Paddle switch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018366286-A1
Application number	US-201715622808-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 14, 2017
Priority date	Jun 14, 2017
Publication date	Dec 20, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A power tool is provided including a housing, a motor disposed within the housing, an on/off switch having a contact tip disposed within the housing for activating the motor, a paddle switch coupled to the housing via a pivot member and having a paddle trigger engageable by a user, a switch contact lever disposed in selectable engagement with the contact tip of the on/off switch to activate or deactivate the on/off switch, and a biasing member disposed between the switch contact lever and the paddle switch to absorb a travel distance of the paddle trigger with respect to the switch contact lever.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A power tool comprising:
a housing; a motor disposed within the housing; an on/off switch having a contact tip disposed within the housing for activating the motor; a paddle switch coupled to the housing via a pivot member and having a paddle trigger engageable by a user; a switch contact lever disposed in selectable engagement with the contact tip of the on/off switch to activate or deactivate the on/off switch; and a biasing member disposed between the switch contact lever and the paddle switch to absorb a travel distance of the paddle trigger with respect to the switch contact lever.

2 . The power tool of claim 1 , wherein the switch contact lever is coupled to the paddle switch via a second pivot member.

3 . The power tool of claim 2 , wherein the paddle switch comprises an inner body extending into the housing from the paddle trigger, and the second pivot member is coupled to the inner body.

4 . The power tool of claim 1 , wherein the switch contact lever is disposed between the paddle switch and the on/off switch.

5 . The power tool of claim 1 , wherein the switch contact lever includes a first spring post, the paddle trigger includes a second spring post, and ends of the biasing member are disposed around the first spring post and the second spring post.

6 . The power tool of claim 1 , wherein the spring post is disposed to support the switch contact lever at an angular distance with respect to the paddle trigger in a default position of the paddle trigger.

7 . The power tool of claim 1 , wherein, within a first angular travel range of the paddle trigger, the switch contact lever moves with the paddle trigger at approximately the same angular travel distance.

8 . The power tool of claim 7 , wherein, within a second angular travel range of the paddle trigger, the switch contact lever engages and presses on the contact tip of the on/off switch to activate the on/off switch.

9 . The power tool of claim 8 , wherein the angular travel distance of the switch contact lever is smaller than the angular travel distance of the paddle trigger within the second angular travel range of the paddle trigger.

10 . The power tool of claim 7 , wherein, within a third angular travel range of the paddle trigger, the switch contact lever remains substantially in place in engagement with the contact tip of the on/off switch.

11 . The power tool of claim 10 , wherein the total angular travel range of the paddle trigger is in the range of 10-20 degrees.

12 . The power tool of claim 10 , wherein the first angular travel range of the paddle trigger is approximately 30-40% of the total angular travel range of the paddle trigger, the second angular travel range of the paddle trigger is approximately 20-30% of the total angular travel range of the paddle trigger, and the third angular travel range of the paddle trigger is approximately 30-40% of the total angular travel range of the paddle trigger.

13 . The power tool of claim 1 , further comprising a paddle force lever disposed between the paddle switch and a portion of the housing to apply a biasing force on the paddle switch away from the housing.

14 . The power tool of claim 13 , wherein the paddle force lever is coupled to the paddle switch via a second pivot member.

15 . The power tool of claim 2 , further comprising a leg extending from the switch contact lever opposite the second pivot member, and the paddle switch engages the leg to rotate the switch contact lever away from the on/off switch when the paddle trigger is released.

16 . The power tool of claim 15 , wherein the paddle switch comprises an engagement post projecting from an inner face of the paddle trigger that engages the leg when the paddle trigger is released.

17 . The power tool of claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises an elongated housing arranged to receive a planar circuit board therein, and at least one cover that mates with the elongated housing around the planar circuit board.

18 . The power tool of claim 17 , wherein the pivot member is disposed to connect the paddle switch to the cover.

19 . The power tool of claim 1 , wherein the on/off switch is an analog logic switch capable of carrying voltage of up to 20 volts.

20 . The power tool of claim 1 , further comprising:
a switching arrangement between a power supply and the motor; a controller configured to control a switching operation of the switching arrangement circuit to control an operation of the motor; a driver circuit disposed between the controller and the switching arrangement to provide voltage signals for controlling the switching operation of the switching arrangement; and a power supply regulator for supplying a voltage input to at least one of the driver circuit or the controller.

21 . The power tool of claim 19 , wherein the on/off switch is disposed on a path of the voltage input between the power supply regulator and at least one of the driver circuit or the controller.

Assignees

• Black & Decker Inc

Inventors

• Moreland Iv Floyd E
• Copeland Jr Earnest N
• Stiles Iii James H
• Nace Daniel F
• Christophersen Kyle J

Classifications

• B25F5/02 Primary

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

• B24B23/028

  Angle tools · CPC title

• H01H21/22 Primary

  Operating parts, e.g. handle · CPC title

• H01H21/10

  Casing of switch constituted by a handle serving a purpose other than the actuation of the switch · CPC title

• H05K5/0017

  with operator interface units · CPC title