Hand-held tool having illumination

Abstract

The invention relates to a hand-held tool (1) comprising a housing (4), a handle region, and a light source (11) which is designed to illuminate, during use of the hand-held tool, a working region which is to be worked by means of the hand-held tool (1). According to the invention, the hand-held tool comprises a light module (10) having the following elements: a light source (11), a switching element (12) which is designed to selectively switch the light source (11) on or off, and an energy store which is designed to supply the light module (10) with electrical energy, the light module (10) being designed to be secured to the housing (4) of the hand-held tool (1).

Description

[0001] Hand tools with lighting

[0002] The invention relates to a hand tool, comprising a housing, a handle area, and a light source which is configured, during use, to illuminate a work area to be processed by means of the hand tool. In the context of the present invention, a hand tool is referred to as a tool which can also be referred to as a "hand tool" or "hand held tool" and which is held in the hand of a person using the tool. In contrast to a pillar drill, for example a cordless screwdriver, a cordless drill or the like, but also screwdrivers, pliers and the like, for example also stripping tools as used in the field of electrical engineering.

[0003] Hand tools of this type are known in practice, for example in the form of cordless screwdrivers or cordless drills, which have a light source integrated into the hand tool. The light source illuminates the work area, i.e. the area in which, for example, a screw bit and the associated screw head, or the tip of a drill bit and the workpiece surface into which the hole is to be drilled, are located. In practice, it is known that the light source is arranged, for example, near the drill chuck or in the lower area of ​​a handle of the hand tool. Given the different tools that can be used in hand tools, for example screw bits of different lengths or drill bits of different lengths, the work area to be illuminated can be at different distances from the light source when using the same hand tool.Light sources therefore typically emit their light in a conical shape to ensure that the work area is actually illuminated over a relatively large area. Especially when the light source is positioned near the handle and directed diagonally upwards, not only the work area but also part of the tool itself is illuminated, namely from below.

[0004] In some cases, these known hand tools have a reading area on the outside of their respective housing. In the aforementioned cordless screwdrivers or cordless drills, for example, these may be symbols used to set a speed, a speed limit, or a torque limit, or to switch between pure drilling and impact drilling mode of the hand tool, or similar. For ergonomic reasons, these reading areas are typically located on the upper circumference of the hand tool.

[0005] The invention is based on the object of improving a generic hand tool in such a way that it has a lighting device, independent of its electrical equipment, with which, for example, the reading area of ​​the tool itself or the working area in front of the tool can be illuminated.

[0006] Features of the invention are defined in claim 1. Embodiments are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0007] The hand tool according to the invention is equipped with a light module. A "module" is generally understood to be an interchangeable, complex element within an overall system, a device, or similar, that forms a closed unit or functional unit (see www.duden.de), corresponding to the term "modularity," which describes the division of a whole into parts referred to as modules, components, components, assemblies, or building blocks (see www.wikipedia.de). The light module contains a light source, a switching element for selectively switching the light source on or off, and finally, an energy storage device that supplies the light module with electrical energy. Furthermore, the light module is designed to be attached to the housing of the hand tool.The light module thus represents a self-contained, functional assembly containing all the elements required for the light source to function. While the familiar hand tools mentioned above, which have a light source, are usually power tools that already have an energy storage device to operate, for example, an electric motor, the light module enables illumination even for a hand tool that is not designed as a power tool and that does not require electrical energy to operate.

[0008] On the one hand, the light module offers the possibility of being mounted on a generic hand tool in addition to its existing light source, providing light from a different direction. For example, if the typical viewing direction is from above onto the hand tool and the work area, but the light source shines upwards from below, areas of the housing and the work area will be completely or partially in shadow for the people using the hand tool. The additional attachment of the light module thus enables better illumination of areas within the field of vision of the people using the hand tool.

[0009] The light module, on the other hand, offers the possibility of providing a hand tool with a light source which otherwise does not have its own power supply, e.g. a hand tool which is operated without an electrical consumer such as a motor. Equipping such a hand tool with the light module enables the illumination of this hand tool without having to change its design, since all elements required for the illumination are combined in the light module and only the light module has to be attached to the housing of the hand tool.

[0010] In one embodiment, the switching element also serves to switch several brightness levels of the light source, for example the switching element can be switched as a button through the various operating modes “off”, first (low) brightness level, second (brighter) brightness level, third and possibly further (each increasingly brighter) brightness levels, and “off” again.

[0011] The energy storage device can be configured as a battery, but in one embodiment, it is preferably rechargeable. In this case, the light module can preferably have a charging port, so that the energy storage device does not need to be removed specifically for charging. This allows for compact structural dimensions of the light module, since neither standard-sized batteries such as AA or AAA need to be used, nor does it require the provision of space for a separate battery compartment with spring-loaded contacts and a cover.

[0012] In one embodiment, the aforementioned charging port is designed as a USB-C port, as is commonly used for small electrical devices. This allows, for example, easy charging while driving between uses, as corresponding charging devices are widely available in vehicles, e.g., for charging mobile phones. The light module can be glued or screwed to the housing of the hand tool. In an advantageous embodiment, the light module is held to the hand tool by means of a snap-in connection, i.e., the light module is clipped onto the hand tool.Firstly, this enables a secure grip, and secondly, the manufacturer predetermines a specific alignment of the light module by coordinating the two interacting locking surfaces on the light module and the housing of the hand tool, ensuring that the light beams are aligned in a predetermined manner and the desired lighting benefits are achieved. For example, the light module can be essentially C- or omega-shaped and designed to grip a specific section of the hand tool. Housing edges can ensure secure grip.

[0013] In one embodiment, the surface of the hand tool designed to hold the light module is made of plastic. This ensures protection against unwanted voltage surges, particularly for tools intended for electrical installation. Using the aforementioned snap-in connection, the light module can be attached to the hand tool without the need for additional metallic, particularly ferromagnetic, elements that would allow the light module to be magnetically secured to the hand tool housing.

[0014] With a suitable design, the light module can be mounted either on the right or left side of the hand tool. This allows for right- or left-handed use of the hand tool without the housing itself creating unwanted shadows in the work area to be illuminated due to the lighting.

[0015] In one embodiment, the hand tool has one or more plaques on its housing, which are held on the housing by means of a snap-in connection, for example for technical information, article number, product or manufacturer designation, or the like, wherein the light module has a connection geometry similar to that of a plaque and interacts with the connection geometry of the housing in such a way that the light module can be optionally attached to the housing instead of the plaque by means of the same snap-in connection. In these cases, the housing has a specific connection geometry, namely a surface that is designed to receive the plaque and enable locking. For example, such a surface can be basically flat and have one or more recesses that serve to receive locking knobs of the plaque.The light module can have a connection geometry similar to that of a label and interact with the connection geometry of the housing. In such a case, the light module can be mounted on the housing of the hand tool instead of a label, either by the manufacturer upon delivery of the hand tool or later on hand tools already in use.

[0016] In particular, if the housing is provided with the aforementioned plaques on both sides, the light module can be mounted either on one or the other side of the housing or later moved from one side of the housing to the other.

[0017] In one embodiment, the light module is aligned with the housing in such a way that, during use, not only the work area in front of the hand tool but also the aforementioned reading area on the hand tool itself is illuminated by the light module's light source. This is particularly advantageous when the hand tool is used in poorly lit environments, e.g., during new electrical installations when an entire room within a building is de-energized.

[0018] The reading area can be created by colored markings. Especially if it is created by a three-dimensional, relief-like surface design of the housing, the light source can direct a grazing light onto the reading area, making the markings particularly easy to see.

[0019] In one embodiment, the hand tool is designed as a stripping tool. The illumination of the work area in front of the stripping tool enables the unambiguous identification and differentiation of cables, even those with similar cable colors, such as red and brown, or those with similar light cable colors, such as white, yellow, or light blue.

[0020] In one embodiment, the hand tool contains an integrated voltage tester so that, for reasons of personal safety, cables and in particular cable ends can be checked to see whether the cable is live, particularly when working in the field of electrical installation, without having to put the hand tool down and pick up another tool.

[0021] Alternatively, it may be provided that the hand tool does not directly have a voltage tester, but that it can be equipped with a voltage tester by attaching a voltage tester, designed as an independently functioning module, to the tool instead of the light module. The voltage tester module accordingly has the same connection or fastening geometry as the light module. In particular, if the tool has two fastening points for the light module, e.g., as explained above with reference to the labels, one of the two fastening points can be used for attaching the light module and the other for attaching the voltage tester module.

[0022] In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the aforementioned voltage tester is arranged in the area of ​​the tool jaw of a hand tool designed as a stripping tool, which is configured to allow a cable end to be inserted into the stripping tool during use. This automatically enables the potentially life-saving test of each cable being processed to determine whether the cable is live or de-energized.

[0023] In one embodiment, the light emitted by the light source radiates asymmetrically from the light module. The light source can, for example, be aligned obliquely within the light module, or it can have an asymmetrically effective reflector or an asymmetrically effective optical lens. The asymmetrical emission of the light ensures that the light rays are directed, on the one hand, toward the housing of the hand tool and, on the other hand, forward along the hand tool toward the work area, but only a smaller proportion radiates outward away from the hand tool. By limiting the light emission to the relevant reading and work areas in this way, the efficiency with which the light source can be operated is improved.

[0024] In one embodiment, the light module has more than one light source, which is configured to emit light beams in different directions during use, e.g., directed toward the reading area and the work area. If the reading area is located relatively close to the light source, the light source can be operated at a relatively low and constant power, while several brightness levels can be selected for the light source used to illuminate the work area.

[0025] Further features, details, and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the wording of the claims and from the following description of exemplary embodiments based on the purely schematic drawings. They show:

[0026] Fig. 1 is a perspective view from the front of the left side of a hand tool designed in the form of a wire stripper,

[0027] Fig. 2 is a perspective view from the rear of the left side of the hand tool, and

[0028] Fig. 3 a perspective view from the rear of the right side of the hand tool.

[0029] Fig. 1 shows a hand tool 1 which is designed like pliers and has a gripping area with two handles 2 and 3, of which handle 2 is movably mounted and handle 3 is designed as an immovably fixed extension of a housing 4. Furthermore, the pliers-like hand tool 1 has two jaws 5 and 6, of which a lower jaw 5 is also designed as an immovably fixed extension of the housing 4 and an upper jaw 6 is movably mounted. The lower jaw 5 has a reading area 7 which is designed in three-dimensional relief and has projections that protrude beyond the surrounding housing surface of the lower jaw 5.

[0030] The reading range 7 is designed like a scale with lines of different lengths arranged parallel to one another and also has numbers, each assigned to one of the longer lines. The scale is divided into millimeters, with the numbers indicating the scale values ​​in 5-millimeter increments. The scale starts at 5 mm and goes beyond 20 mm. The reading range 7 also extends to a movable stop 8, which forms a pointer belonging to the scale and is located in the mouth of the pliers, i.e. in the space between the two jaws 5 and 6, and which is mounted on the lower jaw 5 for longitudinal displacement.

[0031] The hand tool 1 is designed as a stripping tool and, due to its shape, is also referred to as a stripping pliers. The stop 8 interacts with the scale of the reading range 7: a cable end which is pushed in the longitudinal direction of the two jaws 5 and 6 from a front end 9 between the two jaws 5 and 6 until it rests against the stop 8, is stripped when the two handles 2 and 3 are subsequently actuated over a length that can be read on the scale of the reading range 7, depending on the position of the stop 8. The front or rear edge of the stop 8 or a marking on the stop 8 (not shown in Fig. 1) represents the reference point relevant for reading the scale.

[0032] A light module 10 is attached to the left side of the housing 4. The light module 10 has a light source 11, of which a light exit opening is visible at the front of the light module 10, thus symbolizing the light source 11, regardless of where the actual light source 11, e.g., an LED, is actually located within the light module 10. A switching element 12, designed as a button, serves to switch the light source 11 on and off and to select several brightness levels for the lighting.

[0033] The light module 10 is aligned so that the light source 11 illuminates both the reading area 7 and the work area, which is located partly in front of the front end 9 of the hand tool 1 and partly between the two jaws 5 and 6, namely where cutting edges penetrate an insulating sheath of the cable. With the light source switched on, the hand tool 1 can be guided in such a way that a cable end to be processed is illuminated and can thus be clearly identified by its cable color before it is inserted from the front end 9 between the two jaws 5 and 6 and thus into the hand tool 1. Furthermore, the position of the cable end in the jaws of the stripping pliers can be checked. Finally, the reading area 7 can also be used to check whether the length of the insulating sheath to be removed is correctly set, corresponding to the position of the stop 8 in relation to the aforementioned scale.

[0034] Fig. 2 shows the left side of the hand tool 1 of Fig. 1 from a different perspective. At the rear end of the light module 10, a charging port 14 in the form of a USB-C charging socket can be seen. The charging port 14 is protected against the ingress of dirt by a cap 15. The charging port 14 serves to charge a rechargeable battery located in the light module 10, which acts as an energy storage device and supplies the light source 11 with electrical energy.

[0035] Fig. 3 shows, in a perspective view diagonally from the rear onto the right-hand side of the hand tool 1, that an elongated oval plaque 16 is arranged on the side of the housing 4, which plaque can contain the name of the manufacturer, the product designation of the hand tool 1, technical information such as the cable cross-sections to be processed, or similar information. The plaque 16 is held on the housing 4 by means of a snap-in connection, so that the housing 4 has a defined connection geometry which is designed to receive the plaque 16. The housing 4 also has a similar connection geometry on the opposite, left-hand side, and instead of a second plaque 16, the light module 10 is clipped onto the housing 4 on the left-hand side of the housing 4.

[0036] Since the plates 16 are held on the housing 4 but can be removed from the housing 4 by overcoming the locking force, the light module 10 can be attached to all hand tools 1 that have such a plate 16 and therefore the connecting geometry that interacts with it. For example, in the illustrated embodiment of the hand tool 1, the light module 10 can be moved from the left to the right side. For reasons of graphic simplification, no scale is shown on the right side of the lower jaw 5 in Fig. 3. In order to be able to handle the hand tool 1 either right-handed or left-handed, the jaw 5 can also have a reading area 7 on the right, contrary to the illustrated embodiment.

[0037] Deviating from the illustrated embodiment, a light module 10 can be configured approximately omega-shaped, so that it can be clipped onto the upper jaw 6 from above. Using a diverging lens, the rays of the light source 11 of such a light module 10 can be directed both downwards onto the reading area 7 of the lower jaw 5 and forwards onto the work area.

[0038] Furthermore, deviating from the illustrated embodiment, a light module 10 can have more than one light source 10 to emit light beams in different directions, e.g., directed firstly toward the reading area 7 and secondly toward the work area. The invention is not limited to one of the previously described embodiments, but can be modified in a variety of ways. All features and advantages apparent from the claims, the description, and the drawings, including design details, spatial arrangements, and method steps, can be essential to the invention both individually and in a wide variety of combinations.

[0039] Reference symbol list

[0040] Hand tool Handle, movable Handle, fixed Housing Jaw, fixed Jaw, movable Reading area Stop Front end Light module Light source Switching element Charging connection

[0041] cap

Claims

Patent claims 1. Hand tool (1), comprising a housing (4), a handle area, and a light source (11) which is designed to illuminate a work area to be processed by means of the hand tool (1) during use, characterized by a light module (10) which has the following elements: • a light source (11) • a switching element (12) which is designed to selectively switch the light source (11) on or off, and • an energy storage device which is designed to supply the light module (10) with electrical energy, wherein the light module (10) is designed to be attached to the housing (4) of the hand tool (1).

2. Hand tool according to claim 1, characterized in that the switching element (12) is designed to switch several brightness levels of the light source (11).

3. Hand tool according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the energy storage device is rechargeable.

4. Hand tool according to claim 3, characterized in that the light module (10) has a charging connection (14), 5. Hand tool according to claim 4, characterized in that the charging port (14) is designed as a USB-C port.

6. Hand tool according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that that the light module (10) is designed to be held on the hand tool (1) by means of a snap-in connection.

7. Hand tool according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the surface of the hand tool (1) which is designed to hold the light module (10) is made of plastic.

8. Hand tool according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the light module (10) can be fastened optionally on the right or left side of the hand tool (1).

9. Hand tool according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the hand tool (1) has one or more plaques on its housing (4) which are held on the housing (4) by means of a snap-in connection, wherein the light module (10) has a connection geometry which is similar to that of a plaque and interacts with the connection geometry of the housing (4) in such a way that the light module (10) can be optionally fastened to the housing (4) instead of the plaque by means of the same snap-in connection.

10. Hand tool according to claim 9, characterized in that the housing (4) is provided with plaques on both sides, such that the light module (10) can be mounted optionally on one or the other side of the housing (4).

11. Hand tool according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the light module (10) is aligned on the housing (4) in such a way that, during use, not only the working area in front of the hand tool (1) but also a reading area on the hand tool (1) itself is illuminated by the light source (11) of the light module (10).

12. Hand tool according to claim 11, characterized in that the reading area is created by a three-dimensional relief-like surface design of the housing (4).

13. Hand tool according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the hand tool (1) is designed as a stripping tool.

14. Hand tool according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the hand tool (1) contains an integrated voltage tester.

15. Hand tool according to claims 13 and 14, characterized in that the voltage tester is arranged in the region of a tool mouth which is designed to allow a cable end to be inserted into the stripping tool during use.

16. Hand tool according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the light emitted by the light source (11) radiates asymmetrically from the light module (10) during use, such that the light rays are directed on the one hand onto the housing (4) of the hand tool (1) and on the other hand along the hand tool (1) forwards onto the work area, but only a smaller proportion radiates outwards away from the hand tool (1).

17. Hand tool according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the light module (10) has more than one light source (11) which are designed to emit light rays in different directions during use.

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