Abrasive Tool

Abstract

A slender abrading tool includes an elongated body assembly constructed to carry a removable, flexible endless abrasive strip longitudinally about the body assembly. The body assembly includes a first body section and a second body section. A biasing element is positioned between the first and second body sections. The first body section has a work piece engaging surface and recess defined in one end thereof. The second body section has a post for mating with the recess in the first body section.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A slender abrading tool comprising:
 a slender elongated body assembly constructed to carry a removable, flexible endless abrasive strip longitudinally about the body assembly, the body assembly including:   a first elongated body section having a work piece engaging portion at a proximal end thereof and a recess formed therein in a distal end thereof, with the recess defining four surrounding walls;   a second elongated body section having a post portion extending axially from a proximal end thereof and that is configured to be irremovably entrapped, but slidable within the recess defined in the first body section, with the post being trapped between the four surrounding walls of the first body section, with the first and second body sections together forming a unitary body, with the unitary body defining a handle for grasping the tool and a path for maintaining an abrasive strip around the length thereof; and   a biasing element positioned between the first and second body sections that normally biases the first and second body sections away from one another, but with application of substantially axial force, the first and second body sections move toward one another in order to permit a user to position an abrasive strip around the unitary body.   
     
     
         2 . The tool of  claim 1 , wherein the biasing element is a coiled spring. 
     
     
         3 . The tool of  claim 1 , wherein the recess is rectangular in cross-section and the post is rectangular in cross-section. 
     
     
         4 . The tool of  claim 2 , wherein the post includes a recess for holding at least part of the spring, and at least part of the spring is unsupported by the post. 
     
     
         5 . The tool of  claim 2 , further comprising an abutting surface inside the recess for abutting a proximal end of the spring. 
     
     
         6 . The tool of  claim 1 , further comprising a stop inside the recess for abutting a proximal end of the post in order to deter further proximal axial motion of the post inside the recess. 
     
     
         7 . The tool of  claim 1 , wherein the second body section has a groove for receiving part of the length of the biasing element. 
     
     
         8 . The tool of  claim 7 , wherein the groove is a channel having an open top surface, and a proximal end of the biasing element is unsupported by the channel. 
     
     
         9 . The tool of  claim 1 , wherein the work piece engaging portion is wedge-shaped. 
     
     
         10 . The tool of  claim 9 , wherein the wedge-shaped work piece engaging portion has at least one surface that is angled relative to a top surface of the unitary body, and the a top surface of the unitary body is substantially planar. 
     
     
         11 . The tool of  claim 1 , wherein the second body portion irremovably seats in the first body portion via a locking mechanism. 
     
     
         12 . The tool of  claim 11 , wherein the locking mechanism comprises spring arms that mate with one or more projection or detent. 
     
     
         13 . The tool of  claim 12 , wherein the spring arms are positioned on an inner surface of the recess and the projection or detent is formed on an outer surface of the post at a distance that is spaced from a proximal end of the post in order to allow the post to move longitudinally inside the recess, but to deter the post from exiting the recess when at an extended position. 
     
     
         14 . The tool of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more projection or detent is formed in an outer surface of the post, and the spring arms include one or more protrusions that seat in the detents. 
     
     
         15 . The tool of  claim 1 , wherein the first body section has a length that is about the same as the length of the second body section so that the biasing means is positioned substantially in the middle of the device when the first and second body sections are coupled together. 
     
     
         16 . A slender abrading tool comprising:
 a slender elongated body assembly having an axis defined longitudinally that is constructed to carry a removable, flexible endless abrasive strip longitudinally about the body assembly, the body assembly including:   a first elongated body section having a work piece engaging portion at a proximal end thereof and a recess formed therein extending axially inward from a distal end thereof, with the recess defining surrounding walls that form a recess having a substantially rectangular cross-section;   a second elongated body section having a distal grasping portion and a proximal post portion that extends axially from the grasping portion, with the post portion being configured to movably seat within the recess defined in the first body section in order to trap the post portion inside the surrounding walls of the first body section, with the first and second body sections together forming a unitary body that defines a path for maintaining an abrasive strip around the length thereof; and   a biasing element positioned between the first and second body sections that normally biases the first and second body sections away from one another, but can be pressed axially toward one another to permit the first and second body sections to move toward one another in order to permit an abrasive strip to be positioned around the unitary body, and   a locking mechanism that locks the post portion inside the recess of the first body section such that the post portion is movable longitudinally within the recess, but is not removable from the recess during normal use.   
     
     
         17 . The tool of  claim 16 , wherein the locking mechanism comprises at least one spring arm having a protrusion at an end thereof that mates with one or more of at least one detent and at least one projection. 
     
     
         18 . The tool of  claim 17 , wherein the protrusion of the at least one spring arm is positioned on an inner surface of the recess and the one or more of at least one detent and at least one projection are formed on an outer surface of the post. 
     
     
         19 . The tool of  claim 18 , wherein the work piece engaging portion of the first body section has a wedge shape and the distal end of the second body section has a rounded shape for permitting an abrasive strip to easily roll over the distal end of the second body section.