MULTISTAGE SOLENOID FASTENING DEVICE

• US 20100116866A1
• Filed: 01/18/2010
• Published: 05/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gross, Paul G., Cruise, Nathan J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,913,890 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 227/131
• CPC Class Codes: B25C 1/06 operated by electric power

Abstract

A device that generally includes a multistage solenoid having at least a first stage, a second stage and an armature member that travels therebetween. The device also includes a control module connected to the multistage solenoid. The control module detects a position of the armature member relative to at least one of the first stage, the second stage and a combination thereof. The control module adjusts a magnetic field of the at least one of the first stage, the second stage and the combination thereof based on the position of the plunger armature relative thereto.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a multistage solenoid having at least a first stage, a second stage and an armature member that travels therebetween; and

a control module connected to said multistage solenoid, wherein said control module detects a position of said armature member relative to at least one of said first stage, said second stage and a combination thereof and wherein said control module adjusts a magnetic field of said at least one of said first stage, said second stage and said combination thereof based on said position of said plunger armature relative thereto.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said control module determines said position of said armature member by determining a change in a rate of current caused by a change in an inductance of a circuit associated with said at least one of said first stage, said second stage and said combination thereof.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein said control module determines said position of said armature member based on detection of a current inflection point associated with one of said first stage and said second stage.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein said control module determines said position of said armature member by communicating with one or more sensors that detect said position of said armature member and wherein said one or more sensors are associated with at least one of said first stage, said second stage and said combination thereof.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein said control module collapses or establishes said magnetic field associated with at least one of said first stage, said second stage and said combination thereof based on said position of said armature member relative thereto.

6. The device of claim 1 further comprising a tool housing that contains said control module and said multistage housing and a trigger assembly connected to said tool housing and said control module that activates a driver sequence.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein said control module directs power between said first stage and said second stage based on said position of said armature member relative thereto during said driver sequence.

8. The device of claim 6 further comprising a driver blade member connected to said armature member, wherein said driver blade member is operable between an extended condition and a retracted condition during said driver sequence.

9. The device of claim 8 further comprising a spring member connected to said driver blade member, wherein said driver blade member moves against a bias of said spring member when moving from said retracted condition to said extended condition.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein only said spring member moves said armature member from said extended condition to said retracted condition and at least one of said first stage, said second stage, and said combination thereof only move said armature member from said retracted condition to said extended condition during said driver sequence.

11. The device of claim 1 further comprising a spring member connected to said armature member, wherein said armature member moves against a bias of said spring member when moving from said retracted condition to said extended condition during said driver sequence.

12. A device for inserting one or more fasteners into a workpiece, the device comprising:

a tool housing having a trigger assembly that activates a driver sequence;

a multistage solenoid in said tool housing having at least a first stage, a second stage, and an armature member with a driver blade member that travels between said first stage and said second stage; and

a control module in said tool housing that connects said trigger assembly to said multistage solenoid, said control module determines a position of said armature member relative to at least said first stage and said second stage and directs power between at least said first stage and said second stage based on said position of said armature member relative to at least said first stage and said second stage during said driver sequence.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein said control module determines said position of said armature member by determining a change in current caused by a change in an inductance of a circuit associated with said at least one of said first stage, said second stage and said combination thereof.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein said control module determines said position of said armature member based on a detection of a current inflection point associated with one of said first stage and said second stage.

15. The device of claim 12, wherein said control module determines said position of said armature member by communicating with a sensor that detects said position of said armature member, said sensor associated with one of said first stage and said second stage.

16. The device of claim 12, wherein said control module collapses a magnetic field associated with said first stage and establishes a magnetic field with said second stage when said control module detects a first current inflection point.

17. The device of claim 12, wherein said armature member and said driver blade member are a single member.

18. The device of claim 12, wherein said armature member moves to said extended condition to strike a portion of said driver blade member to move said driver blade member from said retracted condition to said extended condition.

19. A hand-held device for inserting one or more fasteners into a workpiece, the hand-held device comprising:

a multistage solenoid having at least a first stage, a second stage, and an armature member that travels between said first stage and said second stage; and

a control module connected to said multistage solenoid that detects a position of said armature member relative to at least said first stage and said second stage by determining a change in a rate of current caused by a change in an inductance of a circuit associated with one of said first stage and said second stage, wherein said control module adjusts a magnetic field of at least one of said first stage and said second stage based on said position of said armature member relative to said first stage and said second stage.

20. The hand-held device of claim 19, wherein said control module collapses or establishes said magnetic field associated with at least said first stage and said second stage based on said position of said armature member relative to said first stage and said second stage.