Devices including power tools with non-binding linear slides and associated methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9884416-B2
Application number	US-201213564026-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 1, 2012
Priority date	Aug 1, 2011
Publication date	Feb 6, 2018
Grant date	Feb 6, 2018

Abstract

Devices with non-binding linear slides include: (a) a device body and first and second spaced apart linear rails held in the device body; (b) first and second spaced apart (rail) pathways held in cooperating alignment with the rails in the body, a respective one engaged with a respective one of the first and second linear rails that define spaced apart contact points; and (c) a translating actuation (e.g., input) member held by the body in communication with the rails. The actuation (e.g., input) member has a configuration that can generate off-center loads associated with forces applied at different positions of the actuation (e.g., input) member. Only one pathway and rail pair guides linear movement for the first and second force positions to thereby inhibit frictional binding.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A rechargeable battery pack, comprising:
a battery pack housing body;
first and second spaced apart linear rails positioned within an interior of the battery pack housing body and extending from an interior surface thereof;
a battery pack release member in slidable communication with the battery pack housing body;
first and second defined channels in the battery pack release member, the first and second defined channels being configured to receive therein the first and second linear rails, respectively, as the battery pack release member slidably translates further into the interior of the battery pack housing body in response to an inwardly applied force to the battery pack release member;
first and second spaced apart contact points in each of the first and second defined channels,
wherein the force applied outside an area between the first and second defined channels at either a first end portion or a second end portion of the battery pack release member generates an off-center load thereon,
wherein, the off-center load pivots the battery pack release member about a pivot point positioned in the area between the first and second defined channels to cause the first and second spaced apart contact points of the first or second defined channel closest to the off-center load to physically contact the respective linear rail to provide primary linear movement guidance to the slidable translation of the battery pack release member with respect to the battery pack housing body, while the off-center load causes the first and second spaced apart contact points of the first or second defined channels furthest from the off-center load to move away from the respect linear rail,
wherein the first contact point of the first defined channel resides proximate an end point of a side of the first defined channel and the second contact point of the first defined channel resides along an opposing side of the first defined channel, and wherein the first contact point of the second defined channel resides proximate an end point of a side of the second defined channel and the second contact point of the second defined channel resides along an opposing side of the second defined channel;
further comprising a first angled wall segment in the first defined channel, the first angled wall segment being positioned in the opposing side of the first defined channel and from an end point of the opposing side to the second contact point, the first angled wall segment being angled with respect to a remaining portion of the opposing side.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first and second defined channels include angled wall segments configured so that a force applied at:
(i) the first end portion causes the first rail to engage the first channel contact points while the second rail has less or no contact with the second channel contact points; and
(ii) the second end portion causes the second rail to engage the second channel contact points while the first rail has less or no contact with the first channel contact points, and
wherein only the first and second contact points of either the first or second channel guides linear movement for the force applied at respective first and second end portions.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the battery pack release member includes or is in communication with a latching member, and wherein the first and second rails are substantially parallel rails.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the battery pack release member has a body that defines the first and second channels, and wherein the channels reside on opposing sides of a center line of the battery pack release member that extends in a direction of travel of the battery pack release member.

5. The device of claim 3 , wherein the rails extend downwardly from an upper portion of the battery pack housing body, and wherein the battery pack release member includes a portion that resides under the rails and defines the first and second channels with the first and second channels extending upwardly with respective open ends thereof facing upward.

6. The device of claim 3 , wherein the battery pack release member comprises a primary body with an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion of the primary body residing outside the battery pack housing body to define a user accessible manually actuatable contact point, including the first and second contact portions, and wherein the lower portion of the primary body resides inside the battery pack housing and includes the first and second defined channels.

7. The device of claim 6 , wherein the primary body includes an upwardly extending latch portion that extends above and is substantially in-line with the second channel.

8. The device of claim 5 , wherein the first and second channels are upwardly extending channels, and wherein the battery pack housing has an upper portion that defines the rails, with the first and second rails laterally extending across an inner portion of the upper portion of the battery pack housing body.

9. The device of claim 2 , wherein the first channel is longer and thinner than the second channel.

10. The device of claim 2 , wherein the battery pack release member has a lower portion held inside the battery pack housing and an upper portion being externally accessible for manual actuation by a user, wherein the first off center force position that moves the first rail and channel closer together is associated with a delatch actuation force applied to the battery pack release member by a user and the second off center force position is associated with a latch force applied by the housing in response to contact with a latch member.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first and second channels comprise rigid first and second sets of pins as the spaced apart contact points, each set of pins comprising a first pin on a first side of a centerline of a gap space and a second pin positioned on a second side of the centerline and being spaced apart from the first pin that define the contact points.

12. The device of claim 1 , wherein under the force applied at the first end portion, a contact force between the first linear rail and the first and second spaced apart contact points of the defined channel of the first linear rail is greater than a contact force between the second linear rail and the first and second spaced apart contact points of the defined channel of the second linear rail.

13. The device of claim 1 , wherein under the force applied at the second end portion, a contact force between the second linear rail and the first and second spaced apart contact points of the defined channel of the second linear rail is greater than a contact force between the first linear rail and the first and second spaced apart contact points of the defined channel of the first linear rail.

14. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first and second spaced apart linear rails are spaced apart in a first direction, and wherein the first and second spaced apart contact points of either the first or second defined channels are spaced apart in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction.

15. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a second angled wall segment in the second defined channel, the second angled wall segment being positioned in the opposing side of the second defined channel and from an end point of the opposing side to the second contact point, the second angled wall segment being angled with respect to a remaining portion of the opposing side.

Assignees

• Chellew Justin Terrance
• Cooper Timothy Richard
• Ingersoll Rand Co

Inventors

• Chellew Justin Terrance
• Cooper Timothy Richard

Classifications

• H01M50/247

  specially adapted for portable devices, e.g. mobile phones, computers, hand tools or pacemakers · CPC title

• H01M2/1055

  Electricity · mapped topic

• B25F5/02 Primary

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

• H01M2/1022

  Electricity · mapped topic

• Y10T29/49822

  by applying force · CPC title