Fastener-driving tool having a superconductor power source

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10632602-B2
Application number	US-201715801521-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 2, 2017
Priority date	Nov 23, 2016
Publication date	Apr 28, 2020
Grant date	Apr 28, 2020

Abstract

The present disclosure provides various embodiments of a fastener-driving tool that includes a battery-charged supercapacitor as a power source. The fastener-driving tool includes first and second spaced-apart, conductive rails and a partially conductive piston slidably mounted on the rails. The rails and the piston are electrically connected to one another. The supercapacitor is electrically connected to the first rail. When the supercapacitor discharges electrical current, the electrical current flows from the supercapacitor, into the first rail, through the piston into the second rail, and from the second rail. The electrical current induces magnetic fields in the rails and the piston, and the combination of the electrical current and the magnetic fields induce a Lorentz force that acts on the piston to move the piston toward a nosepiece to drive a fastener.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fastener-driving tool comprising:
a first conductive rail;
a second conductive rail spaced apart from the first conductive rail;
an at least partially conductive piston slidably mounted on the first and second rails, wherein the first rail, the second rail, and the piston are electrically connected to one another, wherein the piston defines two through holes through which the rails extend, and wherein the rails and inner surfaces that define the through holes are coated with a conductive material; and
a capacitor electrically connected to the first rail so electrical current discharged from the capacitor can travel from the capacitor, through the first rail, through the piston, and through the second rail, thereby inducing a force on the piston.

2. The fastener-driving tool of claim 1 , further comprising a power source electrically connectable to the capacitor to charge the capacitor.

3. The fastener-driving tool of claim 2 , further comprising a charge switch, wherein the power source is electrically connected to the capacitor when the charge switch is closed and not electrically connected to the capacitor when the charge switch is open.

4. The fastener-driving tool of claim 3 , further comprising a power source management system operably connected to the charge switch and including a sensor configured to detect a charge level of the capacitor.

5. The fastener-driving tool of claim 4 , wherein the power source management system is configured to monitor the charge level of the capacitor and to: (1) open the charge switch responsive to the charge level of the capacitor reaching a first threshold; and (2) afterwards, close the charge switch responsive to the charge level of the capacitor falling to a second threshold.

6. The fastener-driving tool of claim 5 , wherein the second threshold is lower than the first threshold.

7. The fastener-driving tool of claim 1 , further comprising a discharge switch configured to control when the electrical current discharges from the capacitor.

8. The fastener-driving tool of claim 7 , wherein closing the discharge switch completes a discharge circuit and causes the electrical current to discharge from the capacitor.

9. The fastener-driving tool of claim 8 , wherein: (1) when the fastener-driving tool is in a first operating mode, the discharge switch closes responsive to a first actuation event followed by a second actuation event; and (2) when the fastener-driving tool is in a second operating mode, the discharge switch closes responsive to only the second actuation event.

10. The fastener-driving tool of claim 8 , further comprising a piston movement assembly operably connected to the piston to move the piston.

11. The fastener-driving tool of claim 1 , wherein the conductive material is one of: vitreous carbon, graphite, graphene, a metal carbide, a metal nitrides, and indium tin oxide.

12. A fastener-driving tool comprising:
a first conductive rail;
a second conductive rail spaced apart from the first conductive rail;
an at least partially conductive piston slidably mounted on the first and second rails so the first rail, the second rail, and the piston are electrically connected to one another, wherein the piston defines two through holes through which the rails extend, and wherein the rails and inner surfaces that define the through holes are coated with a conductive material;
a capacitor electrically connected to the first rail so electrical current discharged from the capacitor travels from the capacitor, through the first rail, through the piston, and through the second rail, thereby inducing a force on the piston;
a power source electrically connectable to the capacitor to charge the capacitor; and
a battery management circuit configured to monitor a charge level of the capacitor and automatically control whether the power source is electrically connected to the capacitor based on the charge level of the capacitor.

13. The fastener-driving tool of claim 12 , wherein the battery management circuit is configured to electrically connect the power source to the capacitor responsive to the charge level falling below a first threshold.

14. The fastener-driving tool of claim 13 , wherein the battery management circuit is configured to electrically disconnect the power source from the capacitor responsive to the charge level reaching a second different threshold.

Assignees

• Illinois Tool Works

Inventors

• Fan Chinbay Q
• Talano Patrick

Classifications

• B25C1/06 Primary

  operated by electric power · CPC title

• B25C1/008

  Safety devices · CPC title

• H02J7/345

  using capacitors as storage or buffering devices · CPC title

• H02J7/0068

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H02J7/0057

  Electricity · mapped topic