Fastener device with overmolded nose assembly

Abstract

A fastener device (10) that drives a fastener into a workpiece. The fastener device (10) comprises a housing (16), a nose assembly (18), a driver (26), and a feeder (110). The nose assembly (18) is connected with the housing (16). The nose assembly (18) includes a drive channel (DC) into which the fastener to be driven into the workpiece is fed. The driver (26) is movable along a drive axis (28) of the nose assembly (18) to engage and drive the fastener in the drive channel (DC) into the workpiece. The feeder (110) is configured to feed the fastener into the drive channel (DC) of the nose assembly (18) prior to the driver (26) driving the fastener into the workpiece. The nose assembly (18) comprises two or more metal insert portions (1802) and backing material (1804) molded on at least portions of the metal insert portions (1802). The backing material (1804) has a lower weight per unit volume than the metal material of the insert portions (1802).

Description

FASTENER DEVICE WITH OVERMOLDED NOSE ASSEMBLYCROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0000] This patent application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 582,421, filed September 13, 2023, the contents of which are incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.FIELD

[0001] The patent application relates, in general, to the field of power tools. In particular, this patent application relates to portable fastening or driving tools, such as a nailers and staplers.BACKGROUND

[0002] Fastener devices / tools, such as nailers and staplers, are relatively commonplace in the construction trades. Several types of nailers have been introduced to the market in an effort to satisfy the demands of modern consumers. Some of the nailers use a spring-loaded device to push fasteners into position such that a drive mechanism or driver may then be actuated to fire or push a fastener into a workpiece.

[0003] Fastener device / tools may typically include a drum for storing a coil of collated fasteners and a feed mechanism or a feeder configured to feed the fasteners into a nose / nosepiece / nose assembly of the fastener tool / device. These fastener devices / tools are known in the art for attaching a series or a succession of nails or fasteners into workpieces. The fastener devices can be battery powered or pneumatic powered. The fastener device can engage a transmission and a motor to drive a fastener. Yet the coordinated driving and feeding of fasteners may be improved.

[0004] The noses of the coil nailer may be expensive, heavy and time consuming to manufacture. For example, the nose of the coil nailer may cost $15 / piece to manufacture, may take a lead time of 12 weeks to manufacture, and may weigh as much as 0.8 pounds (lbs). That is, the heaviest coil nailer nose may be at 0.8 lbs.

[0005] For example, coil nailer noses may traditionally be made of a single / one-piece steel investment castings. Investment casting refers to the ceramics formed around the wax patterns to create a casing for molten metal to be poured. Once the wax patterns are created, they are melted onto a gate system, dipped into slurry and sand to form a layered casing, then replaced with the melted metals such as steel. Developing investment castings may involve creating an original wax pattern, coating the image with plaster and building of successive layers until a strong shell envelopes the model. After melting out the wax, molten steel may be poured into the mold, creating a perfect duplicate of the original wax pattern. A prior art single / one-piece coil nailer nose is shown in FIG. 7. A redesign of the nose of the coil nailer is desired.

[0006] The present patent application provides improvements in the fastener devices.SUMMARY

[0007] One aspect of the present patent application provides a fastener device that drives a fastener into a workpiece. The fastener device comprises a housing, a nose assembly, a driver, and a feeder. The nose assembly is connected with the housing. The nose assembly includes a drive channel into which the fastener to be driven into the workpiece is fed. The driver is movable along a drive axis of the nose assembly to engage and drive the fastener in the drive channel into the workpiece. The feeder is configured to feed the fastener into the drive channel of the nose assembly prior to the driver driving the fastener into the workpiece. The nose assembly comprises two or more metal insert portions and backing material molded on at least portions of the metal insert portions. The backing material has a lower weight per unit volume than the metal material of the insert portions.

[0008] The metal insert portions may comprise the drive channel of the nose assembly. The metal insert portions may comprise a fastener and feeder support portion that is configured to support the fastener as the fastener is being driven in the drive channel of the nose assembly and to support portions of the feeder as the fastener is being fed into the drive channel of the nose assembly prior to the driver driving the fastener into the workpiece. The metal insert portions may comprise a trip stop portion that, when engaged or activated, is configured preventactuation of a contact trip or contact trip actuator. The metal insert portions may include a steel material. The backing material may include a plastic material.

[0009] These and other aspects of the present patent application, as well as the methods of operation and functions of the related elements of structure and the combination of parts and economies of manufacture, will become more apparent upon consideration of the following description and the appended claims with reference to the accompanying drawings, all of which form a part of this specification, wherein like reference numerals designate corresponding parts in the various figures. In one embodiment of the present patent application, the structural components illustrated herein are drawn to scale. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration and description only and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the present patent application. It shall also be appreciated that the features of one embodiment disclosed herein can be used in other embodiments disclosed herein. As used in the specification and in the claims, the singular form of "a", "an", and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0010] Other aspects, features, and advantages of the present patent application will become apparent from the following detailed description, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary fastener device according to an embodiment of the present patent application;

[0012] FIG. 2 shows another exemplary fastener device according to another embodiment of the present patent application;

[0013] FIG. 3 is a schematic representation showing electrical and mechanical connections between a controller, a drive actuator, a feed actuator, a motor, a flywheel, and sensors, as well as some of switches included in the fastener device according to an embodiment of the present patent application;

[0014] FIG. 4 shows a nose of a fastener device (e.g., coil nailer) according to an embodiment of the present patent application;

[0015] FIG. 5 shows portions of the nose of the fastener device according to an embodiment of the present patent application, where the portions include metal inserts including a drive path insert, a trip stop insert, threaded steel inserts, and a fastener and feeder support insert, where other portions of the nose including the overmolding / overmold portions are not shown so as to clearly show the metal inserts of the nose;

[0016] FIG. 6 shows both the metal inserts and the overmold portions of the nose of the fastener device according to an embodiment of the present patent application; and

[0017] FIG. 7 shows a nose of a prior art fastener device / coil nailer.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] In one embodiment of the present patent application, referring to FIGS. 1-3, a fastener device 10 that drives a fastener (not shown) into a workpiece (not shown) is provided. The fastener device 10 includes a housing 16, a nose assembly 18, a driver 26, and a feeder 110. The nose assembly 18 is connected with the housing 16. The nose assembly 18 includes a drive channel DC into which the fastener to be driven into the workpiece is fed. The driver 26 is disposed in the nose assembly 18. The driver 26 is movable along a drive axis or an axis 28 of the nose assembly 18 to engage and drive the fastener in the drive channel DC into the workpiece. The feeder 110 is configured to feed the fastener into the drive channel DC of the nose assembly 18 prior to the driver 26 driving the fastener into the workpiece. The nose assembly 18 comprises two or more metal insert portions 1802 and backing material 1804 molded on at least portions of the metal insert portions 1802. The backing material 1804 has a lower weight per unit volume than the metal material of the insert portions 1802. The backing material 1804 may include a plastic material as described in detail below.

[0019] As the backing material 1804 has a lower weight per unit volume than the metal material of the insert portions 1802, the backing material 1804 in the nose assembly 18 is configured to reduce the overall weight of the nose assembly 18. At the same time, the metal material of the insert portions 1802 of the nose assembly 18 is configured to maintain / retain / provide load bearing properties, wear resistance properties, etc., to the nose assembly 18. That is, the metal material is used in the nose assembly 18 where needed so as to provide load bearing properties,wear resistance properties, etc., to the nose assembly 18, and the rest of or remaining nose assembly 18 is made of the backing material 1804. The backing material 1804 is also used to join / attach / connect the metal insert portions to each other to form the nose assembly 18. By contrast, the prior art nose assembly 18 includes all metal (investment casting) nose assembly.

[0020] The metal insert portions 1802 may comprise the drive channel of the nose assembly. The metal insert portions 1802 may comprise a fastener and feeder support portion 1802s that is configured to support the fastener as the fastener is being driven in the drive channel DC of the nose assembly 18 and to support portions of the feeder 110 as the fastener is being fed into the drive channel DC of the nose assembly 18 prior to the driver 26 driving the fastener into the workpiece. The metal insert portions 1802 may comprise a trip stop portion 1802? that, when engaged or activated, is configured prevent actuation of a contact trip or contact trip actuator. The metal insert portions 1802 may include a steel material. The backing material 1804 may include a plastic material.

[0021] The drive channel DC of the nose assembly may interchangeably be referred to as drive path 18021 of the nose assembly 18. The fastener and feeder support portion 1802s may interchangeably be referred to as nail and feed support portion / insert.

[0022] This patent application relates, in general, to the field of power tools. For example, this patent application relates to corded or cordless, portable fastener driving tools, such as a nailers and staplers, and improvements made therein. In particular, the present patent application provides an overmolded nailer nose assembly 1801 (e.g., as shown in and described in detail with respect to FIGS. 4-6), for example, for a coil nailer (e.g., as shown in and described in detail with respect to FIGS. 1-2) that comprises components that are joined together, and inseparable, by a material overmolding, such as plastic overmolding. The components of the overmolded nailer nose assembly 1801 may also be interchangeably referred to as metal portions, metal insert members / portions, inserts, or insert members / portions and will be described in detail below.

[0023] For example, the cost of manufacturing the overmolded nailer nose assembly 1801 of the present patent application, as shown in FIGS. 4-6, may be around $10 / piece compared to the cost of manufacturing the prior art nose assembly 701, as shown in FIG. 7, may be around $15 / piece. The lead time for manufacturing the overmolded nailer nose assembly 1801 of thepresent patent application, as shown in FIGS. 4-6, may be around 6 weeks compared to the lead time for manufacturing the prior art nose assembly 701, as shown in FIG. 7, may be around 12 weeks. The heaviest the prior art nose assembly 701 may be at 0.8 pounds (lbs). The weight of the overmolded nailer nose assembly 1801 of the present patent application, as shown in FIGS. 4-6, may be reduced to 0.35 lbs.

[0024] The overmolded nailer nose assembly of the present patent application may be used in other types of fastener drivers.

[0025] The fastener device 10 may be interchangeably referred to as a fastener driver, a fastener driving tool, a fastener tool, a fastener driving device, a nailer, a device, or a tool that is adapted to drive fastener(s) into the workpiece. The fasteners may be staples, U-shaped staples, brads, nails, fasteners, and the like. The fastener and the nail may be used interchangeably. In one embodiment, the fasteners may be collated. The fastener device 10 may be a cordless power tool, in accordance with an embodiment. In one embodiment, the fastener device 10 is a nailer or a nail gun configured to drive nail(s) into the workpiece.

[0026] In one embodiment, the fastener device 10 may include a flywheel nailer mechanism with a flywheel FW. The flywheel nailer mechanism is described in detail below. The flywheel nailer mechanism may have a wide variation in time from start to finish depending upon the application (e.g., nail length, nail type, density of the workpiece, orientation of the workpiece, etc.).

[0027] The housing 16 may be formed from molded parts. In one embodiment, a first side part and a second side part of the housing 16 may be molded and joined togetherto encapsulate parts of the fastener driving mechanism and fastener feed mechanism (described in greater detail later) within the housing 16. The driving mechanism may be interchangeably referred to as the driver and the feed mechanism may interchangeably referred to as the feeder. The housing 16 may be made of extruded or molded plastic material, for example. The housing 16 may be formed from an Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) plastic material. These examples materials of the housing 16 should not be limiting. Other materials, such as polycarbonates and / or combinations of materials, may also be used to form the housing 16. The housing 16 has a front end 46 and a back end 52. The housing 16 may include a handle 226 adapted to be gripped by the hand of an operator or user. In one embodiment, the handle 226 extends between a top end and a bottomend of the housing 16. The housing 16 may also conventionally house a trigger 20 and the motor M with the driver 26, which may be selectively translated along the axis 28 to drive the fastener into the workpiece. Further details of the housing 16 are provided in commonly assigned U.S. Patent No.: 7,866,521 ("the '521 Patent") and U.S. Patent Application Publication No.: 2022 / 0161404 ("the '404 Patent Application"), each of which are commonly assigned and are incorporated by reference in their entirety.

[0028] The nose assembly 18 may extend from the housing 16 proximate the magazine (described in detail below) and may be conventionally configured to engage the magazine so as to sequentially receive fasteners therefrom. The nose assembly 18 may also serve in a conventional manner to guide the driver 26 and fastener when the fastener driver 10 has been actuated to install the fastener to a workpiece. The nose assembly 18 further also include a contact trip assembly 21, which is described in detail below. In addition to the contact trip assembly 21, the nose assembly 18 may include a barrel that forms a part of the drive channel DC for the driver 26 to move within an interior portion thereof and drive a fastener. The nose assembly 18 may be interchangeably referred to as nosepiece. The nose assembly 18 of the fastener device 10 may include one, some, or all features as described in U.S. Patent No.: 9,827,658 and / or U.S. Patent Application Publication No.: 10,926,385, both of which are commonly assigned and are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.

[0029] The nose assembly 18 may include insert portions 1802 and overmold portions 1804. The insert portions 1802 may be interchangeably referred to as insert members. The overmold portions 1804 may be interchangeably referred to as overmold members.

[0030] The insert portions 1802 may be made from steel. In one embodiment, the insert portions 1802 may be made at least in part from 8620 carbonized steel. The insert portions 1802 may be made from stock material (e.g., stock steel). The insert portions 1802 may be made by a stamping procedure. The insert portions 1802 may be made by a machining procedure.

[0031] The overmolded nailer nose assembly 1801 may include two or more insert portions 1802. The overmolded nailer nose assembly 1801 may include a plurality of insert portions 1802. For example, the insert portions 1802 may include five insert portions 18021, 1802z, 18023, 18024 and 1802s. These insert portions 1802 may include a drive path insert portion 18021, a trip stopinsert portion 18022, two threaded insert portions 1802s and 18024, and a fastener and feeder support insert 1802s. In another embodiment, the number of the insert portions 1802 in the nose assembly 18 may vary based on the application of the nailer / fastener device, the type of the nailer / fastener device, etc.

[0032] In one embodiment, the drive path insert portion 18021 and the fastener and feeder support insert 1802s may be separatelyformed and may be attached / joined / connected to each other. In another embodiment, the drive path insert portion 18021 and the fastener and feeder support insert 1802s may be formed together.

[0033] The insert portions 1802 may be configured to provide strength or support to portions of the nose assembly 18 and / or the feed assembly. For example, the fastener and feeder support insert portion 1802s may be configured to provide strength or support to portions of the nose assembly 18 and / or the feed assembly and may be configured to not wear out quickly as the feed pawl slides along (e.g., portions / windows 1810 of) the fastener and feeder support insert portion 1802s.

[0034] The fastener and feeder support insert 1802s may be a stamped fastener and feeder support insert portion or a stamped steel fastener and feeder support insert portion. The fastener and feeder support insert portion 1802s may include opening 1808 that is configured to receive a fastener / screw so as to facilitate connection between the overmolded nailer nose assembly 1801 and portions of the tool (including the housing of the tool). The opening 1808 in the fastener and feeder support insert portion 1802s may be configured to provide load bearing support, such that a load is translated / transferred from the fastener and feeder support insert portion 1802s to the housing during a feeding and / or driving operation of the nailer.

[0035] The insert portions 1802 may be configured to provide the drive path or a portion of the drive path. For example, the drive path insert portion 18021 may be configured to provide the drive path. Portions 1806 of the fastener and feeder support insert 18025may be configured to provide a portion of the drive path. That is, surfaces of portions 1806 of the fastener and feeder support insert 1802s (together with surfaces of the drive path insert portion 18021) form the drive path. The drive path insert 18021 may be a machined drive path insert portion or a machined steel drive path insert portion.

[0036] The drive path insert 18021 may have a cylindrical configuration that is configured to allow the fastener pass through during the feed and the drive cycles.

[0037] The trip stop insert 18022 may be a stamped trip stop insert portion or a stamped steel trip stop insert portion. A trip stop may be a stop which, when engaged or activated, is configured prevent actuation of a contact trip or contact trip actuator. The trip stop insert 1802? may include an opening 1812 therein. The opening 1812 of the trip stop insert 1802? may be configured to enable some material of the overmolding portions pass therethrough during the overmolding procedure. The opening 1812 of the trip stop insert 18022 may also be configured to locate / position the trip stop insert 1802? in the overmolded nailer nose assembly 1801 during the overmolding procedure.

[0038] The two threaded insert portions 1802s and 18024 may be threaded insert portions or stock steel threaded insert portions. In one embodiment, the two steel threaded insert portions may include off the shelf products, such as, for example, https: / / catalog.pemnet.com / item / blind-threaded-inserts-types-iba-ibb-ibc / molded-in- threaded-inserts-blind-threaded-metric / 22512?plpyer=1018. The two threaded insert portions may be molded-in threaded inserts or steel molded-in threaded inserts. The two steel threaded insert portions 1802s and 18024 may be steel blind threaded inserts. In one embodiment, blindend protects the threads from plastic intrusion. In one embodiment, the two steel threaded insert portions 1802s and 18024 may be replaced by a single steel threaded insert portion. The threaded insert portion or portions may be configured to receive fastener(s) / screw(s) that connect the overmolded nailer nose assembly to the nailer / power tool (e.g., housing of the nailer / power tool). The threaded insert portion or portions may include a closed end portion at one end portion and an open end portion at opposing end portion. The open end portion may be configured to receive fastener(s) / screw(s) that connect the overmolded nailer nose assembly to the nailer / power tool (e.g., housing of the nailer / power tool).

[0039] The overmold or overmolded portions 1804 of the nose assembly 18 may include backing material. The overmold or overmolded portions 1804 of the nose assembly 18 may be simultaneously formed and coupled to the metal inserts 1802 in an injection molding operation. The backing material may include a plastic material. The backing may include a polypropylenematerial. The backing material may include an Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) plastic material, a polystyrene material or Cellulose Acetate Butyrate (CAB). In another embodiment, the overmold portions 1804 may be formed from a resilient material, such as thermoplastic elastomer and may be simultaneously formed and coupled to the metal inserts 1802 in an injection molding operation.

[0040] The backing material may be molded on at least portions of the metal insert members. The backing material may be molded on the threaded insert portions 1802s and 18024 to completely surround the threaded insert portions 1802s and 18024 but to leave the open ends of the threaded insert portions 1802s and 18024open so as to receive the fasteners / screwstherein. The backing material may be molded on the insert portion 1802s to surround the top and bottom portions thereof. The backing material may be molded on the insert portion 18021 to surround the top portion thereof. The backing material may be molded on the insert portion 18021 to be disposed on some side portions thereof. The backing material may be molded on the insert portion 18025to be disposed on the bottom portion and some side portions thereof. The backing material may have a plurality of openings that are configured to facilitate the connection of the overmolded nose assembly with the housing and other components of the power tool.

[0041] The overmolded nailer nose assembly be formed in an integral fashion, for example, in a build-up fashion, for example, by overmolding, where one or more portions are formed and concurrently joined to another portions that were previously formed.

[0042] The nailer nose assembly of the present patent application may be formed by an overmolding process. In the overmolding process / procedure, a backing material 1804 is injected onto the metal portions / inserts 1802. Overmolding allows the two materials (the backing material and the metal portions / inserts) to be cohesively attached. Therefore, no external adhesive or fasteners are required. The injection molding process may be used to overmold the backing material 1804 on the metal portions / inserts 1802.

[0043] Additional cuts or protrusions may be provided on surfaces of the metal portions / inserts 1802. These cuts or protrusions may be configured to facilitate a mechanical bond to be formed between the metal portions / inserts 1802 and the backing material 1804. These cuts or protrusions may be configured to provide mechanical interlocks for the backing material 1804 totake hold of the metal portions / inserts 1802. In another embodiment, self-bonding materials may be used instead to form an overmold on the surfaces of the metal portions / inserts 1802. The material properties of these self-bonding materials facilitate a mechanical bond and / or a chemical bond to be formed between the metal portions / inserts 1802 and the backing material 1804. In such an embodiment, shallow cuts or protrusions on the metal portions / inserts 1802 may be optional. A primer or an adhesion promoting material may be used on the the metal portions / inserts 1802 before overmolding the backing material 1804 thereon. This primer or adhesion promoting material applied on metal portions / inserts 1802 enables a mechanical bond and a chemical bond to be formed between metal portions / inserts 1802 and the backing material 1804. In such an embodiment, shallow cuts or protrusions on the metal portions / inserts 1802 may be optional.

[0044] The fastener device 10 may include a magazine assembly 14, which may be coupled to the housing 16. The magazine assembly may be interchangeably referred to as magazine. The magazine assembly may be coupled to the nose assembly and disposed within the housing 16. The magazine assembly 14 is configured to carry a supply of fasteners through a feed channel along a feed channel direction toward the nose assembly 18. The feeder 110 is configured to feed the fastener through the magazine assembly 14 and into the drive channel prior to driving the fastener into the workpiece.

[0045] The magazine assembly 14 is an elongated receptacle that extends away from the nose assembly 18, towards a back end of the handle 226. In one embodiment, the magazine assembly 14 may be provided such that it extends between the nosepiece 18 and a base portion of the fastener device 10 (e.g., near a removable battery pack 22 as shown in FIG. 2). In one embodiment, the magazine assembly 14 may be positioned an acute angle relative to the handle 226 and extending between the nose assembly 18 and a bottom portion of the handle 226, such that a bottom portion of the magazine assembly 14 may be positioned at an acute angle relative to a workpiece when the nose assembly 18 is positioned and is configured for applying the fastener thereto.

[0046] The magazine assembly 14 is configured to hold a plurality of fasteners or nails and sequentially feed the fasteners into the nosepiece 18. These fasteners or nails are thenconfigured to be dispensed from the fastener device 10 with sufficient energy to penetrate a workpiece. The magazine assembly 14 may be configured to hold collated nails. The magazine assembly 14 may include a canister 200 (as shown in FIG. 1) that is configured to hold coiled, collated nails / fasteners. The magazine assembly 14 (via its parts therein) is generally configured to sequentially feed / present a lead fastener of the plurality of fasteners into a drive channel DC of the fastener driving tool 10. The magazine assembly 14 may include the feeder or feed mechanism 110, which will be described in detail below. The magazine assembly 14 may be opened to load collated fasteners into the magazine assembly 14 as described in detail in the incorporated '521 Patent. The further details of the magazine assembly 14 are provided in the incorporated '521 Patent and the incorporated '404 Patent Application.

[0047] The trigger 20 may be adjacent to or on the handle 226 and may be connected to a controller C (also interchangeably referred to as a control unit or a power control module). The trigger 20 may be provided in the form of a button for manual operation such that when an operator / a user grips the handle 226, the trigger 20 may be engaged by a forefinger of the operator / user. The trigger 20 is mechanically coupled to the handle 226 and is electrically coupled to at least the motor M and the controller C such that electric power may be selectively provided thereto. The trigger 20 may be a push button that moves back and forth, or a button that may be pivotally mounted to the housing 16 by way of a pivot, such that application of force via the operator's forefinger moves the trigger 20 relative to the handle 226. The trigger 20 may be associated with a trigger switch / sensor TS. The trigger 20 may also be associated with a contact trip assembly 21 and the controller C.

[0048] The contact trip assembly 21 is configured to prevent accidental activation of the fastener device 10. Generally, an operator of the fastener device 10 may hold or grip the fastener device 10 by providing their hand around the handle 226 and place the nose assembly 18 at a desired location for applying a fastener, push down on the contact trip assembly 21, and depress the trigger 20 in order to activate the controller C and the internal actuators (as described in detail later) and to cause a fastener to be ejected at that desired location. In one embodiment, the contact trip assembly 21 may be provided on the nose assembly 18. The contact trip assembly 21 may be coupled to the nose piece 18 for sliding movement thereon. In operation, the contact tripassembly 21 must first be deactivated in order to propel the driver 26 and drive the fastener into the workpiece.

[0049] Other operation restricting devices (e.g., mechanical and / or electrical, like switches) may also be provided in the fastener device 10. The contact trip assembly 21 may include a contact trip (or contact trip member) actuatable to initiate the drive stroke. The contact trip may be positioned in front of the driver 26 in the housing 16 of the fastener device 10. The contact trip is configured for movement relative to the housing 16 parallel to the movement of the driver 26. Also, provided are a contact trip spring and a contact trip switch CTS. The contact trip switch CTS is configured such that the contact trip switch CTS may be tripped or actuated (e.g., closed) to allow use of the fastener device 10 (when all conditions are met for driving or firing), and may also be electrically coupled to the controller C. The contact trip switch CTS may be provided in a normally open position and closed when the contact trip spring is compressed by force upon the contact trip itself, for example. In one embodiment, as an operator applies force or bias on the fastener device 10, i.e., towards a workpiece, a contact surface of the contact trip assembly 21 engages the workpiece and then actuates movement of the body of the contact trip relative to the drive channel DC, thereby closing the contact trip switch CTS and spring-loading or compressing the contact trip spring that normally biases the contact trip assembly 21 relatively forward such that the fastener device 10 is disabled from firing.

[0050] When the trigger 20 is actuated by the operator's forefinger (e.g., the trigger switch TS is closed) and all other conditions for firing are met, the drive system and thus the motor M may be initiated i.e., activated or energized, to fire a fastener. Such features are known in the art and thus not further described here. That is, the trigger switch TS is configured to generate a trigger signal that may be employed in whole or in part to initiate the cycling of the fastener device 10 to install a fastener to a workpiece.

[0051] The contact trip assembly 21 is configured to slide rearwardly in response to contact with a workpiece and may interact with either the trigger 20 or a contact trip sensor / switch CTS. When the contact trip assembly 21 interacts with the trigger 20, the contact trip assembly 21 cooperates with the trigger 20 to permit the trigger 20 to actuate the trigger switch TS to generate the trigger signal. More specifically, the trigger 20 may include a primary trigger, whichis actuated by a finger of the user, and a secondary trigger, which is actuated by sufficient rearward movement of the contact trip assembly 21. Actuation of either one of the primary and secondary triggers will not, in and of itself, cause the trigger switch 20 to generate the trigger signal. Rather, both the primary and the secondary trigger must be placed in an actuated condition to cause the trigger 20 to generate the trigger signal. When the contact trip assembly 21 interacts with the contact trip sensor / switch CTS, rearward movement of the contact trip assembly 21 by a sufficient amount causes the contact trip sensor / switch CTS to generate a contact trip signal, which may be employed in conjunction with the trigger signal to initiate the cycling of the fastener device 10 to install a fastener to a workpiece.

[0052] The driver 26 includes a driver blade at one end thereof. The driver 26 may be configured for translational movement within the drive channel DC along the drive axis 28. The driver 26 may also be configured to engage with and drive the lead fastener in the drive channel DC into a workpiece. The driver 26 may be made of any number of materials, including, but not limited to, aluminum, nickel, steel, stainless steel, and / or combinations thereof.

[0053] A drive system, associated with a drive actuator DA, is configured to selectively drive the driver 26 along the drive axis 28 (or path), to drive the nail or fastener into a workpiece. The drive system (also interchangeably referred to herein as a drive motor assembly), may include the power source or power / energy assembly, the driver 26, an activation arm assembly, and a return mechanism. The activation arm assembly and the return mechanism are described in detail in the incorporated '404 Patent Application.

[0054] In one embodiment, the energy / power source / assembly includes the motor M, the flywheel FW, and the drive actuator DA. In one embodiment, the motor M is an outer rotor brushless motor, wherein the rotor is provided on an outside and the stator is provided on an inside thereof. The flywheel FW may be coupled to an output shaft of the motor M. The motor M may be operable for rotating the flywheel FW, for example, via a motor pulley, a belt and a flywheel pulley. The outer rotor of the motor may be integrally formed with the flywheel FW.

[0055] In operation, fasteners are stored in the magazine assembly 14, which sequentially feeds the fasteners into the nose assembly 18. The drive motor assembly may be actuated / activated by the controller C to cause the driver 26 to translate and impact a fastener (i.e., in the drivechannel DC) in the nose assembly 18 so that the lead fastener may be driven into a workpiece. Actuation of the power source may use energy (e.g., electrical energy from the battery pack 22) to operate the motor M and the drive actuator DA. The motor M is employed to drive the flywheel FW, while the drive actuator DA is configured to (e.g., move a roller that is associated with a roller assembly that configured to) squeeze the driver 26 into engagement with the flywheel FW so that energy may be transferred from the flywheel FW to the driver 26 to cause the driver 26 to translate. The nose assembly 18 (and the drive channel DC) guides the fastener as it is being driven into the workpiece. Actuation of the drive actuator DA causes the roller assembly to translate toward (e.g., in a generally downward direction) and engage the driver 26 to initiate driving engagement between the driver 26 and the flywheel FW and thus move the driver 26 into the drive channel DC of the nose assembly 18 that has a lead fastener therein. The drive actuator DA may be an electro-mechanical actuator such as a linear actuator. In one embodiment, the drive actuator DA is a solenoid. The details about the roller assembly the drive actuator may be found in the '404 Patent Application.

[0056] After the driver 26 has translated and fired the fastener from the nose assembly 18, the return mechanism may be employed to return the driver 26 to its starting position. The return mechanism biases the driver 26 into a returned / its starting position. For example, the return mechanism may include a biasing member, or spring, which is configured to push (e.g., backwards) the driver 26 back and away from the nose assembly 18 after the driver 26 is deployed to fire a fastener from the fastener device 10. When the driver 26 has been returned, the solenoid / drive actuator DA may be deactivated. In one embodiment, the drive actuator, the driver, and the drive system used in the fastener device 10 may be an electrical actuator, drive, and drive system and are further described in U.S. Patent No.: 9,744,657 ("the '657 Patent"), which is commonly assigned and is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

[0057] The fastener device 10 may be an electric fastener device or a pneumatic fastener device. The primary difference between the electric fastener device and the pneumatic fastener device is that the source of power or energy used to drive a fastener in the electric fastening tool is derived from the electric power, rather than pneumatic power. The electric power may be supplied, e.g., by a battery pack 22 or from being plugged into a common household AC outlet.

[0058] In one embodiment, the bottom end of the housing 16 may have a removable and rechargeable energy storage device, which may include the battery pack 22. The battery pack 22 may be configured to engage an end portion of the fastener device 10 and provide power to the motor M within the housing 16, such that the fastener device 10 may drive one or more fasteners that are fed from the magazine assembly 14 into a workpiece. The location of the battery pack 22 as shown in the Figures is not limiting and is illustrative only; indeed, the battery pack 22 can be located anywhere on the fastener device 10. In addition, although the energy storage device is illustrated as being a battery pack, embodiments of this disclosure are not limited to battery packs being the energy storage device. That is, in some embodiments, the fastener device 10 may include a cord and a plug for plugging into a common household AC outlet. While the fastener device 10 is described as being electrically powered by a suitable power source or energy storage device, such as the battery pack 22, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the disclosure, in its broader aspects, may apply to other powered fastening tools.

[0059] The energy assembly EA includes the motor M and the flywheel FW that is driven by the motor M. The flywheel FW is configured to transmit the power to the driver 26 to thereby cause the driver 26 to translate in the drive channel DC and along the drive axis 28.

[0060] The feeder, feed mechanism or feed assembly 110, shown in FIG. 2, may include a feed pawl assembly (not shown) and a follower pawl assembly (not shown). The feed assembly 110 is associated with the magazine assembly 14 and is configured to advance the fasteners contained therein in a feed direction (i.e., towards the drive channel DC, the nose assembly 18 and the driver 26) to present a lead fastener into the nose assembly 18. The feed assembly 110 has feed actuator 148 that is configured to move the lead fastener into the nose assembly 18. A coil or a set of the collated fasteners may be inserted into the canister 200 and an end of the collated fasteners with a lead fastener may be strung towards the drive channel DC such that one of the collated fasteners is positioned in the feed assembly 110 for feeding (e.g., using teeth and / or a pawl assembly, and a feed actuator 148).

[0061] In one embodiment, the feed assembly 110 may include a biasing spring and a feed rod configured to move the lead fastener (from the set of collated fasteners contained in the canister 200) into the nosepiece assembly 18. The biasing spring may bias the feed rod into a firstposition, and the feed actuator 148 may be configured to move (i.e., reciprocate) the feed rod to a second position, against a biasing force of the biasing spring, for moving the lead fastener into the nose assembly 18. In one embodiment, features of the feed assembly 110 may include those of the incorporated '521 reference. The feed actuator 148 may be interchangeably referred to as the feed actuator FA. Like the drive actuator DA, the feed actuator FA may be an electromechanical actuator such as a linear actuator. The feed actuator FA may be an electrical actuator. The feed actuator 148 / FA may be in the form of a solenoid, in accordance with an embodiment. The features of the feed actuator 148 / FA and the feeder / feed assembly 110 may include those of the incorporated '404 Patent Application or the incorporated '521 reference. For example, the feed assembly and feed actuator may be an automatic coil feeder assembly.

[0062] In one embodiment, the feeder may include a solenoid / feed actuator. The controller C activates the solenoid. The actual motion of feeding the nails / fastener may be caused by a spring. The spring moves forward and advances the nails / fasteners (e.g., after the solenoid is deenergized). That is, the controller C activates / energizes the solenoid, the spring is then pulled down and then the solenoid is deenergized. This pushes the nail / fastener forward. So, it is the combination of the spring and the solenoid that advance the nails / fasteners. When the solenoid is deenergized, the movement (e.g., forward and advancement) of the nails / fasteners start. The time at which the solenoid is energized may be referred to as the feed cycle start time (i.e., for both the sequential and the bump activation modes).

[0063] In one embodiment, in the fastener device 10, the drive actuator DA is positioned on a first axis and the feed actuator FA is positioned on a second axis. These first and second axes are positioned at a non-perpendicular angle relative to one another. In one embodiment, the first (or actuation) axis is positioned such that the axis is parallel to the drive axis 28. In another embodiment, the second (or actuation) axis is parallel to the feed direction (i.e., the axis extending at an angle from near a bottom of the fastener device 10 to the nose assembly 18). In yet another embodiment, the first axis is positioned such that the axis is parallel to the drive axis 28, and the second axis is parallel to the feed direction. In one embodiment, the drive axis 28 of the drive actuator DA is provided in a first plane and an axis of the feed actuator FA defining the feed direction is provided in a second plane, and the first plane is different from the second plane.The axes and planes of the drive actuator DA and the feed actuator FA are also shown and described in the incorporated '404 Patent Application. While the exemplary illustrated embodiments are described as using solenoids (for the drive and feed actuators DA, FA) as the electro-mechanical actuators, other forms of actuators may be used, for example, an electric motor, a single dual-action solenoid, a multi-stage solenoid, a solenoid in conjunction with a mechanical biasing element, such as a spring, a linear motion machine, or any combination thereof.

[0064] The controller C and circuitry may be provided at the back end 52 of the housing 16. The controller C may be provided in the form of a microprocessor and one or more circuit boards, for example, including relay module and one or more MOSFETs. The controller C may also be configured to communicate with the motor M. The controller C may be programmed to provide power and / or control signals (e.g., electric pulses) over control lines to the drive and feed actuators DA and FA. That is, the drive actuator DA and the feed actuator FA are connected to the controller C via control lines. The controller C may be configured to operate both the driver and feeder, to control the start timing of the feeder, etc.

[0065] The controller C may be configured to receive input from the trigger 20, which affects movement of the driver 26 and feed rod to load fasteners in the nose assembly 18 of the fastener device 10. Upon receiving a signal from the trigger switch TS and an operation restricting mechanism (e.g., contact trip assembly 21) and its switch CTS, the controller C may be connected to the battery 22 to receive power therefrom and the drive actuator DA may be activated. The controller C may signal the motor M to energize or activate for a predetermined amount of time (e.g., by applying voltage to the motor M) before activating the drive actuator DA. As is understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art, the controller C is configured for outputting a driving control signal to the drive system and for outputting a motor signal to control an operation of the motor M via selectively energizing coils (of the stator) of a plurality of phases of the motor M. In one embodiment, the controller C may include the control unit and / or features of said unit as disclosed in U.S. Patent No.: 10,693,344, which is commonly assigned and is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

[0066] In one embodiment, the controller C may receive signals (whether the fastener device 10 is in the sequential activation mode or in the bump / contact activation mode and / or one or more characteristics of the energy assembly) and may also receive signals (when the drive cycle was started, and how long the drive cycle will be, etc.). Based on these received signals, the controller C may determine and send signals to the feeder when the solenoid of the feeder should be activated / energized. The time at which the solenoid of the feeder is activated / energized may be referred to as the feeder start time.

[0067] The fastener device 10 further comprises one or more sensors S that are configured to sense the characteristic of the energy assembly.

[0068] The fastener device 10 may include a sensor configured to sense the speed of the flywheel FW. In one embodiment, the sensor S is configured to sense a condition in the power source that is indicative of a level of kinetic energy of an element in the power source and to generate a sensor signal in response thereto. For example, the sensor S may be operable for sensing a speed of the output shaft of the motor M or a speed of the flywheel FW. As a person of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate from this patent application, the sensor S may sense the characteristic directly or indirectly. For example, the speed of the output shaft of the motor M or the speed of the flywheel FW may be sensed directly, as through encoders, eddy current sensors or Hall effect sensors, or indirectly, as through the back electromotive force of the motor M. Back electromotive force, which is produced when the motor M is not powered by the battery but rather driven by the speed and inertia of the components of the motor assembly (especially the flywheel FW) may be employed.

[0069] In another embodiment, a position detector may be associated with the motor M to output a position signal corresponding to the position of a rotor (at one place) of the motor M. The position detector may be a magnetic sensor such as a hall sensor / element or a hall IC, for example, and a hall signal may be output as the position signal. The position signal output from the position detector is input to the controller C. The controller C may include an inverter circuit design to output a control signal to the motor M, to control the rotation of the motor M. In one embodiment, the inverter circuit has six switching elements for supplying driving current to therespective coils of the motor M, wherein three of the switching elements are high-side switching elements and three of the switching elements are low-side switching elements.

[0070] When the speed of the flywheel FW is lower than a flywheel speed threshold after the drive cycle, the controller C is configured to increase the time between the drive cycle and the feeder start time. When more time is needed for the speed of the flywheel FW to reach the flywheel speed threshold after the drive cycle, the controller C is configured to increase the increase the time between the drive cycle and the feeder start time. The controller C is configured to determine a flywheel deceleration value based on the speed of the flywheel FW. When the flywheel deceleration value is higher than a predetermined value after the drive cycle, the controller C is configured to increase the time between the drive cycle and the feeder start time.

[0071] The fastener device 10 may have multiple modes of operation. For example, one mode of operation of the fastener device 10 may be a sequential fire mode (or sequential operational mode) in which the contact trip assembly 21 is first be abutted against a workpiece (so that the contact trip sensor / switch CTS generates the contact trip sensor signal and thereafter the trigger switch TS is actuated to generate the trigger signal).

[0072] Another mode of operation of the fastener device 10 may be a mandatory bump feed mode (or bump operational mode) in which the trigger switch TS is first actuated to generate the trigger signal and thereafter the contact trip assembly 21 is abutted against a workpiece so that the contact trip sensor / switch CTS generates the contact trip sensor signal.

[0073] Yet another mode of operation may be a combination mode that permits either sequential fire or bump feed wherein no particular sequence is required (i.e., the trigger sensor signal and the contact trip sensor signal may be made in either order or simultaneously).

[0074] The fastener device 10 may also include a mode selector switch. The mode selector switch may be a switch that produces a mode selector switch signal that is indicative of a desired mode of operation of the fastener device 10.

[0075] The controller C may be configured such that the fastener device 10 will be operated in a given mode, such as the bump feed mode, only in response to the receipt of a specific signal from the mode selector switch. For example, the placement of the mode selector switch in a first position causes a signal of a predetermined first voltage to be applied to the controller C, whilethe placement of the mode selector switch in a second position causes a signal of a predetermined second voltage to be applied to the controller C. Limits may be placed on the voltage of one or both of the first and second voltages, such as ± a value or a percentage of voltage, so that if the voltage of one or both of the signals is outside the limits the controller C may default to a given feed mode (e.g., to the sequential feed mode) or operational condition (e.g., inoperative).

[0076] The present patent application and its various embodiments as described above uniquely address the observed, noted and researched findings and improve on the prior and current state of the art systems. The listed products, features and embodiments as described in the present patent application should not be considered as limiting in any way.

[0077] Although the present patent application has been described in detail for the purpose of illustration, it is to be understood that such detail is solely for that purpose and that the present patent application is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover modifications and equivalent arrangements that are within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. In addition, it is to be understood that the present patent application contemplates that, to the extent possible, one or more features of any embodiment can be combined with one or more features of any other embodiment.

[0078] The illustration of the embodiments of the present patent application should not be taken as restrictive in any way since a myriad of configurations and methods utilizing the present patent application can be realized from what has been disclosed or revealed in the present patent application. The systems, features and embodiments described in the present patent application should not be considered as limiting in any way. The illustrations are representative of possible construction and mechanical embodiments and methods to obtain the desired features. The location and / or the form of any minor design detail or the material specified in the present patent application can be changed and doing so will not be considered new material since the present patent application covers those executions in the broadest form.

[0079] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular example embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicatesotherwise. The terms "comprises," "comprising," "including," and "having," are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in the particular order discussed or illustrated, unless specifically identified as an order of performance. It is also to be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed.

[0080] When an element or layer is referred to as being "on," "engaged to," "connected to," or "coupled to" another element or layer, it may be directly on, engaged, connected or coupled to the other element or layer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly on," "directly engaged to," "directly connected to," or "directly coupled to" another element or layer, there may be no intervening elements or layers present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a like fashion (e.g., "between" versus "directly between," "adjacent" versus "directly adjacent," etc.). As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0081] Although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and / or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and / or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Terms such as "first," "second," and other numerical terms when used herein do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the example embodiments.

[0082] Terms of degree such as "generally," "substantially," "approximately," and "about" may be used herein when describing the relative positions, sizes, dimensions, or values of various elements, components, regions, layers and / or sections. These terms mean that such relativepositions, sizes, dimensions, or values are within the defined range or comparison (e.g., equal or close to equal) with sufficient precision as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art in the context of the various elements, components, regions, layers and / or sections being described.

[0083] The foregoing illustrated embodiments have been provided to illustrate the structural and functional principles of the present patent application and are not intended to be limiting. To the contrary, the present patent application is intended to encompass all modifications, alterations and substitutions within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A fastener device that drives a fastener into a workpiece comprising: a housing; a nose assembly connected with the housing, the nose assembly having a drive channel into which the fastener to be driven into the workpiece is fed, a driver movable along a drive axis of the nose assembly to engage and drive the fastener in the drive channel into the workpiece; and a feeder configured to feed the fastener into the drive channel of the nose assembly prior to the driver driving the fastener into the workpiece, wherein the nose assembly comprises two or more metal insert portions and backing material molded on at least portions of the metal insert portions, the backing material having a lower weight per unit volume than the metal material of the insert portions.

2. The fastener device of claim 1, wherein the metal insert portions comprise the drive channel of the nose assembly.

3. The fastener device of claim 1, wherein the metal insert portions comprise a fastener and feeder support portion that is configured to support the fastener as the fastener is being driven in the drive channel of the nose assembly and to support portions of the feeder as the fastener is being fed into the drive channel of the nose assembly prior to the driver driving the fastener into the workpiece.

4. The fastener device of claim 1, wherein the metal insert portions comprise a trip stop portion that, when engaged or activated, is configured prevent actuation of a contact trip or contact trip actuator.

5. The fastener device of claim 1, wherein the metal insert portions include a steel material.

6. The fastener device of claim 1, wherein the backing material includes a plastic material.

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