The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 30, 2001
Filed:
May. 24, 2000
Tom Mooty, Jackson, TN (US);
Earl Clowers, Anderson, SC (US);
Mark Etter, Jackson, TN (US);
Daily Gist, Jackson, TN (US);
Michael Lagaly, Jackson, TN (US);
Porter-Cable Corporation, Jackson, TN (US);
Abstract
An arrangement of frictional gripping zones on the handle of a power tool is disclosed. The power tool has a main body portion and a handle portion depending from the main body portion. The handle portion includes a first side region, a second side region opposite the first side region, a rear region connecting the first and second side regions along a rear of the handle portion, and a front region connecting the first and second side regions along a front of the handle portion. A plurality of alternating first and second gripping zones extend longitudinally along each of the first and second side regions of the handle portion. The first gripping zones are made the first gripping zones being made from a first material and the second gripping zones are made from a second material different from the first material. Preferably, the material of the second gripping zones have a hardness greater than the material of the first gripping zones. Furthermore, a third gripping zone is made from the second material and extends longitudinally along substantially the entire front and rear regions of the tool handle. The first gripping zones are preferably sized and configured to correspond to the contour of the power tool handle to provide the user with an efficient frictional gripping when operating the power tool.