Driving tool for driving fastening means into a workpiece

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020269403-A1
Application number	US-202016874243-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 14, 2020
Priority date	Jun 25, 2013
Publication date	Aug 27, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

This relates to a driving tool for driving fastening means, nails/staples, into a workpiece, a trigger lever, which can be actuated manually, and a workpiece contact element, which can be actuated by placing the tool onto the workpiece, the tool operates in a single shot mode, in which each individual sequence of an actuation of the workpiece contact element with subsequent actuation of the trigger lever triggers a driving-in cycle, the tool operates in a bump firing mode, in which, with the trigger lever continuously actuated, each individual actuation of the workpiece contact element triggers a driving-in cycle, a resetting assembly providing, by means of which the tool is resettable from the bump firing mode into single shot mode in an automatic, time-controlled resetting operation. It is proposed that a signaling assembly, which emits a feedback signal to the user before, after or during each automatic resetting operation, is provided.

First claim

1 . A driving tool for driving a fastener into a workpiece, the driving tool comprising:
a housing; a trigger lever supported by the housing; a workpiece contact element supported by the housing, wherein the trigger lever and the workpiece contact element are configured to operate in: (a) a single shot mode in which each actuation of the workpiece contact element followed by an actuation of the trigger lever causes one of a plurality of fastener driving-in cycles, and (b) in a bump firing mode in which, with the trigger lever continuously actuated, each actuation of the workpiece contact element causes one of the plurality of fastener driving-in cycles; a resetting assembly supported by the housing and configured to automatically cause a change from the bump firing mode to the single shot mode after a designated amount of delay time from a latest one of the plurality of fastener driving-in cycles; and a signaling assembly supported by the housing and configured to emit a feedback signal associated with the resetting assembly causing the automatic change from the bump firing mode to the single shot mode.

2 . The driving tool of claim 1 , wherein the signaling assembly is configured to emit the feedback signal during a time period before the resetting assembly causes the automatic change from the bump firing mode to the single shot mode.

3 . The driving tool of claim 1 , wherein the signaling assembly is configured to emit a plurality of different feedback signals during a time period before the resetting assembly causes the automatic change from the bump firing mode to the single shot mode.

4 . The driving tool of claim 1 , wherein the signaling assembly is configured to emit the feedback signal during a time period when the resetting assembly causes the automatic change from the bump firing mode to the single shot mode.

5 . The driving tool of claim 1 , wherein the signaling assembly is configured to emit the feedback signal during a time period after the resetting assembly causes the automatic change from the bump firing mode to the single shot mode.

6 . The driving tool of claim 1 , which is pneumatically powered, and wherein the signaling assembly is pneumatically controlled.

7 . The driving tool of claim 1 , which is pneumatically powered, and wherein the signaling assembly is electrically controlled.

8 . The driving tool of claim 1 , wherein the signaling assembly is configured to emit the feedback signal that is a haptic feedback signal.

9 . The driving tool of claim 1 , wherein the signaling assembly is configured to emit the feedback signal that is a haptic feedback signal via the trigger lever.

10 . The driving tool of claim 9 , wherein the signaling assembly includes a feeling element movable relative to the trigger lever to produce the haptic feedback signal.

11 . The driving tool of claim 10 , wherein the trigger lever defines an opening through which the feeling element is movable to produce the haptic feedback signal.

12 . The driving tool of claim 10 , wherein the trigger lever defines a receptacle for the feeling element.

13 . The driving tool of claim 1 , wherein the signaling assembly is configured to emit the feedback signal in the form of one of a pulsed haptic feedback signal and a vibratory haptic feedback signal.

14 . The driving tool of claim 1 , wherein the signaling assembly includes an optical signal device and is configured to emit the feedback signal that is an optical feedback signal.

15 . The driving tool of claim 14 , wherein the optical signal device includes at least one electrically powered light emitting diode.

16 . The driving tool of claim 14 , wherein the optical signal device includes a window and a colored display viewable through the window.

17 . The driving tool of claim 1 , wherein the signaling assembly includes a sound generation device and is configured to emit the feedback signal that is an acoustic feedback signal.

18 . The driving tool of claim 1 , wherein the signaling assembly includes at least two of a haptic signal device, an optical signal device, and a sound generation device.

19 . A driving tool for driving a fastener into a workpiece, the driving tool comprising:
a housing; a trigger lever supported by the housing; a workpiece contact element supported by the housing, wherein the trigger lever and the workpiece contact element are configured to operate in: (a) a single shot mode in which each actuation of the workpiece contact element followed by an actuation of the trigger lever causes one of a plurality of fastener driving-in cycles, and (b) in a bump firing mode in which each actuation of the workpiece contact element causes one of the plurality of fastener driving-in cycles; a resetting assembly supported by the housing and configured to automatically cause a change from the bump firing mode to the single shot mode after a designated amount of delay time from a latest one of the plurality of fastener driving-in cycles; and a signaling assembly supported by the housing and configured to emit a feedback signal associated with the resetting assembly causing the automatic change from the bump firing mode to the single shot mode.

20 . The driving tool of claim 19 , wherein the signaling assembly is configured to emit the feedback signal during one of: (a) a time period before the resetting assembly causes the automatic change from the bump firing mode to the single shot mode, (b) a time period before the resetting assembly causes the automatic change from the bump firing mode to the single shot mode, and (c) a time period when the resetting assembly causes the automatic change from the bump firing mode to the single shot mode.

Assignees

• Illinois Tool Works

Inventors

• Weigmann Torsten
• Von Soest Klaus
• Haehndel Olaf

Classifications

• B25C1/04

  operated by fluid pressure {, e.g. by air pressure} · CPC title

• B25C1/008 Primary

  Safety devices · CPC title

• B25C1/06

  operated by electric power · CPC title