Detachable Motor Control Unit for Handheld Tools
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electronically driven hand held and/or hand guided tools require a separate control unit for each type, making them expensive and inflexible for updates in control strategies or energy-saving techniques, as existing tools cannot easily accommodate new control units without significant hardware modifications.
Innovation Solution
A detachable motor control unit that can be mechanically and electrically connected to various tools, allowing a single control unit to be used across multiple tools, with automatic detection and adaptation of tool type for unified control parameters, and incorporating power transformation and speed control within the control unit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a separate control unit is provided for each tool type, then the tool functions properly with preset control parameters, but the tool cost increases and flexibility for updates is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is divided into two independent parts: a reusable control unit and tool-specific adapter components. The control unit contains the power transformer and control logic, while each tool type has specific electrical connections and mechanical interfaces. This segmentation allows the control unit to be updated independently while maintaining compatibility with different tool types through appropriate adapters.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit is designed as a universal component that can control multiple different tool types. By standardizing the control architecture and using tool-specific adapters for electrical and mechanical connections, a single control unit design can serve multiple tool applications, enabling cost reduction and flexible updates while maintaining proper functioning across different tool types.
2Ease of manufacture
If the control unit is an integral part of the tool's housing, then the control parameters are preset for the specific tool type, but the tool becomes expensive and impossible to update with new control strategies
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit is extracted from the tool's housing and made into a separate, standalone component. This extraction allows the control unit to be manufactured independently with standardized control parameters, while the tool housing contains only the motor, gear mechanism, and adapter components. This separation reduces tool manufacturing complexity and enables independent updates of the control unit without modifying the tool structure.
3Adaptability or versatility
If existing tools are updated with new control software, then updated control strategies can be provided, but significant hardware modifications and programming interfaces are required
Solution Approach 1:
The update capability is localized to the control unit component, which is designed as a self-contained module with its own power transformer and control logic. This local quality allows the control unit to be updated independently through simple adapter replacements or control unit swaps, without requiring hardware modifications to the tool's motor, gear mechanism, or housing. The tool-specific adapter components remain unchanged while the control unit can be refreshed.
Data Source
AI summary
A motor control unit (6) is adapted for controlling an electronically driven hand held and/or hand guided tool (1) featuring a housing (2) and a working element (3) located outside the housing (2), the housing (2) containing an electric motor (29) and a gear mechanism for translating a rotational movement of the motor (29) into an actuation movement of the working element (3). An electrically driven tool (1) is also provided that includes such a control unit (6). In order to reduce tool costs, the control unit (6) is embodied separately from the tool's housing (2). The control unit (6) includes a technique (9; 16) for mechanically attaching the control unit (6) to the housing (2) and a further technique (18; 23, 24) for electrically connecting the control unit (6) to electronic components (19; 29, 31, 32) of the tool (1) for operation of the tool (1).