Reciprocating saw

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9956625-B2
Application number	US-201615064786-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 9, 2016
Priority date	Jul 23, 2010
Publication date	May 1, 2018
Grant date	May 1, 2018

Abstract

A reciprocating saw includes a housing, a motor, and a drive mechanism. The drive mechanism includes a driven gear that is rotated by the motor. The driven gear is vertically-oriented within the housing and has an upper portion and a lower portion. The drive mechanism also includes a connecting rod coupled to the driven gear to translate rotary motion of the driven gear into reciprocating motion, and an output shaft coupled to the connecting rod to reciprocate relative to the housing through a cutting stroke and a return stroke. The drive mechanism further includes a counterweight coupled to the driven gear for rotation with the driven gear. The counterweight moves through the upper portion of the driven gear during the cutting stroke of the output shaft, and moves through the lower portion of the driven gear during a return stroke of the output shaft.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A reciprocating saw comprising:
a housing;
a motor positioned within the housing, the motor including a pinion that rotates about a motor axis; and
a drive mechanism positioned within the housing and coupled to the motor, the drive mechanism including
a driven gear engaging the pinion and rotatable by the motor in a rotational direction about a central axis that is perpendicular to the motor axis, the driven gear having a circumference and being vertically-oriented within the housing, wherein the motor axis extends through a center of the driven gear to divide the driven gear into an upper portion and a lower portion,
a connecting rod having a first end coupled to the driven gear and a second end opposite the first end, the connecting rod translating rotary motion of the driven gear into reciprocating motion,
an output shaft coupled to the second end of the connecting rod to reciprocate relative to the housing along a spindle axis through a cutting stroke and a return stroke, the upper portion of the driven gear is located on a same side of the motor axis as the spindle axis,
a blade clamp coupled to an end of the output shaft opposite from the connecting rod, the blade clamp configured to receive a saw blade, and
a counterweight coupled to the driven gear and rotating with the driven gear in the rotational direction, the counterweight having a connection portion coupled to the first end of the connecting rod and a mass portion extending from the connection portion, the mass portion defining a curved outer perimeter matching the circumference of the driven gear, the curved outer perimeter extending less than half the circumference of the driven gear, the mass portion having a leading edge, a trailing edge, and an aperture positioned closer to the trailing edge than to the leading edge in the rotational direction, the counterweight moving through the upper portion of the driven gear during the cutting stroke of the output shaft, and moving through the lower portion of the driven gear during the return stroke of the output shaft;

wherein the motor axis and the spindle axis define a plane, and wherein the central axis of the driven gear is perpendicular to the plane.

2. The reciprocating saw of claim 1 , wherein the counterweight is shaped and sized so that the counterweight does not extend outside of a vertical footprint area defined by the driven gear.

3. The reciprocating saw of claim 1 , wherein the drive mechanism also includes a crank pin coupling the connecting rod to the driven gear and coupling the connection portion of the counterweight to the connecting rod.

4. The reciprocating saw of claim 3 , wherein the first end of the connecting rod is positioned between the driven gear and the counterweight.

5. The reciprocating saw of claim 1 , wherein the driven gear and the counterweight are separate elements.

6. The reciprocating saw of claim 1 , wherein the drive mechanism also includes a guide pin extending from the connection portion of the counterweight and engaging an inner surface of the housing.

7. The reciprocating saw of claim 6 , wherein the guide pin defines an axis of rotation of the counterweight that is coaxial with the central axis of the driven gear.

8. The reciprocating saw of claim 1 , wherein the housing includes two clamshell halves coupled together along a plane, and wherein the plane defined by the clamshell halves is the same as the plane defined by the motor axis and the spindle axis.

9. The reciprocating saw of claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a rearward portion having a handle, a forward portion supporting a shoe, and a longitudinal axis extending through the rearward and forward portions, and wherein the motor axis is parallel to the longitudinal axis.

10. The reciprocating saw of claim 9 , wherein the counterweight rotates along a path, wherein as the counterweight moves through a rearward half of the path, the counterweight generally moves toward the spindle axis, and wherein as the counterweight moves through a forward half of the path, the counterweight generally moves away from the spindle axis.

11. The reciprocating saw of claim 9 , wherein the handle supports a trigger for selectively powering the motor, and wherein the trigger is positioned on a same side of the motor axis as the upper portion of the driven gear.

12. The reciprocating saw of claim 1 , wherein the spindle axis is positioned on a same side of the motor axis as the upper portion of the driven gear.

13. The reciprocating saw of claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a battery support portion configured to receive a battery pack.

14. The reciprocating saw of claim 1 , wherein the pinion is positioned between the driven gear and the counterweight.

15. The reciprocating saw of claim 1 , further comprising a shoe pivotally coupled to a forward portion of the housing adjacent the blade clamp, wherein the shoe pivots about a pivot axis.

16. The reciprocating saw of claim 15 , wherein the central axis of the driven gear is parallel to the pivot axis of the shoe.

17. The reciprocating saw of claim 13 , wherein the housing includes a rearward portion having a handle, and wherein the battery support portion is formed on the rearward portion of the housing below the handle.

18. The reciprocating saw of claim 13 , wherein the battery support portion is positioned on a same side of the motor axis as the lower portion of the driven gear.

19. The reciprocating saw of claim 11 , wherein the trigger is positioned entirely above the motor axis.

Assignees

• Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp

Inventors

• Adams Joshua
• Denissen Ryan J

Classifications

• B23D49/162

  Pad sawing devices · CPC title

• B23D49/10

  Hand-held or hand-operated sawing devices with straight saw blades · CPC title

• F16J7/00

  Piston-rods · CPC title

• B23D51/161 Primary

  with dynamic balancing · CPC title

• B23D51/16 Primary

  of drives or feed mechanisms for straight tools, e.g. saw blades, or bows · CPC title