The present disclosure relates to rivet setting tools, and more particularly to pulling mechanisms for rivet setting tools.
Rivet setting tools use pulling mechanisms to pull a mandrel of a rivet to set a rivet. Pulling mechanisms sometimes have pulling members that move between a first position, in which the mandrel is ready to be received in the pulling mechanism, and a second position, in which the mandrel has been separated from the rivet, such that the pulling member can return to the first position.
The present disclosure provides, in one aspect, a rivet tool for setting a rivet. The rivet tool includes a motor and a pulling mechanism configured to receive torque from the motor. The pulling mechanism includes a moveable member that is moveable between a first position and a second position in response to the pulling mechanism receiving torque from the motor, a plurality of jaws configured to clamp onto a mandrel of the rivet and pull the mandrel in response to the moveable member moving from the first position to the second position, and a magnet coupled for movement with the moveable member. The magnet includes a north pole face, an adjacent south pole face, and a pole junction therebetween. The north and south pole faces face away from the moveable member. The rivet tool further comprises a first sensor configured to detect the pole junction when the moveable member is in the first position and a second sensor configured to detect the pole junction when the moveable member is in the second position.
In some implementations, the north pole face and the south pole face are coplanar.
In some implementations, the magnet is moveable along a face plane defined by the north pole face and the south pole face.
In some implementations, the face plane is parallel to a pulling axis along which the moveable member moves between the first and second positions.
In some implementations, the second sensor is a north pole-detecting Hall-effect sensor. When the moveable member moves to the second position, the second sensor is configured to output a signal to a controller indicating that a north pole flux detected by the second sensor is zero.
In some implementations, in response to the controller receiving the signal from the second sensor indicating that north pole flux detected by the second sensor is zero, the controller is configured to deactivate the motor.
In some implementations, the first sensor is a south pole-detecting Hall-effect sensor. When the moveable member moves to the first position, the first sensor is configured to output a signal to the controller indicating that a south pole flux detected by the first sensor is zero.
In some implementations, in response to the controller receiving the signal from the first sensor indicating that south pole flux detected by the first sensor is zero, the controller is configured to deactivate the motor.
In another aspect, the disclosure provides a rivet tool for setting a rivet. The rivet tool includes a motor, and a pulling mechanism configured to receive torque from the motor and pull the rivet. The pulling mechanism includes a moveable member that is moveable between a first position and a second position in response to the pulling mechanism receiving torque from the motor. The pulling mechanism also includes a magnet coupled for movement with the moveable member, the magnet including a north pole face, an adjacent south pole face, and a pole junction therebetween. The rivet tool also includes a sensor configured to detect the pole junction when the moveable member is in the first position.
In yet another aspect, the disclosure provides a power tool including a motor, a moveable member that is moveable between a first position and a second position in response to receiving torque from the motor, and a magnet coupled for movement with the moveable member. The magnet includes a north pole face, an adjacent south pole face, and a pole junction therebetween. The power tool also includes a sensor configured to detect the pole junction when the moveable member is in the first position, and a controller configured to deactivate the motor based on a position of the pole junction detected by the sensor.
Other features and aspects of the disclosure will become apparent by consideration of the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.
Before any implementations of the disclosure are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the disclosure 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 disclosure is capable of other implementations 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.
With reference to
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When the ball screw 38 is in the first position, the magnet 102 is proximate a first sensor 122 on the PCB 120. As described in further detail below, the first sensor 122 is configured to detect presence of the magnet 102 when the ball screw 38 is in the first position. When the ball screw 38 is in the second position, the magnet 102 is proximate a second sensor 126 on the PCB 120. As described in further detail below, the second sensor 126 is configured to detect presence of the magnet 102 when the ball screw 38 is in the second position. In the illustrated implementation, the first and second sensors 122, 126 are Hall-effect sensors.
In operation, an operator inserts a mandrel of a rivet through the nosepiece 82. The mandrel initially pushes the jaws 62 away from the nosepiece 82, along their respective recesses 68, until the jaws 62 move far enough away from the pulling axis 26 that the mandrel moves between the jaws 62. The jaws 62, biased by the jaw pusher 66 toward the nosepiece 82, thereafter exert a radial clamping force on the mandrel. The operator then pulls a trigger 130 on the tool 10 to rotate the motor 12 in a first rotational direction, which causes the transmission 14 to rotate the gear 34, thus causing the ball nut 30 to rotate. Rotation of the ball nut 30 causes the ball screw 38 to translate from the first position toward the second position (toward the right in the frame of reference of
The second sensor 126 detects when the ball screw 38 has reached the second position because the magnet 102 includes adjacent North pole and South pole faces 110, 114. Specifically, in the illustrated implementation, the second sensor 126 is a North pole-detecting Hall-effect sensor and is configured to output a signal indicative of detected North pole magnetic flux to a controller 134 (shown schematically in
When the ball screw 38 reaches the second position, the second sensor 126 detects that the pole junction PD has reached a second signaling position with respect to the second sensor 126. Specifically, the second sensor 126 detects that the pole junction PD has reached the second signaling position because the detected North pole flux drops to 0, due to the South pole magnetic flux from the South pole face 114 canceling out the North pole magnetic flux from the North pole face 110. In some implementations, the second signaling position is defined by the position of the magnet 102 when the pole junction PD intersects a center 138 of the second sensor 126. In other implementations, the second signaling position is defined by the position of the magnet 102 when the pole junction PD is offset from the center 138 of the second sensor 126, taking into account the following factors: (1) timing of the signal sent from the second sensor 126 to the controller 134; (2) electronic logic delay of the controller 134 to interpret the signal received from the second sensor 126 to determine that the ball screw 38 has reached the second position; and (3) the speed of movement of the ball screw 38 as it travels toward the second position.
In response to the second sensor 126 outputting a signal to the controller 134 that indicates that the detected North pole flux has dropped to zero, the controller 134 stops rotation of the motor 12, thus stopping movement of the ball screw 38 in the second position. The broken mandrel is now free to slide through the spent-mandrel tube 74 for collection in the mandrel container 78. In contrast to including a magnet with a single-pole face (e.g., a North pole) in facing relationship with the PCB 120 and Hall-effect sensors 122, 126, because the magnet 102 has a North pole face 110 and South pole face 114 in facing relationship with the PCB 118, the second sensor 126 is able to more precisely detect when the ball screw 38 has reached the second position by detecting when the North pole flux has dropped to zero. Hall-effect sensors detecting a single-pole face of a magnet are more susceptible to variation of detected magnetic flux based on the distance separating the single-pole face magnet from the Hall-effect sensor. By more precisely determining when the ball screw 38 has reached the second position, potential damage to the pulling mechanism due to overtravel, i.e., traveling past the second position after the mandrel has been severed from the rivet, is reduced.
In other implementations, the second sensor 126 is a South pole detecting Hall-effect sensor and the controller 134 is able to determine that the ball screw 38 has reached the second position when the controller 134 receives a signal from the second sensor 126 indicating that detected South pole flux increases from zero to a non-zero value. Specifically, as the North pole face 110 approaches the South pole detecting Hall-effect second sensor 126, the second sensor 126 does not detect any South pole flux and thus, the detected value is zero. However, as the pole junction PD has reached the second signaling position, the second sensor 126 for the first time detects the South pole flux from the South pole face 114. Upon the controller 134 receiving a signal from the second sensor 126 indicating that detected South pole has increased from zero to a non-zero value, the controller 134 instructs the motor 18 to deactivate.
After stopping the motor 12, the controller 134 subsequently causes the motor 12 to rotate in a second rotational direction that is opposite the first rotational direction, causing the ball screw 38 to move from the second position back toward the first position. As noted above, when the ball screw 38 reaches the first position, the first sensor 122 detects that the magnet 102 is proximate the first sensor 122. The first sensor 126 detects when the ball screw 38 has reached the first position (indicating that the tool 10 is ready to set another rivet) because the magnet 102 includes adjacent North pole and South pole faces 110, 114. Specifically, in the illustrated implementation, the first sensor 122 is a South pole detecting Hall-effect sensor and is configured to output a signal indicative of detected South pole magnetic flux to the controller 134. As the magnet 102 translates along the magnet axis 118 toward the first sensor 122, the first sensor 122 first detects the South pole magnetic flux from the South pole face 114, prior to the ball screw 38 reaching the first position.
When the ball screw 38 reaches the first position, the first sensor 122 detects that the pole junction PD has reached a first signaling position with respect to the first sensor 122. Specifically, the first sensor 122 detects that the pole junction PD has reached the first signaling position because the detected South pole flux drops to zero, due to the North pole magnetic flux from the North pole face 110 canceling out the South pole magnetic flux from the South pole face 114. In some implementations, the first signaling position is defined by the position of the magnet 102 when the pole junction PD intersects a center 142 of the first sensor 122. In other implementations, the first signaling position is defined by the position of the magnet 102 when the pole junction PD is offset from the center 142 of the first sensor 122, taking into account the following factors: (1) timing of the signal sent from the first sensor 122 to the controller 134; (2) electronic logic delay of the controller 134 to interpret the signal received from the first sensor 122 to determine that the ball screw 38 has reached the first position; and (3) the speed of movement of the ball screw 38 as it travels toward the first position.
In response to the first sensor 122 outputting a signal to the controller 134 that indicates that the detected South pole flux has dropped to zero, the controller 134 stops rotation of the motor 12, thus stopping movement of the ball screw 38 in the first position. The operator is now able to start a new rivet setting operation. In contrast to using a magnet with a single-pole face (e.g. a North pole) as mentioned above, because the magnet 102 has a North pole face 110 and South pole face 114 in facing relationship with the PCB 118 with a pole junction PD therebetween that is detected by the first sensor 122, the first sensor 122 is able to more precisely detect when the ball screw 38 has reached the first position by detecting when the South pole flux has dropped to zero.
In other implementations, the first sensor 122 is a North pole detecting Hall-effect sensor and the controller 134 is able to determine that the ball screw 38 has reached the first position when the controller 134 receives a signal from the first sensor 122 indicating that North pole flux increases from zero to a non-zero value. Specifically, as the South pole face 114 approaches the North pole detecting Hall-effect first sensor 122, the first sensor 122 does not detect any North pole flux and thus, the detected value is zero. However, as the pole junction PD reaches the first signaling position, the first sensor 122 for the first time detects the North pole flux from the North pole face 110. Upon the controller 134 receiving a signal from the first sensor 122 indicating that detected North pole has increased from zero to a non-zero value, the controller 134 instructs the motor 18 to deactivate, stopping the ball screw 38 in the first position.
It should be understood that other configurations of North and South pole faces and North and South pole detecting Hall-effect sensors may be employed in other arrangements in order to detect the pole junction PD reaching a signaling position based on either increasing flux strength from zero or decreasing flux strength towards zero. In some implementations, the magnet may include two or more pole junctions. For example, the magnet 102 may include three, four, or any number of coplanar pole faces 110, 114 (e.g., alternating North and South in series along a length of the magnet 102) defining a pole junction PD between each adjacent pair of coplanar poles 110, 114. In such implementations with multiple pole junctions PD, Hall effect sensors 122, 126 having the same pole-detection capabilities (e.g., both North pole detecting or both South pole detecting, rather than one North pole detecting and one South pole detecting) could be disposed at the first and second positions. In any implementation, the signal for deactivating the motor 18 may be generated based on the flux strength reaching (e.g., decreasing to or increasing to) a threshold value, which may be zero or a non-zero value, and may rely on whether the flux strength has reached zero and then subsequently risen.
As shown in
Although the disclosure has been described in detail with reference to certain preferred implementations, variations and modifications exist within the scope and spirit of one or more independent aspects of the disclosure as described. Various features of the invention are set forth in the following claims.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/033,900, filed on Jun. 3, 2020, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
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