Power tool holder
The invention concerns a power tool holder which includes at least two clamping parts mutually movably connected to each other by at least one adjustable connection part, the at least two clamping parts each having a clamping surface which face each other and have a clamping space formed between them, wherein a power tool can be clamped by an adjustment of the connection part to move the clamping parts together. At least one clamping part includes at least one through hole located adjacent to the clamping surface of said clamping part, such that the clamping surface will flex when subjected to pressure on clamping a power tool.
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The invention relates to a power tool holder according to the preamble of claim 1.
BACKGROUND ARTA power tool holder is depicted in
Such conventional power tool holders are by themselves quite uncomplicated devices, normally comprising two clamping parts that are held together by some means that can be used to force them together when clamping the power tool.
Since the force and torque that can be exerted by the power tool may be quite high, depending on the tool used, it is important that the tool is tightly fastened in the tool holder. Should the tool move in the tool holder during use, it may be detrimental to the precision with which the tool can work, for instance the amount of torque that controllably can be delivered to a screw joint. Also, the material of the tool housing in the connection region between tool and the holder may be damaged by such movements.
The importance of a firm connection between the tool and the holder is reflected in the propensity of workers to overtighten the holder when attaching it to the tool. This overtightening may in itself lead to deformation of the housing of the tool, thus damaging vital internal parts such as the gears, motor or torque transmitter.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIt is an object of the present invention to propose a solution for or a reduction of the problems of prior art. A main object is consequently to reduce the risk of damaging a power tool when tightly attaching it to a power tool holder.
The invention provides a solution with a power tool holder having the features of claim 1.
By providing at least one clamping part comprising at least one through hole located adjacent to the clamping surface of said clamping part, the clamping surface will flex when under pressure clamping a power tool. This flexing translates into a larger contact surface between the clamping part and the power tool and thus the surface pressure on the power tool is decreased compared to a prior art holder clamped with the same tension in the connection part. This considerably lessens the risk of damaging the power tool when tightening the holder.
Further advantageous aspects of the invention are disclosed in the dependent claims.
Advantageous embodiments of the invention are described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. On the drawings:
In
As, seen in
A distinguishing feature of the holder 1 of the invention is that at least one clamping part 20, 21 comprises at least one through hole 7 located adjacent to the clamping surface 20a, 21a of said clamping part 20, 21 such that the clamping surface 20a, 21a will flex when under pressure clamping a power tool 6. This flexing is due to the relatively thin wall 10 of material, between the hole 7 and the clamping surface, that will yield somewhat when under pressure. The flexing of the clamping surface provides a larger contact surface between the clamping part 20, 21 and the power tool 6 leading to a lower surface pressure on the tool 6 for a given clamping tension in the connection part(s). At least one through hole 7, as mentioned earlier, is needed in order to provide this benefit. However more holes may also be provided, as is the case in
Thus, instead of making contact substantially along a line formed by the points of contact between the power tool and the holder as in the prior art, the contact surface according to the holder of the invention will be in the form of a surface due to the flexing of the clamping surfaces of the invention.
As mentioned, the power tool holder 1 according to the invention may comprise at least one clamping surface 20a, 21 that comprises two flat portions. Such portions may be directed towards the clamping space 5 at an angle of less than 180° between them, as seen in
A particular case of the power tool holder 1 according to the invention would be a tool holder where each clamping surface 20a, 21a of two clamping parts 20, 21 comprises two flat portions directed towards the clamping space 5 at an angle of less than 180° between them. This resembles the case of
It should be noted that other peripheries of the clamping surfaces, even convex ones, given the right flex of the surface are possible.
As has been mentioned, at least one through hole 7 should be provided in at least one clamping part of the tool holder. A power tool holder 1 according to any of the embodiments of the invention wherein each clamping part 20, 21 comprises at least one such through hole 7 would provide the benefit of further reducing surface pressure on a tool when clamped with a given tension in the connection part(s). Also, since all clamping parts in this case have a clamping surface that flexes, the overall distribution of surface pressure on a clamped tool will be more even. The through holes would be located adjacent to the clamping surface 20a, 21a of said each clamping part 20, 21.
A variant of the previous embodiment would be a power tool holder wherein each clamping part 20, 21 comprises one through hole 7. Such an embodiment is depicted as an example in
In any of the embodiments of the power tool holder 1 according the invention, a through hole 7 may have a cross section form of an elongated oval. This form of the hole has been depicted as an example in
The power tool holder 1 according to any of the previous embodiments may in one embodiment comprise two adjustment parts 3 interconnecting the clamping parts 20, 21. This is a straightforward solution that provides a balanced pressure when clamping a power tool. It has been shown as an example in the
A suitable material for a clamping part 20, 21 comprising at least one through hole 7 is high-tensile steel having a yield strength between around 750-1500 MPa, for instance about 900-1100 MPa. This choice of material provides good flexibility with moderate material use and such material also does not suffer from material fatigue. Of course, other materials may also be used, such as other metals or synthetic materials.
A through hole 7 in a clamping part may be filled with a material which is softer than the material of the clamping part, preferably a highly flexible material in order not to impair the flexing ability of the clamping surface. Filling a hole with such a material would for instance prevent the hole from getting caught on some protruding object when moving the power tool holder about.
The invention also comprises an assembly comprising a power tool holder 1 according to any of the previous embodiments and a support arm 9. The assembly may further comprise a power tool 6.
Claims
1. A power tool holder comprising:
- at least two clamping parts mutually movably connected to each other by at least one adjustable connection part, the at least two clamping parts each having a clamping surface facing each other to form a clamping space between them, wherein a power tool may be clamped by an adjustment of the at least one adjustable connection part to move the at least two clamping parts together;
- wherein at least one of said at least two clamping parts comprises at least one through hole located adjacent to the clamping surface of said at least one clamping part, such that a wall is formed between the clamping surface of said at least one clamping part and the through hole, and such that the clamping surface of said at least one clamping part is configured to flex when subjected to pressure upon clamping the power tool.
2. The power tool holder according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said at least two clamping surfaces comprises two flat portions that face the clamping space at an angle of less than 180° between them.
3. The power tool holder according to claim 1, wherein each clamping surface of each of said two clamping parts comprises two flat portions directed towards the clamping space at an angle of less than 180° between them.
4. The power tool holder according to claim 1, wherein each clamping part comprises at least one through hole located adjacent to the clamping surface of said each clamping part.
5. The power tool holder according to claim 2, wherein each flat portion comprises one adjacent through hole.
6. The power tool holder according to claim 1, wherein the through hole has a cross sectional form of an elongated oval.
7. The power tool holder according to claim 1, wherein said at least two clamping parts are mutually movably connected to each other by two adjustable connection parts.
8. The power tool holder according to claim 1, wherein said at least one clamping part comprising said at least one through hole is made of high-tensile steel having a yield strength between 750 MPa and 1500 MPa.
9. An assembly comprising:
- the power tool holder according to claim 1; and
- a support arm.
10. The assembly according to claim 9, further comprising the power tool.
11. The power tool holder according to claim 8, wherein said at least one clamping part comprising said at least one through hole is made of high-tensile steel having a yield strength between 900 MPa and 1100 MPa.
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Type: Grant
Filed: Jun 29, 2012
Date of Patent: Mar 31, 2015
Patent Publication Number: 20140183329
Assignee: Atlas Copco Industrial Technique AB (Stockholm)
Inventor: Robin McGougan (Enskede)
Primary Examiner: Bradley Duckworth
Application Number: 14/233,680
International Classification: F16M 13/00 (20060101); B25D 17/28 (20060101); B25H 1/00 (20060101);