Adapters and Rotating Tools

Abstract

To provide a technology which grasps a motion state of a rotary tool which is a type of a power tool.SOLUTION: Provided is an adapter that can be attached to or detached from a rotary tool including a battery attachment part where a battery may be attached or detached, and an output shaft which is rotationally driven by electric power supplied from the battery attached to the battery attachment part. The adapter includes: a housing; a first attachment part which is provided at the housing and may be attached to or detached from the battery attachment part; a second attachment part which is provided at the housing and where the battery may be attached or detached; and a detection part which detects a motion state of the adapter in at least one direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an adapter and a rotary tool. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes an adapter for a power tool powered by a detachable battery pack. The adapter includes a controller, a signal terminal, a power terminal, a communication unit, and a display. The adapter is configured so that when the battery pack is connected to the power tool, the battery pack controller can communicate with the adapter controller via the power tool controller. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5980310 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The adapter described in Patent Document 1 allows a user to change various thresholds of the battery pack and the power tool via the adapter. However, in recent years, there has been a demand for a technology that allows the adapter itself to grasp the status of a rotary tool, which is a type of power tool. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a detachable adapter is provided for a rotary tool including a battery mounting portion to which a battery can be detachably attached and an output shaft that is rotationally driven by power supplied from the battery mounted on the battery mounting portion. The adapter includes a housing, a first mounting portion, a second mounting portion, and a detection portion. The first mounting portion and the second mounting portion are provided on the housing. The first mounting portion is configured to be detachably attached to the battery mounting portion. The second mounting portion is configured to allow the battery to be detached. The detection portion is configured to detect a motion state of the adapter in at least one direction.

[0006] According to the above aspect, even if the rotary tool does not have a function for detecting its own motion state, by attaching the adapter to the rotary tool, the motion state of the rotary tool can be detected by the adapter. Furthermore, since the adapter can be attached to the rotary tool using the battery attachment portion of the rotary tool and the battery can be attached to the second attachment portion of the adapter, it is possible to provide an adapter that is configured so that the battery is detachable and that can be used with various rotary tools.

[0007] The term "rotary tool" includes, for example, a tool capable of performing drilling and fastening operations on a workpiece by rotating a tool bit attached to an output shaft, a cutting tool capable of performing cutting operations, and a grinding tool capable of performing grinding operations. Examples of such rotary tools include a driver drill, a percussion drill, a hammer drill, a circular saw, and a grinder.

[0008] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a rotary tool. The rotary tool includes a battery mounting portion, a motor, an output shaft, and the adapter according to the first aspect. The battery mounting portion is configured to allow a battery to be attached and detached. The motor is configured to be driven by power supplied from a battery attached to the battery mounting portion. The output shaft is configured to be rotationally driven by the motor. The adapter is removably attached to the battery mounting portion.

[0009] According to the above aspect, even if the rotary tool does not have a function for detecting its own motion state, by attaching the adapter to the rotary tool, the motion state of the rotary tool can be detected by the adapter. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the driver drill with an adapter and a battery attached thereto. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a driver drill with an adapter attached thereto. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a front view of the driver drill with the adapter attached. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a rear view of the driver drill with the adapter attached. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the battery mounting portion of the driver drill. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a top view of the adapter, illustrating a first attachment portion of the adapter. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a bottom view of the adapter, illustrating a second attachment portion of the adapter. [Figure 11] FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] In one non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, the second mounting portion may be disposed on the opposite side of the housing from the first mounting portion. According to this embodiment, when the first mounting portion of the adapter is mounted on the battery mounting portion of the rotary tool and the battery is mounted on the second mounting portion of the adapter, the battery mounting portion, the adapter, and the battery are arranged in this order in the direction in which the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion are aligned, thereby enabling the rotary tool to have a slim appearance from the battery mounting portion to the battery.

[0012] In addition to or instead of the above embodiment, the at least one direction may include a plurality of directions (for example, three directions that are perpendicular to each other). According to this embodiment, the adapter can be attached to each of a plurality of rotary tools having different extending directions of the output shafts, thereby detecting the motion state of each of the rotary tools. Therefore, it is possible to provide an adapter that can be applied to a plurality of rotary tools having different positions relative to the extending directions of the output shafts and the battery mounting portions.

[0013] In addition to or instead of the above embodiment, the adapter may further include an operation unit that can be externally operated by a user, and the detection sensitivity of the detection unit for the motion state of the adapter in the at least one direction may be adjusted in response to operation of the operation unit. According to this embodiment, the user can adjust the detection sensitivity of the detection unit to a desired detection sensitivity by operating the operation unit.

[0014] In addition to or instead of the above embodiment, the rotary tool may include a main body housing and a handle. The main body housing may house the motor and at least a portion of the output shaft. The handle may extend in a direction intersecting with the axis of the output shaft. The handle may include a first end connected to the main body housing and a second end opposite the first end in the intersecting direction. The battery mounting portion may be provided at the second end of the handle. According to this embodiment, since the battery mounting portion is provided at the second end of the handle, the adapter is mounted at a position relatively far from the axis of the output shaft, which allows for accurate detection of, for example, the axial movement of the output shaft of the rotary tool.

[0015] In addition to or instead of the above embodiment, the rotary tool may further include a controller. The adapter may be configured to send a signal to the rotary tool when the motion state detected by the detector is a predetermined motion state corresponding to excessive rotation of the rotary tool. The controller may be configured to stop power supply to the motor in response to receiving the signal. According to this embodiment, when excessive rotation of the rotary tool occurs, the power supply to the motor is stopped, thereby improving the safety of the rotary tool.

[0016] In addition to or instead of the above embodiment, the rotary tool may be configured to function as a tool that performs drilling operations and fastening operations by driving the bit tip to rotate around the axis of the output shaft.

[0017] According to this embodiment, it is possible to detect a phenomenon (also known as kickback) in which a tool that performs drilling and fastening operations rotates excessively around the axis of the output shaft, for example, due to the tool bit being locked during operation. Therefore, even if the tool that performs drilling and fastening operations does not have a function for detecting kickback, by attaching the adapter, it is possible to detect kickback of the tool.

[0018] Hereinafter, a rotary tool and an adapter according to one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0019] First, a driver drill 1 according to one embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 5. The driver drill 1 is an example of a drilling tool that rotationally drives a removably attached bit tool 200 (see Figure 2).

[0020] 1 to 4, the outer shell of the driver drill 1 is formed by a main body housing 11 and a handle 15. The main body housing 11 extends along a predetermined drive axis A1 and houses a motor 2 and a drive mechanism 3.

[0021] A chuck 37, to which a tool bit 200 can be detachably attached, protrudes along the drive axis A1 from one end of the main body housing 11 in the extension direction of the drive axis A1. The handle 15 is configured to be grippable by a user and protrudes from the main body housing 11 in a direction intersecting (substantially perpendicular to) the drive axis A1. A trigger 154 that can be pressed (pulled) by a user is provided at the end (first end 151) of the handle 15 that connects to the main body housing 11. An adapter 8 is removably attached to the protruding end (second end 152) of the handle 15 via a battery attachment section 6. The driver drill 1 shown in FIG. 1 also has a battery 100 removably attached via the adapter 8. The battery 100 is indicated by a dashed line in FIGS. 2 to 4.

[0022] For ease of explanation, the direction in which the drive axis A1 extends will be defined as the front-rear direction of the driver drill 1, with the side on which the chuck 37 is located being defined as the front side and the opposite side being defined as the rear side. Furthermore, the direction perpendicular to the drive axis A1 and corresponding to the direction in which the handle 15 extends will be defined as the up-down direction, with the first end 151 side of the handle 15 being defined as the upper side and the second end 152 side of the handle 15 being defined as the lower side. Furthermore, the direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction and the up-down direction will be defined as the left-right direction.

[0023] The driver drill 1 has two operating modes: a drill mode and a driver mode. The drill mode is an operating mode in which a drill bit, which is an example of the tool bit 200, is rotationally driven to perform a drilling operation on a workpiece. The driver mode is an operating mode in which a driver bit, which is another example of the tool bit 200, is rotationally driven to perform a screw fastening operation, etc. As shown in FIG. 2 , a mode switching ring 17 that can rotate around the drive shaft A1 is provided at the front end of the main body housing 11. The user can switch the operating mode of the driver drill 1 by rotating the mode switching ring 17.

[0024] The following describes the main body housing 11 and its internal structure. As shown in Fig. 2, the main body housing 11 accommodates a motor 2 as a drive source and a drive mechanism 3 configured to drive the tool bit 200 using the power of the motor 2.

[0025] The motor 2 is driven by power supplied from a battery 100 attached to the battery attachment section 6. In this embodiment, a brushless direct current (DC) motor is used as the motor 2. The motor 2 includes a motor body 21 equipped with a stator and a rotor, and a motor shaft 22 extending from the rotor and rotating integrally with the rotor. The motor 2 is disposed within the rear end of the main body housing 11, and the rotation axis of the motor shaft 22 extends on the drive axis A1.

[0026] The drive mechanism 3 includes a spindle 35 , a chuck 37 , a planetary reducer 31 , and a clutch mechanism 33 .

[0027] The spindle 35 is disposed within the front end of the main body housing 11 and is rotatably supported relative to the main body housing 11 by a bearing. The spindle 35 is an example of an "output shaft" in the technology of the present disclosure. The axis (rotation axis) of the spindle 35 extends on the drive axis A1. The chuck 37 is coaxially coupled to the spindle 35 so as to rotate integrally with the spindle 35.

[0028] The planetary reducer 31 is configured as a reduction mechanism including a three-stage planetary gear mechanism and is disposed in front of the motor 2 and behind the spindle 35. The planetary reducer 31 amplifies the torque input from the motor shaft 22 and outputs it to the spindle 35. This causes the spindle 35 to rotate around the drive axis A1. A speed change lever 311 that can be operated externally by the user is provided on the top surface of the main body housing 11. The speed change lever 311 is disposed so as to be movable in the front-rear direction and is connected to a switching mechanism (not shown) of the planetary reducer 31. When the position of the speed change lever 311 is changed, the reduction ratio of the planetary reducer 31 (i.e., the rotation speed of the spindle 35) is changed via the switching mechanism.

[0029] The clutch mechanism 33 is disposed in front of the planetary reducer 31. When the driver mode is selected as the operating mode, the clutch mechanism 33 is configured to interrupt torque transmission to the spindle 35 when the torque output from the planetary reducer 31 reaches a set value.

[0030] The handle 15 and its internal structure will now be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the handle 15 extends generally in the vertical direction. A trigger 154 is provided on the front side of the upper end of the handle 15. A trigger switch 155 is also housed within the handle 15. The trigger switch 155 is normally maintained in an OFF state and is turned ON in response to depression of the trigger 154. When the trigger switch 155 is turned ON, it is configured to output a signal corresponding to the amount of operation of the trigger 154 to the controller 5 housed in the lower end of the handle 15 via wiring (not shown).

[0031] The controller 5 is mounted on a main circuit board disposed within the case 50. In this embodiment, the controller 5 is configured as a microcomputer including a CPU and memory. The controller 5 is configured to control various operations of the driver drill 1, such as driving and controlling the motor 2. As will be described in detail later, the controller 5 is configured to stop the supply of electricity to the motor 2 when a predetermined signal (hereinafter, a stop signal) is received from the adapter 8 while the motor 2 is being energized.

[0032] In this embodiment, a lever 211 protrudes from the left and right side surfaces of the main body housing 11. The lever 211 is a push-button type operating unit that can be pushed in the left and right directions. The lever 211 is an operating unit for switching the rotation of the tool bit 200 (i.e., the rotation of the motor shaft 22) between forward and reverse rotation. The lever 211 is connected to the controller 5 via wiring (not shown), and the controller 5 switches the rotation direction of the motor 2 in response to a signal input via the lever 211.

[0033] The battery mounting part 6 is provided at the second end 152 of the handle 15. The battery mounting part 6 and the battery 100 that can be attached to and detached from the battery mounting part 6 will be described below.

[0034] 1 to 6 is a rechargeable battery pack having a known configuration. In FIG. 6, the up-down direction, left-right direction, and front-rear direction are shown based on the orientation of the battery 100 when it is attached to the battery attachment section 6. The battery 100 includes a case 110 that houses multiple battery cells, and an attachment section 120 that is provided on top of the case 110 and is detachable from the battery attachment section 6. The attachment section 120 is configured to be detachable from a power tool that operates by receiving power from the battery 100, or from a charger.

[0035] The mounting portion 120 has a mounting surface 121, a pair of rail receivers 122, a pair of power terminals 124, and a signal terminal 126. The mounting surface 121 is a surface that faces a mounting surface 61 (described in detail below) of the battery mounting portion 6 when the battery 100 is mounted to the battery mounting portion 6 of the driver drill 1. In this embodiment, the mounting surface 121 is the upper surface of the case 110 and includes the upper surface of a portion (protrusion 111) that protrudes upward from the front upper portion of the case 110. The mounting surface 121 is a surface that is approximately parallel in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction. The pair of rail receivers 122 are provided on the left and right sides of the protrusion 111 and extend in the front-rear direction. The front-rear direction is the mounting and detaching direction (sliding direction) of the battery 100. The pair of rail receivers 122 are configured to be engageable with guide rails 62 (described in detail below) provided on the battery mounting portion 6.

[0036] The pair of power supply terminals 124 includes a positive power supply terminal and a negative power supply terminal. The pair of power supply terminals 124 are, for example, terminals for supplying power from the battery 100 to the driver drill 1. The pair of power supply terminals 124 are provided between the pair of rail receiving portions 122. In addition, a signal terminal 126 is provided between the pair of power supply terminals 124 for transmitting and receiving signals to and from a charger or other power tools. In this embodiment, the pair of power supply terminals 124 and the signal terminal 126 are disposed in a slit formed in the protruding portion 111.

[0037] Mounting portion 120 further includes a locking member 105 provided at the front upper portion of protrusion 111. Locking member 105 is biased upward by a spring provided below locking member 105 and inside case 110 (inside protrusion 111). An unlocking button 106 (see FIG. 1, for example) is disposed on the front surface of case 110, and when unlocking button 106 is pressed downward, locking member 105 moves downward.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 5, the battery mounting section 6 includes a mounting surface 61, a pair of guide rails 62, a pair of power terminals 64, and a signal terminal 66.

[0039] The battery mounting section 6 is formed in the shape of a rectangular lid that extends widthwise (left-right) and forward relative to the handle 15. In this embodiment, the battery mounting section 6 has a shape that allows the battery 100 to be received from the front of the battery mounting section 6. The rear surface (mounting surface 61) of the rectangular lid faces one surface (mounting surface 121) of the battery 100 when the battery 100 is mounted in the battery mounting section 6. The mounting surface 61 is substantially parallel in the front-rear and left-right directions. Wall portions 611 that protrude downward are provided on both left and right ends and the rear end of the mounting surface 61 (both left and right sides and the rear side of the rectangular lid shape). Guide rails 62 extending in the front-rear direction are provided on the inner sides of the left wall portion 611 and the right wall portion 611, respectively. The pair of guide rails 62 are configured to engage with rail receiving portions 122 of the battery 100. When the mounting portion 120 of the battery 100 is mounted in the battery mounting section 6, the guide rails 62 guide the rail receiving portions 122 in the front-rear direction. The mounting surface 61 can also be said to be approximately parallel to the sliding direction of the battery 100.

[0040] The pair of power supply terminals 64 are provided between the pair of guide rails 62. The pair of power supply terminals 64 are formed in the shape of a plate that protrudes downward from the mounting surface 61 and extends in the front-to-rear direction. The pair of power supply terminals 64 include a positive power supply terminal and a negative power supply terminal. The pair of power supply terminals 64 are configured to receive power from a battery 100 that is mounted directly to the battery mounting section 6 or mounted to the battery mounting section 6 via an adapter 8.

[0041] The signal terminal 66 is provided between the pair of power supply terminals 64. The signal terminal 66 is formed in a generally plate-like shape that protrudes downward from the mounting surface 61 and extends in the front-to-rear direction. The signal terminal 66 is configured to transmit and receive signals to and from the battery 100 and adapter 8 mounted in the battery mounting portion 6.

[0042] As the mounting portion 120 of the battery 100 slides from front to rear relative to the battery mounting portion 6, the rail receiving portions 122 of the battery 100 engage with the guide rails 62 of the battery mounting portion 6, and the battery 100 is mounted in the battery mounting portion 6. At this time, the mounting surface 61 of the battery mounting portion 6 faces the mounting surface 121 of the battery 100. Furthermore, the pair of power supply terminals 64 of the battery mounting portion 6 are electrically connected to the pair of power supply terminals 124 of the battery 100, respectively. Furthermore, the signal terminal 66 of the battery mounting portion 6 is electrically connected to the signal terminal 126 of the battery 100.

[0043] The battery mounting section 6 further includes a lock receiving hole 67 into which the locking member 105 of the battery 100 engages. When the battery 100 is mounted in the battery mounting section 6, the locking member 105 engages with the lock receiving hole 67, and the battery 100 is placed in a locked state in which it is fixed so as not to move in the forward or backward direction. In the locked state, when the unlock button 106 of the battery 100 is pressed, the engagement between the locking member 105 and the lock receiving hole 67 is released, and the battery 100 is placed in an unlocked state. In the unlocked state, the battery 100 can be removed from the battery mounting section 6 by sliding the battery 100 from the rear to the front relative to the battery mounting section 6.

[0044] Next, the adapter 8 will be described with reference to Figures 2 and 7 to 11. The adapter 8 includes a housing 84 that houses a detection unit 89, a first attachment portion 81 that is provided in the housing 84 and is detachable from the battery attachment portion 6, and a second attachment portion 82 that is provided in the housing 84 and to which the battery 100 can be attached or detached. In this embodiment, the second attachment portion 82 is provided on the opposite side of the housing 84 from the first attachment portion 81.

[0045] The first mounting portion 81 has a mounting surface 811 that faces the mounting surface 61 of the battery mounting portion 6 when the adapter 8 is mounted on the battery mounting portion 6. When describing the direction of the adapter 8 below, the direction perpendicular to the mounting surface 811 will be referred to as the first direction, the sliding direction of the adapter 8 among the directions parallel to the mounting surface 811 will be referred to as the second direction, and the direction perpendicular to the first and second directions will be referred to as the third direction.

[0046] In this embodiment, when the adapter 8 is attached to the battery attachment part 6 of the driver drill 1, the first direction, second direction, and third direction correspond to the up-down direction, front-rear direction, and left-right direction, respectively, of the driver drill 1. Figures 7 to 11 show the respective directions of the adapter 8 when attached to the battery attachment part 6.

[0047] The housing 84 of the adapter 8 is formed in a generally box-like shape with a front-to-back length and a left-to-right length that are substantially the same as those of the battery attachment portion 6. The upper front portion of the housing 84 forms a protrusion 841 that protrudes upward.

[0048] The first mounting portion 81 has a configuration generally similar to that of the mounting portion 120 of the battery 100. The first mounting portion 81 is not limited to the driver drill 1, and can be attached to and detached from other power tools equipped with a battery mounting portion 6.

[0049] The first mounting portion 81 has a mounting surface 811, a pair of rail receiving portions 812, a pair of power terminals 814, and a signal terminal 816. The mounting surface 811 is the upper surface of the housing 84 and includes the upper surface of the protruding portion 841. When the adapter 8 is mounted to the battery mounting portion 6, the mounting surface 811 faces the mounting surface 61 of the battery mounting portion 6. The mounting surface 811 is approximately parallel to the front-rear and left-right directions. The pair of rail receiving portions 812 are provided on the left and right side surfaces of the protruding portion 841 and extend in the front-rear direction. The pair of rail receiving portions 812 are configured to be engageable with the guide rails 62 of the battery mounting portion 6. When the first mounting portion 81 of the adapter 8 is mounted to the battery mounting portion 6 of the driver drill 1, the rail receiving portions 812 are guided in the front-rear direction by the guide rails 62 of the battery mounting portion 6. The mounting surface 811 can also be said to be approximately parallel to the sliding direction of the adapter 8.

[0050] The pair of power supply terminals 814 includes a positive power supply terminal and a negative power supply terminal. The pair of power supply terminals 814 is provided between the pair of rail receiving portions 812. In addition, a signal terminal 816 is provided between the pair of power supply terminals 814 for transmitting and receiving signals to and from the driver drill 1 to which the adapter 8 is attached or other rotary tools. The pair of power supply terminals 814 and the signal terminal 816 are disposed in slits formed in the protruding portion 841.

[0051] The manner in which the adapter 8 is attached to and detached from the battery attachment part 6 of the driver drill 1 is the same as the manner in which the battery 100 is attached to and detached from the battery attachment part 6. That is, when the adapter 8 is slid from front to rear relative to the battery attachment part 6, the rail receiving parts 812 of the first attachment part 81 engage with the guide rails 62 of the battery attachment part 6. At this time, the pair of power supply terminals 814 of the adapter 8 are electrically connected to the pair of power supply terminals 64 of the battery attachment part 6, respectively. In addition, the signal terminal 816 of the adapter 8 is electrically connected to the signal terminal 66 of the battery attachment part 6.

[0052] The first mounting portion 81 further includes a locking member 805 provided on the front upper portion of the protrusion 841. The locking member 805 is biased upward by a spring provided below the locking member 805 and inside the housing 84 (inside the protrusion 841). An unlocking button 806 is provided on the front surface of the housing 84, and when the unlocking button 806 is pressed downward, the locking member 805 moves downward. When the adapter 8 (first mounting portion 81) is mounted to the battery mounting portion 6, the locking member 805 engages with the lock receiving hole 67 of the battery mounting portion 6, and the adapter 8 is in a locked state. In the locked state, when the unlocking button 806 is pressed by the user, the engagement between the locking member 805 and the lock receiving hole 67 is released, and the adapter 8 is in an unlocked state. In the unlocked state, the adapter 8 can be removed from the battery mounting portion 6 by sliding it from back to front relative to the battery mounting portion 6.

[0053] The second mounting portion 82 has a configuration generally similar to that of the battery mounting portion 6 of the driver drill 1. The second mounting portion 82 is configured so that the battery 100 can be attached and detached.

[0054] The second mounting section 82 will be described with reference to Fig. 10. The second mounting section 82 includes a mounting surface 821 that faces the mounting surface 121 of the battery 100 when the battery 100 is mounted, a pair of guide rails 822, a pair of power terminals 824, and a signal terminal 826.

[0055] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8 , the side walls (walls 842) of the housing 84 are notched at the front lower portion, and the second mounting section 82 allows the battery 100 to be attached and detached from the front of the second mounting section 82, similar to the battery mounting section 6. Walls 842 extend in the up-down direction at both the left and right ends and the rear end of the mounting surface 821. Guide rails 822 extending in the front-rear direction are provided on the insides of the left wall 842 and the right wall 842, respectively. The pair of guide rails 822 are configured to be able to engage with the rail receivers 122 of the battery 100. When the mounting section 120 of the battery 100 is attached to the second mounting section 82, the guide rails 822 guide the rail receivers 122 of the battery 100 in the front-rear direction. The mounting surface 821 of the second mounting section 82 is substantially parallel to the front-rear and left-right directions and is substantially parallel to the mounting surface 811 of the first mounting section 81. The guide rail 822 of the second mounting portion 82 is substantially parallel to the rail receiving portion 812 of the first mounting portion 81.

[0056] The pair of power supply terminals 824 are provided between the pair of guide rails 822 and are formed in a plate shape extending in the front-rear direction. The pair of power supply terminals 824 include a positive power supply terminal and a negative power supply terminal. The signal terminal 826 is provided between the pair of power supply terminals 64 and is formed in a substantially plate shape extending in the front-rear direction. Note that the adapter 8 of this embodiment is configured so that the pair of power supply terminals 824 of the second mounting portion 82 and the pair of power supply terminals 814 of the first mounting portion 81 are electrically connected to each other. Also, the signal terminal 826 of the second mounting portion 82 and the signal terminal 816 of the first mounting portion 81 are electrically connected to each other.

[0057] As the battery 100 slides from front to rear relative to the second mounting portion 82, the rail receiving portions 122 of the battery 100 engage with the guide rails 822 of the second mounting portion 82, and the battery 100 is mounted to the second mounting portion 82. When the adapter 8 is mounted to the driver drill 1 and the battery 100 is mounted to the second mounting portion 82, the pair of power supply terminals 124 of the battery 100, the pair of power supply terminals 824, 814 of the adapter 8, and the power supply terminal 64 of the battery mounting portion 6 are electrically connected. This allows power from the battery 100 to be supplied to the adapter 8 and the driver drill 1. In addition, the signal terminal 126 of the battery 100, the signal terminals 826, 816 of the adapter 8, and the signal terminal 66 of the battery mounting portion 6 are electrically connected. This allows, for example, signals to be transmitted from the adapter 8 to the driver drill 1.

[0058] The second mounting section 82 further includes a lock receiving hole 807 with which the locking member 105 of the battery 100 engages. When the battery 100 is mounted in the second mounting section 82, the locking member 105 engages with the lock receiving hole 807, and the battery 100 is placed in a locked state in which it is fixed so as not to move in the front-to-rear direction. In the locked state, when the unlock button 106 of the battery 100 is pressed, the engagement between the locking member 105 and the lock receiving hole 807 is released, and the battery 100 is placed in an unlocked state. In the unlocked state, the battery 100 can be removed from the second mounting section 82 by sliding it from rear to front relative to the second mounting section 82.

[0059] 2, a housing 84 of the adapter 8 accommodates a controller 86 and a detection unit 89. The controller 86 and the detection unit 89 are mounted on a board disposed inside a case 85.

[0060] The detection unit 89 is configured to be able to detect the motion state of the adapter 8 in a predetermined direction. In this embodiment, the detection unit 89 is configured to be able to independently detect the motion state in each of the first, second, and third directions. As described above, the first direction is the direction perpendicular (orthogonal) to the mounting surface 811. The second direction is a direction orthogonal to the first direction, and is also the sliding direction of the adapter 8 among directions parallel to the mounting surface 811. The third direction is a direction orthogonal to the first and second directions, and is also the direction parallel to the mounting surface 811 among directions orthogonal to the second direction. In this embodiment, an acceleration sensor capable of detecting acceleration in three directions (three axes) is used as the detection unit 89, and the three accelerations are respectively detected as indicators of the motion state of the adapter 8. When the adapter 8 is attached to the driver drill 1, the detection unit 89 detects the acceleration of the adapter 8 in each of the three directions, thereby detecting the acceleration of the driver drill 1 integrated with the adapter 8 in each of the three directions (up / down, front / back, and left / right).

[0061] The adapter 8 is provided with an operation unit 87 (871, 872, 873) that can be externally operated by the user. The operation unit 87 is electrically connected to the detection unit 89 and configured to output a signal to the detection unit 89 in response to an operation by the user. The detection sensitivity of the detection unit 89 is configured to be changed (adjusted) in response to the operation of the operation unit 87. In this embodiment, the operation units 871 to 873 are button switches. When the user operates the operation units 871, 872, and 873, the detection sensitivity of the detection unit 89 in the first direction (up-down direction), the second direction (front-rear direction), and the third direction (left-right direction) is adjusted, respectively. For example, when the operation unit 873 is pressed, the detection sensitivity of the detection unit 89 in the left-right direction increases. The detection sensitivity of the detection unit 89 is adjusted in response to the number of times the operation unit 87 is pressed. For example, the detection sensitivity changes in stages, such as zero (no detection), level 1 (low detection sensitivity), level 2 (medium detection sensitivity), and level 3 (high detection sensitivity). The detection sensitivity is adjusted by amplifying / attenuating the signal from the detection element in the detection unit 89 in accordance with the operation signals of the operation units 871 to 873, for example.

[0062] Furthermore, a display unit 88 (881, 882, 883) is provided above the operation units 871, 872, 873. The display units 881, 882, 883 each include a plurality of LED lights. The display units 881 to 883 are configured so that the number of lights that turn on increases according to the number of times the operation units 871 to 873 are pressed. In this embodiment, the operation units 871, 872, 873 and the display units 881, 882, 883 are provided on the left wall and rear wall of the housing 84.

[0063] The controller 86 of the adapter 8 is configured as a microcomputer including a CPU and a memory. The controller 86 of the adapter 8 stores a predetermined threshold value.

[0064] If the bit 200 is locked during operation of the driver drill 1, excessive reaction torque acts on the driver drill 1, which may cause the driver drill 1 to rotate excessively around the drive axis A1 (also known as kickback). Excessive rotation of the driver drill 1 around the drive axis A1 may also occur due to, in addition to kickback, the incorrect operation of the lever 211 during screw fastening, causing the bit 200 to rotate in the direction opposite to the user's expectation. This is because, during fastening, the user may grip the driver drill 1 so as to counter the expected rotation direction. The threshold value is determined based on the value detected by the detection unit 89 when excessive rotation around the drive axis (excessive rotation) occurs in the driver drill 1 or other rotary tools. The threshold value is determined in advance through experiments or simulations. If the detected value exceeds the threshold value, it is highly likely that excessive rotation has occurred.

[0065] In this embodiment, the spindle 35 of the driver drill 1 extends in the front-rear direction within the main body housing 11, and the axis of the spindle 35 (drive shaft A1) also extends in the front-rear direction. The battery attachment unit 6 is provided at a second end 152 of the handle 15, which is connected to the main body housing 11 and extends in the up-down direction. When the adapter 8 is attached to the battery attachment unit 6, the lower surface (attachment surface 61) of the battery attachment unit 6 faces the upper surface (attachment surface 811) of the first attachment unit 81 of the adapter 8. Therefore, when kickback occurs during operation of the driver drill 1, the acceleration of the adapter 8 in the left-right direction increases. Therefore, kickback in the driver drill 1 can be detected by detecting the acceleration of the adapter 8 in the left-right direction (third direction) and comparing the detected value with a threshold value.

[0066] When the detection value output from the detector 89 exceeds a threshold value, the controller 86 of the adapter 8 transmits a stop signal to the driver drill 1 via the signal terminal 816 provided on the first attachment part 81 of the adapter 8 and the signal terminal 66 provided on the battery attachment part 6 of the driver drill 1. When the controller 5 of the driver drill 1 receives the stop signal from the adapter 8 while power is being supplied to the motor 2, it stops power supply to the motor 2. In this way, when kickback occurs in the driver drill 1, power supply to the motor 2 is stopped.

[0067] The effects achieved by the adapter 8 and the driver drill 1 to which the adapter 8 is attached will now be described.

[0068] The adapter 8 includes a first attachment portion 81 that is detachable from the battery attachment portion 6, a second attachment portion 82 to which the battery 100 is detachably attached, and a detection portion 89 that can detect the motion state of the adapter 8. Therefore, even if the driver drill 1 does not have a function for detecting its own motion state, the motion state of the driver drill 1 can be determined by using the adapter 8 by attaching the first attachment portion 81 of the adapter 8 to the battery attachment portion 6 of the driver drill 1 and attaching the battery 100 to the second attachment portion 82 of the adapter 8. Furthermore, because the adapter 8 is configured to be detachable from the battery attachment portion 6, it can be attached to not only the driver drill 1 but also various other rotary tools that are configured to have a detachable battery 100. Therefore, the adapter 8 can be used to determine the motion state of various rotary tools.

[0069] The handle 15 of the driver drill 1 extends from the main body housing 11, which houses the spindle 35, in a vertical direction generally perpendicular to the drive shaft A1, and the battery attachment unit 6 is provided at a second end 152 of the handle 15. As a result, the battery attachment unit 6 is provided at a position on the driver drill 1 relatively far from the drive shaft A1. Therefore, the rotational state of the driver drill 1 around the drive shaft A1 can be detected more accurately than in a configuration in which the battery attachment unit 6 is provided relatively close to the drive shaft A1.

[0070] Furthermore, when the adapter 8 is attached to the battery attachment section 6 provided at the second end 152 of the handle 15 and the battery 100 is attached to the adapter 8, the mass of the second end 152 side of the handle 15 (the lower side in FIG. 1) increases. This increases the moment of inertia around the drive axis A1 of the driver drill 1, making it difficult for the driver drill 1 to rotate around the drive axis A1. Therefore, the driver drill 1 with the adapter 8 attached has the advantage of reducing the possibility of kickback.

[0071] The adapter 8 is provided with a second attachment portion 82 on the side of the housing 84 opposite to the side where the first attachment portion 81 is provided. Therefore, the battery attachment portion 6 of the driver drill 1, the adapter 8, and the battery 100 are arranged in this order in the extension direction of the handle 15, so that the appearance from the battery attachment portion 6 of the driver drill 1 to the adapter 8 and the battery 100 can be configured to be slim. This improves the design of the driver drill 1 equipped with the adapter 8 and the battery 100. Furthermore, the adapter 8 and the battery 100 can be prevented from interfering with the operation of the driver drill 1.

[0072] When the acceleration output from the detection unit 89 is equal to or greater than a threshold value, the controller 86 of the adapter 8 outputs a stop signal to the controller 5 of the driver drill 1 via the signal terminal 816, and upon receiving the stop signal, the controller 5 of the driver drill 1 stops the supply of electricity to the motor 2. Therefore, the adapter 8 of this embodiment can improve the safety of the driver drill 1.

[0073] The detection unit 89 of the adapter 8 is configured to be able to detect acceleration in three mutually orthogonal directions (first direction, second direction, and third direction). Therefore, even in other rotary tools to which the adapter 8 can be attached, the rotation state of the rotary tool about the drive shaft can be detected using acceleration in at least one direction corresponding to the direction about the drive shaft from among the first direction, second direction, and third direction, depending on the positional relationship between the extension direction of the drive shaft and the battery attachment unit. Therefore, the occurrence of kickback can be detected even in rotary tools whose drive shaft A1 extends in a different direction from the driver drill 1 or other rotary tools whose battery attachment unit 6 is provided at a different position relative to the extension direction of the drive shaft A1.

[0074] The adapter 8 includes operating units 871-873 configured to adjust the detection sensitivity of the detector 89 in response to external operation by the user, allowing the user to adjust the detection sensitivity of the motion state of the adapter 8 to a desired level. For example, the user can increase the detection sensitivity in directions around the drive axis A1 of the driver drill 1 (left-right direction) by operating the operating units 873, and decrease the detection sensitivity in other directions (up-down direction, front-back direction) by operating the operating units 871, 872, thereby allowing the adapter 8 to accurately detect acceleration in directions related to kickback. This further enhances the safety of the driver drill 1.

[0075] With regard to the operation units 871 to 873, in the case of a user who exerts a relatively large force against excessive rotation of the driver drill 1 around the drive shaft A1, the detection value is less likely to exceed the threshold value if the detection sensitivity in the left-right direction is reduced by operating the operation unit 873. This makes it possible to prevent the motor 2 from stopping unintentionally by the user, thereby improving the convenience of using the driver drill 1.

[0076] Furthermore, even when the adapter 8 is attached to another rotary tool having a different arrangement relationship between the extending direction of the drive shaft and the battery mounting part, the detection sensitivity in the direction corresponding to the direction around the drive shaft can be increased by operating the operating parts 871 to 873 according to the configuration of the other rotary tool. Therefore, the adapter 8 can accurately detect kickback of various rotary tools.

[0077] In this embodiment, the operating units 871, 872, and 873 are provided on the left wall and the rear wall of the housing 84. Therefore, depending on the location of the battery attachment unit on the rotary tool, the user can select the operating units 871 to 873 on the left wall or the rear wall, whichever is easier to operate. This improves the operability of the rotary tool to which the adapter 8 is attached.

[0078] <Other embodiments> The detection unit 89 may detect the rotation state around the drive axis A1 not only by acceleration but also by other physical quantities (for example, displacement, speed, angular acceleration). As the detection unit 89, for example, a gyro sensor may be applied.

[0079] The detector 89 only needs to be able to detect the movement state of the adapter 8 in at least one direction, and may be configured to detect the movement state of the adapter 8 in one direction, for example. This configuration also has the advantage that the movement state in one direction can be detected by attaching the adapter 8 to a rotary tool that does not have a detector 89. Note that the at least one direction preferably includes a direction perpendicular to the drive axis A1 when the adapter 8 is attached to the rotary tool. According to this configuration, the adapter 8 can detect the rotation state of the rotary tool about the drive axis A1.

[0080] The controller 86 of the adapter 8 may be configured to stop the supply of electricity to the driver drill 1 or other rotary tools when the detection value of the detector 89 exceeds a threshold value. Even with this configuration, the motor 2 is stopped when kickback occurs, thereby improving the safety of the driver drill 1 or other rotary tools. Furthermore, the configuration of the adapter 8 makes it possible to stop the motor 2 when kickback occurs in the driver drill 1 or other rotary tools. This has the advantage that the adapter 8 can be applied to a wider variety of rotary tools.

[0081] The threshold value for detecting kickback may be stored in the controller 5 of the driver drill 1, and the adapter 8 may be configured to transmit the detection value of the detector 89 to the driver drill 1. The controller 5 of the driver drill 1 may be configured to stop the supply of electricity to the motor 2 when the detection value exceeds the threshold value. In this case, the adapter 8 does not need to be equipped with the controller 86. This configuration also enhances the safety of the driver drill 1.

[0082] The detection sensitivity of the detector 89 may be adjusted by changing the threshold value stored in the controller 86 of the adapter 8 in response to an operation signal from the operation unit 87. This embodiment also allows the user to adjust the detection sensitivity of the motion state of the adapter 8 to a desired sensitivity, thereby achieving the same effect as the above embodiment.

[0083] Furthermore, in consideration of the spirit of the present disclosure and the above-described embodiments, the following aspects are constructed. At least one of the following aspects can be adopted in combination with the above-described embodiments and their modifications, and at least one of the configurations (features) described in each claim. [Aspect 1] the first mounting portion includes a mounting surface; the mounting surface faces a predetermined surface of the battery mounting portion when the adapter is mounted on the battery mounting portion; the at least one direction detected by the detection unit includes a first direction, a second direction, and a third direction; The first direction is a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface, the second direction is a direction parallel to the mounting surface and perpendicular to the first direction, and the third direction is a direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction. [Aspect 2] The first mounting portion is configured to be attachable to and detachable from the battery mounting portion in the second direction. [Aspect 3] The first mounting portion includes the mounting surface, a pair of rails extending in the second direction, a pair of power supply terminals provided on the mounting surface, and a signal terminal provided on the mounting surface. [Aspect 4] A rotary tool, a battery attachment section to which a battery can be attached and detached; a motor configured to be driven by power supplied from a battery attached to the battery attachment portion; an output shaft configured to be rotationally driven by the motor; the adapter being detachably attached to the battery attachment portion, The at least one direction includes a direction perpendicular to the axis of the output shaft. [Explanation of symbols]

[0084] 1: driver drill, 11: main body housing, 15: handle, 151: first end, 152: second end, 154: trigger, 155: trigger switch, 17: mode switching ring, 2: motor, 21: motor body, 22: motor shaft, 3: drive mechanism, 31: planetary reducer, 33: clutch mechanism, 35: spindle, 37: chuck, 211: lever, 311: speed change lever, 5: controller, 50: case, 6: battery mounting part, 61: mounting surface, 611: wall part, 62: guide rail, 64: power terminal, 66: signal terminal, 67: lock receiving hole, 200: tip tool, 8: adapter, 81: first mounting part, 805: locking member, 806: unlock button, 811: mounting surface, 812: rail receiving portion, 814: power terminal, 816: signal terminal, 82: second mounting portion, 807: lock receiving hole, 821: mounting surface, 822: guide rail, 824: power terminal, 826: signal terminal, 84: housing, 841: protrusion, 842: wall portion, 85: case, 86: controller, 87, 871, 872, 873: operation portion, 88, 881, 882, 883: display portion, 89: detection portion, 100: battery, 105: lock member, 106: unlock button, 110: case, 111: protrusion, 120: mounting portion, 121: mounting surface, 122: rail receiving portion, 124: power terminal, 126: signal terminal, A1: drive shaft

Claims

1. A detachable adapter for a rotary tool including a battery mounting portion to which a battery can be detachably attached and an output shaft that is rotationally driven by power supplied from the battery mounted on the battery mounting portion, Housing and a first mounting portion provided in the housing and detachable from the battery mounting portion; a second attachment portion provided in the housing to which the battery is detachably attached; a detector that detects a motion state of the adapter in at least one direction; an operation unit provided on a side wall of the adapter and capable of being manually operated externally by a user; a detection sensitivity of the detection unit for detecting the motion state of the adapter in the at least one direction is adjusted in response to an operation of the operation unit; adapter.

2. 10. The adapter of claim 1, further comprising: The second mounting portion is provided on the housing on the opposite side from the first mounting portion.

3. 3. The adapter according to claim 1 or claim 2, the at least one direction includes a plurality of directions; The adapter, wherein the detection unit is configured to detect a motion state of the adapter in each of the plurality of directions.

4. A rotary tool, a battery attachment section to which a battery can be attached and detached; a motor configured to be driven by power supplied from the battery attached to the battery attachment portion; an output shaft configured to be rotationally driven by the motor; A rotary tool comprising: the adapter according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which is removably attached to the battery attachment portion.

5. The rotary tool according to claim 4, a main body housing that accommodates the motor and at least a portion of the output shaft; a handle extending in a direction intersecting the axis of the output shaft and including a first end connected to the main body housing and a second end opposite the first end in the intersecting direction; The battery mounting portion is provided at the second end of the handle.

6. The rotary tool according to claim 4 or 5, Further comprising a controller, the adapter is configured to transmit a signal to the rotary tool when the motion state detected by the detector is a predetermined motion state corresponding to excessive rotation of the rotary tool; The controller is configured to stop energizing the motor in response to receiving the signal.

7. The rotary tool according to any one of claims 4 to 6, The rotary tool functions as a tool for performing drilling operations and fastening operations by rotationally driving a tool bit around the axis of the output shaft.

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