Preset Electronic Torque Tool

• US 20140331831A1
• Filed: 05/10/2013
• Published: 11/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snap-On Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Snap-On Incorporated
• Inventors: Lee, Nathan J., King, Jerry A., Lawton, Chris M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,156,148 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 81/479
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 23/1425 by electrical means

Abstract

An electronic torque wrench or other tool, and a method and a computer program for using the same, are disclosed. The disclosed systems allow a user to operate the tool in either a manual mode or automatic mode. In the manual mode, torque or angle targets are input into the wrench before the torqueing operation, and in the automatic mode, preset torque or angle targets are selected by the user. A user can also lock the tool so only a specific torqueing operation can be used without unlocking the tool. The torque and angle values can be input simultaneously such that a work piece can be torqued to a predetermined torque and angle without separate operations. An indicator can also be implemented that indicates the progress of the torqueing operation.

Claims

1. A tool adapted to apply a torque to a work piece, comprising:

a head adapted to apply the torque to the work piece;

a sensor operably coupled to the head and adapted to sense the torque applied to the work piece by the head;

an interface adapted to receive a target value, the target value being a desired amount of the torque to be applied to the work piece; and

an indicator adapted to provide a first indication to a user when the head applies a first predetermined percentage of the target value to the work piece and a second indication to the user when the head applies a second predetermined percentage of the target value.

2. The tool as claimed in claim 1, wherein the indicator is further adapted to provide a third indication to the user when the head applies a third predetermined percentage of the target value to the work piece, a fourth indication to the user when the head applies a fourth predetermined percentage of the target value to the work piece, and a fifth indication to the user when the head applies a fifth predetermined percentage of the target value to the work piece.

3. The tool as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first predetermined percentage is about 40%, the second predetermined percentage is about 60%, the third predetermined percentage is about 80%, the fourth predetermined percentage is about 100% and the fifth predetermined percentage is about 105%.

4. The tool as claimed in claim 1, wherein the indicator includes LEDs.

5. The tool as claimed in claim 4, wherein the LEDs include a green LED, first, second, and third yellow LEDs, and a red LED, wherein the first yellow LED illuminates when the first predetermined percentage is reached, the second yellow LED illuminates when the second predetermined percentage is reached, the third yellow LED illuminates when the third predetermined percentage is reached, the green LED illuminates when the fourth predetermined percentage is reached, and the red LED illuminates when the fifth predetermined percentage is reached.

6. The tool as claimed in claim 5, wherein the yellow LEDs are not illuminated when the green LED is illuminated, and the green LED is not illuminated when the red LED is illuminated.

7. The tool as claimed in claim 2, wherein the interface is further adapted to receive an amount of tolerance, wherein the indicator provides the fourth and fifth indications to the user when the respective first and second predetermined percentages of the target value applied by the head fall within the amount of tolerance relative to the respective first and second predetermine percentages of the target value.

8. The tool as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second predetermined percentages and the target value are each preset and cannot be changed by the user.

9. The tool as claimed in claim 1, wherein the target value further includes a desired amount of angular rotation to be applied to the work piece.

10. A torque wrench having a head adapted to apply a torque to a work piece, comprising:

a sensor operably coupled to the head and adapted to sense the torque applied to the work piece by the head;

an interface adapted to receive a target value from a user, the target value being at least one of a desired amount of the torque and an amount of angular rotation to be applied to the work piece; and

a first LED adapted to provide a first indication to the user when the head applies a first predetermined percentage of the target value to the work piece, a second LED adapted to provide a second indication to the user when the head applies a second predetermined percentage of the target value, and a third LED adapted to provide a third indication to the user when the head applies a third predetermined percentage of the target value, wherein the first predetermined percentage is about 80%, the second predetermined percentage is about 100% and the third predetermined percentage is about 105%.

11. The torque wrench as claimed in claim 10, wherein the interface is further adapted to receive an amount of tolerance, wherein the second LED provides the second indication when the target value reaches 100% minus the amount of tolerance, and the third LED provides the third indication when the target value reaches 100% plus the amount of tolerance.

12. A tool adapted to apply a torque to a work piece, comprising:

a head adapted to apply the torque and an angular rotation to the work piece;

a sensor operably coupled to the head and adapted to sense an amount of the torque applied to the work piece and an amount of the angular rotation applied by the head to the work piece;

an interface adapted to receive a desired amount of the torque and a desired amount of angular rotation to the work piece; and

an indicator adapted to provide an indication to a user when the desired amount of torque and the desired amount of angular rotation have been simultaneously applied to the work piece by the head.

13. The tool as claimed in claim 12, wherein the desired amount of the torque and the desired amount of angular rotation are each preset and cannot be changed by the user.

14. The tool as claimed in claim 12, wherein the interface is further adapted to receive a total number of work pieces that the desired amount of the torque and the desired amount of angular rotation must be applied to, wherein the tool provides a second indication to the user representing a difference between a number of work pieces that the desired amount of the torque and the desired amount of angular rotation have been applied and the total number of work pieces.

15. The tool as claimed in claim 14, further comprising a display adapted to visually provide the second indication to the user.

16. The tool as claimed in claim 12, wherein the tool is adapted to provide a second indication to the user representing a number of work pieces that the desired amount of the torque and the desired amount of angular rotation have been applied to.

17. The tool as claimed in claim 16, further comprising a display adapted to visually provide the second indication to the user.

18. The torque wrench as claimed in claim 12, wherein the interface is further adapted to receive an amount of tolerance, wherein the indication is provided when the amount of the torque and the amount of angular rotation applied by the head to the work piece fall with the amount of tolerance relative to the respective desired amount of the torque and the desired amount of angular rotation.

19. A tool adapted to apply a torque to a work piece, comprising:

a head adapted to apply the torque and an angular rotation to the work piece;

a sensor operably coupled to the head and adapted to sense an amount of the torque and an amount of angular rotation applied to the work piece by the head;

an interface adapted to receive a target value, the target value being a desired amount of the torque to first be applied to the work piece, and a desired amount of angular rotation to be applied to the work piece after the desired amount of the torque has been applied to the work piece; and

an indicator adapted to provide a first indication to a user when the desired amount of the torque has been applied to the work piece and, after the desired amount of the torque has been applied to the work piece, a second indication to the user when the desired amount of angular rotation has been applied to the work piece.

20. The tool as claimed in claim 19, wherein the interface is further adapted to receive a total number of work pieces that the desired amount of the torque and the desired amount of angular rotation must be applied to, wherein the indicator provides a third indication to the user representing a difference between a number of work pieces that the desired amount of the torque and the desired amount of angular rotation have been applied and the total number of work pieces.

21. The tool as claimed in claim 20, further comprising a display adapted to visually provide the third indication to the user.

22. The tool as claimed in claim 19, wherein the indicator is adapted to provide a third indication to the user representing a number of work pieces that the desired amount of the torque and the desired amount of angular rotation have been applied to.

23. The tool as claimed in claim 22, further comprising a display adapted to visually provide the third indication to the user.

24. The tool as claimed in claim 19, wherein the desired angle value and the desired torque value are each preset and cannot be changed by a user.

25. The torque wrench as claimed in claim 19, wherein the interface is further adapted to receive an amount of tolerance, wherein the first indication is provided when the amount of the torque applied by the head to the work piece falls with the amount of tolerance relative to the desired amount of the torque and the second indication is provided when the amount of angular rotation applied by the head to the work piece falls within the amount of tolerance relative to the desired amount of angular rotation.