Cradle for electrically charging a torque wrench

Abstract

Electric charging cradle for a torque wrench, wherein said wrench comprises an elongated body having, at one end, a handle (11) and at the opposite end a metal tubular arm (12), and in a substantially intermediate position, a block (13) inside which there are electronic control circuits and an electronic processing unit. At the free end of said arm (12), there is a tool head (14) provided with a seat (15) in which a plurality of inserts (16) can be alternatively inserted, suitable for engaging the wrench with a corresponding type and / or size of mechanical organ or element on which the wrench itself is intended to act. Said cradle comprises a container body (21) substantially "U" shaped, so as to form a longitudinal housing (23) suitable for accommodating a torque wrench placed lying down inside it and in which there are electrical connection pins between the wrench and the cradle, inside said housing there are magnetic coupling means suitable for binding to the metal parts of said elongated body of the torque wrench.

Description

[0001] Cradle for electrically charging a torque wrench.

[0002] The present invention relates to a cradle for electrically charging a torque wrench.

[0003] The present invention applies to torque wrenches provided with an electronic part, typically powered by rechargeable batteries placed inside the wrench, for example inserted in the handle of the wrench itself.

[0004] A charging cradle of such type allows the wrench to be housed therein and, through an electrical connection (by electrical pins, NFC, or any other connection allowing electrical energy to be transferred from the cradle to the wrench), allows the batteries of the wrench to be charged.

[0005] Typically, a charging cradle comprises a container body inside which there are electronic cards for charging, possibly electronic cards for managing wireless communication, Bluetooth, NFC, etc... Said body usually comprises at least one connection socket for a charging cable to the electrical network, and possibly USB or Ethernet sockets, etc...

[0006] A display screen for indicating the charging status and / or a plurality of display devices (for example, LEDs) can also be available on said body.

[0007] A longitudinal housing for a torque wrench having a shape so as to allow horizontal positioning of the wrench itself is provided on said body.

[0008] Inside the housing, there are electrical contacts which allow the electrical connection between the cradle and the wrench.

[0009] The wrench is inserted into the housing due to its shape, in an “almost forced” manner. For example, when the housing has a substantially semicylindrical shape, the wrench can interlock into it by virtue of its substantially tubular shape. In some cases, inside the housing there can be an interlock and a small spring to facilitate the binding. Possibly, the electrical contacts for charging also contribute to the binding of the wrench to the charging cradle.

[0010] Obviously, in such configuration, the wrench is stably inserted into the charging cradle only when it is supported on a horizontal plane, and the wrench is likewise positioned horizontally.

[0011] Other positions of the cradle, for example vertically bound to a wall or a vertical panel, are not allowed, as they would risk, at the very least, an unstable electrical contact between the cradle and the wrench, and potentially even accidental dropping of the wrench.

[0012] The present invention proposes a solution to the above-mentioned problems by making a charging cradle provided with magnetic binding means to the torque wrench.

[0013] An aspect of the present invention relates to a cradle for electrically charging a torque wrench having the features of claim 1.

[0014] Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and the attached drawings, provided solely by way of explanatory and non-limiting example, in which:

[0015] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a torque wrench according to the present invention;

[0016] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the charging cradle for a torque wrench as that in Figure 1, according to the present invention;

[0017] Figure 3 a is a perspective view of the charging cradle with a torque wrench inserted, according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 3b is a perspective view of the charging cradle with a torque wrench inserted, according to a second embodiment of the present invention, provided with an extendable support rod;

[0019] Figure 3c is the same cradle as in Figure 3b, but with the rod in the extended position;

[0020] Figure 4 illustrates a perspective view of the charging cradle provided with an extendable support rod, according to the present invention;

[0021] Figures 5 a and 5b are a longitudinal section of the charging cradle and an enlarged detail, respectively with a magnet in the operative position and in the non-operative position.

[0022] A torque wrench suitable for being inserted into the charging cradle according to the present invention comprises an elongated body having, at one end, a handle 11 , at the opposite end a metal tubular arm 12, and in a substantially intermediate position, a block 13 fitted on said arm, inside which there are electronic control circuits and an electronic processing unit.

[0023] Advantageously, the arm has a tubular shape, but appears as a flattened tube having a height (along the Y axis in the figures) greater than its width (Z axis in the figures).

[0024] On said block, control buttons, electrical connection socket (for example, USB, Ethernet, etc.), possibly a display screen, and display devices (for example, LEDs) can be provided, for the operating status of the wrench, tightening progression, error notifications, battery charge level, etc...

[0025] At the free end of said arm 12, there is a tool head 14 provided with a seat 15 in which a plurality of inserts 16 can be alternatively inserted. For example, each insert will be suitable for engaging the wrench with a corresponding type and / or size of mechanical organ or element (screw, nut, etc.) on which the tool is intended to act.

[0026] Although, for simplicity, the inserts shown are all of similar size, elongated inserts or inserts with specially shaped arms can also be provided, as known in the field.

[0027] Preferably, the wrench comprises sensor means (for example, made with strain gauges arranged in the arm) for detecting the tightening conditions, such as for example sensors of the torque exerted on the mechanical organ, and also a sensor (for example, a gyroscopic sensor) for detecting the tightening angle. The charging cradle 2 according to the present invention comprises a container body 21, inside which there are electronic cards for charging, possibly electronic cards for managing wireless communication (Bluetooth, NFC, etc...).

[0028] Said body usually comprises at least one connection socket for a charging cable to the electrical network and possibly USB or Ethernet sockets, etc...

[0029] On said body, a display screen can also be available for the charging status and / or a plurality of display devices 22 (for example, LEDs).

[0030] Said body is substantially “U” shaped, so as to form a longitudinal housing 23 suitable for accommodating a torque wrench placed lying down inside it. Inside said housing, there are magnetic coupling means suitable for binding with the metal parts of the elongated body of the torque wrench.

[0031] Inside said housing, preferably on the bottom thereof, there are electrical coupling means 231 between the cradle and the wrench, for example made through a plurality of electrical connection pins. In particular, the magnetic coupling means are placed on the bottom of the housing and bind to the metal tubular arm 12 of the wrench. Said magnetic coupling means comprise at least a first magnet 31 placed close to an intermediate portion of the housing, and at least a second magnet 32 placed close to a front end 24 of the housing, where the part of the wrench close to the tool head 14 is housed. The positions of the magnets and of the electrical connection pins are such that the at least one first magnet 31 is allowed to be bound to the portion of the wrench comprised between the block 13 and the handle 11, and the at least one second magnet 32 to be bound to the portion of the metal tubular arm 12 of the wrench close to the tool head 14. In this way, the block 13 remains in a central position of the housing, and the binding of the first magnet 31 ensures a reliable electrical connection, both for power supply and for data transmission, between the wrench and the electrical connection pins of the cradle.

[0032] Both magnets are preferably made of cylindrical shape.

[0033] According to a feature of the present invention, the at least one first magnet 31 has a higher magnetic attraction capacity than the at least one second magnet 32.

[0034] When the cradle is positioned on a plane, in order to ensure a stable coupling, the attraction capacity of the first magnet 31 is sufficient, so the second magnet can also have a very weak attraction capacity, suitable for ensuring the wrench to be extracted from the housing with minimal effort. When the cradle is bound to a wall, thus substantially vertically, the second magnet must also contribute to substantially bind the wrench to the cradle.

[0035] In all types of positioning, the wrench can still be extracted using a hand by lifting it from the handle.

[0036] Therefore, to this end, the present invention comprises means for regulating the magnetic attraction of the first magnet 31. Said means comprise a seat 41 obtained on the bottom of the housing 23, in which the magnet 31 can slide vertically to be positioned from an upper limit position, for example with its upper surface flushing with the upper surface of such seat, as illustrated in Figure 5 a, or be positioned more deeply recessed inside such seat up to a lower limit position, as illustrated in Figure 5b. Said regulating means further comprise a screw 42, which inserts into a central hole of the magnet and is screwed into a stop nut 43 placed under the seat, and a spring 44, fitted on such screw and placed between the lower surface of the magnet and the cradle of such seat. The screw regulates the position of the magnet, and the spring ensures that the magnet itself is always in contact with the screw head and does not slide downward in the seat. Obviously, the closer the magnet is positioned to the upper limit position, the stronger the magnetic attraction force towards the wrench. The charging cradle further comprises a removable and preferably extendable support rod 26, provided with a shaped support 261 for the tubular arm 12 of the wrench when this is of a length much greater than the longitudinal extension of the cradle. Said support rod comprises a removable binding plate 262 under the charging cradle, and an extendable bar 263 supporting the shaped support 261.

[0037] In this way, when the charging cradle houses a small wrench (for example, a wrench having a tightening capacity up to 25 Nm), the rod is not present, as in Figure 3 a, whereas when the cradle must house wrenches having greater tightening capacity, and thus with longer arms (for example, wrenches having a tightening capacity of 85 Nm or 200 Nm), the support rod is simply mounted, as in Figure 3b, or extended as necessary to support the arm of the wrench on the shaped support 261, as in Figure 3c.

[0038] Possibly, said magnetic coupling means comprise a third magnet 5 placed on the shaped support.

[0039] According to a further feature of the present invention, one of the two side walls 27 of the U that delimits the housing 23 comprises a lowered portion 28 suitable to facilitate the support on it of the front part of such block 13 of the wrench. The lowered portion 28 is in the front area of the housing, so as to form a shoulder 29 in the rear area. Such shoulder makes it difficult to extract the wrench by lifting the arm close to the tool head, because in such way, the block 13 would hit such shoulder.

Claims

CLAIMS1. Electric charging cradle for a torque wrench, said wrench comprising• an elongated body having at one end a handle (11) and at the opposite end a tubular metal arm (12) and in a substantially intermediate position, a block (13) inside which there are electronic control circuits and an electronic processing unit,• at the free end of said arm (12), a tool head (14) provided with a seat (15) in which a plurality of inserts (16) can be alternatively inserted, suitable for engaging the wrench with a corresponding type and / or size of mechanical organ or element on which the wrench itself is intended to act, said cradle comprises• a container body (21) inside which there are electronic cards for charging, possibly electronic cards for managing wireless communication, Bluetooth, NFC, said body comprising at least one connection socket for a charging cable to the electrical network,• in which said body is substantially “U” shaped so as to form a longitudinal housing (23) suitable for accommodating a torque wrench placed lying down inside it and in which there are electrical connection pins between the wrench and the cradle, characterized in that inside this housing there are magnetic coupling means suitable for binding to the metal parts of this elongated body of the torque wrench.

2. Cradle according to claim 1 , wherein such magnetic coupling means are placed on the bottom of the housing and are bound to the tubular metal arm (12) of the wrench.

3. Cradle according to claim 1, wherein such magnetic coupling means comprise at least a first magnet (31) placed close to anintermediate portion of the housing, and at least a second magnet (32) placed close to a front end (24) of the housing, where the part of the wrench close to the tool head (14) is housed.

4. Cradle according to claim 3, wherein the positions of the magnets and the electrical connection pins are such as to allow the at least one first magnet (31) to be bound to the portion of the wrench between the block (13) and the handle (11) and the at least one second magnet (32) to be bound to the portion of the tubular arm (12) of the wrench close to the tool head (14).

5. Cradle according to claim 3, wherein the at least one first magnet (31) has a higher magnetic attraction capacity than the at least one second magnet (32).

6. Cradle according to claim 3, comprising means for regulating the magnetic attraction of the first magnet (31).

7. Cradle according to claim 6, wherein such means comprise a seat (41) obtained on the bottom of the housing (23) in which the first magnet (31) can slide vertically to position itself from an upper limit position, or position itself more deeply recessed inside such seat up to a lower limit position, a screw (42), which is inserted into a central hole of the magnet is screwed into a stop nut (43) placed under the seat and a spring (44) fitted on such screw is placed between the lower surface of the magnet and the cradle of such seat.

8. Cradle according to claim 3, wherein both magnets are preferably made of cylindrical shape.

9. Cradle according to claim 3, further comprises a removable and preferably extendable support rod (26) provided with a shaped support (261) for the tubular arm (12) of the wrench, when this is of a length much greater than the longitudinal extension of the cradle, such magnetic coupling means comprise a third magnet (5) placed on the shaped support.

10. Cradle according to claim 4, wherein one of the two side walls (27) of the U that delimits the housing (23) comprises a low-ered portion (28) suitable to facilitate the support on it of the front part of such block (13) of the wrench, such lowered portion (28) being formed in the front area of the housing so as to form a shoulder (29) in the rear area.

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