Handle with integrated conduit locator for a hand-held machine tool

0001The invention relates to a cable locator for locating Lines in a wall, in particular for locating water pipes, electrical cables or the like., according to the preamble of claim 1.

0002Such line detectors are known per se and serve the screening of a wall by wires before to provided Make holes with a drill or a Hammer or grooves are placed with a groove cutter. This lead finder have been proven in practice and In particular there indispensable, where the course or the arrangement of lines is unknown.

0003The cable locator is a separate from the drill Device and must in addition to the drilling machine on site being held. In practice it has been shown that the cable detector is often forgotten, so that then on suspicion made the necessary holes in a wall will. This can cause considerable damage if a Water line or an electric line is drilled. Most then the wall has to be ripped up in a large area in order to repair the damage.

0004To protect the user of a drill electric shock has also been proposed, in electrical contact of the drill bit with a current-carrying Conduit means disposed in the motor housing of the drilling machine To enable protection circuit off a the drill causes. Such an arrangement protects but not against damage to the laid in the wall lines.

0005The invention is based on the object, a cable locator to make the generic type such that it is available at any time on site and the user preferably also used during operation of the drilling machine can be.

0006The object is characterizing the invention according to the Features of claim 1.

0007The integration of the pipeline finder in the adjacent tool front handle of a machine tool provides sure - before eg set a bore or groove is - by means of the line finder in the area of ​​the intended Borehole extending lines are detected. The drilling operation is therefore in response of the handle the drill pipe integrated viewfinder not begun, so that both damage to electrical Lines as well as damage of the wall are avoided.

0008Preference is given to power the line finder means disposed in the handle battery or a rechargeable battery pack used; it can also be expedient to connect provide for voltage grid of drill.

0009The sensor of the line viewfinder is advantageously in a nose-shaped housing projection of the free end of the handle, so that by the nose-shaped housing projection a small distance is added to the wall, which the Reliability increases.

0010In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the sensor system, the electronics and voltage source within an inner housing of the handle, which by a outer handle housing is surrounded. In this case, the inner housing expediently together with the line as a viewfinder axially formed in the handle housing insertable module which preferably also outside the handle housing Turnkey is and can be used.

0011Further features of the invention result from the further Claims, the description and the drawings, the below described in a single embodiment, the invention is shown. Show it:<dl tsize="7"><dt>Fig. 1</dt><dd>a fixed side view of a drill Handle according to the invention with integrated Cable Locator,</dd><dt>FIG. 2</dt><dd>a side view of the front handle by Fig. 1</dd><dt>Fig. 3</dt><dd>a front view of the handle according to Fig. 2,</dd><dt>Fig. 4</dt><dd>a section along the line IV-IV in Fig. 3,</dd><dt>Fig. 5</dt><dd>a section along the line VV in Fig. 3,</dd><dt>Fig. 6</dt><dd>shows a section along the line VI-VI in Fig. 4.</dd></dl>

0012The handle is provided with a built-in cable locator 1 is close to the chuck 31 of a drill 32 (Fig. 1) on a cylindrical mounting portion 33 machine firmly fixed.

0013The handle 1 consists essentially of an approximately cylindrical, advantageously in the sectional elliptical handle housing 7 (Fig. 5, 6) having a in at one end 3 Diameter enlarged annular shoulder 8 shows. The annular shoulder 8 separates the handle 1 of a device connection 9, with which the handle 1 to the fixing portion 33 of the Drill 32 of a hammer drill or the like. Is mounted. The terminal strip 9 substantially consists of a cylindrical, slotted clamp 2, the base for a 10 rigidly connected to the end 3 of the handle. 1 The clamping slot of the clamp 2 is of a clamping screw 5 bridged, which engages in the socket 10th by means of the clamping screw 5, the clamp 2 on the cylindrical Mounting portion 33 in a desired Location determined positively.

0014The cylindrical jacket 4 of the clip 2 has a longitudinal center axis 6, which in on the drill, the hammer or the like. machine tool mounted handle 1 is coaxial with the axis of rotation 34 of the tool.

0015The pedestal 10 has approximately rectangular shape and has -. As shown in Figures 2 and 4 show - in the direction of the longitudinal center axis 6 is an axial extent corresponding to the width the clamp 2 equivalent. From Fig. 3 it is apparent that The base 10 has a width slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the clamp 2nd

0016The handle housing 1 has as evidenced by the Figs. 5 and 6 a oval cross-section, the major axis A of the cross section in the same direction as the longitudinal central axis 6 the clamp 2 is oriented and parallel to this longitudinal central axis 6 is. As evidenced by FIG. 4, the handle housing 7 hollow and facing away from the sleeve 2 End 11 open. The handle housing 7 has - like the Figs. 2 and 3 show - preferably a forward facing Fluting 12 to provide better grip. It can be expedient, the ribbing 12 over the entire circumference the handle housing 7 provide.

0017In the handle housing 7 is an approximately rectangular in cross-section Inner casing 13 axially insert, said Inner housing 13 with its preferably rounded longitudinal edges 14 abuts against the wall of the handle housing 7 and thereby substantially free of play in the interior 15 of the Handle housing is maintained. 7 The inner housing 13 projects with a nose-shaped end 16 of the handle housing 7 out, wherein the open end face of the end 11 on an annular shoulder 17 of the nose-shaped end 16 rests. Thus, the interior 15 of the handle housing 7 is largely dust- and liquid-tight manner.

0018As seen from the sectional views of Figs. 5 and 6, corresponds to the outer contour of the nose-shaped end 16 to on the lugs 18 in cross section of the elliptical contour of the Handle housing 7; the lug 18 is in the direction of the great front provided on the longitudinal axis A with ribbing 12 Shell portion 19 of the handle housing 7 over so that the nose 18 substantially in the direction of the longitudinal central axis 6 the clamp 2 pointing towards chuck 31st

0019The inner housing 13 serves to accommodate the components of a Line viewfinder 20, with the lines, in particular water pipes electrical cables or the like., in a wall can be located.

0020The cable detector 20 consists essentially of a Sensor 21 from one or more sensors, which in the disposed nose-shaped end 16 of the inner housing. 13 The sensor 21 lies in the in the direction of the wall oriented lug 18, whereby a sufficiently small distance is added to the wall was correctly Function of the miniature viewfinder ensures. The nose 18 lying sensor 21 of the seeker line 20 is connected a sensor signals the evaluating electronics 22, which conveniently adjacent to the sensor 11 in the region of the open end 11 of the handle housing 7 in the inner housing 13 lies. The electronics 22 controls a display in shown embodiment an audible indicator in may be the form of a buzzer 23rd Suitably is also a optical display in an appropriate place.

0021The inner housing 13 is at its inner end 24 for receiving a voltage source 25 open, in the embodiment shown a battery in the form of a 9-volt block or can be a battery pack. The battery or battery pack serves the electronics power supply 22 and the display in the form of Summers 23rd

0022It may be convenient, the battery 25 by a spring to keep 27 in an inoperative position, in the their contacts 28 at a distance from the contacts 26 of the Electronics 22 are. Upon insertion of the modular Inner housing 13 in the handle housing 7 reaches the battery on the bottom 29 of the handle housing with the interposition a spring 40 for conditioning and is against the force of weaker spring 27 inserted into the inner housing 13, to their contacts 28 26 come to rest on the contacts. The electrical circuit of the electronics 22 is closed; the electronic system is operational.

0023Conveniently, the inner end 24 is closed with a lid 39, so that the inner housing 13 as the handle 1 separate module can be used as lead finder.

0024Since via the handle 1 often large forces in the tool are introduced, it is expedient to the handle housing 7 with the base 10 and the cuff 2 in one piece of durable Plastic, metal or a light metal alloy to design. is in a metal housing also ensures that the disposed in the handle housing 7 Electronics is protected from interference. The inner housing 13, however, is suitably designed plastic, especially the nose-shaped end 16, as plastic the action of the sensors 21 is not adversely affected.

0025The inner casing 13 is along with the line locator 20 that is, the sensor 21, the electronics 22, the acoustic Display in the form of a buzzer 23 and the voltage source 25, designed as a plug-in module. To secure fixation the plug-in module to ensure the handle housing 7 are, at the height of the semi-minor axis of the elliptical cross-section Locking tabs 30 are provided, the appropriate in engage catch recesses of the handle housing 7 and thus the Plug-in module connect captive with the handle housing. 7

0026By appropriate design of the electrical connection may be between the voltage source 25 and the electronics 22 the plug-in module are also formed so that it at Removal from the handle housing 18 is ready for operation and separately can be used from the handle the first