US006510768B2 (12) United States Patent (10) Patent N0.: US 6,510,768 B2 Friihm (45) Date of Patent: Jan. 28, 2003 (54) BATTERY-POWERED SCREWDRIVER WITH Model 2105 SKIL Twist Screwdriver, undated brochure of INTEGRAL BIT HOLDER S—B Power Tool Company, Chicago, Illinois, at http:// www.skil.com/cd—html/s3k00038.htm. (75) Inventor: Hermann Friihm, Coquitlam (CA) Model VP750 3.6 volt Cordless VersaPak 2 Position Pivot (73) Assignee: Winsire Enterprises Corporation Driver Screwdriver, 2000 brochure of The Black & Decker Corporation, at http://www.blackanddecker.com/product (CA) guide/productdetail.asp?PRODUCTiID=2325. ( * ) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this Model 6705DW Cordless Screwdriver, undated brochure of patent is extended or adjusted under 35 Makita USA, Inc., La Mirada, Calif, at http://www.ma U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days. kita.com/product/tool.asp?MODEL=6705DW. (21) Appl. No.: 09/879,407 Heavy—Duty 7.2V Cordless Screwdriver—DW920K—2, undated brochure of The DeWalt Industrial Tool Company, (22) Filed: Jun. 11, 2001 Baltimore, MD, at http://www.dewalt.com/us/products/ toolidetail.asp?procudtID=2739. (65) Prior Publication Data 2.4V Screw Driver EY503B, undated brochure of Mat US 2002/0184979 A1 Dec. 12, 2002 sushita Electric Corporation of America, Secaucus, NJ, at (51) Int. Cl.7 ................................................ .. B25G 1/08 http://www.panasonic.com/commercialibuilding/poweri (52) 81/490; 81/177.4 tools/Scripts/Model/PHCCiPowerToolsitemplate.asp (58) Field of Search ............................... .. 81/177.4, 490 ?Modelld=8521&CategoryId=1457&Index=1. (56) References Cited * cited by examiner U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS Primary Examiner—James G. Smith 4,932,294 A * 6/1990 Chang ....................... .. 81/490 (74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Oyen Wiggs Green & 5,265,504 A 11/1993 Fruhm Mutala 5,749,271 A * 5/1998 Liu ........................... .. 81/490 5,810,525 A * 9/1998 Ector, Sr. 81/490 (57) ABSTRACT 6,305,815 B1 * 10/2001 Lin ........................... .. 81/490 A bit holder for a battery-powered screwdriver. A compart FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS ment is formed on one end of the screwdriver, opposite the W0 WO 00/09295 2/2000 tool bit driving end of the screwdriver. A sleeve mounted in the compartment can be slidably moved between open and OTHER PUBLICATIONS closed positions. A plurality of bit holding clips are ?xed Model 2211—01 SKIL Super Twist Screwdriver, undated around the sleeve’s outer circumference. A shaft extends brochure of S—B Power Tool Company, Chicago, Illinois, at through the compartment. One of the shaft’s ends is ?xed at http://www.skil.com/cd—html/s3k00020.htm. the compartment’s forward end. The sleeve is slidably Model 2207 SKIL Twist Xtra Screwdriver, undated brochure mounted over the shaft’s opposite end. of S—B Power Tool Company, Chicago, Illinois, at http:// www.skil.com/cd—html/s3k00019.htm. 7 Claims, 2 Drawing Sheets U.S. Patent Jan. 28,2003 Sheet 1 0f 2 US 6,510,768 B2 U.S. Patent Jan. 28,2003 Sheet 2 0f 2 US 6,510,768 B2 ~If, _omm UL.III_mm7cIIIIII N~Hl|Nw‘ [ILI .l WM"2,w¢wvS mm_. ,m.0_...._. wmv“. _t‘ty US 6,510,768 B2 1 2 BATTERY-POWERED SCREWDRIVER WITH FIG. 3 is an enlarged, partially fragmented, partially INTEGRAL BIT HOLDER sectioned side elevation view of the bit holder end portion of the FIGS. 1 and 2 apparatus, showing the bit holder in the open position. TECHNICAL FIELD DESCRIPTION This invention provides a battery-powered screwdriver with an integral bit holder in which a plurality of different Throughout the following description, speci?c details are bits may be stored. set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the invention. However, the invention may be practiced BACKGROUND 10 without these particulars. In other instances, well known elements have not been shown or described in detail to avoid Battery-powered screwdrivers are becoming increasingly unnecessarily obscuring the invention. Accordingly, the popular. A variety of different bits can be used with such speci?cation and drawings are to be regarded in an screwdrivers. Commonly, the bits are stored apart from the illustrative, rather than a restrictive, sense. screwdriver. That can be inconvenient; in many cases, it would be more convenient if the bits were stored on or in the 15 FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 depict a battery-powered screwdriver 10 screwdriver itself. This would give the user ready access to having an integral bit holder 12 in accordance with the a supply of different bits, thus avoiding the need to locate invention. Screwdriver 10 has a casing 14 within which a and manipulate a separate bit storage container. compartment 16 is formed for containing battery 17 (shown schematically only in FIGS. 2 and 3). Battery 17 powers Various prior art manually operated screwdrivers have motor 18 (shown schematically only in FIGS. 1 and 2) when integral bit storage capability. For example, US. Pat. No. rocker switch 20 is actuated, rotating shaft 22 about its 5,265,504 issued Nov. 30, 1993 discloses a “Cartridge Type longitudinal axis. Shaft 22 is drivingly coupled to motor 18 Screwdriver” having a bit storage magaZine within the by a gearing mechanism (not shown) within forward com screwdriver’s handle. Aplurality of different bits are held in partment 24. A hexagonal cross-section tool bit holding place by clips provided around the circumference of the chuck 26 is provided in the open forward end of shaft 22 for storage magaZine. By pulling a cap longitudinally away 25 removably and lockably receiving any one of a number of from the handle, one may slidably withdraw the magaZine from the handle to expose the bits. A particular bit can be different (preferably double-ended) screwdriver type tool bits 27 (FIGS. 1 and 3), or an assortment of drill type tool selected and removed from its clip. The user then presses bits 27A (FIG. 2) stored within bit holder 12. The external against the cap to slide the storage magaZine back inside the surface of casing 14 de?nes a handle for grasping screw handle. driver 10. Unlike a manually-operated screwdriver, which can be The end of casing 14 opposite shaft 22 is extended provided with a hollow handle suitable for receiving a bit rearwardly (i.e. to the right, as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 3) to storage magaZine, a battery-operated screwdriver has no de?ne a bit holder storage compartment 28 rearwardly of readily apparent space for receiving a bit storage magaZine. battery storage compartment 16. A pair of opposed ?anges The present invention solves that problem to facilitate 35 30, 32 are formed to extend circumferentially around the integration of a bit holder and battery-operated screwdriver inner cylindrical surface of casing 14, rearwardly of battery in a relatively compact con?guration and without impairing the functionality of either the screwdriver or the bit holder. storage compartment 16. Flanges 30, 32 are spaced apart to de?ne a circumferential groove 34 for ?xedly retaining the SUMMARY OF INVENTION circular rim of base 36 of support shaft 38. As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, base 36 is ?ared radially inwardly and The invention provides a bit holder for a battery-powered rearwardly to de?ne an anchor ?ange portion 40 at the screwdriver. A compartment is formed on one end of the juncture of base 36 and shaft 38. screwdriver, opposite the tool bit driving end of the screw A cylindrically apertured sleeve 42 is formed on the driver. A sleeve mounted in the compartment can be slidably central rearward face of support collar 44 and extends moved between open and closed positions. Aplurality of bit 45 rearwardly therefrom. Stop shoulder 46 on support collar 44 holding clips are ?xed around the sleeve’s outer circumfer circumferentially surrounds shaft 38 for slidable, longitudi ence. A shaft extends through the compartment. One of the nal movement of sleeve 42 and collar 44 forwardly or shaft’s ends is ?xed at the compartment’s forward end. The rearwardly along shaft 38 between the closed and open sleeve is slidably mounted over the shaft’s opposite end. positions respectively shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The circum An end cap is ?xed on the sleeve’s rearward end. An ferential outward rim of collar 44 is ?anged to bear against internal, radially outwardly enlarged circumferential recess the inner cylindrical surface of compartment 28 thereby is provided on the cap’s forward face. A radially ?exible stabiliZing bit holder 12 and preventing “wobbling” of retainer is ?xed on the shaft’s rearward end. The retainer sleeve 42 during slidable movement thereof along shaft 38. ?exes radially outwardly into the recess when the bit holder An inwardly ?exible retainer 47 is ?xed on the rearward is in the closed position, thereby retaining the bit holder in end 49 of shaft 38. This can be accomplished, as shown in the closed position. When the bit holder is in the closed 55 FIG. 2, by providing external threading 48 on rearward end position, application of a force to move the end cap rear 49 of shaft 38 and screwing an internally threaded portion wardly away from the compartment ?exes the retainer (not shown) of retainer 47 onto the threaded shaft end. radially inwardly and away from the recess. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 3, a spring-biased type clip 50 can be provided on the forward end of retainer 47 for BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS snap-?t engagement within a mating ?anged portion 51 FIG. 1 is a partially fragmented, partially schematic formed within the rearward end of shaft 38.