Depth stop assembly for a hand-held power tool

• US 6,520,270 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2001
• Issued: 02/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hilti Aktiengesellschaft (Hilti Martin Family Trust)
• Original Assignee: Hilti Aktiengesellschaft (Hilti Martin Family Trust)
• Inventors: Bongers-Ambrosius, Hans-Werner, Kristen, Ferdinand, Wissmach, Walter
• Primary Examiner(s): Rada, Rinaldi I.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRUONG, THANH K
• Application Number:
  US09/866,190
• Publication Number:
  US 20010052418A1
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: 173/1, 173/2, 173/4, 173/6, 173/20, 173/217, 173/170, 408/16, 235/375, 227/142, 411/81, 411/378
• US Class Current: 173/170
• CPC Class Codes: B23B 2260/088 Indication scales
• CPC Class Codes: B23B 2260/128 Sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B23B 2270/32 Use of electronics
• CPC Class Codes: B23B 49/008 Attached to the nose of the drilling machines
• CPC Class Codes: B25F 5/003 Stops for limiting depth in rotary hand tools for drilling tools: B23B49/003
• CPC Class Codes: B25F 5/027 with storage compartments

Abstract

A depth assembly for use with a hand-held power tool (2) and including a motorized control unit for adjusting a position of a depth-setting member (3) and connectable with an energy source (4) which supplies power thereto, and a micro-controller (6) for controlling the operation of the control unit (5) and connected with a length-determining sensor.

Claims

1. A depth stop assembly for use with a hand-held power tool (2) for setting a depth of a blind bore formed with the power tool, the depth stop comprising a rod-shaped, deflection-resistant, depth-setting member (3) supported for a limited movement parallel to an axis of the power tool and adjustable in accordance with a stop length (L) associated with a fastening element (9) insertable in the blind bore;

a motorized control unit (5) associated with the depth-setting member (3) and connectable with an energy source (4);

a length-determining sensor (10) associated with the depth-setting member (3);

a transceiver unit (7) for contactless reading of an identification of identification means connected with the fastening element (9); and

a micro-controller (6) for controlling operation of the control unit (5) and connected with the transceiver unit (7) and the length-determining sensor (10) to provide for adaptive adjustment of the stop length (L).

2. A depth stop assembly according to claim 1, wherein the transceiver unit (7) is formed as one of laser scanner/light receiver unit, radio transceiver having a variable frequency, and radio transceiver unit with modulated carrier frequency, and wherein the identification means (8) is formed as one of readable bar code, film resonant circuit, and transponder.

3. A depth stop assembly according to claim 1, wherein the depth stop comprises a housing mountable on an auxiliary handle of the hand-held power tool.

4. A depth stop assembly according to claim 3, further comprising a data display (16) mounted on the housing and connected with the microprocessor (6).

5. A depth stop assembly according to claim 1, wherein the energy source (4) is integrated in the hand-held power tool, and the depth stop comprises conductor means for connecting the energy source with the control unit (5).

6. A depth stop assembly according to claim 1, wherein the energy source (4) forms part of the depth stop assembly.

7. A depth stop assembly according to claim 5, wherein the energy source (4) is integrated in an auxiliary handle (11) provided on the hand-held power tool.

8. A depth stop assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a coil (14) through which a magnetic flux produced by an energized winding (15) of the hand-held power tool (2) passes, and a power converter (13) for connecting the coil (14) with the energy source (4).

9. A fastening element insertable into a blind bore produced by a hand-held power tool (2) equipped with a depth stop assembly (1) including a rod-shaped, deflection-resistant, depth-setting member (3) supported for a limited movement parallel to an axis of the power tool;

a motorized control unit (5) associated with the depth-setting member (3) and connectable with an energy source (4);

a length-determining sensor (10) associated with the depth-setting member (3);

a transceiver unit (7); and

a micro-controller (6) for controlling operation of the control unit (5) and connected with the transceiver unit (7) and the length-determining sensor (10), the fastening element comprising identification means (8) to be read, in contactless manner, by the transceiver unit (7), whereby the depth-setting member is adjusted in accordance with a stop length (L) associated with the fastening element.

10. A fastening element according to claim 9, wherein the identification means (8) is formed as one of bar code, film resonant circuit, and transponder.

11. A method of controlling the operation of a depth stop assembly for use with a hand-held power tool (2) for setting a depth of a blind bore formed with the power tool, the depth stop comprising a rod-shaped, deflection-resistant, depth-setting member (3) supported for a limited movement parallel to an axis of the power tool and adjustable in accordance with a stop length (L) associated with a fastening element (9) insertable in the blind bore;

a motorized control unit (5) associated with the depth-setting member (3) and connectable with an energy source (4);

a length-determining sensor (10) associated with the depth-setting member (3);

a transceiver unit (7) for contactless reading of an identification of fastening element (9) which is located in a transmission range of the transceiver unit (7); and

a micro-controller (6) for controlling the operation of the control unit (5) and connected with the transceiver unit (7) and the sensor (10), the method comprising the steps of reading, with the transceiver unit (7), of the identification of the fastening element (9); and

adaptively adjusting the stop length (L) in accordance with an output signal generated by the transceiver (7).