Portable hand-held power tool having a data connection for diagnostic purposes

• US 7,809,495 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2007
• Issued: 10/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Andreas STIHL AG & Company KG (Stihl Holding AG & Company KG)
• Original Assignee: Andreas STIHL AG & Company KG (Stihl Holding AG & Company KG)
• Inventors: Leufen, Heinrich
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo; Hieu T
• Application Number:
  US11/836,851
• Publication Number:
  US 20080041146A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,152 Days
• Field of Search: 701/115, 701/101, 701/102, 700/168, 700/180
• US Class Current: 701/115
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 63/02 for hand-held tools
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/24 characterised by the use of digital means
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/2429 Methods of calibrating or learning
• CPC Class Codes: F02P 1/02 the generator rotor being characterised by forming part of the engine flywheel
• CPC Class Codes: F02P 11/025 Shortening the ignition when the engine is stopped to prevent damage to the coil F02P3/0556
• CPC Class Codes: F02P 5/1518 using two or more central computing units, e.g. interpolation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/02 Amplitude-modulated carrier systems, e.g. using on-off keying; Single sideband or vestigial sideband modulation H04L27/32 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/10 Frequency-modulated carrier systems, i.e. using frequency-shift keying H04L27/32 takes precedence

Abstract

A power tool has a drive unit arranged in a tool housing. The drive unit has an internal combustion engine with a cylinder provided with a combustion chamber. A spark plug is arranged at the cylinder. A piston is connected to a crankshaft and reciprocates within the cylinder and delimits the combustion chamber. A central control unit controls the drive unit and has a microprocessor and an ignition control unit, wherein the central control unit is connected by the ignition control unit to the spark plug and triggers a spark at the spark plug as a function of a rotary speed of the crankshaft at an appropriate ignition timing. A data storage device is connected to the central control unit. An energy supply unit provides electric energy. An interface enables, from outside the tool housing, external data access to data of the central control unit.

Claims

1. A power tool comprising:

a tool housing;

a drive unit arranged in the tool housing and comprising an internal combustion engine that comprises a cylinder with a combustion chamber, a spark plug arranged at the cylinder, a piston connected to a crankshaft and reciprocatingly arranged within the cylinder and delimiting the combustion chamber;

a central control unit controlling the drive unit and comprising a microprocessor and an ignition control unit, wherein the central control unit is connected by the ignition control unit to the spark plug and triggers a spark at the spark plug as a function of a rotary speed of the crankshaft at an appropriate ignition timing;

a data storage device connected to the central control unit;

an energy supply unit providing electric energy;

an interface enabling, from outside the tool housing, external data access to data of the central control unit.

2. The power tool according to claim 1, wherein the external data access is bidirectional.

3. The power tool according to claim 1, wherein data saved in the data storage device are retrievable via the interface.

4. The power tool according to claim 1, wherein operating data of the internal combustion engine determined in operation of the internal combustion engine are input into the data storage device and saved in the data storage device and wherein the data in the data storage device are stored in a powerless state of the data storage device.

5. The power tool according to claim 1, wherein the interface is a component of the power tool that is required for operation of the drive unit and is located within the tool housing.

6. The power tool according to claim 1, wherein the interface is a short-circuit line of an ignition of the drive unit.

7. The power tool according to claim 1, wherein the interface is an electric line connecting a generator of the energy supply unit to the central control unit.

8. The power tool according to claim 1, wherein the interface is an electric line connecting a generator of the energy supply unit to the data storage unit device.

9. The power tool according to claim 1, comprising a receiver located external to the tool housing wherein the external data access is initiated by the receiver.

10. The power tool according to claim 9, comprising a mechanical contact wherein the receiver is connected to the interface by the mechanical contact.

11. The power tool according to claim 9, wherein the mechanical contact is a plug-in contact.

12. The power tool according to claim 9, wherein the receiver is coupled to the interface without mechanical contact.

13. The power tool according to claim 12, wherein the receiver is coupled by an alternating electromagnetic field to the interface.

14. The power tool according to claim 13, wherein the interface is coupled by an induction coil of a generator of the energy supply device to the alternating electromagnetic field of the receiver.

15. The power tool according to claim 13, wherein the interface is coupled by a high-voltage coil of an ignition of the drive unit to the alternating electromagnetic field of the receiver.

16. The power tool according to claim 1, wherein the central control unit comprises an evaluation unit, wherein a voltage signal of a generator of the energy supply unit is supplied to the evaluation unit, and wherein the evaluation unit provides a result that is saved in the data storage device.

17. The power tool according to claim 16, wherein the result is saved in the data storage device when the result surpasses or drops below a predetermined limit value.

18. The power tool according to claim 1, wherein the internal combustion engine is a single-cylinder engine.

19. The power tool according to claim 1, wherein the internal combustion engine has a displacement between approximately 20 cc and approximately 250 cc.

20. The power tool according to claim 18, wherein the displacement of the internal combustion engine is approximately 150 cc.

21. The power tool according to claim 1, wherein in operation of the internal combustion engine a signal transmission is realized in signal pauses of signals occurring in operation of the internal combustion engine.

22. The power tool according to claim 1, wherein in operation of the internal combustion engine a signal transmission is realized by modulation of signals occurring in operation of the internal combustion engine.

23. The power tool according to claim 1, wherein a signal transmission is realized by cyclical switching of an external load.

24. The power tool according to claim 1, wherein energy is transmitted by an alternating field to a generator coil of the energy supply unit or an ignition coil of an ignition of the internal combustion engine.

25. The power tool according to claim 1, wherein data are transmitted by an alternating field to a generator coil of the energy supply unit or an ignition coil of an ignition of the internal combustion engine.

26. The power tool according to claim 1, wherein energy and data are transmitted by an alternating field to a generator coil of the energy supply unit or an ignition coil of an ignition of the internal combustion engine.