Electric screwdriver and a controller thereof

• US 7,464,769 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2007
• Issued: 12/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nitto Kohki Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nitto Kohki Company Limited
• Inventors: Fujita, Hideki, Nakazawa, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Nash; Brian D
• Application Number:
  US11/712,111
• Publication Number:
  US 20070163357A1
• Time in Patent Office: 657 Days
• Field of Search: 173/176, 173/179, 173/181, 173/217
• US Class Current: 173/176
• 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: H02P 7/04 by means of a H-bridge circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 7/29 using pulse modulation

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide an electric screwdriver device having a function for determining that a correct tightening operation has been carried out when the tightening operation has taken a time longer than a reference time predetermined for the tightening operation, characterized in comprising a novel feature for determining the reference time. The electric screwdriver device of the present invention comprises a torque monitor (40, S4) for monitoring whether or not a load torque in carrying out the tightening by using the electric screwdriver 12 has reached the tightening completion torque, a timer (40, S1, S5) for measuring the time consumed from the starting of the tightening operation until the tightening torque has reached the tightening completion torque, as the tightening operation time, and a reference time setter (40, S6-S10) for determining the reference time for a subsequent tightening operation based on a plurality of tightening operation time obtained from the timer in the tightening operations carried out for the predetermined number of screws.

Claims

1. An electric screwdriver device comprising an electric screwdriver and a controller connected to said electric screwdriver, in which

said controller comprises:

a power source and a power circuit for said power source, said power circuit having a function for selectively providing an output for a normal rotation from said power source or an output for a reverse rotation from said power source in accordance with a normal rotation signal or a reverse rotation signal given by said electric screwdriver and for shutting down an output from said power source in accordance with a stop signal of said electric screwdriver or a tightening completion signal generated by said electric screwdriver; and

a tightening completion signal and reverse rotation signal processing unit for processing said tightening completion signal and said reverse rotation signal, and

said electric screwdriver comprises;

a screwdriver motor to be connected to the power source terminals of said power circuit;

a common line for supplying a reference voltage;

a normal-rotation/reverse-rotation shifting switch for shifting between the normal-rotation and the reverse-rotation of the screwdriver motor;

a first signal line for interconnecting a first output terminal of said normal-rotation/reverse-rotation shifting switch and said controller;

a second signal line for interconnecting a second output terminal of said normal-rotation/reverse-rotation shifting switch and said controller;

a starting switch connected between said common line and a first input terminal of said normal-rotation/reverse-rotation shifting switch; and

a braking switch connected between said starting switch and a second input terminal of said normal-rotation/reverse-rotation shifting switch,

said normal-normal-rotation/reverse-rotation shifting switch being capable of switching between

a normal rotation connecting position where the normal-rotation/reverse-rotation shifting switch is operable to connect said starting switch to said first signal line and to connect said braking switch to said second signal line

and a reverse rotation connecting position where the normal-rotation/reverse-rotation shifting switch is operable to connect said starting switch to said second signal line and to connect said braking switch to said first signal line,

said starting switch being configured

to supply a start signal and a stop signal from said first signal line to said controller, respectively, by turning on and off during said normal-rotation/reverse-rotation shifting switch being positioned in said normal rotation connecting position, and

to supply the starting signal and the stop signal from said second signal line to said controller, respectively, by turning on and off during said normal-rotation/reverse-rotation shifting switch being positioned in said reverse rotation connecting position, and

said braking switch being configured,

in case of the braking switch being a normal-open type switch, to be closed when the tightening completion torque for the tightening operation having been reached and to supply a tightening completion signal to said controller, and

in case of the braking switch being a normal-close type switch, to be opened when the tightening completion torque for the tightening operation having been reached and to supply a tightening completion signal to said controller.

2. An electric screwdriver device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said power source is a direct-current power source, and said screwdriver motor is a direct-current motor.

3. An electric screwdriver device in accordance with claim 1, in which said tightening completion signal and reverse rotation signal processing unit comprises a tightening operation counter configured to start counting upon receipt of the tightening completion signal and to reverse the counting upon receipt of the reverse rotation signal.

4. An electric screwdriver device in accordance with claim 1, in which

said power circuit has a power circuit control section, wherein

said power circuit control section comprises:

a shutting down unit for shutting down said power circuit to said screwdriver motor in response to a receipt of the tightening completion signal or the stop signal;

a braking short circuit included in said screwdriver motor and responsive to the tightening completion signal or the stop signal; and

a control unit for providing an ON/OFF control of said braking short circuit, wherein

said control unit is configured to repeat ON and OFF states alternately in a manner that periods of the OFF states are kept constant and periods of the ON states are made longer gradually with the number of revolutions of said screwdriver motor being reduced.

5. An electric screwdriver device comprising an electric screwdriver and a controller connected to said electric screwdriver, in which

said controller comprises:

a power source and a power circuit for said power source, said power circuit having a function for selectively providing an output for a normal rotation from said power source or an output for a reverse rotation from said power source in dependence on a normal rotation signal or a reverse rotation signal given by said electric screwdriver and for shutting down an output from said power source in dependence on a stop signal of said electric screwdriver or a tightening completion signal generated by said electric screwdriver; and

a tightening completion signal and reverse rotation signal processing unit for processing said tightening completion signal and said reverse rotation signal,

and said electric screwdriver comprises;

a screwdriver motor to be connected to the power source terminal of said power circuit;

a common line provided as a line defined in the ground side;

a normal-rotation/reverse-rotation shifting switch for shifting between the normal-rotation and the reverse-rotation of the screwdriver motor;

a first signal line for interconnecting a first input terminal of said normal-rotation/reverse-rotation shifting switch and said controller;

a second signal line for interconnecting a second input terminal of said normal-rotation/reverse-rotation shifting switch and said controller;

a starting switch connected between said common line and a first output terminal of said normal-rotation/reverse-rotation shifting switch; and

a braking switch connected between said starting switch and a second output terminal of said normal-rotation/reverse-rotation shifting switch,

said normal-rotation/reverse-rotation shifting switch being capable of switching between

a normal rotation connecting position where the normal-rotation/reverse-rotation shifting switch is operable to connect said starting switch to said first signal line and to connect said braking switch to said second signal line and

a reverse rotation connecting position where the normal-rotation/reverse-rotation shifting switchit is operable to connect said starting switch to said second signal line and to connect said braking switch to said first signal line, and

said starting switch being configured

to supply a start signal and a stop signal from said first signal line to said controller, respectively, by turning on and off during said normal-rotation/reverse-rotation shifting switch being positioned in said normal rotation connecting position, and

to supply the start signal and the stop signal from said second signal line to said controller, respectively, by turning on and off during said normal-rotation/reverse-rotation shifting switch being positioned in said reverse rotation connecting position, and

said braking switch being configured,

in case of the braking switch being normal-open type switch, to be closed when the tightening completion torque for the tightening operation having been reached and to supply a tightening completion signal to said controller, and

in case of the braking switch being normal-close type switch, to be opened when the tightening completion torque for the tightening operation having been reached and to supply a tightening completion signal to said controller.

6. An electric screwdriver device in accordance with claim 5, in which said power source is a direct-current power source, and said screwdriver motor is a direct-current motor.

7. An electric screwdriver device in accordance with claim 5, in which said tightening completion signal and reverse rotation signal processing unit comprises a tightening operation counter configured to start counting upon receipt of the tightening completion signal and to reverse the counting upon receipt of the reverse rotation signal.

8. An electric screwdriver device in accordance with claim 5, in which

said power circuit has a power circuit control section, wherein

said power circuit control section comprises:

a shutting down unit for shutting down said power circuit to said screwdriver motor in response to a receipt of the tightening completion signal or the stop signal;

a braking short circuit included in said screwdriver motor and responsive to a receipt of the tightening completion signal or the stop signal; and

a control unit for providing an ON/OFF control of said braking short circuit, wherein

said control unit is configured to repeat ON and OFF states alternately in a manner that periods of the OFF states are kept constant and periods of the ON states are made longer gradually with the number of revolutions of said screwdriver motor being reduced.