Stapling tool assembly including a wire alignment contact trip

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10821587-B2
Application number	US-201815974448-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 8, 2018
Priority date	Mar 30, 2018
Publication date	Nov 3, 2020
Grant date	Nov 3, 2020

Abstract

A stapling tool assembly may include a nosepiece assembly with a driver channel through which a staple is driven into a workpiece. The stapling tool assembly may also include a wire alignment contact trip with a contact foot. The contact foot may include a peripheral guide wall that defines a workpiece contact edge. The workpiece contact edge may include at least one wire alignment recess and at least one opposing wire alignment recess in the workpiece contact edge. The at least one wire alignment recess and the at least one opposing wire alignment recess can cooperate to define a first and a second wire positioning path to align the wire in two different orientations relative to the drive channel. The at least one wire alignment recess can have a first overall length that is different than a second overall length of the at least one opposing wire alignment recess.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A stapling tool assembly comprising:
a nosepiece assembly including a driver channel through which a staple is driven into a workpiece, the driver channel defining a drive plane along which the staple travels before exiting the driver channel; and
a contact foot for positioning the nosepiece assembly relative to a wire to avoid a staple leg from being driven into the wire, the contact foot including a peripheral guide wall defining a workpiece contact edge of the contact foot having at least one wire alignment recess in the workpiece contact edge and at least one opposing wire alignment recess in an opposing side of the workpiece contact edge, the at least one wire alignment recess and the at least one opposing wire alignment recess cooperating to define a first wire positioning path and a second wire positioning path to align the wire in two different orientations relative to the drive plane, the at least one wire alignment recess having a first overall length that is different than a second overall length of the at least one opposing wire alignment recess.

2. The stapling tool assembly of claim 1 further comprising a wire alignment contact trip including the contact foot, wherein:
the wire alignment contact trip is coupled to an activation switch of the stapling tool assembly having an active state and an inactive state;
a biasing force biases the wire alignment contact trip toward an extended position and the wire alignment contact trip is movable against the biasing force into a retracted position; and
the activation switch is in the active state when the wire alignment contact trip is in the retracted position, and the activation switch is in the inactive state when the contact trip is in the extended position.

3. The stapling tool assembly of claim 1 wherein the first wire positioning path and the second wire positioning path are substantially linear paths between the at least one wire alignment recess and the at least one opposing wire alignment recess.

4. The stapling tool assembly of claim 1 wherein the peripheral guide wall has a rectangular cross-sectional shape positioned around the nosepiece assembly.

5. The stapling tool assembly of claim 1 wherein the first wire positioning path and the second wire positioning path are oriented relative to the drive plane such that the wire positioned along the first wire positioning path or the second wire positioning path does not intersect a staple leg path of the staple when the staple exits the driver channel.

6. The stapling tool assembly of claim 1 wherein the at least one wire alignment recess is positioned closer to the drive plane than the at least one opposing wire alignment recess.

7. The stapling tool assembly of claim 1 wherein the first wire positioning path and the second wire positioning path are oriented relative to one another at an acute crossing angle that is greater than 10 degrees.

8. The stapling tool assembly of claim 1 wherein the first wire positioning path and the second wire positioning path are oriented relative to one another at an acute crossing angle in a range of 10 degrees to 70 degrees.

9. The stapling tool assembly of claim 1 wherein:
the at least one wire alignment recess includes a single wire alignment recess positioned substantially parallel to the drive plane in the peripheral guide wall, the first overall length of the at least one wire alignment recess defined by a length of the single wire alignment recess; and
the at least one opposing wire alignment recess includes a single opposing wire alignment recess positioned parallel to the drive plane in the peripheral guide wall on a side of the drive channel opposite to the single wire alignment recess, the second overall length of the at least one opposing wire alignment recess defined by a length of the single opposing wire alignment recess.

10. The stapling tool assembly of claim 9 wherein the length of the single wire alignment recess is less than one half of the length of the single opposing wire alignment recess.

11. The stapling tool assembly of claim 1 wherein:
the at least one wire alignment recess includes a first wire alignment recess positioned substantially parallel to the drive plane in the peripheral guide wall, the overall length of the at least one wire alignment recess defined by a length of the first wire alignment recess; and
the at least one opposing wire alignment recess comprises a second wire alignment recess and a third wire alignment recess, the second wire alignment recess positioned parallel to the drive plane in the peripheral guide wall on a side of the drive channel opposite to the first wire alignment recess, the third wire alignment recess positioned adjacent the second wire alignment recess, the overall length of the at least one opposing wire alignment recess is defined by a combined length of the second wire alignment recess and the third wire alignment recess.

12. The stapling tool assembly of claim 11 wherein the length of the first wire alignment recess is less than the combined length of the second wire alignment recess and the third wire alignment recess.

13. The stapling tool assembly of claim 11 wherein the third wire alignment recess has a curved cross-sectional profile.

14. The stapling tool assembly of claim 11 wherein the peripheral guide wall has a rectangular profile with a leading wall, a trailing wall, a first side wall and a second side wall, the first wire alignment recess located in the leading wall, the second wire alignment recess located in the trailing wall and the third wire alignment recess located at an intersection of the trailing wall and the second side wall.

15. The stapling tool assembly of claim 11 wherein the first wire alignment recess and the second wire alignment recess define the first wire positioning path and the first wire alignment recess and the third wire alignment recess define the second wire positioning path.

16. A stapling tool assembly comprising:
a nosepiece assembly including a driver channel through which a staple is driven into a workpiece, the driver channel defining a drive plane along which the staple travels before exiting the driver channel;
a wire alignment contact trip including:
a contact foot for positioning the nosepiece assembly relative to a wire to avoid a staple leg from being driven into a wire, the contact foot including a leading side and a trailing side joined together to define an enclosure, the leading side positioned opposite to the trailing side and including a first wire recess, the trailing side including a second wire recess and a third wire recess; and
a contact trip arm joined to the contact foot and extending away therefrom, the contact trip arm for engaging an activation switch of the stapling tool assembly having an active state and an inactive state, a biasing force biasing the wire alignment contact trip toward an extended position and the wire alignment contact trip is movable against the biasing force into a retracted position, and wherein the activation switch is in the active state when the wire alignment contact trip is in the retracted position, and wherein the activation switch is in the inactive state when the contact trip is in the extended position; and

wherein the first wire recess and the second wire recess cooperate to define a first wire positioning path to align the wire in a first path through the first wire recess and the second wire recess that is substantially perpendicular to the drive plane, and the first wire recess and the third wire recess cooperate to define a second wire position

Assignees

• Black & Decker Inc

Inventors

• Meyer Jeffrey J
• Parker Dylan

Classifications

• B25C7/00 Primary

  Accessories for nailing or stapling tools, e.g. supports (for tools operated by detonation of a cartridge B25C1/18) · CPC title

• B25C5/06

  without provision for bending the ends of the staples on to the work · CPC title

• B25C5/02 Primary

  with provision for bending the ends of the staples on to the work · CPC title