1. Technical Field
This invention relates to electric motors, and more particularly to a power tool having an electric motor adapted to be powered by either an AC power source or a DC battery.
2. Discussion
Electric motors are used in a wide variety of applications. In the power tool industry, electric motors are used to power various tools such as drills, grinders, circular saws and other various portable, electrically powered tools. In recent years, battery powered electric hand tools have become increasingly popular. The provision of the battery has greatly enhanced the utility of such hand tools, allowing their use in applications where an AC power source is unavailable.
In spite of the advantages of having a battery powered electric hand tool, it would nevertheless still be desirable to be able to use AC power in the event the battery of the power tool becomes discharged to a point where the tool can no longer be used, but an AC power source is readily available. In such situations, simply connecting the electric power tool to the AC power source via an electric extension cord would enable the power tool to be used to finish the task at hand.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a power tool capable of being powered by either an AC or a DC power source without requiring modification to the tool.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a power tool having a motor which is capable of being powered by an AC or a DC power source, and where the motor does not require the overall dimensions of the power tool to be increased significantly, does not increase the overall weight of the power tool significantly, and further does not significantly increase the cost of manufacturing the power tool.