Power wrench

• US 6,161,629 A
• Filed: 07/16/1999
• Issued: 12/19/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hohmann, Frank, Hohmann, Jorg
• Original Assignee: Hohmann, Frank, Hohmann, Jorg
• Inventors: Hohmann, Frank, Hohmann, Jorg
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Scott A.
• Application Number:
  US09/308,545
• Time in Patent Office: 522 Days
• Field of Search: 173/176, 173/180, 173/181, 173/182, 173/183, 173/2, 81/467, 81/470, 81/469, 73/761, 73/763, 73/862.23, 73/862.21
• US Class Current: 173/181
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 19/066 by electrical means
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 19/102 using remote centre compliance devices
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 23/14 Arrangement of torque limiters or torque indicators in wrenches or screwdrivers couplings for transmitting rotation or clutches F16D; devices for measuring torque per se G01L

Abstract

A power screwdriver has a drive unit and an input circuit for inputting screw size, material quality, pitch, and clamping length of a screw. An evaluation circuit is provided for determining a nominal prestress force based on input screw size, material quality, and clamping length, for determining a nominal torque based on the nominal prestress force and the pitch, and for determining the screw clamping angle resulting from the nominal prestress force and the pitch. A sensing device for sensing the actual torque is provided, and a further sensing device for sensing the actual screw clamping angle is present. A control and switch-off device controls further rotation of the drive unit when the actual torque coincides with the nominal torque and switches off the drive unit when the actual screw clamping angle coincides with the nominal screw clamping angle. The nominal torque, based on which the additional rotation o f the drive unit is controlled until the nominal screw clamping angle is reached, is set to a value which is smaller than the torque corresponding to the nominal pretension force. An additional rotation angle of the drive unit, for reaching the nominal screw clamping angle corresponding to the nominal prestress force, is determined based on the difference between the nominal screw clamping angle and the adjusted screw clamping angle corresponding to the preset nominal torque and is used for switching off the drive unit.

Claims

1. A power screwdriver (1) comprising:

a drive unit (2),

an input circuit (6) for inputting a screw size, a material quality, a pitch, and a clamping length of a screw;

an evaluation circuit (9) for determining a nominal prestress force based on input screw size, material quality, and clamping length, for determining a nominal torque based on the nominal prestress force and the pitch, and for determining the screw clamping angle resulting from the nominal prestress force and the pitch,

a sensing device (10) for sensing the actual torque,

a sensing device (11) for sensing the actual screw clamping angle,

a control and switch-off device (12) for controlling further rotation of said drive unit (2) when the actual torque coincides with the nominal torque and for switching off said drive unit (2) when the actual screw clamping angle coincides with the nominal screw clamping angle;

wherein the nominal torque, based on which the additional rotation of said drive unit (2) is controlled until the nominal screw clamping angle is reached, is set to a value which is smaller than the torque corresponding to the nominal pretension force; and

wherein an additional rotation angle of said drive unit (2), for reaching the nominal screw clamping angle corresponding to the nominal prestress force, is determined based on the difference between the nominal screw clamping angle and the adjusted screw clamping angle corresponding to the preset nominal torque and is used for switching off said drive unit (2).

2. A power screwdriver according to claim 1, wherein the preset nominal torque corresponds to 10% to 20% of the torque corresponding to the nominal prestress force and the additional rotation angle is 90% to 80% of the nominal screw clamping angle corresponding to the nominal prestress force.

3. A power screwdriver according to claim 1, wherein said input circuit (6) is adapted to receive as additionally input a nominal torque, wherein said control and switch-off device (12) continuously reduces the rpm of said drive unit (2) with decreasing difference between the nominal torque and the actual torque and switches off said drive unit (2) when the actual torque coincides with the nominal torque.

4. A power screwdriver according to claim 1, wherein said evaluation circuit (9) determines a nominal torque based on input screw size, pitch, and material quality, wherein said control and switch-off device (12) continuously reduces the rpm of said drive unit (2) with decreasing difference between the nominal torque and the actual torque and switches off said drive unit (2) when the actual torque coincides with the nominal torque.

5. A power screwdriver according to claim 1, wherein said evaluation circuit (9) determines a nominal screw clamping angle based on screw size, pitch, material quality and clamping length, wherein said control and switch-off device (12) continuously reduces the rpm of said drive unit (2) with decreasing difference between the nominal screw clamping angle and the actual screw clamping angle and switches off said drive unit (2) when the actual screw clamping angle coincides with the nominal screw clamping angle.

6. A power screwdriver according to claim 1, wherein said sensing device (10, 11), for determining the nominal torque, measures the actual torque of an already tightened screw by a slight further rotation, wherein said evaluation circuit (9) determines, based on the actual torque of the already tightened screw, a nominal torque and/or a nominal screw clamping angle for further tightening of the already tightened screw to a value based on the input data.