The field of the invention is that of the designing and fabrication of portable electric tools. More specifically, the invention pertains to an electric impulse screwdriver.
Screwdrivers are used to tighten an assembly, i.e. to connect several parts together for example by means of a screw.
An impulse screwdriver generally comprises a body defining a handle. This body has:
In the field of the invention, electric screwdrivers working by impulses, i.e. by the application of a torque for a short period, repeated periodically, have appeared recently, competing with pneumatic impact wrenches or traditional hydropneumatic wrenches. Indeed, electric impulse screwdrivers preserve the advantages of hydropneumatic or pneumatic impulse wrenches in terms of high levels of torque, while at the same time enabling better control of the level of tightening torque.
Now, at the industrial level, it is often sought to be able to carry out tightening operations by screwing with a high level of precision.
For tool performance, the designer of an electric impulse screwdriver must deal with several parameters related to the tool and/or its purpose. These are:
Since the tightening torque Cs exerted on the screw to be tightened is governed by the equation Cs=R*μ*Cmax (R is the reduction ratio and Cmax is the maximum torque of the motor of the tool at constant speed in N.m. and μ is the efficiency of the reduction which is smaller than 1), the designer's classic and constant approach is to size the motor and the reduction in such a way that the output torque can attain the set value of torque, namely the tightening goal to be achieved.
The operator must furthermore take the following elements into consideration:
In order to reduce the duration of execution of a tightening operation, a tightening operation generally comprises two successive phases:
The majority of impulse screwdrivers are pistol-handle tools. They can be used to tighten screws at levels of torque that appreciably exceed the levels that an operator could withstand in the context of a continuous tightening speed.
However, these tightening levels are possible because the torque impulses are brief and because the inertia of the body of the tool absorbs a part of the tightening torque.
At present, electric impulse screwdrivers generate torque impulses of a duration of the order of 10 ms. This duration, which is far too lengthy given the inertial mass of the body of the tool, does not attenuate the tightening reaction in the operator's hand sufficiently for satisfactory comfort. The reaction force in the operator's hand, which is expressed by the operator's hand being driven rotationally by the screwdriver along the screwing axis, is therefore generally too great. This has unpleasant consequences, for example the appearance of muscular-skeletal disorders, for the operator. In other words, currently used electric impulse screwdrivers do not give an appropriate level of comfort of use, or at least a level of comfort comparable with that offered by hydropneumatic wrenches.
Besides, for an output torque of the order of 30 N.m, the nominal speed of electric impulse screwdrivers is of the order of 1000 rpm while that of pneumatic impact or hydropneumatic impact wrenches is of the order of 5000 rpm. The time taken for a screwing operation with an electric impulse screwdriver is therefore appreciably greater. The productivity of this type of screwdriver is therefore not as good as that of pneumatic or hydropneumatic impulse wrenches.
Furthermore, for operations of joining known as “hard joining”, where the angle of rotation of the screw, between the instant when the tightening of the part begins and the instant when the final tightening reached is attained, is small, i.e. less than 30°, it can happen that the set value of torque to be obtained is exceeded at the end of the pre-screwing operation. This is because the kinetic energy accumulated by the rotor is returned to the screw, this rotor being inadequately braked by the electric tool-driving means provided for this purpose. The rotation speed of the motor then needs to be reduced in order not to exceed the set value of torque at the end of pre-screwing operation. This leads to even further reducing the rotation speed during the pre-screwing operation and therefore productivity.
According to another aspect, present-day electric impulse screwdrivers are directly derived from electric screwdrivers working in continuous mode. Their reduction ratio is therefore such that they are capable, in continuous mode, of delivering a torque that is equivalent to the torque delivered by screwdrivers working in continuous mode. However, an operator is incapable of continuously undergoing a reaction torque greater than about 10 N.m unless he has a reaction bar designed to stop the housing of the tool in rotation as is the case with screwdrivers working conventionally in continuous mode. Thus, if an electric impulse screwdriver is mistakenly used not in impulse mode but in continuous mode, the reaction of the tool received by the operator's hands is appreciably greater than what he is capable of withstanding. This gives rise to a risk of injury for the operator.
An embodiment relates to an electric screwdriver comprising:
said transmission being capable of enabling an accumulation of kinetic energy Ec in the rotor and a restitution to the end member of said kinetic energy Ec between two impulses, and the motor means and the reduction gear being configured in such a way that:
R*μ*Cmax<Cc, the set value of torque Cc being attained through the transfer of kinetic energy Ec to the screw to be tightened.
According to the invention, said ratio R is smaller than or equal to 10/(μCmax).
In the international system, Cmax and Cc are classically expressed in N.m. μ is smaller than 1.
The implementation of the invention makes it possible especially:
The Applicant has noted that, in present-day electric impulse screwdrivers, the mechanical torque impulses can appear after the electric supply impulses of the stator and are staggered in time, especially if these electric impulses are sufficiently brief. This can be explained as follows.
Conventionally, the transmission of a screwdriver comprises a functional (angular) clearance needed for the efficient operation of the pinions. When the stator of the motor is fed with an electric current impulse, it accelerates the rotor within the limit of this angular clearance and then, once the play has been absorbed, the rotor transmits its kinetic energy, in an impact, to the screw thus creating a torque impulse. During each torque impulse, also called a mechanical impulse, the kinetic energy of the rotor is then transmitted by the transmission unit from the screwdriver to the end member.
The motor is not powered with electric current during the torque impulses. It therefore does not generate any electromagnetic torque during these torque impulses. Thus it is the restitution of its kinetic energy to the end member of the tool, and not the electromagnetic torque generated by the motor, that is decisive for attaining the set value of torque. The value of the reduction ratio therefore does not play a role as such in the restitution of this kinetic energy.
The evaluation of the forces and dynamic phenomena that can be applied to the body of the tool leads to the following considerations.
For easy presentation, the following assumptions have been made:
The torque sensor is mounted between the body of the screwdriver and the ring gear of the epicyclic reduction gear to stop it in rotation in the body of the tool.
For an epicyclic reduction, the relationship between the torque applied on the screw and the torque measured by the torque sensor can be expressed by the following relationship:
{right arrow over (M)}scewing.(1−1/(R·μ))={right arrow over (M)}sensor
With:
In isolating the assembly formed by the body of the tool, the stator of the motor and the handle and applying the fundamental principle of dynamics to it, the following relationship can be assumed:
{right arrow over (M)}sensor+{right arrow over (M)}electromagnetic+{right arrow over (M)}operator=Jbody·{dot over ({right arrow over (W)}body
With:
{right arrow over (M)}screwing·(1−1/(R·μ))=Jbody·{dot over ({right arrow over (W)}body {dot over ({right arrow over (W)}body={right arrow over (M)}screwing·((1−1/(R·μ)/Jbody)
The acceleration to which the body of the tool is subjected induces a rotation of the body of the tool around the screwing axis in the operator's hand. The smaller the angle of rotation of the body of the tool, the lower will be the operator's perception of the torque impulses. In order to reduce the angle of rotation of the body of the tool, which is a consequence of this acceleration, it is possible to:
With respect to the reduction of the duration of the acceleration, the inventors have noted that, when using a reduction gear with a low reduction ratio, the rotor is subjected to a deceleration torque that is greater than when using a reduction gear having a high ratio.
Indeed, the relationship between the screwing resistant torque and the torque generated by the rotor of the motor during the torque impulse is the following:
{right arrow over (M)}screwing=−R·μ·{right arrow over (M)}rotor
{right arrow over (M)}rotor=−{right arrow over (M)}screwing/(R·μ)
With:
In applying the fundamental principle of dynamics to the rotor, it is subjected to the resistant torque of the reduction gear. The result of this therefore is that:
{right arrow over (M)}reduction={right arrow over (J)}rotor·{right arrow over (W)}rotor
With
{right arrow over (M)}reduction=−{right arrow over (M)}rotor
It is deduced therefrom that:
{right arrow over ({dot over (W)}rotor={right arrow over (M)}screwing/(R·μ·{right arrow over (J)}rotor)
Consequently, for a given screwing torque, the lower the reduction ratio, the greater the deceleration of the rotor and therefore the shorter will be the duration for which the rotor transmits its kinetic energy to the assembly.
The duration of the screwing torque impulse is therefore all the shorter as the reduction ratio is low.
In order to reduce the duration of the screwing impulses, especially from about 10 ms to about 2 ms, the inventors then divided the reduction ratio by about 5 in establishing the fact that the ratio value R is smaller than or equal to 10/(μCmax).
This is illustrated in
The diminishing of the reduction ratio therefore contributes:
All this plays a part in reducing the angle of rotation of the body of the screwdriver in the operator's hand at each impulse.
The implementation of the technique according to the invention therefore nullifies the operator's perception of the impulses or at least limits them to a level that causes no discomfort. In this way, the screwdriver generates a reaction force in the operator's hand that remains below the average threshold of tolerance beyond which the operator may feel a discomfort or even an unpleasant effect. The appearance of muscular-skeletal disorders for the operator is thus prevented and the comfort of use of the impulse screwdriver is increased.
Furthermore, the reduced reduction ratio makes it possible to maintain high rotation speed for the screw that is to be tightened with a moderate rotation speed for the motor. Indeed, a low ratio makes it possible to deliver an equivalent output torque with a smaller output speed of the motor. For example, if we consider a ratio smaller than or equal to 10/(μCmax) if the motor torque is equal to 2.5 N.m and if the efficiency of the reduction is close to 1, then the ratio will be approximately equal to 4 and if the output speed of the motor is equal to 20,000 rpm, the output speed of the tool will be of the order of 5,000 rpm. The technique according to the invention thus ensures high productivity.
Furthermore, this reduction of the speed of the motor can be such that it causes a drop in the kinetic energy stored during the pre-screwing stage. The result of this is to greatly reduce the risk of exceeding the torque when the screw comes into contact with the part to be tightened, especially for hard joining, without in any way thereby reducing the productivity of the tool.
For a given output speed, the reduction of the ratio R therefore makes it possible either to reduce the speed of rotation of the motor to a value limiting the risk of exceeding the set value of torque or of preserving a speed of the motor that is technically reasonable, i.e. of the order of 20,000 rpm, while at the same time in all cases maintaining high productivity.
It can be noted that the invention is part of a problem-solving approach that runs counter to the preconceived ideas of those skilled in the art (the field of the designing of portable electric impulse screwdrivers) without acting on the conventional levers used by the designers of these tools.
Indeed, the habitual reflex that comes into play when reducing the torque spike at the point of contact is that of reducing the speed of the motor before contact. However, a designer's habitual reflex of this type would reduce the productivity of the tool, and this is not acceptable in many industrial domains using such tools, for example on assembly lines.
According to the invention, and given the nominal speed of the tool which is higher than that of a tool of classic design, the lowering of the speed of the motor nevertheless makes it possible to preserve a high level of productivity.
It must be noted that the designer is dissuaded from reducing the reduction ratio since this would lead him into a dead end where the level of output torque (equal to the multiplication of the reduction ratio by the maximum torque at constant speed of the motor) can no longer attain the set value of torque for a maximum given torque of the motor (since it is certainly conceivable that the maximum torque of the motor can be increased by choosing a more powerful motor, which nevertheless would be done to the detriment to the price of the tool and/or its space requirement and/or its weight).
Furthermore, with a tool according to the invention, owing to the low ratio, the tightening capacity in continuous mode has a ceiling that is placed at a torque value lower than that limit beyond which the operator would no longer withstand it, in this case a limit of 10 N.m. Thus, even if there is a wrong programming of the tool, there is of the operator undergoing a continuous torque that he could not withstand. For example, if the motor torque is equal to 2.5 N.m and if the ratio is equal to 4, the output torque in continuous mode will not exceed 10 N.m, which is compatible with the operator's capacity for accepting torque.
Besides, during a mechanical impulse with a given amplitude of torque, the kinetic energy transmitted by the rotor to the screw prompts a deformation of the reduction until the torque reaches the level needed to make the screw start turning and get tightened. An impulse is formed successively by a period of deformation of the transmission, a period of rotation of the screw and a period of relaxation of transmission. The stiffer the transmission, the shorter the duration of the periods of deformation and relaxation and therefore the shorter the duration of torque impulses.
To increase the stiffness of the transmission, the inventors have thought of reducing the number of stages. Indeed, the smaller the number of stages, the lower the number of parts forming the transmission, and the smaller is the torsional deformation of the transmission and the shorter is the period during which the deformation occurs. This is illustrated in
According to another aspect of the invention, the transmission is therefore of an epicyclic type and comprises only one stage instead of the usual two stages, and this plays a part in reducing the duration of the screwing impulse and therefore the duration during which the body of the tool is subjected to the acceleration {right arrow over ({dot over (W)}body.
This also participates in reducing the angle of rotation of the body of the screwdriver in the operator's hand at each impulse and therefore improving the security and comfort of use.
The transmission preferably has a stiffness greater than or equal to 0.5 N.m per degree, this stiffness being measured by the input sun gear of the transmission, the output shaft being immobilized in rotation relative to the body of the tool.
According to an advantageous solution, the motor means and the reduction are configured in such a way that R*μ*Cmax≦Cc/1.5.
It is possible in this approach to propose a tool for which the set value of torque can have a relatively high level, while at the same time limiting the undesired effects on the operator's hand.
In either case, the screwdriver can be parameterized with a set value torque Cc>20 N.m.
Said transmission preferably integrates an angular clearance enabling the rotor of the motor means to freely accelerate during this impulse to accumulate a kinetic energy Ec.
In one particular embodiment, said epicyclic reduction gear comprises a ring gear rotationally linked to the housing of the screwdriver by means of the torque sensor.
Other characteristics and advantages of the invention shall appear more clearly from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, given by way of an illustratory and non-exhaustive example and from the appended drawings, of which:
Referring to
These constituent parts are mounted in a housing 5 of the tool, this housing being associated with a handle 50, the housing and the handle being configured, in the present embodiment, to give the screw a shape of a pistol-handle screwdriver.
The reduction gear of the screwdriver comprises an epicyclic train having only one stage, making it possible to:
The screwdriver furthermore incorporates a torque sensor 6, of the type comprising a deforming element connected to the housing of the tool. The purpose of this torque sensor 6 is to detect the reaching of a set value torque Cc. More specifically, the reduction gear 3 is an epicyclic reduction gear with only one stage, the ring of which is linked rotationally to the housing 5 of the screwdriver by means of the torque sensor 6.
The parameters of the screwdriver are the following:
According to the principle of the invention, the transmission is capable of enabling an accumulation of kinetic energy Ec in the rotor and a restitution of this kinetic energy Ec to the end member 2 between two impulses triggered by the driving means.
Furthermore, the motor means and the reduction gear are configured in such a way that R*μ*Cmax<Cc, the set value torque Cc being reached through the transfer of kinetic energy Ec into the screw to be tightened. The motor means and the reduction gear are configured in such a way that R*μ*Cmax 10 N.m. In other words, it is smaller than or equal to 10/(μCmax).
According to one particular embodiment, the transmission integrates an angular clearance enabling the rotor 10 of the motor means to freely accelerate during an impulse to accumulate kinetic energy Ec.
Referring to
According to one particular embodiment, the screwdriver furthermore has either of the following characteristics:
An embodiment of the invention provides an electric impulse screwdriver, the use of which does not cause any health problems for the operator.
An embodiment of the invention procures a screwdriver of this kind which, in at least one embodiment, prevents the emergence of muscular-skeletal disorders for the operator.
An embodiment of the invention provides a screwdriver of this kind that enables a high level of productivity to be achieved.
An embodiment of the invention procures an electric impulse screwdriver of this kind which makes it possible to attain a pre-screwing speed comparable to that of hydropneumatic tools, i.e. of the order of several thousand revolutions per minute.
An embodiment of the invention provides an impulse screwdriver of this kind which improves its safety of use in at least one embodiment.
An embodiment of the invention provides an impulse screwdriver of this kind which limits the reaction torque undergone by the user because of the screwing operation especially if, at some point, the screwdriver is mistakenly used not in impulse mode but in continuous mode.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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1153461 | Apr 2011 | FR | national |
This Application is a Section 371 National Stage Application of International Application No. PCT/EP2012/057320, filed Apr. 20, 2012, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety and published as WO 2012/143532 on Oct. 26, 2012, not in English.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/EP12/57320 | 4/20/2012 | WO | 00 | 2/10/2014 |