Electrical hand tool device

• US 20040108120A1
• Filed: 07/31/2003
• Published: 06/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Metabowerke GMBH (Koki Holdings Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Metabowerke GMBH (Koki Holdings Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Wiesner, Bernd, Schwarz, Stefan, Plietsch, Reinhard, Gaertner, Marco, Neika, Patrick
• Granted Patent: US 6,872,121 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 173/2
• CPC Class Codes: B25F 5/00 Details or components of portable power-driven tools not particularly related to the operations performed and not otherwise provided for

Abstract

An electrical hand tool device (2) comprises a control electronics (8) and a transmitter and receiver (10) which is responsive in a wireless and contact-free fashion, and with a storage medium (12) in which an authorization code is stored, wherein an operation locking state and an operation release state can be differentiated, and with an external transmitter and receiver means (16) which is accommodated in a separate portable device (4), wherein communication with the transmitter and receiver means (10) of the electrical hand tool device can be produced in a defined fashion through actuation of the external transmitter and receiver means (16) to change the operation state, and communication is provided only to change the operation state and optionally to change the authorization code.

Claims

1. An electrical hand tool device for locking and releasing an operational state of an electrical hand tool, the device comprising:

a first transmitter and receiver means disposed on the hand tool;

a storage means disposed on the hand tool for storage of an authorization code;

a control electronics disposed on the hand tool in electrical communication with said storage means and said first transmitter and receiver means; and

a second transmitter and receiver means which is remote from the hand tool and accommodated in a separate, portable device, wherein actuation of said second transmitter and receiver means produces wireless communication with the first transmitter and receiver means in a contact-free fashion when the operational state of the hand tool is to be changed, wherein said communication consists essentially of changing the operational state or changing said authorization code.

2. The electrical hand tool device of claim 1, wherein a signal which characterizes the operational state can be transmitted from the first transmitter and receiver means to the second transmitter and receiver means, wherein said separate, portable device comprises indication means for indicating the operational state.

3. The electrical hand tool device of claim 2, wherein said signal which characterizes the operational state can be automatically transmitted subsequent to a successful operation state change.

4. The electrical hand tool device of claim 2, wherein said indication means is at least one of visual and acoustical.

5. The electrical hand tool device of claim 1, wherein said storage means can be written into and said authorization code stored therein can be changed when a required control command is transmitted to said first transmitter and receiver means of the electrical hand tool device, thereby switching said control electronics and said storage means into a programming mode.

6. The electrical hand tool device of claim 1, wherein said second transmitter and receiver means comprises an input means for said authorization code with which said second transmitter and receiver means addresses the electrical tool device.

7. The electrical hand tool device of claim 6, wherein said input means comprises mechanical input elements which are preferably disposed such that they can be rotated.

8. The electrical hand tool device of claim 6, wherein said separable, portable device comprises a pivoting or flipping lid for covering said input means.

9. The electrical hand tool device of claim 1, wherein said separable, portable device comprises two actuating buttons for transmitting the locking signal and the release signal, respectively.

10. A method for operating or locking an electrical hand tool using an electrical hand tool device having a control electronics and a first transmitter and receiver means which is responsive in a wireless and contact-free fashion, and with a storage means in which an authorization code is stored, wherein an operation locking state and an operation release state can be differentiated, and with a second, external transmitter and receiver means which is accommodated in a separate, portable device, the method comprising the steps of:

a) transmitting first radio or infrared signals from the second transmitter and receiver means to the first transmitter and receiver means, said first signals consisting essentially of one of change of operational state information and change of authorization code information; and

b) transmitting, following a change in operational state, second radio or infrared signals from the first transmitter and receiver means to the second transmitter and receiver means to announce said change in operational state to a user.