Protective cover with a quick-change unit

Abstract

A protective cover that can be mounted on a table saw and includes a base bracket (2), a housing unit (3), a quick-change unit (4), and two guard elements (5). The quick-change unit (4) includes a main engagement element (41), an auxiliary engagement element (42), and a pull element (44) connected to the main engagement element (41). The pull element (44) is pivotable between a locking position, in which the main engagement element (41) and the auxiliary engagement element (42) are connected to the base bracket (2) to secure the housing unit (3) to the base bracket (2), and a release position, in which the main engagement element (41) and the auxiliary engagement element (42) can be detached from the base bracket (2), thereby allowing the housing unit (3), the quick-change unit (4), and the guard elements (5) to be separated from the base bracket (2).

Description

The disclosure relates to an accessory for wood-working machines, in particular to a protective cover comprising a quick-change unit.A conventional wood-working machine, such as a table saw, includes a table and a saw blade extending transversely through the upper surface of the table. Further, in order to prevent wood chips and sawdust from entering the operator's eyes during a cutting operation, a removable protective cover is attached to the table. The protective cover includes a mounting base mounted on the table and mounted near the saw blade, and two protective members connected to the mounting base. In order to remove the wood chips and sawdust generated during production, a mounting base having a tubular chip collecting channel is used instead, one end of the chip collecting channel facing the saw blade and the other end being connected to a suction device which sucks the wood chips and sawdust.During production, adapted to the many different working conditions, such as when a workpiece produces only little wood chips and sawdust, or when the cutting speed is low, whereby the wood chips and sawdust splash less, a mounting base without chip collecting channel can be used to avoid operator visibility impairment. However, the accessories are often attached to the mounting base, and when the mounting base is replaced, the accessories attached thereto must be removed together with the replaced mounting base, which is inconvenient.It is therefore an object of the disclosure to provide a protective cover having a quick change unit that can overcome at least one of the disadvantages of the prior art.According to the disclosure, the protective cover is adapted to be mounted on a table saw and connected to a suction device. The table saw includes a table and a saw blade extending transversely through an upper surface of the table. The protective cover includes a base bracket adapted to be mounted on the table, a jacket unit, a quick change unit, and two protective members. The shell unit is adapted to be connected to the suction device and defines a chip collecting channel, a chip outlet adapted to connect the chip collecting channel to the suction device, and a chip inlet adapted to communicate with the chip collecting channel and adapted to face the saw blade. The quick change unit is disposed in the shell unit and includes a main engaging element and an auxiliary engaging element spaced apart from each other and detachably connected to the base bracket, and a tension member pivotally mounted to the shell unit and connected to the main engaging element. The protection elements are pivotably connected to the shell unit and adapted to cover a portion of the saw blade. The tension member is pivotable between a locking position in which the main engagement element and the auxiliary engagement element are connected to the base bracket to secure the jacket unit to the base bracket, and a release position in which the main engagement element and the auxiliary engagement element can be separated from the base bracket to enable the separation of the jacket unit, the quick change unit and the protection elements from the base bracket.Other features and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiment(s) with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be appreciated that various features may not be drawn to scale. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the protective cover including a quick change unit according to the disclosure. FIG. 2 is an exploded view showing the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side view showing a tension member in a locked position. FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side view showing the tension member in a release position. FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the embodiment taken along the line V-V in FIG. 3. FIG. 6 is a partial sectional view of the embodiment showing the tension member in the locked position. FIG. 7 is a partial sectional view of the embodiment showing the tension member in the release position.Before describing the disclosure in more detail, it should be appreciated that, where deemed appropriate, reference numerals or the last digits of reference numerals have been repeated in the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements that may have similar characteristics, if desired.It should be noted herein that, to clarify the description, spatially relative terms such as "top", "bottom", "top", "bottom", "on", "above", "above", "down", "up" and the like may be used in the disclosure while referring to the features shown in the drawings. The features may be variously oriented (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations) and the spatially relative terms used herein may be interpreted accordingly.Referring to Figures 1 to 3, one embodiment of the protective cover is adapted to be mounted on a table saw and connected to a suction device (not shown). The table saw includes a table 8 and a saw blade 9 mounted on the table 8 and extending across an upper surface of the table 8. The protective cover includes a base holder 2, a jacket unit 3, a quick change unit 4 and two protective members 5.In this embodiment, the suction device is a vacuum cleaner, but in other embodiments, other equivalent suction devices may be used for removing wood chips and sawdust, such as air suction pumps.Further referring to FIGS. 4 to 6, the base bracket 2 is adapted to be mounted on the table 8 and has an engaging groove 21 extending therethrough in a first direction (X). The engaging portion 211 of the engaging groove 21 is elongated in a second direction (Y) perpendicular to the first direction (X) and has an open end portion 212 extending from the engaging portion 211 to a peripheral edge of the base bracket 2 and having a shorter length in the second direction (Y) than the engaging portion 211 in the second direction (Y).Referring to Figs. 2, 5 and 6, the shell unit 3 is adapted for connection to the suction device and includes a first shell body 31 and a second shell body 32 which are detachably coupled to each other. The first shell body 31 includes a base wall 311, a guide wall 313 extending from the base wall 311 to the second shell body 32 and perpendicular to the second direction (Y), and a front wall 312. The guide wall 313 and the front wall 312 are spaced apart from each other in the second direction (Y). The second shell body 32 includes a base wall 321, a guide wall 323 extending from the base wall 321, to the first shell body 31 and perpendicular to the second direction (Y), and a front wall 322. The guide wall 323 and the front wall 322 are spaced apart from each other in the second direction (Y). The first and second shell bodies 31, 32 together define a chip collecting channel 314 for saw chips and wood chips, a dust outlet 315 adapted for connection of the chip collecting channel 314 to the suction device, and a chip inlet 316 adapted for connection to the chip collecting channel 314 and facing the saw blade 9. Each of the first and second shell bodies 31, 32 further includes a linear moving slot 317, 324 elongated in the second direction (Y) and adapted to connect the chip collecting duct 314 to the external environment, and a mounting hole 318, 325 extending therethrough in the first direction (X) and communicating with the chip outlet 315. The jacket unit 3 has a swivel movement slot 326, which extends through the first and second jacket bodies 31, 32 in the first direction (X). The baffles 313, 323 of the first and second shell bodies 31, 32 abut each other and together form a notch 319 which is detachably engaged with the base bracket 2. The pivotal movement slot 326 has a locking end 327 and a releasing end 328 which are opposed to each other. Specifically, the chip inlet 316 is defined between the base walls 311, 321, the baffles 313, 323, and the front walls 312, 322 of the first and second shell bodies 31, 32, and the baffle 313, 323 of each of the first and second shell bodies 31, 32 extends from the chip inlet 316 to the chip outlet 315. The suction device can be firmly connected to the jacket unit 3 via the mounting openings 318, 325, and the wood chips and the saw chips can be guided through the guide walls 313, 323 from the chip inlet 315 to the chip outlet 316. The engagement between the base bracket 2 and the notch 319 maintains the base bracket 2 in a stable position and prevents the base bracket 2 from shaking.The quick change unit 4 is disposed in the shell unit 3 and includes a main engagement member 41 and an auxiliary engagement member 42 extending in the first direction (X), spaced apart from each other in the second direction (Y), and detachably connected to the base bracket 2. The quick change unit 4 further includes a pivot shaft 43 extending in the first direction (X) and mounted in the shell unit 3, a tension member 44 pivotally mounted in the shell unit 3 and connected to the pivot shaft 43, two connection members 45 respectively disposed on opposite sides of the shell body 3 in the first direction (X) and connecting the main engagement member 41 and the tension member 44 to each other, a resilient member 46 mounted in the shell unit 3 and abutting against the pivot shaft 43, and a guide member 47 extending in the first direction (X) through the tension member 44 and the connection members 45.In particular, the main engagement element 41 engages in the linear movement slots 317, 324 of the first and second shell bodies 31, 32. The pivot shaft 43 is movable in the second direction (Y) and spaced apart from the main engagement member 41 in the second direction (Y). Each of the link members 45 has a driving end 451 rotatably connected to the tension member 44 and a driven end 452 opposite to the driving end 451 and rotatably connected to the main engagement member 41. The guide member 47 movably extends through the pivot slot 326 and is spaced from the pivot shaft 43, the pivot slot 326 is curved and extends about the pivot shaft 43, and the locking end 327 and the releasing end 328 of the pivot slot 326 are respectively disposed on opposite sides of the pivot shaft 43 in a third direction (Z) perpendicular to the first and second directions (X, Y). The resilient member 46 resiliently urges the pivot shaft 43 away from the auxiliary engaging member 42. The quick change unit 4 in this embodiment includes two connecting elements 45, wherein the number of connecting elements 45 may vary in other embodiments. In this embodiment, the resilient element 46 is a spring plate, while in other embodiments, the resilient element 46 may be other equivalent elements that provide a resilient force, such as, but not limited to, springs. In this embodiment, the first direction (X) is perpendicular to the saw blade 9, the second direction (Y) is parallel to the saw blade 9, and the third direction (Z) is vertical. In other embodiments, the arrangements of the first, second and third directions (X, Y, Z) may be changed.Referring to FIGS. 3, 4, 6, and 7, the tension member 44 is pivotable between a locking position (see FIGS. 3 and 6 ) and a releasing position (see FIGS. 4 and 7 ), and in turn drives the movement of the link members 45, the guide member 47, and the main engagement member 41. When the tension member 44 is in the locked position, the main engagement member 41 and the auxiliary engagement member 42 are spaced apart from each other and disposed in the engagement portion 211 of the engagement groove 21, and the distance between the main engagement member 41 and the auxiliary engagement member 42 in the second direction (Y) is larger than a length of the open end portion 212 in the second direction (Y). At this time, the guide member 47 is located adjacent to the locking end 327 of the pivotal movement slot 326, the pivot shaft 43 is located between the driving end 451 and the driven end 452 in the second direction (Y), and the jacket unit 3 is fixed to the base bracket 2. When the tension member 44 is in the release position, the main engagement member 41 and the auxiliary member 42 are relatively close to each other, and the distance between the main engagement member 41 and the auxiliary engagement member 42 in the second direction (Y) is smaller than the length of the open end portion 212 in the second direction (Y). At this time, the guide member 47 is located adjacent to the releasing end 328 of the pivotal movement slot 326, and the jacket body 3 can be separated from the base bracket 2. During the movement of the tension member 44 from the release position to the lock position, the guide member 47 is controlled by the tension member 44 to move along the pivotal movement slot 326 and pass a dead point of the structure, thereby preventing erroneous switching of the positions by vibrations.Note that, during the movement of the tension member 44 from the release position to the lock position, a force toward the main engagement member 41 in the second direction (Y) is applied to the pivot shaft 43, and the pivot shaft 43 is held at its original position by the resilient member 46. The presence of the resilient member 46 prevents the pivot shaft 43 from coming into direct contact with the shell body 3, which would otherwise lead to wear of the shell body 3 and eventually to the main engagement member 41 no longer being able to firmly engage with the engagement groove 21.The protection elements 5 are pivotally connected to the first shell body 31 and the second shell body 32 and adapted to cover a portion of the saw blade 9.In attaching the protective cover, the tension member 44 is first pulled to the release position, and then the main engagement member 31 and the auxiliary engagement member 42 are moved to pass through the open end portion 212 of the engagement groove 21 and into the engagement portion 211, because the distance between the main engagement member 41 and the auxiliary engagement member 42 in the second direction (Y) is smaller than the length of the open end portion 212 in the second direction (Y). Next, the tension member 44 is pulled to the locked position with the main engagement member 41 moved away from the auxiliary engagement member 42 until the distance between the main engagement member 41 and the auxiliary engagement member 42 in the second direction (Y) is larger than the length of the open end portion 212 in the second direction (Y), so that the main engagement member 41 and the auxiliary engagement member 42 are fixed to the base bracket 2 and the jacket member 3 is firmly fixed to the base bracket 2. Then, the suction device is connected to the chip outlet 315. During operation of the table saw, the wood chips and the saw chips may be sucked by the suction device, and the protection members 5 prevent the wood chips and the saw chips from being thrown out. When the protective cover is not needed, after pulling the pulling element 44 from the locked position to the released position, the main engagement element 41 is moved towards the auxiliary engagement element 42 and the quick-change element 4 can be separated from the basic holder 2 together with the jacket element 3 and the protective elements 5.As compared with conventional protective covers, the user can quickly attach the jacket body 3 to the base bracket 2 or separate the jacket body 3 from the base bracket 2 by simply moving the tension member 44 without detaching the base bracket 2 and the attached accessories, thereby providing convenient use. Further, the resilient member 46 abuts against the pivot shaft 43 and resiliently urges the pivot shaft 43 away from the auxiliary engaging member 42, thereby ensuring that the main engaging member 41 is securely engaged with the engaging portion 211 when the tension member 44 is in the locked position after prolonged use of the protective cover.In the foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details have been set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiment(s). However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that one or more other embodiments may be practiced without some of these specific details. It should also be noted that reference throughout this specification to "one embodiment," an embodiment with reference to a number, etc., means that a particular function, structure, or characteristic may be included in the practice of the disclosure. It should be further noted that in the specification, various features are sometimes summarized in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof in order to structure the disclosure and facilitate understanding of the various inventive aspects. This does not mean that each of these features must be executed in the presence of all other features. In other words, in each described embodiment, if the execution of one or more features or particular details does not affect the execution of one or more other features or particular details, the one or more features may be picked out and executed alone without the one or more other features or particular details. It should be further noted that one or more features or specific details of one embodiment may be optionally applied along with one or more features or specific details of another embodiment in the practice of the disclosure.

Claims

A protective cover adapted to be mounted on a table saw and connected to a suction device, the table saw including a table (8) and a saw blade (9) extending transversely through an upper surface of the table (8), the protective cover including: a base bracket (2) adapted to be mounted on the table (8); a shell unit (3) adapted to be connected to the suction device and defining a chip collecting channel (314), a chip outlet (315) adapted to connect the chip collecting channel (314) to the suction device, and a chip inlet (316) adapted to communicate with the chip collecting channel (314) and adapted to face the saw blade (9); and two guard members (5) rotatably connected to the shell unit (3) and adapted to cover a portion of the saw blade (9); characterized in that: the guard cover further includes a quick change unit (4) disposed in the shell unit (3) and including a main engaging member (41) and an auxiliary engaging member (42) spaced apart from each other and detachably connected to the base bracket (2) and a tension member (44) pivotally mounted to the shell unit (3) and connected to the main engaging member (41); and the tension member (44) is pivotable between a locking position in which the main engagement member (41) and the auxiliary engagement member (42) are connected to the base bracket (2) to fix the jacket unit (3) to the base bracket (2) and a release position in which the main engagement member (41) and the auxiliary engagement member (42) can be separated from the base bracket (2), thereby enabling the separation of the jacket unit (3), the quick change unit (4) and the protection members (5) from the base bracket (2).The protective cover according to claim 1, characterized in that the base bracket (2) has an engaging groove (21) extending therethrough in a first direction (X) and having an engaging portion (211) elongated in a second direction (Y) perpendicular to the first direction (X), and an open end portion (212) extending from the engaging portion (211) to a peripheral edge of the base bracket (2) and having a length in the second direction (Y) smaller than a length of the engaging portion (211) in the second direction (Y); the main engaging member (41) and the auxiliary engaging member (42) extend in the first direction (X) and are spaced apart from each other in the second direction (Y); when the tension member (44) is in the locked position, the main engagement member (41) and the auxiliary engagement member (42) are disposed in the engagement portion (211) of the engagement groove (21), and a distance between the main engagement member (41) and the auxiliary engagement member (42) in the second direction (Y) is greater than the length of the open end portion (212) in the second direction (Y); and when the tension member (44) is in the release position, the distance between the main engagement member (41) and the auxiliary engagement member (42) in the second direction (Y) is less than the length of the open portion (212) in the second direction (Y).The protective cover according to claim 2, characterized in that the shell unit (3) includes a first shell body (31) and a second shell body (32) that are detachably coupled to each other and together define the chip collecting channel (314), the chip outlet (315), and the chip inlet (316); each of the first shell body (31) and the second shell body (32) has a base wall (311, 321), a baffle (313, 323) that extends from the base wall (311, 321) toward the other wall of the first shell body (31) and the second shell body (32) and is perpendicular to the second direction (Y), and a front wall (312, 322), the baffle (313, 323) and the front wall (312, 322) being spaced apart from each other in the second direction (Y); the baffles (313, 323) of the first shell body (31) and the second shell body (32) together define a notch (319) that releasably engages the base bracket (2); the chip inlet (316) is defined between the base walls (311, 321), the baffles (313, 323), and the front walls (312, 322) of the first shell body (31) and the second shell body (32); and the baffle (313, 323) of each of the first shell body (31) and the second shell body (32) extends from the chip inlet (316) toward the chip outlet (315).The protective cover according to claim 3, characterized in that each of the first shell body (31) and the second shell body (32) further comprises a linear moving slot (317, 324) elongated in the second direction (Y) and configured to connect the chip collecting channel (314) to an external environment; and the main engagement member (41) engages the linear moving slots (317, 324) of the first shell body (31) and the second shell body (32).The protective cover according to any one of claims 2 and 4, characterized in that the quick change unit (4) further includes: a pivot shaft (43) mounted in the shell unit (3) and connected to the tension member (44) and serving as a fulcrum of the tension member (44); and at least one connecting member (45) connecting the tension member (44) and the main engaging member (41) to each other.The protective cover according to any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that the quick change unit (4) further includes a resilient member (46) mounted in the shell unit (3), abutting against the pivot shaft (43), and resiliently biasing the pivot shaft (43) away from the additional engagement member (42).The protective cover according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that: the jacket unit (3) has a pivotal movement slot (326) extending therethrough in the first direction (X); and the quick change unit (4) further includes a guide member (47) extending through the tension member (44) in the first direction (X) and the at least one connecting member (45) spaced apart from the pivot shaft (43) and movably extending through the pivotal movement slot (326).The protective cover of claim 7, characterized in that the pivoting slot (326) has a locking end (327) and a release end (328) that are opposite each other; when the tension member (44) is in the locking position, the guide member (47) abuts the locking end (327) of the pivoting slot (326); and when the tension member (44) is in the release position, the guide member (47) abuts the release end (328) of the pivoting slot (326).The protective cover according to claim 8, characterized in that the pivot shaft (43) and the main engagement member (41) are spaced apart from each other in the second direction (Y); and the locking end (327) and the releasing end (328) of the pivot movement slot (326) are respectively disposed on opposite sides of the pivot shaft (43) in a third direction (Z) perpendicular to the first and second directions (X, Y).The protective cover according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that: at least one link member (45) has a driving end (451) pivotally connected to the tension member (44) and a driven end (452) opposite to the driving end (451) pivotally connected to the main engagement member (41); and when the tension member is in the locked position, the pivot shaft (43) is disposed between the driving end (451) and the driven end (452) in the second direction (Y).

Images