Portable tool and method of operating same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10406586-B2
Application number	US-201314432043-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 26, 2013
Priority date	Sep 28, 2012
Publication date	Sep 10, 2019
Grant date	Sep 10, 2019

Abstract

A portable tool having a working head that is actuated by an electric motor and/or a hydraulic medium and has a working part. The working part is displaceable in a displacement direction and the working head is rotatable together with the working part in the circumferential direction with respect to the displacement direction. The working head is rotatable together with the working part hydraulically and by the motor. The working head has a segment mounted therein, the segment having a largest extension in the circumferential direction by a first angular amount, and that the rotation of the working head and the working part takes place in the circumferential direction by a second angular amount, wherein values of the first and the second angular amounts are different. Moreover, a method for operating a portable tool is provided using first and second hydraulic pistons.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A portable tool comprising:
a housing;
a rechargeable battery mounted in the housing;
a gear mechanism mounted in the housing;
an electric motor mounted in the housing;
a working head attached to the housing and rotatable relative to the housing;
a working part mounted in the working head;
a hydraulic piston engaged with the working part, wherein actuation of the hydraulic piston causes displacement of the working part within the working head in a displacement direction along a first longitudinal axis; and
a plurality of segments mounted in the working head and engaged with the working part, the segments being movable radially outwardly from the first longitudinal axis when the working part is displaced in the displacement direction, each segment having an outer surface having an arc length between opposite ends thereof, wherein a circular profile is formed by the outer surfaces of the segments when the ends of the segments abut against each other,
wherein the working head rotates relative to the housing in a circumferential direction around the first longitudinal axis by an angular amount, wherein the angular amount is different than the arc length of each segment,
wherein the rechargeable battery, the electric motor, and the gear mechanism are configured in sequence along a second longitudinal axis which extends at an angle to the first longitudinal axis.

2. The portable tool according to claim 1 , wherein the working part is movable between an operating position and a starting position, and the working head and the working part rotate while the working part is moving from the operating position to the starting position.

3. The portable tool according to claim 1 , wherein the working head is rotatable without rotation angle limit for successive rotations.

4. The portable tool according to claim 1 , wherein the angular amount is less than the arc length.

5. The portable tool according to claim 1 , wherein the angular amount is equal to approximately half the arc length.

6. The portable tool according to claim 1 , wherein rotation of the working head is always performed in the same direction of rotation.

7. The portable tool according to claim 1 , wherein the hydraulic piston is mounted in a first cylinder, and further comprising a second hydraulic piston mounted in a second cylinder, wherein rotation of the working head via a hydraulic medium is effected by the movement of second hydraulic piston, wherein the second hydraulic piston is loaded into a starting position with a greater biasing force than the first hydraulic piston.

8. The portable tool according to claim 7 , wherein the first return spring comprises two spring parts.

9. The portable tool according to claim 8 , wherein the spring parts have different restoring forces.

10. The portable tool according to claim 1 , wherein a section of the housing forms a grip section configured to be gripped by a user.

11. A portable tool comprising:
a housing;
a working head attached to the housing and rotatable relative to the housing;
a working part mounted in the working head;
a hydraulic piston mounted in a hydraulic cylinder, the hydraulic piston being engaged with the working part, wherein actuation of the hydraulic piston causes displacement of the working part within the working head in a displacement direction along an axis;
a return spring biasing the hydraulic piston towards a starting position; and
a plurality of segments mounted in the working head and engaged with the working part, the segments being movable radially outwardly from the axis when the working part is displaced in the displacement direction, each segment having an outer surface having an arc length between opposite ends thereof, wherein a circular profile is formed by the outer surfaces of the segments when the ends of the segments abut against each other,
wherein the working head rotates relative to the housing in a circumferential direction around the axis by an angular amount, wherein the angular amount is different than the arc length of each segment.

12. The portable tool according to claim 11 , wherein a section of the housing forms a grip section configured to be gripped by a user.

13. A method comprising:
providing a portable tool with a working head having a working part, the working head comprising a first hydraulic piston mounted within a first cylinder, the first hydraulic piston being biased into a starting position by a first return spring having a spring force, and a second hydraulic piston mounted within a second cylinder, the second hydraulic piston being biased into a starting position by a second return spring having a spring force, the second hydraulic piston defining a hydraulic effective area, the working head being configured to be actuated by an electric motor and by a hydraulic medium, wherein the working part is moveable in a displacement direction, and wherein the working head is rotatable together with the working part in a circumferential direction with respect to the displacement direction; and
loading the second hydraulic piston into a starting position with a greater biasing force than the first hydraulic piston due to the spring force from the respective return spring and due to the hydraulic effective area of the second piston upon which the hydraulic medium acts, wherein the first hydraulic piston and the second hydraulic piston are activated the hydraulic medium;
upon triggering of a movement of the working part, the working head and working part are rotated without further user intervention, wherein rotation of the working head is effected by movement of the first hydraulic piston within the first cylinder and movement of the second hydraulic piston within the second cylinder, the first hydraulic piston acting on the working part;
after triggering of a return movement of the first hydraulic piston, initially an at least partial return of the working part is effected, and rotation of the first hydraulic cylinder occurs immediately thereafter; and
turning the working head by using the second hydraulic piston after a return movement of the first hydraulic piston via the first return spring in the starting position has started.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the rotation is effected by the hydraulic medium being placed under pressure by the motor.

Assignees

• Klauke Gmbh Gustav

Inventors

• Frenken Egbert

Classifications

• B21D39/20 Primary

  with mandrels, e.g. expandable · CPC title

• F15B15/063

  Actuator having both linear and rotary output, i.e. dual action actuator · CPC title

• B21D39/203 Primary

  expandable by fluid or elastic material · CPC title

• B25B33/00

  Hand tools not covered by any other group in this subclass · CPC title

• B21D41/028 Primary

  expandable mandrels · CPC title