Gas Spring Fastener Driver With Rotary Lifter Blade Return
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fastener drivers rely on external air pressure sources, which can be cumbersome and limit portability, and lack efficient mechanisms for returning the driver blade to its ready position after use.
Innovation Solution
A gas spring-powered fastener driver utilizing a pressurized gas storage chamber and a lifting assembly with a rotary lifter and motor to move the driver blade from a bottom-dead-center to a top-dead-center position, incorporating asymmetric dampers and a motor-driven torque mechanism for efficient operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If external air pressure sources are used to power the driver blade, then the driving force is sufficient, but the device becomes cumbersome and portability is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the external air pressure source from the system and replaces it with an integrated gas spring mechanism. The gas spring is contained within a housing that moves with the driver blade, eliminating the need for external compressors or air tanks while maintaining sufficient driving force.
Solution Approach 2:
The gas spring-powered system is self-contained and self-renewing. The gas spring automatically recharges during the return stroke when the driver blade moves back to the top-dead-center position, eliminating the need for external power sources or manual recharging operations.
2Productivity
If a lifting assembly is added to return the driver blade to the ready position, then operational efficiency improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lifting assembly is merged with the existing gas spring mechanism and housing structure. The motor-driven rotary lifter integrates into the housing that already contains the gas spring, combining the return function with the existing structural framework rather than adding a completely separate mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical return mechanisms (such as springs or cam followers) with a motor-driven rotary lifter system. This substitution provides more controlled and reliable return motion while allowing for easier integration with modern electronic control systems.
3Reliability
If asymmetric dampers are positioned relative to the driver blade axis, then vibration and wear are reduced, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The dampers are deliberately positioned asymmetrically relative to the driver blade axis, with different radial positions and/or angular orientations. This asymmetric arrangement creates unequal damping characteristics that preferentially reduce vibration and wear in the critical operating direction while allowing greater tolerance in non-critical directions.
Solution Approach 2:
The damping properties are localized to specific regions where vibration and wear occur most severely. By positioning dampers at asymmetric locations rather than uniformly around the axis, the system applies damping quality only where needed most, reducing overall manufacturing precision requirements compared to uniform positioning.
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
Enables efficient and portable fastener driving without external air pressure, with reduced wear and increased durability through the use of a gas spring mechanism and torque-assisted return, enhancing operational efficiency and longevity.
Implementation Method 1
a pressure vessel in which a pressurized gas is maintained; a piston movable within the pressure vessel from a top-dead-center (TDC) position to a bottom-dead-center (BDC) position by the pressurized gas
Implementation Method 2
Gas spring-powered fastener driver utilizing a pressurized gas storage chamber and a lifting assembly with a rotary lifter and motor
Implementation Method 3
a first damper positioned between the pressure vessel and the housing; and a second damper positioned between the pressure vessel and the housing; wherein the first damper and the second damper are configured to dampen movement of the pressure vessel relative to the housing
Data Source
AI summary
A powered fastener driver including a driver blade movable from a top-dead-center position to a bottom-dead-center position for driving a fastener into a workpiece. A driver may include a lifting assembly for providing torque to move the driver blade from the bottom-dead-center position toward the top-dead-center position, the lifting assembly including a rotary lifter configured to be selectively engageable with the driver blade, the rotary lifter having a plurality of lift pins and a roller disposed on at least one of the lift pins, wherein the roller includes a plurality of cam portions defined by cup-shaped recesses having a first radius oriented parallel to a rotational direction of the roller and a second radius perpendicular to the first radius, and wherein the driver blade includes a lift tooth having a crown disposed thereon, the crown configured to be engaged with at least one of the plurality of cam portions.