Grinder

Abstract

A grinder includes a motor, a housing that houses the motor, a spindle that projects from the housing and is driven by the motor, and thereby rotates relative to the housing, and a wheel cover that is disposed on an outer-circumference side of the spindle and is configured to cover a portion of a tool accessory attached to the spindle. The grinder also includes a holding device for holding the wheel cover on the housing such that the arrangement and position of the wheel cover around the spindle can be changed but such that the wheel cover is not readily removable from the housing.

1 . A grinder, comprising:
 a motor;   a housing that houses the motor;   a spindle that projects from the housing and is driven by the motor, and thereby rotates relative to the housing;   a wheel cover that is disposed on an outer-circumference side of the spindle projecting from the housing and that is configured to cover a portion of a tool accessory attached to the spindle; and   means for holding the wheel cover on the housing;   wherein the wheel cover and the holding means are configured such that, in the state wherein the wheel cover is held on the housing by the holding means, the arrangement and position of the wheel cover around the spindle can be changed.   
     
     
         2 . The grinder according to  claim 1 , wherein the holding means comprises at least one holding member configured as a separate structure from the wheel cover, the at least one holding member being configured to hold the wheel cover on the housing. 
     
     
         3 . The grinder according to  claim 2 , wherein:
 the housing includes a mounting portion, to which the wheel cover is attached, that has a circular-cylinder shape and that surrounds the spindle;   the wheel cover is configured to be externally fitted onto the mounting portion of the housing and comprises a circular-ring-shaped mounting part, the mounting part including an outwardly facing circumferential slit; and   the at least one the holding member comprises a rivet or a screw extending into the slit of the mounting part of the wheel cover, one end of the rivet or screw being fixed to the mounting portion of the housing and the other end of the rivet or screw having a head larger than a width of the slit.   
     
     
         4 . The grinder according to  claim 3 , wherein:
 the at least one holding member comprises a plurality of holding members that are distributed over, and fixed at, a plurality of locations of the outer circumference of the mounting portion of the housing.   
     
     
         5 . The grinder according to  claim 3 , wherein:
 the wheel cover includes a tightening member on the mounting part configured to tighten and thereby fix the mounting part on the outer circumference of the mounting portion of the housing.   
     
     
         6 . The grinder according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the housing includes a mounting portion, to which the wheel cover is attached, that has a circular-cylinder shape that surrounds the spindle;   the wheel cover comprises a circular-ring-shaped mounting part configured to be externally fitted onto the mounting portion of the housing; and   the holding means comprise a circumferential groove formed on one of an outer circumference of the mounting portion of the housing and an inner circumference of the mounting part of the wheel cover and a projection or ridge on the other one of the mounting portion and the mounting part, the projection or ridge extending into the groove and being configured to slide within the groove.   
     
     
         7 . The grinder according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 an outer circumference of a mounting portion of the housing and an inner circumference of a mounting part of the wheel cover each have corrugated shapes that engage at prescribed rotational-angle positions and thereby are capable of positioning the wheel cover with respect to the housing.   
     
     
         8 . The grinder according to  claim 2 , wherein the holding means undetachably holds the wheel cover on the housing. 
     
     
         9 . The grinder according to  claim 5 , wherein the holding means undetachably holds the wheel cover on the housing. 
     
     
         10 . A grinder, comprising:
 a motor;   a housing that houses the motor;   a spindle that projects from the housing and is driven by the motor and thereby rotates relative to the housing; and   a wheel cover disposed on an outer-circumference side of the spindle projecting from the housing and being configured to cover a portion of a tool accessory attached to the spindle and to pivot relative to the spindle;   wherein the wheel cover is configured such that it is undetachably held on the housing.   
     
     
         11 . The grinder according to  claim 10 , wherein:
 the housing includes a mounting portion, to which the wheel cover is attached, that has a circular-cylinder shape and surrounds the spindle;   the wheel cover comprises a circular-ring-shaped mounting part configured to be externally fitted onto the mounting portion of the housing; and   one of an outer circumference of the mounting portion of the housing and an inner circumference of the mounting part of the wheel cover has a groove that is formed along a circumferential direction, and the other one has a projection or a ridge, which is inserted into the groove and is capable of sliding within the groove.   
     
     
         12 . The grinder according to  claim 11 , wherein:
 the outer circumference of the mounting portion of the housing and the inner circumference of the mounting part of the wheel cover each have corrugated shapes that engage at prescribed rotational-angle positions and thereby are capable of positioning the wheel cover with respect to the housing.   
     
     
         13 . The grinder according to  claim 11 , wherein:
 the mounting part on the wheel cover is configured in a circular-ring shape such that open ends of a circular ring are coupled together by a fixing member.   
     
     
         14 . The grinder according to  claim 10 , wherein:
 the housing includes a mounting portion, to which the wheel cover is attached, that has a circular-cylinder shape and that surrounds the spindle;   the wheel cover is configured to be externally fitted onto the mounting portion of the housing and comprises a circular-ring-shaped mounting part having an outwardly facing circumferential slit; and   a rivet or a screw extends from the mounting portion into the slit of the mounting part of the wheel cover, one end of the rivet or screw being fixed to the mounting portion of the housing and the other end of the rivet or screw having a head larger than a width of the slit.   
     
     
         15 . The grinder according to  claim 10 , further comprising at least one rod projecting from the housing and extending through at least one circumferential slit in the wheel cover. 
     
     
         16 . A grinder, comprising:
 a housing including a cylindrical mounting portion;   a motor in the housing;   a spindle operatively connected to the motor, the spindle projecting from the cylindrical mounting portion and being configured to be driven by the motor and to rotate relative to the housing;   a wheel cover including a ring-shaped mounting part mounted on the cylindrical mounting portion and a covering part radially spaced from and extending partially around the spindle, the covering part being configured to cover a portion of a tool accessory attached to the spindle, the mounting portion including a first circumferential slit having first and second ends; and   a first rod projecting from the mounting portion and extending through the first circumferential slit, the first rod having a head larger than an axial width of the first circumferential slit,   the wheel cover being shiftable between a first portion in which the first rod contacts the first end of the first circumferential slit and a second position in which the first rod contacts a second end of the first circumferential slit.   
     
     
         17 . The grinder according to  claim 16 , wherein:
 the mounting portion includes a second circumferential slit and   the grinder includes a second rod projecting from the mounting portion through the second circumferential slit, the second rod having a head larger than a width of the second circumferential slit.   
     
     
         18 . The grinder according to  claim 17 , wherein the wheel cover is undetachably held on the housing. 
     
     
         19 . The grinder according to  claim 16 , wherein the wheel cover is captively held on the housing.