Single-motion magazine retention for fastening tools

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11267114-B2
Application number	US-201615196175-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2016
Priority date	Jun 29, 2016
Publication date	Mar 8, 2022
Grant date	Mar 8, 2022

Abstract

A fastening tool including a magazine securely and releasably retained on the fastening tool by a cam mounted on one of the fastening tool and the magazine. In a single rotary motion, the cam wedges together the housing member of the fastening tool and the housing member of the magazine, while simultaneously rotating cam lobes into respective chambers formed on the fastening tool and the magazine. The cam rotation and magazine retention system is accomplished without tools.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fastening tool, comprising:
a fastening tool housing including a fastening tool housing member having a first surface;
a drive system disposed in the fastening tool housing at one end thereof and defining a drive track for guiding a fastener along a drive axis;
a magazine connected to the fastening tool housing, the magazine having a magazine housing including a magazine housing member having a first surface, the magazine further having a drive interface, the drive interface being configured to present fasteners to the drive track;
a cam having at least one portion disposed in the fastening tool housing member, the cam being rotatable along a plane passing through the fastening tool housing member and rotatably engageable with one of the first surface of the fastening tool housing member and the first surface of the magazine housing member to sandwich said one of the housing members between the cam and the other of the fastening tool housing member and magazine housing member to releasably maintain the magazine fully connected to the fastening tool housing; and
a biasing agent configured to bias the cam upon rotation of the cam from an unlatched position to a latched position,
wherein the biasing agent has a compressed state and an uncompressed state and is configured to bias the cam in the latched position when in the compressed state and return to the uncompressed state upon rotation of the cam to the unlatched position,
wherein the magazine is at least partially removable from the fastening tool housing, and
wherein the fastening tool housing member is disposed proximate the magazine housing member when the magazine is fully connected to the fastening tool housing.

2. The fastening tool claimed in claim 1 , wherein the drive interface defines a pivot member-engaging portion that provides a primary retention system for maintaining the magazine fully connected to the fastening tool.

3. The fastening tool claimed in claim 1 , wherein the fastening tool and magazine housing members are parallel to each other, and
wherein the cam is rotatably connected to one of the magazine housing and the fastening tool housing, and
wherein the cam is configured to releasably engage the housing member of the other of the magazine housing and the fastening tool housing.

4. The fastening tool claimed in claim 3 , wherein the biasing agent and the cam are configured to cooperate to maintain the cam engaged with the other of the magazine and fastening tool housing member by an over-center latch.

5. The fastening tool claimed in claim 3 , wherein the cam includes a lobe and a lever,
wherein one of the magazine housing and the fastening tool housing defines a chamber configured to accept the lobe, such that when the lever moves the cam to the latched position, the lobe engages the other of the magazine and fastener tool housing member and simultaneously enters the chamber, thereby providing a secondary retention of the magazine on the fastening tool housing.

6. The fastening tool claimed in claim 3 , wherein the cam defines first and second lobes and a lever, and is movable from an unlatched position to a latched position, and
wherein one of the magazine housing and the fastening tool housing define first and second chambers configured to accept the first and second lobes, respectively; such that when the lever moves the cam to the latched position, the first lobe engages the other of the magazine and fastening tool housing member, and the first and second lobes simultaneously enter the first and second chambers, respectively.

7. The fastening tool claimed in claim 3 , wherein the biasing agent includes a pressure member normally biased by at least one coil spring in a direction to engage the cam, and
wherein the at least one coil spring and the pressure member are disposed on the other of the magazine housing and the fastening tool housing.

8. The fastening tool claimed in claim 6 , wherein the biasing agent includes a sheet spring configured to be normally biased into engagement with the cam, and
wherein when the lever moves the cam from the unlatched to the latched position, the first lobe deforms the sheet spring, and
wherein the first lobe engages the sheet spring to produce an over-center latch.

9. The fastening tool claimed in claim 3 , wherein the cam and one of the magazine housing and the fastening tool housing define respective engaging detents to releasably retain the cam in an unlatched position.

10. The fastening tool claimed in claim 1 , wherein the wedge includes a cam rotatably connected to one of the magazine housing and the fastening tool housing, and
wherein the cam includes a resilient portion configured to bias the cam in a position to maintain the cam in engagement with the other of the magazine housing and the fastening tool housing.

11. The fastening tool claimed in claim 1 , wherein the drive interface forms a portion of the drive track.

12. The fastening tool claimed in claim 2 , wherein the cam includes a portion operatively associated with a chamber defined by one of the fastening tool and magazine housing to provide a secondary retention system for maintaining the magazine fully connected to the fastening tool housing.

13. The fastening tool claimed in claim 1 , wherein the drive interface is located at a proximal end of the magazine and the magazine housing member is located at a distal end of the magazine, and
wherein the cam is rotatably engageable with one of the first surface of the fastening tool housing member and the first surface of the magazine housing member at the distal end of the magazine.

14. A method of removably retaining a magazine on the fastening tool of claim 1 , comprising:
moving a movable member into releasable engagement with one of a magazine housing member of a magazine housing and a fastening tool housing member of a fastening tool housing; and
wedging the magazine housing member and the fastening tool housing member together.

15. The method claimed in claim 14 , further comprising:
prior to the wedging step, pivoting the magazine about a pivot disposed on the fastening tool so that the magazine housing member is disposed adjacent the fastening tool housing member.

16. The method claimed in claim 14 , wherein the steps of moving and wedging are accomplished without tools.

17. The method claimed in claim 14 , further comprising:
maintaining the magazine housing member in a wedged condition against the fastening tool housing member by biasing the respective housing members in the wedged condition.

18. The method claimed in claim 14 , further comprising:
simultaneously moving a portion of the movable member into a chamber defined by one of the fastening tool and magazine housings to assist in retaining the magazine on the fastening tool.

19. The method claimed in claim 17 , further comprising:
rotating the movable member against one of the magazine housing member and the fastening tool housing member to wedge one of the magazine housing member and the fastening tool housing member between the movable member and the other of the magazine housing member and the fastening tool housing member.

20. The method claimed in claim 14 , wherein the magazine and fastening tool housing members are substantially parallel, and
wherein the movable member rotates in a plane substantially parallel to the magazine and fastening tool housing members.

21. The method claimed in claim 14 , further comprising:
providing a cam on

Assignees

• Black & Decker Inc

Inventors

• Meyer Jeffrey J
• Garber Stuart E

Classifications

• B25C1/001 Primary

  Nail feeding devices (B25C1/184 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B25C1/005

  for rows of contiguous nails · CPC title

• B25C1/06

  operated by electric power · CPC title