HOLE SAW WITH EJECTOR

Abstract

A hole saw with ejector configured to eject a plug upon rotating a collar located about the cutting blade. The hole saw with ejector has an annular cutting blade with one or more slots angled with respect to a longitudinal axis. The ejector forms a sub-assembly with a plug stop located inside the cutting blade, an ejector collar located about the cutting blade, and one or more attachments through the one or more slots that connect the plug stop to the ejector collar and form a track and/or rail system whereupon rotation of the ejector collar moves the sub-assembly backward and forward to eject a sawn plug from the hole saw.

Claims

1. A hole saw with ejector comprising: an annular cutting blade; and an ejector attached to the annular cutting blade, the ejector including a ring located about the annular cutting blade and a plug stop located inside the annular cutting blade, wherein the hole saw with ejector is configured to eject a plug when the ring is rotated with respect to the annular cutting blade.

2. The hole saw with ejector of claim 1, the ejector further having an attachment member generally located between the ring and the plug stop, the attachment member configured to attach the ring to the plug stop.

3. The hole saw with ejector of claim 1, the ejector further having two or more attachment members generally located between the ring and the plug stop, the two or more attachment members configured to attach the ring to the plug stop.

4. The hole saw with ejector of claim 2, the annular cutting blade having an angled slot through which the attachment member connects the ring and the plug stop.

5. The hole saw with ejector of claim 3, the annular cutting blade having two angled slots through which the attachment members connect the ring and the plug stop.

6. The hole saw with ejector of claim 4, the ring and plug stop configured to move one or more of back and forth together with respect to the annular cutting blade when the ring is rotated with respect to the annular cutting blade.

7. The hole saw with ejector of claim 5, wherein the attachment members and angled slots form a rail system upon which the ring and plug stop travel.

8. A hole saw with ejector comprising: an annular cutting blade having a first angled slot and a second angled slot located opposite the first angled slot; and an ejector attached to the annular cutting blade, the ejector including a ring located about the annular cutting blade, a plug stop located inside the annular cutting blade, the plug stop connected to the ring through the first and second angled slots, a first attachment member generally disposed within the first angled slot and between the ring and the plug stop, the first attachment member configured to attach the ring to the plug stop, and a second attachment member, opposite the first attachment member, generally disposed within the second angled slot and between the ring and the plug stop, the second attachment member configured to attach the ring to the plug stop, wherein the hole saw with ejector is configured to eject a plug when the ring is rotated with respect to the annular cutting blade.

9. The hole saw with ejector of claim 8, wherein the first and second attachment members and first and second angled slots form a rail system upon which the ring and plug stop travel.

10. The hole saw with ejector of claim 8, the ring and plug stop configured to move one or more of back and forth together with respect to the annular cutting blade when the ring is rotated with respect to the annular cutting blade.

11. The hole way with ejector of claim 8, the ring, first and second attachment members, and plug stop generally all coplanar.

12. A hole saw with ejector comprising: an annular cutting blade having a first angled slot and a second angled slot located opposite the first angled slot; and an ejector attached to the annular cutting blade, the ejector including a ring located about the annular cutting blade, a plug stop located inside the annular cutting blade, the plug stop connected to the ring through the first and second angled slots, a first attachment member generally disposed within the first angled slot and between the ring and the plug stop, the first attachment member configured to attach the ring to the plug stop, and a second attachment member, opposite the first attachment member, generally disposed within the second angled slot and between the ring and the plug stop, the second attachment member configured to attach the ring to the plug stop; wherein the first and second attachment members and first and second angled slots form a rail system within which the ring and plug stop travel; wherein the ring and plug stop configured to move one or more of back and forth together with respect to the annular cutting blade when the ring is rotated with respect to the annular cutting blade; and wherein the hole saw with ejector is configured to eject a plug when the ring is rotated with respect to the annular cutting blade.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0010] To further clarify the above and other aspects of the present invention, a more particular description of the invention will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is appreciated that these drawings depict only exemplary and/or typical embodiments of the invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope. The drawings may not be drawn to scale. The invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:

[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a hole saw with ejector.

[0012] FIG. 2 is a first side view of one embodiment of a hole saw with ejector.

[0013] FIG. 3 is a second side view of one embodiment of a hole saw with ejector.

[0014] FIG. 4 is a front view of one embodiment of a hole saw with ejector.

[0015] FIG. 5 is a first side view of one embodiment of a hole saw with ejector in a first position and a plug inside the hole saw.

[0016] FIG. 6 is a first side view of one embodiment of a hole saw with ejector in a second position and a plug ejected from the hole saw.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT

[0017] The present invention in its various embodiments, some of which are depicted in the figures herein, is a hole saw with ejector.

[0018] Referring now to FIGS. 1-4, one embodiment of a hole saw with ejector 100 is shown. Hole saw with ejector 100 comprises a main assembly with, at a first end, a pilot bit 101 centrally located within an annular cutting blade 102. The annular cutting blade 102 is connected to a rotatable ejection collar 105 configured for ejecting sawn plugs. In the illustrated embodiment, rotatable ejection collar 105 may be generally located at a middle portion of the main assembly, but repositionable with respect to, for example, the annular cutting blade 102 and pilot bit 101, as the ejection collar 105 is rotated by a user, as discussed in more detail below. The annular cutting blade 102 and rotatable ejection collar 105 are attached to an arbor 106 located at a second end of the main assembly.

[0019] Annular cutting blade 102 has one or more sides having a first elongate slot 103 and a second elongate slot 104. In the illustrated embodiment, slots 103, 104 are angled with respect to ends of the cutting blade 102 (and/or a longitudinal axis of the main assembly) and may be opposingly located with respect to each other or on opposite sides of the annular cutting blade 102. Referring now to FIG. 4, the main assembly further includes a plug stop member 401 located inside of the annular cutting blade 102. Plug stop member 401 may be suspended inside of the annular cutting blade 102 and attached to the rotatable ejection collar 105 through the slots 103, 104 by a first plug stop attachment 402 disposed through the first elongate slot 103 and a second plug stop attachment 403 disposed through the second elongate slot 104.

[0020] In the illustrated embodiment, rotatable ejection collar 105, plug stop member 401, and plug stop attachments 402, 403 form a sub-assembly of the main assembly. The components of the sub-assembly move together in relation to the other components of the main assembly. More particularly, the sub-assembly rotates about and/or within, for example, the annular cutting blade 102, along a fixed track and/or rail system formed by the slots 103, 104 and plug stop attachments 402, 403.

[0021] Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6, the hole saw with ejector 100 is shown with the sub-assembly (comprised of the rotatable ejection collar 105, plug stop member 401, and plug stop attachments 402, 402) in a first position A wherein it is located at a rearmost position with respect to the slots 103, 104. So positioned, the annular cutting blade 102 is exposed and shown with a plug of material 501 that has been previously removed by the hole saw 100. The cut plug of material 501 is located in front of, and abuts, the plug stop member 401.

[0022] In operation, a user removes the plug of material 501 by using his or her hand to rotate the rotatable ejection collar 105 in direction B. As the rotatable ejection collar 105 is rotated in direction B, the plug stop attachments 402, 403 are forced to travel within corresponding slots 103, 104. Because slots 103, 104 are angled, the sub-assembly is forced forward on the track and/or rail system in direction C as the rotatable ejection collar 105 is rotated. Consequently, plug stop member 401 is thereby driven forward in direction C, forcing the plug of material 501 out of an open end of the hole saw with ejector 100. The sub-assembly has a second position D (see FIG. 6) wherein it is located at a forwardmost position with respect to the slots 103, 104, having ejected the plug of material 501.

[0023] So configured, the hole saw with ejector 100 solves several problems in the art. First, by having an integrated ejection means, the hole saw with ejector 100 solves the traditional awkwardness, inefficacy, and resulting dangers of using a screwdriver or other tool from the outside to try to pry the plug out of the saw blade through, for example, saw blade apertures. Second, the problem of weak plug ejection derived from internal spring ejection systems is solved with an improved mechanism that translates human hand rotational force/torque to linear force to eject material from the hole saw. Third, the fragility inherent to hole saw internal spring ejection systems, with their more delicate and/or complex mechanisms, is solved by using parts with larger mass (e.g., ejection collar, plug stop member, and plug stop member attachments) within a robust track system. Fourth, because the ejection collar goes around the blade, the means for ejecting the plug does not require an elongation of the overall assembly which would decrease the compactness and ease of use of the hole saw. Fifth, because the counterforces from the hole saw are stopped a the rail and track system instead of a sequential screw-type system, locking of the mechanism is prevented and the design maintains ready ejection without applying undue force to break a locked mechanism.

[0024] The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. For example, the slots of the hole saw and/or the ejection collar could be configured to achieve similar mechanism to those described herein by being of different shapes and/or having opposite or different rotational movements. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.