power tools

Abstract

To provide an electric tool in a structure with excellent safety that is configured to facilitate alignment of a work-piece by holding the work-piece by constant force, so that the work-piece in an aligned state can be processed, which can reduce burdens on an operator.SOLUTION: An electric tool 1 comprises: a main body 2 which has an electric motor 7a, a feed screw 8a, a slide part 9 and a control part 19; and a tool head 3, connected to the main body 2, which has a first jaw part 11 and a second jaw part 12 turnably connected to each other. The main body 2 is constituted to have a trigger switch 22 that operates in interlocking with a trigger lever 27 that is operated by an operator in order to drive the electric motor 7a and a control switch 21 that enables the trigger switch 22 to be activated.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0004]

[0001] The present invention relates to a power tool for processing a workpiece.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a power tool having a configuration in which a crank-type gripping lever and an electric motor are combined is known (Patent Document 1: European Patent No. 2872293). In the power tool of Patent Document 1, in an initial state, the tip side of the tool head is open, and the tip side of the tool head is closed by a gripping force with which an operator grips the gripping lever to sandwich a workpiece. Then, when the gripping force exceeds a specified value, the electric motor operates and the tip side of the tool head closes to process the workpiece.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006] The main body is characterized in that the control switch is located on the side opposite to the side on which the trigger lever is located.

[0007] The sliding portion is characterized in that a first roller is positioned to slide on the rear end side of the first jaw portion, and a second roller is positioned to slide on the rear end side of the second jaw portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The power tool according to the present invention comprises a main body having an electric motor, a lead screw operated by the electric motor, and a slide portion that moves by the lead screw, and a tool head having a first jaw portion and a second jaw portion connected to the main body and rotatably connected to each other. The sliding portion has a first roller positioned to slide on the rear end side of the first jaw portion and a second roller positioned to slide on the rear end side of the second jaw portion. On the posterior end side of the first jaw portion and the posterior end side of the second jaw portion The first roller and the second roller It slides The tip of the first jaw portion and the tip of the second jaw portion are pivotally supported by a shaft member and rotate to move closer to each other. The sliding portion slides, causing the tip of the first jaw and the tip of the second jaw to close, thereby processing the workpiece with the tip of the first jaw and the tip of the second jaw. The main body has a trigger switch that operates in conjunction with a trigger lever operated by the operator to drive the electric motor, and a control switch that enables the operation of the trigger switch. The system is configured such that turning on the control switch activates the trigger switch, and after the trigger switch is activated, the power is turned off after a predetermined time has elapsed since the trigger switch was deactivated. It is characterized by the following. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a power tool according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2A is a rear view of the power tool shown in Figure 1, Figure 2B is a right side view of the power tool shown in Figure 1, Figure 2C is a front view of the power tool shown in Figure 1, and Figure 2D is a left side view of the power tool shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3A is a schematic structural diagram showing the power tool in Figure 1 with the cover removed, and Figure 3B is a structural diagram showing the relationship between the trigger lever and the switch board in the power tool in Figure 1. [Figure 4] Figure 4A is a front view of the tool head of the power tool shown in Figure 1, and Figure 4B is a left side view of the tool head of the power tool shown in Figure 1. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows an example of a schematic circuit diagram for the power tool of this embodiment. [Figure 6] Figure 6A is a schematic structural diagram showing the initial state of the power tool as used in Figure 1; Figure 6B is a schematic structural diagram showing the state with the workpiece attached as used in Figure 1; Figure 6C is a schematic structural diagram showing the state with the workpiece compressed or crimped as used in Figure 1; and Figure 6D is a schematic structural diagram showing the state with the workpiece removed as used in Figure 1. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The power tool 1 of this embodiment is configured to compress, crimp, or cut a workpiece 90 by driving an electric motor 7a with power from a battery 5. For example, the power tool 1 is used when crimping a crimp terminal to an electric wire at a work site, or when compressing a crimp sleeve to join electric wires at a work site. In the drawings used to explain the embodiments, the same reference numerals are used for members having the same function, and repeated explanations may be omitted.

[0011] Figures 1, 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D are schematic diagrams showing an example of a power tool 1 according to this embodiment. The power tool 1 comprises a main body 2 having an electric motor 7a, a lead screw 8a, a slide part 9, a control unit 19, and a control switch 21; a tool head 3 connected to the main body 2 and having a first jaw part 11 and a second jaw part 12 that are rotatably connected to each other; and a battery 5. It is a cordless type tool that is held in the hand by a worker on site. The slide part 9 reciprocates along the axis P1 of the lead screw 8a. The slide part 9 moves forward to the upper limit position in the direction of the Z arrow in the figure and retracts to the lower limit position in the opposite direction of the Z arrow in the figure. In the initial state when the slide part 9 is in the intermediate position, the tip side of the tool head 3 is closed. The example in Figure 1 is a multi-functional power tool 1 in which the tool head 3 can be replaced. Here, in order to make it easier to explain the positional relationship of each part of the power tool 1, the directions are indicated by X, Y, and Z arrows in the figure. Furthermore, power tool 1 will function normally in either orientation.

[0012] Figures 4A and 4B show examples of a compression tool head 3. The first jaw portion 11 and the second jaw portion 12 are each inserted through and supported by a first shaft member 17a, and are rotatably connected to each other by a connecting plate 17. The first shaped portion 11a at the tip of the first jaw portion 11 has inwardly facing protrusions formed at predetermined intervals, and the second shaped portion 12a at the tip of the second jaw portion 12 has inwardly facing recesses that correspond one-to-one with the protrusions. The first shaped portion 11a at the tip of the first jaw portion 11 and the second shaped portion 12a at the tip of the second jaw portion 12 approach each other to compress or crimp the workpiece 90, such as a compression terminal or crimping sleeve. The spring 18 is a metal torsion coil spring. The coil portion of the spring 18 is rotatably attached to a support portion 11e provided on the first jaw portion 11. The end of the spring 18 is in contact with the connecting plate 17. The restoring force of the spring 18 biases the first shaped portion 11a at the tip of the first jaw portion 11 and the second shaped portion 12a at the tip of the second jaw portion 12 toward each other.

[0013] Figure 3A is a schematic structural diagram showing the power tool 1 with the cover portion 2a of the main body 2 removed, and Figure 3B is a structural diagram showing the relationship between the trigger lever 27 and the switch board 20a in the power tool 1. For example, the control switch 21 is a push switch. The trigger lever 27 is rotatably supported on a second shaft member provided on the main body 2, and the trigger switch 22 operates in conjunction with the trigger lever 27. The trigger switch 22 is a microswitch. The switch board 20a has multiple microswitches mounted on it that can detect the position of the slide portion 9. For example, the position of the slide portion 9 is detected when a pin placed on the slide portion 9 contacts a microswitch.

[0014] The tool head 3 processes the workpiece 90 by applying the principle of leverage. The first jaw portion 11 has a first sliding surface 11d formed on the rear end side of the first jaw portion 11 on which the first roller 9a slides, and the first curved portion 11c from the protruding portion 11b of the first jaw portion 11 to the first sliding surface 11d is shaped in a way that it is separated from the first roller 9a. The second jaw portion 12 has a second sliding surface 12d formed on the rear end side of the second jaw portion 12 on which the second roller 9b slides, and the second curved portion 12c from the inner edge near where the first shaft member is located to the second sliding surface 12d is shaped in a way that it is separated from the second roller 9b.

[0015] The lead screw 8a is supported by a bearing 8b and connected to an electric motor 7a via a reduction gear 6. The main body 2 has a battery 5 that supplies power to the electric motor 7a, and the electric motor 7a is driven by the power from the battery 5 to compress, crimp, or cut the workpiece 90. The cover portion 2a of the main body 2 is shaped like a handle that can be gripped by an operator in a direction away from the tool head 3. An adapter 4 is provided on the lower end of the cover portion 2a, and the battery 5 is connected to the adapter 4 of the main body 2 in the form of a battery pack.

[0016] Figure 5 shows an example of the circuit diagram configuration of the power tool 1. The control unit 19 includes, as an example, a CPU 19a consisting of a single-chip microcontroller. The control unit 19 and the switch board 20a and display board 20b that constitute the peripheral circuits will be described below.

[0017] For example, battery 5 is a lithium-ion battery with a power supply voltage of 7-42[V] and a battery capacity of 1-10[Ah]. The voltage of battery 5 is stepped down via regulator 19c and supplied to CPU 19a. CPU 19a is configured to check and monitor the remaining charge of battery 5 and also functions as a timer. For example, CPU 19a sends a PWM signal to driver 19b, which supplies power to electric motor 7a via drive elements such as power MOSFETs, and controls the driving of electric motor 7a.

[0018] As an example, the control unit 19, the switch substrate 20a, and the display substrate 20b are signal-connected by wiring. The switch substrate 20a is equipped with a trigger switch 22 that operates by the operation of the trigger lever 27, an upper limit switch 23 that operates when the slide portion 9 moves to the upper limit position, an intermediate switch 24 that operates when the slide portion 9 moves to the intermediate position, and a lower limit switch 25 that operates when the slide portion 9 moves to the lower limit position. When the operation signals of each switch are input to the CPU 19a, the CPU 19a drives and controls the electric motor 7a.

[0019] The display substrate 20b is equipped with a control switch 21 operated by an operator, an LED 26a that indicates that the power tool 1 is in the automatic mode, an LED 26b that indicates that the power tool 1 is in an abnormal state, and an LED 26c that indicates that the power tool 1 is in the manual mode. When the operation signal of the control switch 21 is input to the CPU 19a, the CPU 19a determines that the operation signal of the trigger switch 22 is a valid signal and sets the conditions for driving and controlling the electric motor 7a. As an example, the control switch 21 is a push switch, and when the intermediate switch 24 is ON, when the control switch 21 is pressed for a predetermined time, for example, when pressed for 3 seconds or more, the mode is switched each time. The automatic mode is used when working continuously, and the LED 26a lights up under the display control of the CPU 19a, for example, showing a green display. The manual mode is used when working once, and the LED 26c lights up under the display control of the CPU 19a, for example, showing a green display.

[0020] If the power tool 1 is in an abnormal state, an abnormal signal is input to the CPU 19a from an external sensor, and the display control of the CPU 19a causes the LED 26b to light up or blink, for example, displaying red. For example, when the current value of the battery 5 exceeds 20[A], the LED 26b blinks 10 times at a period of 5Hz. For example, when the board temperature of the control unit 19 reaches 80[°C], the LED 26b lights up for 3 seconds. For example, when the temperature of the battery 5 is 90[°C] or higher, the LED 26b blinks 3 times at a period of 1Hz. For example, when the voltage of the battery 5 is 7.8[V] or lower, the LED 26b blinks 10 times at a period of 5Hz. Note that the above values ​​are examples and are not limited to these values.

[0021] As an example, Table 1 shows the relationship between the operator's actions and the operation of the power tool 1 and the operation of the control switch 21, trigger switch 22, upper limit switch 23, intermediate switch 24, and lower limit switch 25. In Table 1, the first switch is the control switch 21, and the second switch is the trigger switch 22.

[0022] [Table 1]

[0023] As shown in Table 1, the simple configuration, combining a control switch 21 and a trigger switch 22 linked to the trigger lever 27, allows the operator to easily perform a series of necessary operations with one hand, making it user-friendly. Furthermore, the power turns on when the control switch 21 is activated, and turns off after a predetermined time from the moment the trigger lever 27 is released, which is rational. For example, the power turns off 60 seconds after the moment the trigger lever 27 is released.

[0024] Figures 6A to 6D are schematic diagrams illustrating the operation of power tool 1. The operation of power tool 1 will be explained below based on Figures 6A to 6D and Table 1.

[0025] Figure 6A shows the initial state where the slide part 9 is in the intermediate position. The intermediate position is the position where the first roller 9a is in contact with or close to the protrusion 11b. When the power is OFF, only the intermediate switch 24 is ON. When the slide part 9 is in the intermediate position, the restoring force of the spring 18 closes the tip side of the first jaw 11 and the tip side of the second jaw 12. The first crimping operation starts with the slide part 9 in the initial state shown in Figure 6A.

[0026] In step S1, when the operator presses and releases the control switch 21, the control switch 21 changes from OFF to ON and then to OFF, the power is turned ON by the control unit 19, and the operation of the trigger switch 22 is activated.

[0027] Following step S1, in step S2, the operator pushes the operating part 12b of the second jaw portion 12 toward the first jaw portion 11, causing the first shaped portion 11a to separate from the second shaped portion 12a, and the operator attaches the workpiece 90. Figure 6B shows the state in which the workpiece 90 is held between the first shaped portion 11a and the second shaped portion 12a.

[0028] Following step S2, in step S3, when the operator grips the trigger lever 27, the slide part 9 retracts and moves downward, causing the first roller 9a to slide on the first sliding surface 11d and the second roller 9b to slide on the second sliding surface 12d, so that the first shaped part 11a and the second shaped part 12a move closer to each other and press the workpiece 90 against it. When the slide part 9 reaches its lower limit position, the lower limit switch 25 is activated and the slide part 9 stops temporarily. Figure 6C shows the state after the workpiece 90 has been pressed against it.

[0029] Following step S3, in step S4, when the operator releases the trigger lever 27, the slide part 9 moves forward and upward, and the first roller 9a pushes the protruding part 11b, causing the first shaped part 11a and the second shaped part 12a to separate from each other. When the slide part 9 reaches the upper limit position, the upper limit switch 23 is activated and the slide part 9 stops temporarily.

[0030] Following step S4, in step S5, the operator removes the workpiece 90. Figure 6D shows the state after the workpiece 90 has been removed. After a predetermined time from the moment the operator releases the trigger lever 27, the power is turned off with the tip of the first jaw 11 and the tip of the second jaw 12 closed.

[0031] In automatic mode, the crimping operation is repeated starting from the state shown in Figure 6D. In manual mode, the crimping operation is performed one at a time starting from the state shown in Figure 6A.

[0032] According to this embodiment, the workpiece 90 can be easily positioned by gripping it with a constant force, and the workpiece 90 can be easily processed in the positioned state. Furthermore, in the initial state where the slide part 9 is in the intermediate position, the tip side of the tool head 3 is closed, so the burden on the operator is reduced compared to conventional products, resulting in an electric tool 1 with a superior safety structure.

[0033] The above example describes a case where compression terminals or crimp sleeves are compressed or crimped as the workpiece 90, but the embodiment is not limited to this example. This embodiment can be applied to all electrical tools, such as cutting wires and crimping wires together. Also, the above example describes a configuration in which the battery 5 is detachably attached to the main body 2 in the form of a battery pack, but the embodiment is not limited to this example. This embodiment may also have a configuration in which the battery 5 is built into the main body 2, or a configuration that has both a built-in battery and a battery pack.

[0034] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0035] 1 Power tools 2 Main unit, 2a Cover part 3 Tool heads 4 adapters 5 batteries 6 Reducer 7a Electric motor, 7b Drive shaft 8a Lead screw, 8b Bearing 9. Slide section, 9a. First roller, 9b. Second roller 11 First jaw portion, 11a First shaped portion, 11b Protruding portion, 11c First curved portion, 11d 1st sliding surface, 11e support part 12 Second jaw section, 12a Second shaped section, 12b Operating section, 12c Second curved section, 12d Second motion surface 17 Connection plate, 17a 1st shaft member 18 springs 19 Control unit, 19a CPU (microcontroller), 19b Driver 20a Switch board, 20b Display board 21 Control switch 22 Trigger Switches 23 Upper limit switch 24 In-line switch 25 Lower limit switch 26a, 26b, 26c LED 27 Trigger lever, 27a Second axis member 90 Workpiece P1 axis

Claims

1. The device comprises a main body having an electric motor, a lead screw operated by the electric motor, and a slide portion moved by the lead screw, and a tool head having a first jaw portion and a second jaw portion connected to the main body and rotatably connected to each other. The sliding portion has a first roller positioned to slide on the rear end side of the first jaw portion and a second roller positioned to slide on the rear end side of the second jaw portion. The first roller and the second roller slide against the rear end of the first jaw and the rear end of the second jaw, and the front end of the first jaw and the front end of the second jaw are pivotally supported by a shaft member and rotate to approach each other, so that the front end of the first jaw and the front end of the second jaw close together, thereby processing the workpiece with the front end of the first jaw and the front end of the second jaw. The main unit has a trigger switch that operates in conjunction with a trigger lever operated by an operator to drive the electric motor, and a control switch that enables the operation of the trigger switch. The control switch is turned ON to enable the operation of the trigger switch, and the power is turned OFF after a predetermined time has passed since the trigger switch was deactivated. Power tools characterized by [features].

2. The control switch is positioned on the side of the main body opposite to the side on which the trigger lever is positioned. The power tool according to claim 1, characterized by the following:

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