Screwing Tool And Method For Controlling The Tightening Angle Of Screwed Joints

• US 20090139738A1
• Filed: 12/04/2008
• Published: 06/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: C.&E. Fein GmbH
• Original Assignee: C.&E. Fein GmbH
• Inventors: Lippek, Peter
• Application Number:
  US12/328,084
• Publication Number:
  US 20090139738A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 173/181
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 21/00 Portable power-driven screw or nut setting or loosening tools; details or components, e.g. casings, bodies, of portable power-driven tools not particularly related to the operation performed B25F5/00; for mounting or dismounting wheels B60B29/006; Attachments for drilling apparatus serving the same purpose machines B23P19/06
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 23/14 Arrangement of torque limiters or torque indicators in wrenches or screwdrivers couplings for transmitting rotation or clutches F16D; devices for measuring torque per se G01L

Abstract

The invention proposes a method for controlling the tightening angle of screwed joints when tightening is effected using a hand-held screwing tool, wherein the torque is monitored until a predefined threshold value is reached, the angle of rotation is measured from the point the threshold value has been reached, the relative rotation of the screwing tool relative to the screwed joint is measured from the point the threshold value has been reached, and the screwing tool is switched off when a predetermined angle of rotation is reached, taking into account the relative angle of rotation of the screwing tool relative to the screwed joint as a corrective value.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the tightening angle of screwed joints using a hand-held screwing tool, comprising the steps of:

monitoring torque until a predefined threshold value is reached;

measuring an angle of relative rotation from the point the threshold value has been reached;

measuring rotation of the screwing tool relative to the screwed joint from the point the threshold value has been reached;

switching off the electric tool when a predetermined angle of rotation is reached, taking into account the relative angle of rotation of the screwing tool relative to the screwed joint as a corrective value.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the angle of rotation of the output shaft of the screwing tool is measured, from the point when the threshold value has been reached, and the angle of rotation of the screwed joint is determined from the difference between the angle of rotation of the output shaft and the relative angle of rotation between the screwing tool and the screwed joint:

α

=β

−

γ

.

4. The screwing tool as defined in claim 1, wherein said control device is configured for cutting off said drive when an angle of rotation of the screwed joint is reached that is determined by a difference between the angle of rotation of the output shaft encountered after the point the threshold value has been reached, and a relative angle of rotation of the screwing tool relative to the screwed joint (12):

α

=β

−

γ

5. The screwing tool as defined in claim 4, wherein said angle measuring device comprises an angular position encoder.

6. The screwing tool as defined in claim 4, wherein said angle measuring device comprises a pulse coding disc with double arm photo sensor

10. The screwing tool as defined in any of claim 4, wherein said torque measuring device comprises a strain gauge torque sensor.

11. The screwing tool as defined in claim 4, wherein said angle measuring device comprises an acceleration sensor.

12. The screwing tool as defined in claim 4, wherein said angle measuring device comprises a gyroscope.

13. The screwing tool as defined in claim 10, wherein said angle measuring device comprises an acceleration sensor.

14. The screwing tool as defined in claim 13, wherein said angle measuring device comprises a gyroscope.

3. A screwing tool comprising:

a drive for driving an output shaft;

a cut-off mechanism for switching off said drive when a predefined angle of rotation of said output shaft has been reached;

a torque measuring mechanism for measuring torque during a screwing operation, until a predefined threshold value is reached;

an angle measuring mechanism for measuring the angle of rotation of the output shaft from the point the predefined threshold value has been reached;

an angle measuring system for measuring a relative rotation between the screwing tool and a screwed joint; and

a control device configured for cutting off said drive once a predefined angle of rotation of the output shaft is reached, after the point when a threshold value had been reached, taking into account a relative rotation between said screwing tool and said screwed joint.

7. The screwing tool as defined in any of claim 3, wherein said torque measuring device comprises a strain gauge torque sensor.

8. The screwing tool as defined in claim 3, wherein said angle measuring device comprises an acceleration sensor.

9. The screwing tool as defined in claim 3, wherein said angle measuring device comprises a gyroscope.