Bit retention device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9067266-B2
Application number	US-201414317279-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 27, 2014
Priority date	Feb 27, 2009
Publication date	Jun 30, 2015
Grant date	Jun 30, 2015

Abstract

A bit retention device includes a shaft having a sidewall defining a hexagonal cavity extending from a first end thereof and a ball groove extending through the sidewall and communicating with the hexagonal cavity. A ball is disposed in the ball groove and a ball spring engages the ball and biases the ball toward the first end. An actuator sleeve surrounding the shaft includes an internal ramp engaging the ball. A spring biased plunger assembly is disposed in the bore for biasing a bit received in the bore in a direction toward the insertion end.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tool bit holder, comprising:
a shaft having a front end, a rear end, a sidewall defining a bit receiving cavity extending from the front end toward the rear end, and an opening extending through the sidewall and communicating with the bit receiving cavity;
a bit retention device received in the opening;
a first spring substantially surrounding the shaft and projecting at least partially into the opening to bias the bit retention device toward the front end of the shaft, the inward projecting portion having at least a partially curvilinear shape that is complementary to a shape of the bit retention device; and
an actuator sleeve substantially surrounding the shaft and having an internal wall that engages the bit retention member, wherein the actuator sleeve is moveable between a rearward position in which the internal wall pushes the bit retention member radially inward toward the cavity to engage a tool bit that is received in the cavity, and a frontward position in which the internal wall allows the bit retention member to move radially outward from the cavity to disengage from a tool bit that is received in the cavity.

2. The tool bit holder of claim 1 , wherein the first spring comprises a helical compression spring.

3. The tool bit holder of claim 2 , wherein the inward projecting portion of the first spring extends radially inward of a helix defined by the helical compression spring.

4. The tool bit holder of claim 2 , wherein the inward projecting portion comprises a non-helical portion of the helical compression spring.

5. The tool bit holder of claim 2 , wherein the helical compression spring comprises a bend that extends radially inwardly away from a helix defined by the helical compression spring and transitions to the inward projecting portion.

6. The tool bit holder of claim 1 , wherein the bit retention device comprises a detent.

7. The tool bit holder of claim 1 , further comprising a second spring biasing the actuator sleeve toward the rearward position.

8. The tool bit holder of claim 1 , wherein the internal wall comprises a first ramp surface that is inclined relative to the a longitudinal axis of the shaft at a first ramp angle, and a second ramp surface that is inclined relative to the longitudinal axis of the shaft at a different, second ramp angle.

9. The tool bit holder of claim 1 , further comprising a power tool housing at least partially receiving the shaft, the power tool housing including a motor and a transmission coupled to the motor, wherein the transmission transmits power from the motor to the shaft.

10. A tool bit holder, comprising:
a shaft defining a longitudinal axis and having a front end, a rear end, a sidewall defining a bit receiving cavity extending from the front end toward the rear end, and an opening extending through the sidewall and communicating with the bit receiving cavity;
a bit retention device received in the opening;
a first spring engaging the bit retention device and biasing the bit retention device toward the front end of the shaft;
an actuator sleeve substantially surrounding the shaft and moveable relative to the shaft between a rear position and a front position; and
an internal surface defined on the actuator sleeve, the internal surface having a front surface configured to engage the bit retention member when the actuator sleeve is in the rear position, a rear surface configured to engage the bit retention member when the actuator sleeve is in the front position, and an intermediate surface between the front surface and the rear surface and configured to engage the bit retention member when the actuator sleeve is between the rear position and the front position,
wherein the front surface has a first diameter, the intermediate surface has a second diameter that is larger than the first diameter, and the rear surface has a third diameter that is larger than the second diameter, and
wherein the intermediate surface is inclined relative to the longitudinal axis at a first angle, and the rear surface is inclined relative to the longitudinal axis at a second angle that is smaller than the first angle.

11. The tool bit holder of claim 10 , further comprising an actuator spring biasing the actuator sleeve toward the rear position.

12. The tool bit holder of claim 10 , wherein at least a portion of the first spring is received in the opening.

13. The tool bit holder of claim 12 , further comprising a spring retainer sleeve that is received over a rearward portion of the opening to retain the portion of the first spring that is received in the opening.

14. The tool bit holder of claim 12 , wherein the first spring substantially surrounds the shaft and the portion of the spring that is received in the opening comprises an inward projecting portion of the first spring having at least a partially curvilinear shape that is complementary to a shape of the bit retention device.

15. The tool bit holder of claim 10 , wherein the bit retention device is operable to retain a first bit having an annular groove in a surface thereof with said bit retention device being pushed into the opening by the intermediate surface and the bit retention device is operable to retain a second bit without an annular groove in a surface thereof with the bit retention device being pushed into the opening by the rear surface.

16. The tool bit holder of claim 10 , wherein the bit retention member comprises a detent.

17. The tool bit holder of claim 10 , further comprising a power tool housing at least partially receiving the shaft, the power tool housing including a motor and a transmission coupled to the motor, wherein the transmission transmits power from the motor to the shaft.

18. A tool bit holder, comprising:
a shaft having a front end, a rear end, a sidewall defining a bit receiving cavity having a longitudinal axis extending from the front end toward the rear end, and an opening extending through the sidewall and communicating with the bit receiving cavity;
a bit retention device received in the opening;
an actuator sleeve substantially surrounding the shaft and having an internal wall that engages the bit retention device, wherein the actuator sleeve is moveable between a rearward position in which the internal wall pushes the bit device radially inward toward the cavity to engage a tool bit that is received in the cavity, and a frontward position in which the internal wall allows the bit retention device to move radially outward from the cavity to disengage from a tool bit that is received in the cavity;
a first spring having a first portion substantially surrounding the shaft rearward of the opening without biasing the actuator sleeve, and a second portion projecting at least partially into the opening to bias the bit retention device toward the front end of the shaft; and
a second spring substantially surrounding the shaft forward of the opening to bias the actuator sleeve toward the rearward position.

19. The tool bit holder of claim 18 , wherein the internal wall comprises a first ramp surface that is inclined relative to the longitudinal axis at a first ramp angle and a second ramp surface that is inclined relative to the longitudinal axis at a second ramp angle that is smaller than the first ramp angle, wherein the first ramp surface is configured to push the bit retention member radially inward to retain a first bit having an annular groove in a surface thereof and the second ramp surface is configured to push the bit retention member radially inward to retain a second b

Assignees

• Black & Decker Inc

Inventors

• Puzio Daniel
• Kusmierski Robert G

Classifications

• B23B31/1071 Primary

  Retention by balls (balls acting as jaws B23B31/22) · CPC title

• Y10T279/17752

  Ball or roller jaws · CPC title

• Y10T279/17196

  Ball or roller · CPC title

• Y10T279/17188

  Side detent · CPC title

• B25B23/0057

  Socket or nut ejector means · CPC title