Nosepiece Debris Ejection for Jam-Resistant Powered Fastening

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Solution Overview

Problem

Powered nailers using collated nails often experience operational issues due to debris accumulation in the drive channel, leading to jams and feeding problems, especially when driven in quick succession.

Innovation Solution

The powered fastening device nosepiece assembly incorporates debris ejection passages and apertures that guide debris away from the drive channel, preventing clogging and jamming by providing additional paths for debris to escape.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If collated nails are used in powered nailers, then productivity and efficiency are improved, but debris is generated that accumulates in the drive channel causing jams and operational issues

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenail driving speedVSAvoiddebris generation
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the harmful debris from the drive channel by providing dedicated ejection passages that separate and remove debris from the nail feeding path. The passages are positioned to allow debris to be ejected laterally away from the drive channel, preventing accumulation while maintaining continuous nail feeding operation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The ejection passages serve as intermediary channels that intercept and redirect debris before it can accumulate in the drive channel. These passages act as a mediator between the drive channel and the external environment, providing a controlled path for debris removal that does not interfere with nail delivery

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If nails are driven in quick succession, then productivity is improved, but debris accumulation occurs more rapidly leading to increased jamming

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenail driving rateVSAvoidoperational reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The ejection passages are pre-configured in the nosepiece assembly to continuously remove debris as it is generated. This preliminary action of debris removal prevents accumulation before it can cause jams, allowing nails to be driven in quick succession without compromising operational reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The passages enable continuous debris ejection throughout the nail driving operation. As nails are separated from collated strips and debris is generated, the passages continuously remove this debris, maintaining uninterrupted nail feeding and driving operation even at high rates

Inventive Principle:
Principle #20Continuity of useful action

3Force

If the drive channel is sealed to maintain pressure, then driving force is improved, but debris cannot escape causing clogging

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenail driving forceVSAvoiddebris clogging
Core Design Contradiction:
ForceVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The nosepiece assembly is segmented to include both the sealed drive channel for maintaining driving force and separate ejection passages for debris removal. The drive channel remains sealed to preserve pneumatic or mechanical pressure for driving nails, while the ejection passages provide a separate pathway that does not compromise the pressure seal, allowing simultaneous force maintenance and debris ejection

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP3575037B1Powered fastening device
Publication Date: 2023.04.19 BLACK & DECKER CORP
  • EP3575037B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3575037B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3575037B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A nosepiece assembly (16) includes a first nosepiece portion (50) including a fastener guide. The fastener guide has a support ledge to position a first fastener of a collated strip of fasteners in a drive channel (58). The nosepiece assembly also includes a second nosepiece portion (52) connected to the first nosepiece portion opposite to the fastener guide with the first and second nosepiece portions defining the drive channel therebetween and defining a debris ejection passage (90) therebetween. The debris ejection passage extends between the drive channel and a debris ejection aperture on an exterior surface of the nosepiece assembly.