Adaptable motor control of modular power tool

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12569972-B2
Application number	US-202318488202-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 17, 2023
Priority date	Oct 18, 2022
Publication date	Mar 10, 2026
Grant date	Mar 10, 2026

Abstract

A power tool includes an electronic controller including a processor and a memory, one or more attachments, a motor, and a sensor communicatively coupled to the electronic controller. The electronic controller obtains, via the sensor, one or more indications for the one or more attachments and determines information about a configuration of the one or more attachments based on the one or more indications. The electronic controller adaptively controls the motor based on the information about the configuration to, for example, prevent or mitigate a kickback occurrence.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A modular power tool for adaptable motor control, comprising:
an electronic controller including a processor and a memory; one or more attachments; a motor communicatively coupled to the electronic controller and configured to drive the one or more attachments; and a sensor communicatively coupled to the electronic controller; wherein the electronic controller is configured to:
obtain, via the sensor, one or more indications for the one or more attachments;
determine, based on the one or more indications, a movement of an attachment of the one or more attachments;
determine an output axis of the attachment;
determine information about a configuration of the one or more attachments based on the one or more indications and the output axis; and
control the motor based on the information about the configuration.

2 . The modular power tool of claim 1 , wherein the configuration comprises an orientation of the one or more attachments.

3 . The modular power tool of claim 1 , wherein, to determine the information about the configuration based on the one or more indications, the electronic controller is configured to:
determine a distance of the attachment based on the movement; and determine the information about the configuration of the attachment based on the distance.

4 . The modular power tool of claim 3 , wherein the sensor comprises at least one selected from a group of an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and a depth sensor.

5 . The modular power tool of claim 3 , wherein the electronic controller is further configured to measure at least one selected from a group of a no-load current, a system response, a system efficiency, and a vibration characteristic to detect the attachment.

6 . The modular power tool of claim 1 , wherein, to control the motor based on the information about the configuration, the electronic controller is configured to:
detect, via the sensor, a kickback occurrence based on the information about the configuration; and in response to detecting the kickback occurrence, initiate a kickback mitigation to reduce a current to the motor.

7 . The modular power tool of claim 1 , wherein to control the motor, the electronic controller is configured to:
control at least one selected from a group of a maximum power of the motor, a torque of the motor, and a maximum speed of the motor based on the information about the configuration.

8 . The modular power tool of claim 1 , wherein, to determine the configuration based on the one or more indications, wherein the electronic controller is configured to:
obtain sensor data indicative of the information about the configuration of an attachment of the one or more attachments.

9 . A method for adaptable motor control, comprising:
obtaining, via a sensor, one or more indications for one or more attachments to a modular power tool; determining, based on the one or more indications, a movement of an attachment of the one or more attachments; determining an output axis of the attachment based on the movement; determining information about a configuration of the one or more attachments based on the one or more indications and the output axis; and controlling a motor of the modular power tool based on the information about the configuration.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the configuration comprises an orientation of the one or more attachments.

11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein, determining the configuration comprises:
determining a distance of the attachment based on the movement; and determining the configuration of the attachment based on the distance.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the sensor comprises at least one selected from a group of an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and a depth sensor.

13 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
measuring at least one selected from a group of a no-load current, a system response, a system efficiency, and a vibration characteristic for detecting the attachment.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein
the one or more attachments is attached to the modular power tool such that the motor causes the movement of the attachment, the output axis of the attachment comprises a virtual line on which the attachment is configured to receive a drill bit or a driver bit, and the distance of the attachment is from the output axis of the attachment to the electronic controller in a right angle to the output axis.

15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein controlling the motor comprises:
detecting, via the sensor, the output axis not being parallel or right-angled to a ground surface; and in response to the output axis not being parallel or right-angled to a ground surface, initiating a mitigation to reduce a current to the motor.

16 . The method of claim 9 , wherein, controlling the motor based on the configuration comprises:
detecting, via the sensor, a kickback occurrence based on the information about the configuration; and in response to detecting the kickback occurrence, initiating a kickback mitigation to reduce a current to the motor.

17 . The method of claim 9 , wherein controlling the motor comprises:
controlling at least one selected from a group of a maximum power of the motor, a torque of the motor, and a maximum speed of the motor based on the information about the configuration.

18 . The method of claim 9 , wherein, determining the information about the configuration based on the one or more indications comprises:
obtaining sensor data indicative of the configuration of an attachment of the one or more attachments.

19 . A method for motor control, comprising:
obtaining, via a sensor, axis rotation indications corresponding to more than one axis of rotation; determining a combined rotation parameter based on the axis rotation indications, where the combined rotation parameter is a rotation sum calculated by summing a value corresponding to each axis rotation indication; and controlling a motor based on the combined rotation parameter based on a comparison of the combined rotation parameter with a threshold.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein controlling the motor comprises:
detecting a kickback occurrence in response to the combined rotation parameter exceeding the threshold; and in response to detecting the kickback occurrence, initiating a kickback mitigation to reduce a current to the motor.

21 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the value corresponding to each axis rotation indication is at least one selected from a group including:
an absolute value of each axis rotation indication, or a square of each axis rotation indication.

Assignees

• Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp

Inventors

• Abbott Jonathan E
• Merget Maxwell L
• Speckman Levi D
• Ypma Carter H

Classifications

• B25F5/001

  Gearings, speed selectors, clutches or the like specially adapted for rotary tools · CPC title

• B25F3/00 Primary

  Associations of tools for different working operations with one portable power-drive means; Adapters therefor · CPC title