Driving tool

Abstract

To provide a driving tool which can switch a driving operation mode similarly as a driving tool of a gas spring type in a driving tool of a mechanical spring type which utilizes an energization force of a striking spring as a driving force.SOLUTION: A striking driver 3 is allowed to advance by an energizing force of a striking spring 42 to perform a striking operation by actuation of a driver lift mechanism 30 which has an electric motor 13 as a driving source. The striking operation can be switched to a successive drive mode and a single drive mode by a mode switching switch 26. In the successive drive mode, even when either of a contact arm 4 and a trigger 17 is on-operated ahead, the striking operation is performed. In the single drive mode, when the trigger 17 is caused to perform drawing operation only in an on-operation state of a contact arm 4, a driving operation is performed. Thereby, a careless driving operation is avoided. Operation control of the successive driving mode and the single driving mode is performed by a controller 23.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a handheld driving tool, for example, called a rechargeable tacker, which is mainly used for joining floor materials and gypsum boards at a construction site.

Background Art

[0002] For this type of driving tool, a mechanical spring type driving tool that utilizes the biasing force of a compression spring as the driving force is provided. The mechanical spring type driving tool has a striking driver that advances in the driving direction by the biasing force of the compression spring to strike the driving tool. When the on-operation of the driving nose portion or the contact arm (pressing operation against the material to be driven) and the on-operation of the trigger (pulling operation) are performed, after the striking driver is returned to the rear end position, it advances by the biasing force of the compression spring to perform driving. The striking driver is returned from the forward end position (initial position) to the rear end position by a driver lift mechanism having an electric motor as a drive source.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a gas spring type driving tool that performs driving by the thrust of compressed gas. In the disclosed gas spring type driving tool, the on-operation of the driving nose portion and the on-operation of the trigger are detected by a sensor. The operation of the electric motor of the driver lift mechanism is controlled by a controller. The controller controls the driving operation mode (continuous firing mode and single firing mode) based on the on-operation of the driving nose portion and the on-operation of the trigger detected by the sensor.

[0004] In the continuous firing mode, the driving operation is performed when both the on-operation of the driving nose portion and the on-operation of the trigger are performed regardless of the order of these operations. Therefore, in the continuous firing mode, the driving operation is performed by first turning on the driving nose portion and then turning on the trigger, or conversely, by first turning on the trigger and then turning on the driving nose portion. As a result, in the continuous firing mode, it is possible to perform "swinging driving" in which the driving operation is continuously performed on a plurality of portions of the material to be driven by repeating the on-operation of the driving nose portion while moving the driving tool with the trigger turned on. Also, in the continuous firing mode, it is possible to perform "dragging driving" in which the driving operation is continuously performed on a plurality of portions of the material to be driven by repeating the on-operation of the trigger while moving the driving tool with the driving nose portion in the on-operation state.

[0005] In the single firing mode (sequential mode), the driving operation is performed only when the on-operation of the driving nose portion is first performed and then the on-operation of the trigger is performed. If the on-operation of the trigger is first performed, the driving operation is not performed. In this case, it is necessary to cancel the on-operation of the trigger once. In the single firing mode, after one driving operation, the next driving operation becomes possible by turning off the trigger and turning off the driving nose portion.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] Even in a mechanical spring-driven driving tool, it is necessary to enable switching control between a continuous firing mode and a single-shot firing mode. In the present disclosure, switching of the driving operation mode of the mechanical spring-driven driving tool is controlled by a controller.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0008] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a driving tool includes, for example, a striking driver that moves in a driving direction to strike a driving tool, and a striking spring that biases the striking driver in the driving direction. The driving tool is provided, for example, so as to be movable in the driving direction and the counter-driving direction, and includes a contact arm that moves to a retracted position in the counter-driving direction when pressed against a material to be driven, and a trigger that is operated by a user and moves to an on position. The driving tool can be configured to include a mode switching switch that switches the operation mode of the driving operation. The operation modes to be switched can be, for example, a continuous firing mode and a single-shot firing mode. The continuous firing mode can be, for example, an operation mode in which the driving operation is performed when the contact arm moves to the retracted position and the trigger moves to the on position, regardless of the order of movement. The single-shot firing mode can be, for example, an operation mode in which the driving operation is performed only when the contact arm first moves to the retracted position and then the trigger moves to the on position.

[0009] Therefore, in a mechanical spring-driven driving tool, the continuous firing mode and the single-shot firing mode can be switched. In the continuous firing mode, continuous firing is possible by repeating the other operation while maintaining the operation state of either the retraction operation of the contact arm or the on operation of the trigger. In the continuous firing mode, both so-called "swinging strikes" and "dragging strikes" are possible.

[0010] In the single-shot mode, with the contact arm retracted first, a single driving operation is performed by turning on the trigger. In the single-shot mode, the driving operation is performed on the condition that the contact arm has been retracted first. Therefore, even in the single-shot mode, so-called "dragging driving" is possible by repeatedly turning on the trigger while keeping the contact arm retracted. In the single-shot mode, the retraction operation of the contact arm when the trigger is turned on is invalidated, thus avoiding inadvertent driving operations.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] In one or more embodiments, the driving tool can be configured to include, for example, a contact arm detection member that detects that the contact arm has moved to the retracted position, and a trigger detection member that detects that the trigger has moved to the on position. The driving tool can be configured to determine either a continuous firing mode or a single-shot firing mode based on, for example, a signal from a mode switch, and to include a controller that controls the driving operation based on signals from the contact arm detection member and the trigger detection member.

[0013] According to the above configuration, the driving operation is controlled by the controller based on the detection states of the contact arm detection member and the trigger detection member and the operation state of the mode switch. When the recognition operation mode of the controller is the continuous firing mode, the driving operation is performed regardless of the order of detection of the contact arm detection member and the trigger detection member. When the recognition operation mode of the controller is the single-shot firing mode, the driving operation is performed on the condition that the retraction operation of the contact arm has been detected by the contact arm detection member first. When the single-shot firing mode is recognized by the controller, if the on operation of the trigger has been detected by the trigger detection member first, the driving operation is not performed even if the retraction operation of the contact arm is detected thereafter.

[0014] In one or more embodiments, the driving tool can be configured to include, for example, a counterweight that moves in the counter-driving direction when the driving tool moves in the driving direction of a hammer driver. According to this configuration, the recoil during driving is absorbed. Thereby, the operability of the driving tool is improved.

[0015] In one or more embodiments, the driving tool can be configured to have a reaction absorption spring that biases a counterweight, for example, in the counter-driving direction. According to this configuration, the counterweight moves in the counter-driving direction by the biasing force of the weight spring, and the reaction during impact is absorbed.

[0016] In one or more embodiments, for example, it has a driver lift mechanism that returns a striking driver in the counter-driving direction. The driver lift mechanism can be configured such that when the striking spring is compressed, the reaction absorption spring is also compressed. According to this configuration, the striking spring and the reaction absorption spring are compressed by a common driver lift mechanism, thereby simplifying the configuration.

[0017] In one or more embodiments, the driving tool can be configured to have a driver lift mechanism that sequentially engages engaging portions with a striking driver, for example, to return the striking driver in the counter-driving direction in multiple stages. According to this configuration, the driver lift mechanism returns the striking driver in the counter-driving direction against the striking spring. Since the striking driver is returned in multiple stages, the compactification of the driver lift mechanism is achieved while ensuring a sufficient return distance of the striking driver.

[0018] In one or more embodiments, the driver lift mechanism can be configured to have, for example, a rotating base portion and a plurality of engaging pins provided on the base portion as engaging portions. Thereby, the mechanical configuration of the driver lift mechanism is simplified.

Example

[0019] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in this embodiment, as the driving tool 1, a mechanical spring type rechargeable tacker that uses the biasing force of a compression coil spring as a striking force (driving force) is exemplified. The driving tool 1 includes a tool main body portion 10, a motor housing portion 12 that houses an electric motor 13 as a driving source, a grip portion 16 that a user grips, a magazine 19 for loading a large number of driving tools T, and a power supply portion 20. The tool main body portion 10 has a configuration in which a driver lift mechanism 30, a striking mechanism 40, and a recoil absorption mechanism 50 are housed in a main body housing 11. In the following description, the driving direction of the driving tool T is the front side, the counter-driving direction is the rear side, and the left-right direction is used with reference to the user.

[0020] The front portion of the tool main body portion 10 has a driving nose portion 2 that guides the driving driver 3 in the driving direction. When the driving driver 3 for driving the driving tool advances in the driving passage of the driving nose portion 2, the driving tool T is struck and ejected from the ejection port at the front end thereof. One driving tool T ejected from the ejection port is driven into the material to be driven W.

[0021] A contact arm 4 is provided on the driving nose portion 2. The contact arm 4 extends back and forth along the driving nose portion 2. The contact arm 4 is supported so as to be movable back and forth with respect to the driving nose portion 2. The front end portion of the contact arm 4 is located in front of the front end portion (ejection port) of the driving nose portion 2. The contact arm 4 is biased relatively forward by a compression spring 5 interposed between the contact arm 4 and the driving nose portion 2.

[0022] By depressing the driving tool 1 with the front end of the contact arm 4 in contact with the material W to be driven in, the contact arm 4 is relatively retracted with respect to the driving nose portion 2 against the compression spring 5. The condition for the driving operation is that the contact arm 4 is moved to the retracted position (on operation). The retracted position of the contact arm 4 is detected by a contact arm detection member 6 disposed on the front side of the striking mechanism 40. One microswitch is used for the contact arm detection member 6. As shown in FIGS. 1, 5, and 6, a detection arm portion 4a is integrally provided on the contact arm 4. When the contact arm 4 is retracted, the contact arm detection member 6 is turned on by the approach of the detection arm portion 4a. The detection signal of the contact arm detection member 6 is input to a controller 23 described later. The driving operation is controlled by the controller 23.

[0023] The motor housing portion 12 and the grip portion 16 extend downward from the lower portion of the tool body portion 10. The motor housing portion 12 extends substantially parallel to the grip portion 16 on the front side and the rear side, respectively. An electric motor 13, which is a drive source of the driver lift mechanism 30, is housed in the front motor housing portion 12. As shown in FIG. 1, the motor axis M of the electric motor 13 is in a direction intersecting (orthogonal to) the driving direction (front-rear direction) and extends vertically.

[0024] A magazine 19 is coupled to the driving nose portion 2. The magazine 19 extends downwardly and longitudinally along the front side of the motor housing portion 12 from the lower surface of the driving nose portion 2. The magazine 19 is loaded with a plurality of connecting driving tools in which a large number of driving tools T in a U-shape called staples are temporarily fixed in parallel to each other. The loaded connecting driving tools are pitch-fed toward the driving nose portion 2 in conjunction with the driving operation of the tool main body portion 10. Thereby, the driving tools T are supplied one by one into the driving passage. A regulating lever 19a for adjusting the driving depth is provided at the front portion of the magazine 19. By adjusting the position of the regulating lever 19a back and forth, the driving depth of the driving tool T with respect to the material W to be driven can be adjusted. Until the regulating lever 19a abuts against the material W to be driven, the contact arm 4 is retracted by pushing down the driving tool 1. The retraction operation of the contact arm 4 as described above is detected by the contact arm detecting member 6. The electric motor 13 is activated on the condition that the retraction operation of the contact arm 4 is detected by the contact arm detecting member 6.

[0025] A space for the user to insert one hand is provided between the front motor housing portion 12 and the rear grip portion 16. The grip portion 16 can be gripped with the hand inserted into this space. The upper portion of the grip portion 16 has a trigger 17 that is pulled (turned on) by the user's fingertip. A trigger detecting member 18 is installed behind the trigger 17. The trigger detecting member 18 is turned on when the trigger 17 is pulled backward. The electric motor 13 is activated on the condition that the trigger detecting member 18 is turned on.

[0026] A power supply unit 20 extends across the lower portion between the motor housing portion 12 and the grip portion 16. The power supply unit 20 has a battery attachment portion 21 on the lower surface side. One battery pack 22 can be attached to the battery attachment portion 21. The power of the attached battery pack 22 is mainly supplied as the power source for the electric motor 13.

[0027] The battery pack 22 is a slide-mounted lithium-ion battery generally having a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and can be repeatedly used by being removed from the battery mounting portion 21 and charged with a separately prepared charger. Further, a highly versatile battery pack that can also be used as a power source for other power tools such as a rechargeable screwdriver or a cutting tool is applied to the battery pack 22. The battery pack 22 is attached by sliding it from the rear to the front with respect to the battery mounting portion 21. The battery mounting portion 21 has a rail receiving portion for slide mounting.

[0028] Inside the battery mounting portion 21, a controller 23 in which a control circuit board and a power supply circuit board for controlling the operation of the electric motor 13 are installed is accommodated. Above the controller 23 and on the upper surface of the battery mounting portion 21, a mode display portion 25 is provided. A mode changeover switch 26 is provided on the mode display portion 25. By operating the mode changeover switch 26, the driving operation mode can be switched between a "continuous firing mode" and a "single firing mode". On the mode display portion 25, indicators 27 and 28 for indicating the selected mode by lighting an LED are provided. When the continuous firing mode is selected, the indicator 27 lights up. When the single firing mode is selected, the indicator 28 lights up. The switching of the driving operation mode will be described later.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 5, the striking mechanism 40 has a driver pedestal portion 41 that supports the striking driver 3, a mechanism frame 46 that supports the driver pedestal portion 41 so as to be movable back and forth, and a striking spring 42 that biases the driver pedestal portion 41 in the driving direction. A compression coil spring that omits the so-called seat winding is applied to the striking spring 42. The rear portion of the striking driver 3 is coupled to the upper portion of the driver pedestal portion 41 via a coupling pin 3a. The striking driver 3 is made of an elongated plate material and reciprocates back and forth in the driving passage of the driving nose portion 2.

[0030] The driver pedestal portion 41 integrally has a cylindrical support portion 41a extending in the front-rear direction. On the other hand, the mechanism frame 46 has a round bar-shaped support shaft portion 43. The support shaft portion 43 extends over substantially the entire length from the front portion to the rear portion of the mechanism frame 46. The front portion and the rear portion of the support shaft portion 43 are respectively coupled to the mechanism frame 46 so as not to be displaceable in the axial direction and around the axis. A striking spring 42 is interposed around the support shaft portion 43.

[0031] The support shaft portion 43 is inserted radially without play into the inner peripheral side of the cylindrical support portion 41a. Thereby, the driver pedestal portion 41 is supported slidably back and forth with respect to the mechanism frame 46. Further, the displacement of the driver pedestal portion 41 around the axis of the support shaft portion 43 is restricted. One striking spring 42 is interposed between the driver pedestal portion 41 and the rear portion of the mechanism frame 46. By this striking spring 42, the driver pedestal portion 41 and thus the impact driver 3 are biased in the driving direction. Due to the biasing force of this striking spring 42, one driving tool T is struck by the impact driver 3 and driven out from the ejection port.

[0032] The front portion of the mechanism frame 46 has an elastic member 44 for absorbing the impact at the forward end position of the driver pedestal portion 41. The elastic member 44 has a cylindrical shape and is disposed on the outer peripheral side of the support shaft portion 43. Further, the rear portion of the mechanism frame 46 has a cylindrical holding sleeve 45. The holding sleeve 45 is disposed on the inner peripheral side of the rear portion of the striking spring 42. By the holding sleeve 45, buckling, deformation, etc. of the striking spring 42 during its contraction are avoided.

[0033] The impact driver 3 is returned to the rear end position by a driver lift mechanism 30 having an electric motor 13 as a drive source. As shown in FIGS. 1, 5, and 6, the rotational output of the electric motor 13 is decelerated by a reduction gear box 14 incorporating a planetary gear train 14a and output to an output gear 15. The output gear 15 is meshed with an idle gear 31.

[0034] The idle gear 31 is engaged with the lift gear 32 (base portion). The idle gear 31 is rotatably supported by the mechanism base 33 via the support shaft 31a. The lift gear 32 is rotatably supported by the mechanism base 33 via the support shaft 32a. The mechanism base 33 is a thin plate-shaped pedestal portion extending in the front-rear direction and is fixed along the lower side of the mechanism frame 46.

[0035] Due to the engagement of one idle gear 31, the rotation direction of the lift gear 32 is the same as that of the output gear 15. The rotation direction of the lift gear 32 is counterclockwise as shown by the solid arrow in Fig. 6.

[0036] As shown in Figs. 6 and 7, a first engaging portion 34 and a second engaging portion 35 are provided on the upper surface of the lift gear 32. The first engaging portion 34 and the second engaging portion 35 are cylindrical protrusions with substantially the same diameter and are provided in a state of protruding upward respectively. The upward protruding amount of the first engaging portion 34 is approximately half that of the second engaging portion 35 and is lower.

[0037] As shown in Fig. 6, the first engaging portion 34 and the second engaging portion 35 are arranged at positions eccentric by substantially the same distance from the rotation center of the lift gear 32. The first engaging portion 34 is arranged approximately 100° in the front side in the rotation direction with respect to the second engaging portion 35.

[0038] As shown in Figs. 5 and 8, the lower surface of the driver pedestal portion 41 integrally has a first engaging receiving portion 36 and a second engaging receiving portion 37 corresponding to the first engaging portion 34 and the second engaging portion 35. The first engaging receiving portion 36 is arranged on the rear side, and the second engaging receiving portion 37 is arranged a certain distance in the front side of the first engaging receiving portion 36.

[0039] The first engaging receiving portion 36 and the second engaging receiving portion 37 each protrude downward from the lower surface of the driver pedestal portion 41. The amount of downward protrusion of the rear first engaging receiving portion 36 is greater than the amount of downward protrusion of the front second engaging receiving portion 37. The first engaging receiving portion 36 protrudes more downward so that the lower first engaging portion 34 can be engaged, while the second engaging receiving portion 37 protrudes downward by an amount sufficient for the higher second engaging portion 35 to be engaged. In the entire process of the displacement of the impact driver 3 in the driving direction and the return movement in the counter-driving direction, only the first engaging portion 34 is engaged with the rear first engaging receiving portion 36, and only the second engaging portion 35 is engaged with the front second engaging receiving portion 37.

[0040] When the lift gear 32 rotates once, the impact driver 3 is moved backward. In a series of return operations, a first stage in which the first engaging portion 34 is engaged with the first engaging receiving portion 36 and a second stage in which the second engaging portion 35 is engaged with the second engaging receiving portion 37 are sequentially and continuously performed. As a result, the driver pedestal portion 41 and thus the impact driver 3 are returned in two stages from the forward end position to the rearward end position against the biasing force of the impact spring 42.

[0041] In FIG. 6, the first engaging receiving portion 36 and the second engaging receiving portion 37 at the stage when the impact driver 3 and the driver pedestal portion 41 reach the rearward end position are shown by a two-dot chain line. Although not shown in the figure, the standby position (initial position) of the impact driver 3 is set at a position before reaching the rearward end position. The state in which the impact driver 3 is located at the standby position corresponds to the initial state of the driving tool 1.

[0042] In the initial state of the driving tool 1, the driving operation is started on the condition that the contact arm 4 is retracted (the on-operation of the contact arm detecting member 6) and the trigger 17 is pulled (the on-operation of the trigger detecting member 18). When the contact arm detecting member 6 is turned on and the trigger detecting member 18 is turned on, the power supply to the electric motor 13 is started and the electric motor 13 is started. When the electric motor 13 is started at the standby position of the impact driver 3, the impact driver 3 reaches the rearward end by the rotation of the lift gear 32.

[0043] The retracted end position of the striking driver 3 is detected by the retracted end sensor 7. The retracted end sensor 7 is disposed on the rear side of the striking mechanism 40. A microswitch is used for the retracted end sensor 7. The retracted end position of the striking driver 3 is detected by the approach of the first engagement receiving portion 36 to the retracted end sensor 7.

[0044] When the retracted end sensor 7 is turned on, a start timer that manages the start time of the electric motor 13 operates. The start time (stop timing) of the electric motor 13 is set to the time from the retracted end position of the striking driver 3 detected by the retracted end sensor 7 through the forward end position (driving position) to the standby position in front of the retracted end position until it returns. By managing the start time of the electric motor 13 by the start timer, the striking driver 3 is returned from the forward end position after driving to the rear standby position (initial position).

[0045] Immediately after the striking driver 3 reaches the retracted end position, further rotation of the lift gear 32 disengages the second engagement portion 35 from the second engagement receiving portion 37. Thereby, the power for lifting the driver pedestal portion 41 to the retracted end position side against the biasing force of the striking spring 42 is cut off. Thereby, the driver pedestal portion 41 advances by the biasing force of the striking spring 42, and driving is performed by the striking driver 3.

[0046] In FIG. 6, the state immediately after driving in which the driving driver 3 has moved in the driving direction by the biasing force of the striking spring 42 and reached the forward end position is shown by the solid line. After driving in, by continuing the starting state of the electric motor 13, the rotation operation of the lift gear 32 in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 6 is continued. Due to the rotation of the lift gear 32, the first engaging portion 34 is pressed against the front surface of the first engaging receiving portion 36. When the lift gear 32 further rotates in the counterclockwise direction in the pressed state against the first engaging receiving portion 36, the first engaging portion 34 is displaced rearward. As a result, the driver pedestal portion 41 is pushed rearward against the biasing force of the striking spring 42. When the driver pedestal portion 41 is pushed rearward, the striking driver 3 is lifted from the forward end position toward the rear standby position. In the first stage where the first engaging portion 34 engages with the first engaging receiving portion 36 and the striking driver 3 is lifted, the second engaging portion 35 gradually approaches the second engaging receiving portion 37.

[0047] Subsequently, as the lift gear 32 rotates in the counterclockwise direction, the lifting operation shifts from the first stage to the second stage. In the second stage, while the first engaging portion 34 separates from the front surface of the first engaging receiving portion 36, the second engaging portion 35 is in a state of being pressed against the front surface of the second engaging receiving portion 37. In the second stage, the power transmission path for the lifting operation due to the rotation of the lift gear 32 is transferred from the first engaging portion 34 to the second engaging portion 35. In the second stage of the lifting operation, when the second engaging portion 35 is displaced rearward, the driver pedestal portion 41 is continuously lifted rearward against the biasing force of the striking spring 42 and returned to the standby position. When the striking driver 3 is returned to the standby position, the electric motor 13 stops by the timer function and the driver lift mechanism 30 stops. Thus, one driving operation is completed.

[0048] As the impact driver 3 advances, the recoil during impact and driving is absorbed by the recoil absorption mechanism 50. As shown in FIG. 8, the recoil absorption mechanism 50 is arranged symmetrically on both sides in a direction orthogonal to the driving direction with respect to the impact mechanism 40. The left and right recoil absorption mechanisms 50 have a common configuration and each has a single counterweight 51. By moving the counterweights 51 on both the left and right sides in the direction opposite to the driving direction (the counter-driving direction), the recoil during driving is canceled out. Also, by arranging the recoil absorption mechanisms 50 symmetrically on the left and right with respect to the impact driver 3, the movement operation of the counterweights 51 is made more balanced left and right.

[0049] The recoil absorption mechanism 50 includes a counterweight 51, a guide case 52, a recoil absorption spring 53, a stopper plate 58, and an elastic member 54. The counterweight 51 moves in the counter-driving direction in synchronization with the movement of the impact driver 3 in the driving direction. The counterweight 51 is housed inside the guide case 52 and is guided in the driving direction and the counter-driving direction. The counterweight 51 is biased in the counter-driving direction by the recoil absorption spring 53. The recoil absorption spring 53 is housed inside the guide case 52. The movement end position of the counterweight 51 in the counter-driving direction is regulated by the stopper plate 58. The impact at the movement end position of the counterweight 51 in the counter-driving direction is absorbed by the elastic member 54 which is an elastic body.

[0050] The counterweight 51 has a cylindrical shape. The counterweight 51 integrally has a guide shaft portion 51a with a smaller diameter that is coaxial and extends forward. The recoil absorption spring 53 is interposed in a state where the guide shaft portion 51a is inserted through the inner peripheral side. The recoil absorption spring 53 is interposed between the front surface of the counterweight 51 and the front wall portion 52a of the guide case 52.

[0051] The counterweight 51 and the recoil absorption spring 53 are housed in the guide case 52. The guide case 52 has a function of guiding the movement of the counterweight 51 and a function of supporting the recoil absorption spring 53. The guide case 52 has an elongated pipe shape extending from the front part to the rear part of the striking mechanism 40. The counterweight 51 moves back and forth within the guide case 52. The upper part of the guide case 52 has a slit 52b. The slit 52b is formed over the entire longitudinal region of the guide case 52. The driven side rack gear 55 is engaged with the counterweight 51 through the slit 52b. The meshing teeth of the driven side rack gear 55 face upward.

[0052] Above the driven side rack gear 55 and facing it upward, there is a driving side rack gear 56. The driving side rack gear 56 is integrally coupled to the driver pedestal portion 41 of the striking mechanism 40. The meshing teeth of the driving side rack gear 56 face downward. One pinion gear 57 is disposed between the driving side rack gear 56 and the driven side rack gear 55. The pinion gear 57 is rotatably supported by the mechanism frame 46 via a support shaft 57a. The pinion gear 57 is constantly meshed with both the upper driving side rack gear 56 and the lower driven side rack gear 55.

[0053] Therefore, the moving direction of the driven side rack gear 55 is always opposite to that of the driving side rack gear 56. As a result, the counterweight 51 moves synchronously in the direction opposite to that of the driver pedestal portion 41 and thus the striking driver 3 at all times. When the striking driver 3 is returned in the counterpunching direction by the driver lift mechanism 30 described above, the counterweight 51 moves in the driving direction against the recoil absorption spring 53. When the striking driver 3 moves in the driving direction by the biasing force of the striking spring 42, the counterweight 51 is returned in the counterpunching direction by the biasing force of the recoil absorption spring 53.

[0054] At the rear part of the mechanism frame 46, there is a stopper plate 58 that restricts the moving end of the counterweight 51 in the counter-punching direction. An elastic member 54 with elasticity is sandwiched and arranged between the stopper plate 58 and the rear end portion of the guide case 52. Almost the entire elastic member 54 enters the interior from the rear opening of the guide case 52. Thereby, the left and right elastic members 54 are held so as not to fall off from the rear part of the guide case 52. The impact at the retracted end position of the counterweight 51 is absorbed by the elastic member 54 supported on the guide case 52 side instead of the counterweight 51.

[0055] The driving tool 1 of this embodiment can be switched between a "continuous firing mode" and a "single firing mode" for the driving operation mode. The switching of the driving operation mode is performed by operating the mode changeover switch 26 of the mode display section 25. The "continuous firing mode" and the "single firing mode" are common in that the driving operation is performed when both the retraction operation of the contact arm 4 and the pulling operation of the trigger 17 are performed. The two driving operation modes differ in whether the driving operation is performed according to the order of the on-operation of the contact arm 4 and the on-operation of the trigger 17.

[0056] The contact arm detection member 6 is turned on by the retraction operation (on-operation) of the contact arm 4. When the contact arm detection member 6 is turned on, an on-signal is input to the controller 23. The trigger detection member 18 is turned on by the pulling operation (on-operation) of the trigger 17. When the trigger detection member 18 is turned on, an on-signal is input to the controller 23.

[0057] In the state where the "continuous firing mode" is switched, regardless of the order of the retraction operation of the contact arm 4 and the pulling operation of the trigger 17, the driving operation is performed when both operations are carried out. As described above, the driving operation is started when the electric motor 13 is activated in the initial state where the impact driver 3 is located at the forward end. In the state where the "single-shot mode" is switched, the driving operation is performed when the pulling operation of the trigger 17 is carried out after the retraction operation of the contact arm 4 is first performed. In the "single-shot mode", when the trigger 17 is first pulled, the retraction operation of the contact arm 4 is invalidated and the driving operation is not performed.

[0058] The control of the driving operation is performed by the controller 23. As shown in FIG. 9, the controller 23 has a control circuit board C that controls the activation of the electric motor 13 based on the on-signal of the contact arm detection member 6 and the on-signal of the trigger detection member 18. When the electric motor 13 is activated, the impact driver 3 of the impact mechanism 40 is lifted from the forward end position (non-operating position) to the standby position and then to the rear end position by the driver lift mechanism 30. When the impact driver 3 is lifted to the rear end position, the engagement of the driver lift mechanism 30 is disengaged, and the impact driver 3 moves in the driving direction by the biasing force of the impact spring 42. Thereby, the driving tool T is struck by the impact driver 3. When the impact driver 3 reaches the rear end position, the rear end sensor 7 is turned on. The on-signal of the rear end sensor 7 is input to the controller 23, and the electric motor 13 is stopped. Although not shown, the controller 23 has necessary devices such as a microcomputer and a memory.

[0059] An operation signal of the mode changeover switch 26 of the mode display unit 25 is input to the controller 23. Based on the input operation signal, for example, the indicators 27 and 28 are lit. When switched to the "continuous firing mode", the indicator 27 is lit, and when switched to the "single-shot mode", the indicator 28 is lit.

[0060] Examples of the control flow of the driving operation by the controller 23 are shown in FIGS. 10, 11, 12, and 13. As shown in FIG. 10, for example, after starting at step 100, the operation state of the mode changeover switch 26 is determined at step 110. At step 110, it is determined whether it is the "rapid fire mode" or the "single shot mode". When the "rapid fire mode" is confirmed, the control flow for the rapid fire mode at step 120 proceeds. When the "single shot mode" is confirmed, the control flow for the single shot mode at step 200 proceeds.

[0061] FIGS. 11 and 12 show the control flow of the "rapid fire mode" at step 120. At steps 130, 132, 136, and 138, the operation states of the contact arm 4 and the trigger 17 are determined. When either the retraction operation of the contact arm 4 or the pulling operation of the trigger 17 has not been performed, the control flow returns to step 120. The retraction operation of the contact arm 4 is detected by the on signal of the contact arm detection member 6. The pulling operation of the trigger 17 is detected by the on signal of the trigger detection member 18.

[0062] When the retraction operation of the contact arm 4 is confirmed at step 130 and then the pulling operation of the trigger 17 is confirmed at step 132, the electric motor 13 is started at step 140. Also, when the pulling operation of the trigger 17 is confirmed at step 136 and then the retraction operation of the contact arm 4 is confirmed at step 138, the electric motor 13 is also started at step 140. When the electric motor 13 is started, the driver lift mechanism 30 operates and the impact driver 3 further retracts from the standby position.

[0063] When the impact driver 3 reaches the retracted end position, immediately thereafter, the engagement of the driver lift mechanism 30 with the driver pedestal portion 41 is disengaged, causing the impact driver 3 to move forward in the driving direction. Thereby, the driving tool T is driven. Thus, in the "rapid fire mode", regardless of the order of the on operations of the contact arm 4 and the trigger 17, when both are on-operated, the electric motor 13 is started and the driving operation is performed.

[0064] When the impact driver 3 reaches the retracted end position, the retracted end sensor 7 is turned on. When the retracted end sensor 7 is turned on, the start timer of the electric motor 13 operates. The start time of the electric motor 13 is controlled by the start timer. The start time of the electric motor 13 is set to the time until the impact driver 3 returns from the advanced end position to the standby position. Therefore, when it is confirmed at step 150 that the set time has elapsed by the start timer, the electric motor 13 is stopped. At this stage, the impact driver 3 is returned to the standby position and one driving operation is completed.

[0065] As shown in FIG. 12, after the electric motor 13 stops, the operating states of the contact arm 4 and the trigger 17 are checked in steps 170, 172, 174, 180, 182, and 184. It is confirmed at step 170 that the contact arm 4 has returned to the off position. If the contact arm 4 remains in the retracted operation state, the control flow returns to step 160. Also, it is confirmed at step 180 that the trigger 17 has been turned off. If the trigger 17 remains in the pulled operation state, the control flow returns to step 160.

[0066] When it is confirmed at step 170 that the contact arm 4 has been turned off, the operating state of the trigger 17 is checked at step 172. When it is confirmed at step 172 that the trigger 17 is in the pulled operation state, the operating state of the contact arm 4 is checked again at step 174. When it is confirmed at step 174 that the contact arm 4 is in the retracted operation, the control flow returns to step 140 and the electric motor 13 is restarted, so that the impact driver 3 is returned to the retracted end position by the driver lift mechanism 30. Then, the impact driver 3 moves forward and the driving operation is continuously performed. By repeating steps 140 → 160 → 170 → 174, so-called rapid successive driving called shaking driving is performed.

[0067] Also, when the off operation of the trigger 17 is confirmed in step 180, the operation state of the contact arm 4 is confirmed in step 182. When the retraction operation of the contact arm 4 is confirmed in step 182, the operation state of the trigger 17 is then confirmed again in step 184. When the pulling operation of the trigger 17 is confirmed in step 184, the control flow is returned to step 140 and the electric motor 13 is restarted, so that the driving-in operation is continuously performed. By repeating steps 140 → 160 → 180 → 184, so-called dragging driving-in is performed.

[0068] If the pulling operation of the trigger 17 is not confirmed in step 172, or if the retraction operation of the contact arm 4 is not confirmed in step 182, the contact arm 4 is in the state where it has been turned off and the pulling operation of the trigger 17 has been released. Therefore, the control flow proceeds to step 190, and the control flow of a series of driving-in operations in the "rapid-fire driving mode" ends.

[0069] FIG. 13 shows the control flow of the "single-shot driving mode" in step 200. In the "single-shot driving mode", first, the operation state of the contact arm 4 is confirmed in step 210. When the retraction operation of the contact arm 4 is confirmed in step 210, the operation state of the trigger 17 is confirmed in step 220. When the pulling operation of the trigger 17 is confirmed in step 220, the electric motor 13 is started in step 230.

[0070] By starting the electric motor 13, the impact driver 3 is returned from the forward end position to the rear end position, and the driving-in operation is performed. Thus, in the "single-shot driving mode", the electric motor 13 is started and the driving-in operation is performed only when the contact arm 4 is first retracted and then the trigger 17 is pulled. In the "single-shot driving mode", if the trigger 17 is pulled first, the electric motor 13 does not start even if the contact arm 4 is retracted thereafter. Therefore, the driving-in operation is not performed.

[0071] Even in the "single-shot mode", the start-up time of the electric motor 13 by the start-up timer is confirmed in step 240. When it is confirmed that the preset start-up time has elapsed in step 240, the electric motor 13 is stopped in step 250. At this stage, the striking driver 3 is returned to the standby position and one driving operation is completed.

[0072] After the electric motor 13 stops, the operating state of the contact arm 4 is confirmed in step 260. When it is confirmed in step 260 that the retraction operation of the contact arm 4 is maintained, next, the operating state of the trigger 17 is confirmed in step 270. When the off operation of the trigger 17 is confirmed in step 270, the control flow returns to step 200. When the on operation of the trigger 17 is confirmed again from step 200 with the contact arm 4 in the on operation state, the electric motor 13 is restarted in step 230 and the driving operation is continuously performed. By repeating steps 200 → 230 → 250 → 260 → 270, so-called dragging strikes are made. In the "single-shot mode", one driving operation (single-shot strike) is made by one pulling operation of the trigger 17. In contrast, in the "continuous-fire mode", in addition to the so-called dragging strikes, the driving operation is repeated by maintaining the state of one pulling operation of the trigger 17 and repeating the retraction operation of the contact arm 4 to perform so-called swinging strikes. If the off operation of the trigger 17 is not confirmed in step 270, the control flow returns to step 260.

[0073] When it is confirmed in step 260 that the retraction operation of the contact arm 4 has been released (the contact arm detection member 6 is off), the control flow proceeds to step 280 and the pulling operation of the trigger 17 (the on signal of the trigger detection member 18) is canceled. After the off operations of the contact arm 4 and the trigger 17 are thus confirmed, the series of control flows in the "single-shot mode" ends in step 290. In the "single-shot mode", when the retraction operation of the contact arm 4 is released, the control flow ends. In the "continuous-fire mode", the control flow ends when both the retraction operation of the contact arm 4 and the pulling operation of the trigger 17 are released.

[0074] According to the driving tool 1 of the present embodiment configured as described above, the driving operation mode can be switched between a "continuous firing mode" and a "single shot mode". The driving operation is controlled by the controller 23 based on the detection states of the contact arm detection member 6 and the trigger detection member 18 and the operation state of the mode change switch 26.

[0075] In a state where the mode change switch 26 is switched to the "continuous firing mode", the driving operation is performed regardless of the detection order of the contact arm detection member 6 and the trigger detection member 18. In a state where the mode change switch 26 is switched to the "single shot mode", the driving operation is performed on the condition that the retraction operation of the contact arm 4 has been detected by the contact arm detection member 6 first. For this reason, when the "single shot mode" is recognized by the controller 23, if the ON operation of the trigger 17 has been detected by the trigger detection member 18 first, the driving operation will not be performed even if the retraction operation of the contact arm 4 is detected thereafter. By switching the driving operation mode according to the working form or the like, the working efficiency can be improved and inadvertent driving operations can be prevented.

[0076] The illustrated driving tool 1 has a recoil absorption mechanism 50. According to the recoil absorption mechanism 50, the recoil at the time of impact is absorbed by the counterweight 51 moving in the counter-driving direction by the biasing force of the recoil absorption spring 53. Thereby, the operability and usability of the driving tool 1 are improved. The counterweight 51 moves in the counter-driving direction in conjunction with the movement of the driving driver 3 in the driving direction. Thereby, the recoil at the time of driving is efficiently absorbed.

[0077] The illustrated driving tool 1 has a driver lift mechanism 30. According to the driver lift mechanism 30, by sequentially engaging the first engaging portion 34 and the second engaging portion 35 with the driver pedestal portion 41 that supports the impact driver 3, the impact driver 3 is returned in the counter-driving direction against the impact spring 42 in multiple stages. Thereby, while securing the necessary return distance (the moving distance for striking) of the impact driver 3, the driver lift mechanism 30 is made compact. By using engaging pins for the first engaging portion 34 and the second engaging portion 35, the mechanical configuration of the driver lift mechanism 30 is simplified.

[0078] Various changes can be made to the above-exemplified embodiments. For the mode switching switch 26, various switches such as a push button switch, a slide switch, or a lever switch can be used. The mode switching switch 26 is not limited to the upper surface of the battery attachment portion 21 exemplified, and may be arranged, for example, on the upper surface, side surface, or rear surface of the tool main body portion 10.

[0079] The driving tool T may be a bar-shaped nail (nail) in addition to being a U-shaped staple as exemplified.

[0080] In the embodiment, after one driving operation, the so-called single-shot driving mode in which the on-operation of the trigger 17 is repeated while maintaining the on-state of the contact arm 4 has been exemplified. However, the same mode switching can be applied to the single-shot driving mode in which the next driving operation is not performed unless both the trigger 17 and the contact arm 4 are turned off after one driving operation.

[0081] The driving tool 1 of the embodiment is an example of a driving tool in one aspect of the present disclosure. The impact driver 3 of the embodiment is an example of an impact driver in one aspect of the present disclosure. The impact spring 42 of the embodiment is an example of an impact spring in one aspect of the present disclosure. The contact arm 4 of the embodiment is an example of a contact arm in one aspect of the present disclosure. The trigger 17 of the embodiment is an example of a trigger in one aspect of the present disclosure. The mode changeover switch 26 of the embodiment is an example of a mode changeover switch in one aspect of the present disclosure.

Explanation of Signs

[0082] W…Workpiece to be driven T…Driving tool 1…Driving tool (rechargeable tacker) 2…Driving nose part 3…Impact driver 3a…Coupling pin 4…Contact arm 4a…Detection arm part 5…Compression spring 6…Contact arm detection member 7…Retreat end sensor 10…Tool main body part 11…Main body housing 12…Motor housing part 13…Electric motor 14…Reduction gear box 14a…Planetary gear train 15…Output gear M…Motor axis 16…Grip part 17…Trigger 18…Trigger detection member 19…Magazine 19a…Regulation lever 20…Power supply part 21…Battery attachment part 22…Battery pack 23…Controller C…Control circuit board 25…Mode display part 26…Mode changeover switch 27…Indicator (Full-auto firing mode) 28…Indicator (Single-shot firing mode) 30…Driver lift mechanism 31…Idle gear 31a…Support shaft 32…Lift gear 32a…Support shaft 33…Mechanism base 34…First engaging part 35…Second engaging part 36…First engaging receiving part 37…Second engaging receiving part 40…Striking mechanism 41…Driver pedestal part 41a…Cylindrical support part 42…Striking spring 43…Support shaft part 44…Elastic member 45…Holding sleeve 46…Mechanism frame 50…Recoil absorption mechanism 51…Counterweight 51a…Guide shaft part 52…Guide case 52a…Front wall part, 52b…Slit 53…Recoil absorption spring 54…Elastic member 55…Driven-side rack gear 56…Driving-side rack gear 57…Pinion gear 57a…Support shaft 58…Stopper plate

Claims

1. A driving tool, a striking driver that moves in the driving direction to strike a driving tool, a striking spring that biases the striking driver in the driving direction, an electric motor that moves the striking driver in a reverse driving direction opposite to the driving direction against the striking spring, a start timer that manages the start time of the electric motor, a contact arm that is provided so as to be movable in the driving direction and the reverse driving direction and moves to a retracted position in the reverse driving direction by being pressed against a material to be driven, a contact arm detection member that detects the movement of the contact arm to the retracted position, a trigger that is operated by a user and moves to an on position, a trigger detection member that detects the movement of the trigger to the on position, a continuous firing mode in which a driving operation is performed when the contact arm moves to the retracted position and the trigger moves to the on position regardless of the order of movement, and a single firing mode in which a driving operation is performed only when the contact arm first moves to the retracted position and then the trigger moves to the on position, and a mode change switch that switches the operation mode between them, In the continuous firing mode, after one driving operation, one of the contact arm or the trigger is turned off, and after the electric motor is stopped due to the elapse of the set time of the start timer, the electric motor is restarted and continuous firing is performed by confirming the on operation of the contact arm by the contact arm detection member or confirming the on operation of the trigger by the trigger detection member. A driving tool.

2. The driving tool according to claim 1, a contact arm detection member that detects that the contact arm has moved to the retracted position, a trigger detection member that detects that the trigger has moved to the on position, A driving tool having a controller that determines either the continuous firing mode or the single-shot firing mode based on a signal from the mode switching switch and controls the driving operation based on signals from the contact arm detection member and the trigger detection member.

3. The driving tool according to claim 1 or 2, A driving tool having a counterweight that moves in the counter-driving direction when the impact driver moves in the driving direction.

4. The driving tool according to claim 3, A driving tool having a reaction absorption spring that biases the counterweight in the counter-driving direction.

5. The driving tool according to claim 4, Having a driver lift mechanism that returns the impact driver in the counter-driving direction, A driving tool in which the impact spring is compressed and the reaction absorption spring is compressed by the driver lift mechanism.

6. The driving tool according to any one of claims 1 to 5, A driving tool having a driver lift mechanism that sequentially engages engaging portions with the impact driver to return the impact driver in the counter-driving direction in multiple stages.

7. The driving tool according to claim 6, The driver lift mechanism includes a rotating base portion and a plurality of engaging pins provided on the base portion as the engaging portions.

8. The driving tool according to any one of claims 1 to 7, Having a controller that determines either the continuous firing mode or the single-shot firing mode based on a signal from the mode switching switch and controls the driving operation, The controller extends along the biasing direction of the striking spring below the striking spring, and above the controller, a driving tool is arranged with a mode display unit including the mode changeover switch and an indicator indicating the mode selected by the mode changeover switch. **Claim 9** The driving tool according to claim 8, wherein the mode display unit is onboard the control board of the controller.

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