HK1065974A - Cutter with optical alignment system - Google Patents

Description

Tool with optical alignment system

Background

Recent patents, such as us 5,285,708 and 5,375,495, disclose optical alignment systems for powered saws having circular blades. Typically, such optical alignment systems utilize a single laser generator to project a line onto the workpiece to indicate the position at which one side of the blade will cut into the workpiece to aid in cutting the workpiece.

Because power saw blades have varying thicknesses, it is necessary to provide an optical system for accurately indicating the width of material to be cut by the blade in a manner that is both economical and convenient.

Disclosure of Invention

One embodiment of the present invention provides an optical system mounted on a tool having a base supporting a blade and a frame. The optical system may project first and second indicator lines on the substrate. The optical system may further include a mechanism that can selectively adjust the first and second lines to indicate the width of the blade.

Brief description of the drawings

Some embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the drawings in which like reference numerals represent like parts, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a tool according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partially exploded view of a portion of the tool of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3a is a left side perspective view of an embodiment of an optical system for use in the embodiment of the tool of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3b is a top view of the optical system of FIG. 3 a;

FIG. 4a is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a laser generator holder of the optical system of FIG. 3 a;

FIG. 4b is an exploded view of FIG. 4 a;

FIG. 5 is a right side perspective view of the optical system of FIG. 3 a;

FIG. 6 is a right side perspective view and partially exploded view of the optical system of FIG. 3a with one of the laser generator holders removed;

FIG. 7 is a partially exploded right side perspective view of the optical system of FIG. 3a with both laser generator holders removed;

FIG. 8 is a left side perspective view and a partially exploded view of the optical system of FIG. 3a with one of the laser generator holders removed;

FIG. 9 is a right side perspective view of the embodiment of the optical system cover of FIG. 3 a;

FIG. 10 is a partial perspective view of the tool of FIG. 1 showing an arrangement of two indicator lines projected by the optical system of FIG. 3a on a workpiece before cutting;

FIG. 11 is an enlarged partial perspective view of the cutting tool insert of FIG. 1 showing an alternative arrangement of two indicator lines projected by the optical system of FIG. 3a on a workpiece prior to cutting;

FIGS. 12a-12d are top views of a portion of a tool base of the tool of FIG. 1, diagrammatically illustrating various adjustments of indicator lines of the optical system of FIG. 3 a;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the projection of two indicator lines 62, 64 of the optical system of FIG. 3a when the tool of FIG. 1 is making a diagonal cut;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a laser generator of the optical system of FIG. 3 a; and

FIG. 15 is a side view of one embodiment of the lower edge protector of the knife of FIG. 1.

Detailed description of the invention

Reference is now made to the drawings, which are intended to illustrate and not to limit the invention, it being understood that elements or features that are within the purview of one of ordinary skill in the art and which are not intended to assist in understanding the various embodiments of the invention have been omitted for the sake of clarity. In addition, it is to be understood that the features described herein for each component and orientation are relative features, i.e., so-called "vertical" or "horizontal", "right" or "left", "side", "upper" or "lower", based on the particular position or orientation of a given component in a particular application.

Fig. 1 and 2 are partial perspective views of one embodiment of a tool 20 having a base 22 and a frame 24. The frame 24 supports a blade 26 that rotates about the A-A axis using a conventional electric motor (not shown) and may include an upper blade guard 28 and a movable lower blade guard 30. Referring to fig. 2, the insert 26 has two sides 50 and 52 that define the cutting width of the insert 26. If the insert 26 has a carbide serrated edge as in typical applications, the outermost surface of the edge defines the cutting width and is formed by the side surfaces 50 and 52 of the insert 26. The tool 20 may be any circular saw, such as a miter saw, a flat saw, a radial arm saw, a dicing saw, a hand held circular saw, a cutting frame saw, a compound slide miter saw, etc., although any other non-circular saw is contemplated. The manufacture and operation of such saws are well known in the art and, thus, some of these details will not be described if they do not depart from the scope of what is known to those of ordinary skill in the art to which the various embodiments of the present invention are intended to be applied.

Referring to fig. 2-9, one embodiment of an optical alignment system 40 for the tool 20 may be mounted on the upper edge protector 28. In one embodiment, the optical alignment system 40 includes first and second laser generators 42 and 44 mounted in first and second holders 46 and 48, respectively. The holders 46 and 48 have cylindrical portions 41 and 47, respectively, which have an axis A parallel to the axis A-A of the blade 26 when the holders 46 and 48 are mounted to the upper guard 28₁-A₁，A₂-A₂. Holders 46 and 48 may also include lateral adjustment portions 51 and 57 and may be slidably supported by upper blade guard 28 such that they may be laterally along respective axes A as indicated by arrows "D" and "E₁-A₁And A₂-A₂And moves laterally relative to the blade 26.

In one embodiment, right wall 21 and left wall 23 of upper guard 28 may include a plurality of openings having surface portions that slidably support holders 46 and 48. The openings may also assist in mounting the holders 46 and 48 to the upper blade guard 28. For example, referring to FIG. 7, the left wall 23 may include a circular left hole 120 having a bearing surface 121 that contacts a left end 122 of the cylindrical portion 41, 47 of the retainer 46, 48. Right wall 21 may include a right side opening 124 sized and shaped to receive retainers 46 and 48. The opening 124 may also include a bearing surface 123 that contacts the right end 126 of the cylindrical portion 41, 47 of the holder 46, 48.

After the retainers 46, 48 are inserted between the right and left walls 21, 23 of the upper guard 28 through the right side opening 124, they can be rotated in the direction of arrows "F" and "G" to the operating position. Referring to fig. 1, the operative position may be determined such that when the blade 26 is at its uppermost position away from the base 22, the laser generators 42, 44 project light through the opening 98 of the lower edge guard 30 of the tool 20. The holders 46, 48 may be rotated in a direction opposite to that shown by arrows F and G to remove the holders from the upper guard 28. It should be understood that the laser generators 42, 43 may be removed from the holders 46, 48 first during removal of the holders 46, 48 from the upper edge protector 28 or during installation of the holders 46, 48 onto the upper edge protector 28.

Referring to fig. 3a, more particularly, the first and second laser generators 42, 44 may be mounted on their respective holders 46, 48 such that they are laterally offset from the blade 26 and on opposite sides 50 and 52 of the blade. The laser generators 42, 44 may be powered by a battery or a tool power source via a cable 128. In the latter case, a converter may be connected to the laser generators 42, 44 to convert the alternating current of the tool power supply to a direct current suitable for the laser generators 42, 44 and reduce the power supply voltage to a voltage suitable for the laser generators 42, 44. Referring to fig. 2, in one embodiment, the laser generators 42, 44 may be controlled by a dedicated switch 43, which may be located on the upper blade guard 28. In some applications, the power to the laser generators 42, 44 may be controlled using an electrical switch of the tool 20, such that when the tool 20 is energized, the laser generators 42, 44 are energized.

Laser generators 42, 44 include commercial laser generators capable of generating fan beam light, i.e., generators capable of generating light on a workpiece, such as model 1894, available from Sean & Stephen corporation of China and Taiwan. In one embodiment, each laser generator 42, 44 may be customized to include a handle arrangement 84, such as a nut or socket wrench, mounted on a barrel 85 that surrounds a laser assembly 89 of the laser generator 42, 44, see FIG. 14.

Referring to fig. 4a and 4b, to prevent accidental rotation of the laser generators 42, 44 within the holders 46, 48, a friction insert 86 may be supported by the holders 46, 48 for frictional contact with the side surfaces of the laser generators 42, 44. The friction insert 86 may be made of a foam material, rubber, or other material that may increase the coefficient of friction of the laser generators 42, 44 at the side surfaces.

In addition, referring to FIG. 14, the optical lens of laser assembly 85 may be customized such that the fan beam light it produces is centered on axis B-B at a fan angle β of about 30, rather than 60 as in typical commercial laser line generators. A narrower fan angle may produce a laser beam with greater intensity so that the laser beam is visible even under direct sunlight.

In one embodiment, optical alignment system 40 may be protected by a removable cover 45 that is attached to upper blade guard 28 by fasteners 13, which may be screws, although other fastening or snap-fit arrangements may be used. Referring to fig. 2 and 9, the cover 45 may include openings 133 that provide access to the lateral adjustment features of the retainers 46, 48, as will be described below. The cover 45 may be molded as a single piece from a polymeric material or may be manufactured using other known techniques.

Referring to FIG. 10, in one embodiment, when the laser generators 42, 44 are energized, they project two indicator lines 62, 64 onto the substrate 22 or a workpiece 25 supported by the substrate 22. That is, the first laser generator 42 projects a "left" indicator line 62 and the second laser generator 44 projects a "right" indicator line 64. The optical alignment system 40 may also include several adjustment mechanisms that are employed to adjust the spacing, position, and orientation of the indicator lines 62, 64 relative to each other or the blade 26 to indicate the width of the workpiece material or "kerf" 100 to be removed by the blade 26.

Fig. 12a to 12d show a portion of the substrate 22, also showing two indicator lines 62 and 64. Although the workpiece 25 and blade 26 are not shown in these figures, the kerf 100 is shown in phantom lines to give various adjustments to the indicated lines of the kerf 100. Fig. 12a has a right indicator line 62 and a left indicator line 64 in a non-parallel relationship. Referring to fig. 11, 12a and 12B, the parallel adjustment is achieved and the kerf 100 is defined by rotating each laser generator 42 and 44 about their respective longitudinal axis B-B such that the respective indicator lines 62 and 64 are parallel to the sides of the blade 26, respectively. A handle 84 mounted on the laser generators 42 and 44 may be employed to assist in rotating the laser generators 42 and 44 about their respective longitudinal axes B-B.

The width of the blade 26 or the kerf 100 being cut between the left and right indicator lines 62 and 64 can be adjusted by moving the holders 46 and 48 in a lateral direction to achieve a lateral coarse adjustment, as shown in fig. 12b and 12c, both of which are moved in a lateral direction relative to the kerf 100. To assist in such adjustment, the first holder 46 may include an axis A, as shown in FIG. 3a₁-A₁A parallel first threaded hole 66 and a second threaded hole 70 orthogonal to the first hole 66. Similarly, as can be seen in fig. 4b, the second holder 48 may comprise an axis A₂-A₂A parallel first threaded hole 68 and a second threaded hole 72 orthogonal to the first hole 68. First coarse adjustment actuators 74 and 78 may be formed in the form of bolts that may pass through holes 132, 132 ', 134' in left and right walls 23, 21 of upper blade guard 28 and may be received by respective first holes 66 and 68 to move respective holders 46, 48 in a lateral direction. The wall holes 132, 132 ', 134' are aligned with the first threaded holes 66 and 68. Coarse adjustment fasteners 80, 82, which may be set screws, may be used to lock the coarse adjustment actuators 70 and 74.

Referring to fig. 4a and 4b, fine lateral adjustment of the indicator lines 62 and 64 may be provided by supporting the laser generators 42 and 44 on a rod or sleeve 88 cantilevered from the anchors 46 and 48. In one embodiment, each laser generator 42 and 44 is supported within a central bore 87 of a sleeve 88 of their respective retainer 46 and 48, wherein the respective retainer 46 and 48 receives the sleeve 88 with the opening 83. Each collar 88 may have first and second end tabs 90 and 92 extending from each side of the collar and may be cantilevered by the first end tab 90, which may be disposed in a cavity 91 of the respective retainer 46 and 48. It should be understood that other means of supporting the laser generators 42, 44 on the cantilevered rod 88 and mounting such rod 88 on the anchors 44 and 46 may be employed.

Fine actuator 90, which may be in the form of screws or other fasteners, may be received in openings 140 of holders 46 and 48. Fine actuator 94 is operable to apply a force to second end tab 92 of sleeve 88 to deflect sleeve 88 and move it in the direction shown by arrow C relative to axes a1-a1 and a2-a2 of respective anchors 46 and 48. Referring to fig. 12d, deflection of the sleeve 88 causes the respective laser generators 42 and 44 to move in a similar fashion such that the respective indicator lines 62 and 64 move in a parallel fashion.

The fine actuator 94 may be operated by turning a hex nut 96. The sleeve 88 and fine actuator 94 may be calibrated such that a full rotation of the nut 96 corresponds to a predetermined amount of movement. For example, in one embodiment, a full rotation of nut 96 corresponds to lateral movement of 1/32 ″. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the proximity adjusted based on the previous coarse adjustment may require one or more fine adjustment operations to adjust the indicator lines 62, 64 to the plane corresponding to the sides 50 and 52 of the blade 26.

A biasing stop 95 may be provided to abut the second end tab 92 of the bushing 88 to bias the second end tab 92 toward a predetermined position, such as into contact with an inner surface 99 of each of the retainers 46 and 48. The stopper 95 may be made of any elastic material, such as rubber. It should be understood that other biasing means may be utilized, such as a conventional coil spring. The bias stops 95 may be secured by fasteners 136 formed by screws or other forms of support means. The bushing 88 may include a cavity 138 to receive the friction insert 86.

If a lower blade guard 30 is provided, the laser light of the laser generators 42, 44 may pass through the bottom surface 31 of the lower blade guard 30. The bottom surface 31 of the lower blade guard 30 is made of a material having acceptable light transmission properties, such as glass or a polymer having a transparency index that minimizes laser distortion and/or dispersion. Alternatively, one or more openings 98, such as a series of slits or louvered slits as shown in FIG. 1, may be provided in the bottom surface 31 of the lower blade guard 30.

As shown in FIG. 1, the opening 98 may be oriented substantially perpendicular to the perimeter 33 of the lower guard 30, or parallel to the perimeter 33. When the orientation of the opening 98 is perpendicular to the perimeter 33 of the lower blade guard 30, see FIG. 10, the projected indicator lines 62 and 64 resemble a dashed line on the substrate 22 or workpiece 25.

In one embodiment, the shape of the opening 98 may be determined by drawing a series of radial lines 142 that emanate from a point "X" on the upper blade guard 28. Point X may be located midway between the first and second laser generators 42 and 44. The angle "γ" between two adjacent radial lines 142 that define the sides of the opening 98 can be adjusted to achieve the desired length and spacing of the dashed lines of the indicator lines 62, 64.

By operating the adjustment structure described above, the indicator lines 62 and 64 can be adjusted so that they are parallel to the first and second sides 50 and 52 of the blade 26. In addition, the indicator lines 62 and 64 may be adjusted so that they are tangent to the sides 50 and 52, respectively, of the blade 26, or so that they fall within the width of the blade 26 (or kerf 100), and thus the width of the material to be removed by the blade 26. In the latter case, where the indicator lines 62 and 64 are adjusted so that they fall within the kerf 100, portions of the indicator lines 62 and 64 may be interrupted by the blade 26 so that the indicator lines 62 and 64 may be intermittent, i.e., have blank or shaded portions. One such example is given in fig. 11, where the width of the blade 26 is such that the left indicator line 62 is discontinuous (meets the serrated insert) and the right indicator line 64 is uninterrupted and tangent to the right side surface 52 of the blade 26.

In operation, as shown in FIG. 12a, the optical system 40 can be energized to project the indicator lines 62 and 64 toward the sides 102 and 104 proximate the kerf 100. Referring to FIG. 12B, using the handle 84, each laser generator 42 and 44 can be rotated about the longitudinal axis B-B until the indicator lines 62 and 64 are parallel to the respective sides of the kerf 100. Referring then to FIG. 12c, coarse adjustment actuators 74 and 78 can be operated to slide the respective holders 46 and 48 toward or away from the blade 26 so that the indicator lines 62 and 64 are located on different sides of the kerf 100 and near the sides 102 and 104 of the kerf. Finally, as shown in FIG. 12d, fine actuator 94 is operated such that one or both of indicator lines 62 and 64 coincide with the outer edges of kerf sides 102 and 104.

As explained in connection with FIG. 11, the indicator lines 62 and 64 can be positioned within the kerf 100, such as proximate an inner edge of one side 102 or 104 of the kerf, if desired. In this case, as shown in FIG. 11, portions of blade 26 may interrupt or obscure portions of the respective indicator line 62 or 64.

In addition, when the upper blade guard 28 is lowered and the blade is in the cutting position, the lower blade guard 30 is rotated to expose the blade 26, such as with a miter saw. Thus, as the blade 26 is lowered, the indicator lines 62 and 64 may change from dashed to solid lines as they no longer pass through the lower edge guard 30. Thus, referring to fig. 13, indicator lines 62 and 64 may be projected onto the side surfaces of the workpiece 25 indicating a straight or angled cut and guiding the blade 26 in a perpendicular or angled direction.

The provision of two laser generators 42 and 44 with multiple and selectively operable adjustment mechanisms greatly facilitates the operation of cutting and removing a predetermined amount of material from the workpiece 25 along a predetermined line. Cutting operations can be performed accurately and conveniently using a variety of blades having different widths and tooth arrangements.

It should be understood that while the optical alignment system has been described with reference to a laser generator, other light sources capable of projecting a clear indicator line on a workpiece may be utilized in accordance with the spirit of the present invention in conjunction with the parallelism, coarse adjustment and fine adjustment mechanisms.

Although specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration and not limitation, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in the details, materials, and arrangements of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The preceding description, therefore, is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The scope of the invention is to be determined solely by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims (34)

1. A cutting tool comprising:

a substrate;

a frame mounted on the base and supporting a rotatable blade having first and second sides;

an optical system is adjustably supported by the frame to adjustably project first and second indicator lines on the base for indicating the width of the blade.

2. The tool according to claim 1, wherein said optical system comprises:

a first laser generator which emits laser light and is mounted on a first holder supported by the frame; and

a second laser generator that emits laser light and is mounted on a second holder supported by the frame.

3. The tool as set forth in claim 2, wherein said first laser generator is disposed in said first holder at a position laterally offset from a first side of the blade and said second laser generator is disposed in said second holder at a position laterally offset from a second side of the blade.

4. The tool as set forth in claim 3, further comprising a first coarse adjustment coupled to said frame and said first holder, said first coarse adjustment being selectively operable to laterally move said first holder on said frame such that said first indicator line generated by said first laser generator moves laterally relative to said blade.

5. The tool as set forth in claim 4, wherein said first holder supports a first trimmer, said first trimmer being selectively operable to move said first laser generator within said first holder such that said first indicator line moves laterally relative to said first side of said blade.

6. The tool of claim 5, wherein said first trimmer comprises:

a first sleeve cantilevered from said first holder and supportingly receiving said first laser generator therein; and

a first microactuator adjustably supported by the first holder and selectively operable to deflect the first sleeve relative to the first holder.

7. The tool according to claim 6, wherein the first sleeve is biased in a predetermined direction toward said first holder.

8. The tool of claim 2, further comprising a first rotation adjuster coupled to the first laser generator for selectively rotating the first indicator line relative to the first side of the blade.

9. The tool of claim 8, further comprising a first friction insert supported within the first holder and in frictional contact with the first laser generator.

10. The tool of claim 3, further comprising a second coarse adjustment coupled to the frame and the second holder, the second coarse adjustment being selectively operable to move the second holder laterally on the frame such that a second indicator line generated by the second laser generator moves laterally relative to the blade.

11. The tool as set forth in claim 10, wherein said second holder supports a second trimmer, said second trimmer being selectively operable to move said second laser generator within said second holder such that the second indicator line moves laterally relative to the second side of the blade.

12. The tool of claim 11, wherein said second trimmer comprises:

a second sleeve cantilevered from said second holder and supportingly receiving said second laser generator therein; and

a second microactuator adjustably supported by the second holder and selectively operable to deflect the second sleeve relative to the second holder.

13. The tool of claim 12, wherein the second sleeve is biased in a predetermined direction toward said second holder.

14. The tool of claim 2, further comprising a second rotation adjuster coupled to the second laser generator for selectively rotating the second indicator line relative to the second side of the blade.

15. The tool of claim 14, further comprising a second friction insert supported within said second holder and in frictional contact with said second laser generator.

16. The tool of claim 2, wherein the optical system is coupled to an upper blade guard of the frame.

17. The tool of claim 16, wherein the frame includes a movable lower blade guard that allows at least a portion of the laser light to pass therethrough.

18. The tool of claim 17 wherein the lower blade guard includes a plurality of openings through which at least a portion of the laser light can pass.

19. The knife of claim 18 wherein the opening has sides, a line along the sides intersecting at a point on the upper blade guard.

20. A cutting tool comprising:

a substrate;

a frame supporting a blade having first and second sides defining a width, said first side defining a first plane and said second side defining a second plane; and

an optical system adjustably supported by the frame for adjustably projecting two lines of indicia onto the substrate, the optical system including an adjustment mechanism selectively operable to adjust at least one of the lines projected onto the substrate to indicate said first plane.

21. The cutter of claim 20, wherein another of the indicator lines is projected onto the substrate relative to the first line such that the distance between the two indicator lines is less than the width of the blade.

22. The cutter of claim 20, wherein another of said indicator lines is partially obscured by the blade.

23. The cutter of claim 20, wherein another one of the indicator lines is projected onto the substrate relative to the first line such that the distance between the two indicator lines is greater than the width of the blade.

24. The cutter of claim 20, wherein another one of the indicator lines is projected onto the substrate relative to the first line such that the distance between the two indicator lines is equal to the width of the blade.

25. An optical alignment system for use in a tool having a base and a housing supporting a blade, the optical system comprising:

first and second laser generators supported by the frame and projecting first and second indicator lines on the base; and

an adjustment mechanism is supported by the frame and is selectively operable to adjust the first and second indicator lines for indicating the width of the blade.

26. The optical alignment system of claim 25, wherein the adjustment mechanism includes a coarse adjuster for selectively moving each of the indicator lines laterally relative to a plane defined by the side of the blade.

27. The optical alignment system of claim 25. Wherein the coarse adjustment mechanism includes first and second holders on the frame that support the first and second laser generators and that are selectively operable to move one of the first and second holders laterally relative to a plane defined by the sides of the blade.

28. The optical alignment system of claim 25, wherein the adjustment mechanism includes a micro-actuator for micro-moving at least one of the first and second indicator lines in a lateral direction relative to a plane defined by the side of the blade.

29. The optical alignment system of claim 28, wherein the micro-actuator comprises:

a sleeve cantilevered from the holder and housing one of the first and second laser generators therein; and

a microactuator supported within the holder for selective contact with the sleeve for moving the laser generator such that the respective indicator line generated by the laser generator moves laterally relative to a plane defined by the blade sides.

30. An optical system for a tool having a base and a housing supporting a blade, the optical system comprising:

first and second laser generators movably mounted on first and second holders slidably supported on the frame, the first and second laser generators projecting first and second indicator lines on the base and selectively adjustable to indicate the width of the blade;

first and second actuators coupled to said first and second holders, respectively, and selectively operable to cause lateral movement of the first and second holders relative to said blade;

first and second ferrules cantilevered from the first and second holders, respectively, and housing first and second laser generators, respectively, therein; and

first and second micro-actuators selectively operable on the first and second ferrules, respectively, to move the first and second laser generators such that the first and second indicator wires move laterally relative to the blade.

31. An optical alignment system for a tool having a base and a housing supporting a blade, the optical system comprising:

means for projecting first and second indicator lines on the substrate; and

means for selectively adjusting the first and second indicator lines to indicate the width of the blade.

32. A method of indicating material removed by a cutter blade, wherein the cutter has a base supporting a blade mount, the method comprising:

mounting a first laser generator on the frame laterally offset from the first side of the blade, the first laser generator projecting a first indicator line on the base;

mounting a second laser generator on the frame laterally offset from the second side of the blade, the second laser generator projecting a second indicator line on the substrate;

the first and second laser generators are selectively rotated and moved such that the first and second indicator lines indicate material removed by the blade.

33. A method of indicating material removed by a cutter blade, wherein the cutter has a base supporting a blade mount, the method comprising:

projecting a first indicator line on a substrate;

projecting a second indicator line on the substrate; and

the first and second indicator lines are selectively adjusted to indicate material removed by the blade.

34. A method of cutting a workpiece, comprising:

supporting a workpiece on a base of a tool having a rotatable blade supported above the base;

projecting two indicator lines on the workpiece, said indicator lines being separated by a distance representing the width of the blade; and

rotating said blade through said workpiece such that material removed from the workpiece by the blade corresponds to said distance between said indicator lines.