Fastener-driving tool including a driving device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9643306-B2
Application number	US-201414253517-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 15, 2014
Priority date	Apr 15, 2014
Publication date	May 9, 2017
Grant date	May 9, 2017

Abstract

A fastener-driving tool including a housing, a driving device associated with the housing and including a driver blade, a biasing member and a coupler attached to the driver blade and the biasing member, and a compound gear rotatably attached to the housing and in engagement with the coupler, where the compound gear is configured to rotate between a first position and a second position. The compound gear is rotated to the first position to move and secure the biasing member in a biased position when the driver blade is in a pre-drive position, and upon actuation, the biasing member is released from the biased position and biases the compound gear to move to the second position thereby causing the driver blade to move to a driven position for driving a fastener.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fastener-driving tool comprising:
a housing;
a driver blade assembly;
a biasing member; and
a coupler; and
a compound gear rotatably attached to said housing and rotatable between a first position and a second position,
wherein the coupler is attached to the driver blade assembly and the biasing member and the compound gear is engaged to the coupler so:
(1) rotation of said compound gear to said first position causes said biasing member to move to a biased position, in which said driver blade assembly in a pre-drive position when the biasing member is in the biased position, and
(2) release of said biasing member from said biased position upon actuation of the tool causes the biasing member to bias said compound gear to move to said second position thereby causing said driver blade assembly to move to a driven position.

2. The tool of claim 1 , wherein said coupler includes a belt.

3. The tool of claim 2 , wherein said compound gear includes a plurality of teeth configured to engage a portion of said belt.

4. The tool of claim 1 , wherein said biasing member is a coil spring.

5. The tool of claim 1 , further comprising a return spring positioned between a portion of said driver blade assembly and said housing, said return spring configured to bias said driver blade assembly to said pre-drive position after each actuation.

6. The tool of claim 1 , wherein said compound gear includes a plurality of teeth configured to engage a portion of said coupler.

7. The tool of claim 1 , wherein said compound gear has a first end and a second end, each of said first and second ends including a plurality of teeth configured to engage a portion of said coupler.

8. The tool of claim 1 , further comprising a motor coupled to said compound gear, said motor configured to rotate said compound gear to said first position.

9. The tool of claim 8 , further comprising one or more gears coupling said motor to said compound gear.

10. The tool of claim 1 , further comprising a lock member associated with said housing, wherein said driver blade assembly includes at least one notch, the lock member movable to a locking position to engage said at least one notch to secure said driver blade assembly in said pre-drive position, and the lock member movable from the locking position to a release position upon actuation of the tool to release said driver blade assembly to enable said driver blade assembly to move to said driven position.

11. The tool of claim 1 , further comprising a gas chamber associated with said housing, a piston reciprocally movable in said gas chamber and a connector attached to said piston and said driver blade assembly, wherein supply of a compressed gas to said gas chamber causes said piston to move and causes simultaneous movement of said driver blade assembly to said pre-drive position after each actuation.

12. The tool of claim 1 , further comprising an auxiliary chamber associated with said housing, wherein the driver blade assembly includes a piston having a driver blade attached thereto, the piston reciprocally movable in a drive channel in said housing, said drive channel being in communication with said auxiliary chamber,
wherein air in said drive channel is compressed when said piston moves through a drive stroke in said drive channel, and
wherein said compressed air expands in said auxiliary chamber and said drive channel to move said driver blade assembly to said pre-drive position after each actuation.

13. The tool of claim 12 , wherein a volume of said auxiliary chamber is less than a volume of said drive channel beneath said piston.

14. The tool of claim 12 , wherein said piston and a bottom end of said drive channel each include a seal member.

15. A fastener-driving tool comprising:
a housing;
a workpiece-contacting element movably connected to said housing;
a trigger movably connected to said housing and configured to move between a rest position and an activated position;
a driver blade assembly;
a spring;
a belt attached to said driver blade assembly and said spring; and
a compound gear rotatably attached to said housing and in engagement with said belt,
wherein said compound gear is rotatable relative to said housing to cause said belt to compress said spring into a compressed configuration, wherein said driver blade assembly is in a pre-drive position when the spring is in the compressed configuration, and
wherein when said workpiece-contacting element is pressed against a workpiece and said trigger is moved to said activated position to actuate the tool, said spring is released from said compressed configuration and expands thereby biasing said belt to cause said compound gear to rotate and move said driver blade assembly to a driven position.

16. The tool of claim 15 , wherein said compound gear includes a plurality of teeth configured to engage a portion of said belt.

17. The tool of claim 15 , further comprising a return spring positioned between a portion of said driver blade assembly and said housing, said return spring configured to bias said driver blade assembly to said pre-drive position after each actuation.

18. The tool of claim 15 , wherein said compound gear has a first end and a second end, each of said first and second ends including a plurality of teeth configured to engage a portion of said belt.

19. The tool of claim 15 , further comprising a motor coupled to said compound gear, said motor configured to rotate said compound gear and thereby said belt to compress said spring.

20. The tool of claim 19 , further comprising one or more gears coupling said motor to said compound gear.

21. The tool of claim 15 , further comprising a lock member associated with said housing, wherein said driver blade assembly includes a plurality of notches, said lock member movable to a locking position and to engage one of said plurality of notches to secure said driver blade assembly in said pre-drive position, and the lock member movable from the locking position to a release position upon actuation of the tool to release said driver blade assembly to enable said driver blade assembly to move to said driven position.

22. The tool of claim 15 , further comprising a gas chamber associated with said housing, a piston reciprocally movable in said gas chamber and a connector attached to said piston and said driver blade assembly, wherein supply of a compressed gas to said gas chamber causes said piston to move and causes simultaneous movement of said driver blade assembly to said pre-drive position after each actuation.

23. The tool of claim 15 , further comprising an auxiliary chamber associated with said housing, wherein the driver blade assembly includes a piston having a driver blade attached thereto, the piston reciprocally movable in a drive channel in said housing, said drive channel being in communication with said auxiliary chamber,
wherein air in said drive channel is compressed when said piston moves through a drive stroke in said drive channel, and
wherein said compressed air expands in said auxiliary chamber and said drive channel to move said driver blade assembly to said pre-drive position after each actuation.

24. The tool of claim 23 , wherein a volume of said auxiliary chamber is less than a volume of said drive channel beneath said piston.

25. The tool of claim 23 , wherein said piston and a bottom end of said drive channel each include a seal memb

Assignees

• Illinois Tool Works

Inventors

• Largo Marc
• Carrington Steve
• Froggatt Nickolas
• Guo Xiaoyu
• Johnston Lucas
• Raines Sean
• Southerland Robbie
• Wyckoff Kenton

Classifications

• B25C5/15

  operated by electric power · CPC title

• B25C5/16

  Staple-feeding devices {, e.g. with feeding means, supports for staples or accessories concerning feeding devices} · CPC title

• B25C1/06 Primary

  operated by electric power · CPC title

• B25C1/008 Primary

  Safety devices · CPC title