Angle grinder dust collection shroud

Abstract

A dust collection shroud for angle grinders includes mounting brackets with a vertically and inwardly extending flex arm. The flex arm allows the shroud to fit many different angle grinders while automatically centering the grinding wheel within the shroud dust collection chamber. The mounting brackets allow the shroud to move vertically relative to the angle grinder to allow the operator to vary the application of the grinding wheel to a workpiece while keeping the shroud lower edge in contact with the workpiece to collect the generated debris.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An angle grinder dust collection shroud comprising:
 a shroud body having a horizontal upper wall and a peripheral sidewall extending downwardly from the upper wall, the shroud body forming a dust collection chamber below the upper wall and inside of the peripheral sidewall;   an exhaust port attached to the shroud body, the exhaust port having an air passage which is connected to the dust collection chamber;   an output shaft hole in the shroud body which is sized and positioned to receive an angle grinder output shaft therethrough such that a grinding wheel may be mounted to the output shaft inside of the dust collection chamber;   a plurality of mounting brackets attached to the shroud body upper wall at locations which are spaced around the output shaft hole;   wherein each of the plurality of mounting brackets includes:
 an outer end which is attached to the upper section of the shroud body; 
 an inner end disposed upwardly from the outer end and inwardly from the outer end adjacent the output shaft hole; 
 an opening in the inner end; and 
 a flex arm that extends between the outer end and the inner end of the mounting bracket, the flex arm comprising a vertically oriented section and a horizontally oriented section; and 
   a band clamp that passes through the inner end opening in each mounting bracket.   
     
     
         2 . The angle grinder dust collection shroud of  claim 1 , wherein the mounting brackets are elastically flexible. 
     
     
         3 . The angle grinder dust collection shroud of  claim 2 , wherein the inner ends of the mounting brackets may be moved inwardly towards the output shaft hole by tightening the band clamp and elastically bending the flex arm, and wherein the inner ends of the mounting brackets may be moved downwardly towards the shroud body upper wall by elastically bending the flex arm. 
     
     
         4 . The angle grinder dust collection shroud of  claim 1 , wherein the outer end of each mounting bracket comprises a bracket mounting hole, and wherein each mounting bracket is attached to the upper wall by a fastener that passes through the bracket mounting hole and through a shroud body mounting hole. 
     
     
         5 . The angle grinder dust collection shroud of  claim 4 , wherein the shroud body upper wall comprises an alignment rail disposed adjacent the outer end of each mounting bracket to inhibit movement of the mounting bracket. 
     
     
         6 . The angle grinder dust collection shroud of  claim 1 , wherein the vertically oriented section of the flex arm comprises a first curved section which extends from an inner edge of the mounting bracket inner end and wherein the first curved section curves upwardly from the upper surface and outwardly away from the output shaft hole, and wherein the flex arm comprises a second curved section which curves upwardly from the first curved section and inwardly towards the output shaft hole. 
     
     
         7 . The angle grinder dust collection shroud of  claim 1 , wherein the vertically oriented section of the flex arm comprises a first curved section which extends from an outer edge of the mounting bracket inner end and wherein the first curved section curves upwardly and inwardly towards the output shaft hole. 
     
     
         8 . The angle grinder dust collection shroud of  claim 1 , wherein, for each mounting bracket, the inner end is oriented vertically, the opening is oriented vertically, and the inner end is connected to the horizontally oriented section of the flex arm. 
     
     
         9 . The angle grinder dust collection shroud of  claim 1 , wherein the inner end of each mounting bracket comprises a vertically oriented clamping face with inwardly extending projections. 
     
     
         10 . The angle grinder dust collection shroud of  claim 1 , wherein each of the mounting brackets comprises two adjacent layers of strip steel that are not bonded to each other. 
     
     
         11 . The angle grinder dust collection shroud of  claim 1 , wherein the vertically oriented section of the flex arm comprises an S bend. 
     
     
         12 . An angle grinder dust collection shroud comprising:
 a shroud body having a horizontal upper wall and a peripheral sidewall extending downwardly from the upper wall, the shroud body forming a dust collection chamber below the upper wall and inside of the peripheral sidewall;   an exhaust port attached to the shroud body, the exhaust port having an air passage which is connected to the dust collection chamber;   an output shaft hole in the shroud body which is sized and positioned to receive an angle grinder output shaft therethrough when such that a grinding wheel may be mounted to the output shaft inside of the dust collection chamber;   a plurality of mounting brackets attached to the shroud body upper wall at locations which are spaced around the output shaft hole;   wherein each of the plurality of mounting brackets includes:
 an outer end which is attached to the upper section of the shroud body; 
 an inner end disposed upwardly from the outer end and inwardly from the outer end adjacent the output shaft hole, wherein the inner end is spaced apart vertically from the shroud body upper wall; 
 a band clamp opening in the inner end; and 
 a curved flex arm that extends upwardly and inwardly from the mounting bracket outer end to the mounting bracket inner end, wherein the flex arm is elastically bendable to permit horizontal movement of the inner end towards the output shaft hole and to permit vertical movement of the inner end towards the; and 
   a band clamp that passes through the band clamp opening in each mounting bracket.   
     
     
         13 . The angle grinder dust collection shroud of  claim 12 , wherein the outer end of each mounting bracket comprises a bracket mounting hole, wherein the outer end is planar and is disposed parallel to the upper wall, and wherein each mounting bracket is attached to the upper wall by a fastener that passes through the bracket mounting hole and through a shroud body mounting hole in the upper wall. 
     
     
         14 . The angle grinder dust collection shroud of  claim 13 , wherein the shroud body upper wall comprises an alignment rail disposed adjacent the outer end of each mounting bracket to inhibit movement of the mounting bracket. 
     
     
         15 . The angle grinder dust collection shroud of  claim 12 , wherein the curved flex arm comprises a vertically oriented section having:
 a first curved section which extends from an inner edge of the mounting bracket inner end and which curves upwardly from the upper surface and outwardly away from the output shaft hole; and   a second curved section which curves upwardly from the first curved section and inwardly towards the output shaft hole.   
     
     
         16 . The angle grinder dust collection shroud of  claim 12 , wherein the curved flex arm comprises a vertically oriented section having a first curved section which extends from an outer edge of the mounting bracket inner end and which curves upwardly and inwardly towards the output shaft hole. 
     
     
         17 . The angle grinder dust collection shroud of  claim 12 , wherein, for each mounting bracket, the inner end is oriented vertically, the opening is oriented vertically, and the inner end is connected to the horizontally oriented section of the flex arm. 
     
     
         18 . The angle grinder dust collection shroud of  claim 12 , wherein the inner end of each mounting bracket comprises a vertically oriented clamping face with inwardly extending projections. 
     
     
         19 . The angle grinder dust collection shroud of  claim 12 , wherein the flex arm comprises a vertically oriented section comprising an S shaped bend.