is, the angle Al of the switch axis 70 may range from approximately 19.5 degrees to approximately 64.5 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis 38. In further embodiments, the angle Al may range from approximately parallel to the longitudinal axis 38 to approximately 60 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis 38.

[0018] With reference to FIG. 3, in a side view of the jigsaw 10 as shown in FIG. 3, the switch axis 70 is oriented at an oblique angle Bl relative to a linear central axis 74 that intersects the longitudinal axis 38 with which the recessed gripping portions 46a, 46b are aligned. In the illustrated embodiment the oblique angle Bl is less than 90 degrees (e.g., approximately 65 degrees), however, in other embodiments, the oblique angle Bl can be between about 50 degrees and about 80 degrees.

[0019] With reference to the blade axis 40, the switch axis 70 of the illustrated embodiment is oriented at an acute angle Cl that is approximately 48 degrees from the blade axis 40. In other embodiments, the acute angle Cl is between about 25.5 degrees and about 70.5 degrees.

[0020] The first and second activation switches 54, 58 are independently slidable between an activated state, in which the battery 22 supplies power to the drive system 34, and a non-activated state (i.e., a deactivated state), in which no power is supplied to the drive system 34. The activated state of the first activation switch 54 is shown in broken lines in FIG. 3 and the non-activated state of the first activation switch 54 is shown in solid lines in FIG. 3. The activated state of the first activation switch 54 is positioned further from the guide plate 26 and the workpiece 28 in an upward direction 76 along the switch axis 70 than the non-activated state. The upward direction 76 moves away from the guide plate

26/workpiece 28 and above the longitudinal axis 38. Stated another way, the first activation switch 54 is slidable in the direction 76 and toward the upper portion 43 of the handle 18 from an intersection point 77 between the switch axis 70 and the longitudinal axis 38.

Although only the two states of the first activation switch 54 are shown in FIG. 3, the two states of the second activation switch 58 are arranged in a similar manner. In other embodiments, the activated state and non-activated state of the switches 54, 58 can be switched such that the non-activated state of the activation switches 54, 58 is positioned further from the guide plate 26 in the direction 76 along the switch axis 70 than the activated state. In the illustrated embodiment of the jigsaw 10, the switches 54, 56 are configured as momentary switches that are biased toward the non-activated state, and that return to the non- activated state in response to being released by the user (after having been switched to the activated state). In other embodiments, the switches 54, 56 can be momentary switches that are independently moveable along an axis substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis 38 (e.g., moveable in a direction into the housing 14 in the reference frame of FIG. 3).

[0021] With reference to FIGS. 4-6, the drive system 34 of the jigsaw 10 is disposed within the housing 14 and the handle 18 adjacent the respective gripping surfaces 42a, 42b. The drive system 34 includes a motor 78, a transmission 82 driven by the motor 78 and having an output spindle 86 to which the cutting blade 30 is removably secured, and a frame 90 for mounting the motor 78 and the transmission 82 in the housing 14. The frame 90 is fixedly coupled within the housing 14. Like the gripping surfaces 42a, 42b, the housing 14, and the handle 18, the frame 90 is composed of a non-conductive material (e.g., plastic).

Such a non-conductive material electrically insulates the user in the event that the user inadvertently cuts an electrical wire during a cutting operation, thus inhibiting, or at least mitigating, an electrical shock. The frame 90 includes two apertures 94, 98 (FIG. 6) that together support the motor 78 and the transmission 82. The first aperture 94 receives and supports a drive shaft 100 of the motor 78 which, in turn, supports a helical drive gear 102. Specifically, the drive shaft 100— which is parallel to the longitudinal axis 38— is rotatably supported by the frame 90 via a first rotational support member 104 (e.g., a bushing, a radial bearing, etc.). The aperture 98 receives and supports a driven shaft 105 of a helical driven gear 106 of the transmission 82. Specifically, the driven shaft 105— which is parallel to the drive shaft 100— is rotatably supported by the frame 90 via a second rotational support member 110 (e.g., a bushing, a radial bearing, etc.). The helical drive gear 102 intermeshes and drives the helical driven gear 106 of the transmission 82. The transmission 82 transfers the rotational motion of the helical driven gear 106 to a reciprocating motion of the spindle 86 to drive the cutting blade 30 in a reciprocating manner.

[0022] During operation, a user may grasp the gripping surfaces 42a, 42b of the housing 14 and the handle 18 to maneuver the jigsaw 10 relative to the workpiece 28. The user may rest the jigsaw 10 on the workpiece 28 via the guide plate 26 and align the cutting blade 30 with the desired cut. The cutting blade 30 reciprocates along the blade axis 40 in response to the user sliding one of the first activation switch 54 or the second activation switch 58 into the activated state and then releasing the switch 54, 58 from the activated state. Specifically, the user either slides the first activation switch 54 parallel to the switch axis 70 from the non-activated state to the activated state (e.g., moves the first activation switch 54 in the direction 76) or slides the second activation switch 58 parallel to the switch axis 70 from the non-activated state to the activated state (e.g., moving the second activation switch 58 in the direction 76), causing the motor 78 to drive the transmission 82 and reciprocate the cutting blade 30. In other words, both activation switches 54, 58 are not positioned in the activated state for the motor 78 and the transmission 82 to drive the cutting blade 30. By holding one activation switch 54, 58 in the activated state for a short period in time (e.g., 2 seconds, 3 seconds, etc.), continuous power from the battery 22 is supplied to the drive system 34 to cut the workpiece 28. Thereafter, the activation switch 54, 58 is released from the activated state to be biased into the non-activated state. Stated another way, power is supplied to the drive system 34 while the switches 54, 58 are in the non-activated state after one of the switches 54, 58 is moved into the activated state. However, to interrupt power being supplied to the drive system 34 to stop movement of the cutting blade 30, one activation switch 54, 58 is simply moved back into the activated state from the non-activated state and released from the activated state (e.g., both switches 54, 58 are then positioned within the non-activated state and the jigsaw 10 is non-operable).

[0023] As the activation switches 54, 58 are conveniently located on the side surfaces 62, 66 of the housing 14 adjacent one of the recessed gripping portions 46a, 46b of the gripping surface 42b, the activation switches 54, 58 are easily accessible within an arc path of the user’s thumb. As such, a user may simply slide the activation switches 54, 58 without altering or adjusting his or her grip of the jigsaw 10. Moreover, a user is able to use the jigsaw 10 for an extended period of time without experiencing discomfort. This is due, in part, to the non-heat conductive and non-electrically conductive material implemented on the gripping surfaces 42a, 42b, the housing 14, the handle 18, and the frame 90. As a result, the gripping surfaces 42a, 42b are maintained at a moderate temperature without overheating. Also, the user may experience additional comfort due to the ergonomic recessed gripping portion 46a, 46b and the raised lip 50 of the gripping surface 42b, as well as, the orientation of the activation switches 54, 58 (e.g., angles Al, Bl).

[0024] Various features and advantages of the disclosure are set forth in the following claims.