Multi-speed power tool with electronic clutch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025262737-A1
Application number	US-202519029307-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 17, 2025
Priority date	Jun 2, 2015
Publication date	Aug 21, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A power tool and a method of operating a power tool including a motor, a clutch collar including a plurality of settings, a wireless transceiver operable to form a wireless connection with a remote device, and a processor coupled to the clutch collar and the wireless transceiver. The processor receives, via the wireless transceiver, a mapping including a plurality of torque levels corresponding to the plurality of settings. The processor detects that the clutch collar is set to a setting of the plurality of settings. The processor determines the torque level for the setting from the mapping and detects, during the operation of the power tool, that a torque of the power tool exceeds the torque level. The processor is also configured to generate an indication that the torque exceeds the torque level. The indication may include flashing a light, ratcheting the motor, and stopping the motor.

First claim

1 - 20 . (canceled)

21 . A power tool comprising:
a housing including a front portion; a motor disposed within the housing; a collar positioned on the front portion of the housing and configured to select among a plurality of rotationally selectable settings, the plurality of rotationally selectable settings including a plurality of torque settings and a plurality of operating mode settings; and a printed circuit board assembly (“PCBA”) disposed within the housing, the PCBA including:
a first plurality of resistive elements, each of the first plurality of resistive elements associated with a torque setting of the plurality of torque settings;
a second plurality of resistive elements, each of the second plurality of resistive elements associated with an operating mode setting of the plurality of operating mode settings;
a plurality of conductive tracks, each conductive track of the plurality of conductive tracks electrically connected to a resistive element of the first plurality of resistive elements or the second plurality of resistive elements; and
a signal output configured to output an electrical signal based on contact between the collar and one of the plurality of conductive tracks,
wherein the collar is rotatable with respect to the PCBA to select one of the plurality of rotationally selectable settings.

22 . The power tool of claim 21 , wherein the PCBA includes a wiper connected to the collar, the wiper configured to rotate with the collar to electrically contact one of the plurality of conductive tracks.

23 . The power tool of claim 22 , wherein:
the first plurality of resistive elements are arranged in a semi-circular pattern on the PCBA; and the wiper is configured to electrically connect to one of the first plurality of resistive elements or one of the second plurality of resistive elements.

24 . The power tool of claim 21 , wherein the collar includes a first rotational ring corresponding to the plurality of torque settings and a second rotational ring corresponding to the plurality of operating mode settings.

25 . The power tool of claim 21 , wherein the collar is continuously rotatable.

26 . The power tool of claim 21 , wherein the signal output is configured to output a distinct voltage level corresponding to each of the plurality of rotationally selectable settings.

27 . The power tool of claim 21 , wherein the second plurality of resistive elements includes fewer resistive elements than the first plurality of resistive elements.

28 . The power tool of claim 21 , wherein the PCBA is electrically connected to an electronic processor, the electronic processor is configured to:
receive the electrical signal from the signal output; set, in response to the collar corresponding to one of the plurality of torque settings, a torque level of the motor, and set, in response to the collar corresponding to one of the plurality of operating mode settings, an operating mode of the power tool.

29 . The power tool of claim 21 , wherein:
the first plurality of resistive elements includes five or more resistive elements; and the second plurality of resistive elements includes three or more resistive elements.

30 . The power tool of claim 21 , wherein the collar is configured such that further increments are ignored in response to a maximum torque setting being reached, and further decrements are ignored in response to a minimum torque setting being reached.

31 . The power tool of claim 21 , wherein the plurality of operating mode settings includes a drilling mode, a driving mode, and a hammer mode.

32 . The power tool of claim 21 , wherein the signal output includes a mode pin configured to output a signal indicative of an operating mode selection and an e-clutch pin configured to output a signal indicative of a torque setting selection.

33 . The power tool of claim 21 , wherein a mapping of torque levels corresponding to the plurality of torque settings includes torque levels assigned to respective ones of the first plurality of resistive elements based on a maximum torque value and a minimum torque value.

34 . The power tool of claim 33 , wherein each of plurality of torque settings is proportionally distributed between the minimum torque value and the maximum torque value.

35 . A method of controlling a power tool comprising:
rotating a collar relative to a printed circuit board assembly (“PCBA”), contacting, with the collar, one of a plurality of conductive tracks on the PCBA, each conductive track electrically connected to a respective one of a plurality of resistive elements; generating an electrical signal at a signal output of the PCBA in response to the collar contacting one of the plurality of conductive tracks; determining, by a processor, whether the collar is set to one of a plurality of operating mode settings based on the electrical signal; determining, by the processor, whether the collar is set to one of a plurality of torque settings based on the electrical signal; determining, by the processor during operation of the power tool, a torque of the power tool, comparing, by the processor and in response to the collar being set to the one of the plurality of torque settings, the torque of the power tool to a threshold torque level corresponding to the one of the plurality of torque settings; determining, by the processor, whether the torque of the power tool is greater than or equal to the threshold torque level; and generating, by the processor in response to the torque of the power tool being greater than or equal to the threshold torque level, an indication that the torque of the power tool has reached the one of the plurality of torque settings.

36 . The method of claim 35 , further comprising:
rotating, with the collar, a wiper mechanically coupled to the collar, the wiper electrically contacting one of the plurality of conductive tracks on the PCBA.

37 . The method of claim 35 , further comprising:
rotating the collar continuously beyond a full revolution.

38 . The method of claim 35 , wherein:
a first plurality of resistive elements includes five or more resistive elements, each of the five or more resistive elements corresponding to one torque setting of the plurality of torque settings; and a second plurality of resistive elements includes three or more resistive elements, each of the three or more resistive elements corresponding to one of the plurality of operating mode settings.

39 . The method of claim 35 , further comprising:
receiving, by the processor, a mapping of torque levels corresponding to the plurality of torque settings; assigning, by the processor, torque levels to respective ones of the plurality of resistive elements based on a minimum torque value and a maximum torque value; and proportionally distributing, by the processor, the torque levels between the minimum torque value and the maximum torque value.

40 . A printed circuit board assembly (“PCBA”) for a power tool, the PCBA comprising:
a first plurality of resistive elements, each of the first plurality of resistive elements associated with a torque setting of a plurality of torque settings;
a second plurality of resistive elements, each of the second plurality of resistive elements associated with an operating mode setting of a plurality of operating mode settings;
a plurality of conductive tracks, each conductive track of the plurality of conductive tracks electrically connected to a resistive element of the first plurality of

Assignees

• Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp

Inventors

• Huber Alex
• Westerby Carl Benjamin
• Ertl Daniel Robert
• Wycklendt Matthew
• Mergener Matthew
• Kubale Mark Alan
• Conrad Cole
• Yip Wing Fung

Classifications

• F16D2500/10418

  Accessory clutch, e.g. cooling fan, air conditioning · CPC title

• F16D2500/3022

  Current · CPC title

• F16D2500/7101

  Driver alarm · CPC title

• F16D2500/30426

  Speed of the output shaft · CPC title

• F16D2500/51

  Relating safety · CPC title