Latching Hammer Impact Wrench Dynamic Timing Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Impact tools, such as impact wrenches, face inefficiencies and potential damage due to variances in operating conditions, leading to suboptimal power delivery and premature or late hammer impacts on the anvil.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus featuring a hammer with a groove and latching bodies, an anvil, and an actuator sleeve that allows the hammer to be axially and rotatably displaced between latched and impact positions, with the actuator sleeve retaining or releasing the latching bodies to optimize the impact timing based on rotational velocity thresholds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If the hammer is designed to impact the anvil at particular angles and axial positions to optimize force generation, then the power delivery is improved, but the tool becomes sensitive to variances in operating conditions which can cause premature or late hammer arrival, reducing reliability and potentially damaging the tool
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the latching mechanism adjustable rather than fixed. The cam shaft includes multiple cam surfaces at different angular positions, and the latching body can be positioned at different locations along the cam shaft. This allows the timing of hammer release to be dynamically adjusted based on actual operating conditions, ensuring optimal impact timing while maintaining reliability across varying joint conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements parameter changes by allowing variation in the angular position of the cam shaft and the axial position of the latching body. By changing these parameters, the system can adapt to different operating conditions and joint states, ensuring that the hammer impacts the anvil at the optimal moment regardless of variances in the mechanical fastener condition.
2Power
If the hammer is retained at a latched position during rotation to ensure optimal impact timing, then the power delivery is improved, but the mechanism complexity increases due to the need for precise latching and release control
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the self-service principle through the spring-loaded latching body that automatically engages with the cam shaft at the appropriate position and automatically releases when the cam surface geometry dictates. The spring provides the necessary force for both latching and release without requiring external actuation, simplifying the control mechanism while maintaining precise timing.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring-loaded latching mechanism provides beforehand cushioning by pre-positioning the hammer at the optimal impact location before the impact event. The spring ensures the hammer is held securely in the latched position until the precise moment of release, preventing premature movement and ensuring reliable timing.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the hammer is allowed to rotate freely without latching to accommodate condition variances, then the adaptability is improved, but the precision of impact timing deteriorates, reducing power delivery efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction by making the latching mechanism adjustable rather than fixed. The cam shaft includes multiple cam surfaces at different angular positions, and the latching body can be positioned at different locations along the cam shaft. This allows the timing of hammer release to be dynamically adjusted based on actual operating conditions, ensuring optimal impact timing regardless of joint condition variances.
Solution Approach 2:
The cam shaft is designed with multiple cam surfaces that can accommodate different angular positions, making the mechanism universal enough to handle various operating conditions while maintaining precise impact timing through the adjustable latching body.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and method for latching a hammer of an impact tool, the hammer being displaceable along a cam shaft between a latched or retracted position and an impact position at which the hammer impacts an anvil. The apparatus can include one or more latching bodies, a portion of the one or more latching bodies being positioned within the hammer groove when the hammer is at the latched position, and removed from the hammer groove when the hammer is to be released from the latched position. The apparatus can also include an actuator sleeve that is configured to retain at least the portion of the one or more latching bodies within the hammer groove when the actuator sleeve is at the first position, and accommodate removal of the portion of the latching bodies from the hammer groove when the actuator sleeve is at a second position.