Pneumatic Nailer Triggering for Safer Continuous Automatic Firing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Pneumatic nail guns with automatic mode face increased risks of unintentional triggering and injury due to accidental contact sensor activation, leading to malfunctions and premature termination of automatic operation.

Innovation Solution

The pneumatic nail gun features a triggering device with a contact sensor and force transmission element, where the control valve remains actuated until the contact sensor moves to an intermediate position, preventing unintentional triggering and allowing continuous automatic operation even with slight jumps.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the trigger and contact sensor are actuated continuously to enable automatic mode operation, then productivity is improved by continuously driving in fasteners, but the risk of unintentional triggering and injury increases due to accidental contact sensor activation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontinuous fastener drivingVSAvoidunintentional triggering risk
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The control valve is actuated in advance and remains in the actuated state throughout the automatic operation sequence. This preliminary action ensures that the system is ready for continuous fastener driving while the trigger and contact sensor remain actuated, eliminating the need for repeated valve actuation and enabling sustained automatic mode operation without increasing unintentional triggering risk

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically maintains the control valve in an actuated state during automatic mode, allowing the pneumatic nailer to continuously drive fasteners. The trigger and contact sensor remain actuated throughout the sequence, enabling the system to adapt to continuous operation requirements while maintaining safety through proper sequencing control

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Speed

If the control valve is actuated immediately when the contact sensor is actuated, then the response time is improved, but automatic mode operation is prematurely terminated when the contact sensor is accidentally actuated during operation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetrigger response timeVSAvoidautomatic mode stability
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The control valve is actuated in advance and remains actuated throughout the automatic operation sequence. This preliminary action ensures immediate response when needed while maintaining system stability during continuous operation, as the valve stays in the actuated state rather than being repeatedly triggered and deactivated

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses feedback from the trigger and contact sensor actuation states to maintain the control valve in an actuated position throughout automatic mode. This feedback mechanism ensures that the valve remains open for continuous fastener driving while preventing premature termination, as the system continuously monitors the actuated state of the trigger and contact sensor

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

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 design ensures safer and uninterrupted automatic mode operation by preventing unintentional triggering and maintaining continuous fastener driving, even with minor movements or jumps, thus reducing the risk of injury and operational disruptions.

Implementation Method 1

The contact sensor is a mechanical component that is held by a spring in a position that protrudes over a muzzle tool of the pneumatic nailer. If the pneumatic nailer is placed on a workpiece, the contact sensor is displaced against the force of the spring

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSpring force: Spring

Implementation Method 2

a working piston which is connected to a driving ram for driving in a fastener and is pressurized with compressed air when the driving process is triggered

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCompressed air pressure: Pressure Increase

Data Source

PatentEP3509797B1Compressed air nailer with automatic operating mode and a contact sensor
Publication Date: 2023.01.11 BEA GMBH
  • EP3509797B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3509797B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3509797B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

The invention relates to a compressed air nailer, comprising • a working piston (52) which is connected to a drive-in ram (50) for driving in a securing means and which is supplied with compressed air when a drive-in process is triggered, and • a trigger device which has a manually actuatable trigger (14), a contact sensor (24), and a force transmission element that interacts with the trigger (14) and the contact sensor (24) such that a control valve (38) can be actuated and a drive-in process can be triggered in the event of a common actuation of the trigger (14) and the contact sensor (24), wherein • the compressed air nailer is designed to continually drive in securing means in an automatic operation mode in the event of a permanent actuation of the trigger (14) and the contact sensor (24), • the contact sensor (24) has an adjustment path between a completely actuated first position and a completely non-actuated second position, and • the trigger device is designed such that the force transmission element does not actuate the control valve (38) if the contact sensor (24) is moved from the second position to the first position when the trigger (14) is actuated.