Cordless Drill Lighting Control for Stable Work Area Illumination

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing hand-held power tools with integrated lighting devices face issues such as suboptimal illumination due to shadowing and space constraints, particularly when the distance between the tool and the work area changes during operations like drilling, leading to inconsistent light intensity and glare.

Innovation Solution

A hand-held power tool equipped with a light sensor that adjusts the lighting device's parameters, including emission direction, beam angle, and intensity, using an adjustment unit controlled by a control unit to maintain optimal lighting conditions by tracking the light intensity and ambient light levels, ensuring consistent illumination and minimizing glare.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Volume of moving object

If the lighting device is arranged at the base of the hand-held power tool, then the tool structure is compact, but the distance between the tool and work area changes during machining causing inconsistent light intensity and shadows

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetool structure compactnessVSAvoidlight intensity consistency
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSIllumination intensity

Solution Approach 1:

The lighting device is made adjustable in its emission parameters (beam angle, intensity, direction) rather than being fixed. The control unit dynamically modifies these parameters based on feedback from light sensors that measure the actual illumination at the work area, allowing the system to adapt to changing distances during machining operations

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

Light sensors are positioned to detect the actual light intensity at the work area. The control unit receives signals from these sensors and automatically adjusts the lighting device parameters to maintain optimal illumination, creating a closed-loop control system that compensates for distance variations

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Illumination intensity

If multiple light sources are arranged around the processing axis on a ring-shaped circuit board, then illumination coverage is improved, but space is consumed and shadowing persists with attachment tools

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveillumination coverageVSAvoidspace consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of adding more light sources spatially, the system changes the parameters of the existing lighting device - specifically the beam angle and light intensity distribution. The control unit adjusts these parameters to optimize illumination coverage without requiring additional physical space for extra light sources

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Volume of moving object

If the main emission direction of the work light does not run along the processing axis, then the lighting device can be compact, but the position and size of the illuminated work area changes as distance changes causing irritating shadows

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelighting device compactnessVSAvoidlighting stability during machining
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The main emission direction of the lighting device is made dynamically adjustable rather than fixed. The control unit modifies the emission direction based on feedback from light sensors to ensure stable illumination of the work area throughout the machining process, compensating for distance changes automatically

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

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 solution provides consistent and optimal lighting conditions across varying distances between the tool and work area, reducing shadows and glare, while conserving battery power by adjusting light output based on ambient conditions.

Implementation Method 1

the light sensor detects the light intensity of the work light reflected onto the work area during operation

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectReflection: Reflection

Data Source

PatentEP3793776B1Machine tool, in particular cordless drill or cordless screwdriver
Publication Date: 2022.08.17 FESTOOL GMBH
  • EP3793776B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP3793776B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

The invention relates to a hand-held machine tool (10), in particular an electrically operated hand-held machine tool, comprising: a housing (12); a machining axis (17) along which a tool (16) is arranged or can be arranged; an illumination device (24) which has at least one illuminant (26) that can be activated, wherein the illumination device (24) provides working light (28) within a beam angle (38) with a light intensity (40) which is increased or at a maximum along a main radiation direction (36) in order to illuminate a working area (30) during operation; and at least one light sensor (44) for measuring the light intensity. The invention is characterised in that: the light sensor (44) detects the light intensity of the working light (28) reflected on the working area (30) during operation and generates a sensor signal representing the light intensity; an adjusting unit (52) is provided for setting and/or adjusting the working light (28) generated by the illumination device (24); and a control unit (50) is provided which, during operation, actuates the adjusting unit (52) in accordance with the sensor signals.