Pneumatic tools

Abstract

The present invention provides a pneumatic tool that can secure a cylinder cap protector even with some variation in the precision of the parts, and that also facilitates the assembly of the cylinder cap protector. [Solution] The device comprises a cylinder cap 28 positioned on the opposite side of the fastener driving direction of the striking cylinder 21 and fixed to the body housing 11, a cylinder cap protector 30 covering the cylinder cap 28, an exhaust cover 40 positioned on the side of the body housing 11 and provided with an exhaust hole 41a for discharging air used to operate the pneumatic tool 10 to the outside, a grip 12 extending in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the striking cylinder 21, and a grip cover 50 covering the grip 12, wherein the cylinder cap protector 30 is pressed and fixed from the outside by the grip cover 50.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a pneumatic tool that operates by the air pressure of compressed air supplied to a striking cylinder.

Background Art

[0002] Generally, a cylinder cap is disposed at the upper end of the striking cylinder of these pneumatic tools, and the cylinder cap is covered by a cylinder cap protector.

[0003] The cylinder cap protector needs to be attached so as not to fall off from the cylinder cap. As a technique for attaching the cylinder cap protector, Patent Document 1 discloses a method of locking and fixing a fixing block made of synthetic resin in a mounting hole formed in an exhaust cover, and fitting and fixing this fixing block in an opening formed in the cylinder cap protector.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in the above-described conventional structure, there is a problem that it is necessary to fix the cylinder cap protector while applying tension, and the assembling work is difficult. If the dimension setting is such that the tension is not strongly applied, the assembling work becomes easy, but there is a problem that the cylinder cap protector is likely to come off due to variations in the accuracy of the parts.

[0006] Furthermore, depending on the shape of the cylinder cap protector, it was sometimes necessary to enlarge the exhaust cover to secure the cylinder cap protector, or the edges of the cylinder cap protector would curl up.

[0007] Therefore, the present disclosure aims to provide a pneumatic tool that can fix a cylinder cap protector even if there is some variation in the precision of the parts, and that can also easily assemble the cylinder cap protector. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A pneumatic tool according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a pneumatic tool that drives out a fastener by the air pressure of compressed air supplied to a striking cylinder, comprising: a body housing that houses the striking cylinder; a cylinder cap positioned on the opposite side of the direction in which the striking cylinder drives in the fastener and fixed to the body housing; a cylinder cap protector that covers the cylinder cap; an exhaust cover positioned on the side of the body housing and provided with an exhaust port for discharging the air used to operate the pneumatic tool to the outside; a grip extending in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the striking cylinder; and a grip cover that covers the grip, wherein the cylinder cap protector is pressed and fixed from the outside by the grip cover. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to this disclosure, the cylinder cap protector is secured by being pressed from the outside by the grip cover, eliminating the need for a complex mounting structure and the need to secure the cylinder cap protector while applying tension. Therefore, the cylinder cap protector can be secured even with some variation in the precision of the parts, and the assembly process is also easy.

[0010] Furthermore, since it uses the grip cover found on typical pneumatic tools to secure the cylinder cap protector, there is no need to add any new parts for fastening. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1A] This is a side view of a pneumatic tool. [Figure 1B] This is a plan view of a pneumatic tool. [Figure 2] These are enlarged cross-sections of a pneumatic tool, (a) AA cross-sectional view and (b) BB cross-sectional view. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view of the cylinder cap protector. [Figure 4] (a) Side view, (b) Front view, and (c) Perspective view of the exhaust cover. [Figure 5] (a) Enlarged cross-section (side view) of a part of the pneumatic tool, (b) Enlarged view of section C. [Figure 6] This is a partially enlarged side view of a modified pneumatic tool. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the figures. In the following description, as shown in Figure 1A, the output direction of the drive mechanism 20 (the direction in which the drive mechanism 20 acts on the object, for example, the direction in which the fastener is ejected) will be described as "down," and the opposite direction of the down direction will be described as "up." Also, as shown in Figures 1A and 1B, when viewed in the axial direction of the grip 12, the direction of the body housing 11 will be described as "forward," and the opposite direction of the forward direction will be described as "backward."

[0013] The pneumatic tool 10 according to this embodiment is operated by the air pressure of compressed air supplied to the striking cylinder 21. For example, it is a nail gun that drives fasteners using air pressure. In this embodiment, a nail gun is used as an example of the pneumatic tool 10, but the pneumatic tool 10 is not limited to a nail gun and may be other tools. For example, it may be a screw fastener or other tool that operates with compressed air.

[0014] As shown in Figure 1, the pneumatic tool 10 comprises a body housing 11, a cylinder cap 28, a grip 12, and a nose section 13. The body housing 11, grip 12, and nose section 13 may be made of separate components or of the same component.

[0015] As shown in Figure 2, the body housing 11 is a hollow cylindrical member with an opening at the top. The opening at the top of the body housing 11 is closed by a cylinder cap 28. That is, the combination of the body housing 11 and the cylinder cap 28 creates a space inside the pneumatic tool 10. An air chamber 45 for storing compressed air is formed in this internal space. A drive mechanism 20 for ejecting fasteners is also built into this internal space.

[0016] The drive mechanism 20 can use a well-known structure. The drive mechanism 20 of this embodiment has a piston-cylinder mechanism comprising a striking cylinder 21 and a piston 22. The piston 22 is provided to slide up and down inside the striking cylinder 21. When high-pressure air is supplied to the top of the piston 22, the piston 22 is driven downward by impact. A driver 23 for ejecting fasteners is connected to the bottom of this piston 22. Thus, the driver 23 is driven downward by the piston-cylinder mechanism, and fasteners are ejected.

[0017] The grip 12 is connected to the body housing 11 and extends in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the striking cylinder 21. The grip 12 according to the present embodiment extends in a direction substantially orthogonal to the body housing 11. In other words, the grip 12 is arranged so as to be substantially orthogonal to the axial direction (vertical direction) of the striking cylinder 21. The grip 12 is formed in a rod shape so that an operator can grip it. This grip 12 is covered with a grip cover 50. The grip cover 50 is a member having rubber elasticity. The grip cover 50 according to the present embodiment is a rubber tube-shaped member and is formed to be slightly smaller than the diameter of the grip 12. When attaching the grip cover 50 to the grip 12, it is inserted into the grip 12 in a state where the inner diameter of the grip cover 50 is stretched and widened. When the attachment of the grip cover 50 is completed, the inner diameter of the grip cover 50 shrinks and adheres closely to the grip 12.

[0018] Note that the form of the grip cover 50 is not limited to this. The grip cover 50 may be formed of a synthetic resin or the like that does not have rubber elasticity. Also, the grip cover 50 may be attached to the grip 12 using a fixture such as a screw or a pin.

[0019] At the position where the operator's index finger touches when the operator grips the grip 12, a trigger 15 that can be pulled by the index finger is provided. By the operator operating this trigger 15, the drive mechanism 20 operates. Specifically, when the trigger 15 is operated and the pilot valve 16 (see Fig. 5(a)) opens, the main valve 25 operates in conjunction with this, and high-pressure air is supplied to the upper part of the piston 22. Thereby, the ejection of the fastener is executed.

[0020] The nose portion 13 is integrally provided below the body housing 11. Inside this nose portion 13, an ejection path (not shown) for the fastener is formed. When the drive mechanism 20 operates, the fastener waiting in the ejection path is ejected from the tool tip. A magazine 14 for storing connecting fasteners is continuously provided behind this nose portion 13.

[0021] The cylinder cap 28 is a cylindrical, lid-like member positioned on the opposite side of the fastener insertion direction. This cylinder cap 28 is fixed to the body housing 11 and forms the outer shell of the tool. In this embodiment, both the cylinder cap 28 and the body housing 11 are made of metal.

[0022] As shown in Figure 2(a), the cylinder cap 28 and the body housing 11 are fixed to each other by bolts 28b. In this embodiment, a mounting portion 11a is formed at the upper end of the body housing 11, and a joint portion 28a is formed at the lower end of the cylinder cap 28. The mounting portion 11a and the joint portion 28a are formed in positions opposite to each other. In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, two mounting portions 11a and joint portions 28a (i.e., a total of four) are provided on each side. The cylinder cap 28 and the body housing 11 are fixed together by attaching the bolts 28b with the mounting portions 11a and joint portions 28a stacked vertically.

[0023] As shown in Figure 2(a), the cylinder cap 28 is equipped with a piston stop 26, etc., which stops the piston 22 at top dead center. Furthermore, the metal outer shell member 18, which is composed of the cylinder cap 28 and the body housing 11, is equipped with an air chamber 45 for storing high-pressure air and an exhaust chamber 46 for discharging compressed air from inside the striking cylinder 21 after impact. Specifically, the air chamber 45 is provided between the outer circumference of the striking cylinder 21 and the inner circumference of the metal outer shell member 18. This air chamber 45 communicates with the internal space of the grip 12 and is filled with compressed air supplied from the outside via an air coupler at the rear end of the grip 12. In addition, the exhaust chamber 46 is formed between the outer circumference of the main valve 25 and the inner circumference of the metal outer shell member 18. This exhaust chamber 46 communicates with the outside of the outer shell member 18 at a communication portion 46a formed between the cylinder cap 28 and the body housing 11. This communication portion 46a is covered by an exhaust cover 40, which will be described later.

[0024] A cylinder cap protector 30 and an exhaust cover 40 are attached to the outside of the aforementioned metal outer shell member 18.

[0025] The cylinder cap protector 30 is a component attached to the outside of the cylinder cap 28. The cylinder cap protector 30 is intended to protect the cylinder cap 28. The cylinder cap protector 30 is attached so as to cover at least the top surface of the cylinder cap 28. Therefore, even if the pneumatic tool 10 is accidentally dropped, the cylinder cap 28 will not directly hit the ground. The cylinder cap protector 30 can be made of a synthetic resin such as polypropylene.

[0026] As shown in Figure 3, the cylinder cap protector 30 according to this embodiment comprises a cap cover portion 31 and an extension portion 33. The cap cover portion 31 and the extension portion 33 are integrally molded.

[0027] The cap cover portion 31 is a dish-shaped part that covers the upper surface of the cylinder cap 28. The cap cover portion 31 has a substantially circular top surface portion 31a and a tapered peripheral portion 31c formed from the periphery of the top surface portion 31a. An opening 31b is formed in the center of the top surface portion 31a. Two engagement holes 31d are formed on each side (four in total) of the peripheral portion 31c. These engagement holes 31d are holes for engaging the insertion piece 42b (described later) of the exhaust cover 40.

[0028] The extension portion 33 is a part that extends vertically from the cap cover portion 31 toward the base of the grip 12. As shown in Figure 1, the extension portion 33 extends downward along the cylinder cap 28 and the body housing 11, and its lower end is located near the connection point between the body housing 11 and the grip 12.

[0029] The extension portion 33 has a cap engagement portion 33a that engages with the cylinder cap 28. The cap engagement portion 33a is formed by cutting out a part of the extension portion 33 and is open upward.

[0030] Furthermore, a protruding piece 33b is formed at the tip of the extension portion 33. The protruding piece 33b is a tongue-shaped portion that is formed to be thin towards the tip. The protruding piece 33b is formed to be thinner than the extension portion 33. The protruding piece 33b extends rearward along the grip 12. That is, the protruding piece 33b protrudes rearward from the lower end of the extension portion 33 which extends in the vertical direction, and the extension portion 33 and the protruding piece 33b extend in directions that are substantially perpendicular to each other. In this embodiment, the protruding piece 33b has a stepped shape from the outer surface of the extension portion 33. Preferably, it is stepped down by the thickness of the grip cover 50.

[0031] In this embodiment, the body housing 11 and the grip 12 are integrally molded. The extension portion 33 and the protruding piece 33b cover the inner corner formed when the body housing 11 and the grip 12 meet. That is, the cylinder cap protector 30 according to this embodiment includes an extension portion 33 that extends vertically along the body housing 11 and a protruding piece 33b that extends in the front-rear direction along the grip 12.

[0032] As shown in Figure 5, the protruding piece 33b is inserted into and engages with the inside of the edge portion 50a of the grip cover 50. Since the grip cover 50 according to this embodiment has rubber elasticity, the protruding piece 33b can be pushed into the inside of the grip cover 50. The protruding piece 33b inserted into the inside of the grip cover 50 is pressed and fixed from the outside by the grip cover 50. In other words, the protruding piece 33b formed at the end of the cylinder cap protector 30 is sandwiched and fixed between the grip 12 and the grip cover 50. If the grip cover 50 substantially reaches the body housing 11, the protruding piece 33b may be sandwiched and fixed between the body housing 11 and the grip cover 50. Since the protruding piece 33b according to this embodiment has a stepped shape, when the grip cover 50 presses down on the protruding piece 33b from above, the grip cover 50 overlaps the stepped portion. This prevents a step from being created at the boundary between the cylinder cap protector 30 and the grip cover 50.

[0033] As shown in Figure 2, the exhaust cover 40 is a component positioned on the side of the striking cylinder 21 (body housing 11). In this embodiment, a pair of exhaust covers 40 are attached to both the left and right sides. The internal space covered by the exhaust cover 40 communicates with the internal space of the body housing 11 and constitutes part of the exhaust chamber 46. The exhaust cover 40 can be made of a synthetic resin such as polypropylene.

[0034] As shown in Figure 4, the exhaust cover 40 has an exhaust chamber forming portion 41 and a retaining portion 42. The exhaust chamber forming portion 41 and the retaining portion 42 are integrally molded.

[0035] The exhaust chamber forming section 41 is a part that forms a space communicating with the exhaust chamber 46. As shown in Figure 2(b), the exhaust chamber forming section 41 is provided with an exhaust port 41a that discharges the air used to operate the pneumatic tool 10 to the outside. That is, when the air pressure in the exhaust chamber 46 is higher than that of the outside air, air is allowed to escape through this exhaust port 41a. The exhaust chamber forming section 41 forms a space communicating the exhaust chamber 46 and the exhaust port 41a. A filter may be placed inside the exhaust chamber forming section 41 to prevent machine oil from scattering to the outside.

[0036] Furthermore, a bolt engagement portion 41b is formed on the surface of the exhaust chamber forming portion 41, which engages with the bolt 28b. The bolt engagement portion 41b is a recess that engages with the tip of the bolt 28b. By engaging the bolt 28b with the bolt engagement portion 41b, the exhaust cover 40 can be fixed to the outer shell member 18 (body housing 11 or cylinder cap 28). When the bolt 28b connecting the body housing 11 and the cylinder cap 28 is fastened, the tip of the bolt 28b engages with the bolt engagement portion 41b, so the exhaust cover 40 can also be fixed at the same time. In other words, the exhaust cover 40 can be fixed to the body housing 11 of the pneumatic tool 10 by the fastener that connects the body housing 11 and the cylinder cap 28.

[0037] The retaining portion 42 is a portion that extends upward from the exhaust chamber forming portion 41. The exhaust cover 40 according to this embodiment is equipped with a pair of front and rear retaining portions 42.

[0038] The retaining portion 42 is provided with an engagement window 42a in the middle. As shown in Figures 1 and 2(a), the engagement window 42a is an opening that exposes the connection points (mounting portion 11a and joining portion 28a) between the body housing 11 and the cylinder cap 28. The mounting portion 11a and joining portion 28a protrude outward from this engagement window 42a, making it easy to fasten the bolt 28b. In addition, the tip of the bolt 28b engages with the bolt engagement portion 41b from the outside, and the exhaust cover 40 can be pressed down and fixed from the outside by the bolt 28b.

[0039] Furthermore, an insertion piece 42b is formed at the upper end of the retaining portion 42. The insertion piece 42b is the part that is inserted into the engagement hole 31d of the cylinder cap protector 30. When this insertion piece 42b is inserted into the engagement hole 31d, the exhaust cover 40 can press and fix the cylinder cap protector 30 from the outside, as shown in Figures 2(a) and (b).

[0040] When assembling the cylinder cap protector 30 and exhaust cover 40 to the outer shell member 18, the insertion piece 42b can be inserted into the engagement hole 31d beforehand to allow for a light assembly of both parts. That is, a pair of exhaust covers 40 are hooked onto both sides of the cylinder cap protector 30 to form a unit. After placing this unit over the outer shell member 18 (body housing 11 or cylinder cap 28), the bolts 28b are fastened. This allows the body housing 11, cylinder cap 28, cylinder cap protector 30, and exhaust cover 40 to be fixed simultaneously.

[0041] After securing the exhaust cover 40 with bolt 28b as described above, the protruding piece 33b of the cylinder cap protector 30 can be inserted into the inside of the grip cover 50. Because the grip cover 50 has rubber elasticity, the protruding piece 33b can be inserted into the inside of the grip cover 50 that has been installed beforehand.

[0042] In this embodiment, the cap cover portion 31 of the cylinder cap protector 30 is held down and fixed by the exhaust cover 40, and the extension portion 33 is held down and fixed by the grip cover 50. Therefore, the entire cylinder cap protector 30 can be held down and fixed. In addition, fasteners for fixing the cylinder cap protector 30 are unnecessary, and the number of parts can be minimized.

[0043] As explained above, according to this disclosure, the cylinder cap protector 30 is secured by being pressed from the outside by the exhaust cover 40 and the grip cover 50, so a complex mounting structure is unnecessary, and there is no need to secure the cylinder cap protector 30 while applying tension. Therefore, the cylinder cap protector 30 can be secured even if there is some variation in the precision of the parts, and the assembly work is also easy.

[0044] Furthermore, since the cylinder cap protector 30 is secured using parts (exhaust cover 40 and grip cover 50) that are already present in a typical pneumatic tool 10, there is no need to add any new parts for securing it.

[0045] Furthermore, since the cylinder cap protector 30 is fixed by the exhaust cover 40 positioned to the side of the striking cylinder 21 and the grip cover 50 that covers the grip 12 positioned approximately perpendicular to the axial direction of the striking cylinder 21, even a cylinder cap protector 30 that covers a wide area can be fixed in place.

[0046] In particular, if the cylinder cap protector 30 extends in the direction of the grip 12, there is a risk that the cylinder cap protector 30, which is made of a relatively soft material, may curl up. However, if the portion extending in the direction of the grip 12 is to be held down by the exhaust cover 40 or the like, the exhaust cover 40 will become larger, which may cause another problem as it may interfere with the hand holding the grip 12. In this regard, according to the present disclosure, it is possible to prevent the cylinder cap protector 30 from curling up without adding or increasing the size of parts.

[0047] In the embodiment described above, a protruding piece 33b is formed at the tip of the extension portion 33 of the cylinder cap protector 30, and this protruding piece 33b is pressed down by the grip cover 50. However, the position where the protruding piece 33b is formed can be set arbitrarily. For example, as shown in Figure 6, the protruding piece 33b may be formed at the rear of the cap cover portion 31 without providing the extension portion 33. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0048] 10 Pneumatic Tools 11 Home Housing 11a Mounting part 12 Grips 13 Nose section 14 Magazines 15 Trigger 16 Pilot valve 18 Outer shell member 20 Drive mechanism 21 Striking Cylinder 22 pistons 23 Drivers 25 Main valve 26 Piston Stop 28 Cylinder cap 28a Joint 28b Bolt 30 Cylinder Cap Protector 31 Cap cover section 31a Top section 31b opening 31c Peripheral area 31d Engagement hole 33 Extension part 33a Cap engagement portion 33b Projecting piece 40 Exhaust Cover 41 Exhaust chamber forming section 41a Exhaust port 41b Bolt engagement section 42 Pressing part 42a Engagement window 42b Insert 45 Air Chamber 46 Exhaust Chamber 46a Communication part 50 Grip Covers 50a Edge

Claims

1. A pneumatic tool that uses the air pressure of compressed air supplied to a striking cylinder to launch a fastener, A body housing that houses the striking cylinder, A cylinder cap is positioned on the opposite side of the fastener driving direction of the striking cylinder and is fixed to the body housing, A cylinder cap protector that covers the cylinder cap, An exhaust cover is provided on the side of the body housing and has an exhaust port for discharging the air used to operate the pneumatic tool to the outside, A grip extending in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the striking cylinder, A grip cover that covers the aforementioned grip, It has, The cylinder cap protector is secured by being pressed from the outside by the grip cover. Pneumatic tools.

2. The cylinder cap protector is secured by being pressed from the outside by the exhaust cover and the grip cover. The pneumatic tool according to claim 1.

3. The end of the cylinder cap protector is sandwiched and secured between the body housing or the grip and the grip cover. The pneumatic tool according to claim 1.

4. The grip cover is made of a rubber-elastic material. The pneumatic tool according to claim 1.

5. The exhaust cover is secured to the body housing of the pneumatic tool by fasteners. The pneumatic tool according to claim 1.

6. The cylinder cap protector has a protruding piece, The protruding piece is inserted into and engages with the inner edge of the grip cover. The pneumatic tool according to claim 1.

7. The cylinder cap protector has an extension that extends toward the base of the grip, The aforementioned protruding piece is formed at the tip of the extension portion, The pneumatic tool according to claim 6.

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