Spring drive device with a spring element

Abstract

A spring drive device (1) comprises a spring element (2) which is mounted at a bearing end (3) of the spring element (2) and whose opposite drive end (4) can be deflected from a relaxed position to a compressed position against a spring force of the spring element (2), thereby deforming the spring element (2). A drive element (8) is operatively connected to the drive end (4) of the spring element (2) such that when the drive end (4) is displaced from the compressed position to the relaxed position by the spring force, the drive element (8) is driven. A gear (5) is rotatably mounted in a rotary bearing (6) at the drive end (4) of the spring element (2). The spring drive device (1) comprises a spring element rack (7), wherein when the drive end (4) of the spring element (2) is displaced, the gear (5) engages in the spring element rack (7) and is forced into a rotational movement.The drive element (8) is radially spaced from the rotary bearing (6) and is operatively connected to the gear (5), so that the gear (5) transmits a transmission of the displacement of the drive end (4) of the spring element (2) relative to the displacement of the drive element (8). Such a spring drive device is used in a driving device (17) for driving a fastening element (18) into an object (19).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a spring drive device with a spring element which is mounted at a bearing end of the spring element and whose opposite drive end can be deflected from a relaxation position to a charging position against a spring force of the spring element and thereby the spring element can be deformed, and with a drive element which is in an operative connection with the drive end of the spring element, so that when the drive end is displaced from the charging position to the relaxation position by the spring force, the drive element can be driven and can be displaced from an initial position towards a target position.The invention also relates to a driving device for driving a fastening element into an object, wherein the driving device comprises a housing, a spring drive device mounted in the housing and a positive guidance device for a driving punch, wherein a driving element of the positive guidance device can be arranged on an object, so that the fastening element driven by the drive device along the positive guidance device in the direction of the driving element can leave the driving device via the driving element of the positive guidance device and be driven into the object.

[0002] Spring-driven devices with a deformable spring element are used in numerous different configurations. A spring element for a spring-driven device is described, for example, in EP 1 033 507 A1. The deformable spring element, which is known and used in many different applications, can be made of various materials, each exhibiting different deformation properties. In many cases, spring elements made of metal, particularly spring steel, or fiber-reinforced composite material are suitable. By selecting a suitable material, specifying the shape of the spring element, and defining its mounting within the spring-driven device, the properties of a spring-driven device relevant to the specific application can be largely determined.In practice, it is therefore known and common to adapt a spring drive device to the respective intended use and to specify it with regard to the spring properties, such as the spring characteristic curve, which describes the relationship between a forced deformation of the spring element and the force required for this.

[0003] Various types of springs, such as bending springs, torsion springs, and disc springs, have been developed for a wide range of applications and are now available in numerous different designs. While many spring drive devices exhibit a linear spring characteristic within the deformation range relevant to the application, spring drive devices with a non-linear spring characteristic are also known, which may, for example, have a progressive or degressive profile.

[0004] Furthermore, it is known from practice that a deformable spring element can be pre-tensioned in the spring drive device, so that at the beginning of a predetermined displacement path of a first receiving bearing relative to a second receiving bearing of the spring element arranged at a distance from it, a spring force that can be predetermined by the pre-tension counteracts a further displacement along the displacement path.

[0005] If the requirements for a spring drive device change and different spring characteristics are desired or required, a correspondingly modified spring drive device is typically used. It is also known that, for example, by changing the mounting of the deformable spring element, the spring characteristics of the spring drive device can be modified and adapted without having to replace the spring element or the entire spring drive device.

[0006] Especially when planning modifications or improvements to devices that already use a spring drive mechanism, it is considered particularly advantageous if the installation space required for the modified spring drive mechanism is the same size or smaller than the space previously required. In this case, many device components, such as the device housing, can continue to be used largely unchanged, thus minimizing the design effort required for the planned modification of the spring drive mechanism.

[0007] In numerous different devices where a deformable spring element is used to store spring energy, which can be released when the device is actuated and converted to drive a drive element, properties of the spring element such as the spring energy that can be stored in the spring drive device when the spring element is deformed as intended, or the maximum available spring force, are relevant in addition to the required space requirement.In some devices where a spring drive is used to actuate a drive element, such as a driving device for driving a fastener into an object, the available spring travel during deformation of the spring element during a charging or driving process is also relevant. This travel corresponds to the maximum deflection of the drive end of the spring element. The greater the spring travel, the longer a spring force can be exerted on the drive element to accelerate it during the driving process.Particularly in the case of driving devices, it is also advantageous if the drive end of the spring element, in the charging position, is located a large distance from the fastener that is to be driven into the object, so that the drive element can already be accelerated before it acts on the fastener and accelerates and drives the fastener from the driving device into the object. Such a driving device with a spring drive assembly is known, for example, from US 2008 / 0190986 A1.

[0008] It is therefore considered an object of the present invention to modify a spring drive device with the features listed above in such a way that the most advantageous displacement path of the drive element can be provided with the smallest possible installation space of the spring drive device.

[0009] This problem is solved according to the invention by rotatably mounting a gear in a rotary bearing at the drive end of the spring element, by the spring drive device having a spring element rack, wherein, when the drive end of the spring element is displaced, the gear engages in the spring element rack and is forced into a rotational movement, and by the drive element being radially spaced from the rotary bearing and operatively connected to the gear, so that the gear provides a transmission of the displacement of the drive end of the spring element relative to the displacement of the drive element. The bearing end of the spring element is advantageously fixed in position, so that a displacement of the drive end forces a deformation of the spring element. The bearing end can be pivotally mounted or clamped.In numerous spring elements, during deformation of the spring element during a charging process, in which spring energy is transferred to and stored within the spring element, or during a drive process, in which the previously stored spring energy is transferred to and converted into the drive element, the drive end of the spring element is displaced essentially linearly. The available spring travel of the designed deformable spring element also determines the maximum displacement of the drive element during the transfer of spring energy to the drive element. The rotationally movable arrangement of a gear at the drive end of the spring element, and its positive engagement with a spring element rack, converts the essentially linear displacement of the drive end of the spring element into a rotary motion of the gear.

[0010] Depending on the spatial arrangement of the point of application of the operative connection between the gear and the drive element, the displacement path traveled by the drive element can be influenced and specified for a given maximum rotation angle traversed by the gear during a drive operation. The greater the radial distance of the point of application of the operative connection from the rotary bearing, the longer the displacement path. In this way, the displacement path of the drive element can be specified differently from the spring travel of the drive end of the spring element. For example, if the point of application of the operative connection is arranged on a circumferential edge of the gear, with the rotary bearing positioned centrally, the displacement path of the drive element can be specified as twice as large as the spring travel of the drive end of the spring element.

[0011] With the same angular velocity of the gear, the displacement velocity of the drive element can also be influenced and specified by the arrangement of the point of application of the operative connection with the drive element. For example, if the point of application of the operative connection is arranged on a circumferential edge of the gear, in which the rotary bearing is centrally located, the displacement velocity of the drive element can be set to be twice as high as the displacement velocity of the drive end of the spring element during a drive operation.

[0012] For many applications, it can be advantageous to achieve the most uniform acceleration possible of the drive element during the drive process. Therefore, it can optionally be provided that the rotary bearing is arranged centrally in the gear. The rotational movement forced upon the gear by the deforming spring element during a charging or drive process is then determined solely by the displacement of the drive end of the spring element.

[0013] According to an optional embodiment of the invention, the rotary bearing can alternatively be arranged eccentrically in the gear. This allows for different displacement and displacement speeds of the drive element during a drive operation, or during the displacement of the drive end of the spring element from the compressed to the relaxed position, depending on the gear's rotational angular position. For example, a particularly low or high displacement speed of the drive element could be specified at the beginning or end of the displacement of the drive end of the spring element. In this way, the operative connection, and in particular the displacement of the drive element during a drive operation, can be individually specified and adapted to the specific requirements of using the spring drive device.

[0014] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the spring element rack has a straight path of teeth between which the teeth of the gear engage when the gear is displaced along the spring element rack. During normal use of the spring drive device, the arrangement and path of the spring element rack form a positive guidance device for the drive end of the spring element during the positive engagement of the gear with the spring element rack. In many spring elements, a linear displacement of the drive end of the spring element relative to the bearing end of the spring element corresponds to a deformation of the spring element caused solely by the spring force, thus enabling a particularly efficient conversion and transfer of the spring energy stored in the spring element to the drive element.

[0015] However, due to space constraints in a device where the spring drive unit is to be used, it may be advantageous to specify a spatially different path for the displacement of the drive end of the spring element instead of a straight spring travel. For example, a continuously curved path of the spring element rack can be specified. It is also possible to specify a wave-like or cycloidal path of the spring element rack in order to enable a correspondingly influenced displacement of the drive element through its interaction with the drive element.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the invention, the working connection comprises a drive element connected to the drive element, wherein the drive element is a drive rack. Advantageously, the drive rack can be positioned along a circumference of the gear opposite the spring element rack in a positive engagement with the gear and be guided in a positive-locking drive element guidance device parallel to the spring element rack. In this way, the positively guided drive rack also provides positive guidance for the gear and thus for the drive end of the spring element during intended use of the spring drive device.The positive engagement of the gear with the drive rack allows the transmission of large forces and moments without the risk of unwanted damage or excessive wear of the functional connection designed in this way.

[0017] It is also conceivable, and optionally provided for, that the operative connection includes a drive element connected to the drive element, where the drive element is a rope or a chain. A chain can be arranged on a circumferential edge of the gear and also engage with the teeth of the gear. A rope, on the other hand, does not necessarily have to be fixed to an outer circumferential edge of the gear, so that, with a rope as the drive element, the point of application of the operative connection can be specified on a side face of the gear at any radial distance from the rotating bearing. In contrast to a rigid drive rack, a rope or chain could also be deflected on its way to the drive element if necessary.In particular, a rope can have a low weight, so that hardly any energy needs to be expended for accelerating and displacing the rope during a drive process, and very efficient energy transfer and thus a high efficiency for converting the stored spring energy into drive energy for the drive element is possible.

[0018] For many applications, it will be practical and sufficient for the working connection to have a drive element that engages with, is connected to, or rests against the gear's circumferential edge. As already described, the drive element can be, for example, a drive rack or a chain. It is also conceivable that the gear has a groove or other guide elements along a circumferential edge, spaced apart from the individual teeth, in which a rope is guided along the circumferential edge and wound or unwound during a charging or drive operation.

[0019] However, according to one embodiment of the invention, it is also possible, and particularly advantageous with regard to maximizing the transmission of the displacement, for a transmission gear to be rotationally fixed to the gear, and for the drive element to be operatively connected to the gear via the transmission gear. The transmission gear can, for example, have a radius twice that of the gear. If the drive element engages with or is connected to the transmission gear at a circumferential edge of the transmission gear, a rotational movement of the gear causes a displacement of the drive element that is twice as large compared to an operative connection at the gear itself. In this way, the transmission ratio can be scaled according to the increasing radius of the transmission gear relative to the radius of the gear.

[0020] Accordingly, it may optionally be provided that the working connection has a drive means which engages with or is connected to the transmission wheel at a circumferential edge of the transmission wheel, or bears against the transmission wheel.

[0021] To prevent unwanted tilting or jamming of the spring element or gear during intended use of the spring drive device, it is advantageous to provide that the spring drive device either has two spring elements, between whose respective drive ends a gear is rotatably mounted, or that the spring drive device has two gears between which the drive end of the spring element is mounted. This ensures that no lateral forces or tilting moments are exerted on the rotational bearing of the spring drive device during a charging or drive operation. The rotational bearing can have a continuous bearing arrangement with which either the two drive ends of the two spring elements are mounted on the single gear, or with which the two gears are mounted on the drive end of the spring element.It is also conceivable that two separately designed and arranged rotary bearings are provided for the support of the respective spring elements and gears used, wherein the two rotary bearings are connected to each other in such a way that the forces and moments acting on the two rotary bearings during a charging process or a drive process balance or compensate each other in such a way that no resulting lateral forces and tilting moments are exerted on the spring drive device.

[0022] According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the spring element is made of a fiber-reinforced plastic material. A spring element made of a suitable fiber-reinforced plastic material has numerous advantages over an otherwise comparable spring element made of steel. Typically, a significantly higher energy release rate can be achieved with a spring element made of fiber-reinforced plastic material compared to a spring element made of steel, with a two to three times higher energy release rate being possible in practice. Very durable and sufficiently mechanically resilient fiber-reinforced plastic composite materials are known which, compared to spring steel, can, for example, store twice the spring energy with half the weight.The spring energy density of a spring element made of a plastic fiber composite material can therefore be approximately four times greater than that of a spring element made of spring steel. A further advantage of using a suitable plastic fiber composite material is its high degree of insensitivity 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 unit. Due to the significantly lower weight of a spring element made of fiber-reinforced plastic material, which can store the same spring energy as a spring element made of steel, considerably less spring energy is required for accelerating and deforming the spring element, and the stored spring energy is used more efficiently to drive the drive unit.Due to the low weight of the spring element made of fiber-reinforced plastic material, dampers or energy absorbers are relieved at the end of the drive process, and wear on all components of a device in which the spring drive device with a spring element made of fiber-reinforced plastic material is used is reduced.

[0023] According to another embodiment of the invention, which is also considered particularly advantageous, the spring element can be designed as a spring-loaded buckling rod. The spring element is used as a buckling rod and is mounted in the two receiving bearings such that a compressive force acting in a longitudinal direction is transmitted to the buckling rod by shifting the drive end towards the bearing end of the rod-shaped spring element. As soon as a force acting in the longitudinal direction of the buckling rod, which is greater than a critical compressive stress on the buckling rod, acts on the buckling rod, the buckling rod buckles and deflects laterally transversely to the force.Advantageously, by displacing the drive end relative to the bearing end, the spring element is deformed in its already flexed state, at least over a significant portion of the displacement path. The spring element deflects laterally perpendicular to the displacement direction of the drive end and bulges laterally in an area between the two mounting bearings at the bearing end and the drive end. As long as the spring element is laterally flexed and is deformed more or less laterally by a displacement of the drive end, the spring element exerts a substantially constant spring force. This force acts on the deformed spring element in such a way that the deformed spring element returns from a stressed state to a relaxed state, and consequently, the drive end is displaced in the direction of the relaxed position.A spring element designed as a buckling spring offers numerous advantages over a conventional design of such a spring element as a coil spring or a disc spring. The spring characteristic of a buckling spring deformed within its laterally bulged state is approximately constant over the entire spring travel and increases only slightly with increasing deformation against the spring force. Consequently, the forces acting on a buckling spring at its intended maximum deformation are only about half as large as the maximum forces on a coil spring capable of storing the same amount of spring energy. This allows for the use of smaller dimensions for the mounting and guide devices required to integrate the spring drive unit into a device.A clamping device, used to tension the spring element (designed as a buckling spring) in order to store spring energy, can also be operated with less force and significantly lower power consumption, thus considerably reducing the manufacturing and operating costs of such a device. An electrically operated clamping device requires less electrical energy to charge the spring element. If the electrical energy is supplied by a rechargeable battery, a single battery charge allows for a greater number of charging cycles before the battery needs to be recharged.

[0024] If the same spring energy were to be stored and transferred to the drive element using a conventional spring drive device with a coil spring or a disc spring with a linear spring characteristic, the maximum force effect in the charging position would have to be approximately twice as large as with the spring drive device according to the invention. The resulting requirements for the mechanical stability of the individual components and for the safety measures that must be met for a device with such a drive device using a conventional spring with a linear spring characteristic are significantly greater and lead to higher costs.

[0025] According to one embodiment of the invention, the relaxed position of the drive end is defined by a stop element, which limits any further displacement of the drive end along the displacement path, as envisaged by the spring element, before the spring element can release all the spring energy previously stored within it. In this way, simple design means ensure that the spring element, configured as a buckling spring, is held exclusively in its already bent state and that, during displacement of the first receiving bearing between the relaxed and charged positions, only a substantially constant spring effect is generated. The buckling spring is never completely relaxed.This avoids the unfavorable scenario for the operation of the drive device, in which a comparatively high force would have to be applied to move the drive end from the relaxed position until the critical pressure stress is exceeded and the spring element buckles laterally, without the drive end moving significantly along the displacement path.

[0026] In order to increase the amount of spring energy that can be stored during intended use of the spring drive device and to increase the spring force that can be transmitted to the drive element via the working connection, it may optionally be provided that the spring drive device has two or more spring elements, each of which is mounted at a bearing end and rotatably mounted at a drive end on a gear associated with that spring element.

[0027] The invention also relates to a driving device for driving a fastening element into an object, wherein the driving device has a housing, a spring drive device mounted in the housing and a positive guidance device for a drive element, wherein the drive element, which can be driven by the spring drive device via an operative connection, is displaceable along the positive guidance device in the direction of an object and thereby the fastening element can be driven into the object.

[0028] Various driving devices are known from practical experience in which a drive mechanism for a drive element, usually designed as a driving punch, is pneumatically operated. The compressed air used to move the driving punch is often supplied either via an air hose from a compressor or from a compressed air cartridge or gas cartridge. It has been shown that achieving a sufficiently pressure-tight seal of the relevant components is complex and often leads to leaks after a relatively short period of use, resulting in progressively less energy transfer to the driving punch until reliable operation of the driving device is no longer possible.

[0029] In a mechanically operated drive device, a flywheel is set into rotation, for example electrically, and can be engaged with the drive element or the driving punch via a projecting driver, thereby displacing it. The manufacture and operation of such driving devices are costly. The rotating flywheel makes handling such a driving device more difficult.

[0030] Driving devices are also known whose drive mechanism is pyrotechnically operated, such that the drive element or driving plunger is driven and displaced by the pyrotechnic expansion energy. The use of pyrotechnic detonators is complex and expensive. Furthermore, the use of such a driving device often produces exhaust fumes and powdery residue from the exploding detonators, thus reducing user comfort.

[0031] In practical applications, where the drive mechanism is designed as a spring drive, the low performance and high weight of the drive mechanism are often considered disadvantages. To store 500 J of spring energy in the drive mechanism, spring elements with a weight of 2 kg or more are typically required.

[0032] It is therefore considered an object of the present invention to design a spring drive device for such a driving device in such a way that the drive element is accelerated and displaced as efficiently as possible, and that the spring drive device is designed to be as wear-resistant as possible and suitable for a long service life.

[0033] This problem of the present invention is solved by the fact that, in a driving device with a spring drive device, the spring drive device is designed according to the invention and has one of the combinations of features described above.

[0034] The drive element is accelerated by the spring force during the displacement of the drive end of the spring element from the loading position to the relaxation position. The advantageously provided transmission between the displacement of the drive end of the spring element on the one hand and the drive element driven via a functional connection on the other enables a very rapid displacement of the drive element over a displacement path, whereby the displacement path of the drive element is significantly longer than the spring travel or the displacement path of the drive end of the spring element from the loading position to the relaxation position.

[0035] The spring element can have any shape and can be designed, for example, as a helical spring, a disc spring, a meandering spring element, or even as a buckling spring. The buckling spring design is considered particularly advantageous because, in this case, the spring element exerts a nearly constant spring force over the entire displacement path of the drive end, which can then be transmitted to the drive element via the operative connection.

[0036] During its displacement within the guided path, the drive element, moving from a starting position towards an end position over a certain distance, is initially driven by the spring force of the relaxing spring element. The spring force acts on the drive element for as long as the drive end of the spring element is displaced along the displacement path from the loading position to the relaxed position. Afterwards, for example, a driving punch can be decoupled from the drive element, engage with the fastener, and, together with the fastener as an inertial mass, continue to move along its guided path in the driving direction towards the end position defined by a suitable end stop.By appropriately dimensioning the positive guidance and the displacement path for the drive element and for the driving punch, the risk can be reduced 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 stored in the spring device up to that point will have to be dissipated via an undesired recoil of the drive device.

[0037] The spring drive unit can be manufactured separately as a modular unit and inserted into the housing of the driving device with minimal effort.

[0038] The driving device can have a magazine for multiple fasteners, which can be fed to the spring-driven mechanism either manually or automatically and positioned against the driving punch. Advantageously, it is provided that, after an initial actuation of the spring-driven mechanism, which drives a first fastener into the object, and before a subsequent second actuation of the spring-driven mechanism, a second fastener is automatically fed to the spring-driven mechanism and can be driven into the same or a different object after the second actuation. In this way, driving devices can be provided with which one or even several fasteners can be driven into an object per second.

[0039] The following section explains various embodiments in more detail, which are illustrated in the drawings. It shows: Fig. 1 a schematic representation of a spring drive device, Fig. 2 a schematic representation of a differently designed spring drive device, Fig. 3 a schematic representation of a spring drive device with a different design, and Fig. 4 A schematic sectional view of a driving device with which a fastener can be driven into an object.

[0040] In Fig. Figure 1 is a schematic representation of an embodiment of a spring drive device 1. The spring drive device 1 has a rod-shaped spring element 2 designed and mounted as a buckling spring. The spring element 2 is mounted fixedly and pivotally at a bearing end 3 of the spring element 2. A gear 5 with a rotary bearing 6 arranged centrally in the gear 5 is rotatably mounted at a drive end 4 of the spring element 2 opposite the bearing end 3. The gear 5 engages with a straight-running spring element rack 7, thus forming a rack and pinion drive. The spring element rack 7 is fixed and rigidly arranged relative to the bearing end 3 of the spring element 2. When the drive end 4 of the spring element 2 is moved parallel to the spring element rack 7, the gear 5, which engages positively with the spring element rack 7, performs a rotational movement around the rotational bearing 6.

[0041] On one side of the gear 5 opposite the spring element rack 7, a drive element 8 is mounted in a positive guidance device (not shown), the positive guidance device permitting only linear displacement of the drive element 8 along a drive direction indicated by a double arrow 9. The drive element 8 is driven by a drive means 11 designed as a drive rack 10. The drive rack 10 is also positively guided in the positive guidance device. The drive rack 10 is also in positive engagement with the gear 5, so that a operative connection exists via the gear 5 and the drive rack 10 between the drive end 4 of the spring element 2 on the one hand and the drive element 8 on the other.During a rotational movement of the gear 5, forced by a rolling motion along the spring element rack 7, and during a substantially linear displacement of the drive end 4 of the spring element 2, the drive rack 10 and, via the drive rack 10, the drive element 8 are driven to a linear displacement along a drive direction defined by the positive guidance device. The positively guided drive rack 10, in conjunction with the stationary spring element rack 7, forms a positive guidance device for the gear 5 and thus also for the drive end 4 of the spring element 2.

[0042] During normal use of the spring drive device 1, the drive end 4 of the spring element 2 is moved from a relaxed position against the force of the spring force caused by the resulting deformation of the spring element 2 to a charging position closer to the bearing end 3. In this process, the spring element 2 is charged and spring energy is stored within it. When the drive end 4 is moved back from the charging position to the relaxed position by the spring force, the previously stored spring energy is released and converted into kinetic energy to drive the drive element 8.

[0043] Through the rack and pinion mechanism, the gear 5 provides a transmission ratio when the drive element 8 is displaced relative to the displacement of the drive end 4 of the spring element 2. The displacement path of the drive rack 10 and the drive element 8 is twice as long as the spring travel of the drive end 4, or as the displacement of the drive end 4 between the relaxed and compressed positions. The displacement speed of the drive element 8 along the drive direction determined by the positive guidance device is twice the displacement speed of the drive end 4 of the spring element 2.

[0044] In Fig. Figure 2 is an exemplary embodiment of the spring drive device 1, schematically illustrated with a different configuration. The gear 5 is non-rotatably connected to a transmission gear 12, which is also designed as a gear and has teeth along a circumferential edge. One radius of the transmission gear 12 is larger than one radius of the gear 5. This is similar to the embodiment described above. Fig. The drive element 11, designed as a drive rack 10, engages positively with the teeth of the transmission gear 12 and also forms a rack and pinion drive or an operative connection between the drive end 4 of the spring element 2 and the drive element 8, which extends over the gear 5 and the transmission gear 12 as well as over the drive element 11 designed as a drive rack 10. The different radii of the gear 5 on the one hand and the transmission gear 12 on the other allow a transmission ratio between the displacement of the drive end 4 of the spring element 2 and the displacement of the drive element 8 to be specified within a wide range, without significantly increasing the space required for the spring drive assembly 1.

[0045] At the in Fig. Figure 3, an exemplary and schematic embodiment of a differently designed spring drive device 1, shows a cable 13 serving as the drive means 11. The cable 13 is mounted in a circumferential groove 15 extending along a circumferential edge 14 of the gear wheel 12 such that the cable 13 bears against the circumferential edge 14 of the gear wheel 12 at least partially, and a cable section 16 projecting from or spaced apart from the gear wheel 12 is displaced along the predetermined direction of displacement of the cable section 16 during intended use of the spring drive device 1. The cable 13 does not need to be guided in a straight line and does not need to run tangentially away from the gear wheel 12.It is also possible for the rope 13 to be deflected once or multiple times, so that, regardless of the arrangement and orientation of the spring element 2, the displacement path of the drive element 8 can be specified almost arbitrarily. In this way, the spring drive device 1 can be adapted to different spatial requirements.

[0046] In Fig. Figure 4 schematically illustrates a driving device 17 with a spring drive device 1 designed according to the invention as an exemplary example of the use of the spring drive device 1. The driving device 17 can be used to drive a fastening element 18, also exemplified as a nail, into an object 19. The driving device 17 comprises a housing 20, the spring drive device mounted in the housing 20, and a positive guidance device 21 for the drive element 8. The spring drive device 1 is essentially the same as the one shown in Figure 4. Fig.The embodiment shown in Figure 1 is designed and comprises the spring element 2, configured as a buckling spring, the gear 5 rolling on the spring element rack 7, and the drive element 11, configured as a drive rack 10, for driving the drive element 8. When the driving device 17 is actuated by means of an actuating element 22, the drive element 8, which can be driven via this operative connection of the spring drive device 1, drives the fastening element 18 towards the object 19 along the positive guidance device, so that the fastening element 18 exiting the housing 20 can penetrate the object 19.

[0047] The driving device 17 has an electrically operated charging device 23, shown only schematically, with which the spring element 2 can be deformed and charged with spring energy. The electrical energy for operating the charging device 23 is supplied by an electric accumulator 24. The operation of the driving device 17 is controlled by a control unit 25. A number of fastening elements 18 are stored in a magazine 26 of the driving device 17.After each drive operation, in which the drive element 8 is driven and moved to drive a fastener 18 into the object 19, the spring element 2 can be automatically deformed again and spring energy can be stored in the deformed spring element 2 and, in parallel or successive time, another fastener 18 can be moved from the magazine 26 into a driving position, so that the driving device 17 is prepared for another drive operation, which can be triggered by actuating the actuating element 22.

Claims

[1] Spring drive device (1) with a spring element (2) which is mounted at a bearing end (3) of the spring element (2) and whose opposite drive end (4) can be deflected from a relaxed position to a charging position against a spring force of the spring element (2) and thereby the spring element (2) can be deformed, and with a drive element (8) which is in operative connection with the drive end (4) of the spring element (2) such that when the drive end (4) is displaced from the charging position to the relaxed position by the spring force, the drive element (8) can be driven and can be displaced from an initial position towards a target position, characterized by, that a gear (5) is rotatably mounted in a rotary bearing (6) at the drive end (4) of the spring element (2), that the spring drive device (1) has a spring element rack (7), wherein, when the drive end (4) of the spring element (2) is displaced, the gear (5) engages in the spring element rack (7) and is forced to rotate, and that the drive element (8) is radially spaced from the rotary bearing (6) and is operatively connected to the gear (5), so that the gear (5) provides a transmission of the displacement of the drive end (4) of the spring element (2) relative to the displacement of the drive element (8). [2] Spring drive device (1) according to claim 1, characterized by , that the rotary bearing (6) is arranged centrally in the gear (5). [3] Spring drive device (1) according to claim 1, characterized by , that the rotary bearing (6) is arranged eccentrically in the gear (5). [4] Spring drive device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the spring element rack (7) has a straight path of teeth between which teeth of the gear (5) engage when the gear (5) is displaced along the spring element rack (7). [5] Spring drive device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the functional connection has a drive means (11) with which the drive element (8) can be driven, wherein the drive means is a drive rack (10). [6] Spring drive device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by , that the functional connection has a drive means (11) with which the drive element (8) can be driven, wherein the drive means (11) is a rope (13) or a chain. [7] Spring drive device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by, that the functional connection has a drive means (11) which engages with or is connected to the gear (5) at a circumferential edge of the gear (5), or bears against the gear (5). [8] Spring drive device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that a transmission wheel (12) is connected to the gear (5) in a rotationally fixed manner, and that the drive element (8) is operatively connected to the gear (5) via the transmission wheel (12). [9] Spring drive device (1) according to claim 8, characterized by , that the functional connection has a drive means (11) which engages with or is connected to the transmission wheel (12) at a circumferential edge (14) of the transmission wheel (12), or bears against the transmission wheel (12). [10] Spring drive device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by, that the spring drive device (1) either has two spring elements (2) between whose respective drive ends (4) a gear (5) is rotatably mounted, or that the spring drive device (1) has two gears (5) between which the drive end (4) of a spring element (2) is mounted. [11] Spring drive device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the spring element (1) is made of a fiber-reinforced plastic material. [12] Spring drive device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the spring element (2) is designed as a spring buckling rod. [13] Spring drive device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the spring drive device (1) has two or more spring elements (2), each of which is mounted at a bearing end (3) and rotatably mounted at a drive end (4) on a gear (5) associated with this spring element (2). [14] Driving device (17) for driving a fastening element (18) into an object (19), wherein the driving device (17) comprises a housing (20), a spring drive device (1) mounted in the housing (20) and a positive guidance device (21) for a drive element (8), wherein the drive element (8) which can be driven via an operative connection of the spring drive device (1) is displaceable along the positive guidance device (21) in the direction of the object (19) and thereby the fastening element (18) driven by the drive element (8) can be driven into the object (19), characterized by , that the spring drive device (1) is designed according to one of claims 1 to 13.

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