The present invention relates to power tools, and more particularly to powered dispensing tools
Dispensing tools, such as those used for dispensing caulk, adhesives, or the like materials, are typically manually operated by squeezing or grasping a handle of the dispensing tool. The handle is typically connected to a rack via an advancing mechanism (e.g., a ratchet and pawl-type mechanism) to incrementally advance the rack and cause the caulk, adhesive, or like material to be discharged from a cartridge. Such manually operated dispensing tools can be difficult to control and strenuous, thereby fatiguing the user and possibly shortening the duration of time the manually operated dispensing tool may be used before the user requires rest.
The invention provides, in one aspect, a powered dispensing tool including a housing, a motor at least partially positioned within the housing, a rack operably coupled to the motor for powered translation in at least one of a forward direction and a reverse direction, and a transmission selectively operably coupling the motor and the rack. The transmission includes an output shaft that is rotatable in response to rotation of the motor, and an output member drivably coupled to the rack and supported on the output shaft for relative rotation therewith. The transmission also includes a clutch member that is coupled for co-rotation with the output shaft and movable along the output shaft between a first position, in which the clutch member is engaged with the output member for transferring torque from the output shaft to the output member, and a second position, in which the clutch member is disengaged from the output member to inhibit torque transfer between the output shaft and the output member.
Other features and aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration of the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.
Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
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The actuator 98 also includes a slide member 118 that is supported by the housing 14 for sliding movement between a drive position (
The actuator 98 further includes a compression spring 132 that is engaged with the clutch member 90 for biasing the clutch member 90 toward the first position shown in
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The transmission 46 also includes an input pinion 138 supported for rotation on opposite ends by a bushing 142 mounted directly in the transmission housing 66 and another bushing 146 mounted in a plate 150 which, in turn, is secured to the transmission housing 66 (e.g., by fasteners). As shown in
With continued reference to
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Likewise, the plunger 26 may be replaced with other plungers having different sizes or configurations than the plunger 26. The plunger 26 illustrated in
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The tool 10 also includes a current-monitoring circuit in electrical communication with the motor 42. Although not shown, the current-monitoring circuit may be a component of a top-level or master controller in the tool 10. Alternatively, the current-monitoring circuit may be a separate and stand-alone circuit not associated with any other controllers in the tool 10.
The rack 22 undergoes a relatively slow linear motion for dispensing caulk, adhesives, or other materials from cartridges. This slow linear dispensing speed is produced by reducing the motor speed through the transmission 46, followed by the output gear 82 driving the rack 22. In normal operation, the force developed by the rack 22 is within an acceptable range that will not affect the reliability of the tool 10. However, if the rack 22 encounters an obstacle that causes the motor speed to slow dramatically or stall completely, the amount of force developed by the rack 22 will increase substantially over a short period of time. Such an increased force may be large enough to damage to the transmission 46, the rack 22, or the cartridge housing 18. The current-monitoring circuit monitors this force and quickly takes corrective action should the force become too high.
The force developed by the rack 22 is proportional to the torque developed by the motor 42 which, in turn, is proportional to the motor current. Therefore, monitoring motor current provides a very good indication of the force exerted on the rack 22. If a motor current feedback signal rises at a rate higher than a predetermined value, the current-monitoring circuit will cease to drive the motor 42 and the rack 22 in the forward, material-dispensing direction, and will instead drive the motor 42 and the rack 22 in a reverse direction for a short interval before deactivating the motor 42. This condition may occur, for example, if a blockage is encountered within the cartridge which, in turn, prevents material from being discharged from the cartridge. A process for monitoring motor current, which can be implemented in the current-monitoring circuit, is shown and described in greater detail in published U.S. Patent Application No. 2010/0001017 (the “'017 Publication”), the entire contents of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
The tool 10 further includes a motor-control circuit in electrical communication with the motor 42. Although not shown, the motor-control circuit may be a component of a top-level or master controller in the tool 10. Alternatively, the motor-control circuit may be a separate and stand-alone circuit not associated with any other controllers in the tool 10.
When the trigger 54 is depressed, the motor-control circuit activates the motor 42. However, rather than immediately driving the motor 42 at a predetermined speed, or at a user-selected speed in accordance with the adjustment of a potentiometer in communication with the motor-control circuit, a soft-start feature of the dispensing tool 10 allows the rack 22, moving in the forward or material-dispensing direction, to be accelerated from rest to the predetermined or user-selected speed over a short period of time (i.e., typically less than one second). The motor-control circuit gradually increases the voltage applied to the motor 42, and in doing so reduces the peak current drawn by the motor 42 during startup. The motor-control circuit also reduces the peak torque delivered by the motor 42 during startup, and therefore provides smoother dispensing of material during startup. Further, incorporating the soft-start feature in the motor-control circuit increases the life expectancy and reduces wear of the tool 10. A process for providing the soft-start feature, which can be implemented in the motor-control circuit, is shown and described in greater detail in the '017 Publication.
The tool 10 also includes an auto-reverse circuit in electrical communication with the motor 42. Although not shown, the auto-reverse circuit may be a component of a top-level or master controller in the tool 10. Alternatively, the auto-reverse circuit may be a separate and stand-alone circuit not associated with any other controllers in the tool 10. A process for providing the auto-reverse feature, which can also be implemented in the aforementioned motor-control circuit, is shown and described in greater detail in the '017 Publication.
It is desirable to minimize or eliminate dispensing material from excreting from the tool 10 after operation has ceased. This can be achieved by providing a control scheme for momentarily reversing the rotational direction of the motor 42 after the user has released the trigger 54. After dispensing is halted, the material within the cartridge continues to expand within the cartridge. Momentary reversal of the motor 42 by the auto-reverse circuit causes the output shaft 70 to drive the rack 22 and the plunger 26 in a reverse direction, thereby allowing the material to expand within the material cartridge and alleviate the residual pressure within the cartridge from the dispensing operation.
In operation of the tool 10, the slide member 118 may be initially positioned in the release position to disengage the clutch member 90 from the output gear 82 (
To enable powered dispensing of the tool 10, the slide member 118 must be manually actuated from the release position (
When the user depresses the trigger 54, the motor 42 is activated to drive the output shaft 70, the clutch member 90, and the remainder of the transmission 46. The clutch member 90, in turn, rotates the output gear 82 and drives the rack 22 in a forward direction to dispense caulk, adhesive, or other material from the tubular cartridge or sausage pack. As discussed above, the motor-control circuit may implement the soft-start feature to slowly accelerate the motor 42 to a desired operating speed.
When the user releases the trigger 54, the auto-reverse circuit momentarily drives the motor 42 in a reverse direction to rotate the output gear 82 in a reverse direction, thereby driving the rack 22 rearward or in a reverse direction to permit the material within the material cartridge to expand and alleviate the residual pressure within the cartridge from the dispensing operation.
Should the user of the tool 10 desire to change material cartridges, the user may manually actuate the slide member 118 from the drive position (
Various features of the invention are set forth in the following claims.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/530,597 filed Sep. 2, 2011, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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