Mouthguard application tool, mouthguard application tool set, mounting assembly and method for applying a mouthguard to a saw blade

Abstract

Tooth guard application tool (1) for applying a tooth guard (7) with a U-shaped cross-section to a saw blade (60), with a housing-fixed contact pressure channel (20), which a) a pressure channel opening (45), b) a contact channel floor sliding surface (42) over which the tooth guard (7) can be pressed onto the saw blade (60), and c) pressure channel side sliding surfaces (43, 44) between which the saw blade (60) and the tooth guard (7) arranged thereon can be arranged and guided.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] It may be desirable or necessary for a tooth guard to be applied, in particular mounted, to a saw blade. The saw blade may be designed as an elongated saw band, a hacksaw blade, a circular saw blade, a power saw blade, a reciprocating saw blade, a jigsaw blade, or any other possible saw blade design. Preferably, the saw blade is a saw band. In the following, reference is preferably made to the saw blade design as a saw band, without any intention of limiting the invention to this design.

[0002] A conventionally used mouth guard consists of a plastic strip with a U-shaped cross-section. When the mouth guard is pulled on, the base leg of the U-shaped mouth guard rests against the tips of the saw blade teeth, while the saw blade is held between the side legs of the U-shaped mouth guard in the area of the teeth and, under certain circumstances, also in the adjacent area of the tooth support body. The side legs of the mouth guard can converge from the base leg of the mouth guard in such a way that the saw blade is clamped between the side legs, thus securing the mouth guard to the saw blade by friction.However, the application of the U-shaped mouth guard requires such high application forces that an elastic expansion of the mouth guard side legs occurs and the friction between the mouth guard side legs and the saw blade is overcome so that the mouth guard side legs can slide along the saw blade until the mouth guard base leg comes into contact with the tooth tips.

[0003] Applying a tooth guard to a saw blade can serve the following purposes, for example: The production of endlessly joined saw bands begins with the cutting of longitudinal sections of a semi-finished saw band from a so-called coil. The saw bands formed from the longitudinal sections can then be stored, for example in the form of a stack, and / or transported by transport trolley to a workstation where a joining process is carried out. For the joining process, the saw band is bent so that the two ends of the saw band are brought together flush and can then be joined by welding. The endless saw band produced in this way is then intended for use on band saw machines. To ensure that the saw band is delivered to customers with as little damage to the tooth tips as possible, the teeth of the saw band and their cutting edges are provided with tooth protection.It is possible that a tooth guard may also be applied during cutting, storage, and transport of the saw blade to protect the teeth. This tooth guard can prevent damage to the cutting edges, which would negatively impact the service life of the saw blade. If the tooth guard is applied to the saw blade before, during, or immediately after cutting, the tooth guard must be removed locally in the area of the joint for the joining process to ensure that the joint is accessible even in the area of the teeth, and to prevent the high temperatures resulting from welding from damaging the tooth guard at and near the joint.Furthermore, subsequent processing steps (such as tooth base machining, in which excess band material is removed from the tooth base in the area of the joint) cannot be performed if the tooth guard covers the area to be machined. Thus, for the joining process and any subsequent processing steps, the removal of the tooth guard in the area surrounding the joint may be necessary, while the tooth guard remains in place away from the joint, ensuring its protective function. Once the joining and machining processes are complete, the tooth guard must be manually reapplied to the surrounding area and the joint itself, which can be time-consuming, requires great care, and possibly considerable manual skill.

[0004] It is also possible to apply a tooth guard to a saw blade that has already been used on a band saw machine. Specific saw blades are often used for different sawing applications or workpieces. However, in some cases a saw blade that has been used has not yet reached the end of its service life after a sawing job has been completed. In this case, the saw blade is removed from the band saw machine and a different specific saw blade is used for a different sawing job. The removed saw blade is then stored until the next time it is used. Changing the saw blade often damages the cutting edges, which can lead to a reduction in the remaining service life. This can be avoided by applying a tooth guard to the saw blade on the band saw machine before it is replaced.

[0005] A mouth guard can also prevent injuries resulting from contact with the teeth and tooth edges.

[0006] The invention relates to a tooth guard application tool for applying a U-shaped tooth guard to a saw blade. Furthermore, the invention relates to a tooth guard application tool set. The invention also relates to an assembly. Finally, the invention also relates to a method for applying a tooth guard to a saw blade. STATE OF THE ART

[0007] The documents US 2,954,118 A and JP 2005-279852 A disclose exemplary designs of a tooth guard for a saw band.

[0008] The website www.youtube.com / watch?v=tLPPxftDmec (date of access: March 10, 2023) shows the application of a tooth guard to an endless saw blade using a machine in which the saw blade and the tooth guard are conveyed and brought together via separate conveyor systems. The tooth guard is fed into a circumferential groove of a pressure roller that rotates around a stationary axis, into which the saw blade also enters. The bottom of the circumferential groove of the pressure roller then presses the tooth guard onto the saw blade.

[0009] A corresponding embodiment is also available on the website: www.youtube.com / watch?v=GCow0-LDIUE (date of inspection 10.03.2023).

[0010] Such application machines for applying mouthguards require a high level of mechanical complexity. Furthermore, the use of such application machines is limited to applying the mouthguard during the mechanical manufacturing process.

[0011] A manual mouthguard application tool of the applicant is in Fig. 1, while the photo according to Fig. 2 shows the use of the known manual mouthguard application tool for applying a mouthguard to a saw blade. According to Fig. 1, the manual mouthguard application tool 1 comprises an elongated base body 2 with a handle 3. A disc-shaped spreader roller 4 and a guide roller 5 are mounted on the base body 2 at a distance from the handle 3 and are rotatable about parallel axes of rotation. The guide roller 5 has a circumferential groove 6 into which the spreader roller 4 engages.

[0012] Fig. 2 shows the application of a tooth guard 7 to a saw band 8 with the tooth guard application tool 1 according to Fig. 1. For this purpose, the tooth guard 7 is inserted into the circumferential groove 6 of the guide roller 5 so that the underside of the tooth guard base leg of the U rests against the bottom of the circumferential groove 6. The spreader roller 4 is arranged between the tooth guard side legs of the U of the tooth guard 7, so that the tooth guard 7 is caught between the guide roller 5 and the spreader roller 4 in the circumferential groove 6. As shown in Fig. 2, the user must apply a moment to the handle 3 around a rotational axis oriented vertically to the plane of the image, so that the tooth guard 7 is bent as shown between the area in which the tooth guard 7 is already applied to the saw blade 8 and the area in which the tooth guard 7 is caught between the guide roller 5 and the spreader roller 4. If the user moves the tooth guard application tool 1 in Fig. 2 to the left, the user must press the bent tooth guard 7 towards the saw band 8 so that the tooth guard side legs of the U of the tooth guard 7, which are spread open with the spreader roller 4, can slide over the saw band 8. Contact, in particular between the spreader roller 4 and the saw band 8, must be avoided, as this could lead to damage to the spreader roller 4 and / or the teeth and tooth cutting edges of the saw band 8. At the same time, the user must ensure the correct alignment of the tooth guard application tool 1 to the saw band 8 so that the intended application of the tooth guard 7 to the saw band 8 can take place. Finally, the user must avoid improper use in which the fingers come into contact with the teeth of the saw band 8, as this would lead to injuries. Under certain circumstances, the user may also pivot the tooth guard application tool 1 in Fig. 2 further clockwise to facilitate the application of the mouthguard 7. However, this results in an increase in the deflection of the mouthguard 7, which may be undesirable.

[0013] The non-generic document GB 1 020 026 discloses a tool for rolling an insulating strip onto a door or hatch of a motor vehicle, while the non-generic document DE 85 22 512 U1 discloses an oscillatingly driven impact tool for striking an edge protection strip or seal onto a sheet metal edge of a motor vehicle body. OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

[0014] The present invention is based on the object of producing a tooth protection application tool which is particularly suitable with regard to - the reliable application of a tooth guard to a saw blade and / or - the costs and / or - operating safety and / or - the requirements for the operator to handle the mouth guard application tool during application of the mouth guard to the saw blade and / or - the time required to apply the tooth guard to the saw blade and / or - the stresses on the mouthguard caused by the application and / or - the risk of damage to the saw blade is reduced.

[0015] Furthermore, the invention is based on the object - a correspondingly improved mouthguard application tool set, - a correspondingly improved assembly and - to propose a correspondingly improved method for applying a tooth guard to a saw blade. SOLUTION

[0016] The object of the invention is achieved by the features of the independent patent claims. Further preferred embodiments of the invention can be found in the dependent patent claims. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] The object underlying the invention is achieved by equipping a mouth guard application tool with a contact pressure channel. The contact pressure channel of the mouth guard application tool has a contact pressure channel opening. The contact pressure channel opening enables the mouth guard to be inserted into the contact pressure channel and / or removed from the contact pressure channel not only when moving in the longitudinal direction of the contact pressure channel, but also transversely to the longitudinal direction of the contact pressure channel. The contact pressure channel has a contact pressure channel bottom sliding surface. If a mouth guard is located in the contact pressure channel, the user can apply contact pressure to the mouth guard (particularly in the area of the mouth guard base leg of the U-shaped cross-section) via the contact pressure channel bottom sliding surface, via which contact pressure forces can be applied to the mouth guard onto the saw blade.For this purpose, the surface normal of the contact channel bottom sliding surface is oriented in the main extension plane of the saw blade during use of the tooth guard application tool and vertically to the direction of movement of the saw blade during the sawing process. The contact channel bottom sliding surface also enables a guided sliding movement during application of the tooth guard to the saw blade. In addition, the contact channel has contact channel side sliding surfaces. A saw blade and a tooth guard arranged on it can be arranged and guided in a sliding manner between the contact channel side sliding surfaces. The contact channel side sliding surfaces can thus accommodate the tooth guard with the saw blade arranged therein in such a way that the saw blade with the tooth guard arranged on it is caught between the contact channel side sliding surfaces, which may also occur under a certain amount of pressure. The contact channel side sliding surfaces ensure lateral guidance.

[0018] In the mouthguard application tool, the contact pressure channel is fixed to the housing. Thus, the contact pressure channel, with the contact pressure channel bottom sliding surface and the contact pressure channel side sliding surfaces, does not provide rolling guidance, as is the case in the prior art, but rather sliding guidance. "Fixed to the housing" in this case can mean that the contact pressure channel is firmly connected to a handle or grip of the mouthguard application tool. For a particular embodiment encompassed by the invention, the mouthguard application tool, in the assembled state, has no components that can move relative to one another, thus also having no rolling or sliding bearings.

[0019] Within the scope of the invention, the pressure channel can have any cross-sectional geometry, with the pressure channel preferably having a U-shaped cross-section. The base leg of the U then forms the pressure channel bottom sliding surface, while the side legs of the U form the pressure channel side sliding surfaces. Here, the said legs can be straight or curved as desired, and the transitions between the said legs can be angular or curved as desired. It is also possible for the side legs of the pressure channel side sliding surfaces to converge or diverge slightly in the cross-section. The pressure channel can also have any geometry in the longitudinal direction, with the cross-section of the pressure channel being able to change over the longitudinal direction or being able to remain constant.Preferably, the longitudinal axis of the pressure channel is linear, and the pressure channel bottom sliding surfaces and the pressure channel side sliding surfaces are flat. Within the scope of the invention, however, it is also possible for the longitudinal axis of the pressure channel to be curved, in which case, for example, it is possible for the pressure channel bottom sliding surface to be convexly curved in the direction of the pressure channel longitudinal axis. In this case, the convex curvature can, in particular, lead to a convex elevation that is less than 5 mm, less than 4 mm, less than 3 mm, or less than 2 mm. By means of such an elevation, the contact area when pressing the tooth guard onto the saw blade can be reduced, if desired.

[0020] According to the invention, in contrast to the prior art, at least in the area of the contact pressure channel, no rollers are used, which require complex bearings and increase the manufacturing effort and cost of the mouth guard application tool. In addition, the contact pressure channel ensures good guidance of the mouth guard application tool during the relative movement to the saw blade (and the mouth guard arranged between them) during application, something not known from the prior art: When the mouth guard application tool is pressed with the contact pressure channel bottom sliding surface against the mouth guard base leg or "back" of the mouth guard, thus pressing the mouth guard onto the saw blade, the mouth guard application tool is guided in the pressing direction by the front side of the saw blade and the mouth guard pressed against it (similar to a stop).Furthermore, the tooth guard application tool is guided laterally by the pressure channel side sliding surfaces that rest against the saw blade and the tooth guard arranged thereon in a direction that is oriented vertically to the main extension direction of the saw blade. Since the pressure channel side sliding surfaces form contact surfaces due to their overlap with the saw blade, guidance is also ensured to prevent the tooth guard application tool from tilting relative to the saw blade. Ultimately, by equipping the tooth guard application tool with the pressure channel according to the invention, preferably only one degree of freedom of movement of the tooth guard application tool parallel to the longitudinal axis of the saw blade and one degree of freedom in the pressure direction remains. However, this degree of freedom of movement is necessary in order to apply an increasingly longer section of the tooth guard to the saw blade by moving along this degree of freedom of movement.However, the degree of freedom of contact pressure is necessary to ensure the saw blade's entry into the mouthguard. The inventive design thus reduces the remaining degrees of freedom of the mouthguard application tool during use to the required extent compared to the prior art. This leads to increased operating safety of the mouthguard application tool, increased process reliability, the prevention of damage to the mouthguard application tool, the saw blade, and the mouthguard, and a reduction in the risk of injury.

[0021] Within the scope of the invention, it is possible for the tooth guard application tool to interact with the saw blade exclusively in the area of the contact pressure channel (with the tooth guard interposed) or to interact with it with another section. Furthermore, it is possible for the tooth guard to interact with the tooth guard application tool exclusively in the area of the contact pressure channel, while the tooth guard cannot be guided outside the contact pressure channel or interact with the tooth guard application tool in any other way. For a special proposal of the invention, a feed channel is also provided on the tooth guard application tool, in which the tooth guard can extend. The feed channel can then serve to ensure that the tooth guard is fed to the contact pressure channel in the correct state and with the correct orientation.Here, the feed channel extends at a distance from the contact channel floor sliding surface on one side of the contact channel floor sliding surface, facing away from the contact channel opening. This means that, during use, the feed channel can be arranged in the same plane as the main extension of the saw blade, but the feed channel is still arranged at a distance from the saw blade, so that no undesirable interaction occurs.

[0022] In a further embodiment of this solution, the feed channel can have a feed channel longitudinal axis, which is preferably linear. In this case, the feed channel longitudinal axis can be angled relative to the contact channel longitudinal axis, which in this case can also be linear. To name only one non-limiting example, the feed channel longitudinal axis and the contact channel longitudinal axis can form an obtuse angle, which can, for example, be in the range of 110°-170°, 120°-160°, or 130°-155°.

[0023] According to a further proposal of the invention, the feed channel and the contact pressure channel are connected to one another via a deflection region, in the region of which the tooth guard application tool also interacts with the tooth guard. It is possible for the saw blade to enter the tooth guard held by the tooth guard application tool in this deflection region. According to a particular proposal of the invention, the deflection region is designed as a deflection channel, which can have a deflection channel opening and can also have a U-shaped cross-section. In this case, the longitudinal axis of the deflection channel can be curved in order to enable the longitudinal axis of the feed channel to be angled relative to the contact pressure channel.

[0024] As explained, the feed channel can be designed as a guide channel. Alternatively or additionally, the feed channel can have an expansion channel. A spreading element is then arranged in the region of the expansion channel such that the spreading element can enter between the side legs of the U-shaped mouthguard and pushes the side legs apart. Preferably, the spreading element (with its end region facing the saw blade) is spaced from the contact sliding surface of the contact channel on a side of the contact sliding surface facing away from the contact channel opening, so that the spreading element cannot collide or interact with the saw blade.

[0025] Preferably, the expansion element is a sliding element fixed to the housing, which can, for example, be screwed to a housing of the mouthguard application tool. This eliminates the need for complex, rotating mounting of the expansion element.

[0026] It is possible for the expansion element to be tapered or to have a point. For example, the expansion element can develop an increasing height in the direction of movement of the mouthguard. The tip of the expansion element, or the end area with the smallest height, can then enter the opening of the U-shaped cross-section formed by the mouthguard, making it easier to thread the expansion element into the mouthguard. If the relative movement of the mouthguard then brings the end of the mouthguard into the expanded area of the expansion element, or the area with the greater height, the mouthguard is gradually opened further by spreading the side arms of the mouthguard further and further apart.

[0027] For one embodiment of the mouthguard application tool according to the invention, the expansion channel has an expansion channel opening, which is preferably opposite a bottom sliding surface of the expansion channel. For example, the expansion channel can have a U-shaped cross-section, with the expansion channel opening then being formed between the free end regions of the side legs of the U. In this case, the expansion element can extend through the expansion channel opening into the expansion channel. A gap can then be formed between an end face of the expansion element and a bottom sliding surface of the expansion channel. A mouthguard base leg of the U-shaped mouthguard can then be arranged in the region of this gap during use of the mouthguard application tool.Additional gaps, connected to the first-mentioned gap, are then formed between the side surfaces of the expansion element and the side sliding surfaces of the expansion channel. The side legs of the U-shaped mouthguard can then be arranged in the area of these gaps.

[0028] While in principle any geometric design of the expansion element made from any semi-finished product is possible, a proposal of the invention uses an expansion plate as the expansion element.

[0029] In this case, it is possible for a housing or base body of the mouthguard application tool to have an end face. The expansion channel is set back from the end face. The expansion plate can then have two angled expansion plate parts, which, for example, have an L-shaped cross-section. One expansion plate part, i.e. one leg of the L, is then attached to the end face of the housing or base body. The other expansion plate part, and thus the other leg of the L, can then extend through the expansion channel opening into the expansion channel. This provides a particularly simple way of ensuring the expansion element and its interaction with the mouthguard inside the expansion channel.In some cases, the use of such an angled spreader plate also allows for easy replacement of the spreader element in the event of wear. A worn angled spreader plate is replaced with a new one, which is then attached to the housing or base body. It is even possible to use spreader plates with different geometries to enable the use of the tooth guard application tool with different tooth guards and / or saw blades.

[0030] Under certain circumstances, the dimensioning of the longitudinal extension of the contact channel floor sliding surface triggers a conflict of objectives: On the one hand, the longitudinal extension must be selected as small as possible in order to apply the contact forces exerted by the user to a small longitudinal extension of the tooth guard and to create a small, easy-to-handle tooth guard application tool. On the other hand, the guidance of the tooth guard application tool deteriorates with a reduction in the longitudinal extension of the contact channel floor sliding surface. A solution to this conflict of objectives is an embodiment according to the invention in which the longitudinal extension of the contact channel floor sliding surface is greater than twice the largest distance between two adjacent teeth of the saw blade.This dimensioning ensures that the pressure channel floor sliding surface does not, at least temporarily, rest on only one tooth of the saw blade, which would impair the longitudinal guidance, but always rests on at least two adjacent teeth of the saw blade, which allows longitudinal guidance to take place.

[0031] (To give merely a non-limiting example for the purpose of explanation, the saw blade may be equipped with one tooth per inch, i.e., one tooth per 25.4 mm. In this case, for the inventive proposal, the longitudinal extent of the contact channel floor sliding surface should be at least 50.8 mm.)

[0032] It is possible for a tooth shield application tool (particularly through the design of the geometry of the contact pressure channel, the feed channel, the expansion channel and the expansion element) to be specifically adapted to one type or class of tooth shields and / or one type or class of saw blades, so that a different, specifically adapted tooth shield application tool must then be used for other types. A multifunctional tooth shield application tool can be created if the cross-sectional dimensions of the contact pressure channel, the feed channel, the guide channel and / or the expansion channel and / or the position and / or orientation of the expansion element can be changed. On the one hand, the change can be achieved by adjustment, for example by using an adjusting screw to change a wall delimiting a channel so that the width of the channel changes.This adjustment allows for adaptation to a different type of mouthguard and / or sawblade. Another possible modification is the use of interchangeable parts in the mouthguard application tool, which can then be used to change the cross-sectional dimensions, position, or orientation. For example, the width of a channel can be changed by inserting plates of different thicknesses.

[0033] Alternatively or cumulatively, it is possible for the mouthguard application tool to have not just one effective area for applying a mouthguard to a sawblade, but rather several different effective areas distributed around the circumference of the mouthguard application tool. In this case, the effective areas can have multiple contact pressure channels (and possibly also associated feed channels, expansion channels, guide channels, and expansion elements) with different cross-sectional dimensions and geometries, allowing the individual effective areas and contact pressure channels to be specifically adapted to different types of mouthguards and sawblades. In this way, the mouthguard application tool can be used multifunctionally.

[0034] Within the scope of the invention, it is certainly possible for the mouthguard application tool to be part of a machine by means of which the mouthguard is applied to a sawblade. However, the mouthguard application tool is preferably a hand tool.

[0035] A further solution to the problem underlying the invention is a mouthguard application tool set. The mouthguard application tool set has several mouthguard application tools designed as previously explained. However, in the multiple mouthguard application tools of the mouthguard application tool set, the respective contact channels (and possibly also guide channels, expansion channels, expansion elements) are equipped with different cross-sectional dimensions, lengths, orientations, etc., so that the different mouthguard application tools can then be used for different types of mouthguards and / or saw blades.

[0036] A further solution to the problem underlying the invention is represented by an assembly unit, as is created when using the tooth guard application tool for applying a tooth guard to a saw blade. In the assembly unit, the saw blade with the tooth guard arranged on it is arranged in the contact channel of the tooth guard application tool. For example, it is possible for the tooth guard to extend through both the contact channel and the expansion channel in the assembly unit. In the area of the expansion channel, the tooth guard is then spread by the expansion element so that it can be applied to the saw blade in the area of the contact channel. In the area of the contact channel, the tooth guard base leg is then caught between the contact channel base sliding surface and the end face of the saw blade, while the tooth guard side legs are arranged between the contact channel side sliding surfaces and the saw blade.If the tooth guard application tool for this assembly is moved in the longitudinal direction of the saw blade, the tooth guard slides along the contact pressure channel and the expansion channel, whereby the tooth guard is applied to the saw blade with an ever-increasing length.

[0037] A further solution to the problem underlying the invention is a method for applying a tooth guard to a saw blade: In this method, a free end of the mouthguard is first inserted into the expansion channel by means of a sliding relative movement, preferably from the end of the expansion channel facing the contact channel. During this insertion movement, the side arms of the mouthguard are spread apart by the expansion element. This results in a sliding relative movement of the mouthguard, on the one hand, relative to the expansion element and, on the other hand, relative to the walls of the expansion channel. A point or tapered portion of the expansion element can simplify insertion.

[0038] In a further method step, a second longitudinal section of the mouthguard is inserted into the contact channel. This contact channel is arranged upstream of the first longitudinal section of the mouthguard, which is located in the expansion channel. It is possible for the second longitudinal section of the mouthguard to be inserted manually. However, this insertion is preferably carried out by bringing the mouthguard application tool closer to the sawblade so that the front side of the sawblade presses the mouthguard into the contact channel. In this case, the second longitudinal section is pressed onto the teeth of the sawblade by means of the contact channel base sliding surface.

[0039] If the tooth guard is arranged on the teeth of the saw blade in this way and the tooth guard with the teeth arranged therein is arranged in the expansion channel, the method according to the invention involves a sliding movement of the tooth guard application tool with the tooth guard arranged in the pressure channel along the teeth of the saw blade. During this movement, the movement is guided by the pressure channel bottom sliding surface and by the pressure channel side sliding surfaces, thereby restricting the degrees of freedom for this movement. With this sliding movement, longitudinal sections of the tooth guard previously arranged in the expansion channel enter the pressure channel and are pressed onto the teeth of the saw blade, so that more and more teeth are protected by the tooth guard.

[0040] Preferably, in the method according to the invention, the relative movement of the tooth guard relative to the tooth guard application tool is reversed between the method step of inserting the tooth guard into the feed or expansion channel and the method step of applying further longitudinal sections to the saw blade.

[0041] Advantageous developments of the invention will become apparent from the patent claims, the description, and the drawings. The advantages of features and combinations of features mentioned in the description are merely exemplary and may be effective alternatively or cumulatively, without the advantages necessarily being achieved by embodiments of the invention.

[0042] With regard to the disclosure content – not the scope of protection – of the original application documents and the patent, the following applies: Further features can be found in the drawings – in particular the illustrated geometries and the relative dimensions of several components to one another, as well as their relative arrangement and operative connection. The combination of features of different embodiments of the invention or features of different patent claims is also possible, deviating from the selected references of the patent claims, and is hereby suggested. This also applies to features that are illustrated in separate drawings or mentioned in their description. These features can also be combined with features of different patent claims.Likewise, features listed in the patent claims may be omitted for further embodiments of the invention, but this does not apply to the independent patent claims of the granted patent.

[0043] The number of features recited in the claims and the description should be understood as meaning that exactly this number or a greater number than the stated number is present, without the need for the explicit use of the adverb "at least." Thus, for example, if reference is made to one element, this should be understood as meaning that exactly one element, two elements, or more elements are present. The features recited in the claims may be supplemented by further features or may be the only features present in the subject matter of the respective claim.

[0044] The reference signs contained in the patent claims do not represent a limitation of the scope of the subject-matter protected by the patent claims. They serve only the purpose of making the patent claims easier to understand. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE CHARACTERS

[0045] In the following, the invention is further explained and described with reference to preferred embodiments shown in the figures. Fig. Figure 1 shows a three-dimensional view of a manual mouthguard application tool according to the prior art. Fig. 2 shows a photo of the use of the mouthguard application tool according to Fig. 1 for applying a tooth guard to a saw blade. Fig. 3 shows a mouthguard application tool in a spatial view. Fig. 4 shows the mouthguard application tool according to Fig. 3 in a side view from the left. Fig. 5 shows the mouthguard application tool according to Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 in a front view. Fig. 6 shows the mouthguard application tool according to Fig. 3 to 5 in a section VI-VI (cf. the Fig. 4 indicated incision). Fig. 7 shows the mouthguard application tool according to Fig. 3 to 6 in a side view from the right. Fig. 8 shows the mouthguard application tool according to Fig. 3 to 7 in a view from below. Fig. 9 to 11 show a spreading element of a mouthguard application tool according to Fig. 3 to 8 in different views. Fig. 12 shows the mouthguard application tool according to Fig. 3 to 8 when applying a tooth guard to a saw blade. Fig. 13 shows a section XIII-XIII through the tooth guard application tool, the tooth guard and the saw band according to Fig. 12 when applying a tooth guard to a saw blade. Fig. 14 shows a detail XIV of section XIII-XIII according to Fig. 13. Fig. 15 and Fig. 16 show the tooth guard application tool when applying a tooth guard to a saw band according to Fig. 12 in a view from below and from above. FIGURE DESCRIPTION

[0046] In the application, the terms “front” and “rear” refer to the direction of movement of the mouthguard application tool when applying a mouthguard to a saw blade, and the term “bottom” refers to the side of the mouthguard application tool facing the saw blade.

[0047] A mouthguard application tool 1 has a base body 9 or a housing 10, which has a constant thickness. A bottom or contact channel side 11 and a top side 12 are oriented approximately parallel to each other. The contact channel side 11 merges into an expansion channel side 14 via an obtuse angle 13. The free end region of the contact channel side 11 is connected to the top side 12 via a front side 15, while the free end region of the expansion channel side 14 is connected to the top side 12 via a rear side 16. It is possible that (as in Fig. 4) the front side 15 and the back side 16 each merge into the top side 12 via a rounded portion.

[0048] The base body 9 or the housing 10 has a continuous, oval grip recess 17. Between the grip recess 17 and the top side 12, the base body 9 or the housing 10 forms a handle 18. When using the mouth guard application tool 1, the user can wrap their hand around the handle 18, with the fingers of the hand then extending through the grip recess 17. The base body 9 or the housing 10 can optionally have another continuous recess 19.

[0049] The mouthguard application tool 1 has a contact pressure channel 20 in the area of the contact pressure channel side 11 and a feed channel 21 in the area of the expansion channel side 14, which simultaneously forms an expansion channel 22 and a guide channel 23. The longitudinal axes of the contact pressure channel 20 and the feed channel 21 are also angled to each other at an obtuse angle 13. A transition from the contact pressure channel 20 to the feed channel 21 is achieved by means of a deflection region 24, which is designed here as a deflection channel 25. The contact pressure channel 20, the feed channel 21, and the deflection channel 25 form a continuous groove 26, which is angled (rounded) in the area of the deflection channel 25.

[0050] On the expansion channel side 14, the base body 9 or the housing 10 has an end face 27. A spreading element 28 is attached to the end face 27. For the illustrated embodiment, the spreading element 28 is designed as an angled spreading plate 28 (see Fig. 9 to 11), in which two expansion plate parts 30, 31 are angled at an angle of 90° to each other. The expansion plate part 30 lies flat against the end face 27 and is screwed to it via screws 32. The expansion plate part 31 extends into the groove 26 in the area of the expansion channel 22.

[0051] The spreading channel 22 has (as in Fig. 5) has a U-shaped cross-section and comprises an expansion channel bottom sliding surface 33 and two expansion channel side sliding surfaces 34, 35. An end face 36 of the expansion plate part 31 forms a gap 37 with the expansion channel bottom sliding surface 33. The side surfaces of the expansion plate part 31 form gaps 38, 39 with the expansion channel side sliding surfaces 34, 35. The gaps 37, 38, 39 merge into one another to form a U-shaped gap, in the region of which the U-shaped mouthguard 7 can be arranged.

[0052] As in Fig. 4 and in the illustration of the expansion element 28 in Fig. As can be seen in Figure 9, the expansion plate part 30 is shorter than the expansion plate part 31. The expansion plate part 31 is provided with a taper 40 in the freely projecting end region and has a tip 41.

[0053] The geometry of the pressure channel 20 is in Fig. 3 as well as in section XIII-XIII and the associated detail XIV: The pressure channel 20 has a pressure channel bottom sliding surface 42 and two pressure channel side sliding surfaces 43, 44, which are arranged in a U-shape in cross section.

[0054] On the side opposite the contact channel bottom sliding surface 42, the contact channel 20 has a contact channel opening 45. Accordingly, the expansion channel 22 has an expansion channel opening 46 on the side opposite the expansion channel bottom sliding surface 33. The contact channel 20 has a contact channel longitudinal axis 47, while the expansion channel 22 has a expansion channel longitudinal axis 48, and the feed channel 21 has a feed channel longitudinal axis 49, which may correspond to the expansion channel longitudinal axis 48.

[0055] In the following, a method for applying a tooth guard 7 to a saw blade 60, which is designed here as a saw band 8, using a tooth guard application tool 1 is described by way of example. In this case, the tooth guard 7 is still to be applied to the saw band 8 in a partial area, while another partial area, in particular for carrying out a joining process or for post-processing, is removed from the saw band 8, as is basically the case in Fig. 12 can be seen.

[0056] First, a free end 50 of the mouthguard 7 is inserted past the deflection area 24 into the expansion channel 22. With this insertion movement, the front side of the free end 50 of the mouthguard 7 meets the tip 41 of the expansion element 28. The tip 41 can enter a space in the mouthguard 7, which is delimited in a cross-section of the mouthguard 7 by a mouthguard base leg 51 and mouthguard side legs 52, 53. As the sliding insertion movement continues, the expansion element 28 spreads the mouthguard side legs 52, 53 apart (cf. Fig. 14).

[0057] The tooth guard application tool 1 is then brought closer to the saw band 8 with the front side 15 and the contact pressure channel 20. With this approach, the tooth guard 7 slides through the expansion channel 22 while spreading the tooth guard 7 until the free end 50 protrudes from the expansion channel 22. When the front side 15 of the tooth guard application tool 1 comes into contact with the front side of the saw band 8, the saw band 8 with the tooth guard 7 arranged thereon enters the contact pressure channel 20, whereby the Fig. 12 is reached. Subsequently, the tooth guard application tool 1 is moved in the direction of movement 54 parallel to the longitudinal axis of the saw band 8. In this case, the user presses the back of the tooth guard 7 against the front side of the saw band 8 by means of the contact channel bottom sliding surface 42. During the movement in the direction of movement 54, the movement is guided vertically to the direction of movement 54 on the one hand by the sliding movement of the contact channel bottom sliding surface 42 with tooth guard base legs 51 arranged therebetween along the front side of the saw band 8 and vertically to the plane of the drawing according to Fig. 12 by the contact of the pressure channel side sliding surfaces 43, 44 with the interposition of the tooth guard side legs 52, 53 on the side surfaces of the saw band 8. The sliding relative movement occurs primarily between the tooth guard application tool 1 and the tooth guard 7, while the sliding relative movement between the tooth guard 7 and the saw band 8 primarily consists in the application movement of the tooth guard 7 onto the saw band 8 with a direction of movement vertical to the front side of the saw band 8. At the end of the application process, the end 50 of the tooth guard 7 emerges from the expansion channel 22 and is also applied to the saw band in the deflection area and / or in the area of the pressure channel 20, which preferably takes place adjacent to the other end of the tooth guard 7 arranged on the saw band 8.

[0058] In Fig. 12, the tooth protection application tool 1 is guided in the drawing plane by the pressure channel side sliding surfaces 43, 44. The additional guidance by the pressure channel bottom sliding surface 42 provides a guide plane 55, which is oriented vertically to the drawing plane and corresponds to the pressure channel bottom sliding surface 42 and is oriented parallel to the tips of the teeth of the saw band 8. The guide plane 55 defines the drawing plane according to Fig.12 divided into a lower half-plane 56, in which the saw band 8 and the tooth guard 7 are arranged in the longitudinal section applied to the saw band 8, and an upper half-plane 57, in which the longitudinal section of the tooth guard 7 not applied to the saw band 8 extends. The expansion channel 22 and the expansion element 28 are arranged in the upper half-plane 57. The tip 41 of the expansion element 48 is located above the tips of the teeth of the saw band 8, preferably above the guide plane 55. For example, a distance 58 of the tip 41 from the guide plane 55 or from the uppermost tooth of the saw band 8 can be in the range of 0.5 mm to 6 mm, 1 mm to 3 mm or 1.5 mm to 2.5 mm.

[0059] The width of the groove 26 is, for example, in the range from 0.1 mm to 4 mm or 0.3 mm to 3 mm. If the teeth of the saw blade 8 are interlaced, the width of the groove 26 can also be, for example, in the range from 0.1 mm to 5 mm or 0.3 mm to 4 mm.

[0060] The handling of the mouthguard application tool can be improved if the base body 9 or the housing 10 has a thumb recess 59. The thumb recess 59 can be provided in the end region of the upper side 12 facing the front side 15, in the transition region from the upper side 12 to the front side 15, or in the region of a rounded portion arranged there. If the user grasps the handle 18 with their hand and places their thumb on the thumb recess 59, this can provide improved guidance for the alignment of the mouthguard application tool 1 and allow for fine dosing of the contact force exerted in the contact channel 20.

[0061] It is possible that the groove 26 is conical in an insertion area in order to simplify the insertion of the mouth guard 7.

[0062] Preferably, the base body 9 or the housing 10 is made of one or more pieces from plastic, and / or preferably, the expansion element 28, in particular an expansion plate 29, is made of metal. The base body 9 or the housing 10 can be manufactured using an additive manufacturing process or a 3D printer. A stainless material is preferably used as the material for the expansion element 28 or the expansion plate 29 and any other metal parts to prevent corrosion from entering the tooth guard 7 and thus the saw blade 8.

[0063] With the tooth guard application tool 1, a tooth guard 7 can be applied to a toothed end face of a saw band 8 and / or the opposite end face of the saw band forming a saw band back.

[0064] Preferably, the mouthguard application tool 1 does not have any parts that are moved relative to one another during use of the mouthguard application tool 1.

[0065] Here, the primary reference is to the design of the saw blade as a band saw. If the saw blade is a circular saw blade, the face of the circular saw blade is circular, which allows the axes and directions of movement used in the description to be adapted to this circular shape. In this case, it is also possible for the pressure channel floor sliding surface to be curved to match the curvature of the face of the circular saw blade. LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS 1 mouthguard application tool 2 basic bodies 3 Handle 4 Spreader roller 5 Leadership role 6 circumferential groove 7 Mouthguard 8 saw band 9 Basic body 10 housings 11 Contact channel side 12 Top 13 angles 14 Expansion channel side 15 Front 16 Back 17 Handle recess 18 Handle 19 Recess 20 contact channel 21 Feed channel 22 Spreading channel 23 Guide channel 24 Deflection area 25 Deflection channel 26 grooves 27 Front side 28 Spreader element 29 Spreader plate 30 Spreader plate part 31 Spreader plate part 32 screw 33 Expansion channel floor sliding surface 34 Expansion channel side sliding surface 35 Expansion channel side sliding surface 36 front side 37 space 38 space 39 space 40 Rejuvenation 41 lace 42 Contact channel floor sliding surface 43 Contact channel side sliding surface 44 Contact channel side sliding surface 45 Contact channel opening 46 Expansion channel opening 47 Contact channel longitudinal axis 48 Expansion channel longitudinal axis 49 Feed channel longitudinal axis 50 free end 51 Mouthguard base leg 52 Mouthguard side legs 53 Mouthguard side legs 54 Direction of movement 55 Management level 56 lower half-plane 57 upper half-plane 58 distance 59 Thumb groove 60 saw blade

Claims

[1] Tooth guard application tool (1) for applying a tooth guard (7) with a U-shaped cross-section to a saw blade (60), with a housing-fixed contact pressure channel (20), which a) a pressure channel opening (45), b) a contact channel floor sliding surface (42) over which the tooth guard (7) can be pressed onto the saw blade (60), and c) pressure channel side sliding surfaces (43, 44) between which the saw blade (60) and the tooth guard (7) arranged thereon can be arranged and guided. [2] Tooth protection application tool (1) according to claim 1, characterized by that a feed channel (21) is provided which extends at a distance from the contact channel bottom sliding surface (42) on a side of the contact channel bottom sliding surface (42) which faces away from the contact channel opening (45). [3] Tooth protection application tool (1) according to claim 2, characterized bythat the feed channel (21) has a feed channel longitudinal axis (49) which is angled at an angle (13) with respect to a pressure channel longitudinal axis (47). [4] Tooth protection application tool (1) according to claim 2 or 3, characterized by that the feed channel (21) is connected to the pressure channel (20) via a deflection area (24). [5] Tooth protection application tool (1) according to claim 4, characterized by that the deflection area (24) is designed as a deflection channel (25). [6] Tooth protection application tool (1) according to one of claims 2 to 5, characterized by that the feed channel (21) has a guide channel (23). [7] Tooth protection application tool (1) according to one of claims 2 to 6, characterized bythat the feed channel (21) has a spreading channel (22), in the region of which a spreading element (28) is arranged such that the spreading element (28) can enter between the tooth guard side legs (52, 53) of the tooth guard and can press the tooth guard side legs (52, 53) apart. [8] Tooth protection application tool (1) according to claim 7, characterized by that the expansion element (28) is a sliding element fixed to the housing. [9] Tooth protection application tool (1) according to claim 7 or 8, characterized by that the expansion element has a taper (40) and / or a tip (41). [10] Tooth protection application tool (1) according to one of claims 7 to 9, characterized by that the expansion channel (22) has an expansion channel opening (46) and the expansion element (28) extends through the expansion channel opening (46) into the expansion channel (22), wherein a) an intermediate space (37) is formed between an end face (36) of the expansion element (28) and an expansion channel bottom sliding surface (33) of the expansion channel (22), in the region of which a tooth protection base leg (51) of the tooth protection (7) can be arranged, and b) gaps (38, 39) are formed between side surfaces of the expansion element (28) and expansion channel side sliding surfaces (34, 35) of the expansion channel (22), in the region of which gaps a respective tooth protection side leg (52, 53) of the tooth protection (7) can be arranged. [11] Tooth protection application tool (1) according to one of claims 7 to 10, characterized by that the spreading element (28) has a spreading plate (29). [12] Tooth protection application tool (1) according to claim 11, characterized by , that a) a housing (10) or a base body (9) has an end face (27) relative to which the expansion channel (22) is set back, and b) the spreader plate (29) has two angled spreader plate parts (30, 31), c) wherein one expansion plate part (30) is fastened to the end face (27) of the housing (10) or base body (9) and the other expansion plate part (31) extends through the expansion channel opening (46) into the expansion channel (22). [13] Tooth protection application tool (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that a longitudinal extension of the pressure channel floor sliding surface (42) is greater than twice the largest distance between two adjacent teeth of the saw blade (60). [14] Tooth protection application tool (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that a) the cross-sectional dimensions aa) the contact pressure channel (20) and / or ab) of the feed channel (21) and / or ac) of the guide channel (23) and / or ad) of the spreading channel (22) and / or b) a position and / or orientation of the expansion element (28) can be changed. [15] Tooth protection application tool (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the mouthguard application tool (1) has several contact channels with different cross-sectional dimensions distributed over the circumference. [16] Tooth protection application tool (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the mouthguard application tool (1) is a hand tool. [17] Mouthguard application tool set with several mouthguard application tools (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the mouthguard application tools (1) have contact pressure channels (20) with different cross-sectional dimensions and / or lengths. [18] Assembly assembly with a saw blade (60), a tooth guard (7) and a tooth guard application tool (1) according to one of claims 1 to 16, characterized bythat the saw blade (60) and the tooth guard (7) are arranged in the contact pressure channel (20) of the tooth guard application tool (1). [19] Method for applying a tooth guard to a saw blade - with a saw blade (60), - a mouth guard (7) and - a mouthguard application tool (1) for applying a mouthguard (7) with a U-shaped cross-section to a saw blade (60), a) with a housing-fixed contact channel (20) which aa) a pressure channel opening (45), ab) a contact channel floor sliding surface (42) over which the tooth guard (7) can be pressed onto the saw blade (60), and ac) contact channel side sliding surfaces (43, 44), between which the saw blade (60) and the tooth guard (7) arranged thereon can be arranged and guided, and b) a feed channel (21) which extends at a distance from the contact channel bottom sliding surface (42) on a side of the contact channel bottom sliding surface (42) which faces away from the contact channel opening (45), wherein c) the feed channel (21) has a spreading channel (22), in the region of which a spreading element (28) is arranged such that the spreading element (28) can enter between the side legs (52, 53) of the mouthguard and can push the side legs (52, 53) apart, in particular a tooth protection application tool (1) according to one of claims 3 to 6 and 8 to 16 with the following procedural steps: a) inserting a free end (50) of the mouthguard (7) by means of a sliding relative movement into the expansion channel (22) and spreading apart the mouthguard side legs (52, 53) of the mouthguard (7) by the expansion element (28) with the sliding relative movement, b) introducing a second longitudinal section of the mouthguard (7), which is arranged upstream of a first longitudinal section of the mouthguard (7) arranged in the expansion channel (22), into the contact pressure channel (20), c) pressing the second longitudinal section onto the teeth of the saw blade (60) by means of the contact channel bottom sliding surface (42) and d) Movement of the tooth guard application tool (1) with the tooth guard (7) arranged in the contact pressure channel (20) along an end face of the saw blade (60), wherein the movement is guided by the contact pressure channel bottom sliding surface (42) and by the contact pressure channel side sliding surfaces (43, 44) and with the movement, longitudinal sections of the tooth guard (7) previously arranged in the expansion channel (22) reach the contact pressure channel (20) and are pressed onto the teeth of the saw blade (60).

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