Drill Chuck with Hardened Body
A chuck for use with a powered driver having a rotatable drive shaft is provided. The chuck may include a body comprising a forward bore, a plurality of passageways, and a posterior bore. A plurality of jaws may be movably disposed within the plurality of passageways. The posterior bore may be disposed in a posterior section of the body and the posterior bore may be configured to receive the drive shaft to couple the drive shaft with the chuck. A hardened layer may be disposed at a posterior face of the body that surrounds the posterior bore. The hardened layer may have a hardened layer depth to a transitional interface with an internal region of the posterior section. The hardened layer may have a first hardness and the internal region may have a second hardness. The first hardness may be greater than the second hardness.
1 . A chuck for use with a powered driver having a rotatable drive shaft, the chuck comprising:
a plurality of jaws;
a body comprising a forward bore, a plurality of passageways, and a posterior bore; the plurality passageways intersecting into the forward bore and the plurality of jaws being movably disposed within the plurality of passageways, the posterior bore being disposed in a posterior section of the body and the posterior bore being configured to receive the drive shaft to couple the drive shaft with the chuck; and
a nut operably coupled to the jaws such that rotation of the nut relative to the body moves the jaws relative to the body in an opening or closing direction;
wherein a hardened layer is disposed at a posterior face of the body that surrounds the posterior bore, the hardened layer having a hardened layer depth to a transitional interface with an internal region of the posterior section;
wherein the hardened layer has a first hardness and the internal region has a second hardness;
wherein the first hardness is greater than the second hardness.
2 . The chuck of claim 1 , wherein the hardened layer depth is within a range from about 0.2 millimeters to about 1.3 millimeters.
3 . The chuck of claim 1 , wherein the hardened layer depth is within a range from about 0.5 millimeters to about 1 millimeter.
4 . The chuck of claim 1 , wherein the posterior face and the hardened layer are ring-shaped.
5 . The chuck of claim 1 , wherein the hardened layer is radially symmetric about a central axis of the chuck.
6 . The chuck of claim 1 , wherein the hardened layer extends around at least a portion of an engaging surface with the drive shaft.
7 . The chuck of claim 1 , wherein the first hardness is within a range from about HRC 30 to about HRC 52.
8 . The chuck of claim 1 , wherein the first hardness is within a range from about HRC 25 to about HRC 55.
9 . The chuck of claim 1 , wherein the first hardness is within a range from about HRC 35 to about HRC 50.
10 . The chuck of claim 1 , wherein the first hardness is within a range from about HRC 30 to about HRC 52; and
wherein the second hardness is within a range from about HRB 70 to about HRB 100.
11 . The chuck of claim 1 , wherein the body is constructed of medium-carbon steel.
12 . A body for a chuck for use with a powered driver having a rotatable drive shaft, the body comprising:
a forward bore;
a plurality of passageways intersecting into the forward bore to receive chuck jaws; and
a posterior bore disposed in a posterior section of the body and the posterior bore being configured to receive the drive shaft to couple the drive shaft with the chuck
wherein the body defines a posterior face that surrounds the posterior bore;
wherein a hardened layer is disposed at a posterior face of the body that surrounds the posterior bore, the hardened layer having a hardened layer depth to a transitional interface with an internal region of the posterior section;
wherein the hardened layer has a first hardness and the internal region has a second hardness;
wherein the first hardness is greater than the second hardness.
13 . The body of claim 12 , wherein the hardened layer depth is within a range from about 0.2 millimeters to about 1.3 millimeters.
14 . The body of claim 12 , wherein the hardened layer depth is within a range from about 0.5 millimeters to about 1 millimeter.
15 . The body of claim 12 , wherein the posterior face and the hardened layer are ring-shaped.
16 . The body of claim 12 , wherein the first hardness is within a range from about HRC 25 to about HRC 55.
17 . The body of claim 12 , wherein the first hardness is within a range from about HRC 30 to about HRC 52; and
wherein the second hardness is within a range from about HRB 70 to about HRB 100.
18 . A power driver comprising:
a drive motor;
a drive shaft coupled to the drive motor to be rotationally driven by the drive motor; and
a chuck coupled to the drive shaft to be rotationally driven by the drive motor via the drive shaft, the chuck comprising a body;
wherein the body comprises a posterior bore disposed in a posterior section of the body, the posterior bore being configured to receive the drive shaft to couple the drive shaft to the chuck;
wherein a hardened layer is disposed at a posterior face of the body that surrounds the posterior bore, the hardened layer having a hardened layer depth to a transitional interface with an internal region of the posterior section;
wherein the hardened layer has a first hardness and the internal region has a second hardness;
wherein the first hardness is greater than the second hardness.
19 . The power driver of claim 18 , wherein the hardened layer depth is within a range from about 0.2 millimeters to about 1.3 millimeters.
20 . The power driver of claim 18 , wherein the first hardness is within a range from about HRC 25 to about HRC 55.