IMPACT ROTATION TOOL

• US 20140102741A1
• Filed: 10/08/2013
• Published: 04/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: SEKINO, Fumiaki, OHASHI, Toshiharu, ARIMURA, Tadashi, INAGAKI, Kenichirou
• Granted Patent: US 9,687,972 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 173/181
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 21/02 with means for imparting impact to screwdriver blade or nut socket
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 23/1405 for impact wrenches or screwdrivers

Abstract

An impact rotation tool includes a drive source that generates power. An impact force generation unit generates impact force by changing the power generated by the drive source to pulsed torque. A shaft transmits the pulsed torque to the distal tool with the generated impact force. A torque detector generates a signal corresponding to the torque applied to the shaft. A determination unit determines whether or not a torque value obtained from a signal corresponding to the torque has reached a predetermined torque value. A control unit controls the drive source to a predetermined driving state when the determination unit determines that the torque value has reached the predetermined torque value. The determination unit is arranged on the shaft.

Claims

1. An impact rotation tool comprising:

a drive source that generates power;

an impact force generation unit that generates impact force by changing the power generated by the drive source to pulsed torque;

a shaft that transmits the pulsed torque to the distal tool with the generated impact force;

a torque detector that generates a signal corresponding to the torque applied to the shaft;

a determination unit that determines whether or not a torque value obtained from a signal corresponding to the torque has reached a predetermined torque value; and

a control unit that controls the drive source to a predetermined driving state when the determination unit determines that the torque value has reached the predetermined torque value,

wherein the determination unit is arranged on the shaft.

2. The impact rotation tool according to claim 1, further comprising:

a rotation speed output unit that generates a signal corresponding to a rotation speed of the drive source; and

a torque measurement unit that obtains the torque value from the signal corresponding to the torque,

wherein the determination unit provides the control unit with the torque value obtained by the torque measurement unit when determining that the rotation speed is less than or equal to a threshold based on the signal corresponding to the rotation speed of the drive source generated by the rotation speed output unit.

3. The impact rotation tool according to claim 1, wherein when the impact force generation unit generates the impact force after the determination unit determines that the torque value has reached the predetermined torque value, the determination unit provides the control unit with a torque value based on a comparison of the impact force generated before the determination and the impact force generated after the determination.

4. The impact rotation tool according to claim 3, wherein

when the impact force generated before the determination is greater than the impact force generated after the determination, the determination unit provides the control unit with a torque value taken before the determination, and

when the impact force generated before the determination is less than the impact force generated after the determination, the determination unit provides the control unit with a torque value taken after the determination.

5. The impact rotation tool according to claim 2, wherein the determination unit constantly continues to provide the control unit with the torque value obtained by the torque measurement unit.

6. The impact rotation tool according to claim 2, wherein the torque detection unit constantly continues to provide the control unit with the signal corresponding to the torque.

7. The impact rotation tool according to claim 5, wherein the control unit ignores any of the torque value obtained by the torque measurement unit and a value corresponding to the torque value that is provided from when the impact force is generated to when a predetermined period elapses.

8. The impact rotation tool according to claim 2, wherein

the determination unit generates a stopping signal when determining that the torque value has reached the predetermined torque value, and

the determination unit provides the control unit with the stopping signal and the torque value, which is obtained from the torque measurement unit, using the same signal line.

9. The impact rotation tool according to claim 1, further comprising a slip ring unit arranged between the torque detection unit and the control unit, wherein the slip ring unit transmits a signal from the torque detector to the control unit.

10. The impact rotation tool according to claim 9, wherein the slip ring unit is arranged on a portion of the shaft between the impact force generation unit and the torque detection unit.

11. The impact rotation tool according to claim 1, further comprising a slip ring unit arranged between the determination unit and the control unit, wherein the slip ring unit transmits a signal from the determination unit to the control unit.

12. The impact rotation tool according to claim 11, wherein the slip ring unit is arranged on a portion of the shaft between the impact force generation unit and the determination unit.

13. The impact rotation tool according to claim 1, further comprising:

a light transmission unit that rotates integrally with the shaft and generates light corresponding to a signal provided from the determination unit;

a light receiving unit that receives light from the light transmission unit; and

a mounting portion on which the light receiving unit is mounted, wherein the mounting portion does not contact the light transmission unit and is not rotated by rotation of the shaft.