Apparatus for monitoring electric motor screw driver system

• US 6,954,048 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2003
• Issued: 10/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sehan Electools, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Sehan Electools, Ltd.
• Inventors: Cho, Yong Ki
• Primary Examiner(s): Fletcher, Marlon T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MILLER, PATRICK L
• Application Number:
  US10/632,586
• Publication Number:
  US 20040189232A1
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• Field of Search: 297/09, 297/05, 297/02, 297/03, 292/40, 298/07, 297/06, 297/07, 297/08, 29256-266, 297/12, 297/14, 297/13, 737/61, 738/622.1, 738/622.3, 738/622.4, 738/620.6, 738/621.93, 81/52, 814/29, 814/67, 814/69, 710/8, 716/5, 318/434, 318/484, 388/937
• US Class Current: 318/484
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 19/066 by electrical means
• 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 23/147 specially adapted for electrically operated wrenches or screwdrivers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 388/937 Hand tool
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/5303 Responsive to condition of work or product
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53057 Responsive to timer

Abstract

A driver monitor for a driver system. A driver monitor includes a driver monitoring unit for monitoring the fastening operation of the driver based on pre-determined fastening information. A rotation start signal and a rotation stop signal are used to determine whether the fastening operation is appropriately completed or not. An information signal is generated based on a result of monitoring. An operation processing unit outputs the result information signal from the driver monitoring unit to external peripheral apparatus and receives an operation information signal from the external peripheral apparatus in order to cooperate with the external peripheral apparatus. A display unit receives the information signal from the driver monitoring unit and displays the information signal.

Claims

1. An electric motor screw driver system, comprising:

a driver having a first signal generation means for generating a rotation start signal representing to operate a fastening operation of the driver and a second signal generation means for generating a rotation stop signal denoting a stop of the fastening operation;

a power controller for controlling the fastening operation of the driver by supplying electric power to the driver in response to the rotation start signal and ceasing the supply of electric power to the driver in response to the rotation stop signal;

a driver monitoring means for monitoring the fastening operation of the driver based on predetermined fastening information, the rotation start signal and the rotation stop signal in order to determine whether the fastening operation is appropriately completed or not, to thereby generate an information signal based on a result of monitoring the fastening operation, wherein the driver monitoring means includes computation means for performing at least one test mode to determine a predetermined target time range included in the predetermined fastening information; and

a display unit for receiving the information signal from the driver monitoring means to thereby display the information signal.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the driver monitoring means includes determination means for determining one appropriate and complete cycle of fastening operation based on a time interval between the rotation start signal and the rotation stop signal.

3. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein the determination means generates a completion signal representing the one appropriate and complete cycle when the rotation stop signal is activated between a minimum target time and a maximum target time of the predetermined target time range before the rotation start signal is inactivated.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the driver monitoring means further includes:

storage means for storing operation information of a plurality of modes and the predetermined fastening information for analyzing fastening operation of the driver; and

a user control panel for generating a selection signal for selecting a mode among the plurality of modes;

wherein a selected mode is performed by the computation means based on the operation information.

5. The system as recited in claim 4, wherein the plurality of modes includes an operation mode for monitoring the fastening operation of the driver by comparing a time interval between the rotation start signal and the rotation stop signal and the predetermined fastening information to thereby generate a completion signal representing a completion of fastening operation.

6. The system as recited in claim 5, wherein the plurality of modes further includes:

a counting mode for setting a target number of fastening operations and counting the number of generated completion signals to generate a second completion signal when the number of generated completion signals is identical to the target number;

a setting mode for testing a target object to be subjected to the fastening operation to obtain the predetermined fastening information including the predetermined target time range; and

an initial mode for initializing the predetermined fastening information in the storage means.

7. The system as recited in claim 6, wherein the setting mode includes:

a first setting mode for receiving a test rotation start signal and a test rotation stop signal for the target object from the driver;

a second setting mode for determining the target time range by using a time interval between the test rotation start signal and the test rotation stop signal; and

a third setting mode for storing the target time range into the storage means.

8. An electric motor screw driver system, comprising:

a driver having a first signal generation means for generating a rotation start signal representing to operate a fastening operation of the driver and a second signal generation means for generating a rotation stop signal denoting a stop of the fastening operation;

a power controller for controlling the fastening operation of the driver by supplying electric power to the driver in response to the rotation start signal and ceasing the supply of electric power to the driver in response to the rotation stop signal;

a driver monitoring means for monitoring the fastening operation of the driver based on predetermined fastening information, the rotation start signal and the rotation stop signal in order to determine whether the fastening operation is appropriately completed or not, to thereby generate an information signal based on a result of monitoring the fastening operation, wherein the driver monitoring means includes computation means for performing at least one test mode to determine a predetermined target time range included in the predetermined fastening information;

an operation processing unit for outputting the information signal from the driver monitoring means to an external peripheral apparatus and for receiving an operation information signal from the external peripheral apparatus in order to cooperate with the external peripheral apparatus; and

a display unit for receiving the information signal from the driver monitoring means to thereby display the information signal.

9. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein the peripheral apparatus includes a convey belt, an electric motor screw driver, a personal computer or a remote control terminal.

10. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein the driver monitoring means includes determination means for determining one appropriate and complete cycle of fastening operation based on a time interval between the rotation start signal and the rotation stop signal.

11. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein the determination means generates a completion signal representing the one appropriate and complete cycle when the rotation stop signal is activated between a minimum target time and a maximum target time of the predetermined target time range before the rotation start signal is inactivated.

12. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein the driver monitoring means further includes:

storage means for storing operation information of a plurality of modes and the predetermined fastening information for analyzing fastening operation of the driver; and

a user control panel for generating a selection signal for selecting a mode among the plurality of modes;

wherein a selected mode is performed by the computation means based on the operation information.

13. The system as recited in claim 12,

wherein the plurality of modes includes an operation mode for monitoring the fastening operation of the driver by comparing a time interval between the rotation start signal and the rotation stop signal with the predetermined fastening information to thereby generate a completion signal representing a completion of fastening operation.

14. A driver monitor in an electric motor screw driver system, wherein the electric motor screw driver system including a driver having a first signal generation means for generating a rotation start signal representing to operate a fastening operation of the driver and a second signal generation means for generating a rotation stop signal denoting a stop of the fastening operation and a power controller for controlling the fastening operation of the driver by supplying electric power to the driver in response to the rotation start signal and ceasing the supply of electric power to the driver in response to the rotation stop signal, the driver monitor, comprising:

a driver monitoring means for monitoring the fastening operation of the driver based on predetermined fastening information, the rotation start signal and the rotation stop signal in order to determine whether the fastening operation is appropriately completed or not, to thereby generate an information signal based on a result of monitoring the fastening operation, wherein the driver monitoring means includes computation means for performing at least one test mode to determine a predetermined target time range included in the predetermined fastening information;

an operation processing unit for outputting the result information signal from the driver monitoring means to external peripheral apparatus and receiving operation information signal from the external peripheral apparatus in order to cooperate with the external peripheral apparatus; and

a display unit for receiving the information signal from the driver monitoring means to thereby display the information signal.

15. The driver monitor as recited in claim 14, wherein the driver monitoring means includes determination means for determining one appropriate and complete cycle of fastening operation based on a time interval between the rotation start signal and the rotation stop signal.

16. The driver monitor as recited in claim 15, wherein the determination means generates a completion signal representing the one appropriate and complete cycle when the rotation stop signal is activated between a minimum target time and a maximum target time of the predetermined target time range before the rotation start signal is inactivated.

17. The driver monitor as recited in claim 14, wherein the driver monitoring means further includes:

storage means for storing operation information of a plurality of modes and predetermined fastening information for analyzing fastening operation of the driver; and

a user control panel for generating a selection signal for selecting a mode among the plurality of modes;

wherein a selected mode is performed by the computation means based on the operation information.