Grooving cutter for wooden floors

Abstract

A groove cutter for producing grooves in a floor made of a wood-based material, characterized in that it is designed as a portable, manually operated hand tool, wherein the groove cutter has: - a milling tool (1) designed as a disc cutter with a milling head (1.1) and at least one replaceable cutting insert (1.2); - a drive unit (2) which is connected to the milling tool (1) for its drive; - a protective and floor guide hood (3) enclosing the milling tool (1), wherein the protective and floor guide hood (3) comprises a hood base facing the floor during use, which has a floor recess (3.1) from which the milling tool (1) protrudes from the protective and floor guide hood (3) with a predetermined tool projection (7); - a guide rod (5) connected to the protective and floor guide hood (3) with a handle (6) for guiding the slot cutter.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a groove cutter for producing grooves in floors made of wood-based materials. It is particularly suitable for creating grooves in floors made of oriented strand board (OSB) or existing wood floors into which pipes for underfloor heating are to be laid.

[0002] Working with wood floors requires precise and efficient tools, especially when it comes to milling grooves for functional applications such as laying underfloor heating pipes. In practice, various milling tools are used for this purpose, but each has its own specific limitations.

[0003] Stationary milling machines offer high precision but are inflexible and unsuitable for use on existing flooring. Portable milling tools, such as routers or wall chasers, offer some mobility but are not optimized for milling grooves in floors.

[0004] Another problem lies in the ergonomics and handling of existing milling tools. Many models are designed for use on workbenches or vertical surfaces, which makes their application on horizontal floor surfaces difficult.

[0005] Existing solutions therefore offer only limited possibilities for the precise, ergonomic, and efficient processing of wooden floors. There is a particular need for optimization in applications where grooves of a defined depth and width must be uniformly cut into the floor.

[0006] The object of the invention is to provide a tool that enables the precise and efficient production of grooves in wooden floors. In particular, it aims to ensure a uniform milling depth and width, while guaranteeing easy handling and ergonomic use. Furthermore, the tool should be maneuverable in such a way that high tracking accuracy and repeatability during milling can be achieved without the need for complex additional devices.

[0007] This problem is solved by a slot milling machine with the features according to claim 1. Advantageous further developments of the invention are listed in claims 2 to 10.

[0008] According to the invention, the groove cutter for producing grooves in a floor made of a wood-based material is designed as a portable, manually operated hand tool. It has a milling tool in the form of a disc cutter with a milling head and at least one, but preferably several, replaceable cutting inserts that can be detachably attached to the milling head. The cutting inserts can, in particular, be indexable inserts. The dimensions and arrangement of the cutting inserts define the groove width that is milled when milling the floor. That is, the groove width to be milled can be adjusted or changed by selecting or changing the cutting inserts; different groove dimensions can be achieved using different cutting inserts.

[0009] The slot milling machine according to the invention further comprises a drive unit which is connected to the milling tool for driving it. The drive unit is preferably a conventional power tool, such as those used, for example, in angle grinders or wall chasers.

[0010] The milling head is enclosed in a protective and floor guide hood designed to rest flat on the floor being worked when used as intended. The protective and floor guide hood has a substantially flat floor contact area with a preferably flat base facing the floor during use, into which a recess is integrated. The milling tool protrudes from this recess with a predetermined tool projection that defines the groove depth of the groove to be milled.

[0011] The slot cutter according to the invention further comprises a guide rod which is connected at one of its two ends to the protective and floor guide hood. A handle for (one-handed) guidance of the slot cutter is attached to the guide rod at the other end. The guide rod is of a length suitable for allowing a standing operator to comfortably guide the protective and floor guide hood along the floor.

[0012] The portable, manually operated groove cutter according to the invention is specifically designed for processing floors made of wood-based materials. It can be used directly on the floor; this reduces the workload and enables efficient processing directly at the point of use.

[0013] When used as intended, the groove cutter is placed on the floor, for example on an oriented strand board (OSB) floor, an existing wooden floor, or other wooden or reclaimed wood surfaces, using the protective and floor guide hood. The groove cutter is guided along predetermined paths using the guide rod, thus milling the desired groove into the floor or substrate.

[0014] The groove cutter makes it particularly easy to create grooves in the floor before laying underfloor heating pipes. Because the grooves can be cut vertically using the proposed groove cutter, the operator has a better view. This improves the accuracy of the groove cutting, especially when creating the complex groove structures required for underfloor heating. The ability to adapt the groove geometry to the geometry of the underfloor heating pipes allows for material-saving work, meaning minimal disruption to the floor structure. Furthermore, using the groove cutter significantly reduces the working time required for cutting the grooves.

[0015] The integrated protective and floor guide hood ensures a stable base, allowing the groove cutter to be guided safely and evenly across the floor. At the same time, the protective hood enhances operator safety by shielding the user from direct contact with the rotating cutter.

[0016] Furthermore, the protective and floor guide hood may be provided with at least one sliding guide in the form of a raised sliding edge, for example, in the form of an angled sheet metal or sheet metal strip, positioned transversely to the direction of movement. This, particularly in conjunction with the flat base of the hood, ensures stable contact between the slot cutter and the floor and enables smooth and precise guidance during the milling process. The sliding guides improve gliding across the floor, especially when moving over small steps or uneven surfaces, and prevent the protective and floor guide hood from catching while moving across the floor.

[0017] Furthermore, roller elements can be attached to the protective and floor guide hood to facilitate movement across the floor.

[0018] Preferably, the protective and floor guide hood also includes an extraction unit with an extraction opening for removing chips. The extraction unit is attached to or integrated into the protective and floor guide hood. During milling, the chips are removed from the milling area within the protective and floor guide hood via an extraction opening in the extraction unit. A collection bag for the removed chips can be attached to the extraction opening.

[0019] The guide rod can also be length-adjustable, for example, telescopic. In addition to the handle, a carrying handle can also be attached to the guide rod, which provides additional support for guiding the slot cutter (two-handed operation).

[0020] Furthermore, the slot cutter can include a laser guide, i.e., a laser that projects a line of light onto the floor, aligned with the cutting line of the milling head. This can improve the accuracy of the slot cutting.

[0021] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to an exemplary embodiment and to the schematic drawings, wherein identical or similar features are provided with the same reference numerals; to this end, the following are shown: Fig. 1: the slot milling machine in a side section view, Fig. 2: the slot milling machine viewed from below, Fig. 3: The slot milling machine in perspective view from below and Fig. 4: The slot milling machine in a perspective view from above.

[0022] The slot milling machine according to the design according to the Fig. The milling tool 1, designed as a disc cutter, comprises the milling head 1.1 and four cutting inserts 1.2 (indexable inserts) attached to the milling head 1.1. The milling tool 1 is driven by the drive unit 2 in the form of an electric motor and enclosed by the protective and base guide hood 3.

[0023] The milling tool 1 protrudes - see Fig. 1 - with the specified tool projection 7 protruding from the base recess 3.1 of the protective and base guide hood 3, so that the milling tool 1 creates a groove depth corresponding to the tool projection 7 when milling the groove. The groove width is defined by the width of the cutting inserts 1.2 of the milling tool 1.

[0024] To guide the milling tool 1, the guide rod 5 is connected to the protective and base guide hood 3. The only in Fig. The operator grasps the handle 6 on the guide rod 5, as shown in Figure 3, to guide the groove cutter placed on the floor to be milled. The two sliding guides 3.2, aligned parallel to the axis of rotation of the milling tool 1 and formed on the protective and floor guide hood 3 at the entry and exit edges of the hood base, prevent the protective and floor guide hood 3 from catching when guided across the floor. The groove cutter is preferably moved forward, but can also be used in reverse.

[0025] The extraction unit 4 is also attached to the protective and floor guide hood 3, and a collection bag (not shown) can be connected to its extraction opening 4.1.

[0026] The protective and floor guide hood 3 according to the one in the Fig.The embodiment shown in figures 1 to 4 has dimensions of approximately 35 cm in length, 15 cm in width, and 15 cm in height. The milling tool 1 has a diameter of approximately 8 cm. The guide rod 5 has a length of approximately 1 m. Reference symbol list 1 milling tool 1.1 Milling head 1.2 Cutting board 2 Drive unit 3 Protective and floor guide hood 3.1 Floor recess 3.2 Sliding guides 4 Extraction unit 4.1 Extraction opening 5 guide rod 6 Grab handle 7 Tool overhang

Claims

[1] Groove cutter for producing grooves in a floor made of a wood material, characterized by that it is designed as a portable, manually operated hand tool, wherein the groove cutter comprises: - a milling tool (1) designed as a disc milling cutter with a milling head (1.1) and at least one replaceable cutting plate (1.2); - a drive unit (2) connected to the milling tool (1) for driving it; - a protective and floor guide hood (3) enclosing the milling tool (1), wherein the protective and floor guide hood (3) comprises a hood base facing the floor during use, which has a floor recess (3.1) from which the milling tool (1) protrudes from the protective and floor guide hood (3) with a predetermined tool projection (7); - a guide rod (5) connected to the protective and floor guide hood (3) with a handle (6) for guiding the groove cutter. [2] Grooving machine according to claim 1, characterized by that the cutting inserts (1.2) are indexable inserts. [3] Grooving machine according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by that the drive unit (2) is an electric motor. [4] Grooving machine according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by that the hood base is flat, wherein the protective and floor guide hood (3) has at least one sliding guide (3.2) in the form of a sliding edge bent upwards and lying transversely to the direction of movement. [5] Grooving machine according to claim 4, characterized by that an angled sheet metal strip forms the sliding guide (3.2). [6] Grooving machine according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by that rolling elements are attached to the protective and floor guide hood (3) to facilitate the movement of the protective and floor guide hood (3) across the floor. [7] Grooving machine according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized bythat the protective and floor guide hood (3) further comprises a suction unit (4) with a suction opening (4.1) for removing chips. [8] Grooving machine according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized by that the guide rod (5) is telescopic. [9] Grooving machine according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized by that the guide rod (5) comprises, in addition to the handle (6), an additional carrying handle for two-handed guidance of the groove milling machine. [10] Grooving machine according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized by that a laser is integrated into the groove milling machine for projecting a line of light onto the floor, whereby the line of light generated by the laser is aligned with the cutting line of the milling head (1.1).

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