CA2083931A1 - Pneumatic tool - Google Patents

Abstract

PNEUMATIC TOOL

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

A pneumatic tool, in particular, a screwing tool, drill, etc., having a barrel portion (10) and a handle (11) which are inclined relative to each other in such a way that the respective longitudinal axes form an internal angle of less than 90°, an actuating button (10) being disposed in the vicinity of the free end of the handle. The configuration is advantageous from an ergonomic point of view.

Description

20~3931 1 PNE~MATIC T~OL

2 BAC~GRO~ND OF ~E I~v~rg , 3 The pre~nt invention i~ directed to a pneumatic 4 tool which can be used as a screwin~ tool, a drill, etc. The pneumatic tool is of an impr~ed construction ~rom an 6 orgonomic point o~ view to permit more con~enient and correct 7 use in di~ferent operating positions.
8 Known pneumatic tool6 are generally of a gun-like 9 configuration in which t~e motor-clutch unit ia disposed in the barrel portion while disposed in the butt are the valve 11 arrangement for aonnection to the compressed air line, an 12 as~ociated actuating bu~ton, and a silencer unit.
13 ~n th~ ~nown pnoumatic tools, the butt is oriented 14 with respect to the barrel portion in such a way ~hat thQ
respectiv~ a~es form an internal angle of greater than gOo.
16 In addition, the actuating button o~ the valve arrangement is 17 position~d immediately below the barrel portion.
18 The configuration and arran~ement o the components 19 making up the ~nown tools involves disadvantages in terms of u~- in p~rtlcular operating conditions, for example, when the 21 tool is connected to an overhead compressed air distribution 22 network ~as is no~mal) and is to be used upside down in 23 internal and low position5, including by ambidextrous 24 operators. Consequently, in practice, various pathology problems have been found to occur (carpal tunnel syndrome, 26 tendinitis problems, wrist inflam~ation, etc.) in regard to 27 the limbs of the operator due to the unsuitable conditions o~
28 use of the tool, with the con~equence of industrlal accidents.

, 1 8nMMARy ~F T~E INVENTION

2 The present invention provides a pneumatic tool 3- which is of a particular modified configuration and 4 arrangement in regard to the component parts thereof, in such a way as to impart thereto an Brgonomic ~tructure which 6 permits mo~e corre~t use thereof in all wor~ing positions, 7 eliminating the above-mentioned injuries ~o the operator.

8 ~ F DESCRIPTION OF ~H~ DRAWINGS

9 For clear and complete understanding of the invention, the present description, by way of non-limiting 11 example, refers to the accompanying drawings in which:

12 FIG. 1 is an elevational view, in cross-~ection, of 13 a tool in accordance with the prior art, gripped in the normal 14 position;

FIG. 2 iOE an elevational view, in cross-section, 6 showing the prior art tool of FIG. 1 when gripped upside down 17 in the most frequent condition of use; and 18 FIG. 3 is an el-vational view, in cros~-section, of 19 a tool having the features of the present inYention, used in the correct manner.

21 DSTAIhED DE5CR~TION oF ~RE PREFERRED EM~OPIMENT

22 Referring to FIG. 1, it can be seen that a pneumatic 23 tool in the shape o~ a g~n of a commercially aYailable known 24 type has a barrel portion 10 containing a motor-clutch unit which does not need to be described in detail in that it doe~
26 not constitute subjeat-matter o~ thi~ invention.

20839~

1 The tool ~hown in FIG. 1 also has a butt or handle 2 11 whic~ is joined to the barrel port~on 10 in a con~iguration 3 such that the respect~ve longitudinal axes o~ the barrel 4 portion 10 and the handle 11 form an internal angle ~ of greater than 90~. The handle 11 contains a;silencer unit 12 6 o~ known t~pe and a valve arrangement 13, also of ~nown type.
7 ~he valve arrangement 13 is ~itted into a conduit 14 for the 8 ~low of compre6sed alr. The intake end 15 of the conduit 14 9 i~ connected to a compres6ed air supply network (not shown~, in particular of overhead type. The handle 11 is al60 11 provided with a push~utton 16 for actuation of the valve 12 arrangement 13.
13 The pushbutton 16 is positioned immediately below 14 the ~unction between the ~arrel portion 10 and the handle 11.
The handle 11 is anatomically shaped in such a way that a 16 hand of the operator can hold khe tool in the position shown 17 in FIG. 1, permitting actuation of the pushbutton 16 by means 18 of the lndex finger of that hand. Such operating condition, 19 however, is not very frequent.
It is very o~ten necessary to work in low positions 21 and in the internal areas of structures. In ~uch cases, the 22 tool must bo used upside down (see FIG. 2), that is to say 23 with the handle oriented upwardly, and necessarily held in 24 such a way that the forearm is incl~n~d with respect to the axi~ of the barrel portion lo. In addition, actuation of the 26 button 16 has to be effected with the little finger of the 27 hand.
28 In that sit~ation, the di6advantage~ referred to 29 in the opening part o~ the pxesent de~cription are found to occur. Namely, v~rious pathology problems, such as carpal 31 tunnel syndrome, tendinltis, wrist inflammation and the like 32 occur as a result o the unsuitable adaptation of the prior 33 art tOOl to this u-c~e.
34 With reference now to F~G. 3, described herein i6 a pneumatic tool accerding to the invention, just n~tinq here 36 that the reference n~merals in that figure are exactly the 20~39~1 1 same as those used in FIG. 1, in regard to the ~unctional 2 components of the two tools being the same.
3 FIG. 3 therefore shows: the ~arrel portion 10 4 containing the motor-clutch unit; the handle 11 containing the silencer unit 12, the valve arrangement 13, and the 6 ~ompres~ed air conduit 14 with the intake end 15; and th~
7 button 16 for actuation of the valve arrangement 13.
8 In comparison with the known tool shown in FIGS. 1 9 and 2, however, it will be observed that the handle 11 is inclined with respect to the barrel portion 10 at an internal 11 angle B of le8s than 90 and that the button 16 is positione~
12 in the vicinity of the end of the handle opposite to the end 13 at which the handle is connected to the barrel portion.
14 The new configuration of the tool an~ the arrange-ment of the button 16, in accordance with the present 16 invention, permits the operator, in the most frequent 17 situations of use, to employ the tool upside down but with 18 correct positioning of ~he hand.
19 In fact, as ~hown in FIG. 3, the operator's forearm is parallel to the axis of the barrel portion 10, and 21 actuation oP the button 16 can be effected by means of the 22 lndex finger of the operator's hand.
23 In these operating condition~, the injurious 24 stresses on the wrist and the forearm of the operator, whioh, with the previously known tools, give rise to the pathology 26 problems and the accidents re~erred to above, are eliminated.
27 Althou~h the preferred em~odiments of this invention 28 have been shown and described, it should be understood that 29 various modifications and rearrangements of the parts may be resorted to without departing rrom the scope of the invention 31 as disclosed and claimed herein.

Claims (2)

1. A pneumatic tool of gun type comprising: a barrel portion (10) containing a motor-clutch unit a handle (11) containing a silencer unit (12), a valve arrangement (13), a compressed air conduit (14), and an actuating button (16) for the valve arrangement; the tool being characterized in that said handle (11) and said barrel portion (10) are connected in such a way that the respective longitudinal axes thereof form an internal angle (B) of less than 90° and that said actuating button (16) is positioned in the proximity of the end of the handle (11) opposite to that at which it is connected to the barrel portion (10).

2. A pneumatic tool according to claim characterized in that, in the most frequent operative positions, the handle (11) is directed upwardly and inclined towards the discharge end of the barrel portion (10) in such a way that the axis of the barrel portion (10) is substantially parallel to the forearm of the operator and that the actuating button (16) is in a suitable position for being actuated by the index finger of the hand of the operator.