Work machine

Abstract

The present invention improves the operability of a work machine. An electric planer 1 having a flat rear base 3 comprises: a housing 2; an electric motor 6 accommodated inside the housing 2; a drive unit 13 including a drive shaft driven by the electric motor 6, and a cutter block 8 provided to the drive shaft; an electric power supply unit 4 for supplying electric power to the drive unit 13, the electric power supply unit 4 being detachably mounted on the housing 2; a first gripping unit 9 provided to one side of the housing 2 in a prescribed direction; and a second gripping unit 10 provided to the other side of the housing 2 in the prescribed direction. The electric power supply unit 4 is mounted between the first gripping unit 9 and the second gripping unit 10 in the prescribed direction.

Description

Work equipment

[0001] The present invention relates to a work machine.

[0002] Conventionally, electric planers driven by electric motors have been used for surface finishing, adjusting the dimensions of wood, etc. Patent Document 1 discloses an electric planer to which a power supply unit is detachably attached.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-127114

[0004] However, there is a demand for improved operability of the work machine.

[0005] A first aspect of the present invention provides a work machine having a planar working unit. The work machine includes a housing, a drive unit housed within the housing and including a motor, a drive shaft driven by the motor, and a processing unit provided on the drive shaft, a power supply unit detachably attached to the housing and supplying power to the drive unit, a first gripping unit provided on one side of the housing in a predetermined direction, and a second gripping unit provided on the other side of the housing in the predetermined direction. The power supply unit is attached between the first gripping unit and the second gripping unit in the predetermined direction.

[0006] A second aspect of the present invention provides a work machine having a planar working unit. The work machine includes a housing, a drive unit housed within the housing and including a motor, a drive shaft driven by the motor, and a processing unit provided on the drive shaft, a power supply unit detachably attached to the housing and supplying power to the drive unit, a first gripping unit provided on one side of the housing in a predetermined direction, and a second gripping unit provided on the other side of the housing in the predetermined direction. When the power supply unit is attached, the center of gravity is located between the first gripping unit and the second gripping unit in the predetermined direction.

[0007] A work machine according to a third aspect of the present invention is a work machine having a planar working unit. The work machine includes a housing, a drive unit housed within the housing and including a motor, a drive shaft driven by the motor, and a processing unit provided on the drive shaft, a first gripping unit provided on one side of the housing in a predetermined direction, a second gripping unit provided on the other side of the housing in the predetermined direction, and a wall portion protruding relative to the second gripping unit in a direction intersecting the predetermined direction and along the planar direction of the working unit.

[0008] A fourth aspect of the present invention provides a work machine comprising a motor, a processing unit rotated by the driving force of the motor, a working unit supporting the processing unit, a front base movable up and down relative to the working unit, and a lifting mechanism operated by an operator to move the front base up and down. The lifting mechanism has an adjustment mechanism that can adjust the operating load when moving the front base up and down.

[0009] A fifth aspect of the present invention provides a work machine capable of performing processing work facing forward, comprising: a motor, a housing that accommodates the motor, a grip provided on the housing and having a switch operable by an operator disposed thereon, a controller that controls the motor based on operation of the switch, a processing unit that rotates by the driving force of the motor, a working unit that supports the processing unit, a front base that is movable up and down relative to the working unit, and a lifting mechanism that is operated by the operator and moves the front base up and down. The controller is located forward of the switch and above the motor.

[0010] According to the present invention, the operability of a work machine can be improved.

[0011] FIG. 1 is an external side view of an electric planer according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the electric planer. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the electric planer. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the interior of the electric planer. FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of the lifting mechanism of the electric planer. (B) shows a state in which the spacer member 16A has been moved downward from the state shown in (A). FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of the lifting mechanism of the electric planer. (B) shows a state in which the grip portion 9A has been moved upward from the state shown in (A). FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the electric planer with the left side of the second grip portion removed. FIG. 8 is a rear external view of the electric planer. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the center of gravity of the electric planer. (A) shows the electric planer according to an embodiment, and (B) shows an electric planer according to a comparative example. FIG. 10 is an external side view of an electric planer according to a first modified example. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the electric planer according to the first modified example. FIG. 12 is a rear external view of the electric planer according to the first modified example. FIG. 13 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of the lifting mechanism of the electric planer of the first modified example. FIG. 14 is a side view of the electric planer. (A) is a partial exterior side view of the electric planer of the modified example, and (B) is a partial cross-sectional view of (A). FIG. 15 is an exterior side view of the electric planer of the second modified example. (A), (B), and (C) each show different holding modes of the power supply unit 4. FIG. 16 is an exterior right side view of the electric planer of the third modified example. FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of the electric planer of the third modified example. FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view of the electric planer taken along line B-B shown in FIG. 16. FIG. 19 is an exterior side view of the belt sander of the fourth modified example. (A) is a side view seen from the left side, and (B) is a side view seen from the right side.

[0012] An electric planer as a working machine according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0013] FIG. 1 is an exterior side view of the electric planer 1, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the electric planer 1 of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the electric planer 1 taken along line A-A in FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is an internal perspective view of the electric planer 1. The electric planer 1 includes a housing 2, a rear base 3, a power supply 4, a control unit 5 (controller), an electric motor 6, a fan 7, a cutter block 8 to which a blade 8A is attached, a first grip 9 (sub-handle), a second grip 10 (main handle), and an elevating mechanism 15. The electric planer 1 is capable of cutting a workpiece by driving the electric motor 6 with power supplied from the power supply 4, and rotating the cutter block 8 with the driving force of the electric motor 6.

[0014] 1 to 4, the direction in which the first gripping portion 9 is provided relative to the power supply unit 4 is defined as the forward direction, and the opposite direction (the direction in which the second gripping portion 10 is provided relative to the power supply unit 4) is defined as the rearward direction. Also, the direction in which the rear base 3 is provided relative to the housing 2 is defined as the downward direction, and the opposite direction (the direction in which the power supply unit 4 is provided relative to the housing 2) is defined as the upward direction. Furthermore, the right side when viewing the electric planer 1 from the rear is defined as the rightward direction, and the opposite direction is defined as the leftward direction. The forward and backward directions correspond to the predetermined directions in the present invention.

[0015] 1, the housing 2 forms the outer shell of the electric planer 1, and a rear base 3 is attached to the downward end face (bottom end face) of the housing 2. The housing 2 has a main body housing 21, a gear housing 22, a front housing 23, and a rear housing 24. As shown in FIG. 2, a motor housing 2A and a wire housing 2C are formed inside the housing 2.

[0016] The main housing 21 forms the main body of the electric planer 1. The main housing 21 houses the electric motor 6, the fan 7, the cutter block 8, and the chip discharge section 11. A motor housing section 2A for housing the electric motor 6 is formed in the approximate center of the interior of the main housing 21 in the front-to-rear direction. An intake port (not shown) is formed on the right side of the main housing 21. The intake port is a plurality of holes that connect the exterior of the housing 2 to the motor housing section 2A. Furthermore, above the portion of the main housing 21 that houses the electric motor 6, i.e., above the motor housing section 2A, a wire housing section 2C is formed as a space (wiring space) for housing the wires 50A (described later). The wire housing section 2C extends rearward above the motor housing section 2A, i.e., above the electric motor 6. In other words, the wire housing section 2C extends rearward from a lower portion of a front connection portion 10B of a second grip section 10 (described later) that is connected to the main housing 21. The wire housing portion 2C is a space that is partially curved so as to fit along the outer periphery of the electric motor 6 .

[0017] The gear housing 22 is provided on the left side of the main body housing 21. The gear housing 22 also closes the left side of the main body housing 21, preventing the fan airflow flowing toward the chip discharge hole 11A (described later) from diffusing outside the housing 2. The gear housing 22 is formed with an air intake 24B.

[0018] The front housing 23 is provided integrally with the main body housing 21 and in front of the main body housing 21. The front housing 23 supports a front base 33 that moves up and down to adjust the cutting depth during cutting. The rear housing 24 is provided integrally with the main body housing 21 and behind the main body housing 21. Wiring 50B, which will be described later, is housed within the rear housing 24.

[0019] <Rear base 3> The rear base 3 is a flat working part that is brought into contact with the upper surface of a workpiece when performing cutting using the electric planer 1. The rear base 3 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape on a plane that is parallel to the front-rear and left-right directions.

[0020] <Electric motor 6> The electric motor 6 is housed in the motor housing portion 2A described above, and has a rotating shaft 6A as shown in Fig. 3. The rotating shaft 6A is a shaft that extends in the left-right direction, straddling the main body housing 21 and the gear housing 22. The rotating shaft 6A is rotatably supported by a ball bearing 21A provided on the right side of the main body housing 21 and a ball bearing 22A provided on the left side. In addition, a pulley 6B is provided on the left end of the rotating shaft 6A and is housed in the gear housing 22.

[0021] The electric motor 6 is, for example, a brushed motor, and is configured to be controllable by a control unit 5 (described later). The electric motor 6 is electrically connected to the power supply unit 4 by wiring 50B, and is driven by power supplied from the power supply unit 4. When the electric motor 6 is driven, the rotating shaft 6A and the pulley 6B are driven to rotate. In other words, the rotating shaft 6A is a drive shaft driven by the electric motor 6. The electric motor 6 is also electrically connected to the control unit 5 (described later) by wiring 50A, and the rotational drive is controlled by the control unit 5.

[0022] <Fan 7> The fan 7 is disposed near the boundary between the main body housing 21 and the gear housing 22, and is provided coaxially with the rotary shaft 6A of the electric motor 6. The fan 7 is rotated together with the rotary shaft 6A in response to the driving of the electric motor 6, and generates a fan-like wind within the housing 2.

[0023] <Cutter block 8> The cutter block 8 is a generally cylindrical member extending in the left-right direction, and is provided in front of and below the electric motor 6 so as to be rotatable relative to the main housing 21 and the gear housing 22. The axis of the cutter block 8 is positioned generally parallel to the axis of the rotation shaft 6A of the electric motor 6. The cutter block 8 includes a cutter block shaft 8B, and a plate-shaped blade 8A extending in the left-right direction is attached to the outer periphery.

[0024] The cutter block shaft 8B extends laterally between the main body housing 21 and the gear housing 22. The cutter block shaft 8B is rotatably supported by a ball bearing 21B on the right side of the main body housing 21 and a ball bearing 22B on the left side. A pulley 8C is provided on the left end of the cutter block shaft 8B and is housed in the gear housing 22. The pulley 8C and the pulley 6B of the rotating shaft 6A are connected by a belt 6C housed in the gear housing 22. Therefore, the rotational force of the rotating shaft 6A is transmitted to the cutter block shaft 8B via the pulley 6B, the belt 6C, and the pulley 8C. The cutting tools 8A are detachably attached to two locations symmetrical about the axis of the cutter block 8 (see FIG. 4). In other words, the cutter block 8 is attached to the rotating shaft 6A, which is the drive shaft, and serves as a processing unit for processing the workpiece.

[0025] In the electric planer 1 of this embodiment, the electric motor 6 , the rotary shaft 6A, and the cutter block 8 constitute a drive unit 13 .

[0026] <Chip discharge section 11> As shown in Fig. 2, the chip discharge section 11 is provided in front of the electric motor 6 and has a chip discharge hole 11A, a communication hole 11B, and an intake hole 11C. The chip discharge hole 11A is a hole that penetrates the main body housing 21 in the left-right direction and extends approximately parallel to the axial direction (left-right direction) of the rotation shaft 6A of the electric motor 6. The chip discharge hole 11A is formed above the cutter block 8 and in front of the electric motor 6. The open end on the right side of the chip discharge hole 11A corresponds to an exhaust port.

[0027] The left opening of the chip discharge hole 11A and the left end of the motor housing 2A are connected by a communication hole 11B. The communication hole 11B is blocked at its upper end by a fan guard 7A (see FIG. 4). Therefore, the fan air generated by the fan 7 is prevented from flowing toward the motor housing 2A and flows from the motor housing 2A to the chip discharge hole 11A through the communication hole 11B. The intake hole 11C is formed in a portion of the main body housing 21 facing the upper front side of the cutter block 8. Chips generated during cutting of the cutter block 8 are taken into the chip discharge hole 11A through the intake hole 11C and are discharged to the outside of the housing 2 from the right opening of the chip discharge hole 11A.

[0028] <Power supply unit 4> The power supply unit 4 is a battery pack that is detachably attached to an attachment unit 12 provided on the second gripping unit 10, which will be described later. The power supply unit 4 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape and houses a battery group (cell unit) made up of a plurality of lithium battery cells or the like. When attached to the electric planer 1, the power supply unit 4 is electrically connected to a connection terminal 12A provided on the attachment unit 12, which will be described later. The power supply unit 4 supplies power to a drive unit 13 having an electric motor 6 in accordance with the control of the control unit 5.

[0029] <Control Unit 5 (Controller)> The control unit 5 is provided above the electric motor 6 and is housed in a control unit housing 2B provided near the lower end of a front connection portion 10B (described later). In other words, the control unit 5 is disposed at a position farther away from (higher than) the rear base 3 than the electric motor 6 in the up-down direction perpendicular to the rear base 3. The control unit 5 controls the supply of power from the power supply unit 4 to a drive unit 13 having the electric motor 6, and the drive of the electric motor 6, in response to operation of the trigger switch 10E. The control unit 5 corresponds to the controller of the present invention.

[0030] <Lifting Mechanism 15> Figures 5(A) and 5(B) are partial cross-sectional views showing the vicinity of the lifting mechanism 15 of the electric planer 1. The lifting mechanism 15 is operated by a user (operator) to move the front base 33 up and down (raise and lower). The lifting mechanism 15 includes the front base 33, the first gripping portion 9, and a rotation shaft 9D. The lifting mechanism 15 also has an adjustment mechanism 16 (described below) that can adjust the operating load when moving the front base 33 up and down. By moving the front base 33 up and down, the cutting depth into the workpiece during cutting can be adjusted. In other words, the lifting mechanism 15 functions as a cutting depth adjustment mechanism.

[0031] <Front base 33> The front base 33 supported by the front housing 23 is part of the lifting mechanism 15 and has a base 33A and a female screw 33B. The lower part of the base 33A is formed in a substantially rectangular shape on a plane parallel to the front-rear and left-right directions. During operation, the lower surface (bottom surface) of the base 33A slides on the workpiece. The lower part of the base 33A is located near the lower end surface of the front housing 23. Inside the front housing 23, a female screw 33B extending in the up-down direction is attached to the base 33A by a fixing means such as press fitting. Although the base 33A and the female screw 33B are separate members, they may be formed from a single member.

[0032] <First Grip 9> The first grip 9 includes a grip 9A and a nut 9F fixed inside the grip 9A. The grip 9A is provided on the upper part of the front housing 23. The lower end of the grip 9A is located above the upper end 25 of the housing 2. That is, the grip 9A is located farther from the rear base 3 (i.e., higher) than the upper end 25, which is the vertex of the housing 2. When a user (operator) uses the electric planer 1, the grip 9A is held with one hand or fingers. The grip 9A is also connected to the rotary shaft 9D via a nut 9F that is threadedly engaged with the rotary shaft 9D (near the upper end). That is, the first grip 9 is threadedly engaged with the rotary shaft 9D. Therefore, the first grip 9 can move (screw) relative to the rotary shaft 9D in the vertical direction. As will be described later, the grip portion 9A also functions as a part that is rotated when adjusting the operating load of the lifting mechanism 15.

[0033] The nut 9F is a metal nut (nylon nut) with a nylon ring embedded in the upper part, and the nylon ring prevents the grip portion 9A from easily rotating relative to the rotation shaft 9D. The nut 9F is fixed to the inside of the resin grip portion 9A by a fixing means such as integral molding.

[0034] <Rotation shaft 9D> The rotation shaft 9D is provided inside the grip portion 9A and the front housing 23 along the vertical direction. That is, a portion of the rotation shaft 9D is located inside the grip portion 9A. The upper portion of the rotation shaft 9D is male-threaded and is threadedly engaged with a nut 9F. The lower portion of the rotation shaft 9D is formed with a male-threaded 9E and is threadedly engaged with the female-threaded 33B located inside the front housing 23. As will be described in detail later, the rotation shaft 9D is configured to be rotated by operating at least one of the grip portion 9A and the operating portion 9C.

[0035] <Adjustment Mechanism 16> The adjustment mechanism 16 adjusts the operating load (the load of the lifting operation by the lifting mechanism 15) when moving the front base 33 up and down. Specifically, the adjustment mechanism 16 is a mechanism capable of adjusting the frictional force generated on the rotation shaft 9D. That is, the adjustment mechanism 16 is a mechanism capable of adjusting the magnitude of the load applied when rotating the grip portion 9A or the operating portion 9C. The rotation shaft 9D slides on the front housing 23, and the frictional force is generated by the sliding between the rotation shaft 9D and the front housing 23. The adjustment mechanism 16 can change the magnitude of this frictional force. Friction occurs at a frictional force generating point P1, which is the sliding portion between the rotation shaft 9D and the front housing 23 shown in FIG. 5 . The adjustment mechanism 16 includes a spacer member 16A, an operating portion 9C, and an elastic body 16B.

[0036] <Spacer Member 16A> The spacer member 16A is disposed between the upper surface of the front housing 23 and the lower end surface of the grip portion 9A. The spacer member 16A is formed in an annular shape, and the rotation shaft 9D is disposed in a hole 16C. The spacer member 16A contacts the lower end surface of the grip portion 9A at its upper end and contacts the elastic body 16B at its lower end. The spacer member 16A is fixed to the rotation shaft 9D by a screw member 16D (see FIG. 3).

[0037] When the screw member 16D is loosened, the hole 16C becomes larger, weakening the fixing force of the spacer member 16A to the rotary shaft 9D, allowing the spacer member 16A to move up and down relative to the rotary shaft 9D. When the screw member 16D is tightened, the hole 16C becomes smaller, clamping the rotary shaft 9D with the spacer member 16A. This fixes the position of the spacer member 16A relative to the rotary shaft 9D. When the screw member 16D is loosened, the movement of the spacer member 16A is restricted by the grip portion 9A. In other words, by changing the position of the grip portion 9A with the screw member 16D loosened, the position (movable range) of the spacer member 16A relative to the rotary shaft 9D can be changed. Because the spacer member 16A is constantly biased upward by the elastic body 16B (described later), it moves up and down following the up and down movement of the grip portion 9A when the screw member 16D is loosened.

[0038] When the spacer member 16A is fixed to the rotating shaft 9D, the grip portion 9A abuts against the spacer member 16A, limiting the range of movement (the range in which it can be threaded). When the grip portion 9A is moved downward while the spacer member 16A is fixed, the screw action causes the lower surface of the grip portion 9A to abut firmly against the upper surface of the spacer member 16A, causing the grip portion 9A and the spacer member 16A to rotate integrally. For convenience, this state is referred to as the grip portion 9A and the spacer member 16A being integrated together.

[0039] In this case, because the spacer member 16A is fixed to the rotating shaft 9D, the rotating shaft 9D can be rotated by rotating the grip 9A. Therefore, when the user rotates the grip 9A, the rotating shaft 9D rotates relative to the front housing 23. To firmly integrate the grip 9A and the spacer member 16A, for example, the user can screw the grip 9A downward while preventing the spacer member 16A from rotating. To release the integrated state, the user can screw the grip 9A upward while preventing the spacer member 16A from rotating. Note that in the normal state (during operation), the grip 9A and the spacer member 16A are integrated, and the rotating shaft 9D can be rotated by operating either the grip 9A or the operating part 9C.

[0040] <Operation Unit 9C> The operation unit 9C is fixed to the spacer member 16A. The operation unit 9C extends downward from the position where it is fixed to the spacer member 16A. More specifically, the operation unit 9C is curved so that it hangs down forward. The lower end of the operation unit 9C has a protruding portion that can be hooked by a finger to improve operability. When using the electric planer 1, the user can hold the operation unit 9C by wrapping one hand around it (with the palm facing backward), for example. By fixing the spacer member 16A to the rotation shaft 9D, the operation unit 9C can rotate integrally with the rotation shaft 9D. Therefore, when the user rotates the operation unit 9C, the rotation shaft 9D rotates relative to the front housing 23.

[0041] <Elastic Body 16B> The elastic body 16B is, for example, a Belleville spring (spring member). The upper side of the elastic body 16B is supported by the spacer member 16A, and the lower side is supported by the front housing 23. When the screw member 16D is tightened to fix the position of the spacer member 16A on the rotary shaft 9D, the spacer member 16A and the rotary shaft 9D become one unit. As a result, the rotary shaft 9D is constantly biased upward by the elastic member 16B. When the grip 9A is rotated, a frictional force is generated at the frictional force generating point P1 between the rotary shaft 9D and the front housing 23. By loosening the screw member 16D to allow the spacer member 16A to move vertically relative to the rotary shaft 9D, and then rotating the grip 9A (moving it vertically), the spacer member 16A moves vertically, thereby changing the compression amount of the elastic body 16B. In other words, the compression amount of the elastic body 16B can be changed by manipulating the grip 9A.

[0042] By changing the compression amount of the elastic body 16B, it is possible to change the magnitude of the friction generated at the friction force generating point P1. As a result, in the electric planer 1, the operating load of the grip 9A when turning the grip 9A to rotate the rotation shaft 9D and move the front base 33 up and down can be adjusted according to the compression amount of the elastic body 16B. In other words, the operating load of the grip 9A when turning the grip 9A to move the front base 33 up and down can be adjusted to be heavier or lighter.

[0043] A method for adjusting the cutting depth using the lifting mechanism 15 will be described below.

[0044] The cutting depth is adjusted by the user rotating the grip 9A or the operating unit 9C. When the user rotates the grip 9A or the operating unit 9C, the rotation shaft 9D rotates. This rotation of the rotation shaft 9D causes the female thread 33B, which is threadedly engaged with the male thread 9E, to move up and down relative to the male thread 9E. In response to this movement of the female thread 33B, the front base 33 to which the female thread 33B is attached moves up and down relative to the front housing 23. As a result, the vertical position (height) of the front base 33 relative to the rear base 3 changes, and the amount by which the blade 8A protrudes downward from the underside of the base 33A changes, thereby adjusting the cutting depth during cutting.

[0045] The adjustment of the operating load of the lifting mechanism 15 by the adjustment mechanism 16 will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 5(A) to 6(B).

[0046] FIGS. 5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating the adjustment procedure for changing the operating load of the lifting mechanism 15 from a low state to a high state, and FIGS. 6A and 6B are diagrams illustrating the procedure for reducing the operating load (adjusting from a high state to a low state). To adjust the operating load of the lifting mechanism 15 to a high load, first loosen the screw member 16D to free the spacer member 16A (allowing it to move up and down) relative to the rotation shaft 9D. FIGS. 5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating the state in which the screw member 16D is loosened. With the screw member 16D loosened, the grip portion 9A and the spacer member 16A are no longer integrated. Therefore, rotation of the spacer member 16A due to rotation of the grip portion 9A is prevented.

[0047] FIG. 5A shows a state in which the spacer member 16 (grip portion 9A) is in the upper position, and the amount of compression of the elastic body 16B is small (frictional force at frictional force generating point P1 is small). FIG. 5B shows a state in which the spacer member 16 (grip portion 9A) is in the lower position, and the amount of compression of the elastic body 16B is large (friction at frictional force generating point P1 is large). As described above, when the screw member 16D is loosened, the user can rotate the grip portion 9A in the state shown in FIG. 5A and move it downward (screw it downward) to compress the elastic body 16B while suppressing the rotation of the spacer member 16A, thereby achieving the state shown in FIG. 5B. Then, the adjustment is completed by integrating the grip portion 9A and the spacer member 16A from the state shown in FIG. 5B (by tightening the screw member 16D and then firmly abutting the grip portion 9A and the spacer member 16A against each other). When the screw member 16D is loosened, the grip portion 9A and the spacer member 16A are no longer integrated together. Therefore, the rotation of the spacer member 16A due to the rotation of the grip portion 9A is prevented, and as shown in Figures 5(A) and 5(B), even if the position of the grip portion 9A is changed, the rotational position of the operating portion 9C can be prevented from changing.

[0048] In this way, the operating load of the grip portion 9A when rotating the grip portion 9A to move the front base 33 up and down can be changed from a state in which the operating load of the grip portion 9A is small (light), i.e., the grip portion 9A can be rotated with a small load, to a state in which the operating load of the grip portion 9A when rotating the grip portion 9A to move the front base 33 up and down is large (heavy), i.e., a large load is required to rotate the grip portion 9A.

[0049] 5A and 5B, the front housing 23 includes a washer (intervening member) 17 interposed in the area where the rotating shaft 9D and the front housing 23 slide. That is, the metal plate-shaped washer 17 is interposed in the area where the rotating shaft 9D and the front housing 23 slide. Furthermore, a metal plate-shaped washer (intervening member) 18 is interposed in the area where the elastic body 16B and the front housing 23 contact each other. In this way, the intervening metal washer 17 can smooth the rotation of the rotating shaft 9D relative to the front housing 23. Furthermore, the intervening metal washer 18 can prevent damage to the front housing 23 caused by the biasing force of the elastic body 16B.

[0050] The adjustment procedure for changing the operating load of the grip 9A from a large state to a small state will be described below with reference to Figures 6(A) and 6(B). Figure 6 shows the state in which the spacer member 16A is fixed to the rotation shaft 9D (the screw member 16D is tightened), Figure 6(A) is a partial cross-sectional view showing the state in which the grip 9A is in the lower position, and Figure 6(B) is a partial cross-sectional view showing the state in which the grip 9A is in the upper position.

[0051] First, the grip portion 9A and the spacer member 16A are released from the state shown in FIG. 6(A). Then, the grip portion 9A is moved upward (screwed) to reach the state shown in FIG. 6(B). In the state shown in FIG. 6(B), the spacer member 16A can be moved upward more than in the state shown in FIG. 6(A). This allows the grip portion 9A to move upward relative to the spacer member 16A. Then, in the state shown in FIG. 6(B), the screw member 16D securing the spacer member 16A is loosened. This causes the spacer member 16A to move upward due to the biasing force of the elastic body 16B, resulting in, for example, the state shown in FIG. 5(A) (a state with a low operating load). Alternatively, the screw member 16D may be loosened and then the grip portion 9A rotated to reduce the operating load.

[0052] <Second Grip Portion 10> The second grip portion 10 is provided on the rear side of the housing 2, i.e., above the main housing 21 and the rear housing 24. In other words, the first grip portion 9 and the second grip portion 10 are arranged in the front-to-rear direction on the housing 2. From another perspective, the second grip portion 10 is provided on the other side (rear side) of the housing 2, relative to the one side (front side) on which the first grip portion 9 is provided. Therefore, it can be said that the second grip portion 10 and the first grip portion 9, which has the grip portion 9A provided above the upper end 25 of the housing 2 and extends in the vertical direction, overlap in the vertical direction (i.e., in the direction perpendicular to the rear base 3). Furthermore, because the grip portion 9A of the first grip portion 9 is provided above the upper end 25 of the main housing 21 of the housing 2, as described above, it can be said that the first grip portion 9 and the second grip portion 10 are provided on a plane parallel to the rear base 3. That is, at least a portion of the second gripping portion 10 and the first gripping portion 9 is at the same position in the up-down direction.

[0053] The second gripping part 10 is formed so as to be separable into left and right parts along a center line along the front-to-rear direction of the electric planer 1. Figure 7 is a perspective view of the electric planer 1 with the left side of the second gripping part 10 removed. Note that Figure 7 shows the electric planer 1 with the power supply unit 4 removed.

[0054] The second grip part 10 is composed of a grip part main body 10A, a front connection part 10B, and a rear connection part 10C. The front connection part 10B and the rear connection part 10C are parts that connect the grip part main body 10A and the housing 2, but in this application, they are also described as part of the second grip part 10. The front connection part 10B is connected to the housing 2 at an upper part of the main body housing 21 and behind the chip discharge hole 11A. Specifically, the front connection part 10B is connected to the main body housing 21 above the electric motor 6.

[0055] The control unit accommodating portion 2B described above is provided in the front connecting portion 10B near the position where the front connecting portion 10B connects to the main body housing 21. An opening 211 is formed in a part of the upper portion of the main body housing 21. A wiring 50A that electrically connects the control unit 5 accommodated in the control unit accommodating portion 2B to the electric motor 6 is inserted through this opening 211. When the left member of the second grip portion 10 is attached, the opening 211 is shielded from the outside by this left member.

[0056] The front connection portion 10B extends toward the upper rear at an incline relative to the vertical direction. From another perspective, the front connection portion 10B inclines more rearward relative to the direction perpendicular to the rear base 3 (vertical direction) as it moves away from the rear base 3. The front connection portion 10B inclines at an angle of approximately 65° relative to the vertical direction. The incline is not limited to 65° and can be in the range of 60° to 70°, for example. The front connection portion 10B (mainly its front portion) is provided with a mounting portion 12 for mounting the power supply unit 4, which will be described later. The wiring 50A extending downward from the lower portion of the front connection portion 10B is inserted into the wiring accommodating portion 2C of the housing 2 through the opening 211.

[0057] The grip body 10A is connected to the rear of the front connection portion 10B and extends downward and rearward above the main housing 21 and the rear housing 24. The grip body 10A has a generally cylindrical shape and is held by one of the user's hands when using the electric planer 1. A switch mechanism 10D and a trigger switch 10E are provided inside the grip body 10A.

[0058] FIG. 1 shows an axis A extending in the extension direction of the grip body 10A, a portion of an imaginary plane p that is flush with the underside of the rear base 3, and an angle r formed between the axis A and the plane p. The axis A extends in the extension direction of the grip body 10A and serves as the grip axis of the grip body 10A. The axis A is a straight line passing through the center of one end of the grip body 10A and the center of the other end of the grip body 10A. Because the grip body 10A has a shape that curves backward for ease of use, the straight axis A does not necessarily pass through the center of the grip body 10A. The axis A is perpendicular to the left-right direction.

[0059] The angle r is approximately 65°. Therefore, the grip body 10A is configured to rise upward and tilt forward. In order to achieve the effects described below, the angle r should be in the range of 50° to 90°. Furthermore, the angle r should be in the range of 60° to 80°. In other words, the grip body 10A (axis A) may be configured to extend at an angle parallel to the vertical direction or at an acute angle (obtuse angle with respect to the rear base 3) with respect to the vertical direction.

[0060] The switch mechanism 10D is housed inside the grip body 10A and is electrically connected to the control unit 5. The trigger switch 10E is provided on the front lower side of the grip body 10A. Therefore, the control unit 5 is disposed further forward than the trigger switch 10E. As described above, because the wire housing 2C extends rearward from the rear lower part of the front connection part 10B, the trigger switch 10E overlaps with the wire housing 2C in the up-down direction (i.e., the direction perpendicular to the rear base 3).

[0061] When the user presses the trigger switch 10E upward, the switch mechanism 10D outputs a signal (operation signal) indicating that the trigger switch 10E has been operated to the control unit 5. When the operation signal is output, the control unit 5 causes the power supply unit 4 to supply power to the electric motor 6. In other words, the trigger switch 10E is a switch that is operated by the user to switch between starting and stopping the electric motor 6.

[0062] The rear connection portion 10C has a generally cylindrical shape similar to that of the grip portion main body 10A, and connects the rear portion of the grip portion main body 10A to the upper rear end of the rear housing 24. In other words, the rear connection portion 10C is a connection portion formed at the end of the second grip portion 10 on the second direction side, which is opposite to the direction (first direction) from the power supply unit 4 toward the first grip portion 9, and the second grip portion 10 connects to the housing 2 at this connection portion.

[0063] An opening 212 is formed in the upper surface of the rear housing 24 in an area surrounded by the rear connection portion 10C. The above-mentioned wiring 50B is inserted through this opening 212. That is, the wiring 50B connecting the power supply unit 4 and the electric motor 6 passes through the inside of the second grip portion 10 and is inserted into the rear housing 24 via the opening 212.

[0064] As described above, the rear base 3 is attached below the housing 2. Therefore, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, at least a portion of the rear connection portion 10C is located forward of the rear (second direction) end portion 3A of the rear base 3, i.e., on the first grip portion 9 side. Because the second grip portion 10 has the above-described shape, it can be said that the second grip portion 10 extends from the rear connection portion 10C, which is the connection portion on the second direction side, toward the first grip portion 9, which is located on the upper front side, along a direction intersecting with the plane of the rear base 3.

[0065] 1 and 2 , the mounting portion 12 is provided on the front connection portion 10B. Specifically, the mounting portion 12 is provided on the front side of the front connection portion 10B of the second grip portion 10, i.e., on the side of the second grip portion 10 facing the first grip portion 9. The power supply unit 4 is detachably attached to the mounting portion 12. The mounting portion 12 has a connection terminal 12A electrically connected to the attached power supply unit 4 and a wall portion 12B connected to the front connection portion 10B of the second grip portion 10. The connection terminal 12A is electrically connected to the control unit 5.

[0066] FIG. 8 is an external view of the electric planer 1 as viewed from the rear. Note that FIG. 8 illustrates a case where the power supply unit 4 is not attached to the electric planer 1. As shown in FIG. 8, the wall portion 12B has a shape that protrudes in the left-right direction relative to the front connection portion 10B. Also, as shown in FIG. 1, the wall portion 12B is formed along the vertical direction. That is, the wall portion 12B protrudes relative to the second grip portion 10 in the left-right direction that intersects with the front-rear direction in which the first grip portion 9 and the second grip portion 10 are arranged. Therefore, a user can press the right and left sides of the wall portion 12B with, for example, the thumb and index finger of the hand holding the second grip portion 10, and operate the trigger switch 10E with the middle finger. This allows the user to control the traveling direction of the electric planer 1 (to resist a reaction force or fine-tune the direction) by adjusting the force applied by the finger pressing the wall portion 12B.

[0067] The power supply unit 4 is attached from above, away from the rear base 3, downward toward the housing 2, along a direction intersecting the rear base 3 (the direction in which the front connection portion 10B is inclined). Specifically, the attachment direction of the power supply unit 4 is from the upper rear to the lower front, along the inclination of the front connection portion 10B of the second grip portion 10. The power supply unit 4 is slid along this attachment direction to be attached to the attachment portion 12. In this case, the longitudinal direction of the power supply unit 4 is slid along the attachment direction. When attached to the attachment portion 12, the longitudinal direction of the power supply unit 4 is inclined relative to the up-down direction in accordance with the inclination of the attachment portion 12. This contributes to a more compact vertical direction of the electric planer 1 compared to when the longitudinal direction of the power supply unit 4 is attached parallel to the up-down direction.

[0068] Because the mounting portion 12 is provided in front of the front connection portion 10B, the first grip portion 9 and the mounting portion 12 are provided on a plane parallel to the rear base 3. In other words, at least a portion of the first grip portion 9 and the mounting portion 12 are at the same height (vertical position). Therefore, the power supply unit 4 is mounted between the first grip portion 9 and the second grip portion 10 on a plane parallel to the rear base 3. As described above, the front connection portion 10B is connected to the main body housing 21 above the electric motor 6, and the mounting portion 12 is provided in front of this front connection portion 10B. Therefore, the power supply unit 4 mounted on the mounting portion 12 is located above the electric motor 6 and the cutter block 8 located in front of the electric motor 6. In other words, at least a portion of the power supply unit 4 overlaps with the drive unit 13 when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the rear base 3 (vertical direction).

[0069] 9A shows a schematic diagram of the center of gravity G1 when the power supply unit 4 is attached to the electric planer 1 of this embodiment, and FIG. 9B shows a schematic diagram of the center of gravity G2 when the power supply unit 400 is attached to the electric planer 100 of the comparative example. In the electric planer 100 of the comparative example, the power supply unit 400 is attached to the rear end of the housing 200.

[0070] 9A , in the electric planer 1 of this embodiment, the power supply unit 4 is attached between the first gripping unit 9 and the second gripping unit 10 in the front-to-rear direction. Therefore, the center of gravity G1 is located below the power supply unit 4. More specifically, the center of gravity G1 is located between the first gripping unit 9 and the second gripping unit 10 near the center of the electric planer 1 in the front-to-rear direction, near the front upper side of the electric motor 6. In other words, the center of gravity G1 of the electric planer 1 of this embodiment is located between the user's hand holding the first gripping unit 9 and the user's hand holding the second gripping unit 10.

[0071] In contrast, the electric planer 100 of the comparative example has a mounting portion 120 at the rear end of the second gripping portion 110, which is provided on the upper part of the housing 200 behind the first gripping portion 900, and is configured so that the power supply unit 400 is mounted to this mounting portion 120. That is, in the electric planer 100 of the comparative example, the power supply unit 400 is mounted at the rear end of the housing 200, i.e., the rear end of the second gripping portion 110. Therefore, in the electric planer 100 of the comparative example, the center of gravity G2 is located rearward of the center of the electric motor 600, as shown in FIG. 9B . That is, the center of gravity G2 is located below the hand of the user holding the second gripping portion 110 of the electric planer 100 of the comparative example.

[0072] Here, we will explain the operation of the electric planer 1. The electric planer 1 is a working machine that performs work by sliding it over the top surface of a workpiece such as wood. Specifically, while the cutter block shaft 8B is aligned in the left-right direction, the grip body 10A is grasped and the trigger switch 10E is pressed (pulled) to drive the electric motor 6 and rotate the cutter block 8. Then, the front base 33 and rear base 3 are placed on the top surface of the wood and pushed forward to perform work.

[0073] The blade 8A held by the cutter block 8 protrudes downward from the underside of the front base 33 depending on the vertical position of the front base 33, and the amount of processing of the wood depends on the amount of this protrusion. In reality, the blade 8A protrudes downward from the front base 33 only a small amount, and is configured to scrape off (cut) a small amount of the top surface of the wood. By repeating this process, the top surface of the wood can be made uniformly flat.

[0074] At this time, if the main body (front base 33, rear base 3) floats upward from the wood, the amount of cutting by the blade 8A will change, so the user (operator) works by pressing the electric planer 1 downward from above to prevent it from floating up. For this reason, it is recommended that the grip main body 10A be angled along the front-to-rear direction.

[0075] In addition to the above-described process of forming a flat surface, the electric planer 1 may also be used to finish curved surfaces. For example, it may be used on furniture with a ruled surface or a surfboard with a complex curved surface. That is, it may be used to process the surface of a workpiece (plate material) that has a surface that slopes both forward and backward and left and right when the width direction is the up-down direction. In this case, the electric planer 1 must be slid (slid) on the curved surface, and if the holding force of the electric planer 1 is lost, the electric planer 1 will slip and fall off the workpiece. Therefore, when processing such curved surfaces, the ease of maintaining the electric planer 1 in its vertical position may be prioritized over the ease of pressing it downward.

[0076] Furthermore, while flat surface machining typically involves pushing the electric planer 1 forward, curved surface machining requires more delicate work, and so the electric planer 1 may be slid from the operator's right hand to the operator's left hand (or vice versa). Therefore, the operator needs to hold the electric planer 1 in a balanced manner with both the first gripping portion 9 and the second gripping portion 10. Therefore, it is preferable that the grip axis is aligned vertically (at an acute angle with or parallel to the vertical direction) so that operation in the left-right direction (the direction in which the front base 33 and rear base 3 are aligned) can be easily performed from the operator's perspective.

[0077] Furthermore, there are cases where the electric planer 1 is tilted in a direction intersecting the cutting direction during machining. That is, for example, when working by moving the electric planer 1 forward, the alignment direction of the front base 33 and the rear base 3 may be tilted to the left or right during machining. By doing so, the extension direction of the blade 8A is tilted with respect to the cutting direction, which changes the load on the cutter block 8 and makes it easier to control the work. Even in such cases where the electric planer 1 is tilted during work, it is preferable that the grip axis is aligned in the vertical direction.

[0078] As described above, the electric planer 1 of this embodiment has a center of gravity G1 located further forward than the center of gravity G2 of the electric planer 100 of the comparative example. This allows the user to grip the electric planer 1 with approximately equal gripping force in both hands when processing a workpiece by holding the first gripping portion 9 with one hand and the second gripping portion 10 with the other hand, improving operability. In particular, in the above-described curved surface processing, the electric planer 1 is operably slid from the operator's right hand side to the operator's left hand side.

[0079] According to the above-described embodiment, at least one of the following advantageous effects can be obtained.

[0080] (1) The electric planer 1 includes a first gripping portion 9 provided on one side (front) of the housing 2 and a second gripping portion 10 provided on the other side (rear) of the housing 2. The power supply unit 4 is mounted between the first gripping portion 9 and the second gripping portion 10 on a plane parallel to the rear base 3. This allows the power supply unit 4 to be located in the space between the first gripping portion 9 and the second gripping portion 10, making it possible to reduce the size of the electric planer 1 in the front-to-rear direction compared to the electric planer 100 of the comparative example shown in FIG. 9(B). Furthermore, since the first gripping portion 9, the second gripping portion 10, and the power supply unit 4 are located on a plane parallel to the rear base 3, this also contributes to reducing the size of the electric planer 1 in the vertical direction. Because the electric planer 1 can be reduced in size in the vertical and horizontal directions, the operability of the electric planer 1 can be improved.

[0081] (2) The electric planer 1 includes a first gripping portion 9 provided on one side (front) of the housing 2 and a second gripping portion 10 provided on the other side (rear) of the housing 2. When the power supply unit 4 is attached, the center of gravity is located between the first gripping portion 9 and the second gripping portion 10 on a plane parallel to the rear base 3. In other words, the center of gravity is located near the center of the electric planer 1 in the front-to-rear direction. This allows the user to grip the electric planer 1 with approximately equal gripping force in both hands when machining a workpiece by holding the first gripping portion 9 with one hand and the second gripping portion 10 with the other, improving operability. In particular, maintaining the vertical position is important when machining curved surfaces, and such a center of gravity positioning makes it easier to hold the electric planer 1 and improves workability.

[0082] (3) The electric planer 1 includes a first gripping portion 9 provided on one side (front) of the housing 2, a second gripping portion 10 provided on the other side (rear) of the housing 2, and a mounting portion 12 to which the power supply unit 4 is attached. The mounting portion 12 has a wall portion 12B that protrudes relative to the second gripping portion 10 in a direction (left-right direction) that intersects with the direction in which the first gripping portion 9 and the second gripping portion 10 are arranged (front-rear direction). This allows the left-right tilt of the electric planer 1 during cutting to be adjusted by pressing the wall portion 12B with the thumb or index finger of the hand holding the second gripping portion 10. As a result, the electric planer 1 is easy to operate when cutting a curved surface of a workpiece using the electric planer 1.

[0083] (4) The first gripping portion 9 extends in a direction (vertical direction) perpendicular to the rear base 3. This causes the grip axis of the first gripping portion 9 to be aligned in the vertical direction. The first gripping portion 9 also overlaps with the second gripping portion 10 in the vertical direction. As a result, the user can easily grip the electric planer 1 and easily fine-tune the position of the electric planer 1 on the workpiece to improve machining accuracy, thereby improving convenience for the user.

[0084] (5) The grip portion (the grip body 10A) of the second gripping unit 10 extends in a direction perpendicular to the rear base 3 (the vertical direction). The grip body 10A is not parallel to the vertical direction. That is, the grip body 10A extends diagonally. This also makes it easier for the user to grip the electric planer 1 and allows for easy fine-tuning of the position of the electric planer 1 on the workpiece to improve machining accuracy, thereby improving user convenience. Furthermore, because the grip body 10A extends diagonally, it is possible to prevent the impairment of workability associated with conventional work requiring downward pressure. As described above, the grip body 10A is angled at approximately 65° with respect to the underside of the rear base 3. However, considering convenience, the grip body 10A may be angled at any angle between 50° and 90° with respect to the underside of the rear base 3. That is, the grip body 10A may extend at an obtuse angle or perpendicular to the underside of the rear base 3. In addition, when the gripper body 10A forms an obtuse angle with respect to the underside of the rear base 3, the gripper body 10A may be configured to tilt forward. In other words, the gripper body 10A may be configured so that the upper end of the gripper body 10A extending in a predetermined direction is located further forward than the lower end. More preferably, the angle may be in the range of 55° to 85°. More preferably, the angle may be in the range of 60° to 80°. Furthermore, by combining this feature with the feature of arranging the power supply unit 4 or the control unit 5 between the first gripper 9 and the second gripper 10 in the front-to-rear direction, the electric planer 1 can be more suitably downsized in the front-to-rear direction.

[0085] (6) The grip portion 9A of the first gripping portion 9 protrudes upward from the upper end 25 of the housing 2, which is the end opposite the rear base 3. As a result, the housing 2 is not located behind the first gripping portion 9, and therefore there is no interference between the user holding the first gripping portion 9 and the housing 2. As a result, it is easier for the user to grip the first gripping portion 9, and the operability of the electric planer 1 can be improved.

[0086] (7) At least a portion of the attached power supply unit 4 overlaps in the vertical direction with the electric motor 6, the rotary shaft 6A, and the cutter block 8, which are the drive unit 13. This allows the electric planer 1 to be made smaller in the front-to-rear direction.

[0087] (8) The power supply unit 4 is mounted in a direction intersecting the rear base 3 (the direction in which the front connection portion 10B is inclined), from above, away from the rear base 3, downward toward the housing 2. This makes it easier to mount the power supply unit 4. Furthermore, compared to when the power supply unit 4 is mounted without being inclined in the vertical direction, a space is secured between the power supply unit 4 and the first gripping portion 9, improving operability when gripping the first gripping portion 9 to perform cutting work. Furthermore, because the longitudinal direction of the power supply unit 4 mounted on the mounting portion 12 is inclined relative to the vertical direction along the inclination of the mounting portion 12, this contributes to a reduction in the vertical size of the electric planer 1 to which the power supply unit 4 is mounted.

[0088] (9) The electric planer 1 includes a lifting mechanism 15 that is operated by an operator and moves the front base 33 up and down. The lifting mechanism 15 has an adjustment mechanism 16 that can adjust the operating load when moving the front base 33 up and down. This allows the user to adjust the operating load of the grip portion 9A when raising and lowering the front base 33 to change the cutting depth to their preferred level. As a result, the operability of the electric planer 1 is improved. Furthermore, because the operating load (the amount of compression of the elastic body 16B) does not change depending on the position of the front base 33, operability can be maintained.

[0089] (10) The control unit 5 is positioned farther from the rear base 3 than the electric motor 6 in the up-down direction perpendicular to the rear base 3. This allows the height and front-to-rear dimensions of the rear housing 24 to be smaller than, for example, when the control unit 5 is housed in the rear housing 24 behind the main housing 21. This allows the space formed between the gripper body 10A of the second gripper 10 and the rear of the housing 2, i.e., the inner space (gripping space) of the loop structure formed by the second gripper 10 and the housing 2, to be wide, making it easier for the user to grip the gripper body 10A. As a result, the operability of the electric planer 1 is improved.

[0090] Furthermore, for example, if the control unit 5 is housed in the rear housing 24 behind the main housing 21, the gripping space described above may become narrow. To avoid this, if the gripper body 10A is moved upward or backward, the vertical size of the entire device increases. Furthermore, to ensure a larger space between the gripper body 10A and the rear of the housing 2, it may be possible to increase the inclination angle of the gripper body 10A relative to the rear base 3. However, in this case, the inclination angle of the gripper body 10A approaches horizontal, which may impair the operability described above. In contrast, in this embodiment, the inclination angle of the gripper body 10A relative to the rear base 3 can be kept small, thereby enabling the vertical size of the electric planer 1 to be reduced.

[0091] In this embodiment, an excellent working machine is realized by the above features (1) to (10), but it is also possible to implement only one of them.

[0092] The electric planer 1 of the above-described embodiment can be modified as follows.

[0093] <First Modification> An electric planer according to a first modification will be described. Hereinafter, the same reference numerals will be used for components that are the same or substantially the same as those in the electric planer 1 of the embodiment, and differences will be mainly described. Points that are not specifically described are the same as those in the embodiment.

[0094] Fig. 10 is an external side view of the electric planer 130 of the first modified example, and Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the electric planer 130 shown in Fig. 10. Fig. 12 is an external view of the electric planer 130 of the first modified example as seen from the rear. The electric planer 130 of the first modified example differs from the embodiment in the shape of a part of the housing 802, the shape of a part of the first gripping portion 809 and the second gripping portion 810, the mounting portion 812, and the lifting mechanism 815.

[0095] <Housing 802> The housing 802 of the electric planer 130 of the first modified example includes a main housing 21, a gear housing 22, a front housing 23, and a rear housing 824. As shown in FIG. 12 , an intake port 21A consisting of a plurality of holes that connect the outside of the housing 21 to the motor housing portion 2A is formed on the right side of the main housing 21. The rear housing 824 is provided at the rear of the main housing 21 and has a shape that is taller in the vertical direction than the rear housing 24 of the embodiment. A control unit housing portion 2B that houses the control unit 5 is formed inside the rear housing 824. In other words, the control unit 5 is provided rearward of the electric motor 6 housed in the motor housing portion 2A of the main housing 21.

[0096] The control unit 5 and the power supply unit 4 are electrically connected by a wire 5A. Specifically, the connection terminal 12A and the control unit 5 are electrically connected by the wire 5A. The wire 5A passes through a wire housing portion 2C in the housing 2 formed on the upper side of the main body housing 21, i.e., above the electric motor 6, and is connected at one end to the connection terminal 12A and at the other end to the control unit 5.

[0097] Furthermore, an intake port 24B is formed on each of the left and right side surfaces of the rear housing 824.

[0098] <Second Grip Portion 810> The front connection portion 810B of the second grip portion 810 also extends toward the rear and upper portion at an inclination relative to the vertical direction. However, the front connection portion 810B extends in a direction inclined approximately 25° relative to the vertical direction. That is, the inclination angle is smaller than that of the front connection portion 810B of the embodiment. Note that the inclination is not limited to 25° and can be, for example, in the range of 20° to 30°. That is, the second grip portion 10 is at an angle of approximately 50° relative to the underside of the rear base 3. For convenience, the second grip portion 10 may be at an angle in the range of 35° to 55° relative to the underside of the rear base 3. Furthermore, the wiring accommodation portion 2C in the housing 2 extends rearward from the rear lower portion of the front connection portion 10B, which connects the front connection portion 810B to the main housing 21.

[0099] The switch mechanism 10D is housed inside the grip body 810A and is electrically connected to the control unit 5 by a wire 5B. This wire 5B passes through the inside of the grip body 810A and the inside of the rear connection part 810C, and is connected to the trigger switch 10E at one end and to the control unit 5 at the other end.

[0100] <Mounting portion 812> The mounting portion 812 has a wall portion 812B that connects to the front connection portion 810B of the second gripping portion 810. The wall portion 812B has a shape that protrudes from the front connection portion 810B, and is inclined in accordance with the inclination of the front connection portion 810B of the second gripping portion 810. In other words, the wall portion 812B protrudes from the second gripping portion 810 in the left-right direction that intersects with the front-rear direction in which the first gripping portion 809 and the second gripping portion 810 are arranged, and is inclined more rearward in the up-down direction as it moves away from the rear base 3 in the vertical direction.

[0101] In the first modified example as well, the power supply unit 4 is attached from above downward toward the housing 802 in a direction intersecting the rear base 3, i.e., along the direction in which the front connection portion 810B is inclined. As described above, since the wall portion 812B is inclined along the inclination of the front connection portion 810B, it can be said that the power supply unit 4 is attached in a direction from the upper rear toward the lower front along the inclination of the wall portion 812B.

[0102] <First grip portion 809> The first grip portion 809 has a grip portion 809A and an operating portion 809C in addition to the rotating shaft 9D of the embodiment. The grip portion 809A is provided on the upper part of the front housing 23. The grip portion 809A is formed in a shape that extends in the vertical direction, and its lower end is located above the upper end portion 25 of the housing 2. The grip portion 809A engages with the upper end portion of the rotating shaft 9D.

[0103] The operating unit 809C is attached to the rotation shaft 9D and extends in a direction perpendicular to the up-down direction. The operating unit 809C is rotatable about the rotation shaft 9D. When a user rotates the operating unit 809C, the rotation shaft 9D rotates relative to the front housing 23. The cutting depth is adjusted by the user rotating the operating unit 809C.

[0104] <Lifting Mechanism 815> Figure 13 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of the lifting mechanism 815 of the electric planer 130. The lifting mechanism 815 of the first modified example includes the grip 809A, the rotary shaft 9D, and an adjustment mechanism 816 attached to the rotary shaft 9D. The adjustment mechanism 816 includes a nut member 816F in addition to the spacer member 16A and elastic body 16B of the embodiment. The nut member 816F is threadedly engaged with the rotary shaft 9D and is configured to be movable up and down by rotating it relative to the rotary shaft 9D. By moving the nut member 816F up and down to change the compression amount of the elastic body 16B, the magnitude of the frictional force generated at the frictional force generating point P1 can be changed. Note that the elastic body 16B is not shown in Figure 11.

[0105] The nut member 816F is threadedly engaged with the rotary shaft 9D as described above, and is movable up and down by rotating it relative to the rotary shaft 9D. The upper end of the nut member 816F is connected to the lower end of the grip portion 809A. The operating portion 809C, which extends in the radial direction L1 of the rotary shaft 9D, is attached to the nut member 816F.

[0106] The spacer member 16A is disposed below the nut member 816F and is attached to the rotary shaft 9D. The spacer member 16A is biased upward by an elastic body 16B, as in the embodiment.

[0107] The following operations are performed to adjust the operating load of the grip portion 809A. First, the screw member 16D (see FIG. 10) inserted into the spacer member 16A is loosened to enlarge the hole 16C, allowing the spacer member 16A to move up and down. By rotating the nut member 816F in this state, the spacer member 16A, which is biased upward by the elastic body 16B, moves up and down following the nut member 816F. Furthermore, by tightening the screw member 16D, the position of the spacer member 16A relative to the rotation shaft 9D is fixed. This changes the amount of compression of the elastic body 16B, and a frictional force is generated at the frictional force generating point P1 according to the amount of compression of the elastic body 16B. As a result, the operating load of the grip portion 9A is adjusted.

[0108] In the first modified example, the front housing 23 also includes a metal plate-shaped washer 17 as an intervening member at the portion where the rotary shaft 9D slides on the front housing 23. Similarly, the front housing 23 includes a metal plate-shaped washer 18 as an intervening member at the portion where the elastic body 16B contacts the front housing 23.

[0109] The partial cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the lifting mechanism 15 shown in Figure 13 shows the state in which the spacer member 16A is fixed at a position where the amount of compression of the elastic body 16B is small. The procedure for adjusting the operating load of the grip portion 9A will be described below with reference to Figure 13. Here, the case where the operating load of the grip portion 9A is changed from a small state to a large state will be described.

[0110] 13 is adjusted to a small operating load (a state in which the amount of compression of the elastic body 16B is adjusted to a small amount), the screw member 16D that secures the spacer member 16A is loosened, thereby making the spacer member 16A movable.

[0111] In this state, when the operating part 809C is gripped and the nut member 816F is rotated together with the operating part 809C, the nut member 816F descends to the desired position. At this time, the spacer member 16A is also in a movable state, so it is pressed by the nut member 816F and descends following the descent of the nut member 816F.

[0112] When the spacer member 16A is lowered to the desired position together with the nut member 816F, the elastic body 16B is compressed by a predetermined amount. By tightening the screw member 16D in this state, the position of the spacer member 16A on the rotary shaft 9D is fixed. This results in an adjusted state in which the elastic body 16B is enlarged. More preferably, after the position of the spacer member 16A is fixed, the nut member 816F is again rotated and lowered, thereby suppressing rattle between the front housing 23 and the nut member 816F and improving the response of the lifting mechanism 15 and the adjustment mechanism 16.

[0113] Because the nut member 816F is lowered by operating the operating portion 809C as described above, a space is created between the upper end of the nut member 816F and the lower end of the grip portion 809A when the position of the spacer member 16A is fixed. The user rotates the grip portion 809A to lower the grip portion 809A until the lower end of the grip portion 809A contacts the upper end of the nut member 816F. As a result, the compression amount of the elastic body 16B is adjusted to be larger, and as a result, the grip portion 809A, the nut member 816F, the spacer member 16A, and the rotating shaft 9D are integrated, and the operating load of the grip portion 980A is adjusted to be larger.

[0114] According to the first modification described above, in addition to at least one of the effects (1) to (8) obtained by the embodiment, the following effect can be obtained.

[0115] The power supply unit 4 is mounted from the upper rear to the lower front along the slope of the wall portion 812B of the mounting portion 812. This ensures a larger space between the power supply unit 4 and the first gripping portion 809 than when the power supply unit 4 is mounted without a vertical tilt, improving operability when holding the first gripping portion 809 for cutting work. Furthermore, because the longitudinal direction of the power supply unit 4 mounted on the mounting portion 812 is tilted relative to the vertical direction along the slope of the mounting portion 812, this contributes to a reduction in the vertical size of the electric planer 130 to which the power supply unit 4 is mounted.

[0116] The first modified example described above can be modified as follows.

[0117] FIG. 14(A) is a partial exterior side view of a modified electric planer 130A, and FIG. 14(B) is a partial cross-sectional view of the electric planer 130A shown in FIG. In the electric planer 130A, a spring (spring member) is used as the elastic body 16B of the adjustment mechanism 816. That is, a spring is provided as the elastic body 16B between the front housing 23 and the spacer member 16A. As with the electric planer 130 of the first modified example, the electric planer 130A, which uses a spring as the elastic body 16B, can easily lighten or heavier the operating load of the grip portion 809A when raising or lowering the front base 33 to change the cutting depth. As a result, the operability of the modified electric planer 130A is also improved.

[0118] The electric planer 130 of the first modified example and the electric planer 130A of the modified example are described above as being provided with the spacer member 16A. However, the adjustment mechanism 816 only needs to be provided with the nut member 816F and the elastic body 16B, and the spacer member 16A is not necessarily provided.

[0119] <Second Modification> In the electric planer 130B of the second modification, the longitudinal direction of the power supply unit 4 is mounted in a direction intersecting the front-rear direction. Specifically, the longitudinal direction of the power supply unit 4 is mounted parallel to the left-right direction of the electric planer 130B. That is, like the embodiment and the first modification, the electric planer 130B of the second modification includes a drive unit 13 housed inside a housing 802 and including an electric motor 6, a rotary shaft 6A, and a cutter block 8 attached to the rotary shaft 6A, a power supply unit 4 detachably mounted to the housing 2, a first gripping unit 809, and a second gripping unit 810. The power supply unit 4 is mounted between the first gripping unit 809 and the second gripping unit 810 on a plane parallel to the rear base 3. The longitudinal direction of the mounted power supply unit 4 intersects the front-rear direction in which the first gripping unit 809 and the second gripping unit 810 are arranged.

[0120] 15(A), 15(B), and 15(C) are side views of a second modified electric planer 130B having the above-described configuration. Note that FIGS. 15(A), 15(B), and 15(C) show the electric planer 130B obtained by modifying the electric planer 130 of the first modified example. However, the electric planer 130B of the second modified example can be configured by modifying the electric planer 1 of the embodiment.

[0121] 15A shows a case where the mounting portion 812 provided in front of the second gripping portion 810 is provided along the vertical direction. That is, in the electric planer 130B of the second modified example, unlike the electric planer 1 of the embodiment and the electric planer 130 of the first modified example, the mounting portion 812 is not inclined rearward. In this case, the power supply unit 4 is mounted to the mounting portion 812 with the short side direction of the power supply unit 4 aligned along the vertical direction. As a result, the long side direction of the power supply unit 4, which is perpendicular to the short side direction, is aligned along the left-right direction.

[0122] 15(B) shows a case where the mounting portion 812 provided in front of the second gripping portion 810 is provided along the left-right direction. In this case, the mounting portion 812 is provided along the left-right direction on the upper part of the main housing 21 of the housing 802. That is, in the electric planer 130B of the second modified example, unlike the electric planer 1 of the embodiment and the electric planer 130 of the first modified example, the mounting portion 812 is not inclined rearward. In this case, the power supply unit 4 is mounted to the mounting portion 812 with the short side direction of the power supply unit 4 aligned along the front-to-rear direction. As a result, the longitudinal direction of the power supply unit 4, which is perpendicular to the short side direction, is aligned along the left-to-right direction.

[0123] FIG. 15(C) also shows a case where the mounting portion 812 provided in front of the second grip portion 810 is provided along the left-right direction. In this case, the mounting portion 812 is provided at the end of the front upper portion of the front connection portion 810B, facing the upper portion of the housing 802. The longitudinal direction of this mounting portion 812 is provided along the left-right direction. In other words, the attachment of the power supply unit 4 is reversed in the up-down direction from the case shown in FIG. 15(B). In this case, too, the power supply unit 4 is attached to the mounting portion 812 with its short side aligned along the front-to-rear direction. As a result, the longitudinal direction of the power supply unit 4, which is perpendicular to the short side, is aligned along the left-to-right direction.

[0124] In the second modification, the longitudinal direction of the power supply unit 4 intersects with the front-rear direction, and therefore, in addition to at least one of the effects (1) and (2) obtained by the embodiment, the following effect is obtained: the power planer 130B can be made smaller in the front-rear direction; and the power supply unit 4 does not interfere with the user's hand when the user is holding the first gripping portion 809 to perform cutting, improving operability.

[0125] <Third Modification> Figure 16 is an external view of the right side of an electric planer 1A of a third modification. Figure 17 is a cross-sectional view of the electric planer 1A of the third modification. Figure 18 is a cross-sectional view of the electric planer 1A taken along line B-B in Figure 16. As shown in Figure 18, the third modification differs from the electric planer 1 of the embodiment in that the electric motor 6 of the electric planer 1A is a brushless motor.

[0126] Because the electric motor 6 is a brushless motor, an inverter circuit is mounted on the control unit 51A as shown in Fig. 17. Therefore, the control unit 51A is larger than the control unit 5 of the embodiment shown in Fig. 2. In order to cool the heat generated by the inverter circuit and the like of the larger control unit 51A, a cooling opening 10F is formed on the right side surface of the front connection portion 10B of the second grip portion 10 as shown in Fig. 16. In other words, the cooling opening 10F is formed near the control unit housing portion 2B in which the control unit 51A is housed.

[0127] The cooling opening 10F is an opening that communicates between the inside and outside of the housing 2. As described above, when the fan 7 is rotated and driven in response to the rotation of the electric motor 6, fan air is generated inside the housing 2, and air outside the electric planer 1A flows into the housing 2 through the cooling opening 10F. Because the cooling opening 10F is formed near the control unit 51A, the control unit 51A is cooled by the air from outside that flows in through the cooling opening 10F. As a result, it is possible to improve the cooling efficiency of the control unit 51A, which has become larger and generates more heat.

[0128] 16 shows a case where three openings are formed as the cooling openings 10F, but the number and shape of the cooling openings 10F are not limited to those shown in Fig. 16, and any number and shape may be used as long as the cooling efficiency of the control unit 51A is not reduced.

[0129] <Fourth Modification> The mounting portion 12, 812 may be provided in front of the second gripping portion 10, 810 and may be inclined rearward relative to the up-down direction. In this case, the mounting portion 12, 812 may be inclined at a different angle from the front connecting portion 10B, 810B of the second gripping portion 10, 810, or may be provided separately from the front connecting portion 10B, 810B of the second gripping portion 10, 810. The power supply unit 4 is mounted on this mounting portion 12, 812 from the upper rear toward the lower front. That is, like the electric planer 1 of the embodiment, the electric planer 130, 130A of the first modification, and the electric planer 1A of the third modification, the electric planer of the fourth modification is housed inside the housing 2, 802 and includes a drive unit 13 including an electric motor 6, a rotary shaft 6A, and a cutter block 8 attached to the rotary shaft 6A, a power supply unit 4 detachably attached to the housing 2, 802, a first gripping unit 9, 809, and a second gripping unit 10, 810. The power supply unit 4 is attached between the first gripping unit 9, 809 and the second gripping unit 10, 810 on a plane parallel to the rear base 3, from the upper rear to the lower front. This provides at least one of the effects (1), (2), and (7) obtained by the above-described embodiments.

[0130] <Fifth Modification> The present invention can also be applied to applications other than electric planers. Figures 19A and 19B show an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a belt sander. Figure 19A is a view from the left side, and Figure 19B is a view from the right side. The belt sander 101 shown in Figures 19A and 19B includes a housing 102, a first gripping portion 109 and a second gripping portion 110 connected to the housing 102, a trigger 103 attached to the second gripping portion 110, a battery 104 disposed above the housing 102, a well-known belt drive mechanism 140 consisting of a driven roller 141 and a driven roller 142 disposed below the housing 102, and a motor (not shown) that drives the driven roller 141. The belt sander 101 includes a sanding belt 108 (shown by a two-dot chain line) stretched between the driven roller 141 and the driven roller 142. The horizontal lower surface of the sanding belt 108 corresponds to the planar working portion of the present invention.

[0131] When a motor (not shown) is driven, the drive roller 141 rotates, and the rotation of the drive roller 141 is transmitted to the driven roller 142 via the abrasive belt 108, thereby rotating the drive roller 141, the driven roller 142, and the abrasive belt 108. The surface of the workpiece can be polished by bringing the rotating abrasive belt 108 into contact with the workpiece or sliding it in the direction in which the drive roller 141 and the driven roller 142 are aligned. In the belt sander 101, as in the power planer 1, the battery 104 is located between two gripping portions (spaced apart in the direction in which the drive roller 141 and the driven roller 142 are aligned), i.e., the first gripping portion 109 and the second gripping portion 110, thereby achieving a compact size and improved operability.

[0132] Although various embodiments and modifications have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these. Other embodiments that are conceivable within the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present invention are also included within the scope of the present invention.

[0133] In the above embodiment and each modified example, electric planers 1, 1A, 130, 130A, 130B and belt sander 101 were used as working machines having a flat working part, but other working machines having a flat working part (base), such as circular saws, jigsaws, routers, etc., may also be used.

[0134] 1, 1A, 130, 130A, 130B Electric planer, 2,802 Housing, 2C Wiring storage section, 3 Rear base, 3A End, 4 Power supply section, 5, 51A Control unit, 5A, 5B, 50A, 50B Wiring, 6 Electric motor, 6A Rotating shaft, 6B, 8C Pulley, 6C Belt, 7 Fan, 8 Cutter block, 8A Blade, 8B Cutter block shaft, 9,809 First gripping section, 9A, 809A Grip section, 9C, 809C Operation section, 9D Rotating shaft, 10,810 Second gripping section, 10A, 810A Grip section main body, 10B, 810B Front connection section, 10C, 810C Rear connection section, 10D Switch mechanism, 10E Trigger switch, 12,812 Mounting section, 12A Connection terminal, 12B, 812B wall portion, 13 drive portion, 15, 815 lifting mechanism, 16, 816 adjustment mechanism, 16A spacer member, 16B elastic body, 16D screw member, 21 main body housing, 22 gear housing, 23 front housing, 24, 824 rear housing, 25 upper end portion, 33 front base, 33A base portion

Claims

1. A working machine having a planar working part, A housing and A drive unit that includes a motor, a drive shaft that is driven by the motor, and a processing unit that is provided on the drive shaft, the drive unit being housed inside the housing; a battery for supplying power to the motor; a battery mounting portion provided in the housing and capable of holding the battery; a main handle provided on one side of the housing in the front-rear direction and a sub-handle provided on the other side of the housing in the front-rear direction, A work machine in which the battery held in the battery mounting section is at least partially positioned between the main handle and the sub-handle in the fore-and-aft direction, and the side portion opposite the side held in the battery mounting section slopes downward toward the front.

2. In the work machine according to claim 1, A work machine, wherein a front end of the battery is located in front of a center of gravity of the work machine that holds the battery, and a rear end of the battery is located behind the center of gravity.

3. In the work machine according to claim 1, A work machine in which the center of gravity is located lower than in a state of the main handle and higher than a lower end of the main handle.

4. The working machine according to claim 1, The main handle has a trigger for turning the motor on and off, The battery has a portion overlapping with the main handle when viewed in the front-rear direction, and another portion overlapping with the main handle when viewed in the up-down direction.

5. The working machine according to claim 1, A work machine, wherein the angle of the main handle is an obtuse angle with respect to the working part.

6. The working machine according to claim 1, The case has a main body housing that houses a motor, and the main handle and the main body housing are connected by a connection part that is inclined with respect to the working part, The battery attachment portion is provided on the connection portion.

7. The working machine according to claim 1, A work machine, wherein the angle of the battery mounting section is an acute angle with respect to the working section.

8. The working machine according to claim 1, The motor has a rotating shaft, A first pulley is attached to the rotating shaft, A second pulley is attached to the drive shaft, the first pulley and the second pulley are connected by a belt for transmitting the power of the motor to the drive shaft, A work machine having a center of gravity located between the rotating shaft and the drive shaft in the front-rear direction.

9. The working machine according to claim 1, A work machine, wherein the main handle extends in a direction inclined relative to the working unit, and the main handle overlaps with a portion of the battery in the inclined direction.

10. The working machine according to claim 1, A work machine, wherein the direction in which the battery is attached to the battery attachment section is perpendicular to the left-right direction.

11. The working machine according to claim 1, A work machine, wherein a loop structure is formed by the main handle and a part of a main body housing to which the main handle is connected and which houses the motor, and the battery is held by at least a part of an upper side of the loop structure.

12. The working machine according to claim 1, The battery mounting portion has a wall portion protruding in the left-right direction, The wall portion is inclined relative to the working portion.

13. A work machine having a planar working section, A housing and A drive unit that includes a motor, a drive shaft that is driven by the motor, and a processing unit that is provided on the drive shaft, the drive unit being housed inside the housing; A battery that supplies power to the driving unit; a battery mounting portion provided in the housing and capable of holding the battery; a main handle provided on one side of the housing in the front-rear direction and a sub-handle provided on the other side of the housing in the front-rear direction, The main handle has a trigger on one end thereof, the one end of the main handle is connected to the housing by a one end connecting portion, and the other end of the main handle is connected to the housing by an other end connecting portion; The sub-handle protrudes from the housing, A work machine in which at least a part of the battery is disposed in a space between the main handle and the sub-handle in the fore-and-aft direction, above the one-end connection portion and below the upper end of the sub-handle.

14. In the work machine according to claim 13, A work machine, wherein at least a portion of each of the main handle, the sub-handle, and the battery is located on an imaginary plane parallel to the working unit.

15. In the work machine according to claim 14, The imaginary plane is located above the motor.

16. In the work machine according to claim 13, The main handle is at an angle relative to the working unit, A work machine, wherein at least a portion of the battery is located below an upper end of the main handle, and another portion is located above an upper end of the main handle.

17. In the work machine according to claim 13, A working machine, wherein a controller for controlling the motor is disposed below the battery.

18. A work machine having a planar working section, A housing and A drive unit that includes a motor, a drive shaft that is driven by the motor, and a processing unit that is provided on the drive shaft, the drive unit being housed inside the housing; A battery that supplies power to the driving unit; a battery mounting portion provided in the housing and capable of holding the battery; a main handle provided on one side of the housing in the front-rear direction and a sub-handle provided on the other side of the housing in the front-rear direction, The enclosure has a main body housing in which the motor is housed, The main handle has a trigger on one end thereof, The one end side of the main handle is connected to the main body housing by a one-end side connecting portion, and the other end side is connected to the main body housing by an other-end side connecting portion, The battery mounting portion is provided at the one end side connection portion.

19. In the work machine according to claim 18, The sub-handle protrudes from the main body housing.

20. In the work machine according to claim 18, The one end side connection portion is inclined with respect to the working portion.