Installation method

Abstract

In a method for installing a component (5) with a fastening element (6) on a substrate (4), using a hand-held tool (10) with a drive for fastening the fastening element (6) and with a control unit, a position of the hand-held tool (10) relative to the substrate (4) is determined, wherein a position of the hand-held tool (10) relative to the component (5) is additionally determined. A hand-held tool (10) for installing a component (5) with a fastening element (6) on a substrate (4) comprises a drive for fastening the fastening element (6) and a control unit, wherein the hand-held tool (10) comprises a sensing device for sensing a position signal of the hand-held tool (10) relative to the substrate (4), and the hand-held tool (10) additionally comprises means for sensing a position of the hand-held tool (10) relative to the component (5).

Description

[0001] Assembly process

[0002] Technical area

[0003] The invention relates to a method for mounting a component with a fastening element on a substrate, using a hand tool with a drive for fastening the fastening element and a control unit, wherein a position of the hand tool relative to the substrate is determined. The invention further relates to a hand tool.

[0004] State of the art

[0005] On construction sites, components must regularly be installed in the correct position and in the correct alignment. This applies in particular, but not exclusively, to components such as wall panels, floor slabs, decking, etc. For assembly, a frame or grid is typically pre-assembled beforehand, onto which the components are then mounted. Assembly is usually carried out using wood screws. Various techniques are known to achieve a particularly level installation. One common method involves the use of adjusting screws, which can be used to adjust the position of the component relative to the substrate. Adjusting screws are wood screws with which a component can be attached at an adjustable distance from a substrate. They have sawtooth-shaped grooves under the screw head that dig into the wood so that there is an axial form-fit connection between the adjusting screw and the component.This means that the adjusting screw can no longer move longitudinally relative to the component. If such an adjusting screw is subsequently turned, it only moves axially within the wall or the dowel contained therein. The distance between the batten and the wall can thus be precisely set (adjusted). Various techniques are also known for monitoring the target position. On the one hand, conventional spirit levels, laser levels, and the like can be used. These techniques have the disadvantage that more than one worker is usually required to install such a component. Furthermore, the precision is generally not sufficient. It is also known to use a line laser, which can be used to create a plane parallel to the target position of the component. The installer can then visually check whether the component is in the target position.This method has the disadvantage that the technician still has to visually check whether the target position has been reached. This is both inefficient and rather inaccurate.

[0006] US Patent No. 5,484,026 B1 (Nikon Corporation) discloses an electric handheld device with a sensor, which can be used to mount a floor element or a ceiling element horizontally. A reference plane is generated using a light emitter, which can be detected by the sensor. As soon as the sensor detects the reference plane, the motor is switched off. In another embodiment, the drive speed is reduced as soon as the sensor is close to the reference plane. This allows a component to be mounted relatively precisely. However, the position of the screw is used as the reference. This is disadvantageous because the screw usually does not have a clear position relative to the component – ​​sometimes the screw head is flush with the surface of the component, sometimes the screw is more or less countersunk into the component.

[0007] European patent application EP 3 656 508 A1 (Fischerwerke) discloses a hand tool with a light sensor which can interact with a leveling laser in such a way that when light from the leveling laser hits the light sensor, the control unit of the hand tool switches off the drive. The light sensor can be arranged on a sleeve tube which comes into contact with the workpiece. This means that the position of the sensor is independent of the depth to which the screw is sunk into the workpiece. The sleeve tube creates a method which operates with greater precision than the Nikon method. However, the sleeve tube has the disadvantage that the position of the screw cannot be determined optically by the fitter or by the leveling laser. This method is therefore cumbersome and hardly feasible. The sleeve tube makes it difficult to hit the screw head with the hand tool (e.g. with a screw bit).It is not possible to visually check whether the screw is screwed in sufficiently. Furthermore, it is not possible to verify whether the screw is screwed in orthogonally or in the desired orientation to the surface of the component.

[0008] The known methods for mounting a component with a fastening element on a substrate using a hand tool have the disadvantage that they are not very precise and are cumbersome to handle and thus inefficient for achieving precise mounting of a component on a substrate.

[0009] Description of the invention

[0010] The object of the invention is to create a method belonging to the technical field mentioned at the outset and a hand tool suitable therefor, with which a component can be fastened to a substrate with a fastening element in a particularly precise and efficient manner in a predetermined position.

[0011] The solution to the problem is defined by the features of claim 1. According to the invention, a position of the hand tool relative to the component is additionally determined.

[0012] An associated hand tool for mounting a component with a fastening element on a substrate comprises a drive for fastening the fastening element and a control unit. The hand tool comprises a detection device for detecting a position signal of the hand tool relative to the substrate. The hand tool additionally comprises means for detecting a position of the hand tool relative to the component.

[0013] By additionally determining the position of the hand tool relative to the component, a method is obtained which is independent of the position of the fastening element relative to the component, thus enabling particularly precise positioning of the component relative to the substrate. If only the position of the hand tool is monitored, then only the end position of the fastening element is monitored, but not that of the component. If the fastening element is designed as a screw, for example, the end position of the screw relative to the component is not always constant - in one case the screw head may be exactly flush with a surface of the component, in another case the screw head may be countersunk into the component. Depending on the component, this can result in deviations from the target position of several millimeters up to centimeters during assembly. This can happen during assembly, for example,of wall elements or floorboards and the like can lead to undesirable unevenness. Because the position of the component is also monitored with the hand tool, together with the monitoring of the position of the hand tool relative to the substrate, such a deviation from the target position can be monitored and corrected. To do this, in a first step it can be determined based on the position of the hand tool relative to the substrate whether the target position of the hand tool has been reached. Subsequently or in parallel with this, it can be determined based on the position of the hand tool relative to the component whether the target position of the component has also been reached. If so, the drive is switched off by the control unit and the process is terminated.If no, an actual distance between the hand tool and the component is determined - if this is greater than a target distance between the hand tool and the component, this means that the component is already too close to the substrate. The fastener must therefore be repositioned so that the component moves back from the substrate by the incorrect distance. Accordingly, an actual distance that is smaller than a target distance means that the component is too far from the substrate, which means that the component must be moved towards the substrate by the incorrect distance using the fastener. In a further variant, the relative positions of the hand tool relative to the substrate and of the hand tool relative to the component can be continuously monitored. In this case, for example, a target position of the hand tool relative to the substrate can also be continuously corrected.

[0014] Determining the position of the hand tool relative to the component has the advantage, particularly compared to the Fischerwerke cladding tube (EP 3 656 508 A1), that the fastening element remains visible. This improves handling of the hand tool, which in turn allows the process to be carried out more efficiently. The Fischerwerke cladding tube also has the disadvantage that it only monitors the component, not the fastening element. This creates the risk that the drive will be switched off after the component has been correctly positioned, even though the fastening element is not yet in the desired position. Furthermore, the cladding tube can be sterically cumbersome, particularly when working in an edge area (near a wall) or when the component has structures whereby the cladding tube is positioned differently relative to the component depending on the position of the fastening element (e.g.depending on the position rests on a strut or the like).

[0015] To determine the position of the hand tool relative to the surface, a device is preferably provided that is fixed relative to the surface. The device is preferably designed such that a contactless determination of the position of the hand tool relative to the device and thus also relative to the surface can be determined. The contactless determination of the position can be carried out in various ways.

[0016] The term "switched off" in relation to the drive here refers to an action that stops the drive. This can be a clutch, a power interruption, or something similar. Interrupting the drive using a clutch has the advantage of preventing or at least reducing overrun. In contrast, interrupting the drive electronically is particularly easy to implement.

[0017] The term "subsurface" refers, for example, to a floor, a wall, a ceiling, a grate, or the like. The substrate thus forms the fixed reference system via which the target position of the component is determined. However, it is clear to a person skilled in the art that the relative position of the hand tool relative to the substrate can also be determined indirectly (e.g. a line laser standing on a pedestal or tripod; in this case, the relative position to the floor is determined via the pedestal or tripod of the line laser). The component does not necessarily have to be mounted directly on the substrate, but can also be attached indirectly, for example to a pre-assembled grate. On the construction site, both in interior work and when building facades, when laying wooden floorboards indoors and outdoors, and the like, particular care must be taken to ensure that such components are installed level.For a floor, particularly outdoors, a slope may also be desired so that rainwater drains away more effectively. The method according to the invention is therefore particularly suitable for such applications. Using the present method, for example, terrace supports and decking boards can be laid efficiently and precisely. In these cases, the component is preferably designed as a floor slab, wall slab, ceiling slab, a grid for fastening such slabs, or the like. Furthermore, the method can be used for the construction of a roof truss, in particular for achieving the correct roof pitch. The component can comprise, in particular, a plasterboard, parquet elements, slatted frames, GIS frames, but also railing elements, fence elements, post bases, and other elements.

[0018] However, it is clear to those skilled in the art that precise assembly of components is also advantageous in other areas, meaning that the method according to the invention can also be applied, for example, in vehicle construction (e.g., interior fittings for railway carriages, ships, aircraft, etc.). Furthermore, the method can also be used in road construction, bridge construction, etc. The components do not necessarily have to be mounted flat; the method can equally well be used to create a predetermined curvature (e.g., through a polygonal arrangement of several components). Any number of examples of this are known to those skilled in the art.

[0019] Preferably, the drive is controlled by the control unit as a function of the position of the hand tool relative to the substrate and the position of the hand tool relative to the component. In this case, the hand tool comprises a control unit which, on the one hand, processes data on the relative position of the hand tool to the substrate and, on the other hand, data on the relative position of the hand tool to the component. In order to achieve the target position of the component, it is typically not sufficient to specify a target position of the hand tool, since the fastening element does not necessarily assume a reproducible end position in the target position of the component. The control unit then processes the data on the relative position of the hand tool to the substrate and the data on the relative position of the hand tool to the component in such a way that the target position of the component is reached regardless of the end position of the fastening element.To do this, as explained above, the position of the hand tool (and thus the position of the fastener) and the position of the component are monitored. As soon as the theoretical target position of the hand tool is reached, the relative position of the hand tool to the component is used to determine whether the component is already in the target position. If not, the control unit calculates a corrective movement, which is then carried out by the drive. Preferably, another control measurement is then carried out to check whether the component has now assumed the target position. As soon as the target position of the component is reached, the process is aborted, i.e. the drive is switched off.

[0020] In variants, the position of the hand tool relative to the substrate or the position of the hand tool relative to the component can also be signaled only to the user, for example by a signal tone, a signal light, a vibration of the device, etc. For example, after the target position of the hand tool relative to the substrate has been reached, the hand tool can signal whether the target position of the component has been reached. If not, a "+" can be used, for example, to indicate that the fastener must be driven in further, while a "-" can be used to indicate that the fastener must be retracted to bring the component into the target position. Further embodiments are known to those skilled in the art.

[0021] Preferably, a direction of rotation of the drive is determined by the control unit as a function of the position of the hand tool relative to the substrate and / or the position of the hand tool relative to the component. Preferably, the direction of rotation is determined by the control unit based on the data of the position of the hand tool relative to the substrate and / or the position of the hand tool relative to the component. This makes it possible to take into account whether the component has a positive or negative differential distance from the target position. If the fastening means is designed as a screw, for example, the sign of the differential distance can be taken into account by selecting the direction of rotation of the drive in order to achieve the target position of the component. This embodiment of the method is particularly advantageous when using an adjusting screw or the like.In variants, the choice of direction of rotation can also be used advantageously when screwing a nut onto a threaded rod, which serves as a support for the component.

[0022] In variants, the determination of the direction of rotation can also be omitted.

[0023] The hand tool preferably comprises a screwing device. The fastening element is preferably designed as a screw, in particular as an adjusting screw. Practice has shown that the precise positioning of components on the construction site is typically achieved using adjusting screws, which makes the method particularly advantageous when used with adjusting screws. In this area, the method allows for particularly precise and efficient work. The screwing device can be designed, for example, as a drill / driver, in particular as a cordless drill / driver (colloquially called a cordless screwdriver). In principle, commercially available drills can also be used.

[0024] In variants, the fastening means can also be a threaded rod with a nut, with the screwing device having a corresponding tool (socket or the like). Other fastening means are known to those skilled in the art.

[0025] Preferably, the drive is controlled via the control unit depending on the thread pitch of the screw. The control unit is preferably designed such that it can process data on the position of the hand tool relative to the substrate and data on the position of the hand tool relative to the component. In particular, the control unit can thus determine a distance over which the screw must be screwed in. Preferably, the method then uses the thread pitch of the screw and the determined distance to determine a number of revolutions with which the screw must be screwed into the substrate in order to reach the target position of the component or of the hand tool relative to the substrate.Since, particularly with wood screws, the thread pitch can only be assumed to be essentially constant after a certain screwing depth, the method preferably involves initially screwing the screw into the substrate until the screw tip is completely countersunk in the substrate, in order to then determine the necessary number of screw turns based on a remaining distance determined by the control unit. The drive is preferably then controlled in such a way that the screw is screwed into the substrate with the necessary number of turns. In a preferred variant, a check is then carried out again to determine whether the target position of the component has been reached. By controlling the drive depending on the thread pitch, the screw can be screwed in particularly precisely, in particular because re-tightening of the drive can be avoided or taken into account and factored in.

[0026] In some variants, the drive can also be controlled in such a way that the rotational speed decreases as the distance of the component from the target position decreases. In this case, the thread pitch does not need to be taken into account.

[0027] Preferably, the hand tool comprises detection means for detecting the thread pitch of the screw in order to calibrate the hand tool based on the thread pitch, wherein in particular the thread pitch is determined by dividing a difference in distance between the hand tool and the component by a corresponding number of revolutions of the screw during operation of the hand tool or wherein in particular the thread pitch is detected manually in the control unit.

[0028] In the first preferred variant, the thread pitch is determined while the screw is being screwed in. This process can be performed once and does not need to be repeated as long as screws of the same thread pitch are being used. By determining the position of the hand tool relative to the component, a differential distance can be determined while the screw is being screwed in (after the tip of the screw is fully screwed in). This differential distance is divided by the number of revolutions to determine the thread pitch (e.g., a 50 mm differential distance for 25 revolutions results in a thread pitch of 2 mm per revolution).

[0029] The control unit preferably comprises an input device via which a thread pitch can be entered. The hand tool thus preferably comprises means for entering the thread pitch, in particular, for example, a keypad, a touchscreen, or the like. Furthermore, the hand tool can also have communication means so that programming via a computer, an app, or the like is possible. Furthermore, the hand tool or the computer can have a code reading device with which a barcode, a QR code, or the like can be read, which can be used to determine the thread pitch. Many variants are known to those skilled in the art.

[0030] In some variants, the input device for entering the thread pitch can be omitted. In this case, the thread pitch can be determined during operation (see above).

[0031] Preferably, the control unit calculates a number of u revolutions of the screw based on the difference between the actual position of the screw and the target position of the screw, with the hand tool being controlled such that the drive is stopped after u revolutions of the screw. This creates a particularly efficient method for assembling a component, since after determining the number of revolutions, the drive can be controlled particularly precisely in order to reach the target position of the component particularly efficiently.

[0032] In variants, a difference distance between the actual position of the component and the target position of the component can be determined in order to monitor the achievement of the target position based on the position of the hand tool relative to the substrate and the position of the hand tool relative to the component.

[0033] The position of the hand tool relative to the substrate is preferably determined using a passive system, wherein a transmitting device is provided which is fixedly arranged relative to the substrate and emits a signal in a specific direction or in a specific plane (e.g. a line laser). For this purpose, the hand tool preferably comprises one or more sensors for detecting the signal emitted by the device. The sensor can be designed such that exactly one position in the longitudinal direction of the hand tool (i.e. in the direction in which the hand tool moves during installation of the fastening means) can be detected. On the other hand, the sensor can also be designed such that several positions in the longitudinal direction of the hand tool can be detected, or several sensors can be provided on the hand tool in the longitudinal direction.This allows different positions of the hand tool to be detected and differentiated in the longitudinal direction.

[0034] This allows the hand tool to be positioned for assembling the component. Once the sensor detects the signal emitted by the transmitter, the position of the hand tool can be determined, at least in one direction.

[0035] It will be clear to those skilled in the art that the transmitting device can also be designed such that different signals are transmitted, which can be detected accordingly by one or more sensors of the handheld device, with each of the signals corresponding to a position of the handheld tool. In particular, the transmitting device can be designed such that several different signals are emitted in parallel planes. Thus, with a suitable sensor that can distinguish between the different signals, several different positions of the handheld tool relative to the transmitting device can be determined.

[0036] In a further variant, the hand tool can comprise the transmitting device, while a receiving device arranged fixedly relative to the ground detects a position of the hand tool.

[0037] In a further preferred variant, an active method is used, wherein in particular, for example, a light source is used to illuminate the hand tool at an angle and the reflected light is in turn detected by a sensor. This can be used to detect the position of the hand tool. It will be clear to a person skilled in the art that, for example, sound waves or the like can also be used to determine the position of the hand tool. In a further variant or additionally, the surface of the hand tool can be measured in order to determine the position and orientation of the hand tool. This can be used, for example, to signal to the user of the hand tool whether they are in the right place and whether the hand tool is correctly aligned with the substrate and / or the component.This allows a fastening element, in particular a screw or the like, to be positioned, aligned, and screwed in with particular precision, in order to achieve particularly precise fastening of the component to the substrate. Corresponding sensor designs are known to those skilled in the art. For example, an electronic image converter can be used, in particular a CCD or CMOS camera, a PSD (position-sensitive device), an OPS (optical position sensor), etc., to detect the scattered light reflected by the hand tool. The technical implementation is known to those skilled in the art.

[0038] In another variant, the position is determined via triangulation, in particular, for example, laser triangulation. Other active methods for determining the position of the hand tool are known to those skilled in the art.

[0039] In a particularly preferred variant, the position of the hand tool relative to the substrate is determined using a line laser. Line lasers are easy to use and cost-effective. The line laser can be used to project a line and / or a plane that is aligned parallel to a desired position of the component during use. For this purpose, the hand tool preferably comprises a sensor with which the line laser can be detected. The control unit is designed such that it can control the drive of the hand tool depending on the sensor. Particularly preferably, the drive is switched off via the control unit as soon as the sensor detects the laser.

[0040] In variants, other techniques may also be provided to determine the position of the hand tool relative to the substrate (see above).

[0041] Preferably, the position of the hand tool relative to the component is determined using a measuring laser. Accordingly, the means for detecting the position of the hand tool relative to the component preferably comprise a measuring laser. This allows a distance between the hand tool and the component to be determined directly in a particularly simple and reliable manner.

[0042] In variants, a mechanical measuring device may also be provided, for example, a longitudinally movable pin arranged laterally on the hand tool, the position of which can be recorded electronically, for example. Further variants are known to those skilled in the art.

[0043] A system for assembling a component preferably comprises a hand tool and means for generating the position signal, in particular a line laser. In this combination, the system can be used directly to assemble components precisely and efficiently. The hand tool is preferably designed such that the system can be combined with a commercially available line laser.

[0044] The handheld device preferably comprises a drive shaft with a tool holder, in particular a drill chuck or a bit holder, wherein the measuring laser is arranged offset parallel to a rotation axis of the drive shaft and aligned in the direction of the tool holder. The measuring laser is preferably attached to the side of the handheld tool so that the laser propagation direction is parallel to a direction in which the fastening means is driven into the substrate, in particular the screw is screwed into the substrate. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the position of the measuring laser on the handheld tool can be changed. This can be advantageous if the component is to be installed in a corner area of ​​a room, for example. The position of the measuring laser can be changed by dismantling and reassembling it on the handheld tool.In a further embodiment, the measuring laser can be arranged so that it can be displaced, in particular transversely to a laser axis on the handheld tool, or rotatable around the circumference of the handheld tool. It is also conceivable to design the measuring laser so that it can be pivoted, so that the laser axis can be pivoted. Finally, the measuring laser can also be arranged on the handheld tool in such a way that the distance between the laser axis and the drive axis of the handheld tool can be varied. The measuring laser (as well as the sensor) can be designed so that a commercially available cordless screwdriver can be retrofitted with it. Those skilled in the art are aware of several ways in which the data from the measuring laser can be transmitted to the control unit (wired, via a wireless network such as WiFi, WLAN or Bluetooth, etc.) or how the measuring laser can be supplied with energy (battery, rechargeable battery of the cordless screwdriver, etc.). The measuring laser can comprise a memory with which data (control data, measurement data, etc.) can be stored.) can be stored. The measuring laser can also be designed to be used independently of the cordless screwdriver (e.g., it can be decoupled from the cordless screwdriver). Instead of the cordless screwdriver, a mains-powered device, such as a conventional drill or similar, can also be used.

[0045] In some variants, the measuring laser can also be mounted on the hand tool in other ways; variants for this are also known to the expert.

[0046] Preferably, a target position of the component relative to the substrate is set. This has the advantage that the target position does not need to be corrected. During the process, the position of the component relative to the hand tool is preferably monitored, with the target position of the hand tool being corrected based on the position of the component relative to the hand tool. If the position of the component relative to the hand tool is determined using a measuring laser, monitoring is preferably performed by continuously measuring the distance between the hand tool and the component.

[0047] In variants, a target position of the hand tool relative to the substrate can also be set. In this case, the target position is preferably corrected at least once, especially continuously, depending on the relative position between the hand tool and the component.

[0048] Further advantageous embodiments and combinations of features of the invention emerge from the following detailed description and the entirety of the patent claims.

[0049] Short description of the drawings

[0050] The drawings used to explain the embodiment show:

[0051] Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of an oblique view of an assembly comprising a panel to be mounted on a grate, a line laser, and a cordless screwdriver with a measuring laser; Fig. 2a is a schematic representation of a side view of an assembly comprising a panel to be mounted on a grate, a line laser, and a cordless screwdriver with a measuring laser, after the tip of the adjusting screw has penetrated the panel;

[0052] Fig. 2b is a schematic representation according to Figure 2a, wherein the adjusting screw is screwed a distance further into the panel in order to determine a thread pitch of the spacer screw;

[0053] Fig. 2c is a schematic representation according to Figure 2a, with the adjusting screw fully screwed in;

[0054] Fig. 2d is a schematic representation according to Figure 2c, wherein the adjusting screw is screwed back so far that the desired position of the panel is reached;

[0055] Fig. 3a is a schematic representation according to Figure 2d, wherein the screw head of the adjusting screw is countersunk in the panel; and

[0056] Fig. 3b is a schematic representation according to Figure 3a with corrected position of the panel.

[0057] In principle, identical parts in the figures are provided with identical reference symbols.

[0058] Ways to implement the invention

[0059] Figure 1 shows an arrangement for mounting a panel 5 on a wall 3 in a room 1. To illustrate the method, the room 1 comprises a floor 2 and a wall 3, which are perpendicular to each other. The panel 5 is mounted on a grid consisting of several strips 4 mounted parallel to each other on the wall 3. The panel 5 is fastened to these strips 4 with adjusting screws 6. A cordless screwdriver 10 with a handle 16 and a chuck 14 for receiving a screw bit 15 is provided for installing the screws 6.

[0060] To achieve precise installation of the panel 5, a plane 21 is spanned with a line laser 20, which is parallel to a desired position of the panel 5. For this purpose, the line laser 20 is installed on the floor 2, so that the line laser 20 assumes a fixed position relative to the floor 2, the wall 3, and in this case also to the grid with the multiple parallel strips 4.

[0061] The cordless screwdriver 10 comprises a sensor 11 with which the plane 21 can be detected. This allows the position of the cordless screwdriver to be determined using the line laser 20.

[0062] 10 relative to the line laser 20 and thus relative to the floor 2 or the wall 3. If a laser beam 22 located in the plane 21 reaches the sensor

[0063] 1 1 of the cordless screwdriver 10, this is detected by a control unit located in or on the cordless screwdriver 10. In conventional systems (e.g., according to Fischerwerke), the drive of the cordless screwdriver 10 is stopped at this moment. However, since the position of the cordless screwdriver 10 can only (indirectly) detect the position of the adjusting screw 6, it cannot be guaranteed that the panel 5 is also in the desired position.

[0064] To ensure this, the cordless screwdriver 10 further includes a measuring laser 12, with which a position of the cordless screwdriver 10 relative to the panel 5 can be monitored. The distance 13 measured with the measuring laser 12 is used as a further criterion for switching off the drive of the cordless screwdriver 10.

[0065] In the method, the position of the cordless screwdriver 10 can now be monitored using the line laser 20. As soon as the target position of the cordless screwdriver 10 is determined, the measuring laser 12 checks whether the panel 5 is in the target position. If yes, the drive of the cordless screwdriver 10 is switched off. If not, the incorrect distance is determined. Depending on the incorrect distance, the direction of rotation of the drive is determined in order to move the panel 5 into the target position using the adjusting screw 6. In the first embodiment of the method, the target position of the panel 5 is monitored exclusively using the measuring laser 12.

[0066] In a further embodiment of the method, the sensor 11 of the cordless screwdriver 10 is designed such that, depending on the point of impact of the laser beam 22 on the sensor 11, different relative positions of the cordless screwdriver 10 to the line laser 20 can be determined. This also makes it possible in the method to track a target position of the cordless screwdriver 10 relative to the line laser 20 depending on the measured distance of the cordless screwdriver 10 to the panel 5. In particular, the position of the panel 5 relative to the line laser 20 can thus be determined precisely via the line laser 20 and the measuring laser 12, ie even if the target position of the cordless screwdriver 10 had to be corrected.

[0067] This method can also be used to install the grating 4, which then allows the panel 5 to be installed without the assistance of the line laser 20 and the measuring laser 12. Furthermore, the method can also be used to install floor gratings, floorboards, etc.

[0068] Figure 2a shows a schematic representation of a side view of an arrangement 1 comprising a panel 5 to be mounted on a grate 4, a beam 22 of a line laser 20 and a cordless screwdriver 10 with a measuring laser 12 and an adjusting screw 6 with which the panel 5 is fastened to the grate 4.

[0069] The adjusting screw 6 comprises a distal screw section, which has a conventional thread 6.1 for screwing into wood or similar materials. A central section without a thread adjoins the distal section. Adjacent to the screw head, the adjusting screw 6 comprises sawtooth-shaped grooves 6.2 that dig into the wood to create an axial positive fit between the adjusting screw 6 and the component. This means that once the adjusting screw 6 is screwed into the panel 5 up to the screw head, it can no longer move longitudinally relative to the panel 5.

[0070] In a first step, the thread pitch of the adjusting screw 6 is determined. This can be done once, as long as screws with the same thread pitch are used. For calibration, the control unit can include a calibration program which, when activated, performs a specific number of revolutions and determines a corresponding differential distance using the measuring laser 12. The thread pitch can be calculated by dividing the differential distance by the number of revolutions. The thread pitch can be used in the process to achieve a target position of the panel 5 particularly efficiently - if the differential distance to the target position is known, the control unit can determine the number of necessary revolutions of the drive and control the drive accordingly so that the revolutions are carried out.This allows the target position to be reached with great precision and speed, without risking negative effects from drive overrun or similar behavior. This allows the drive to be optimized for speed, especially during operation, since a corresponding performance profile for the drive can be created based on the number of revolutions. For example, overrun due to the inertia of the drive or a clutch can be taken into account, allowing the drive to be shut down or decoupled early.

[0071] Figure 2a now shows the adjusting screw 6 after the tip has penetrated the panel 5. The adjusting screw 6 is screwed into the panel 5 so far that the thread 6.1 now penetrates the panel 5 with a constant pitch per revolution, meaning that at least the tip of the adjusting screw 6 is within the panel 5. In this position, the length of the measuring beam 13 is determined using the measuring laser 12. The drive is then activated to perform a specific number of revolutions. This causes the adjusting screw 6 to penetrate further into the panel 5 or the grate 4. This is shown in Figure 2b.

[0072] In this position, the length of the measuring beam 13 is again determined using the measuring laser 12. The (positive) difference between the two determined lengths is then divided by the number of revolutions to obtain the thread pitch. The control unit can then use the distance to calculate the number of revolutions that the drive of the cordless screwdriver 10 must make to reach the target position of the panel 5.

[0073] During normal operation, for mounting panel 5, the adjusting screw 6 is fully screwed in as a first step. Figure 2c shows this situation. The screw head is perfectly flush with panel 5, so this figure represents an ideal configuration.

[0074] In the next step, by turning the drive backward with the cordless screwdriver 10, the adjusting screw 6, and thus the panel 5, is moved away from the grate 4 until the sensor 11 of the cordless screwdriver 10 detects the laser beam 22 of the line laser 20, and the drive is switched off. This situation is shown in Figure 2d. The distance 13 is now measured with the measuring laser 12 to ensure that the panel 5 (and not just the adjusting screw 6) is in the correct position. This is the case in Figure 2d, which switches off the drive.

[0075] However, the ideal configuration does not always occur. Typically, when the adjusting screw 6 is fully screwed in, the screw head will not always be perfectly aligned with the surface of the panel 5, but will be more or less deeply recessed into the panel.

[0076] Figure 3a shows such a configuration, in which the screw head of the adjusting screw 6 is countersunk into the panel 5. The laser beam 22 is detected by the sensor 11 of the cordless screwdriver 10, even though the panel 5 is not in the desired position. The panel 5 is positioned too far away from the grate 4 by the distance by which the screw head is countersunk into the panel 5. This incorrect distance is then determined by the measuring laser 12 and passed on to the control unit. Based on the incorrect distance, the control unit calculates the direction of rotation and the number of revolutions for the cordless screwdriver 10 in order to subsequently control the drive accordingly. After the number of revolutions has been completed, the drive is switched off. This situation is shown in Figure 3b.It should be noted that in this end position, especially if the sensor 1 1 can only detect one point, the sensor 1 1 does not detect the laser beam 22 and the measuring laser 12 continues to measure the distance that is too short - nevertheless, the target position of the panel 5 is reached.

[0077] It will be clear to those skilled in the art that determining the thread pitch is not mandatory. The method also functions by exclusively measuring distances using the measuring laser 12. For this purpose, the system can comprise a two-dimensional sensor as sensor 11, with which the position of the cordless screwdriver 10 relative to the line laser 20 can be determined over a range. Thus, the correction (Figures 3a, 3b) can also be made by monitoring with the line laser 20 instead of via the number of revolutions of the drive. In summary, it can be stated that the invention provides a method for assembling components that enables fast and precise assembly and, in particular, can correct irregularities during assembly, particularly due to the screw insertion depth of the screw in the component.

Claims

Patent claims 1. Method for mounting a component (5) with a fastening element (6) on a base (4), using a hand tool (10) with a drive for fastening the fastening element (6) and a control unit, wherein a position of the hand tool (10) relative to the base (4) is determined, characterized in that a position of the hand tool (10) relative to the component (5) is additionally determined.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the drive is controlled by the control unit as a function of the position of the hand tool (10) relative to the substrate (4) and the position of the hand tool (10) relative to the component (5).

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a direction of rotation of the drive is determined by the control unit as a function of the position of the hand tool (10) relative to the substrate (4) and / or the position of the hand tool (10) relative to the component (5).

4. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the hand tool (10) comprises a screwing device and the fastening element (6) is preferably designed as a screw, in particular as an adjusting screw.

5. Method according to claim 4, characterized in that the drive is controlled via the control unit as a function of a thread pitch of the screw.

6. Method according to claim 5, characterized in that the hand tool (10) comprises detection means for detecting the thread pitch of the screw in order to calibrate the hand tool (10) based on the thread pitch, wherein in particular the thread pitch is determined by dividing a difference distance between the hand tool (10) and the component (5) by a corresponding number of revolutions of the screw during operation of the hand tool (10) is determined or wherein in particular the thread pitch is manually recorded in the control unit. Method according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that a number u of revolutions of the screw is calculated with the control unit on the basis of a difference between an actual position of the screw and a desired position of the screw, wherein the hand tool (10) is controlled in such a way that the drive is stopped after u revolutions of the screw. Method according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the position of the hand tool (10) relative to the substrate (4) is determined using a line laser (20). Method according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the position of the hand tool (10) relative to the component (5) is determined using a measuring laser (12). .Method according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that a target position of the component (5) relative to the substrate (4) is set, and during the method, a position of the component (5) relative to the hand tool (10) is monitored, wherein a target position of the hand tool (10) is corrected based on the position of the component (5) relative to the hand tool (10).

1. Hand tool (10) for mounting a component (5) with a fastening element (6) on a substrate (4), in particular using a method according to one of claims 1 to 10, comprising a drive for fastening the fastening element (6) and a control unit, wherein the hand tool (10) has a detection device for detecting a position signal of the hand tool (10) relative to the substrate (4), characterized in that the hand tool (10) additionally comprises means for detecting a position of the hand tool (10) relative to the component (5). 2.Hand tool (10) according to claim 10, characterized in that the control unit is designed such that the drive depends on the position of the. Hand tool (10) relative to the base (4) and the position of the hand tool (10) relative to the component (5) can be controlled. Hand tool (10) according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that the means for detecting a position of the hand tool (10) relative to the component (5) comprise a measuring laser. Hand tool (10) according to claim 12, characterized in that the hand-held device comprises a drive shaft with a tool holder, in particular a drill chuck (14) or a bit holder, wherein the measuring laser is arranged offset parallel to a rotation axis of the drive shaft and is oriented in the direction of the tool holder. Hand tool (10) according to one of claims 10 to 13, characterized in that the control unit comprises an input device via which a thread pitch can be entered.System comprising a hand tool (10) according to one of claims 10 to 12 and means for generating the position signal, in particular a line laser.

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