Electronic fastening tool

• US 7,285,877 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2005
• Issued: 10/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bradenbaugh, Charles L. IV, Hilsher, William F., Gorti, Bhanuprasad V
• Primary Examiner(s): Deberadinis; Robert L.
• Application Number:
  US11/095,728
• Publication Number:
  US 20050219785A1
• Time in Patent Office: 936 Days
• Field of Search: 307/326
• US Class Current: 307/326
• CPC Class Codes: B25C 1/06 operated by electric power
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 47/004 using plural redundant serial connected relay operated contacts in controlled circuit

Abstract

A driving tool, such as a fastening tool, with a driver, a motor, a flywheel driven by the motor, an actuator, an actuator member that is movable by the actuator, a trigger switch that is moveable by a trigger between an unactuated state and an actuated state, and a contact trip switch that is moveable by a contact trip between an unactuated state and an actuated state. The controller does not include power switches for controlling the operation of the motor and the actuator, but rather employs microswitches and control logic to determine when to activate the motor assembly and the actuator.

Claims

1. A driving tool comprising:

a contact trip that is movable between a first contact trip state and a second contact trip state, the contact trip being biased into the first contact trip state and being moveable into the second contact trip state in response to a first operator input;

a driver that is movable along an axis;

a motor assembly having a motor, an output member that is driven by the motor, and an actuator, the actuator and the output member cooperating to move the driver along the axis when the motor assembly is actuated;

a trigger that is moveable between a first trigger state and a second trigger state, the trigger being biased into the first trigger state and moving into the second trigger state in response to a second operator input;

a power line having a first conductor and a second conductor; and

a control module that is configured to selectively actuate the motor assembly, the control module including a contact trip switch, a trigger switch, a motor switch, a first actuator switch, a second actuator switch and a controller, the contact trip switch being activated when the contact trip is positioned in the second contact trip state, the trigger switch being activated when the trigger is positioned in the second trigger state, the motor switch being electrically coupled to the motor and one of the first conductor and the second conductor and being normally de-activated to inhibit transmission of electrical power from the first conductor through the motor to the second conductor, the first and second actuator switches being electrically coupled in series with the actuator between the first conductor and the second conductor, each of the first and second actuator switches being normally de-activated to inhibit transmission of electrical power therethrough, the controller being coupled to the contact trip switch, the trigger switch, the motor switch and the first and second actuator switches, the controller controlling activation of each of the motor switch, the first actuator switch and the second actuator switch based at least in part on a state of the contact trip switch and a state of the trigger switch; and

wherein the motor assembly cannot be actuated to move the driver unless the contact trip switch is activated, the trigger switch is activated, the motor switch is activated to permit electrical power to be transmitted from the first conductor through the motor to the second conductor, and the first actuator switch and the second actuator switch are both activated to permit electrical power to be transmitted from the first conductor through the actuator to the second conductor.

2. The driving tool of claim 1, wherein the controller will not activate at least one of the first and second actuator switches unless the contact trip switch and the trigger switch are activated in a predetermined order.

3. The driving tool of claim 2, wherein the motor switch is activated to permit electrical power to be transmitted from the first conductor through the motor to the second conductor when either of the contact trip switch or the trigger switch is activated.

4. The driving tool of claim 1, wherein the control module further comprises a mode selector switch that is settable in a first mode and a second mode, and wherein when the mode selector switch is set in the first mode, the contact trip switch and the trigger switch may be activated in any order to cause the motor assembly to be actuated.

5. The driving tool of claim 4, wherein when the mode selector switch is set in the first mode, the controller will not activate at least one of the motor switch, the first actuator switch and the second actuator switch if the contact trip switch has not been deactivated after actuation of the motor assembly.

6. The driving tool of claim 4, wherein when the mode selector switch is set in the second mode, wherein the controller will not activate at least one of the first and second actuator switches unless the contact trip switch and the trigger switch are activated in a predetermined order.

7. The driving tool of claim 6, wherein when the mode selector switch is set in the second mode, the controller will not activate at least one of the motor switch, the first actuator switch and the second actuator switch if at least one of the trigger switch and the contact trip switch have not been deactivated after actuation of the motor assembly.

8. The driving tool of claim 5, wherein the motor switch is activated to permit electrical power to be transmitted from the first conductor through the motor to the second conductor when either of the contact trip switch or the trigger switch is activated.

9. The driving tool of claim 1, wherein each of the motor switch, the first actuator switch and the second actuator switch is selected from a group consisting of transistors and relays.

10. The driving tool of claim 9, wherein at least one of the motor switch, the first actuator switch and the second actuator switch is a MOSFET.

11. A method for operating a driving tool having a driver, a motor, a flywheel driven by the motor, an actuator, an actuator member that is movable by the actuator, a trigger switch that is moveable by a trigger between an unactuated state and an actuated state, and a contact trip switch that is moveable by a contact trip between an unactuated state and an actuated state, the method comprising:

closing a first switch to operate the motor and rotate the flywheel in response to movement of one of the trigger switch and the contact trip switch from the unactuated state to the actuated state;

closing a second switch in response to movement of the other one of the trigger switch and the contact trip switch from the unactuated state to the actuated state;

closing a third switch if a set of predetermined conditions has been met, the set of predetermined conditions including a predetermined sequence for movement of each of the trigger switch and the contact trip switch into the actuated state;

wherein when the second and third switches are closed, electrical power is provided to the actuator to cause the actuator to drive the actuator member so that the driver is pinched between the actuator member and the output member.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising selecting the set of predetermined conditions from a plurality of sets of predetermined conditions.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein a first one of the sets of predetermined conditions includes movement of the contact trip switch from the unactuated state to the actuated state prior to movement of the trigger switch from the unactuated state to the actuated state.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first one of the sets of predetermined conditions includes operation of the motor such that a parameter related to a rotational speed of the flywheel exceeds a predetermined threshold.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein a second one of the sets of predetermined conditions includes movement of the contact trip switch from the unactuated state to the actuated state prior to movement of the trigger switch from the unactuated state to the actuated state or movement of the trigger switch from the unactuated state to the actuated state prior to movement of the contact trip switch from the unactuated state to the actuated state.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the second one of the sets of predetermined conditions includes operation of the motor such that a parameter related to a rotational speed of the flywheel exceeds a predetermined threshold.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the second one of the sets of predetermined conditions includes actuation of the trigger switch, actuation of the contact trip switch and closing of the first and second switches.

18. A driving tool comprising:

a contact trip that is movable between a first contact trip state and a second contact trip state, the contact trip being biased into the first contact trip state and being moveable into the second contact trip state in response to a first operator input;

a driver that is movable along an axis;

a motor assembly having a motor, an output member that is driven by the motor, and an actuator, the actuator and the output member cooperating to move the driver along the axis when the motor assembly is actuated;

a trigger that is moveable between a first trigger state and a second trigger state, the trigger being biased into the first trigger state and moving into the second trigger state in response to a second operator input; and

a control module that is configured to selectively actuate the motor assembly, the control module including a contact trip switch, a trigger switch, a motor switch, a first actuator switch, a second actuator switch and a controller, the contact trip switch being activated when the contact trip is positioned in the second contact trip state, the trigger switch being activated when the trigger is positioned in the second trigger state, the motor switch being electrically coupled to the motor and being normally de-activated to inhibit transmission of electrical power through the motor in a manner that permits the motor to operate, the first and second actuator switches being electrically coupled in series with the actuator and being normally de-activated to inhibit transmission of electrical power therethrough, the controller being coupled to the contact trip switch, the trigger switch, the motor switch and the first and second actuator switches, the controller controlling activation of each of the motor switch, the first actuator switch and the second actuator switch based at least in part on a state of the contact trip switch and a state of the trigger switch; and

wherein prior to activating at least one of the first and second actuator switches, at least one of the trigger switch and the contact trip switch must have a change from an un-activated state to an activated state.

19. The driving tool of claim 18, wherein the control module further comprises a mode selector switch that is settable in a first mode and a second mode, and wherein when the mode selector switch is set in the first mode the controller can permit the at least one of the first and second actuator switches to activate if either of the trigger switch and the contact trip switch has changed from an un-activated state to an activated state and wherein when the mode selector switch is set in the first mode, the controller can permit the at least one of the first and second actuator switches to activate only if both of the trigger switch and the contact trip switch has changed from an un-activated state to an activated state.

20. A driving tool comprising:

a contact trip that is movable between a first contact trip state and a second contact trip state, the contact trip being biased into the first contact trip state and being moveable into the second contact trip state in response to a first operator input;

a driver that is movable along an axis;

a motor assembly having a motor, an output member that is driven by the motor, and an actuator, the actuator and the output member cooperating to move the driver along the axis when the motor assembly is actuated;

a trigger that is moveable between a first trigger state and a second trigger state, the trigger being biased into the first trigger state and moving into the second trigger state in response to a second operator input; and

a control module that is configured to selectively actuate the motor assembly, the control module including a controller, a plurality of first switches that change switch state in response to an operator input, and a plurality of second switches, the controller being configured to change a switch state of the second switches in response to changes in a switch state of the first switches, wherein operation of the motor assembly is directly controlled by the second switches.