POWER TOOL

• US 20130062086A1
• Filed: 04/12/2011
• Published: 03/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hitachi KOKI Company Limited (Koki Holdings Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi KOKI Company Limited (Koki Holdings Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ito, Yutaka, Oomori, Katsuhiro, Nakamura, Mizuho, Nishikawa, Tomomasa, Mashiko, Hironori
• Application Number:
  US13/698,231
• Publication Number:
  US 20130062086A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 173/1
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 23/1405 for impact wrenches or screwdrivers
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 23/1475 for impact wrenches or screwdrivers

Abstract

The present invention provides a power tool for tightening a fastener. The power tool includes a motor, a hammer, an anvil, and a control unit. The hammer is intermittently or continuously rotatable in a forward direction by the motor. The anvil is impacted by the hammer rotated in the forward direction. The control unit controls the hammer to continuously rotate at a first number of rotations, and to intermittently rotate at a second number of rotations lower than the first number of rotations when a prescribed time has elapsed from the rotation of the hammer at the first number of rotations, and then to intermittently rotate at a third number of rotations lower than the second number of rotations when a predetermined time has elapsed from the rotation of the hammer at the second number of rotations.

Claims

1. A power tool for tightening a fastener comprising:

a motor;

a hammer intermittently or continuously rotatable in a forward direction by the motor;

an anvil that is impacted by the hammer rotated in the forward direction; and

a control unit that controls the hammer to continuously rotate at a first number of rotations, and to intermittently rotate at a second number of rotations lower than the first number of rotations when a prescribed time has elapsed from the rotation of the hammer at the first number of rotations, and then to intermittently rotate at a third number of rotations lower than the second number of rotations when a predetermined time has elapsed from the rotation of the hammer at the second number of rotations.

2. The power tool according to claim 1, further comprising a detecting unit configured to detect an electric current flowing to the motor,

wherein the control unit controls the hammer to intermittently rotate at the second number of rotation when the electric current detected by the detecting unit exceeds a prescribed value, and the control unit controls the hammer to intermittently rotate at the third number of rotation when a rate of increase in the electric current detected by the detecting unit exceeds a predetermined value.

3. The power tool according to claim 1, wherein the hammer is rotatable alternately in the forward direction and a reverse direction by the motor, and the control unit controls the hammer to continuously rotate in the forward direction at the first number of rotations, and to rotate alternately in the forward direction and the reverse direction at the second number of rotations when the prescribed time has elapsed from the rotation of the hammer at the first number of rotations, and then to rotate alternately in the forward direction and the reverse direction at the third number of rotations when the predetermined time has elapsed from the rotation of the hammer at the second number of rotations.

4. The power tool according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the hammer to intermittently rotate at the third number of rotations when the fastener is seated on a workpiece.

5. A power tool for tightening a fastener comprising:

a motor;

a hammer intermittently or continuously rotatable in a forward direction by the motor;

an anvil that is impacted by the hammer rotated in the forward direction; and

a control unit that controls the hammer to continuously rotate at a first rotational velocity, and to intermittently rotate at a second rotational velocity lower than the first rotational velocity when a prescribed time has elapsed from the rotation of the hammer at the first rotational velocity, and then to intermittently rotate at a third rotational velocity lower than the second rotational velocity when a predetermined time has elapsed from the rotation of the hammer at the second rotational velocity.

6. The power tool according to claim 5, further comprising a detecting unit configured to detect an electric current flowing to the motor,

wherein the control unit controls the hammer to intermittently rotate at the second rotational velocity when the electric current detected by the detecting unit exceeds a prescribed value, and the control unit controls the hammer to intermittently rotate at the third rotational velocity when a rate of increase in the electric current detected by the detecting unit increases to a predetermined value.

7. The power tool according to claim 5, wherein the hammer is rotatable alternately in the forward direction and a reverse direction by the motor, and the control unit controls the hammer to continuously rotate in the forward direction at the first rotational velocity, and to rotate alternately in the forward direction and the reverse direction at the second rotational velocity when the prescribed time has elapsed from the rotation of the hammer at the first rotational velocity, and then to rotate alternately in the forward direction and the reverse direction at the third rotational velocity when the predetermined time has elapsed from the rotation of the hammer at the second rotational velocity.

8. The power tool according to claim 5, wherein the control unit controls the hammer to intermittently rotate at the third rotational velocity when the fastener is seated on a workpiece.

9. A power tool for tightening a fastener comprising:

a motor;

a hammer intermittently or continuously rotatable in a forward direction by the motor;

an anvil that is impacted by the hammer rotated in the forward direction; and

a power supply unit that continuously supplies an electric power to the motor, and then intermittently supplies the electric power to the motor in a first cycle when a prescribed time has elapsed from continuously supply of the electric power, and then intermittently supplies the electric power to the motor in a second cycle shorter than the first cycle when a predetermined time has elapsed from intermittently supply of the electric power in the first cycle.

10. A method for tightening a fastener using a power tool, the power tool including a motor, a hammer intermittently or continuously rotatable in a forward direction by the motor, and an anvil that is impacted by the hammer rotated in the forward direction, the method comprising:

first controlling the hammer to continuously rotate at a first number of rotations;

second controlling the hammer to intermittently rotate at a second number of rotations lower than the first number of rotations when a prescribed time has elapsed from the first controlling; and

third controlling the hammer to intermittently rotate at a third number of rotations lower than the second number of rotations when a predetermined time has elapsed from second controlling.

11. A method for tightening a fastener using a power tool, the power tool including a motor, a hammer intermittently or continuously rotatable in a forward direction by the motor, and an anvil that is impacted by the hammer rotated in the forward direction, the method comprising:

first controlling the hammer to continuously rotate at a first rotational velocity;

second controlling the hammer to intermittently rotate at a second rotational velocity lower than the first rotational velocity when a prescribed time has elapsed from the first controlling; and

third controlling the hammer to intermittently rotate at a third rotational velocity lower than the second rotational velocity when a predetermined time has elapsed from the second controlling.