Drive device for a device for driving a fastening means and device for driving a fastening means with a drive device

Abstract

A drive device (1) for a device (2) for driving a fastening means (3) into an object has a driving punch (5) that is displaceable along a driving direction (4) and is operatively connected to a spring device (6) such that spring energy stored in the spring device (6) can be transferred to the driving punch (5), thereby effecting the displacement of the driving punch (5). The spring device (6) has at least one spring element (7) designed as a buckling bar spring element, which is pivotally mounted in a first receiving bearing (9) and a second receiving bearing (11).A displacement path of the first receiving bearing (9) is directed away from the second receiving bearing (11), such that the first receiving bearing (9) of the spring element (7) can be displaced back and forth between a loading position (12) of the displacement path facing the second receiving bearing (11), in which the spring element (7) is maximally deformed, and a relaxation position (13) of the displacement path facing away from the second receiving bearing (11), in which the spring element (7) is less deformed than in the loading position (12). The first receiving bearing (9) is operatively connected to the driving punch (5) such that a displacement of the first receiving bearing (9) from the loading position (12) to the relaxation position (13) effects a displacement of the driving punch (5) that can be used to drive in the fastening means (3).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a drive device for a device for driving a fastening means into an object, wherein the drive device has a driving punch which is displaceable along a driving direction and which is operatively connected to a spring device so that a spring energy stored in the spring device can be transferred to the driving punch and thereby the displacement of the driving punch can be effected.The invention also relates to a device for driving a fastening means into an object, wherein the device comprises a housing, a drive device mounted in the housing and a positive guide device for a fastening means, wherein a driving end of the positive guide device can be arranged on an object, so that the fastening means driven by the drive device along the positive guide device in the direction of the driving end can leave the device via the driving end of the positive guide device and can be driven into the object.

[0002] Devices for driving a fastener into an object, for example, for driving a nail into a component or for driving a staple into a stack of paper sheets, are known in numerous different designs. Completely different methods and drive means can be used to drive the fastener.

[0003] A stapler with which staples can be driven into a number of sheets in order to bind the sheets together is usually operated manually, so that the drive device often has a pivoting lever which can be pivoted manually in order to drive the staple into the stack of sheets and staple it together with its free lever end.

[0004] Nail-setting tools or bolt-setting tools are known in which, with the aid of a suitably designed drive device, a nail or bolt can be driven into an object. The nail or bolt can be several centimeters long, and the object can be made of various materials such as wood, plastic, or metal. Since driving the nail or bolt into the object typically requires considerable force and correspondingly a great deal of energy, manual driving is considered laborious, and an automated drive device that is operatively connected to the fastener is regularly used.In many cases, it is advantageous if the drive device is operatively connected to the fastening means via a driving punch, wherein the driving punch rests against the fastening means and can be displaced in the driving direction with the aid of the drive device, so that the driving punch accelerated by the drive device drives the fastening means into the object with its inertial mass.

[0005] Various devices are known in practice in which the drive mechanism is pneumatically operated. The compressed air used to move the driving ram is often supplied either via an air hose from a compressor or from a compressed air cartridge or a gas cartridge. It has been shown that adequately sealing the relevant components with pressure is complex, and often, after a relatively short period of use, the seals become leaky, and the energy transfer to the driving ram becomes increasingly reduced, until reliable operation of the device is no longer possible.

[0006] In a mechanically operated drive device, a flywheel, for example, is electrically driven into rotation and can be engaged with the driving die via a protruding driver, thereby displacing it. The manufacture and operation of such devices is costly. The rotating flywheel makes handling such devices difficult.

[0007] Devices are also known whose drive mechanism is pyrotechnically operated, so that the driving die is driven and displaced by the pyrotechnic expansion energy. The use of pyrotechnic blasting caps is complex and costly. Furthermore, the use of such a device often produces exhaust fumes and powdery residues from the exploding blasting caps, which reduces user comfort.

[0008] In practice, devices whose drive mechanism is operated by a spring device are often perceived as disadvantageous due to their low performance and high weight. To store a spring energy of 500 J in the spring device, spring elements with a weight of 2 kg or more are typically required.

[0009] It is therefore considered an object of the present invention to design a drive device for such a device in such a way that the driving punch is accelerated and displaced as efficiently as possible, and that the drive device is designed to be as wear-resistant as possible and is suitable for a long service life.

[0010] This object is achieved in that the spring device has at least one spring element which is designed in a rod-shaped or band-shaped manner between a first receiving area mounted in a first receiving bearing and a second receiving area mounted in a second receiving bearing, in that the first receiving bearing and the second receiving bearing support the first and second receiving areas, respectively.second receiving area pivotally mounted, such that a displacement path of the first receiving bearing runs away from the second receiving bearing, such that the first receiving bearing of the spring element is displaceable back and forth between a loading position of the displacement path facing the second receiving bearing, in which the spring element is maximally deformed, and a relaxation position of the displacement path facing away from the second receiving bearing, in which the spring element is less deformed than in the loading position, such that the first receiving bearing is releasably fixable in the loading position, and such that the first receiving bearing is operatively connected to the driving punch such that a displacement of the first receiving bearing from the loading position to the relaxation position effects a displacement of the driving punch that can be used to drive in the fastening means.It is considered an essential aspect of the present invention that the spring element, in the spring device configured in this way, is operated in a deformation range of the spring element in which the spring force generated by the spring element, which on the one hand counteracts a displacement of the first receiving bearing from the unloading position to the loading position and on the other hand drives the displacement of the first receiving bearing from the loading position to the unloading position, is substantially constant over the displacement path. During the displacement of the driving punch, the driving punch is accelerated with a constant force from the spring device, and the energy previously stored in the spring device is evenly transferred to the driving punch.The maximum force that can be transmitted from the spring device to the driving punch in the loading position is not significantly greater than the force that is transmitted from the spring device to the driving punch shortly before the unloading position or in the unloading position.

[0011] If a conventional spring device with a linear spring characteristic were to be used to store the same spring energy and transfer it to the driving punch, the maximum force in the charging position would have to be approximately twice as large as with the spring device according to the invention. The resulting requirements for the mechanical stability of the individual components and the safety measures that must be met for a device with such a drive device with a conventional spring device with a linear spring characteristic are significantly greater and lead to higher costs.

[0012] In contrast, the corresponding requirements for the drive device designed according to the invention are lower, which not only reduces manufacturing costs, but also allows for a more uniform load distribution during movement of the first receiving bearing or the driving die. Due to the lower maximum loads and the more uniform load distribution during movement of the first receiving bearing or the driving die, a device for driving a fastener into an object can be designed to be more durable with less design effort, and the expected service life of such a device can be significantly extended.

[0013] The spring element is used as a buckling rod and is mounted in the two receiving bearings in such a way that a compressive force acting in a longitudinal direction of the buckling rod is transferred to the buckling rod by a displacement of the first receiving bearing. As soon as a force directed in the longitudinal direction of the buckling rod acts on the buckling rod that is greater than a critical compressive stress on the buckling rod, the buckling rod buckles and deflects laterally perpendicular to the force acting on it. Expediently, by displacing the first receiving bearing relative to the second receiving bearing, the spring element is deformed in the already buckled state at least over a large displacement path section, wherein the spring element deflects laterally perpendicular to the displacement direction of the first receiving bearing and bulges laterally in an area between the two receiving bearings.As long as the spring element is bent laterally and is deformed more or less laterally by a displacement of the first receiving bearing, the spring element exerts an essentially constant spring force on the first receiving bearing.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the inventive concept, the unloaded position of the first receiving bearing is predetermined by a stop element, which limits any further displacement of the first receiving bearing along the displacement path, as desired by the spring element, before the spring element can release all the spring energy previously stored in the spring element. In this way, with simple structural means, it is possible to ensure that the spring element is held exclusively in the already deflected state and that a substantially constant spring effect is generated during a displacement of the first receiving bearing between the unloaded position and the loaded position. The spring element is never completely unloaded.This can avoid the unfavourable case for the operation of the drive device, in which a comparatively high force would have to be applied to displace the first receiving bearing from the relaxed position until the critical compressive stress is exceeded and the spring element buckles laterally, without the first receiving bearing displacing significantly along the displacement path.

[0015] Advantageously, the spring device can comprise two or more spring elements that are mounted parallel to one another between a first receiving bearing and a second receiving bearing. By using multiple spring elements, the spring device can absorb more spring energy than with a single spring element and make it available for moving the driving punch, without this noticeably increasing the space requirements for the drive device. The parallel arrangement allows several similarly designed and mounted spring elements to be arranged in a space-saving manner. In addition, several spring elements arranged in parallel can be mounted together in a single receiving bearing, thus saving additional dead weight and the greater space required for additional receiving bearings that are not needed.

[0016] According to an advantageous embodiment of the inventive concept, the two or more spring elements are arranged on two opposite sides of the displacement path and transmit their respective spring force into the first receiving bearing on opposite sides. In this way, a uniform and spatially homogeneous force effect of the spring elements on the receiving bearings and in particular on the driving punch is enabled. By arranging the two or more spring elements in a mirror-symmetrical manner, unwanted transverse forces and transversely directed moments that would otherwise act on the drive device and in particular on the driving punch during operation can be avoided or at least significantly reduced.As a result, the individual bearings and positive guidance devices for the movably mounted components, such as the first receiving bearing and the driving punch, can be designed with less complexity and the drive device can be manufactured with a low dead weight and cost-effectively.

[0017] It is considered a particularly advantageous option for the spring element or spring elements to be made of a plastic fiber composite material. Compared to conventional spring elements made of steel or metal, a spring element made of a plastic fiber composite material has the advantage, among other things, that, with the same shape and dimensions, the spring element made of a plastic fiber composite material can store significantly greater spring energy and also has a significantly lower dead weight. Very durable and sufficiently mechanically resilient plastic fiber composite materials are known which, compared to spring steel, can, for example, store twice the spring energy while having half the dead weight. The spring energy density of a spring element made of a plastic fiber composite material can therefore be about four times greater than the spring energy density of a spring element made of spring steel.A further advantage of using a suitable plastic fiber composite material is its extensive resistance to environmental influences such as moisture, temperature fluctuations, or contamination, as well as the extremely low abrasion on the outer surfaces of the spring element, which could occur with frequent deformation during the service life of the drive device. Studies have also shown that, based on the maximum spring energy density and the weight of a spring element, the maximum speed at which a spring element made of spring steel or metal can relax from a deformed state is significantly lower than the maximum speed at which a spring element made of...

[0018] According to one embodiment of the inventive concept, the spring device comprises a damping device that slows down a displacement of the first receiving bearing toward the release position shortly before the release position is reached. Both the first receiving bearing and the spring element mounted therein are moved during a displacement of the first receiving bearing and form inertial masses. A sudden and abrupt termination of the movement results in the need to absorb and dissipate large acceleration forces for the abrupt deceleration of the first receiving bearing and the spring element. Furthermore, it cannot be ruled out that the spring element begins to oscillate at a natural frequency and thereby moves out of the release position again, possibly several times.To reduce excessive acceleration forces and uncontrolled movement or vibration of the spring element, or if possible, to completely avoid them, suitable damping elements such as elastic cushion elements or deformation elements can be arranged in the areas where the movable first receiving bearing comes into contact with a stop element in the unloaded position, or where the spring element would come into contact with a contact surface between the two receiving areas. The dimensions and elastic properties of such damping elements are expediently adapted to the forces occurring and to the contact surfaces available for the damping elements with the first receiving bearing or with the spring element.It is also conceivable that the movements of other movable components, such as the driving punch in the area of ​​the loading position or the unloading position, are dampened by means of suitably arranged and appropriately designed damping elements.

[0019] To ensure reliable penetration of the fastener into the object in question, a high speed of movement of the fastener during penetration into the object is advantageous. The speed at which a spring element moves from the loading position to the unloading position due to the spring force is limited by the shape and material of the spring element. For some applications, such as driving nails into hard objects, such as metal, the maximum achievable speed with a spring element is too low or at least unfavorable.To enable greater acceleration and movement speed of the fastening means, one embodiment of the inventive concept can provide for the drive device to have a transmission device with which the displacement of the first receiving bearing from the loading position to the unloading position, caused by the spring element, can be converted into a transmission-driven displacement of the driving punch. With the aid of a suitable transmission device, for example, a displacement speed of the first receiving bearing along the displacement path can be converted and transferred into a movement speed of the driving punch that is twice as high. Depending on the transmission device, transmissions to a multiple or multiple displacement speed are also possible.

[0020] Advantageously, the transmission device can optionally be provided with a connecting cable connecting the second receiving bearing to the driving die or to a cable anchor element that can be applied to the driving die, which is deflected at least once around a deflection pulley mounted on the first receiving bearing. A connecting cable deflected around a deflection pulley has a low dead weight and, with a suitable choice of material, can withstand very high movement speeds and accelerations over a long service life.For example, connecting ropes made of aramid fibers or other synthetic fiber materials are known which, with a rope thickness of less than 1 mm, can withstand the loads that occur over a long service life. These loads usually occur with a spring energy of about 500 J that can be stored in the spring device and maximum movement speeds of 50 m / s, which are reached within a displacement path of 20 cm or 30 cm, each time the drive device is actuated.

[0021] The driving punch is accelerated by the spring force during the displacement of the spring element's first receiving bearing from the loading position to the unloading position. With the spring device design described above, a virtually constant spring force acts throughout the entire displacement path.

[0022] In order to avoid that the spring force exerted by the spring device on the driving punch leads to an unpleasant recoil of the device in the event of an early impact of the fastening means on an obstacle which may be undetected in the object and prevents further penetration of the fastening means into the object, it is optionally provided that the driving punch is mounted in a positive guide so as to be displaceable along a driving path between a starting position and an end position, wherein a driving distance measured along the driving path between the starting position and the end position is greater than the displacement path of the first receiving bearing from the loading position to the unloading position and, when using a transmission device, greater than the displacement of the driving punch translated during the displacement of the first receiving bearing.A driving path section of the driving path, in which the driving punch is driven by the spring device via the operative connection, corresponds to a drive length. The driving punch, together with the fastener resting against it and driven forward by the driving punch, can be initially driven by the spring force of the relaxing spring element during its displacement within the positive guide, starting from the starting position towards the end position over the drive length. The spring force acts on the driving punch as long as the first receiving bearing is displaced along the displacement path from the loading position to the relaxing position. The driving punch can then be decoupled from the spring device and, together with the fastener, can move further in the driving direction towards the end position as an inertial mass along its positive guide.As soon as the distance between a contact surface of the driving punch, against which the fastener rests, and the end position of the driving punch corresponds to the driving length of the fastener and becomes smaller, the fastener begins to penetrate the object. The spring device is expediently decoupled from the driving punch before the fastener has fully penetrated the object. This is the case when the driving distance is greater than the drive length. This reduces the risk that in the event of an unexpected impact of the penetrating fastener on an obstacle, the spring device will still exert a spring force on the driving punch and the spring energy still stored in the spring device will have to be dissipated via an undesired recoil of the drive device.

[0023] Preferably, the driving distance is greater than a total length, wherein the total length is the sum of the driving length of the fastening means and the displacement path of the first receiving bearing from the loading position to the unloading position, or, when using a transmission device, the sum of the driving length of the fastening means and the displacement of the driving punch along the driving path, which is transmitted during the displacement of the first receiving bearing. With such a design of the drive device, the driving distance and thus a driving path length are greater than the drive length and the driving length of the fastening means combined.The driving punch can then be driven by the spring device from its starting position over the drive length until the entire previously stored spring energy has been transferred to the driving punch in a position where the fastener has not yet begun to penetrate the object. From this position onwards, the driving punch moves as an inert mass without further acceleration in the driving direction. As soon as the distance between the driving punch and the object becomes less than the driving length of the fastener, the fastener begins to penetrate the object. At this point, however, the operative connection between the spring device and the driving punch is already interrupted. If the fastener were to hit an obstacle in the object and no longer penetrate, the spring effect would no longer be exerted on the driving punch.

[0024] The invention also relates to a device for driving a fastening means into an object, wherein the device has a housing, a drive device mounted in the housing, and a positive guide device for a fastening means, wherein a driving end of the positive guide device can be arranged on an object such that the fastening means driven by the drive device along the positive guide device in the direction of the driving end can leave the device via the driving end of the positive guide device and be driven into the object. According to the invention, the drive device is designed according to the preceding embodiments. The drive device can be manufactured separately as a modular unit and inserted into the housing of the device with little effort.

[0025] The device can have a magazine for multiple fasteners, which can be fed to the drive device either manually or automatically and positioned adjacent to the driving die. It is expediently provided that, following a first actuation of the drive device, whereby a first fastener is driven into the object, a second fastener is automatically fed from the magazine to the drive device before a subsequent second actuation of the drive device, and, following the second actuation of the drive device, is driven into the same or a different object. In this way, devices can be provided with which one fastener or even several fasteners can be driven into an object per second.

[0026] The following examples are explained in more detail, as shown in the drawings. It shows: Fig. 1 is a schematic sectional view of a drive device for a device for driving a fastener into an object, wherein the drive device comprises a driving punch which is displaceable along a driving direction and which is operatively connected to a spring device, and wherein a first receiving bearing of two spring elements is in a charging position in which spring energy is stored in the spring device, Fig. 2 a schematic sectional view of the Fig. 1, wherein the first receiving bearing is in a relaxation position in which the spring energy previously stored in the spring device is transferred to the driving punch and the driving punch is displaced along a positive guide from a starting position to a final position, Fig. 3 a perspective and partially sectioned view of the Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, wherein the first receiving bearing of the two spring elements is located between the at a distance from the charging position, Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a device for driving a fastener into an object, the device comprising a housing, a drive device mounted in the housing, and a positive guide device for a fastener, Fig. 5 is a schematic representation of two spring characteristics, wherein a spring force generated by a spring device is plotted against the displacement path of the first receiving bearing up to the charging position, plotted along the abscissa, Fig. 6 a perspective and partially sectioned view of a differently designed drive device, in which several spring elements are arranged parallel to each other on both sides of the driving punch, wherein the driving punch is located in its starting position at a distance from the second receiving bearing for the spring elements, Fig. 7 a sectional view of the differently designed drive device according to Fig. 6, whereby the driving stamp is positioned as in Fig. 6 is in its starting position, Fig. 8 a sectional view of the Fig. 6 and in Fig. 7, wherein the first receiving bearing of the spring elements is in the relaxation position and the driving punch is in its end position.

[0027] One in the Fig. 1 to 3 schematically shown in different operating states drive device 1 for a Fig. The device 2 shown by way of example in Figure 4 for driving a fastening means 3 into an object not shown in the figures has a driving punch 5 which can be displaced along a driving direction 4. The drive device 1 further has a spring device 6 which is operatively connected to the driving punch 5 via a cable pull mechanism, so that spring energy stored in the spring device 6 can be transferred to the driving punch 5 and the displacement of the driving punch 5 together with the fastening means 3 resting thereon along the driving direction 4 can thereby be effected.

[0028] The spring device 6 has two spring elements 7, which are arranged on two opposite sides of the driving punch. Each of the two spring elements 7 is pivotally mounted with a first receiving area 8 in a common first receiving bearing 9 and with a second receiving area 10 formed at an opposite end in a common second receiving bearing 11. The spring elements 7 are band-shaped between the first receiving area 8 and the second receiving area 10 and each act like an individual buckling bar, so that the spring device 6 contains a package of parallel buckling bar springs. The first receiving bearing 9 can be displaced relative to the second receiving bearing 11 along a displacement path that runs in a straight line away from the second receiving bearing 11.The first receiving bearing 9 of the spring elements 7 can be displaced back and forth between a loading position 12 of the displacement path facing the second receiving bearing 11, in which the spring elements 7 are maximally deformed, and a relaxation position 13 of the displacement path facing away from the second receiving bearing 11, in which the spring elements 7 are deformed significantly less than in the loading position 12 and are already almost completely relaxed into a straight line.

[0029] The first receiving bearing 9 can be releasably secured in the charging position 12 by means of a locking device (not shown). In this way, the first receiving bearing 9 can be moved into the charging position 12, thereby introducing spring energy into the spring device 6 and storing it in the deformed spring elements 7 until the locking device is actuated and the first receiving bearing 9 is released from the charging position 12.

[0030] The first receiving bearing 9 is connected via a cable pull mechanism explained in more detail below to a drive plate 14, against which the driving punch 5 rests when the first receiving bearing 9 is in the loading position 12. Via the cable pull mechanism, the first receiving bearing 9 is operatively connected to the drive plate 14 and the driving punch 5 resting thereon such that a displacement of the first receiving bearing 9 from the loading position 12 to the unloading position 13 forces a displacement of the driving punch 5 in the driving direction 4, which can be used to drive in the fastening means 3.

[0031] The cable pull mechanism forms a transmission device with which the displacement of the first receiving bearing 9 from the loading position 12 to the unloading position 13, caused by the spring elements 7, is converted into a transmitted displacement of the driving punch 5. The cable pull mechanism and thus the transmission device has a total of four connecting cables 15, each of which is fixed at a first end in the second receiving bearing 11 and guided via a deflection pulley 16 rotatably mounted on the first receiving bearing 9 to the drive plate 14, where it is again fixed at a second end.The drive plate 14 forms a cable anchor element that can be applied to the driving punch 5, which, when the first receiving bearing 9 is displaced via the deflected connecting cables 15, is displaced in the driving direction 4 at twice the speed of the first receiving bearing 9 and accelerates and displaces the driving punch 5 resting on the drive plate 14 in the driving direction 4.

[0032] The release position 13 of the first receiving bearing 9 is predetermined by two stop elements 17, which limit any further displacement of the first receiving bearing 9 along the displacement path, as desired by the spring elements 7, before the spring elements 7 can release all the spring energy previously stored in the spring elements 7. The stop elements 17 are each arranged at one end of a guide rod 18, wherein two guide rods 18 arranged spaced apart from one another and parallel to one another form a positive guide for the first receiving bearing 9 along the displacement path relative to the second receiving bearing 11.

[0033] Two additional guide rods 19, arranged parallel to and spaced from the guide rods 18 of the positive guide for the first receiving bearing 9, form a positive guide for the driving punch 5 along a driving path running in the driving direction 4. The driving punch 5 can be displaced between a starting position 20 at the second receiving bearing 11 and an end position 21 at an opposite driving end 22 of the positive guide for the driving punch 5. A driving distance 23 measured along the driving path between the starting position 20 and the end position 21 is greater than a total length 24, wherein the total length 24 is the sum of a driving length of the fastening means 3 and the displacement 25 of the driving punch 5 along the driving path translated during the displacement of the first receiving bearing 9 from the loading position 12 to the unloading position 13.

[0034] The spring elements 7 are made of a suitable plastic composite material. The spring device 6 has a damping device formed by several damping cushions 26, which slows down the displacement of the first receiving bearing 9 toward the release position 13 shortly before reaching the release position 13.

[0035] In Fig. 4, two spring characteristics are shown by way of example and schematically in a diagram, wherein in each case the spring force F generated during a deformation of the spring elements 7 is plotted against the displacement path s. A first spring characteristic curve 27 corresponds to the spring characteristic curve of the spring device 6 according to the invention. In this case, the spring elements 7, which are designed and mounted as buckling bar springs, are not loaded and deformed from a completely relaxed initial configuration, but exclusively in an already buckled and laterally bulged state between a relaxed position s E13 and a charging position s A 12 of the first support bearing 9 is deformed along the deformation path. The spring force generated during the deformation of the already buckled spring elements 7 remains essentially constant over the entire deformation path.

[0036] A second spring characteristic curve 28 corresponds to the spring characteristic curve of a conventional spring device with a linear progression, with an increasing displacement of the first receiving bearing 9 from the relaxation position s E 13 in the direction of the charging position s A 12 the spring force generated by the deformation of the spring elements increases linearly and becomes steadily larger.

[0037] For comparison, both spring characteristic curves 27 and 28 are scaled so that a spring energy, which is represented by the area between the respective spring characteristic curve and the abscissa, at the maximum deformation of the spring elements with the first support bearing 9 in the charging position s A 12 is the same size. However, the maximum spring force F1 required for storing the spring energy in the respective spring device, in the case of the spring device 6 designed according to the invention, is then only approximately half as large as the maximum spring force F2 required for storing the same spring energy in the case of a conventional spring device with the linear spring characteristic curve 28.

[0038] In Fig. Figure 5 shows an exemplary and schematic perspective view of the device 2 for driving the fastener 3 into an object. The device 2 has a housing 29 in which the drive device 1 and the positive guide device for the driving punch 5 are arranged. The driving end 22 of the positive guide device can be arranged on an object. When the drive device 1 is actuated, the fastener 3, driven by the drive device 1 along the driving direction 4 in the direction of the driving end 22, leaves the device 2 via the driving end 22 of the positive guide device and is driven into the object. Two handles 30, 31 are attached to the housing 29, with which a user can grasp and handle the device 2. An actuation button 32 for actuating the drive device 1 is arranged on the handle 31 in the housing 29 of the device 2.Furthermore, a magazine 33 is arranged on the housing 29, in which a number of fastening means 3 can be stored, which are each automatically fed from the magazine 33 to the drive device 1 before an actuation of the drive device 1.

[0039] Before each actuation process, the fastening means 3 intended for this actuation process can be inserted from the magazine 33 into the positive guide device for the driving punch 5 and applied to the driving punch 5, which is located in the loading position 12 at this time. Following actuation of the device 2, the fastening means 3 is then accelerated together with the driving punch 5 by the spring device 6, with the driving punch 5 continuously resting against the fastening means 3 and driving it forward until the fastening means 3 is driven into the object with the driving punch 5.It is also conceivable and expedient for many areas of application that the fastening means 3 is fed from the magazine 33 to the positive guidance device for the driving punch 5 before or at the start of an actuation and is positioned and held there in the vicinity of the driving end 22 until, after actuation of the device 2, the driving punch 5 is accelerated by the spring device 6 and displaced in the direction of the driving end 22 until the driving punch 5, coming from the loading position 12, approaches the fastening means 3, comes into contact with the fastening means 3, usually in a form-fitting manner, and carries the fastening means 3 with it on its way to the driving end 22 or pushes it in front of it and in the process drives it into the object.

[0040] In the Fig. Figures 6 to 8 show three exemplary views of a differently designed drive device 1 for the device 2. The spring device 6 has four spring elements 7, each of which is arranged on two opposite sides of the displacement path of the driving punch 5 and is mounted parallel to one another between the first receiving bearing 9 and a second receiving bearing 11.

[0041] A distance between the first receiving bearing 9 and the second receiving bearing 11 is not only predetermined in the relaxation position 13 by a spring length of the almost completely relaxed spring elements 7 of the spring device 6, but also in the charging position 12 by a maximum storage capacity of spring energy predetermined for the respective design of the spring device 6. Thus, for example, the charging position 12 of the first receiving bearing 9 can have a distance from the second receiving bearing 11 even when charged to the maximum storage capacity of spring energy, as is the case in the embodiment according to the Fig.6 to 8 is shown as an example. The maximum storage capacity of spring energy for a spring device 6 can be specified, among other things, by the number of spring elements 7, their shape and dimensions, and the material from which the spring elements 7 are made. For each specific application, a suitable combination of the often relevant parameters can be specified, such as the total space required for the drive device 1 and its total weight, the maximum spring energy that can be stored in the spring device 6 and used to move the driving punch 5, and the acceleration path and final speed of the driving punch 5.

[0042] In order to be able to move the first receiving bearing 9 from the release position 13 to the loading position 12, the driving punch 5 is connected via a loading cable 34, for example made of aramid fibers, which runs parallel to the positive guide device for the driving punch 5, to a retraction mechanism (not shown in detail), which is arranged outside the spring device 6 beyond the second receiving bearing 11. By actuating the retraction mechanism, the loading cable 34 is retracted into the retraction mechanism, and the driving punch 5 is pulled from the end position 22 to the starting position 21.As soon as the driving punch 5 comes into contact with the drive plate 14 retained on the first receiving bearing 9, the drive plate 14 is displaced by the driving punch 5 in the direction of the second receiving bearing 11. In the process, the first receiving bearing 9 is displaced from the unloading position 13 in the direction of the second receiving bearing 11 into the loading position 12 via the cable pull mechanism, thereby introducing spring energy into the spring device 6 and storing it therein. The stored spring energy can subsequently be converted into an acceleration and displacement of the drive plate 14 and, concomitantly, into an acceleration and displacement of the driving punch 5 with a fastening means 3 resting thereon in the driving direction 4 by actuating the drive device 1.

Claims

[1] Drive device (1) for a device (2) for driving a fastening means (3) into an object, wherein the drive device (1) has a driving punch (5) which is displaceable along a driving direction (4) and which is operatively connected to a spring device (6) so that a spring energy stored in the spring device (6) can be transferred to the driving punch (5) and thereby the displacement of the driving punch (5) can be effected, characterized bythat the spring device (6) has at least one spring element (7) which is rod-shaped or band-shaped between a first receiving region (8) mounted in a first receiving bearing (9) and a second receiving region (10) mounted in a second receiving bearing (11), that the first receiving bearing (9) and the second receiving bearing (11) each pivotably receive the first and second receiving regions (8, 10), respectively, that a displacement path of the first receiving bearing (9) runs away from the second receiving bearing (11), that the first receiving bearing (9) of the spring element (7) can be moved between a loading position (12) of the displacement path facing the second receiving bearing (11), in which the spring element (7) is maximally deformed, and a relaxation position (13) of the displacement path facing away from the second receiving bearing (11), in which the spring element (7) is less deformed than in the loading position (12), can be moved back and forth,that the first receiving bearing (9) is detachably fixable in the loading position (12), and that the first receiving bearing (9) is operatively connected to the driving punch (5) in such a way that a displacement of the first receiving bearing (9) from the loading position (12) to the release position (13) causes a displacement of the driving punch (5) which can be used to drive in the fastening means (3). [2] Drive device (1) according to claim 1, characterized by that the relaxation position (13) of the first receiving bearing (9) is predetermined by a stop element (17) which limits a further displacement of the first receiving bearing (9) along the displacement path sought by the spring element (7) before the spring element (7) can release the entire spring energy which was previously stored in the spring element (7). [3] Drive device (1) according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized bythat the spring device (6) has two or more spring elements (7) which are mounted parallel to one another between a first receiving bearing (9) and a second receiving bearing (11). [4] Drive device (1) according to claim 3, characterized by that the two or more spring elements (7) are arranged on two opposite sides of the displacement path and introduce their respective spring force into the first receiving bearing (9) on opposite sides. [5] Drive device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the spring element (7) or the spring elements (7) consist of a plastic fiber composite material. [6] Drive device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the spring device (6) has a damping device which slows down a displacement of the first receiving bearing (9) in the direction of the relaxation position (13) shortly before reaching the relaxation position (13). [7] Drive device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the drive device (1) has a transmission device with which the displacement of the first receiving bearing (11) from the loading position (12) to the relaxation position (13) caused by the spring element (7) can be converted into a transmitted displacement of the driving punch (5). [8] Drive device (1) according to claim 7, characterized bythat the transmission device has a connecting cable (15) connecting the second receiving bearing (11) to the driving punch (5) or to a cable anchor element that can be applied to the driving punch (5), which is deflected at least once around a deflection roller (16) mounted on the first receiving bearing (9). [9] Drive device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized byin that the driving punch (5) is mounted in a positive guide so as to be displaceable along a driving path between a starting position (20) and an end position (21), wherein a driving distance (23) measured along the driving path between the starting position (20) and the end position (21) is greater than the displacement path of the first receiving bearing (9) from the loading position (12) into the release position (13) and, when using a transmission device, greater than the displacement of the driving punch (5) translated during the displacement of the first receiving bearing (9). [10] Drive device (1) according to claim 9, characterized bythat the driving distance is greater than a total length (24), wherein the total length (24) is the sum of the driving length of the fastening means (3) and the displacement path of the first receiving bearing (9) from the loading position (12) to the unloading position (13), or when using a transmission device, the sum of the driving length of the fastening means (3) and the displacement of the driving punch (5) along the driving path translated during the displacement of the first receiving bearing (9). [11] Device (2) for driving a fastening means (3) into an object, wherein the device (2) comprises a housing (29), a drive device (1) mounted in the housing (29) and a positive guide device for a driving punch (5), wherein a driving end (22) of the positive guide device can be arranged on an object, so that the fastening means (3) driven by the drive device (1) along the positive guide device in the direction of the driving end (22) can leave the device (2) via the driving end (22) of the positive guide device and can be driven into the object, characterized by that the drive device (1) is designed according to one of claims 1 to 10.

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