PROGRAMMABLE POWER TOOL WITH BRUSHLESS DC MOTOR

• US 20130187587A1
• Filed: 01/07/2013
• Published: 07/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Transform Sr Brands, LLC (ESL Investments, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Transform Sr Brands, LLC (ESL Investments, Inc.)
• Inventors: Knight, Colin G., Coric, Milos
• Granted Patent: US 10,903,765 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 318/400.37
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 6/08 Arrangements for controlling the speed or torque of a single motor H02P6/10, H02P6/28 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 6/16 Circuit arrangements for detecting position

Abstract

A power tool that includes a brushless DC motor, one or more motor sensors, and a controller, such as, for example, an electronic speed control (ESC) circuit. The controller is adapted to provide instructions to control the operation of one or more parameters of the brushless DC motor. The controller is also adapted to receive feedback from one or more motor sensors that reflect whether the motor is attaining the one or more parameters. The controller may also be adapted to have a learning mode, in which feedback provided during use of the power tool is stored by the controller as a program so that the same operating parameters may be subsequently replicated by using the program to operate the tool. The controller may also use the feedback to adjust the operation of the motor so that the motor maintains one or more selected or programed operating parameters.

Claims

1. A power tool for use by a user comprising:

a brushless DC motor;

one or more motor sensors;

a controller having a processor and a memory, the controller adapted to;

provide instructions to control the operation of one or more parameters of the brushless DC motor;

receive feedback from one or more motor sensors that reflect whether the motor is attaining the one or more parameters; and

adjust the instructions provided to control the operation of the brushless DC motor based on the received feedback so that the one or more parameters are attained by the brushless DC motor.

2. The power tool of claim 1, wherein the power tool further includes a user input, a controller interface, and a display.

3. The power tool of claim 2, wherein the controller is further adapted to:

record on the memory the received feedback provided from the one or more motor sensors;

store the recorded feedback on the memory as a program; and

execute the program to replicate the operating conditions of the brushless DC motor associated with the feedback provided by the one or more motor sensors.

4. The power tool of claim 3, wherein the controller is further adapted to begin to record the feedback on the memory when the user engages the user input.

5. The power tool of claim 3, wherein the controller interface is configured to allow the user to select a program for operation of the tool from a plurality of programs stored on the memory.

6. The power tool of claim 2, wherein the one or more parameters includes at least one of the following:

a motor torque and a motor speed.

7. The power tool of claim 6, wherein the controller is further adapted to determine a rotational position of a rotor of the brushless DC motor.

8. The power tool of claim 7, wherein the power tool further includes a strobe light, the strobe light operably connected to the controller, the controller being further adapted to activate and deactivate the strobe light based on the determined rotational position of the rotor.

9. The power tool of claim 6, wherein the controller is further adapted to monitor both a number of clockwise and a number of counter-clockwise rotations of a rotor of the brushless DC motor, the controller being further adapted to reverse the direction of the rotor after the rotor has completed a predetermined number of the number of clockwise rotations, and reverse the direction of the rotor after the rotor has completed a predetermined number of the number of counter-clockwise rotations.

10. The power tool of claim 6, wherein the power tool includes a secondary input configured to receive data for the controller from an external source.

11. A power tool for use by a user comprising:

a brushless DC motor;

one or more motor sensors;

a controller having a processor and a memory, the controller adapted to;

provide instructions to control the operation of one or more parameters of the brushless DC motor;

receive feedback from one or more motor sensors that reflect whether the motor is attaining the one or more parameters; and

store on the memory the received feedback as at least part of a program; and

execute the program to replicate the operating conditions of the brushless DC motor associated with the received feedback.

12. The power tool of claim 11, wherein the power tool further includes a user input, a controller interface, and a display.

13. The power tool of claim 12, wherein the controller interface is configured to allow the user to select a program for operation of the tool from a plurality of programs stored on the memory.

14. The power tool of claim 11, wherein the one or more parameters includes at least one of the following:

a motor torque and a motor speed.

15. The power tool of claim 14, wherein the power tool further includes a strobe light, the strobe light operably connected to the controller, the controller being further adapted to activate and deactivate the strobe light based on a rotational position of a rotor of the brushless DC motor.

16. The power tool of claim 14, wherein the power tool includes a secondary input configured to receive data for the controller from an external source.

17. A power tool for use by a user comprising:

a brushless DC motor;

one or more motor sensors;

a controller having a processor and a memory, the controller adapted to;

receive instructions from the user regarding one or more desired parameters for the operation of the brushless DC motor;

monitor the operation of the brushless DC motor;

determine, based on the monitored operation of the brushless DC motor, whether the brushless DC motor is maintaining the one or more desired parameters; and

adjust the operation of the brushless DC motor, if necessary, based on the determination of whether the brushless DC motor is not maintaining the one or more desired parameters.

18. The power tool of claim 17, wherein the power tool further includes a user input, a controller interface, and a display, and wherein the user input is a multi-zoned programmable pressure sensitive trigger.

19. The power tool of claim 18, wherein the one or more parameters includes at least one of the following:

a motor torque and a motor speed.

20. The power tool of claim 19, wherein the controller is further adapted to adjust the pressure required by a user to displace the user input based on the determination of whether the brushless DC motor is maintaining the one or more desired parameters.