Compressed Air Nailer Triggering for Safe Continuous Contact Firing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Compressed air nailers with placing sensors face safety risks due to unintentional triggering during contact operations, leading to potential injuries, especially in automatic modes where continuous fastener driving can be disrupted by slight movements or jumps.

Innovation Solution

The compressed air nailer incorporates a triggering apparatus with a force transmission element and a placing sensor that requires sequential actuation of the trigger and sensor for initial triggering, and maintains the control valve actuated until the placing sensor reaches an intermediate position, preventing unintentional triggering and ensuring continuous operation by allowing for slight movements without discontinuation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the trigger is permanently actuated for contact trigger operating mode to enable quick successive fastener driving, then productivity is improved, but the risk of unintentional triggering and injury increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespeed of driving in fastenersVSAvoidrisk of injury from unintentional triggering

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The placing sensor is actuated in advance by placing the compressed air nailer onto the workpiece before the trigger is released. This preliminary action ensures that the device is properly positioned and the sensor is ready to detect legitimate contact, preventing unintentional triggering while allowing quick successive fastener driving when properly used

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The placing sensor acts as an intermediary between the workpiece contact and the trigger mechanism. It mediates the triggering condition by requiring both sensor actuation (from placement on workpiece) and trigger actuation, thereby preventing accidental triggering while enabling productive operation when properly positioned

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If the trigger is permanently actuated for automatic operating mode to enable continuous fastener driving, then productivity is improved, but the risk of unintentional triggering and injury increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespeed of processing fastenersVSAvoidrisk of injury from unintentional triggering

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The placing sensor is actuated in advance by placing the compressed air nailer onto the workpiece before the trigger is released. This preliminary action ensures proper positioning and sensor readiness, enabling continuous fastener driving while preventing unintentional triggering during automatic operation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The placing sensor serves as an intermediary that must be actuated by workpiece contact before automatic mode can initiate. This intermediary requirement prevents accidental activation while allowing efficient continuous operation when the device is properly placed on the workpiece

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If the control valve is immediately de-actuated when the placing sensor is slightly displaced to prevent unintentional triggering, then safety is improved, but continuous operation is disrupted by minor movements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprevention of unintentional triggeringVSAvoidcontinuity of automatic operation

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The control valve remains actuated even when the placing sensor is partially displaced from its fully actuated position. This partial tolerance allows minor movements and vibrations during operation without disrupting continuous fastener driving, while still preventing unintentional triggering by requiring significant displacement to de-actuate the valve

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

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 configuration enhances safety by preventing unintentional triggering and maintaining continuous automatic operation even with minor jumps, ensuring reliable and uninterrupted fastener driving in the automatic mode.

Implementation Method 1

The placing sensor is a mechanical component that is held by a spring in a position projecting above an outlet tool of the compressed air nailer. If the compressed air nailer is placed onto a workpiece, the placing sensor is displaced against the force of the spring

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentUS11167402B2Compressed air nailer with automatic operating mode and a placing sensor

Publication Date: 2021.11.09 BEA GMBH

AI summary

A compressed air nailer comprises a working piston connected to a driving tappet and configured to drive in a fastener and a triggering apparatus. The triggering apparatus comprises a manually actuable trigger, a placing sensor, and a force transmission element configured to interact with the manually actuable trigger and the placing sensor to actuate a control valve and trigger the driving process when the manually actuable trigger and the placing sensor are actuated together. The compressed air nailer is configured to continuously drive in fasteners in an automatic operating mode when the manually actuable trigger and the placing sensor are permanently actuated, and wherein displacing the placing sensor from the second position into the first position does not actuate the control valve when the manually actuable trigger is in an actuated position when the placing sensor is displaced.