Angled battery orientation for a tire buffer

Abstract

A tire repair tool for buffing an interior surface of a tire, the tire repair tool including an elongated housing that extends along a longitudinal axis, an electric motor disposed within the housing, a gearbox coupled to the electric motor, a chuck coupled to the gearbox and configured rotate about the longitudinal axis and to receive a workpiece tool such as a buffing wheel, a switch that operatively controls the electric motor, a biased trigger operatively coupled to the switch, and a battery for supplying power to the electric motor. The battery has an elongated housing that defines a battery axis, wherein the battery axis forms an oblique angle with the longitudinal axis.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A tire repair tool, comprising:
 an elongated housing having a first end and a second end, the second end opposite to the first end, the elongated housing extending along a longitudinal axis and including a battery dock located at the second end;   an electric motor disposed within the housing, the electric motor including a motor output configured to rotate about the longitudinal axis;   a gearbox disposed within the housing and coupled to the motor output, the gearbox including an output drive;   a chuck coupled to the output drive, the chuck configured to receive a workpiece tool, the chuck located proximate to the first end of the elongated housing;   a switch operatively coupled to the electric motor for selectively controlling electrical power to the electric motor, the switch in electrical communication with the battery dock;   a biased trigger operatively coupled to the switch, the trigger configured to pivot with respect to the housing when the trigger is pressed; and   a battery removably coupled to the battery dock for supplying power to the battery dock when the battery is coupled to the battery dock, the battery having an elongated housing defining a battery axis,   wherein the battery dock is oriented so that the battery axis forms an oblique angle with the longitudinal axis when the battery is coupled to the battery dock.   
     
     
         2 . The tire repair tool of  claim 1 , wherein the workpiece tool comprises a buffer wheel configured to buff an interior surface of a tire, the interior surface of the tire being generally cylindrical, the longitudinal axis and the tire defining a chord; and wherein the oblique angle is selected to reduce contact between the battery and the interior surface of the tire when the tire repair tool is held so that the longitudinal axis of the housing is generally parallel with the chord to engage the buffer with the interior surface of the tire. 
     
     
         3 . The tire repair tool of  claim 2 , wherein the oblique angle is about sixty degrees (60°). 
     
     
         4 . The tire repair tool of  claim 1 , wherein the battery axis is defined by a distal surface of the battery, and wherein the distal surface is opposite from the first end of the elongated housing when the battery is coupled to the battery dock. 
     
     
         5 . The tire repair tool of  claim 1 , wherein the trigger comprises a pin for pivotally coupling the trigger to the elongated housing, the pin of the trigger being proximate to the first end of the elongated housing. 
     
     
         6 . The tire buffer tool of  claim 1 , wherein the trigger comprises a pin for pivotally coupling the trigger to the elongated housing, the pin of the trigger being proximate to the second end of the elongated housing. 
     
     
         7 . The tire buffer tool of  claim 1 , further comprising a protrusion disposed on the elongated housing, the protrusion including a planar surface configured to support the housing when the tire repair tool is placed on a flat surface, wherein the planar surface is configured to resist tipping over tire repair tool while the tire repair tool is resting on the flat surface. 
     
     
         8 . The tire buffer tool of  claim 7 , wherein the protrusion is configured to prevent contact between a trigger and the flat surface while the tire buffer tool is resting on the flat surface. 
     
     
         9 . The tire buffer tool of  claim 1 , wherein the elongated battery further comprises a proximate trigger surface and a distal trigger surface such that the proximate trigger surface is proximate to the trigger and the distal trigger surface is distal from the trigger and opposite from the proximate trigger surface, wherein the proximate trigger surface is flush or tangent to a surface of the elongated housing. 
     
     
         10 . A tire repair tool, comprising:
 an elongated housing having a first end and a second end, the second end opposite to the first end, the elongated housing extending along a longitudinal axis and including a battery dock located at the second end;   an electric motor disposed within the housing, the electric motor including a motor output configured to rotate about the longitudinal axis;   a gearbox disposed within the housing and coupled to the motor output, the gearbox including an output drive;   a chuck coupled to the output drive, the chuck configured to receive a workpiece tool, the chuck located proximate to the first end of the elongated housing;   a switch operatively coupled to the electric motor for selectively controlling electrical power to the electric motor, the switch in electrical communication with the battery dock; and   a battery removably coupled to the battery dock for supplying power to the battery dock when the battery is coupled to the battery dock, the battery having an elongated housing defining a battery axis,   wherein the battery dock is oriented so that the battery axis forms an oblique angle with the longitudinal axis when the battery is coupled to the battery dock.   
     
     
         11 . The tire repair tool of  claim 10 , wherein the workpiece tool comprises a buffer wheel configured to buff an interior surface of a tire, the interior surface of the tire being generally cylindrical, the longitudinal axis and the tire defining a chord; and wherein the oblique angle is selected to reduce contact between the battery and the interior surface of the tire when the tire repair tool is held so that the longitudinal axis of the housing is generally parallel with the chord to engage the buffer with the interior surface of the tire. 
     
     
         12 . The tire repair tool of  claim 11 , wherein the oblique angle is about sixty degrees (60°). 
     
     
         13 . The tire repair tool of  claim 10 , wherein the battery axis is defined by a distal surface of the battery, and wherein the distal surface is opposite from the first end of the elongated housing when the battery is coupled to the battery dock. 
     
     
         14 . The tire repair tool of  claim 10 , further comprising a biased trigger operatively coupled to the electric motor for selectively controlling electrical power to the electric motor, the trigger in electrical communication with the battery dock, the trigger configured to pivot with respect to the housing when the trigger is pressed, wherein the trigger comprises a pin for pivotally coupling the trigger to the elongated housing, the pin of the trigger being proximate to the first end of the elongated housing. 
     
     
         15 . The tire buffer tool of  claim 10 , further comprising a biased trigger operatively coupled to the electric motor for selectively controlling electrical power to the electric motor, the trigger in electrical communication with the battery dock, the trigger configured to pivot with respect to the housing when the trigger is pressed, wherein the trigger comprises a pin for pivotally coupling the trigger to the elongated housing, the pin of the trigger being proximate to the second end of the elongated housing. 
     
     
         16 . The tire buffer tool of  claim 10 , further comprising a protrusion disposed on the elongated housing, the protrusion including a planar surface configured to support the housing when the tire repair tool is placed on a flat surface, wherein the planar surface is configured to resist tipping over tire repair tool while the tire repair tool is resting on the flat surface. 
     
     
         17 . The tire buffer tool of  claim 16 , wherein the protrusion is configured to prevent contact between a trigger and the flat surface while the tire buffer tool is resting on the flat surface. 
     
     
         18 . The tire buffer tool of  claim 10 , wherein the elongated battery further comprises a proximate trigger surface and a distal trigger surface such that the proximate trigger surface is proximate to the trigger and the distal trigger surface is distal from a trigger and opposite from the proximate trigger surface, wherein the proximate trigger surface is flush or tangent to a surface of the elongated housing. 
     
     
         19 . A tire repair tool, comprising:
 an elongated housing having a first end and a second end, the second end opposite to the first end, the elongated housing extending along a longitudinal axis;   an electric motor disposed within the housing, the electric motor including a motor output configured to rotate about the longitudinal axis;   a gearbox disposed within the housing, the gearbox including an output drive coupled to the motor output;   a chuck coupled to the output drive, the chuck configured to receive a workpiece tool, the chuck located proximate to the first end of the elongated housing;   a switch operatively coupled to the electric motor for selectively controlling electrical power to the electric motor, the switch in electrical communication with the battery dock; and   a battery disposed at the second end of the housing, the battery for supplying power to the electric motor, the battery having an elongated housing defining a battery axis,   wherein the battery is oriented so that the battery axis forms an oblique angle with the longitudinal axis.   
     
     
         20 . The tire repair tool of  claim 11 , wherein the oblique angle is about sixty degrees (60°).