Power tool and controller

• US 9,712,091 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2015
• Issued: 07/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Okada, Masaaki, Yuasa, Hidekazu, Sawada, Norio, Sawano, Fumiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Ip, Paul
• Application Number:
  US14/954,315
• Publication Number:
  US 20160173015A1
• Time in Patent Office: 596 Days
• Field of Search: 318 17, 318446, 31840012, 388935, 388937, 173 93
• 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: H02P 6/22 in a selected direction of rotation
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 6/30 Arrangements for controlling the direction of rotation H02P6/22 takes precedence

Abstract

A power tool includes a motor, a drive unit driven by the motor, and a trigger switch and a forward-reverse switch each operable by a user. The trigger switch is switchable between an activation state and a deactivation state. The forward-reverse switch switches a motor rotation between forward and reverse. The power tool also includes a control unit that drives the motor based on operation of the trigger switch and allows switching of an operation mode of the power tool between first and second modes. In the first mode, the motor rotation is switched to that selected by the forward-reverse switch. In the second mode, when the activation state is switched to the deactivation state, the motor rotation is switched so that the motor is driven in a direction opposite to the present rotation direction when the trigger switch is activated next.

Claims

1. A power tool comprising:

a motor;

a drive unit driven by the motor;

a trigger switch operable by a user and switchable between an activation state, in which the motor is driven, and a deactivation state, in which the motor is stopped;

a forward-reverse switch operable by the user and used to switch a motor rotation direction between a forward rotation direction and a reverse rotation direction; and

a control unit that drives the motor based on an operation of the trigger switch, wherein

the control unit is adapted to allow a mode shifting switch of the power tool to be switched between a first mode and a second mode;

wherein

in the first mode, the control unit switches the motor rotation direction to a rotation direction that is selected by the forward-reverse switch,

in the second mode, when the trigger switch is switched from the activation state to the deactivation state, the control unit switches the motor rotation direction so that the motor is driven in a rotation direction opposite to the present rotation direction when the trigger switch is activated next, and

in the second mode, when the trigger switch continues to be in the activation state, the control unit continuously drives the motor in the present rotation direction.

2. The power tool according to claim 1, wherein

the mode shifting switch is operable to select one of the first mode and the second mode, the power tool further comprising

a display that shows one of the first mode and the second mode that is selected by the mode shifting switch.

3. The power tool according to claim 2, wherein in the second mode, the display shows a next motor rotation direction when the motor is driven.

4. The power tool according to claim 1, further comprising:

a rotational speed setting unit operable by the user and adapted to allow a rotational speed of the motor to be set in the second mode, wherein

the control unit controls the motor so that the motor is driven at the rotational speed that is set by the rotational speed setting unit.

5. The power tool according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the motor so that the motor is driven in a forward rotation when the trigger switch is initially activated in the second mode.

6. The power tool according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the motor so that, in the second mode, the motor rotation direction is switched after the motor completely stops.

7. A controller that controls a power tool, wherein the power tool includes a motor, a drive unit driven by the motor, a trigger switch operable by a user and switchable between an activation state, in which the motor is driven, and a deactivation state, in which the motor is stopped, and a forward-reverse switch operable by the user and used to switch a motor rotation direction between a forward rotation direction and a reverse rotation direction, the controller comprising:

a control unit that drives the motor based on an operation of the trigger switch, wherein

the control unit is adapted to allow a mode shifting switch of the power tool to be switched between a first mode and a second mode, wherein

in the first mode, the control unit switches the motor rotation direction to a rotation direction that is selected by the forward-reverse switch,

in the second mode, when the trigger switch is switched from the activation state to the deactivation state, the control unit switches the motor rotation direction so that the motor is driven in a rotation direction opposite to the present rotation direction when the trigger switch is activated next, and

in the second mode, when the trigger switch continues to be in the activation state, the control unit continuously drives the motor in the present rotation direction.