Impact tool with multi-piece anvil assembly

Abstract

An impact tool, the impact tool comprising: a housing; a motor supported within the housing, the motor having an output shaft rotatable about an axis; and a drive assembly supported within the housing and configured to convert a constant rotational force provided by the motor into an impact rotational force. The drive assembly includes a camshaft driven by the motor to rotate about the axis and an anvil assembly. The anvil assembly includes a drive member having a head portion extending outwardly from a housing for coupling to a tool element and a shaft portion having a first end and a second end; and an anvil member having a bore for receiving the shaft portion of the drive member. The drive assembly includes a hammer for reciprocating along the camshaft to deliver an impingement rotational force to the anvil member in response to rotation of the camshaft. The drive member is coupled for common rotation with the anvil member.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 286,870 filed on December 7, 2021, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to impact tools and, more particularly, to anvils for impact tools. Background Art

[0004] Impact tools (such as impact drivers and impact wrenches) provide percussive rotational force or intermittently apply torque to a tool element or workpiece (e.g., a fastener) to tighten or loosen the fastener. Impact tools are typically used where high torque is required, such as tightening relatively large fasteners or loosening or removing stuck fasteners that are otherwise difficult to remove or difficult to remove using hand tools (e.g., automotive hub nuts on axle studs). Utility Model Content

[0005] In one aspect, the present disclosure provides an impact tool, the impact tool comprising: a housing; a motor, the motor is supported in the housing, the motor includes an output shaft rotatable around a rotation axis; and a drive assembly, the drive assembly is supported in the housing and is configured to convert a constant rotation force provided by the motor into an impact rotation force. The drive assembly includes a camshaft and an anvil assembly, the camshaft is configured to be driven by the motor to rotate around the rotation axis. The anvil assembly includes: a drive member, the drive member having a head portion extending outward from the housing for connecting to a tool element and a shaft portion having a first end and a second end; and an anvil member, the anvil member having a hole configured to receive the shaft portion of the drive member. The drive assembly further includes a hammer, the hammer is configured to reciprocate along the camshaft between a forward position and a rearward position in response to the rotation of the camshaft to deliver the impact rotation force to the anvil member. The drive member is connected for rotating together with the anvil member.

[0006] On the other hand, the present disclosure provides an impact tool, which includes: a housing; a motor, which is supported in the housing, and the motor includes an output shaft that can rotate around a rotation axis; and a drive assembly, which is supported in the housing and is configured to convert a constant rotation force provided by the motor into an impact rotation force. The drive assembly includes a camshaft and an anvil assembly, and the camshaft is configured to be driven by the motor to rotate around the rotation axis. The anvil assembly includes an anvil member and a drive member, the drive member is connected for rotating with the anvil member, and the drive member has a head portion extending outward from the housing and a shaft portion having a first end and a second end. The drive assembly further includes a hammer, which is configured to reciprocate between a forward position and a rearward position along the camshaft in response to the rotation of the camshaft to deliver the impact rotation force to the anvil member. The drive member can move between an extended position and a retracted position along the rotation axis.

[0007] On the other hand, the present disclosure provides an impact tool, which includes: a housing; a motor, which is supported in the housing, and the motor includes an output shaft that can rotate around a rotation axis; and a drive assembly, which is supported in the housing and is configured to convert a constant rotation force provided by the motor into an impact rotation force. The drive assembly includes a camshaft and an anvil assembly, and the camshaft is configured to be driven by the motor to rotate around the rotation axis. The anvil assembly includes an anvil member and a drive member, the drive member is detachably connected to the anvil member, and the drive member has a head portion and a shaft portion extending outward from the housing for connecting to a tool element. The drive assembly further includes a hammer, which is configured to reciprocate along the camshaft between a forward position and a rearward position in response to the rotation of the camshaft to deliver the impact rotation force to the anvil member. The drive member is one of a plurality of interchangeable drive members, each of which has a different geometry, and each of the plurality of interchangeable drive members can be selectively connected to the anvil member.

[0008] In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a multi-piece anvil for an impact tool, the multi-piece anvil comprising: an anvil member having a body; an anvil lug extending outwardly from the body, the anvil lug being configured to be impacted by a hammer of an impact tool; and a hole extending at least partially through the body; and a drive member having a shaft portion and a head portion having a plurality of drive surfaces and configured to be coupled to a tool element. The shaft portion is received by the hole to couple the drive member for co-rotation with the anvil member.

[0009] By considering the specific embodiments and the accompanying drawings, other features and aspects of the present disclosure will become clear. Any feature (one or more) described herein for one aspect or embodiment may be combined with any other feature (one or more) described herein for any other aspect or embodiment when appropriate and applicable. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Figure 1 is a perspective view of an impact tool according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0011] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The impact tool is along Figure 1 A cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 in FIG.

[0012] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A perspective view of the front portion of an impact tool showing the anvil member.

[0013] Figure 4 is a perspective view of a drive member that can be inserted into Figure 3 The anvil member is defined as Figure 1 Anvil assembly of an impact tool.

[0014] Figure 5 yes Figure 1 An enlarged cross-sectional view of a front portion of an impact tool illustrating a drive member in a first position relative to an anvil member.

[0015] Figure 6 yes Figure 1 An enlarged cross-sectional view of a front portion of an impact tool illustrating a drive member in a second position relative to an anvil member.

[0016] Figure 7 yes Figure 1 A perspective view of a front portion of an impact tool showing a drive member in a first position.

[0017] Figure 8 yes Figure 1 A perspective view of a front portion of an impact tool showing the drive member in a second position.

[0018] Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a portion of an impact tool illustrating a plurality of interchangeable drive members according to another embodiment.

[0019] Fig.10 yes Fig. 9 A cross-sectional view of the impact tool showing the receiving Fig. 9 An anvil member of one of a plurality of interchangeable drive members.

[0020] Fig.11 yes Fig.10 A magnified view of the impact tool showing Fig. 9 an anvil member and one of a plurality of interchangeable drive members.

[0021] Fig.12 is a perspective view of an impact tool according to another embodiment, illustrating a retainer assembly.

[0022] Fig.13 yes Fig.12 The impact tool is along Fig.12 A cross-sectional view taken along line 13-13 in FIG.

[0023] Fig.14 yes Fig.12 A perspective view of the front portion of the impact tool showing the anvil member and the retainer assembly.

[0024] Fig.15 yes Fig.12 A perspective view of a collar of a retainer assembly.

[0025] Fig.16 yes Fig.15 The ring along Fig.15 A cross-sectional view taken along line 16-16 in FIG.

[0026] Fig.17 yes Fig.14 A perspective view of an anvil member of an impact tool.

[0027] Fig.18 is a perspective view of a drive member that can be inserted into Fig.17 anvil member to define an anvil assembly.

[0028] Fig.19 is a perspective view of an impact tool according to another embodiment showing a plurality of interchangeable drive members.

[0029] Fig. 20 yes Fig.19 The impact tool is along Fig.17 A cross-sectional view taken along line 20-20 in FIG.

[0030] Fig.21 yes Fig.19 A perspective view of a front portion of an impact tool of the type shown in FIG. 1, showing an anvil member, a retainer assembly and a tool insertable into the anvil member. Fig.19 One of multiple interchangeable drive components.

[0031] Before explaining any embodiments of the present disclosure in detail, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited in its application to the construction details and component arrangements set forth in the following description or shown in the following figures. The present disclosure can have other embodiments and can be practiced or performed in various ways. In addition, it should be understood that the words and terms used herein are for descriptive purposes and should not be considered restrictive. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] Figure 1 A power tool is shown, more specifically an impact tool in the form of an impact wrench 10. The impact wrench 10 includes a housing 14 having a motor housing portion 18, a front housing portion 22 coupled (e.g., by a plurality of fasteners) to the motor housing portion 18, and a handle portion 26 extending downwardly from the motor housing portion 18. In the illustrated embodiment, the handle portion 26 and the motor housing portion 18 are defined by mating clamshell halves. The illustrated housing 14 also includes an end cap 30 coupled to the motor housing portion 18 opposite the front housing portion 22.

[0033] The impact wrench 10 is shown having a battery 34 that is removably coupled to a battery receptacle 38 located at the bottom end of the handle portion 26. An electric motor 42 ( Figure 2 ) is supported within the motor housing portion 18 and is electrically connected to the battery 34 via the battery receptacle 38 when the battery 34 is coupled to the battery receptacle 38 ( Figure 1 ) receives power. In the illustrated embodiment, the motor 42 is a brushless direct current ("BLDC") motor having a stator 46 and a rotor with an output shaft 50 supported by front rotor bearings 52 and rear rotor bearings 53 to provide a slew rate relative to the stator 46 ( Figure 2 ) rotates about axis 54. In other embodiments, other types of motors may be used. A fan 58 is coupled to output shaft 50 behind motor 42 to generate airflow for cooling motor 42.

[0034] The impact wrench 10 also includes a switch (e.g., a trigger switch 62; Figure 1 ) for operating the motor 42, for example, via suitable control circuitry disposed on one or more printed circuit board assemblies ("PCBAs") that controls power and command to the motor 42. In other embodiments, the impact wrench 10 may include a power cord for connecting to an AC power source. As another alternative, the impact wrench 10 may be configured to operate using a non-electric power source (e.g., a pneumatic or hydraulic power source, etc.).

[0035] refer to Figure 2, the illustrated impact wrench 10 further includes a gear assembly 66 coupled to the motor output shaft 50, and a drive assembly 70 coupled to the output end of the gear assembly 66. The gear assembly 66 is at least partially housed within the front housing portion 22. The gear assembly 66 can be configured in any of a variety of different ways to provide a speed reduction between the output shaft 50 and the input end of the drive assembly 70.

[0036] For example, the illustrated gear assembly 66 includes a pinion 82 formed on the motor output shaft 50, a plurality of planetary gears 86 meshing with the pinion 82, and a ring gear 90 meshing with the planetary gears 86 and rotatably fixed within the front housing portion 22. The planetary gears 86 are mounted on a camshaft 94 of the drive assembly 70 so that the camshaft 94 serves as a planet carrier. Accordingly, the rotation of the output shaft 50 rotates the planetary gears 86, which then travel along the inner circumference of the ring gear 90, thereby rotating the camshaft 94.

[0037] Continue to refer Figure 2 , the illustrated camshaft 94 includes a first end or front end 95 and a second end or rear end 96 opposite the first end 95 and facing the motor 42. The second end 96 of the camshaft 94 receives and supports the outer race of the front rotor bearing 52. A camshaft bearing 100 sleeved onto the second end 96 of the camshaft 94 is supported by a rear gearbox cover 104, which in turn is coupled to the front housing 22. In the illustrated embodiment, the camshaft bearing 100 surrounds the front rotor bearing 52.

[0038] The illustrated drive assembly 70 further includes an anvil assembly 98 and a hammer 102, which is supported on the camshaft 94 and can slide axially relative to the camshaft. The anvil assembly 98 extends from the front housing portion 22 and includes a drive member 128 and an anvil member 148. The anvil member 148 includes a central hole 149 extending coaxially with the axis 54. As described below with reference Figures 3 to 8 As described in greater detail, the body or shaft portion 136 of the drive member 128 is received within the bore 149 to couple the drive member 128 for common rotation with the anvil member 148 .

[0039] Tool element 99 (e.g., sleeve; Figure 1 ) can be coupled to a drive member 128 of the anvil assembly 98 for performing work on a workpiece (e.g., a fastener, a drill bit, etc.). The drive assembly 70 is configured to convert a constant rotational force or torque provided by the motor 42 into an impact rotational force or torque intermittently applied to the anvil assembly 98 via the gear assembly 66 when a reaction torque on the anvil assembly 98 (e.g., a fastener is being machined) exceeds a certain threshold.

[0040] Continue to refer Figure 2The drive assembly 70 further includes a spring 106 that forces the hammer 102 toward the front of the impact wrench 10 (i.e., Figure 2 14. The spring 106 is biased in the right direction (in the right direction) of the hammer 102. In other words, the spring 106 biases the hammer 102 in the axial direction along the axis 54 toward the anvil assembly 98. The thrust bearing 110 and the thrust washer 114 are positioned between the spring 106 and the hammer 102. The thrust bearing 110 and the thrust washer 114 allow the spring 106 and the cam shaft 94 to continue to rotate relative to the hammer 102 after each impact impact when the lugs (not shown) on the hammer 102 engage with the corresponding anvil lugs 120 formed on the anvil member 148 and the rotation of the hammer 102 is momentarily stopped. The cam shaft 94 further includes cam grooves 124 in which corresponding cam balls (not shown) are received. The cam balls are in driving engagement with the hammer 102 and the movement of the cam balls within the cam grooves 124 allows the hammer 102 to move relative to the axial direction along the cam shaft 94 when the hammer lugs and the anvil lugs 120 engage and the cam shaft 94 continues to rotate.

[0041] refer to Figure 3 to Figure 4 , a drive member 128 and anvil member 148 of anvil assembly 98 are shown. The shaft portion 136 of the drive member 128 includes a first end 140 and a second end 144 opposite the first end. The head portion 132 of the drive member 128 extends from the first end 140 of the body 136. The head portion 132 is configured to be coupled to the tool element 99. For example, the head portion 132 shown includes a square drive interface, preferably having a standard nominal size (e.g., 3 / 8", 1 / 2", 3 / 4", 1", etc.). In other embodiments, the head portion 132 may include other suitable drive interfaces, such as a spline interface, a hexagonal drive interface, etc. In some embodiments, the drive member 128 and the anvil member 148 may be made of different materials, and / or include different finishes, surface treatments, etc., so that the drive member 128 and the anvil member 148 may include different material properties.

[0042] The shaft portion 136 of the drive member 128 includes a first engagement feature 137 that cooperates with a second engagement feature 151 within the bore 149 of the anvil member 148 to couple the drive member 128 for common rotation with the anvil member 148. In the illustrated embodiment, the first engagement feature 137 and the second engagement feature 151 are mating spline geometries that allow the drive member 128 to move axially along the bore 149 while remaining coupled for common rotation with the anvil member 148. In other embodiments, the engagement features 137, 151 may have any other geometry suitable for coupling the drive member 128 for common rotation with the anvil member 148 while allowing axial movement, such as mating key and keyway geometries, SDS, SDS-Plus, SDS Max, or other similar geometries, or any other non-circular geometry.

[0043] When the anvil member 148 and the drive member 128 are assembled together to form the anvil assembly 98, the shaft portion 136 of the drive member 128 extends within the interior of the tool 10 along the axis 54. Figure 2 In the illustrated embodiment, the drive member 128 can be in at least two positions relative to the anvil member 148 along the axis 54 (e.g., Figure 6 and Figure 8 The extended position shown, and Figure 5 and Figure 7 At least one friction ring 152 is sleeved onto the body 136 of the drive member 128 to hold the drive member 128 in a selected position. In the illustrated embodiment, the drive member 128 has two friction rings 152 positioned adjacent the first end 140 and the second end 144 of the shaft portion 136, respectively. The friction ring 152 adjacent the first end 140 is received in an annular groove or recess 164 adjacent the front end of the anvil member 148 to lock the drive member 128 in its retracted position. Figure 5 The friction ring 152 adjacent the second end 144 is received in a second annular groove 168 offset rearwardly from the first annular groove or recess 164 to lock the drive member 128 in its extended position ( Figure 6 ).

[0044] refer to Figure 5 and Figure 7 , when the drive member 128 is in the retracted position, only the head portion 132 of the drive member 128 extends from the front portion 22 of the housing 18, so that the drive member 128 extends beyond the front portion 22 of the housing 18 by a first distance. Figure 6 and Figure 8As shown, the drive member 128 extends from the front portion 22 of the housing 18 a second distance that is greater than the first distance. Thus, the reach of the anvil assembly 98 can be adjusted by moving the drive member between the retracted position and the extended position.

[0045] Return to reference Figure 2 , the anvil member 148 and the cam shaft 94 are each hollow in a direction along the axis 54 to allow the drive member 128 to be retracted into the tool 10. Thus, when the drive member 128 is in its retracted position, the drive member 128 not only extends rearwardly through the anvil member 148, but the drive member 128 also extends into the central hole 172 of the cam shaft 94. In the illustrated embodiment, the hole 172 extends completely through the length of the cam shaft 94, which can also advantageously reduce the weight of the cam shaft 94.

[0046] In operation of the impact wrench 10, the operator depresses the switch 62 to activate the motor 42, which continuously drives the gear assembly 66 and the cam shaft 94 via the output shaft 50. As the cam shaft 94 rotates, the cam ball drives the hammer 102 to rotate together with the cam shaft 94, and the hammer lug engages the anvil lug 120 on the anvil member 148 to deliver the impact and rotatably drive the anvil member 148, and thus drive the drive member 128 and the tool element 99 coupled to the drive member 128. After each impact, the hammer 102 moves or slides rearwardly along the cam shaft 94 away from the anvil assembly 98, so that the hammer lug disengages from the anvil lug 120. As the hammer 102 moves rearwardly, the cam ball seated in the corresponding cam groove 124 in the cam shaft 94 moves rearwardly in the cam groove 124. The spring 106 stores a portion of the rearward energy of the hammer 102, thereby providing a return mechanism for the hammer 102. After the hammer lugs disengage from the corresponding anvil lugs 120 , the hammer 102 continues to rotate and move or slide forward toward the anvil assembly 98 as the spring 106 releases its stored energy until the driving surface of the hammer lugs reengages the driven surface of the anvil lugs 120 to cause another impact.

[0047] To accommodate a particular task, the user can adjust the drive member 128 between an extended position and a retracted position. In other words, the anvil assembly 98 can be extended to change the reach of the tool 10. As a result, the tool 10 can be used in a wider range of applications and does not have to be replaced with a different tool or used with a different tool element 99 (e.g., a reach-extended socket, adapter, etc.) specifically designed to deliver a greater reach. Instead, the anvil assembly 98 can simply be extended or retracted to accommodate the operation at hand.

[0048] refer to Figures 9 to 11 , shows another embodiment of the impact tool 310. The impact tool 310 is similar to Figures 1 to 8impact tool 10; therefore, like structures will be identified by like reference numerals plus "300", and only the differences will be discussed below.

[0049] exist Figures 9 to 11 In the embodiment of the present invention, the drive member 428 of the anvil assembly 398 may be non-extensible. Instead, the drive member 428 is one of a plurality of interchangeable drive members 476, each having a different length and / or drive geometry ( Fig. 9 ). The anvil member 448 is configured to receive one drive member 428 of a plurality of interchangeable drive members 476, and the drive member 428 can then be removed and replaced with another of the interchangeable drive members 476 to suit a particular fastening task.

[0050] refer to Fig.11 , the friction ring 452 is sleeved onto the body or shaft portion 436 of each drive member 428 in the plurality of interchangeable drive members 476. Thus, each interchangeable drive member 428 can be locked into the anvil member 428 by seating the friction ring 452 into the first annular groove or recess 464 of the anvil member 428.

[0051] Having the ability to replace multiple interchangeable drive members 476 allows the anvil assembly 398 to be changed in size and form. Based on the application in which the tool 310 will be used, only the drive member 428 of the anvil assembly 398 needs to be replaced, rather than the tool 310 itself. For example, each of the multiple interchangeable drive members 476 can have a head with a different nominal size (such as 3 / 8", 1 / 2", 3 / 4", 1", etc.), although the nominal size of each interchangeable drive member 476 is not limited to these measurements. Each of the multiple interchangeable drive members 476 can also have different retaining structures for the tool element 99, such as friction rings, pin stops, and other configurations.

[0052] refer to Figures 12 to 18 , shows another embodiment of the impact tool 500. The impact tool 500 is similar to Figures 1 to 8 impact tool 10; therefore, like structures will be identified by like reference numerals plus "500", and only the differences will be discussed below.

[0053] exist Figures 12 to 18In the embodiment of the present invention, the impact tool 500 further includes a retainer assembly 680 that is slidably coupled to the anvil member 648 of the anvil assembly 598 and is configured to retain the drive member 628 in the retracted position or the extended position. The retainer assembly 680 includes a collar 684 positioned along the anvil member 648, a spring 688, and a locking member positioned between the collar 684 and the drive member 628, which in the illustrated embodiment is a locking ball 692 ( Fig.13 ).

[0054] refer to Figure 15 to Figure 16 , the collar 684 includes a first body portion 696, a second body portion 700, and a central hole 704 extending through the first body portion 696 and the second body portion 700. The first body portion 696 of the collar 684 includes a flange 708 extending outwardly. The second body portion 700 of the collar 684 is formed as a cylindrical body. The central hole 704 is configured to receive the anvil member 648 so that a space is provided between the surface of the central hole 704 of the collar 684 and the surface of the anvil member 648. The collar 684 further includes a ramp portion 712 extending inwardly from the central hole 704.

[0055] Reference again Fig.13 , the spring 688 is positioned within a space defined between the collar 684 and the anvil member 648. Specifically, the spring 688 is located between the ramp portion 712 of the collar 684 and the retaining clamp 716. The retaining clamp 716 is positioned within a groove formed in a front portion of the anvil member 648, thereby enclosing a portion of the central hole 704 of the collar 684. The spring 688 is configured to bias the collar 684 in a direction toward the front housing portion 522 of the impact tool 500.

[0056] refer to Fig.18 , the drive member 628 includes a first groove 724 and a second groove 728 formed in the shaft portion 636 of the drive member 628. The first groove 724 is located near the first end 640 of the shaft portion 636, and the second groove 728 is located near the second end 644 of the shaft portion 636, so that the grooves 724, 728 are axially spaced apart along the length of the drive member 628. When the spring 688 biases the collar 684 toward the front housing portion 522, the ramp portion 712 of the collar 684 is configured to push the locking ball 692 into the first groove 724 to hold the drive member 628 in the retracted position, or push the locking ball into the second groove 728 to hold the drive member 628 in the extended position. The locking ball 692 can extend through the aperture 732 ( Fig.16 ) to position the locking ball 692 in the first groove 724 or the second groove 728.

[0057] The collar 684 is configured to move between a locked position and an unlocked position. In the locked position, the collar 684 is biased in a first direction toward the front housing position 522 of the impact tool 50 so that the ramp portion 712 pushes the locking ball 692 into the first groove 724 of the drive member 628 to lock the drive member 628 in the retracted position. The user can grab the collar 684 and pull the collar 684 toward the unlocked position against the biasing force of the spring 688 in a second direction opposite to the first direction. In the unlocked position, the ramp portion 712 of the collar 684 is no longer aligned with the locking ball 692, thereby allowing the locking ball 692 to move radially outward and disengage from the engagement with the first groove 724. The drive member 628 is then allowed to be adjusted by the user from the retracted position to the extended position. Once the drive member 628 is in the extended position, the locking ball 692 will move radially inward and engage with the second groove 728. The user can then release the collar 684 so that the spring 688 biases the collar 684 back to the first direction and the locked position. As such, the ramped portion 712 of the collar 684 aligns with the locking ball 692 to lock the drive member 628 in the extended position.

[0058] refer to Figures 19 to 21 , shows another embodiment of the impact tool 800. The impact tool 800 is similar to Figures 1 to 8 impact tool; therefore, like structures will be identified by like reference numerals plus "800", and only the differences will be discussed below.

[0059] exist Figures 19 to 21 In the embodiment of the present invention, the drive member 928 can be one of a plurality of interchangeable drive members 956, each having a different length and / or drive geometry ( Fig.19 ). The anvil member 948 is configured to receive one drive member 928 of a plurality of interchangeable drive members 956, and the drive member 928 can be removed and replaced with another of the interchangeable drive members 956 to suit a particular fastening task.

[0060] refer to Fig.19 , retainer assembly 960 (e.g. Figures 12 to 18 The retainer assembly 680 of the anvil assembly 898 is coupled to the anvil member 948 of the anvil assembly 898 and is configured to lock one of the drive members 928 of the plurality of interchangeable drive members 956 into the anvil member 948. Thus, the retainer assembly 960 includes a collar 964, a spring 968, and a locking ball 972 ( Fig. 20 ).

[0061] A groove 976 is formed into the body or shaft portion 936 of each drive member 928 in the plurality of interchangeable drive members 956 ( Figure 20 to Figure 21). Thus, each interchangeable drive member 928 can be locked into the anvil member 948 once the locking ball 972 is pushed into the corresponding groove 976 of the drive member 928 while the spring 968 biases the collar 964 toward the front housing portion 822. Once the user pulls the collar 964 against the biasing force of the spring 968, the interchangeable drive member 928 can then be removed from the anvil member 948. While the collar 964 is still being pulled by the user, another of the interchangeable drive members 956 can be inserted into the anvil member 948 so that the locking ball 968 is aligned with the corresponding groove 976 of the other interchangeable drive member 856. After the user releases the collar 964, the spring 968 again biases the collar 964 toward the front housing portion 822 to push the locking ball 692 into the corresponding groove 758 of the other interchangeable drive member 754, thereby locking the other interchangeable drive member 754 into the anvil member 948.

[0062] The ability to replace multiple interchangeable drive members 956 allows the anvil member 948 to be changed in size and form. Based on the application in which the tool 800 will be used, only the drive member 928 of the anvil member 948 needs to be replaced, rather than the tool 800 itself. For example, each of the multiple interchangeable drive members 956 can have a head with a different nominal size (such as 3 / 8", 1 / 2", 3 / 4", 1", etc.), although the nominal size of each interchangeable drive member 928 is not limited to these measurements. Each of the multiple interchangeable drive members 956 can also have different retaining structures for the tool element 899, such as friction rings, pin stops and other configurations.

[0063] Various features and aspects of the disclosure are set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. An impact tool comprising: case; a motor supported within the housing; as well as a drive assembly supported within the housing and configured to convert a constant rotational force provided by the motor into an impact rotational force, the drive assembly including an anvil assembly and a hammer configured to deliver the impact rotational force to the anvil assembly, Features: The anvil assembly comprises: a plurality of interchangeable drive members, each drive member of the plurality of interchangeable drive members having a shaft portion and a head portion extending from the shaft portion and configured for coupling to a tool element, and an anvil member having a bore configured to receive a shaft portion of a selected one of the plurality of interchangeable drive members, Wherein the bore and the shaft portion include cooperating spline patterns such that a selected drive member is coupled for common rotation with the anvil member when received in the bore of the anvil member.

2. The impact tool according to claim 1, wherein: The head portion of each drive member of the plurality of interchangeable drive members has a different nominal size configured for coupling to a different sized tool element.

3. The impact tool according to claim 1, wherein: The head portion of each drive member of the plurality of interchangeable drive members has a different length.

4. The impact tool according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The motor is an electric motor, wherein the housing includes a battery receptacle, and wherein the impact tool further includes a battery removably coupled to the battery receptacle and configured to provide power to the electric motor.

5. The impact tool according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The selected drive member is configured to be locked into the anvil member when received in the aperture.

6. An impact tool comprising: case; a motor supported within the housing; as well as a drive assembly supported within the housing and configured to convert a constant rotational force provided by the motor into an impact rotational force, the drive assembly including an anvil assembly and a hammer configured to deliver the impact rotational force to the anvil assembly, Features: The anvil assembly comprises: a drive member having a shaft portion and a head portion extending from the shaft portion and configured for coupling to a tool element, and An anvil member has a bore configured to receive the shaft portion such that the drive member and the anvil member are coupled for common rotation when the shaft portion is received within the bore.

7. The impact tool according to claim 6, wherein: The bore and the shaft portion include cooperating spline patterns that couple the drive member and the anvil member for common rotation when the shaft portion is received within the bore.

8. The impact tool according to claim 7, wherein: The drive member includes a retaining member supported by a shaft portion of the drive member and configured to retain the drive member in an axial position relative to the anvil member.

9. The impact tool according to claim 8, wherein: The anvil member includes a recess configured to receive the retaining member to axially retain the drive member within the anvil member.

10. The impact tool according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein: The drive member is one of a plurality of interchangeable drive members, each drive member of the plurality of interchangeable drive members having a head portion and a shaft portion, wherein the shaft portion of each drive member of the plurality of interchangeable drive members is identical.

11. The impact tool according to claim 10, wherein: The head portion of each drive member of the plurality of interchangeable drive members has a different nominal size configured for coupling to a different sized tool element.

12. The impact tool according to claim 10, wherein: The head portion of each drive member of the plurality of interchangeable drive members has a different length.

13. The impact tool according to claim 6, wherein: The motor is an electric motor.

14. The impact tool according to claim 6, wherein: The motor is configured to be driven by a pneumatic power source.

15. A multi-piece anvil for an impact tool comprising: an anvil member, the anvil member comprising: ontology, an anvil lug extending outwardly from the body, the anvil lug being configured to be impacted by a hammer of the impact tool, and a bore extending at least partially through the body; and A driving member, the driving member comprising: The shaft portion, and a head portion configured to extend outwardly from a housing of the impact tool, the head portion having a plurality of drive surfaces and configured to be coupled to a tool element, Features: The shaft portion includes a first engagement feature and the anvil member includes a second engagement feature, and The shaft portion is insertable into the bore to couple the drive member for common rotation with the anvil member via the first engagement feature and the second engagement feature.

16. The multi-piece anvil of claim 15, wherein: The first engagement feature and the second engagement feature are mating spline geometries that allow the drive member to move axially along the bore of the anvil member.

17. The multi-piece anvil of claim 15, wherein: The drive member comprises a retaining member supported by a shaft portion of the drive member and configured to retain the drive member in an axial position relative to the anvil member, and wherein the anvil member comprises a recess configured to receive the retaining member to axially retain the drive member in the anvil member.

18. A multi-piece anvil as claimed in any one of claims 15 to 17, wherein: The drive member is one of a plurality of interchangeable drive members, each drive member of the plurality of interchangeable drive members having a head portion and a shaft portion, wherein the shaft portion of each drive member of the plurality of interchangeable drive members is identical.

19. The multi-piece anvil of claim 18, wherein: The head portion of each drive member of the plurality of interchangeable drive members has a different nominal size configured for coupling to a different sized tool element.

20. The multi-piece anvil of claim 18, wherein: The head portion of each drive member of the plurality of interchangeable drive members has a different length.

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