Power tools

• US 6,834,730 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2003
• Issued: 12/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dʼascenzo, David S., Stephen F Gass
• Original Assignee: Dʼascenzo, David S., Stephen F Gass
• Inventors: Gass, Stephen F., DʼAscenzo, David S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Scott A.
• Application Number:
  US10/385,215
• Publication Number:
  US 20030196824A1
• Time in Patent Office: 659 Days
• Field of Search: 173/2, 173/216, 173/20, 173/217, 173/171, 173/176, 379/902, 379/62, 379/150
• US Class Current: 173/2
• CPC Class Codes: B23B 2260/128 Sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B23B 31/123 with locking arrangements locking arrangements for chucks with simultaneously-acting jaws moving radially actuated by one or more spiral grooves B23B31/16041
• CPC Class Codes: B23B 45/008 Gear boxes, clutches, bearings, feeding mechanisms or like equipment
• CPC Class Codes: B23B 49/008 Attached to the nose of the drilling machines
• CPC Class Codes: B23G 1/18 Machines with one working spindle
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 21/00 Portable power-driven screw or nut setting or loosening tools; details or components, e.g. casings, bodies, of portable power-driven tools not particularly related to the operation performed B25F5/00; for mounting or dismounting wheels B60B29/006; Attachments for drilling apparatus serving the same purpose machines B23P19/06
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 23/0064 Means for adjusting screwing depth
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 23/147 specially adapted for electrically operated wrenches or screwdrivers
• CPC Class Codes: B25F 5/00 Details or components of portable power-driven tools not particularly related to the operations performed and not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B25F 5/001 Gearings, speed selectors, clutches or the like specially adapted for rotary tools
• CPC Class Codes: B25F 5/003 Stops for limiting depth in rotary hand tools for drilling tools: B23B49/003
• CPC Class Codes: B25F 5/02 Construction of casings, bodies or handles B25F5/006, B25F5/008 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B25F 5/021 with guiding devices guiding devices for hand tools on stands or supports B25H1/0078
• CPC Class Codes: B25H 1/0092 by optical means

Abstract

An electrically powered hand tool is disclosed. The tool includes a motor, a power source, a work element and a controller. Various alternative features, embodiments and operative configurations are disclosed.

Claims

1. A hand-held drill, comprising:

a motor;

a chuck selectively rotatable by the motor;

a body adapted to support the chuck and the motor in an operative position relative to each other, wherein the body includes a handle adapted to be gripped by a user to operate the drill; and

a motor control including a trigger configured to be selectively depressed through a range of positions by a user, wherein the range of positions includes an initial position, in which the trigger is not depressed, and a final position, in which the trigger is fully depressed, and further wherein the motor control, in at least one configuration, is adapted to cause the chuck to rotate by a predetermined finite number of revolutions dependent at least in part upon the position to which the trigger is depressed within the range of positions.

2. The drill of claim 1, wherein the motor control is adapted to permit user selection of the relationship between a selected trigger position within the range of positions and the finite number of revolutions produced thereby.

3. The drill of claim 1, wherein the finite number of revolutions increases with increasing trigger depression from the initial position within the range of positions.

4. The drill of claim 1, wherein the finite number of revolutions generated by depressing the trigger to the full position is selected to be sufficient to drive a screw to a predetermined depth.

5. The drill of claim 1, wherein the motor control includes at least one configuration in which the chuck rotates continuously at a speed dependent at least in part on the position within the range of positions to which the trigger is depressed.

6. The drill of claim 1, wherein the range of positions includes a predetermined position corresponding to a complete rotation of the chuck.

7. The drill of claim 1, wherein the range of positions includes a predetermined position corresponding to a predetermined fraction of a rotation of the chuck.

8. The drill of claim 1, wherein upon depressing of the trigger to the final position and retention of the trigger in the final position, the motor control is adapted to cause the chuck to rotate by repeated second increments spaced apart by periods of nonrotation.

9. The drill of claim 1, wherein the finite number of revolutions generated by depressing the trigger to the full position is 12 revolutions or less.

10. An electrically powered hand drill/driver, comprising:

a chuck;

a motor configured to rotate the chuck;

a power source adapted to deliver power to the motor;

a selectively actuable user input; and

a controller electrically connected to the power source and the motor and configured to regulate rotation of the chuck by controlling the delivery of power to the motor from the power source, wherein the controller is configured to receive a signal when the user input is actuated, and upon receipt of the signal from the user input, the controller causes the chuck to rotate by a predetermined increment.

11. The drill/driver of claim 10, wherein the user input includes a selectively actuable button.

12. The drill/driver of claim 10, wherein the user input includes a trigger.

13. The drill/driver of claim 12, wherein the trigger includes a resting position and a fully actuated position, and further wherein upon actuation of the trigger to the fully actuated position and retention of the trigger in the fully actuated position, the controller is adapted to cause the chuck to rotate by repeated second increments spaced apart by periods of nonrotation.

14. The drill/driver of claim 10, wherein the controller includes a user interface through which the user selects the predetermined increment.

15. The drill/driver of claim 14, wherein the predetermined increment is selected by scrolling through a range of stored values and selecting one of the stored values to be the predetermined increment.

16. The drill/driver of claim 10, wherein the controller supplies power to the motor to at least substantially prevent rotation of the chuck in the absence of user input.

17. The drill/driver of claim 10, wherein the drill/driver includes a force transducer adapted to detect force exerted by a user along a rotation axis of the chuck, and further wherein the controller is adapted to selectively regulate power supplied to the motor responsive to the detected force.

18. The drill/driver of claim 10, wherein the drill/driver includes at least a first user input in the form of a trigger and a second user input, and further wherein the controller is configured to receive input signals from the first and the second user inputs, wherein upon receipt of an input signal from the first user input, the controller is adapted to cause the chuck to rotate by a first predetermined increment, and further wherein upon receipt of an input signal from the second user input, the controller is adapted to cause the chuck to rotate by a second predetermined increment.

19. The drill/driver of claim 18, wherein the second user input includes a selectively actuable button.

20. The drill/driver of claim 18, wherein at least one of the first and the second predetermined increments is less than a full rotation of the chuck.