Fish tape assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11787659-B2
Application number	US-201916361344-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 22, 2019
Priority date	Mar 23, 2018
Publication date	Oct 17, 2023
Grant date	Oct 17, 2023

Abstract

A fish tape tool includes a housing, a chamber defined in the housing, and a motor supported by the housing. The motor is configured to rotate in a first direction and a second direction that is opposite the first direction. An output reel is disposed in the chamber and is rotatable in response to receiving torque from the motor. A drum contains a fish tape and including a rotatable drum portion having an inner wall that is engaged by the output reel when the drum is inserted into the chamber of the housing. When the drum portion is rotated by the output reel in the first direction, fish tape is dispensed from the drum. When the drum portion is rotated by the output reel in the second direction, fish tape is retracted into the drum.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fish tape tool comprising:
a housing;
a chamber defined in the housing;
a motor supported by the housing, the motor configured to rotate in a first direction and a second direction that is opposite the first direction;
an output reel disposed in the chamber and rotatable in response to receiving torque from the motor; and
a drum containing a fish tape and including a rotatable drum portion having an inner wall that defines a central aperture configured to receive the output reel such that the inner wall surrounds and is engaged by the output reel when the drum is inserted into the chamber of the housing,
wherein when the drum is in the chamber and the motor is rotated in the first direction, the drum portion is rotated by the output reel in the first direction, such that the fish tape is dispensed from the drum, and
wherein when the drum is in the chamber and the motor is rotated in the second direction, the drum portion is rotated by the output reel in the second direction, such that the fish tape is retracted into the drum.

2. The fish tape tool of claim 1 , wherein the inner wall of the drum portion includes a plurality of drum recesses, and wherein the output reel includes a plurality of reel legs that are received in the drum recesses to engage the inner wall of the drum portion with the output reel when the drum is in the chamber.

3. The fish tape tool of claim 1 , further comprising a transmission that transfers torque from the motor to the output reel.

4. The fish tape tool of claim 1 , wherein the drum portion has an outer wall and an anchor member moveable between a first position, in which the anchor member is arranged closer to the outer wall of the drum portion than the inner wall of the drum portion, and a second position, in which the anchor member is arranged closer to the inner wall of the drum portion than the outer wall of the drum portion, and
wherein the fish tape has an anchor end secured to the anchor member and an opposite moving end.

5. The fish tape tool of claim 4 , wherein the drum includes a biasing member configured to bias the anchor member toward the first position.

6. The fish tape tool of claim 5 , wherein the drum portion includes an intermediate wall arranged in between the inner and outer walls of the drum portion, and
wherein the biasing member is a spring seated within a spring seat coupled to the intermediate wall.

7. The fish tape tool of claim 1 , further comprising a controller configured to determine when the fish tape is entangled when the fish tape is being dispensed from or retracted into the drum, and wherein the fish tape tool includes an indicator configured to provide an indication when the controller detects that the fish tape is entangled.

8. The fish tape tool of claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to monitor a current drawn by the motor when the fish tape is being dispensed from or retracted into the drum, and wherein in response to the current drawn exceeding a predetermined threshold, the controller deactivates the motor and the indicator provides the indication that the fish tape is entangled.

9. The fish tape tool of claim 1 , further comprising a controller configured to determine when a predetermined length of the fish tape has been dispensed from the drum.

10. The fish tape tool of claim 9 , further comprising an indicator configured to provide an indication that the predetermined length of fish tape has been dispensed from the drum in response to the controller determining that the predetermined length of fish tape has been dispensed from the drum.

11. The fish tape tool of claim 9 , wherein the housing includes a sensor and the length of fish tape includes a detectable element configured to be detected by the sensor, and wherein when the detectable element is detected by the sensor, the controller determines that the predetermined length of fish tape has been dispensed from the housing.

12. The fish tape tool of claim 11 , wherein the sensor is a hall effector sensor, and wherein the detectable element is a magnet.

13. A power tool comprising:
a housing defining a chamber therein;
a motor supported by the housing, the motor configured to rotate about a rotational axis in a first direction and a second direction that is opposite the first direction;
an output reel disposed in the chamber and rotatable about the rotational axis in response to receiving torque from the motor;
a battery for supplying power to the motor; and
a drum containing a fish tape and including a rotatable drum portion having an inner wall that is engaged by the output reel, such that when the output reel receives torque from the motor, the drum portion is configured to rotate about the rotational axis with the output reel,
wherein when the motor is rotated in the first direction, the drum portion is rotated by the motor in the first direction, such that the fish tape is dispensed from the drum, and
wherein when the motor is rotated in the second direction, the drum portion is rotated by the motor in the second direction, such that the fish tape is retracted into the drum.

14. The power tool of claim 13 , wherein the drum portion has an outer wall and an anchor member moveable between a first position, in which the anchor member is arranged closer to the outer wall of the drum portion than the inner wall of the drum portion, and a second position, in which the anchor member is arranged closer to the inner wall of the drum portion than the outer wall of the drum portion, and
wherein the fish tape has an anchor end secured to the anchor member and an opposite moving end.

15. The power tool of claim 13 , further comprising a controller configured to determine when the fish tape is entangled while the fish tape is being dispensed from or retracted into the drum.

16. The power tool of claim 13 , further comprising a controller configured to determine when a predetermined length of fish tape has been dispensed from the drum.

17. A power tool comprising:
a housing including a base and a handle extending radially outward from the base, the handle defining a battery connection portion;
a chamber defined in the housing;
a motor supported by the housing; and
a drum configured to be inserted into the chamber of the housing, the drum containing a fish tape and including a rotatable drum portion configured to rotate in response to receiving torque from the motor,
wherein the drum is one of a plurality of drums that are insertable into and removable from the chamber of the housing, each drum containing a different type of fish tape.

18. The power tool of claim 17 , further comprising a battery for supplying power to the motor.

19. The power tool of claim 17 , further comprising an output reel that rotates in response to receiving torque from the motor, and wherein the drum portion includes an inner wall that is engaged by the output reel when the drum is received in the chamber, such that when the output reel receives torque from the motor, the drum portion is configured to rotate with the output reel.

Assignees

• Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp

Inventors

• Miller Justin
• Grode Aaron C
• Henton Nolan J

Classifications

• B65H75/4428 Primary

  acting on the reel or on a reel blocking mechanism · CPC title

• B65H75/28

  Arrangements for positively securing ends of material · CPC title

• B65H75/4486

  Electric motors · CPC title

• H02G1/083

  using lines, e.g. needles, rods or tapes · CPC title

• H02G1/085

  using portable tools · CPC title