Impact Tool Gas Spring Energy Storage
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing impact tools rely on coil springs for energy storage, which limits the impact energy based on the spring constant and compressible length, leading to inefficiencies in energy transfer and torque application.
Innovation Solution
The impact power tool employs a compressible fluid chamber acting as a gas-spring to store and release energy, allowing the hammer to rotate and move axially along the camshaft, providing a biasing force to enhance energy transfer and torque delivery through a sealed region filled with a compressible fluid.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If a coil spring is used for energy storage in the impact mechanism, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the impact energy is limited by the spring constant and compressible length
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional coil spring with a gas spring system consisting of a gas chamber, piston, and compressible gas. The piston is coupled to the hammer assembly and moves within the gas chamber, utilizing gas compression and expansion to store and release energy. This pneumatic approach provides greater energy storage capacity and adjustable impact characteristics while maintaining reasonable structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The gas spring system allows for parameter adjustment through varying gas pressure, volume, and temperature. The compressible gas can be pre-charged to different pressures to adjust the impact energy output. The system also incorporates a bypass valve that can modify the gas flow path, enabling dynamic adjustment of the energy storage and release characteristics to optimize impact performance.
2Use of energy by moving object
If the hammer moves further from the anvil to store more energy, then the potential energy storage increases, but the device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The gas spring system achieves high energy density through gas compression. Instead of requiring large mechanical displacement to store energy, the system compresses the gas within a compact chamber volume. The piston moves a relatively short distance within the gas chamber, yet stores significant energy through gas compression, thereby achieving high potential energy storage in a compact form factor.
Solution Approach 2:
The system utilizes the compressible gas as an energy storage medium within a sealed chamber, creating a composite energy storage system that combines mechanical components (piston, hammer) with a fluid medium (compressible gas). This composite approach allows efficient energy storage in a compact volume by leveraging the high compressibility and energy density of the gas medium.
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
This solution increases the efficiency of energy transfer and torque application by maximizing potential energy storage and release, enabling higher impact energy and improved performance in demanding applications.
Implementation Method 1
The chamber is filled with a compressible fluid. The hammer is configured to compress the compressible fluid as the hammer moves in the first direction. The compressible fluid applies a biasing force against the hammer in a second direction opposite to the first direction in response to the hammer reaching a maximum axial displacement from the anvil.
Data Source
AI summary
An impact power tool including a housing, a motor supported by the housing, a gear assembly driven by the motor, and an impact assembly driven by the gear assembly. The impact mechanism includes a camshaft, an anvil, and a hammer. The camshaft is coupled to the output of gear assembly and rotates about a rotation axis. The anvil is rotatably supported by the housing and can receive a tool bit. The hammer rotates and moves axially along the camshaft and is configured to selectively impact the anvil. When a reaction torque is greater than a threshold value is applied to the anvil, the hammer moves in a first direction away from the anvil and simultaneously compresses a compressible fluid. At a maximum distance from the anvil, the compressible fluid begins to exert a restoring force on the hammer and moves the hammer in a second direction towards the anvil.