Power Tool Status Detection for Torque Reliability Alerts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Managing the tightening torque of electric power tools, such as drills and impact drivers, becomes challenging when malfunctions occur, making it difficult to evaluate the tool's status and communicate this information effectively to users.
Innovation Solution
An electric power tool system that includes a motor, a power transmission mechanism, a detector for physical quantity data, a status determination unit, and a notification interface. This system allows for the detection of deteriorated status and immediate notification to the user when the motor is not in use, ensuring timely awareness of tool condition.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the notification interface communicates tool status during motor rotation, then real-time status information is provided, but user attention may be missed during operation
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by storing determination results and preparing notification content before the motor stops rotating. The status determination is completed during operation, and the notification is queued to be displayed immediately when the motor stops, ensuring the user receives the information without missing it during active operation.
2Ease of operation
If the notification is delayed until motor stops, then user attention is ensured, but response time is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by completing the status determination during motor operation and preparing the notification in advance. The determination unit continuously monitors physical quantity data, and when deterioration is detected, the result is stored and ready for immediate notification as soon as the motor stops, minimizing the actual delay to users.
3Measurement precision
If continuous monitoring is performed during motor rotation, then accurate status detection is achieved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements periodic action by monitoring physical quantity data at specific intervals or at key moments during motor operation rather than continuously. The detector captures data periodically, and the determination unit processes this periodic data to identify deterioration status, reducing energy consumption while maintaining sufficient detection accuracy for critical tool status changes.
Data Source
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AI summary
An electric power tool 1 includes: a motor 4; an output shaft 7; and a power transmission mechanism 6 that transmits a rotational output of the motor 4 to the output shaft 7. A motor control unit 12 controls rotation of the motor 4 in accordance with an on operation of the user operation switch 9 performed by a user. A detector 20 detects physical quantity data while the motor 4 is being rotated. A status determination unit 26 determines whether the electric power tool 1 is in a deteriorated status, by using the physical quantity data. A notification interface 18 communicates that the electric power tool 1 is in a deteriorated status while the motor 4 is not being rotated.