Handle device for long ruler to be used with portable processing device and long ruler including handle device

Abstract

To provide a long ruler for a portable processing device with improved convenience.SOLUTION: A handle device for a long ruler to be used with a portable processing device includes: a handle part; and a position change part which can change a relative position of the handle part relative to a long ruler body in a state that the handle device is attached to the long ruler body.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a handle arrangement for a long ruler for use with a portable processing machine, and to a long ruler comprising a handle arrangement. [Background technology]

[0002] A cutting machine called a portable circular saw (hereinafter simply referred to as a circular saw) includes a base and a main body. The main body includes an electric motor and a generally circular cutting tool that is driven to rotate by the electric motor. The main body is disposed on one side of the base, while a part of the cutting tool protrudes beyond the base to the other side. When using such a cutting machine, a user brings the bottom surface of the base into contact with the material to be cut while the cutting tool is rotating, and moves the cutting machine forward. As a result, the cutting tool protruding beyond the base cuts the material to be cut.

[0003] To assist in such cutting work, a long ruler may be used together with the circular saw. For example, when a linear groove extending in the cutting direction is formed on the bottom surface of the base of the circular saw, a long ruler having linear protrusions formed along the longitudinal direction to fit into the groove can be used. Specifically, the user positions the long ruler and the circular saw so that the protrusions of the long ruler fit into the grooves of the base, and moves the circular saw in the cutting direction while maintaining this fit. This makes it possible to cut the material to be cut in a straight line from the cutting start position to the cutting end position. Such a long ruler can be used not only with circular saws, but also with various portable processing machines having a base.

[0004] When using such a long ruler, it is necessary to fix the position of the long ruler relative to the workpiece. The following Patent Document 1 discloses a cam-type clamp device for fixing the position of the long ruler relative to the workpiece. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2022-46090 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, conventional long rulers have room for improvement in terms of convenience. For example, the fixing operation using the clamping device is troublesome for the user. This problem becomes more pronounced when cutting operations are performed multiple times while changing the position of the long ruler.

[0007] In view of the above, it is anticipated that there will be provided a long ruler for a portable processing machine with improved convenience.

[0008] This specification discloses a handle device for a long ruler for use with a portable processing machine. The handle device may include a handle portion and a position change portion that can change the relative position of the handle portion with respect to the long ruler body when attached to the long ruler body. The "long ruler body" refers to the long ruler without any accessories attached.

[0009] This handle device can be used in a state where it is attached to the long ruler body. Specifically, the user places the long ruler on the workpiece, grasps the handle portion with one hand, and presses the handle portion (and thus the long ruler body) against the workpiece (in other words, downward). This fixes the position of the long ruler body relative to the workpiece. In this state, the user can hold the portable processing machine with the other hand and perform processing work. In other words, the position of the long ruler body relative to the workpiece can be fixed without using a jig such as a clamp device. This improves the user's convenience. Moreover, since the handle device is configured so that the relative position of the handle portion with respect to the long ruler body can be changed, the user can change the relative position of the handle portion so that it is easier to press the handle portion against the workpiece. This further improves the user's convenience. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a circular saw for use with a long ruler. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a long ruler according to one embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a long ruler according to one embodiment. [Figure 4] 3 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 2 showing the vicinity of the rear edge of the long ruler body. [Diagram 5] 4 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 3 showing the vicinity of the abutment member and the diagonal cutting assembly. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the bevel cutting assembly. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view showing an attached state of the handle device. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the installation state of the diagonal cutting assembly. [Figure 11] 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating how to use a long ruler. [Figure 12] 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating how to use a long ruler. [Figure 13] 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating how to use a long ruler. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Representative and non-limiting examples of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. This detailed description is intended simply to provide those skilled in the art with details for implementing preferred examples of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. In addition, the additional features and inventions disclosed below can be used separately or together with other features and inventions to provide further improved devices, methods of making and using the same.

[0012] Furthermore, the combinations of features and steps disclosed in the following detailed description are not essential to the practice of the invention in its broadest sense, but are specifically described only to illustrate representative embodiments of the invention. Furthermore, the various features of the representative embodiments described above and below, and the various features of those described in the independent and dependent claims, do not have to be combined in the exact embodiments described herein, or in the exact order listed, to provide additional and useful embodiments of the invention.

[0013] All features described in the specification and / or claims are intended to be disclosed individually and independently of one another as limitations to the original disclosure and claimed particulars, apart from any configuration of the features described in the embodiments and / or claims. Furthermore, all numerical ranges and group or aggregate descriptions are intended to disclose their intermediate configurations as limitations to the original disclosure and claimed particulars.

[0014] In one or more embodiments, the position changer may be configured to change the position of the handle unit steplessly along the longitudinal direction of the ruler body. The longitudinal position of the handle unit at which it is easy to press the handle unit downward varies depending on the height of the user, but this configuration allows the position of the handle unit to be precisely adjusted to any desired position.

[0015] In one or more embodiments, the long ruler body may be configured to be slidable in the longitudinal direction and fixed to the long ruler body by utilizing a groove or ridge extending in the longitudinal direction of the long ruler body. Since a general-purpose long ruler body has a groove or ridge extending in the longitudinal direction, this configuration does not require structural modification of the long ruler body when using the handle device. Therefore, versatility is improved.

[0016] In one or more embodiments, the handle device may include a connecting portion that can be connected to the long ruler body, and a support portion having an abutment surface for abutting the upper surface of the workpiece on the opposite side of the connecting portion to the long ruler body. With this configuration, when the handle portion is pressed against the workpiece, not only the long ruler body but also the support portion is pressed against the workpiece. Therefore, the position of the long ruler body relative to the workpiece can be more stably fixed.

[0017] In one or more embodiments, the handle device may include an intermediate portion extending between the connecting portion and the support portion at a position that does not contact the upper surface of the workpiece during use. The handle portion may be disposed on the intermediate portion. With this configuration, the force pressing the handle portion can be distributed in a well-balanced manner to the long ruler body and the support portion. Moreover, the distance between the point where the pressing force acts on the long ruler body and the point where the pressing force acts on the support portion becomes longer in the short direction of the long ruler body. Therefore, the position of the long ruler body relative to the workpiece can be more stably fixed.

[0018] In one or more embodiments, the intermediate portion may include a first intermediate portion and a second intermediate portion spaced apart in the longitudinal direction. The handle portion may be disposed so as to bridge between the first intermediate portion and the second intermediate portion. This configuration allows the handle device to be lightweight. In addition, the extension direction of the handle portion is a direction that is easy to grip with a hand.

[0019] In one or more embodiments, the contact surface may be formed of an elastic material. This configuration increases the degree of contact between the contact surface and the workpiece when the handle is pressed. This means that the relative positions of the contact surface and the workpiece are less likely to shift. Therefore, the position of the long ruler relative to the workpiece can be more stably fixed.

[0020] In one or more embodiments, a long ruler for use with a portable processing machine may be provided. The long ruler may include a handle device according to the above and / or below embodiments and a long ruler body. The long ruler can achieve the effects of the handle devices according to the various embodiments.

[0021] In one or more embodiments, the long ruler may include a first abutment member protruding downward from the underside of the long ruler body so that its position relative to the long ruler body cannot be changed, the first abutment member having a first abutment portion for abutting against a side surface of the workpiece, and a second abutment member arranged apart from the first abutment member in the short direction of the long ruler body and protruding downward from the underside of the long ruler body so that its position in the longitudinal direction relative to the long ruler body can be changed, the second abutment member having a second abutment portion for abutting against a side surface of the workpiece. The second abutment member may be configured to be slidable in the longitudinal direction and to be fixed to the long ruler body by utilizing a groove extending in the longitudinal direction. In this case, the long ruler can be positioned relative to the workpiece during use so that the side surface of the workpiece abuts against the first abutment portion and the second abutment portion. According to this configuration, when processing is performed in an oblique direction rather than a direction perpendicular to the side of the workpiece, the fixed position of the second abutment member in the longitudinal direction can be changed to easily adjust the longitudinal angle of the long ruler body relative to the side of the workpiece (i.e., the angle of the direction in which processing proceeds relative to the side of the workpiece).

[0022] In one or more embodiments, the underside of the long ruler body may include a scale indicating a processing angle (i.e., an angle of the processing direction relative to the side of the workpiece) determined by the relative positions of the first and second abutment members. The long ruler may include a slider that is held in a groove of the long ruler body so as to be slidable in the longitudinal direction, and an indicator for indicating the scale according to the position of the second abutment member in the longitudinal direction. The slider may be connected to the second abutment member and the indicator. With this configuration, the second abutment member can be easily positioned at a position corresponding to the desired processing angle by moving the slider so that the indicator indicates the desired processing angle on the scale.

[0023] In one or more embodiments, the groove of the long ruler body may include a plurality of first engaging portions arranged along the longitudinal direction. The slider may include a second engaging portion having a shape and size for engaging with the plurality of first engaging portions so as to increase the operational resistance for sliding the slider. The slider may include an engaging portion. The groove of the long ruler body may include a plurality of engaged portions arranged along the longitudinal direction. Each of the plurality of engaged portions may have a shape and size for engaging with the engaging portion so as to increase the operational resistance for sliding the slider. According to this configuration, when the user moves the slider to position the second contact member at a position corresponding to the desired processing angle, a sense of moderation (click feeling) is obtained at a point where the engaging portion engages with one of the plurality of engaged portions. Therefore, the indicator can be easily and accurately positioned at the scale position corresponding to the engaging portion.

[0024] In one or more embodiments, the first contact member may be an integrally formed product including a first contact portion and a movable cover contact portion for contacting a movable cover that covers a cutting tool of a portable processing machine. This configuration can reduce the number of parts and the cost compared to when the first contact portion and the movable cover contact portion are separate members.

[0025] In one or more embodiments, the first contact member may be made of a synthetic resin. With this configuration, when the movable cover contacts the second contact portion, the movable cover can be smoothly displaced in a direction that exposes the cutting tool for processing.

[0026] In one or more embodiments, when the side where processing is performed by the portable processing machine is defined as the front side and the opposite side as the rear side, the second contact part may be disposed in front of the slider. The engaging part may be disposed between the second contact part and the indicator in the longitudinal direction. Each of the multiple engaged parts may be in the form of a recess recessed toward the opposite side to the slider. The engaging part may be in the form of a protrusion having a shape and size for engaging with the recess. According to this configuration, when the long ruler body is disposed on the workpiece, the indicator does not interfere with the workpiece (since no special structure is required to avoid interference), so that the structure of the long ruler can be simplified. Furthermore, the engaging part and the multiple engaged parts can be made to have a simple structure. Furthermore, since the engagement point between the engaging part and any of the multiple engaged parts is disposed between the second contact part and the indicator in the longitudinal direction, the operating resistance when performing the disengagement operation is not biased toward either the side where the second contact part is located or the side where the indicator is located. Therefore, the user can smoothly displace the slider to perform the disengagement operation.

[0027] The long ruler 10 according to an exemplary embodiment will be described in more detail below with reference to the drawings. The long ruler 10 is used together with various portable processing machines having a base. Such portable processing machines may be a portable circular saw (hereinafter simply referred to as a circular saw), a cutter, a jigsaw, a router, etc. In this embodiment, the long ruler 10 is used together with a circular saw 100.

[0028] In the following description, the side on which the circular saw moves when a user holds the circular saw and cuts a workpiece (the side on which cutting is advanced by a cutting tool 121, which will be described later, and is also called the cutting direction) is defined as the front side, and the opposite side is defined as the rear side. In addition, the side located vertically above is defined as the upper side, and the opposite side is defined as the lower side. Furthermore, the direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction and the up-down direction is defined as the left-right direction. In the left-right direction, the right side when looking from the rear side to the front side is defined as the right side, and the opposite side is defined as the left side.

[0029] The configuration of the circular saw 100 is well known, so a detailed description will be omitted, but a brief description will be given below. As shown in FIG. 1, the circular saw 100 includes a base 110 and a main body 120. The base 110 has a flat lower surface. The base 110 has a groove 115 extending in the front-rear direction near its left edge. The main body 120 is basically disposed on the upper side of the base 110. The main body 120 includes a cutting tool 121 configured to be rotatable about a rotation axis extending in the left-right direction. A part of the cutting tool 121 passes through a through hole (not shown) of the base 110 and protrudes below the base 110. The cutting tool 121 is a circular saw blade called a chip saw, and is approximately disk-shaped.

[0030] A portion of the cutting tool 121 located below the base 110 is partially covered by a movable cover 125. The movable cover 125 is configured to be able to move back along the outer periphery of the cutting tool 121, and is normally biased toward the position shown in FIG. 1 by a biasing member (not shown). When the circular saw 100 is in use, it is pressed by the workpiece to be cut and moves back, thereby exposing the portion of the cutting tool 121 located below the base 110. A front edge 126 of the movable cover 125 is angled so as to move away from the base 110 as it moves from the rear side to the front side.

[0031] The long ruler 10 comprises a ruler body 20 and a handle device 30. As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the ruler body 20 has a generally rectangular shape when viewed from above. The longitudinal direction of the ruler body 20 coincides with the front-rear direction, and the lateral direction coincides with the left-right direction. The rear and right edge of the ruler body 20 is cut out in a rectangular shape, resulting in the formation of a step 26.

[0032] As shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 4, the ruler body 20 has a protrusion 21 and a guide groove 22. The ruler body 20 is a general-purpose product having a general shape, and the guide groove 22 is formed for inserting a clamp device (not shown) for fixing the relative position between the workpiece and the ruler body 20, or for inserting a connecting member for connecting two ruler bodies 20. As shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 4, the guide groove 22 is located on the left edge of the ruler body 20 and extends in the front-rear direction from the rear end to the front end of the ruler body 20. The left and right upper edges 23 of the guide groove 22 protrude inward so as to approach each other. This narrows the upper opening of the guide groove 22.

[0033] As shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the protrusion 21 is located to the right of the guide groove 22 and extends in the front-rear direction from the rear end to the front end of the ruler body 20. The protrusion 21 has a shape and size that allows it to fit into the groove 115 of the base 110 of the long ruler 10. Due to the shape of the protrusion 21, a groove 24 extending in the front-rear direction is formed on the lower surface of the protrusion 21. The left and right lower edges 25 of the groove 24 protrude inward so as to approach each other. This narrows the lower opening of the groove 24. The groove 24 is also used to insert a connecting member for connecting two ruler bodies 20 together.

[0034] As shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 7, the handle device 30 comprises a handle portion 31, a connecting portion 32, a support portion 33 and two intermediate portions 34. The handle portion 31 is intended to be held by the user's hand and has a substantially cylindrical shape in this embodiment. The connecting portion 32 is configured to be connectable to a long ruler. As will be described later, the connecting portion 32 is placed on the ruler body 20. In this embodiment, the connecting portion 32 is in the form of a flat plate extending in the front-rear direction and has three through holes extending in the up-down direction.

[0035] The support part 33 is a part that supports the handle device 30 when the long ruler 10 is placed on the material to be cut, and is in the form of a bent plate. The support part 33 is separated from the connecting part 32 in the left-right direction and is located on the opposite side (i.e., the left side) of the long ruler 10 with respect to the connecting part 32. The support part 33 extends in the front-rear direction parallel to the connecting part 32. The left part of the support part 33 is in the form of a flat plate perpendicular to the up-down direction, and is provided with an elastic member 35 on its lower surface. In this embodiment, the elastic member 35 is in the form of a synthetic resin sheet. Such a synthetic resin can be selected from any material that can be expected to have an anti-slip effect, and may be, for example, foamed EPDM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Methylene Linkage). The lower surface of the elastic member 35 functions as an abutment surface 36 for abutting against the upper surface of the workpiece.

[0036] The two intermediate parts 34 extend between the connecting part 32 and the support part 33 at a position where they do not contact the upper surface of the workpiece when the long ruler 10 is used. In other words, the intermediate part 34 is located above the contact surface 36 of the support part 33 in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the two intermediate parts 34 are arranged at a distance in the front-rear direction (because a through hole is formed between the two intermediate parts 34), so that the handle device 30 can be made lighter. However, instead of the two intermediate parts 34, a single plate-shaped intermediate part without a through hole may be used. The handle part 31 is arranged so as to span between the two intermediate parts 34. Therefore, the handle part 31 extends in the front-rear direction. The extension direction of this handle part 31 is a direction in which the user can easily hold it with his / her hand in the cutting work described later.

[0037] The handle device 30 is removably attached to the ruler body 20. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, the handle device 30 further includes a position changer 37. In this embodiment, the position changer 37 is in the form of a substantially rectangular block that is elongated in the front-rear direction. The position changer 37 has a shape in which its upper right edge and its upper left edge are cut out. In other words, the central portion in the left-right direction has a shape that protrudes upward in a rectangular shape beyond both sides. Due to this cutout shape, two engagement surfaces 38 facing upward are formed on the upper right edge and the upper left edge. The two engagement surfaces 38 extend over the entire width of the position changer 37 in the front-rear direction.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 9, the position change part 37 has three through holes extending in the up-down direction. The three through holes are arranged in the longitudinal direction at positions corresponding to the three through holes of the connecting part 32. Each of the through holes of the position change part 37 has an upper small diameter portion and a lower large diameter portion. As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 9, a screw 39 is inserted from above into the through hole of the position change part 37 and the through hole of the connecting part 32. As shown in FIG. 9, a nut 40 is arranged in the large diameter portion of the position change part 37 in a rotation-preventing state and is attached to the tip of the screw 39. With this configuration, the position change part 37 is attached to the connecting part 32 below the connecting part 32.

[0039] Such a handle device 30 is configured to be able to change the relative position of the handle portion 31 with respect to the ruler body 20. In this embodiment, the mounting position of the handle device 30 (handle portion 31) with respect to the ruler body 20 in the front-rear direction can be changed steplessly. Specifically, as shown in Figs. 6 and 9, the position change portion 37 has a size and shape that fits the guide groove 22 and can be inserted into the guide groove 22. When the position change portion 37 is inserted into the guide groove 22, the top of the position change portion 37 (the portion between the two engagement surfaces 38) is located between the two upper edges 23 of the ruler body 20, and the two engagement surfaces 38 of the position change portion 37 are located so as to overlap the lower inner surfaces of the two upper edges 23 in the up-down direction. Therefore, the position change portion 37 does not slip out upward from between the two upper edges 23.

[0040] When the position change part 37 is inserted into the guide groove 22 with the screw 39 loosened, the position change part 37 (and therefore the handle device 30) can slide in the front-rear direction within the guide groove 22. When the handle device 30 is placed at a desired front-rear position and the screw 39 is tightened, the engagement surface 38 of the position change part 37 presses against the upper inner surface of the upper edge part 23. As a result, the upper edge part 23 is fastened in the vertical direction by the connecting part 32 and the engagement surface 38, and the front-rear position of the handle device 30 relative to the ruler body 20 is fixed.

[0041] The long ruler 10 further includes a structure for adjusting the angle of the longitudinal direction of the ruler body 20 with respect to the side of the workpiece (i.e., the angle of the direction in which the cutting proceeds with respect to the side of the workpiece, hereinafter also referred to as the cutting angle) when the cutting proceeds in an oblique direction rather than in a direction perpendicular to the side of the workpiece. Such a structure will be described below.

[0042] 3 and 5, the long ruler 10 comprises a first abutment member 50 and a diagonal cutting assembly (hereinafter simply referred to as assembly) 60. The first abutment member 50 is attached to the step portion 26 of the ruler body 20 by screws, and its position relative to the ruler body 20 cannot be changed. The first abutment member 50 protrudes downward from the bottom surface of the ruler body 20.

[0043] The first contact member 50 has a first contact portion 51 on its front side and a movable cover contact portion 52 on its rear side. The first contact portion 51 has a convex arc shape on the front side. The first contact portion 51 is a portion for contacting a side surface 210 (this is the rear side surface) of the workpiece 200 when the long ruler 10 is placed on the workpiece 200 as shown in Figs. 11 and 12.

[0044] The movable cover abutment portion 52 is a portion for abutting against the front edge portion 126 (see Figure 1) of the movable cover 125 of the circular saw 100 when cutting with the circular saw 100 is started (when the circular saw 100 is advanced toward the workpiece 200 for cutting). When the circular saw 100 is advanced further while the movable cover abutment portion 52 and the movable cover 125 are in abutment, the movable cover 125 is pressed against the movable cover abutment portion 52 and moves back, thereby exposing the cutting tool 121 for cutting.

[0045] 5, the movable cover abutment portion 52 has an inclined shape that matches the inclined shape of the front edge portion 126 (is formed with the same inclination angle). Therefore, the movable cover abutment portion 52 can stably and smoothly press the front edge portion 126 in a state where the movable cover abutment portion 52 and the front edge portion 126 are in surface contact with each other. In this embodiment, the first abutment member 50 is made of synthetic resin. Therefore, when the movable cover 125 abuts against the movable cover abutment portion 52, the movable cover 125 can be moved back more smoothly.

[0046] As is clear from the above description, the first contact member 50 is an integrally molded product that includes the first contact portion 51 and the movable cover contact portion 52. This allows for a reduction in the number of parts and lower costs compared to a configuration that includes separate members for the first contact portion 51 and the movable cover contact portion 52. However, the long ruler 10 may also include separate members for the first contact portion 51 and the movable cover contact portion 52.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 8, the assembly 60 includes a slider 70, a second abutment member 80, and an indicator 90. The slider 70 has a shape of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped block that is elongated in the front-rear direction. The slider 70 has a shape in which its lower right edge and lower left edge are cut out. In other words, when viewed in the front-rear direction, the slider 70 has a shape in which the central portion in the left-right direction protrudes downward from both sides in a rectangular shape. Due to this cutout shape, two engagement surfaces 71 facing downward are formed on the lower right edge and the lower left edge. The right engagement surface 71 extends over the entire width of the slider 70 in the front-rear direction. The left engagement surface 71 has a shape that is partially cut out. In this cutout portion, an engagement portion 72 in the form of a protrusion protruding toward the left side is formed.

[0048] The slider 70 is held in the groove 24 of the ruler body 20 so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction. Specifically, as shown in Figs. 6 and 10, the slider 70 has a size and shape that fits the groove 24 of the ruler body 20 and can be inserted into the groove 24. When the slider 70 is inserted into the groove 24, the bottom of the slider 70 (the portion between the two engagement surfaces 71) is located between the two lower edges 25 of the ruler body 20, and the two engagement surfaces 38 of the position change part 37 are located so as to overlap the lower inner surfaces of the two upper edges 23 in the up-down direction (see Fig. 6). Therefore, the slider 70 does not slip out downward from between the two lower edges 25.

[0049] 3 and 5, the second abutment member 80 protrudes downward from the lower surface of the ruler body 20. The second abutment member 80 is disposed spaced apart from the first abutment member 50 (first abutment portion 51) in the short side direction (left-right direction) of the ruler body 20.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 10, the second abutting member 80 is attached to the slider 70 using a bolt 83, a nut 84, and a washer 85. Specifically, the slider 70 and the second abutting member 80 have coaxial through holes extending in the vertical direction. The slider 70 has a through hole extending in the vertical direction. This through hole has a large diameter portion on the lower side and a small diameter portion on the upper side. A bolt 83 is inserted from above into each of the through holes of the slider 70 and the second abutting member 80. The head of the bolt 83 is accommodated in the through hole of the slider 70 in a rotation-preventing state, and is engaged with the step of the through hole of the slider 70. A nut 84 is arranged in a rotation-preventing state in the large diameter portion of the through hole of the second abutting member 80, and is attached to the tip of the bolt 83. A washer 85 is arranged between the second abutting member 80 and the lower edge portion 25 of the ruler body 20. With this configuration, the second contact member 80 is attached to the slider 70.

[0051] The second contact member 80 includes a second contact portion 81 and an operating portion 82. The second contact portion 81 has a cylindrical shape extending in the vertical direction. The second contact portion 81 is a portion for contacting a side surface 210 of the workpiece 200 when the ruler 10 is placed on the workpiece 200 as shown in Figs. 11 and 12.

[0052] The operating portion 82 is located below the second abutment portion 81. The operating portion 82 is a portion intended to be rotated by the user, and has two notches so that the user can easily grasp it with his or her fingers. Since the head of the bolt 83 and the nut 84 are held in a non-rotating state, the bolt 83 can be loosened or tightened relative to the nut 84 by rotating the second abutment member 80 (operating portion 82). In other words, the second abutment member 80 also functions as a thumb screw.

[0053] With the bolt 83 loosened, the slider 70 can slide in the groove 24 in the front-rear direction. The user can position the second abutment member 80 and the slider 70 at a desired front-rear position by pinching the operating part 82 with his / her fingers and moving the second abutment member 80. When the second abutment member 80 is rotated at the desired front-rear position to tighten the bolt 83, the upper surface of the second abutment member 80 presses the lower edge 25 of the ruler body 20 upward via the washer 85. As a result, the lower edge 25 is tightened in the vertical direction by the slider 70 and the second abutment member 80, and the front-rear positions of the slider 70 and the second abutment member 80 relative to the ruler body 20 are fixed.

[0054] The position of the second abutment member 80 in the front-rear direction relative to the ruler body 20 determines the cutting angle. As shown in Fig. 12, when the front edges of the second abutment portion 81 and the second abutment portion 81 are at the same position in the front-rear direction, the ruler body 20 is oriented so that its longitudinal direction is perpendicular to the side surface 210 of the workpiece 200 (the cutting angle is 90 degrees). In contrast, when the second abutment member 80 is fixed at a position offset forward or backward from the position shown in Fig. 12, and the workpiece 200 and the long ruler 10 are arranged so that the side surface 210 abuts against the second abutment portion 81 and the second abutment portion 81, the long ruler 10 can be positioned relative to the workpiece 200 so that the cutting angle is greater or smaller than 90 degrees.

[0055] After positioning the long ruler 10 relative to the workpiece 200 in this manner, the circular saw 100 is placed on the ruler body 20 as shown in FIG. 13 (that is, the circular saw 100 is placed so that the protrusion 21 on the ruler body 20 fits into the groove 115 on the base 110 of the circular saw 100), and the circular saw 100 is advanced, allowing the workpiece 200 to be cut at the desired cutting angle.

[0056] As shown in Figures 3 and 5, the long ruler 10 further includes a scale panel 28 and an indicator 90. The scale panel 28 is attached to the underside of the ruler body 20. The scale on the scale panel 28 represents the cutting angle determined by the relative positions of the first contact member 50 (first contact portion 51) and the second contact member 80 (second contact portion 81). The indicator 90 is disposed adjacent to the scale panel 28 so as to indicate the scale on the scale panel 28 according to the position of the second contact member 80 (second contact portion 81) in the front and rear.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 5, the indicator 90 is disposed rearward of the second abutment member 80 (second abutment portion 81). Therefore, when the long ruler 10 and the workpiece 200 are positioned as shown in FIG. 12, the indicator 90 does not interfere with the workpiece 200. As shown in FIG. 8, in this embodiment, the indicator 90 is attached to the rear end of the slider 70 by screwing. Therefore, the indicator 90 can move in the front-rear direction together with the slider 70 and the second abutment member 80. The scale panel 28, the second abutment member 80, and the indicator 90 are positioned in advance so that the indicator 90 indicates the inclination angle according to the front-rear position of the second abutment member 80. According to this configuration, the second abutment member 80 can be easily positioned at a position corresponding to the desired cutting angle by moving the slider 70 so that the indicator 90 indicates the desired cutting angle.

[0058] As shown in Figs. 3 and 5, the groove 24 of the ruler body 20 has a plurality of engaged parts 27 arranged along the front-rear direction. In this embodiment, the engaged parts 27 are in the form of recesses recessed toward the opposite side (i.e., the left side) of the slider 70. The engaging part 72 of the slider 70 described above has a shape and size that engages with the engaged parts 27. However, the shapes of the engaged parts 27 and the engaging parts 72 can be changed to any shape as long as they can engage with each other. For example, the engaged parts 27 may be in the form of protrusions, and the engaging parts 72 may be in the form of recesses.

[0059] The position of each of the multiple engaged parts 27 corresponds to the position of the scale on the scale panel 28. In other words, the positions of the multiple engaged parts 27 in the front-rear direction are determined so that when the indicator 90 is at a position indicating one of the numerical values ​​on the scale of the scale panel 28 (a numerical value indicating the cutting angle), the engaging part 72 of the slider 70 engages with the engaged part 27 among the multiple engaged parts 27 that corresponds to the indicated numerical value.

[0060] When the engaging portion 72 is engaged with any of the multiple engaged portions 27, the operational resistance to sliding the slider 70 forward or backward increases. Therefore, when the user moves the slider 70 while watching the scale panel 28 to position the second abutment member 80 at a position corresponding to the desired cutting angle, a click feeling is obtained at the point where the engaged portion 27 and the engaging portion 72 engage. Therefore, the indicator 90 can be easily and accurately positioned at the scale position corresponding to the engagement point.

[0061] As shown in Fig. 5, the engaging portion 72 is disposed between the second contact member 80 and the indicator 90 in the front-rear direction. Therefore, when the slider 70 is moved in the front-rear direction from a state in which the engaged portion 27 and the engaging portion 72 are engaged, the operational resistance (resistance for disengagement) is not biased toward either the side where the second contact member 80 is located or the side where the indicator 90 is located. Therefore, the user can smoothly displace the slider 70 to perform the disengagement operation.

[0062] According to the long ruler 10 described above, when cutting the workpiece 200 with the circular saw 100 as shown in FIG. 13, the user holds the handle portion 31 with one hand and presses the handle portion 31 (and thus the ruler body 20) against the workpiece 200 (in other words, downward). This fixes the position of the ruler body 20 relative to the workpiece 200. In this state, the user can hold the circular saw 100 with the other hand and perform the cutting work. Therefore, the position of the ruler body 20 relative to the workpiece 200 can be fixed without using a jig such as a clamp device, improving user convenience.

[0063] Furthermore, since the relative position of the handle part 31 with respect to the ruler body 20 is changeable, the user can change the relative position of the handle part 31 so as to easily press the handle part 31 against the workpiece 200. Moreover, in this embodiment, since the position of the handle part 31 can be changed steplessly along the longitudinal direction of the ruler body 20, the position of the handle part 31 can be finely adjusted to any desired position.

[0064] Furthermore, the handle device 30 can slide in the front-rear direction and can be fixed to the ruler body 20 by utilizing the guide groove 22 of the ruler body 20. Since the ruler body 20 having the guide groove 22 is a general-purpose product, no structural changes to the ruler body are required when using the handle device 30.

[0065] Furthermore, according to the handle device 30, when the user presses the handle portion 31 against the workpiece 200, the ruler body 20 is pressed against the workpiece 200 via the connecting portion 32, and the support portion 33 is pressed against the workpiece 200. Therefore, the position of the ruler body 20 relative to the workpiece 200 can be fixed more stably. In particular, in this embodiment, the handle portion 31 is disposed on the intermediate portion 34 that connects the connecting portion 32 and the support portion 33. Therefore, the force of the user pressing the handle portion 31 can be distributed in a well-balanced manner to the ruler body 20 and the support portion 33. Moreover, the distance between the portion where the pressing force acts on the ruler body 20 and the portion where the pressing force acts on the support portion 33 is longer in the left-right direction. Therefore, the position of the ruler body 20 relative to the workpiece 200 can be fixed more stably.

[0066] Furthermore, the handle device 30 supports the long ruler 10 with respect to the workpiece 200. The support part 33 has a contact surface 36 formed of an elastic material. This increases the degree of contact between the contact surface 36 and the workpiece 200 when the handle part 31 is pressed. This makes it difficult for the relative positions of the contact surface 36 and the workpiece 200 to shift, and the position of the long ruler 10 relative to the workpiece 200 can be fixed more stably.

[0067] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the above-mentioned embodiments are intended to facilitate understanding of the present invention and do not limit the present invention. The present invention may be modified or improved without departing from the spirit thereof, and the present invention includes equivalents thereof. In addition, any combination or omission of each form element described in the claims and specification is possible within the scope of solving at least a part of the above-mentioned problems or achieving at least a part of the effects.

[0068] For example, the handle device 30 may be configured to be attachable to the ruler body 20 in any manner that utilizes a groove or ridge on the ruler body 20 (or any known ruler body). For example, the handle device 30 may include a position change mechanism configured to slide on the outer upper edge 23 of the guide groove 22 and fix the handle device 30 to the ruler body by laterally tightening the left inner surface and the left outer surface of the guide groove 22.

[0069] Furthermore, the handle device 30 may be modified so that its position in the front-to-rear direction relative to the ruler body 20 (or any known ruler body) can be changed without using grooves or protrusions on the ruler body. For example, the handle device may be used with a ruler body having a number of through holes formed along the front-to-rear direction. Specifically, the handle device may be fixed to the ruler body by using a through hole that corresponds to a desired fixing position among the many through holes.

[0070] Furthermore, in addition to or instead of being configured to be able to change the fixed position in the front-rear direction relative to the ruler body 20 (or any known ruler body), the handle part 31 may be modified to be able to change the fixed position in any direction. For example, if each of the intermediate parts 34 has multiple through holes arranged in the left-right direction, the handle part 31 may be fixed to the ruler body 20 using the through hole corresponding to the desired fixed position. Furthermore, the handle part 31 may be configured to be able to change the orientation relative to the ruler body 20 (or any known ruler body). In this case, the multiple through holes of the intermediate part 34 may be selectively used.

[0071] Furthermore, the handle portion 31 may be disposed at any position in the left-right direction. For example, the handle portion 31 may be disposed on the support portion 33. In this case, the intermediate portion 34 may be omitted. Furthermore, in addition to the intermediate portion 34, the support portion 33 may also be omitted. In this case, the handle portion 31 may be disposed on the connecting portion 32.

[0072] Furthermore, the various embodiments described above are not limited to circular saws, but can be applied to various portable cutting machines, such as cutters, that are configured so that the inclination angle of the main body with respect to the base can be changed.

[0073] The correspondence between each component of the above embodiment and each component of the present invention is shown below. However, each component of the embodiment is merely an example and does not limit each component of the present invention. The long ruler 10 is an example of a "long ruler". The ruler body 20 is an example of a "long ruler body". The handle device 30 is an example of a "handle device". The handle portion 31 is an example of a "handle portion". The position change portion 37 is an example of a "position change portion". The guide groove 22 and the groove 24 are examples of a "groove". The connecting portion 32 is an example of a "connecting portion". The support portion 33 is an example of a "support portion". The middle portion 34 is an example of an "middle portion", a "first middle portion" and a "second middle portion". The elastic member 35 is an example of an "elastic member". The contact surface 36 is an example of an "contact surface". The first contact member 50 is an example of a "first contact member". The first abutment portion 51 is an example of a "first abutment portion." The movable cover abutment portion 52 is an example of a "movable cover abutment portion." The second abutment member 80 is an example of a "second abutment member." The second abutment portion 81 is an example of a "second abutment portion." The scale panel 28 is an example of a "scale." The indicator 90 is an example of an "indicator." The slider 70 is an example of a "slider." The engaged portion 27 is an example of an "engaged portion." The engaging portion 72 is an example of an "engaging portion." [Explanation of symbols]

[0074] 10...Long ruler 20... Ruler body 21...projection 22...Guide groove 23...upper edge 24...Groove 25...lower edge 26...Double section 27...Engaged part 28...Scale panel 30...Handle device 31...Handle section 32...Connection part 33...Support part 34...Middle section 35...Elastic member 36...Abutment surface 37... Position change section 38...Engagement surface 39...Screw 40...Nut 50...First abutment member 51...First contact portion 52... Movable cover contact part 60...Bevel cut assembly 70...Slider 71...Engagement surface 72...Engagement part 80...Second abutment member 81...Second contact part 82...Operation unit 83...Bolt 84...Nut 85...Washer 90...Indicator 100...Circular saw 110...base 115...Groove 120...Main body 121...cutting tools 125...movable cover 126...Front edge 200...Material to be cut 210...Side

Claims

1. 1. A handle device for a long ruler for use with a portable processing machine, comprising: A handle portion, a position change unit capable of changing the relative position of the handle unit with respect to the long ruler body when the handle unit is attached to the long ruler body; A handle device comprising:

2. 2. The handle device according to claim 1, The position changer is configured to be able to change the position of the handle portion steplessly along the longitudinal direction of the long ruler body. Handle device.

3. 3. The handle device according to claim 2, The long ruler body is configured to be slidable in the longitudinal direction and fixed to the long ruler by utilizing a groove or a protrusion extending in the longitudinal direction of the long ruler body. Handle device.

4. 4. The handle device according to claim 3, A connecting part that can be connected to the long ruler body; a support portion having an abutment surface for abutting against an upper surface of a workpiece on the opposite side of the long ruler body with respect to the connecting portion; A handle device comprising:

5. 5. The handle device according to claim 4, an intermediate portion extending between the connecting portion and the supporting portion at a position not abutting an upper surface of the workpiece during use; The handle portion is disposed on the intermediate portion. Handle device.

6. 6. The handle device according to claim 5, the intermediate portion includes a first intermediate portion and a second intermediate portion spaced apart in the longitudinal direction, The handle portion is disposed so as to span between the first intermediate portion and the second intermediate portion. Handle device.

7. A handle device according to any one of claims 4 to 6, The contact surface is formed of an elastic member. Handle device.

8. 1. A long ruler for use with a portable processing machine, comprising: A handle device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, The long ruler body; A long ruler equipped with

9. The long ruler according to claim 8, a first abutment member protruding downward from a lower surface of the long ruler body in such a manner that the position of the first abutment member relative to the long ruler body cannot be changed, the first abutment member having a first abutment portion for abutting against a side surface of the workpiece; a second abutment member that is disposed apart from the first abutment member in the short-side direction of the long ruler body and protrudes downward from the bottom surface of the long ruler body so as to be able to change its position in the long-side direction relative to the long ruler body, the second abutment member having a second abutment portion for abutting against a side surface of the workpiece; Equipped with The second contact member is configured to be slidable in the longitudinal direction and to be fixed to the long ruler body by utilizing a groove extending in the longitudinal direction. Long ruler.

10. The long ruler according to claim 9, the lower surface of the long ruler body is provided with a scale indicating a processing angle determined by the relative position of the first contact member and the second contact member, The long ruler includes a slider that is held in the groove of the long ruler body so as to be slidable in the longitudinal direction, and an indicator that indicates the scale according to a position of the second contact member in the longitudinal direction. Equipped with The slider is connected to the second abutment member and the indicator. Long ruler.

11. The long ruler according to claim 10, The slider includes an engagement portion, The groove of the long ruler body includes a plurality of engaged portions arranged along the longitudinal direction, Each of the plurality of engaged portions has a shape and a size for engaging with the engaging portion so as to increase the operational resistance for sliding the slider. Long ruler.

12. The long ruler according to claim 10, The first contact member is an integrally formed product including the first contact portion and a movable cover contact portion for contacting a movable cover that covers a cutting tool of the portable processing machine. Long ruler.

13. The long ruler according to claim 12, The first contact member is made of synthetic resin. Long ruler.

14. The long ruler according to claim 11, When a side where processing is performed by the portable processing machine is defined as a front side and an opposite side is defined as a rear side, the second contact portion is disposed forward of the indicator, the engagement portion is disposed between the second contact portion and the indicator in the longitudinal direction, Each of the plurality of engaged portions is in the form of a recess recessed toward an opposite side to the slider, The engaging portion is in the form of a protrusion having a shape and size to engage with the recess. Long ruler.

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