Shield and belt sander having the same

Abstract

A belt sander includes a shield, a housing, and a sanding belt. The shield includes a main plate unit and an extension plate unit. The main plate unit cooperates with the housing to define a protection space. The extension plate unit extends from the main plate unit toward the sanding belt, and cooperates with the housing to define an opening that is in spatial communication with the protection space. The extension plate unit is spaced apart from the sanding belt in a first extending direction of a first axis, and cooperates with the sanding belt to define a first gap therebetween in the first extending direction. The extension plate unit is spaced apart from the sanding belt in a second extending direction of a second axis substantially orthogonal to the first axis, and cooperates with the sanding belt to define two second gaps therebetween in the second extending direction.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A shield adapted to be mounted to a belt sander, the belt sander including a machine body, a housing that is rotatably connected to the machine body, and a sanding belt that is mounted to the housing and that is drivable to rotate around a first axis, the shield comprising:
 a main plate unit adapted for cooperating with the housing to define a protection space that is adapted for accommodating a portion of the sanding belt; and   an extension plate unit extending from the main plate unit toward the sanding belt, the extension plate unit being adapted for cooperating with the housing to define an opening that is in spatial communication with the protection space and that is adapted for another portion of the sanding belt to extend therethrough, the extension plate unit being spaced apart from the sanding belt in a first extending direction of the first axis and being adapted for cooperating with the sanding belt to define a first gap therebetween in the first extending direction, the extension plate unit being spaced apart from the sanding belt in a second extending direction of a second axis substantially orthogonal to the first axis and being adapted for cooperating with the sanding belt to define two second gaps therebetween in the second extending direction.   
     
     
         2 . The shield as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the main plate unit includes a main plate, and two side plates each of which is connected to the main plate and faces the sanding belt, the side plates being spaced apart from each other along the second axis, the main plate facing the housing. 
     
     
         3 . The shield as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein each of the main plate and the side plates has an opening end that is adjacent to the opening, and a contact end that is opposite to the opening end and that is adapted to be in contact with the housing. 
     
     
         4 . The shield as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the extension plate unit includes an extension plate that is adapted for cooperating with the housing to define the opening, and that is connected to the opening end of at least one of the main plate and the side plates. 
     
     
         5 . The shield as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the extension plate unit includes three extension plates that are respectively connected to the opening ends of the main plate and the side plates, and that are spaced apart from each other. 
     
     
         6 . The shield as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein one of the extension plates that is connected to the opening end of the main plate is adapted for cooperating with the sanding belt to define the first gap therebetween in the first extending direction, and each of two of the extension plates that are respectively connected to the opening ends of the side plates is adapted for cooperating with the sanding belt to define a respective one of the second gaps therebetween in the second extending direction, a width of each of the first gap and the second gaps being smaller than 7 millimeters. 
     
     
         7 . The shield as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein each of the side plates extends in a third extending direction of a third axis that is substantially orthogonal to the first axis and the second axis. 
     
     
         8 . The shield as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein a length of the main plate in the third extending direction is greater than a length of each of the side plates in the third extending direction. 
     
     
         9 . The shield as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a cross section of the main plate unit on an imaginary plane that has a normal vector in a third extending direction of a third axis which is substantially orthogonal to the first axis and the second axis is substantially U-shaped. 
     
     
         10 . A belt sander comprising:
 a machine body including a rotating shaft that is drivable by electric power to rotate about a first axis;   a housing rotatably connected to the machine body;   a sanding belt mounted to the housing and drivable by the rotating shaft to rotate around the first axis; and   the shield as claimed in  claim 1 , the shield being removably connected to the housing.   
     
     
         11 . The belt sander as claimed in  claim 10 , further comprising a housing fastening member, the main plate unit of the shield being removably connected to the housing, the housing fastening member extending through the main plate unit and being threadedly connected to the housing to interconnect the main plate unit and the housing. 
     
     
         12 . The belt sander as claimed in  claim 10 , further comprising a plate fastening member, the extension plate unit of the shield being removably connected to the main plate unit of the shield, the plate fastening member extending through the extension plate unit and being threadedly connected to the main plate unit to interconnect the extension plate unit and the main plate unit.