Power tool with ergonomic handgrip

Abstract

A power tool with an ergonomic handgrip includes a housing, a motor in the housing, a working end coupled to a front end of the housing, a handle extending distally from the housing, and a trigger coupled to the handle. The housing defines a tool axis, the handle defines a handle axis, and the trigger defines a trigger axis in its direction of movement. A first gripping region includes a rear concave recess on a rear end of the housing and a lateral concave recess along a lateral sidewall of the housing parallel to the tool axis. A vertical line extending from an innermost point of the rear concave recess intersects the trigger axis forward of where the trigger axis intersects the handle axis. A second gripping region includes a convex surface on a rear portion of the handle with an elliptical curvature having an eccentricity less than 0.5.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A power tool with an ergonomic handgrip comprising:
 a housing with a rear end portion, a front end portion, and lateral sidewalls, the housing defining a tool axis;   a motor disposed in the housing;   a working end coupled to the front end portion of the housing, and configured to be driven by the motor;   a handle with a proximal portion coupled to the housing, a distal end portion away from the housing, a rear wall portion, and a front wall portion, the handle defining a handle axis;   a trigger coupled to the handle, the trigger defining a trigger axis extending in a direction of trigger movement;   a first gripping region including a rear concave recess on the rear end portion of the housing and a lateral concave recess extending along one of the lateral sidewalls of the housing generally parallel to the tool axis, the rear concave recess having an innermost point that is closest to the front end portion of the housing; and   a second gripping region including a convex surface on the rear wall portion of the proximal portion of the handle,   wherein a vertical line extending from the innermost point generally perpendicular to the tool axis intersects the trigger axis at a first intersection point that is forward of a second intersection point where the trigger axis intersects the handle axis.   
     
     
         2 . The power tool of  claim 1 , further comprising a third gripping region disposed on the housing, and offset rearward of the front end portion of the housing. 
     
     
         3 . The power tool of  claim 1 , wherein the trigger axis is generally perpendicular to the handle axis. 
     
     
         4 . The power tool of  claim 1 , wherein the trigger axis is at an acute angle of at least 15 degrees to the tool axis. 
     
     
         5 . The power tool of  claim 1 , wherein the convex surface has a curvature defined by an ellipse that has an eccentricity of less than 0.5. 
     
     
         6 . The power tool of  claim 5 , wherein the ellipse has a center proximate to the trigger axis. 
     
     
         7 . The power tool of  claim 5 , wherein the ellipse has a minor axis generally parallel to the tool axis and a major axis generally perpendicular to the tool axis. 
     
     
         8 . The power tool of  claim 1 , wherein the convex surface has a rearmost point that is approximately 26 mm to 32 mm rearward of the innermost point and approximately 70 mm to 80 mm distal of the innermost point. 
     
     
         9 . The power tool of  claim 1 , further comprising a fourth gripping surface on the rear wall portion of the distal portion of the handle extending along the handle to a point distal of the trigger. 
     
     
         10 . The power tool of  claim 9 , wherein the ergonomic handgrip is configured to be grasped in one of: (a) a first grip position where the first gripping region receives a thumb and a forefinger of a user, the second gripping region receives in a palm of the user, and the trigger receives at least one of a ring finger and a pinky finger of the user; and (b) a second grip position where the second gripping portion receives the thumb of the user, the trigger receives at least one of the forefinger and the middle finger of the user, and the fourth gripping region receives the palm of the user. 
     
     
         11 . A power tool with an ergonomic handgrip comprising:
 a housing with a rear end portion, a front end portion, and lateral sidewalls, the housing defining a tool axis;   a motor disposed in the housing;   a working end coupled to the front end portion of the housing, and configured to be driven by the motor;   a handle with a proximal portion coupled to the housing, a distal end portion away from the housing, a rear wall portion, and a front wall portion, the handle defining a handle axis;   a trigger coupled to the handle, the trigger defining a trigger axis extending in a direction of trigger movement;   a first gripping region including a rear concave recess on the rear end portion of the housing and a lateral concave recess extending along one of the lateral sidewalls of the housing generally parallel to the tool axis; and   a second gripping region including a convex surface on the rear wall portion of the proximal portion of the handle,   wherein the convex surface has a curvature defined by an ellipse that with an eccentricity of less than 0.5.   
     
     
         12 . The power tool of  claim 11 , wherein the trigger axis is generally perpendicular to the handle axis. 
     
     
         13 . The power tool of  claim 11 , wherein the trigger axis is at an acute angle of at least 15 degrees to the tool axis. 
     
     
         14 . The power tool of  claim 11 , wherein the ellipse has a center proximate to the trigger axis. 
     
     
         15 . The power tool of  claim 11 , wherein the ellipse has a minor axis generally parallel to the tool axis and a major axis generally perpendicular to the tool axis. 
     
     
         16 . The power tool of  claim 1 , wherein the rear concave recess has an innermost point that is closest to the front end portion of the housing, and the convex surface has a rearmost point that is approximately 26 mm to 32 mm rearward of the innermost point and approximately 70 mm to 80 mm distal of the innermost point. 
     
     
         17 . The power tool of  claim 11 , further comprising a fourth gripping surface on the rear wall portion of the distal portion of the handle extending along the handle to a point distal of the trigger. 
     
     
         18 . The power tool of  claim 17 , wherein the ergonomic handgrip is configured to be grasped in one of: (a) a first grip position where the first gripping region receives a thumb and a forefinger of a user, the second gripping region receives in a palm of the user, and the trigger receives a ring finger of the user; and (b) a second grip position where the second gripping portion receives the thumb of the user, the trigger receives the forefinger of the user, and the fourth gripping region receives the palm of the user. 
     
     
         19 . A power tool with an ergonomic handgrip comprising:
 a housing with a rear end portion, a first front end portion, a second front end portion, and lateral sidewalls, the housing defining a tool axis;   a motor disposed in the housing;   a working end coupled to the front end portion of the housing, and configured to be driven by the motor;   a handle with a proximal portion coupled to the housing, a distal end portion away from the housing, a rear wall portion, a front wall portion, and a pair of sidewalls, the handle defining a handle axis;   a trigger coupled to the handle, the trigger defining a trigger axis extending in a direction of trigger movement;   a first gripping region including a rear concave recess on the rear end portion of the housing and a lateral concave recess extending along one of the lateral sidewalls of the housing generally parallel to the tool axis;   a second gripping region including a convex surface on the rear wall portion of the proximal portion of the handle;   a third gripping region on the second front end portion of the housing and offset rearward from first front end portion;   a fourth gripping region on the rear end portion of the distal portion of the handle;   a fifth gripping region on the front wall portion of the distal portion of handle adjacent the trigger; and   a sixth gripping region on the front wall portion of the distal portion of the handle, distal of the fifth gripping region,   wherein the handle has a first depth from the trigger to the convex gripping surface, a second depth from the fifth gripping region to the fourth gripping region, and a third depth from the sixth gripping region to the fourth gripping region, the first depth being greater than the second depth, and the second depth being greater than the third depth, and   wherein the handle has a first width between the sidewalls at the trigger, a second width between the sidewalls at the fifth gripping region, and a third width between the sidewalls at the sixth gripping region, the first width being less than the second width, and the second width being approximately equal to the third width.   
     
     
         20 . The power tool of  claim 19 , wherein the gripping regions are configured to be grasped in one of: (a) a first grip position where the lateral concave recesses receives a thumb and a forefinger of a user, the rear concave recess receives a web between the thumb and the forefinger of the user, the convex gripping surface is received in a palm of the user, the third gripping region receives a middle finger of the user, and the trigger receives at least one of a ring finger and a pinky finger of the user; and (b) a second grip position where the fourth gripping region receives the palm of the user, the convex gripping surface receives the web and the thumb of the user, the fifth gripping region receives the ring finger of the user, the sixth gripping region receives the pinky finger of the user, and the trigger receives at least one of the forefinger and the middle finger of the user. 
     
     
         21 . The power tool of  claim 20 , further comprising a trigger lock-on switch on the fifth gripping region.