Pneumatic tool

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11364613-B2
Application number	US-201916689527-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 20, 2019
Priority date	Nov 21, 2018
Publication date	Jun 21, 2022
Grant date	Jun 21, 2022

Abstract

A pneumatic tool includes a casing unit, an air motor, a rotary valve, and a turning unit. The rotary valve is mounted to the air motor and is rotatable about a valve axis. The turning unit includes a ring member that surrounds and is rotatably mounted to the casing unit, and that is connected to the rotary valve, such that rotation of the ring member relative to the casing unit drives the rotary valve to rotate about the valve axis relative to the air motor among a first-end position, a second-end position and at least one in-between position for adjusting airflow that travels from an air inlet passage of the casing unit, through an opening and an intermediate passage of the rotary valve, to an air chamber of the air motor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A pneumatic tool comprising:
a casing unit having an air inlet passage;
an air motor mounted in said casing unit, and including a cylinder wall that surrounds a motor axis and that defines an air chamber, said cylinder wall having first and second air ports that are in spatial communication with said air chamber;
a rotary valve mounted to said air motor and rotatable about a valve axis, said rotary valve having an opening and an intermediate passage that spatially intercommunicates said opening with said air inlet passage of said casing unit, the valve axis (X) being parallel to and spaced apart from the motor axis (L); and
a turning unit including a ring member that surrounds and is rotatably mounted to said casing unit, said ring member being connected to said rotary valve, such that rotation of said ring member relative to said casing unit drives said rotary valve to rotate about the valve axis relative to said air motor among
a first-end position, where said opening is in spatial communication with said first air port and is clear of obstructions,
a second-end position, where said opening is in spatial communication with said second air port and is clear of obstructions, and
at least one in-between position, where said opening is in spatial communication with one of said first and second air ports and is partially blocked;

wherein said casing unit includes a front casing and a rear casing that are arranged along the motor axis;
wherein said rear casing further has a front end portion connected to said front casing; and
wherein said ring member of said turning unit surrounds said front end portion and is disposed between said front and rear casings of said casing unit.

2. The pneumatic tool as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said cylinder wall of said air motor further has first and second air passages that are respectively and directly connected to said first and second air ports, and a blocking surface that is formed between said first and second air passages, said opening of said rotary valve being partially blocked by said blocking surface when said rotary valve is in said at least one in-between position.

3. The pneumatic tool as claimed in claim 2 , wherein said casing unit further has a plurality of positioning portions, said turning unit further including a positioning subunit that is mounted to said ring member and that detachably engages one of said positioning portions for positioning said rotary valve at a respective one of the first-end position, the second-end position, and the at least one in-between position.

4. The pneumatic tool as claimed in claim 3 , wherein:
each of said positioning portions of said casing unit is configured as a groove;
said ring member has a blind hole having an open end; and
said positioning subunit includes a ball member disposed at said open end of said blind hole of said ring member, and a resilient member disposed in said blind hole for biasing said ball member to detachably engage the one of said positioning portions.

5. The pneumatic tool as claimed in claim 3 , wherein:
said front casing having said positioning portions that are arranged angularly about the motor axis, said rear casing being coupled to said front casing, and having said air inlet passage, said air motor being mounted in said rear casing; and
said cylinder wall of said air motor further has an extending portion that has said first and second air passages and said blocking surface, said rotary valve being mounted to said extending portion of said cylinder wall.

6. The pneumatic tool as claimed in claim 5 , wherein said front casing of said casing unit further has a rear end portion, said rear casing of said casing unit further having a front end portion that is connected to said rear end portion of said front casing, an outer surrounding portion that surrounds said front end portion, and at least one notch that is formed in said outer surrounding portion, said ring member of said turning unit being rotatably clamped between said front end and outer surrounding portions and having at least one controlling portion that is exposed from said at least one notch.

7. The pneumatic tool as claimed in claim 6 , wherein said at least one controlling portion of said ring member of said turning unit extends outwardly through said at least one notch of said rear casing of said casing unit.

8. The pneumatic tool as claimed in claim 7 , wherein said outer surrounding portion of said rear casing of said casing unit is formed with two notches that are angularly spaced apart from each other, said ring member of said turning unit having two controlling portions that are exposed respectively from said notches.

9. The pneumatic tool as claimed in claim 6 , wherein said outer surrounding portion of said rear casing of said casing unit is formed with two notches that are angularly spaced apart from each other, said ring member of said turning unit having two controlling portions that are exposed respectively from said notches.

10. The pneumatic tool as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
said rotary valve further has
a surrounding wall that surrounds the valve axis, that defines said intermediate passage, and that is formed with said opening, and
two claw portions that protrude outwardly from said surrounding wall and that define an engaging notch therebetween; and

said ring member of said turning unit further has an engaging portion that movably engages said engaging notch.

11. The pneumatic tool as claimed in claim 10 , wherein:
said casing unit further has an air outlet passage; and
said surrounding wall of said rotary valve is further formed with a slot that is in spatial communication with said air outlet passage such that air traveling through said air chamber of said air motor is allowed to be discharged through said slot and said air outlet passage.

Assignees

• Basso Ind Corp

Inventors

• Huang Chi-Yung

Classifications

• B25F5/001 Primary

  Gearings, speed selectors, clutches or the like specially adapted for rotary tools · CPC title

• B25F5/005

  Hydraulic driving means · CPC title

• B25F5/02 Primary

  Construction of casings, bodies or handles {(B25F5/006, B25F5/008 take precedence)} · CPC title

• F01D15/06

  Adaptations for driving, or combinations with, hand-held tools or the like {control thereof} · CPC title

• B25B21/00

  Portable power-driven screw or nut setting or loosening tools; (details or components, e.g. casings, bodies, of portable power-driven tools not particularly related to the operation performed B25F5/00; {for mounting or dismounting wheels B60B29/006}); Attachments for drilling apparatus serving the same purpose (machines B23P19/06) · CPC title