Fastening Tool with Contact Arm and Multi-Fastener Guide

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018093370-A1
Application number	US-201615285066-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 4, 2016
Priority date	Oct 4, 2016
Publication date	Apr 5, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A fastening tool includes a contact arm system for actuating an electrical switch, the contact arm system including an elongated member having a tool alignment slide disposed at one end, and a coil spring at the other. When the fastening tool is pressed against a work surface, the tool alignment slide moves the elongated member toward the electrical switch so that the coil spring causes a switch operator to close the switch. The fastening tool also includes a fastener guide system which pivots two parallel guide fingers simultaneously into the drive path of the fastener driver, so that one or both guide fingers may engage respective legs of three different kinds of staples, as well as brads and headless pins. The contact arm and fastener guide systems are compact and ideal for use in the space-sensitive environments of, for example, a tacker and a hand stapler.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A fastening tool, comprising:
a housing; a fastener drive system disposed in the housing for driving a fastener into a work surface; a normally-open electrical switch disposed in the housing and operatively associated with the fastener drive system, the electrical switch including a switch operator; an elongated member disposed in the housing along an axis and having a first end and a second end, the second end including a work surface-engaging portion; a first biasing agent defining an axis and disposed between the first end and the switch operator, the first biasing agent configured to directly contact the switch operator; wherein the switch operator is oriented generally transverse to the axis of the first biasing agent; and further comprising: a second biasing agent disposed between a portion of the housing and the elongated member and biasing the work surface-engaging portion outwardly from the housing; wherein the elongated member is movable from a first position in which the electrical switch is open to a second position in which the first biasing agent causes the switch operator to close the switch, responsive to the work surface-engaging portion having been pressed against the work surface against the bias of the second biasing agent.

2 . The fastening tool claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first biasing agent is always in contact with the switch operator.

3 . The fastening tool claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first biasing agent includes a coil spring; and
wherein, when the work surface-engaging portion is pressed against the work surface, the elongated member compresses the coil spring sufficiently to cause the switch operator to close the electrical switch.

4 . The fastening tool claimed in claim 3 , wherein the first end includes a portion formed of electrically insulating material.

5 . The fastening tool claimed in claim 4 , wherein the work surface-engaging portion includes a tool alignment slide slidably disposed on the housing; and
wherein the tool alignment slide is configured to assist in aligning the fastening tool with the work surface.

6 . A fastening tool, comprising:
a housing; a fastener drive system disposed in the housing for driving a fastener into a work surface; a normally-open electrical switch disposed in the housing and operatively associated with the fastener drive system, the electrical switch including a switch operator; an elongated member disposed in the housing and having a first end and a second end, the second end including a work surface-engaging portion; a first biasing agent disposed between the first end and the switch operator, and configured to cause the switch operator to close the electrical switch; and a second biasing agent disposed between a portion of the housing and the elongated member and biasing the work surface-engaging portion outwardly from the housing; wherein the work surface-engaging portion includes a tool alignment slide slidably disposed on the housing and configured to assist in aligning the fastening tool with the work surface; the tool alignment slide defines an embossed member having a ledge portion directed toward the elongated member; the elongated member defines a tab disposed above the ledge portion relative to the driving direction of movement of the driver toward the work surface; movement of the tool alignment slide responsive to engagement with the work surface causes the ledge portion to move the tab so that the elongated member moves toward the switch operator; and wherein the elongated member is movable from a first position in which the electrical switch is open to a second position in which the first biasing agent causes the switch operator to close the electrical switch, responsive to the tool alignment slide having been pressed against the work surface against the bias of the second biasing agent.

7 . The fastening tool claimed in claim 6 , wherein the first biasing agent directly contacts the switch operator.

8 . The fastening tool claimed in claim 7 , wherein the first biasing agent includes a coil spring always in contact with the switch operator.

9 . The fastening tool claimed in claim 6 , further comprising:
a stop member disposed between the alignment slide and the housing to limit the travel of the alignment slide in the direction of the work surface.

10 . The fastening tool claimed in claim 6 , wherein the drive system includes a driver disposed in the housing for movement along a drive axis; and
wherein the elongated member includes a portion disposed parallel to the drive axis.

11 . A fastening tool, comprising:
a housing; a fastener drive system disposed in the housing and including a driver for driving different-sized fasteners along a drive path and into a work surface; a driver guide disposed in the housing for guiding the driver along the drive path; and a fastener guide operatively associated with the driver guide and configured for guiding different-sized fasteners along the drive path; wherein the fastener guide is a single unitary body including a pivot head and two guide fingers connected to, and moving in unison with, the pivot head; and wherein the pivot head is pivotably connected to the housing, and the two guide fingers are configured to guide the fasteners along the drive path; and further comprising: a biasing agent attached to the fastener guide and engaged with a portion of the housing, the biasing agent biasing the fastener guide fingers to pivot simultaneously into the drive path.

12 . The fastening tool claimed in claim 11 , wherein the fastener guide fingers are parallel to one another so that the fastener guide fingers simultaneously engage respective legs of a “U”-shaped fastener.

13 . The fastening tool claimed in claim 11 , wherein the driver guide defines a generally rectangular channel, the channel including a base portion and two parallel side portions generally perpendicular to the base portion;
the channel is configured to guide the driver along the drive path; the channel defines two elongated slots generally parallel to the side portions and configured to allow respective fastener guide fingers to freely pass therethrough; the biasing agent normally biases the fastener guide fingers to simultaneously pivot through respective elongated slots and into the drive path; at least one of the fastener guide fingers and at least one of the respective elongated slots are configured to guide one or more legs of “U”-shaped fasteners having a first width; one of the fastener guide fingers and one of the respective elongated slots are configured to guide brads and headless pins; and wherein the channel is also configured to guide the legs of “U”-shaped fasteners having a second width greater than the first width.

14 . The fastening tool claimed in claim 13 , further comprising:
a core subassembly and an associated fastener magazine connected to the housing to present one of a stick of fasteners to the drive path, wherein the stick of fasteners assists in supporting the fastener along the drive path as the fastener is being driven by the driver.

15 . The fastening tool claimed in claim 13 , wherein the biasing agent is a single resilient member connected to a fastener guide biasing agent receptacle; and
wherein the driver moves the fastener guide fingers back into their respective slots against the bias of the single resilient member and out of the drive path when the driver drives a “U”-shaped fastener having the second width.

16 . The fastening tool claimed in claim 13 , w

Assignees

• Stanley Black & Decker Inc

Inventors

• Yip Daniel
• Lai Rachel

Classifications

• B25C1/005

  for rows of contiguous nails · CPC title

• B25C1/008 Primary

  Safety devices · CPC title

• B25C1/06

  operated by electric power · CPC title

• B25C5/15

  operated by electric power · CPC title

• F16B15/08

  formed in integral series but easily separable · CPC title