Long ruler positioning device

Abstract

To provide improvement for contributing to downsizing of a long ruler positioning device used together with a portable processing machine.SOLUTION: A positioning device comprises a body, and a fixing mechanism including a pressing member linearly and movably supported to the body in a first direction. The body comprises at least one support part separately provided from the pressing member in the first direction. The fixing mechanism is so constituted that, in a state where a first side wall of a long ruler is arranged between the at least one support part and the pressing member in the first direction, it is moved in a pressing direction where the pressing member is directed to the at least one support part in the first direction, and comes into contact with the first side wall to press and fix the first side wall to the at least one support part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] SUMMARY The present disclosure relates to a positioning device selectively attached to a ruler for use with a portable processing machine. [Background technology]

[0002] During processing using a portable processing machine (e.g., a portable circular saw, a jigsaw, a router), a long ruler may be used together with the portable processing machine to precisely maintain the position of the portable processing machine relative to the workpiece. In English, a "long ruler" is generally called a guide rail, a guide track, a saw guide, etc. A "portable processing machine" is a machine for cutting wood or cutting grooves using a blade driven by an electric motor, and is a type of power tool. The long ruler is a long rectangular flat plate, and is placed on the top surface of the workpiece when in use. The portable processing machine engages with a rail extending in the longitudinal direction of the long ruler, and is guided by the rail to move linearly in the longitudinal direction of the long ruler.

[0003] In addition, various positioning devices can be selectively attached to the long ruler to accurately set the position of the long ruler relative to the workpiece, and thus the processing direction by the portable processing machine. For example, a positioning device (alignment tool) disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a plate-shaped main body, ribs all provided on the main body, a clamp assembly, and a holding element as a fixing mechanism to the long ruler. The clamp assembly includes a latch that can engage with a side wall provided along one end of the long ruler. The holding element can engage with a groove of the long ruler provided on the main body. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Pat. No. 10,363,681 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The clamp assembly is configured such that the tip of the pivoting latch engages with the lip at the top of the side wall of the ruler, drawing and pressing the side wall toward the rib of the body. To prevent the positioning device from rotating relative to the ruler, a retaining element is provided at a position spaced from the rib of the body. For this reason, the fixing mechanism of the positioning device is relatively large.

[0006] The present disclosure aims to provide an improvement that contributes to the miniaturization of positioning devices for long rulers used with portable processing machines. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to a non-limiting aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a positioning device configured to position a long ruler having a first side wall extending in a longitudinal direction relative to a workpiece. The positioning device includes a fixing mechanism including a main body and a pressing member supported by the main body so as to be linearly movable in a first direction. The main body includes at least one support portion spaced apart from the pressing member in the first direction. The fixing mechanism is configured such that, with the first side wall of the long ruler disposed between the at least one support portion and the pressing member in the first direction, the pressing member is moved in a pressing direction toward the at least one support portion in the first direction, and abuts against the first side wall to press and fix the first side wall against the at least one support portion.

[0008] In the fixing mechanism of the positioning device of this embodiment, a pressing member that is movable linearly in a first direction is configured to press the first side wall of the long ruler against at least one support part of the main body, and clamp and fix the first side wall together with the at least one support part. Therefore, unlike known fixing mechanisms that use a pivoting latch, a configuration for preventing the positioning device from rotating relative to the long ruler is not required. Therefore, it is possible to make the fixing mechanism, and therefore the positioning device, smaller than when a pivoting latch is used.

[0009] The positioning device of this embodiment may be any type of positioning device that is selectively attached to a long ruler for use. For example, the positioning device of this embodiment may be embodied as a device for aligning one end of a long ruler parallel to an end face of a workpiece (a so-called parallel guide), a device for aligning one end of a long ruler perpendicular to an end face of a workpiece (a so-called square guide), or a device for aligning one end of a long ruler at a desired angle to an end face of a workpiece (a so-called angle guide). [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of two parallel guides attached to a long ruler, showing a state in which the operating member is in a locked position. [Diagram 2] FIG. 13 is a top view of two parallel guides attached to a long ruler, showing the operating member in a locked position. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a bottom view of the parallel guide attached to the long ruler, showing the operating member in the locked position. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. [Figure 9] 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IX-IX in FIG. 7. [Figure 10] 8 is a partial enlarged view of FIG. 7 for explaining the teeth of a first contact portion and the teeth of a second contact portion. FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a pressing member and an operating member. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is another exploded perspective view of the pressing member and the operating member. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a bottom view of the long ruler and the parallel guide, showing the state in which the operating member is in the unlocked position. [Figure 14] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 5, showing a state in which the operating member is in an unlocked position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] In a non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, the fixing mechanism may further include an operating member supported by the main body so as to be movable between an unlocked position and a locked position in response to a manual operation by a user. The pressing member may be between at least one support and the operating member in the first direction. The operating member and the pressing member may be in operative contact with each other via a first contact surface of the operating member and a second contact surface of the pressing member. The first contact surface and the second contact surface may be configured to move the pressing member in a pressing direction in response to movement of the operating member from the unlocked position to the locked position, and the amount of movement of the pressing member may be smaller than the amount of movement of the operating member.

[0012] According to this embodiment, by manually moving the operating member from the unlocked position to the locked position, the user can move the pressing member in the pressing direction and press and fix the first side wall against at least one support portion. Also, by making the movement amount of the pressing member smaller than the movement amount of the operating member, an operating member that is easy to operate is realized.

[0013] In addition to or instead of the above embodiment, the operating member may be linearly movable in a second direction intersecting the first direction. Each of the first contact surface of the operating member and the second contact surface of the pressing member may be at least partially inclined with respect to a straight line extending in the second direction. According to this embodiment, the linear movement of the operating member in the second direction can be converted into linear movement of the pressing member in the pressing direction by utilizing the first contact surface and the second contact surface having a simple configuration. Furthermore, since a large pressing load can be applied relative to the operating load by the wedge action, the first side wall is firmly clamped by at least one support part and the pressing member. Furthermore, by moving the operating member linearly, the wedge action can be easily applied.

[0014] In addition to or instead of the above embodiment, one of the first contact surface and the second contact surface may have a plurality of first teeth. The other of the first contact surface and the second contact surface may have at least one second tooth that engages with the plurality of first teeth. According to this embodiment, the engagement between the first tooth and the second tooth effectively prevents the operating member from moving from the locked position to the unlocked position and the pressing of the first side wall by the pressing member from being released.

[0015] In addition to or instead of the above embodiment, each of the plurality of first teeth may be defined by a first inclined surface and a second inclined surface. The first inclined surface may be configured to abut against the second tooth when the operating member moves from the unlocked position to the locked position. The inclination angle of the second inclined surface with respect to a straight line extending in the second direction may be smaller than the inclination angle of the first surface. According to this embodiment, the load for moving the operating member from the unlocked position to the locked position when the operating member is about to be locked is increased, and instead, an operating member that makes it easier for a user to return the operating member from the locked position to the unlocked position is realized.

[0016] In addition to or instead of the above embodiment, a first end in the moving direction of the operating member and a second end opposite to the first end may be operable by a user to be pressed. The operating member may be configured to move from the unlocked position to the locked position in response to pressing the first end, and to move from the locked position to the unlocked position in response to pressing the second end. According to this embodiment, the user can easily move the operating member to the locked position / unlocked position by simply pressing either end of the operating member.

[0017] In addition to or instead of the above embodiment, the operating member may have a first guide groove or a first protrusion. The pressing member may have a second protrusion that engages with the first guide groove, or a second guide groove with which the first protrusion engages. The first guide groove and the second protrusion, or the first protrusion and the second guide groove, may be configured to move the pressing member in a release direction opposite to the pressing direction in the first direction in response to the operating member moving from the locked position to the unlocked position. According to this embodiment, using a simple configuration, the pressing member can be moved in the release direction in response to the movement of the operating member from the locked position to the unlocked position.

[0018] In addition to or instead of the above embodiment, the portion of the pressing member that contacts the first side wall may be at least partially made of an elastic body. According to this embodiment, the pressing load can be stabilized by the elastic force of the elastic body.

[0019] Additionally or alternatively, the ruler may include a second side wall substantially parallel to the first side wall. A groove extending in the longitudinal direction of the ruler and having a T-shaped cross section may be defined between the first and second side walls. The at least one support may be configured to fit into the groove of the ruler. According to this embodiment, the positioning device can be fixed to the ruler in a more stable manner.

[0020] In addition to or instead of the above embodiment, the at least one support portion may include two support portions spaced apart in a direction perpendicular to the first direction. The pressing member may be located between the two support portions in the direction perpendicular to the first direction. According to this embodiment, the pressing member can press the first side wall against the two support portions in a balanced manner and fix the first side wall.

[0021] In addition to or instead of the above embodiment, the positioning device may further include a long rail and a guide member. The rail may be supported by the main body of the fixing mechanism and extend in a first direction. The guide member may be supported by the rail so that its position in the first direction can be changed. The guide member may have a side surface perpendicular to the first direction. The positioning device according to this embodiment can position the long ruler relative to the workpiece by abutting the side surface of the guide member against the end surface of the workpiece. Thus, a user can attach two positioning devices, each having a guide member arranged at the same position on the rail, to the long ruler and use the two positioning devices as a so-called parallel guide.

[0022] Hereinafter, a parallel guide 1 according to a non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. The parallel guide 1 is an example of a positioning device configured to be selectively attached to a long ruler 7 and to position (align) the long ruler 7 with respect to a workpiece 9.

[0023] First, the long ruler 7 will be described. As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the long ruler 7 is an auxiliary tool used to precisely maintain the position of the portable processing machine 8 relative to the workpiece 9, and is configured to be placed on the upper surface 91 of the workpiece 9 and guide the portable processing machine 8 in a straight line. Hereinafter, the portable processing machine 8 will be simply referred to as the processing machine 8. Note that non-limiting examples of the processing machine 8 used together with the long ruler 7 include a portable circular saw, a jigsaw, and a router.

[0024] The main body 70 of the long ruler 7 is formed in the shape of a long rectangular plate, and has a first surface 701 arranged so as to be in contact with the upper surface 91 of the workpiece 9 placed on the workbench, and a second surface 702 on which the processing machine 8 is placed. The main body 70 has a first side end 711 and a second side end 712 which extend linearly and parallel to each other in the longitudinal direction of the long ruler 7, and a third side end 713 and a fourth side end 714 which extend linearly and parallel to each other in the lateral direction of the long ruler 7.

[0025] The long ruler 7 is provided with a rail 73 for guiding the processing machine 8. When the main body 70 is placed on the upper surface 91 of the workpiece 9, the rail 73 protrudes upward from the main body 70 and extends from the third side end 713 to the fourth side end 714 in the longitudinal direction of the long ruler 7 (i.e., parallel to the first side end 711 and the second side end 712). Since this is a well-known configuration, to briefly explain, as shown in FIG. 3, a groove 82 that can be fitted into the rail 73 is formed at the lower end of the base 81 of the processing machine 8, and the processing machine 8 is guided along the rail 73 with the rail 73 engaged with the groove 82. For example, when the processing machine 8 is a portable circular saw, the tip tool (saw blade) attached to the portable circular saw is guided along the first side end 711 of the long ruler 7 to cut the workpiece 9 in a straight line. By appropriately positioning (aligning) the ruler 7 with respect to the workpiece 9, the user can accurately process the workpiece 9.

[0026] During the above-mentioned processing work, the user places the first side end 711 of the ruler 7 on the user's right side, and moves the processing machine 8 in front of the user from the third side end 713 to the fourth side end 714. Therefore, for convenience, in the following description, the direction perpendicular to the first surface 701 and the second surface 702 of the ruler 7 is defined as the up-down direction of the ruler 7, the first surface 701 is defined as the lower surface, and the second surface 702 is defined as the upper surface. The longitudinal direction of the ruler 7 is defined as the front-rear direction of the ruler 7, and the third side end 713 and the fourth side end 714 are defined as the rear end and the front end of the ruler 7, respectively. The short side direction of the ruler 7 is defined as the left-right direction of the ruler 7, and the first side end 711 and the second side end 712 are defined as the right end and the left end of the ruler 7, respectively.

[0027] Various positioning devices are available for the long ruler 7, which can be selectively attached to the long ruler 7 to position (align) the long ruler 7 with respect to the workpiece 9. Therefore, the long ruler 7 is provided with an attachment portion 75 to which a positioning device can be selectively attached.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 4, and FIG. 5, the mounting portion 75 includes a first side wall 751 and a second side wall 756. The first side wall 751 is a wall portion that protrudes upward from the main body 70 in a state where the main body 70 is placed on the upper surface 91 of the workpiece 9. The first side wall 751 extends from the rear end (third side end 713) of the main body 70 to the front end (fourth side end 714) along the left end (second side end 712) of the main body 70. The second side wall 756 is a wall portion that protrudes upward from the main body 70 in a state where the main body 70 is placed on the upper surface 91 of the workpiece 9, similar to the first side wall 751. The second side wall 756 is spaced from the second side end 712 to the right (first side end 711 side) and extends parallel to the first side wall 751 from the rear end to the front end of the main body 70. The upper end of the first side wall 751 and the upper end of the second side wall 756 form lips that bend toward each other. With this configuration, the first side wall 751 and the second side wall 756 define a groove having a generally T-shaped cross section (hereinafter, referred to as T-groove 750).

[0029] The following describes the detailed configuration of the parallel guide 1. For convenience, in the following description, the direction of the parallel guide 1 corresponds to the direction of the long ruler 7 when the parallel guide 1 is attached to the long ruler 7.

[0030] 2, the parallel guide 1 of this embodiment is a positioning device used in a pair and configured to position the first side end 711 of the long ruler 7 parallel to the end face 93 of the workpiece 9. The parallel guide 1 includes a fixed part 2, a rail 3 supported by the fixed part 2, and a guide member 4 supported by the rail 3.

[0031] The fixing part 2 is a part of the parallel guide 1 that is configured to be removably fixed (locked) to the long ruler 7. Therefore, the fixing part 2 can be said to be a fixing mechanism / fixing device for the long ruler 7. As shown in FIGS. 4 to 8, the fixing part 2 of this embodiment includes a main body 21, a pressing member 24, and an operating member 27.

[0032] The main body 21 is a member that movably supports the pressing member 24 and the operating member 27. The main body 21 is also provided with a holding portion 22 that is arranged in the T-groove 750 of the mounting portion 75 of the long ruler 7 and is configured to sandwich the first side wall 751 together with the pressing member 24 and hold it in a fixed state. More specifically, the main body 21 includes an upper plate portion 211 that is formed in a thin flat plate shape in the vertical direction. The holding portion 22 protrudes downward from the lower surface of the right end portion of the upper plate portion 211. The holding portion 22 of this embodiment includes an extension portion 221 that extends in the front-rear direction, and two rectangular block-shaped support portions 223 that are provided at the front end and the rear end of the extension portion 221, respectively. In this embodiment, the holding portion 22 is formed as a separate member from the other portions of the main body 21, and is fixed to the upper plate portion 211 by a screw. However, the holding portion 22 may be formed integrally with the other portions of the main body 21.

[0033] The front and rear ends of the holding part 22, where the support parts 223 are provided, are configured to fit into the T-slot 750 of the mounting part 75 of the long ruler 7 (see FIG. 5). In other words, the cross-sectional shapes of the front and rear ends of the holding part 22 are T-shaped so as to generally match the cross-sectional shape of the T-slot 750. The left side surfaces of the two support parts 223 are arranged substantially in the same plane and can abut against the right side surface of the first side wall 751. Hereinafter, the right side surface of the first side wall 751 will also be referred to as the first wall surface 752, and the left side surface of the support part 223 will also be referred to as the support surface 224.

[0034] The pressing member 24 is supported by the main body 21 to the left of the holding portion 22 of the main body 21 so as to be movable in the left-right direction. More specifically, the main body 21 has two first guide walls 213 that are spaced apart from the holding portion 22 to the left and protrude downward from the upper plate portion 211. The distance between the support portion 223 (support surface 224) and the right side surface of the first guide wall 213 in the left-right direction is slightly larger than the thickness of the first side wall 751 of the long ruler 7. The two first guide walls 213 are spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction. The pressing member 24 is disposed between the two first guide walls 213 and is movable linearly along a straight line L1 (see FIG. 6 and FIG. 7) extending in the left-right direction while sliding on the opposing surfaces of the two first guide walls 213.

[0035] Although details will be described later, pressing member 24 is moved to the right (in a direction approaching holding portion 22) to press first side wall 751 disposed between holding portion 22 and pressing member 24. Pressing member 24 is also moved to the left (in a direction moving away from holding portion 22) to release the pressure on first side wall 751. Therefore, hereinafter, with regard to the moving direction of pressing member 24, the right direction is also referred to as the pressing direction, and the left direction is also referred to as the releasing direction.

[0036] In this embodiment, the right end surface of the pressing member 24, that is, the surface facing the holding part 22, is pressed against the right side surface of the first side wall 751 when the fixed part 2 is connected to the long ruler 7. Hereinafter, the right side surface of the pressing member 24 is also referred to as the pressing surface 241, and the left side surface of the first side wall 751 is also referred to as the second wall surface 753. In addition, the right end portion of the pressing member 24 partially includes an elastic body 245 (e.g., rubber, synthetic resin having elasticity), and a part of the pressing surface 241 is formed by the surface of the elastic body 245. In addition, in this embodiment, the portion of the pressing member 24 other than the elastic body 245 is formed of synthetic resin.

[0037] When no external force is applied, the elastic body 245 protrudes slightly to the right from the right side surface of the other portion of the pressing member 24 (see FIG. 7). Therefore, when the pressing surface 241 is pressed against the second wall surface 753, the elastic body 245 is compressed. Therefore, the pressing load increases due to the elastic force of the elastic body 245. Note that the right end portion of the pressing member 24 may be entirely or partially formed of the elastic body 245, or may be covered with the elastic body 245.

[0038] The operating member 27 is supported by the main body 21 to the left of the pressing member 24 of the main body 21 so as to be movable in a direction intersecting the moving direction (left-right direction) of the pressing member 24. In this embodiment, the moving direction of the operating member 27 is a front-rear direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the pressing member 24. The main body 21 has a second guide wall 215 that is spaced to the left of the above-mentioned first guide wall 213 and protrudes downward from the upper plate portion 211. The operating member 27 is an elongated member that extends linearly, and is disposed between the first guide wall 213 and the second guide wall 215 so as to extend in the front-rear direction. The operating member 27 is linearly movable along a straight line L2 that extends in the front-rear direction while sliding on the left side surface of the first guide wall 213 and the right side surface of the second guide wall 215. The operating member 27 in this embodiment can also be called a slide lever.

[0039] Although details will be described later, the operating member 27 is moved rearward when the fixed part 2 is fixed (locked) to the long ruler 7. The operating member 27 is moved forward when the fixed part 2 is released from the lock. Therefore, hereinafter, the rearward direction of movement of the operating member 27 is also referred to as the locking direction, and the forward direction is also referred to as the unlocking direction.

[0040] As shown in Figs. 7 to 9, the operating member 27 has two elongated holes 271 extending in the front-rear direction. A screw 272 is inserted into each of the elongated holes 271 from the underside of the operating member 27 and is fastened to a cylindrical female screw portion 212 (see Fig. 9) protruding from the underside of the upper plate portion 211. A washer is interposed between the head of the screw 272 and the underside of the operating member 27. With this configuration, the operating member 27 is movable between a frontmost position and a rearmost position within the movable range while the female screw portion 212 slides on the surface that defines the elongated hole 271.

[0041] Both ends of the operating member 27 in the movement direction, i.e., the front end 274 and the rear end 275, are always exposed to the outside of the main body 21. The front end 274 and the rear end 275 of the operating member 27 form a manually operable operating part. A user can move the operating member 27 backward (lock direction) or forward (unlock direction) relative to the main body 21 by pressing the front end 274 or the rear end 275 in the longitudinal direction of the operating member 27.

[0042] In this embodiment, the operating member 27 and the pressing member 24 are configured so that the pressing member 24 moves in a direction approaching the holding portion 22 (pressing direction) or in a direction away from the holding portion 22 (releasing direction) in response to the movement of the operating member 27. The detailed configurations of the operating member 27 and the pressing member 24 for this purpose will be described later.

[0043] 1, the rail 3 is a long, linear member that is removably connected to the main body 21 of the fixed part 2. The rail 3 is provided with a groove 30 having a T-shaped cross section similar to the T-slot 750 of the long ruler 7. The groove 30 extends over the entire length of the rail 3, from the left end to the right end of the rail 3.

[0044] 3, a recess 217 capable of receiving the right end of the rail 3 is provided at the left end of the main body 21 of the fixed part 2. The right end of the rail 3 is inserted into the recess 217, and a fixing screw 31 passes through a hole in the main body 21 and is fastened to a fixing plate 33 disposed in a groove 30 of the rail 3. This fixes the rail 3 to the fixed part 2 so as to be substantially immovable.

[0045] As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the guide member 4 is supported by the rail 3 so as to be removable from the rail 3 and to be able to change its position in the longitudinal direction of the rail 3. Although detailed illustration and description are omitted, the guide member 4 is configured to engage with the rail 3 and be able to slide along the rail 3. The guide member 4 is disposed at an arbitrary position in the longitudinal direction of the rail 3, and a fixing screw 41 is fastened to a fixing plate 43 disposed in a groove 30 of the rail 3. This fixes the guide member 4 to be substantially immovable relative to the rail 3. A user can adjust the position of the guide member 4 by loosening the fixing screw 41 to change the position of the guide member 4 on the rail 3 and then fastening the fixing screw 41 again.

[0046] 2, the user fixes the guide members 4 of the two parallel guides 1 at the same position on the rails 3, and attaches the fixing parts 2 to the long ruler 7. The user then places the long ruler 7 on the workpiece 9 and aligns it so that the right surface of the lower end of the guide member 4 abuts against the end surface 93 of the workpiece 9. This positions the first side end 711 of the long ruler 7 parallel to the end surface 93 of the workpiece 9.

[0047] The configurations of the operating member 27 and the pressing member 24 will be described in more detail below.

[0048] 7, the operating member 27 and the pressing member 24 are in operable contact with each other via the first contact portion 28 and the second contact portion 25. The first contact portion 28 and the second contact portion 25 are configured to move the pressing member 24 to the right, that is, in a direction approaching the holding portion 22 (pressing direction) in response to rearward movement of the operating member 27.

[0049] More specifically, both the first contact portion 28 and the second contact portion 25 are inclined leftward (i.e., in a direction away from the holding portion 22) toward the rear with respect to a straight line L2 extending in the front-rear direction which is the moving direction of the operating member 27. Also, as shown in Figs. 7, 10 to 12, the first contact portion 28 is configured as a toothed portion having a plurality of teeth (convex portion) 285. The second contact portion 25 is also configured as a toothed portion, and has a plurality of teeth (convex portion) 255 which engage with the plurality of teeth 285 of the second contact portion 25.

[0050] More specifically, the first contact portion 28 of the operating member 27 has a first contact surface 280. The first contact surface 280 is a surface facing the pressing member 24, and is provided on the right side surface of the lower end portion of the operating member 27. The first contact surface 280 includes a plurality of first inclined surfaces 281 and a plurality of second inclined surfaces 282 arranged alternately in the front-rear direction. One first inclined surface 281 and one second inclined surface 282 define one tooth 285. The first inclined surface 281 is longer in the front-rear direction than the second inclined surface 282. As shown in FIG. 10, the inclination angle of the first inclined surface 281 with respect to the straight line L2 (hereinafter referred to as the first inclination angle θ1) is smaller than 45 degrees, and is set within a range of, for example, 10 to 20 degrees. Moreover, the first inclination angle θ1 is larger than the inclination angle of the second inclined surface 282 with respect to the straight line L2 (hereinafter referred to as the second inclination angle θ2).

[0051] On the other hand, the second abutment portion 25 of the pressing member 24 has a second abutment surface 250. The second abutment surface 250 is a surface facing the operating member 27, and is provided on the left side surface of the lower end portion of the lower plate portion 242 of the pressing member 24. In the pressing member 24 of this embodiment, the lower plate portion 242 and the upper plate portion 243 are formed so as to protrude leftward from the right end portion having the pressing surface 241. As a result, a recess that is open to the left is formed between the lower plate portion 242 and the upper plate portion 243. Note that the upper plate portion 243 protrudes leftward beyond the second abutment portion 25 of the lower plate portion 242. The operating member 27 is partially disposed in the recess between the lower plate portion 242 and the upper plate portion 243, the upper plate portion 243 of the pressing member 24 is above the upper surface of the operating member 27, and the second abutment portion 25 is on the right side of the first abutment portion 28.

[0052] The second abutment surface 250 includes a plurality of first inclined surfaces 251 and a plurality of second inclined surfaces 252 arranged alternately in the front-rear direction. The first inclined surface 251 and the second inclined surface 252 define one tooth 255. The first inclined surface 251 is a surface that matches with the first inclined surface 281 of the operating member 27. The second inclined surface 252 is a surface that matches with the second inclined surface 282 of the operating member 27. Therefore, the inclination angles of the first inclined surface 251 and the second inclined surface 252 with respect to the straight line L2 are equal to the first inclination angle θ1 and the second inclination angle θ2, respectively.

[0053] With this configuration, when the operating member 27 is moved in the locking direction (rearward), the first inclined surface 251 and the first inclined surface 281 sliding against each other act to move the pressing member 24 in the pressing direction (rightward) so as to approach the holding portion 22. As described above, since the first inclined angle θ1 is smaller than 45 degrees, the amount of left-right movement of the pressing member 24 becomes smaller relative to the amount of front-rear movement of the operating member 27.

[0054] When the first side wall 751 is not disposed between the holding portion 22 and the pressing member 24, the operating member 27 can move in the locking direction from the frontmost position to the rearmost position. On the other hand, when the first side wall 751 is disposed between the holding portion 22 and the pressing member 24, the pressing member 24 reaches a state in front of the rearmost position where it abuts against and presses the first side wall 751. Hereinafter, the position of the operating member 27 at this time is also referred to as the locked position. The frontmost position of the operating member 27 is also referred to as the unlocked position. The position where the pressing member 24 abuts against and presses the first side wall 751 is also referred to as the pressing position.

[0055] 5, 9, 11 and 12, the operating member 27 and the pressing member 24 are operatively engaged with each other via the protrusion 277 and the inclined groove 247. The protrusion 277 and the inclined groove 247 are configured to move the pressing member 24 leftward in response to forward movement of the operating member 27.

[0056] The protrusion 277 of the operating member 27 protrudes upward from the upper surface of the operating member 27 at approximately the center in the front-rear direction. The protrusion 277 is elliptical when viewed from above the operating member 27, and its major axis extends substantially parallel to a straight line tangent to the second contact portion 25 (a straight line tangent to the tips of the multiple teeth 285). The inclined groove 247 of the pressing member 24 is formed on the lower surface of the upper plate portion 243. The inclined groove 247 extends substantially parallel to a straight line tangent to the second contact portion 25 (a straight line tangent to the tips of the multiple teeth 255). The length of the inclined groove 247 is significantly longer than the protrusion 277. The width of the inclined groove 247 is set so that the protrusion 277 can move within the inclined groove 247 with some play.

[0057] With this configuration, when the operating member 27 is moved in the unlocking direction (forward), the protrusion 277 moves the pressing member 24 in the releasing direction (leftward) while abutting and sliding against the surface that defines the inclined groove 247. When the operating member 27 moves in the locking direction (rearward), the protrusion 277 moves in the inclined groove 247 with some play while the first abutment portion 28 and the second abutment portion 25 move the pressing member 24 in the pressing direction (rightward).

[0058] The fixing of the fixed part 2 to the long ruler 7 and the removal of the fixed part 2 from the long ruler 7 will be described below.

[0059] 13 and 14, when the operating member 27 is in the unlocked position, the pressing member 24 is in the leftmost position within its movable range, that is, in the position farthest from the holding portion 22 (hereinafter referred to as the farthest position). At this time, the distance between the support surface 224 of the support portion 223 and the pressing surface 241 of the pressing member 24 is greater than the thickness of the first side wall 751. In addition, the pressing surface 241 is located to the left of the right end surface of the first guide wall 213. In other words, the pressing member 24 does not protrude rightward from the first guide wall 213.

[0060] When a user inserts the holding part 22 of the fixed part 2 into the T-slot 750 of the long ruler 7 from the rear end or front end of the long ruler 7, the first side wall 751 of the long ruler 7 is positioned between the holding part 22 and the pressing member 24 in the left-right direction. Since the pressing member 24 does not protrude from the first guide wall 213, the user can easily insert the holding part 22 into the T-slot 750. The user slides the fixed part 2 to the desired position in the longitudinal direction of the long ruler 7.

[0061] When a user presses the front end 274 of the operating member 27 and moves the operating member 27 from the unlocked position in the locking direction (rearward), the pressing member 24 is moved in the pressing direction (rightward) by the action of the first inclined surface 251 and the first inclined surface 281. When the operating member 27 reaches the locked position, the pressing member 24 is disposed in the pressing position and presses the first side wall 751 rightward, pressing it against the support part 223 of the holding part 22 (see Figs. 5 and 6). This fixes the parallel guide 1 to the long ruler 7. When the pressing member 24 is in the pressing position, the right end of the pressing member 24 protrudes rightward beyond the first guide wall 213.

[0062] As described above, since the first inclination angle θ1 is set to be relatively small, even if the pressing force (operation load) of the user when moving the operating member 27 to the lock position is relatively small, the operating member 27 functions as a wedge, and the pressing force (pressing load) of the pressing member 24 against the first side wall 751 can be effectively increased. In addition, the operating member 27 can be prevented from moving in the unlock direction. In this embodiment, in addition to the frictional force, the second inclined surfaces 252, 282 are provided, so that the operating member 27 is reliably prevented from moving in the unlock direction. Furthermore, the inclination angle of the second inclined surfaces 252, 282 with respect to the straight line L extending in the front-rear direction is smaller than the inclination angle of the first inclined surfaces 251, 281 with respect to the straight line L, so that the load moving the operating member 27 in the unlock direction is smaller than the load moving the operating member 27 in the lock direction, and therefore the operating member 27 can be easily returned to the unlock position.

[0063] In this manner, the two support parts 223 of the main body 21 and the pressing member 24 can firmly sandwich and hold the first side wall 751 in a state in which the support surface 224 and the first wall surface 752 of the first side wall 751 are in contact with each other and the pressing surface 241 and the second wall surface 753 of the first side wall 751 are in contact with each other. In addition, since the pressing member 24 is located between (substantially in the middle of) the two support parts 223 in the front-rear direction perpendicular to the pressing direction, the pressing member 24 can press and fix the first side wall 751 against the two support parts 223 in a well-balanced manner. In addition, the support part 223 of this embodiment has a cross-sectional shape that substantially matches the T-groove 750, and fits into the T-groove 750, thereby contributing to stabilization of the fixed state.

[0064] When removing the fixed part 2 from the long ruler 7, the user presses the rear end 275 to move the operating member 27 in the unlocking direction (forward) from the locked position to the unlocked position. Accordingly, the protrusion 277 engaging with the inclined groove 247 moves the pressing member 24 in the releasing direction (leftward) to the farthest position and away from the first side wall 751 (see Figures 13 and 14). The user can remove the fixed part 2 from the long ruler 7 by disengaging the holding part 22 of the fixed part 2 from the T-slot 750.

[0065] As described above, the parallel guide 1 of this embodiment includes the fixing part 2 (fixing mechanism) configured to be removably fixed to the long ruler 7. The fixing part 2 includes the pressing member 24 that can move linearly in the left-right direction. The pressing member 24 is configured to press the first side wall 751 of the long ruler 7 against at least one support part 223 of the main body 21, and to sandwich and fix the first side wall 751 together with the at least one support part 223. Therefore, unlike known fixing mechanisms that use a rotating latch, a configuration for preventing the parallel guide 1 from rotating relative to the long ruler 7 is not required. Therefore, it is possible to make the fixing part 2 (fixing mechanism) smaller than when a rotating latch is used. As a result, the parallel guide 1 can also be made smaller overall.

[0066] The correspondence between each component (feature) of the above embodiment and each component (feature) of the present disclosure or invention is shown below. However, each component of the embodiment is merely an example and does not limit each component of the present disclosure or invention.

[0067] The long ruler 7 and the first side wall 751 are examples of a "long ruler" and a "first side wall", respectively. The parallel guide 1 is an example of a "positioning device". The fixed part 2, the main body 21, and the pressing member 24 are examples of a "fixing mechanism", a "main body", and a "pressing member", respectively. The left-right direction of the parallel guide 1 is an example of a "first direction". The support part 223 is an example of a "support part". The operating member 27 is an example of an "operating member". The first abutment surface 280 of the operating member 27 is an example of a "first abutment surface". The second abutment surface 250 of the pressing member 24 is an example of a "second abutment surface". The front-rear direction of the parallel guide 1 is an example of a "second direction". The straight line L2 is an example of a "straight line extending in the second direction".

[0068] The teeth 285 of the operating member 27 are an example of a "first tooth" or a "second tooth". The teeth 255 of the pressing member 24 are an example of a "first tooth" or a "second tooth". The first inclined surface 281 and the first inclined surface 251 are each an example of a "first inclined surface". The second inclined surface 282 and the second inclined surface 252 are each an example of a "second inclined surface". The front end and the rear end of the operating member 27 are each an example of a "first end" and a "second end" of the operating member. The protrusion 277 of the operating member 27 is an example of a "first protrusion". The inclined groove 247 of the pressing member 24 is an example of a "second guide groove". The elastic body 245 is an example of an "elastic body". The second side wall 756 of the long ruler 7 is an example of a "second side wall". The T-groove 750 is an example of a "groove" of the long ruler. The rail 3 is an example of a "rail." The guide member 4 is an example of a "guide member."

[0069] It should be noted that the above embodiment is merely an example, and the positioning device according to the present disclosure is not limited to the illustrated parallel guide 1. For example, the following modifications can be made. Furthermore, at least one of these modifications can be adopted in combination with the parallel guide 1 illustrated in the embodiment and any of the inventions described in the claims.

[0070] For example, the fixing part 2 can be applied not only to the parallel guide 1 but also to other types of positioning devices (e.g., square guides, angle guides) that can be attached to the long ruler 7. For example, instead of separate members such as the rail 3 and the guide member 4, the main body 21 itself may be configured to have a reference surface used for alignment (e.g., a surface that is to be abutted against any end face of the workpiece 9). Alternatively, an alignment member (e.g., an angle adjustment member) other than the rail 3 and the guide member 4 may be attached to the main body 21.

[0071] The configuration of the fixing part 2 may be modified as appropriate as long as it includes at least one support part 223 and the pressing member 24, and the pressing member 24 can move in a direction approaching the support part 223 and press and fix the first side wall 751 against the support part 223. For example, the shape of the main body 21, the support manner of the pressing member 24 and the operating member 27 by the main body 21, and the shapes and engagement manner of the pressing member 24 and the operating member 27 can be selected arbitrarily.

[0072] For example, the holding part 22 of the main body 21 may not include the extending part 221 and may be composed of only two support parts 223. Furthermore, the number, position and shape of the support parts 223 may be selected arbitrarily. For example, the number of the support parts 223 may be one or three or more. However, it is preferable that the one or more support parts 223 are arranged in a well-balanced manner in the front-rear direction with respect to the pressing surface 241 of the pressing member 24. Furthermore, in order to realize a stable fixed state, it is preferable that the support part 223 has a support surface 224 that matches the first wall surface 752 of the first side wall 751.

[0073] The pressing member 24 may be constantly biased in the pressing direction by a biasing member (e.g., a spring, an elastic body such as rubber, etc.). In this modification, the operating member 27 may be configured to move the pressing member in the release direction against the biasing force of the biasing member.

[0074] The number of teeth 285 / 255 of the first contact portion 28 of the operating member 27 and the second contact portion 25 of the pressing member 24 may not be the same. Also, the first contact portion 28 and the second contact portion 25 may be configured as inclined surfaces that are in contact with each other and can slide, instead of being toothed portions. In this case, it is preferable that the angle of the inclined surface with respect to the straight line L2 is set relatively small, as in the above embodiment, in order to effectively exert the wedge action. Alternatively, the first contact portion 28 and the second contact portion 25 may be configured as a cam portion having a cam surface. In this modified example, the operating member 27 may be a slide lever, or may be configured as a rotating cam lever whose outer circumferential surface is formed as a cam surface. Also, only one of the first contact portion 28 and the second contact portion 25 may have an inclined surface / cam surface.

[0075] In the above embodiment, the mutually engaging projection 277 and inclined groove 247 move the pressing member 24 in the release direction in response to movement of the operating member 27 from the locked position to the unlocked position. Instead of such a structure, for example, a biasing member (e.g., a spring, an elastic body such as rubber, etc.) may be provided that biases the pressing member 24 in the release direction in response to movement of the operating member 27 from the locked position to the unlocked position. [Explanation of symbols]

[0076] 1: parallel guide, 2: fixed portion, 21: main body, 211: upper plate portion, 212: female screw portion, 213: first guide wall, 215: second guide wall, 217: recess, 22: holding portion, 221: extension portion, 223: support portion, 224: support surface, 24: pressing member, 241: pressing surface, 242: lower plate portion, 243: upper plate portion, 245: elastic body, 247: inclined groove, 25: second contact portion, 250: second contact surface, 251: first inclined surface, 252: second inclined surface, 255: teeth, 27: operating member, 271: long hole, 272: screw, 274: front end portion, 275: rear end portion, 277: protrusion, 28: first contact portion, 28 0: first contact surface, 281: first inclined surface, 282: second inclined surface, 285: teeth, 3: rail, 30: groove, 31: fixing screw, 33: fixing plate, 4: guide member, 41: fixing screw, 43: fixing plate, 7: long ruler, 70: main body, 701: first surface, 702: second surface, 711: first side edge, 712: second side edge, 713: third side edge, 714: fourth side edge, 73: rail, 75: mounting portion, 750: T-slot, 751: first side wall, 752: first wall surface, 753: second wall surface, 756: second side wall, 8: portable processing machine, 81: base, 82: groove, 9: processing material, 91: upper surface, 93: end surface

Claims

1. 1. A positioning device configured to position a ruler having a first longitudinally extending sidewall relative to a workpiece, the positioning device comprising: a fixing mechanism including a main body and a pressing member supported by the main body so as to be linearly movable in a first direction; the main body includes at least one support portion spaced apart from the pressing member in the first direction; The fixing mechanism is configured such that, with the first side wall of the long ruler positioned between the at least one support portion and the pressing member in the first direction, the pressing member is moved in a pressing direction toward the at least one support portion in the first direction, abutting against the first side wall and pressing and fixing the first side wall against the at least one support portion.

2. 2. The positioning device according to claim 1, the fixing mechanism further includes an operating member supported on the main body so as to be movable between an unlocked position and a locked position in response to manual operation by a user; the pressing member is located between the at least one support portion and the operating member in the first direction, the operating member and the pressing member are in operable contact with each other via a first contact surface of the operating member and a second contact surface of the pressing member, a positioning device configured such that the first abutment surface and the second abutment surface move the pressing member in the pressing direction in response to movement of the operating member from the unlocked position to the locked position, and such that the amount of movement of the pressing member is smaller than the amount of movement of the operating member.

3. 3. The positioning device according to claim 2, the operating member is movable linearly in a second direction intersecting the first direction, A positioning device, wherein each of the first contact surface and the second contact surface is at least partially inclined with respect to a straight line extending in the second direction.

4. 4. The positioning device according to claim 3, one of the first abutment surface and the second abutment surface has a plurality of first teeth; The other of the first and second abutment surfaces has at least one second tooth that engages with the plurality of first teeth.

5. 5. The positioning device according to claim 4, Each of the plurality of first teeth is defined by a first inclined surface and a second inclined surface, the first inclined surface is configured to come into contact with the second tooth when the operating member moves from the unlock position to the lock position, A positioning device, characterized in that an inclination angle of the second inclined surface with respect to the straight line extending in the second direction is smaller than an inclination angle of the first surface.

6. The positioning device according to any one of claims 2 to 5, a first end in a moving direction of the operating member and a second end opposite to the first end can be pressed by the user, the operating member is configured to move from the unlocked position to the locked position in response to the first end being pressed, and to move from the locked position to the unlocked position in response to the second end being pressed.

7. The positioning device according to any one of claims 2 to 5, the operating member has a first guide groove or a first protrusion, the pressing member has a second protrusion that engages with the first guide groove, or a second guide groove that engages with the first protrusion, a positioning device, characterized in that the first guide groove and the second protrusion, or the first protrusion and the second guide groove, are configured to move the pressing member in a release direction opposite to the pressing direction in the first direction in response to the operating member moving from the locked position to the unlocked position.

8. The positioning device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, A positioning device, wherein a portion of the pressing member that abuts against the first side wall is at least partially formed of an elastic material.

9. The positioning device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, the ruler includes a second sidewall substantially parallel to the first sidewall; a groove extending in the longitudinal direction of the ruler and having a T-shaped cross section is defined between the first side wall and the second side wall; The positioning device, characterized in that the at least one support portion is configured to fit into the groove of the long ruler.

10. The positioning device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, the at least one support portion includes two support portions spaced apart in a direction perpendicular to the first direction, The positioning device, wherein the pressing member is located between the two support portions in the direction perpendicular to the first direction.

11. The positioning device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, an elongated rail supported by the main body of the fixing mechanism and extending in the first direction; a guide member supported by the rail so as to be able to change its position in the first direction, the guide member having a side surface perpendicular to the first direction;

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