Powered Fastener Driver Pusher Mechanism With Blade-Actuated Feeding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing powered fastener drivers face inefficiencies in the sequential transfer of collated fasteners from a magazine to the driver channel, particularly in mechanisms that rely on external air pressure sources and lack effective synchronization with the driver blade's movement.
Innovation Solution
A pusher mechanism is introduced that includes a feeder arm and linkage system, actuated by the driver blade's movement, utilizing a gas spring principle to advance the feeder arm toward the driver channel, ensuring synchronized and efficient transfer of fasteners without requiring external air pressure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If a pusher mechanism uses external air pressure sources for actuation, then the fastener transfer can be powered, but the device complexity increases and reliability decreases due to external dependencies
Solution Approach 1:
The driver blade itself serves as the actuator for the pusher mechanism. The blade's movement during the driving cycle automatically advances the feeder arm through the linkage system, eliminating the need for separate air pressure sources or external power systems. The blade's kinetic energy during its stroke directly powers the fastener transfer operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The actuation function is merged with the driver blade assembly. The linkage system connects the blade directly to the feeder arm, combining the driving function with the feeding function into a single integrated mechanism. This integration eliminates external air pressure sources and reduces overall system complexity while maintaining powered operation.
2Productivity
If the pusher mechanism lacks synchronization with driver blade movement, then the structure can be simpler, but the fastener transfer reliability and efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The linkage system provides automatic feedback synchronization. As the driver blade moves during its stroke, the linkage responds automatically to advance the feeder arm at the precise moment needed for fastener transfer. This feedback mechanism ensures perfect timing without requiring complex external synchronization systems or additional sensors.
Solution Approach 2:
The feeder arm is positioned in advance by the linkage system during the blade's return stroke, so that when the blade reaches its forward stroke position, the fastener is already in the driver channel ready for impact. This preliminary positioning of the fastener ensures efficient, synchronized transfer without requiring complex real-time control mechanisms.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The mechanism ensures reliable and synchronized transfer of fasteners, enhancing the operational efficiency of powered fastener drivers by leveraging the gas spring principle for actuation, thereby improving the reliability and consistency of fastener delivery.
Implementation Method 1
utilizing a gas spring principle to advance the feeder arm toward the driver channel
Data Source
AI summary
A powered fastener driver comprising a housing, a nosepiece coupled to the housing and extending therefrom, a driver blade movable within the nosepiece between a ready position and a driven position, and a pusher mechanism coupled to the nosepiece for individually transferring collated fasteners in a canister magazine to a driver channel in the nosepiece in which the driver blade is movable. The pusher mechanism includes a feeder arm and a push arm coupled for movement with the bumper. The feeder arm is engageable with individual fasteners in the nosepiece for sequentially pushing each of the fasteners into the driver channel in response to movement of the feeder arm toward the driver channel. The push arm is movable to advance the feeder arm toward the driver channel in response to contact between a piston and a bumper when the driver blade reaches the driven position.