GB2465278A

GB2465278A - Power hand-tool device with angle of inclination sensor

Info

Publication number: GB2465278A
Application number: GB0919812A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Thilo Koeder; Joachim Platzer; Ulli Hoffmann
Original assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
Current assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
Priority date: 2008-11-17
Filing date: 2009-11-12
Publication date: 2010-05-19
Anticipated expiration: 2029-11-12
Also published as: CN101733443B; DE102008043791A1; GB2465278B; GB0919812D0; CN101733443A

Abstract

A power hand-tool device, particularly for a power hand drill, comprises a sensor means 10, which is provided for detecting at least one angle 12 of inclination of at least one sensor axis 14 of the sensor means, and reference means 16, for detecting and storing at least one parameter value, such as an angle of inclination 20, of a surface 18 to be worked. Preferably, the detected angles are compared by an evaluating unit 22, which can, for example, provide an output signal to an output unit 24 to a user in dependence on an evaluation result calculated using a value detected by the sensor in relation to a value detected by the reference means. Preferably, the hand-tool comprises at least one reference surface 26, 28 to be placed against the surface to be worked to detect the parameter value.

Description

DEVICE FOR DETERMINING POWER HANDTOOL ORIENTATION

The present invention relates to a power handtool device, especially a device for determining power handtool orientation.

A power handtool device, which is formed with an auxiliary handle, with a sensor unit for detection of angles of inclination of a sensor axis of the sensor unit is known from DE 203 18 148 Ui. The sensor unit has for this purpose several sensors formed by spirit levels.

In addition, the power handtool device has a laser generating unit for generating a fanned laser beam.

The object of the present invention is to provide a power handtool device able to detect values of both a sensor axis and a surface to be or being processed.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following

description.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a power handtool device, particularly for a power hand drill, with a sensor unit, which is provided for detection of at least one angle of inclination of at least one sensor axis of the sensor unit, and with a reference unit, which is provided for the purpose of detecting and storing at least one characteristic magnitude or parameter value of a processing surface.

By "provided" there is to be understood, for example, specially designed and/or constructed and by "stored" there is to be understood, for example, making available the characteristic magnitude at least in the short term for further processing.

Through appropriate design it is possible to obtain, for a processing operation, useful additional data which can increase convenience and improve the quality of the processing operation by the handtool, and indeed particularly if the reference unit is provided for the purpose of detecting at least one characteristic magnitude for an angle of inclination of the processing surface. By means of the characteristic magnitude for the inclination of the processing surface it is possible to advantageously assist a desired orientation of the sensor axis relative to the processing surface and thus a desired orientation of a power handtool equipped with the device. The sensor unit can in that case comprise various sensors which may appear appropriate, particularly one or more sensors for detection of characteristic magnitudes for angles of inclination about several axes.

If the power handtool device comprises an evaluating unit provided for the purpose of evaluating at least one characteristic magnitude detected by the sensor unit and characteristic magnitude detected by the reference unit, convenience can be further increased, particularly if the evaluating unit is provided for the purpose of evaluating the characteristic magnitude of the sensor unit in relation to the characteristic magnitude of the reference unit and particularly preferably if the evaluating unit is provided for the purpose of generating a signal for an output unit. A user can be advantageously assisted in the orientation of the sensor axis, especially relative to the processing surface, and it can be advantageously indicated to a user whether the sensor axis is oriented as desired relative to the processing surface. By "evaluating unit" there is to be understood, for example, a unit with a computer unit, a memory unit and an operating program stored in the memory unit.

If the power hand tool device comprises an output unit coupled with the evaluating unit the units can be advantageously matched to one another. The output unit can in that case be provided for the purpose of issuing optical, acoustic and/or tactile signals.

In a further embodiment the power handtool device has at least one reference surface which, in order to detect the characteristic magnitude of the processing surface, can be placed against the same, whereby detection of the characteristic magnitude can be realised by constructionally simple means. Alternatively and/or additionally a contactless detection would also be conceivable, for example by means of distance sensors.

For preference, the power handtool device comprises a sensor unit for detection of contacting of the reference surface, whereby an operating process can be advantageously assisted and convenience further increased.

If the power handtool device comprises an evaluating unit provided for the purpose of triggering an evaluating process at least partly automatically in dependence on at least one parameter, such as preferably in dependence on a signal of a sensor unit for contacting of a reference surface, manual operating processes can be reduced and convenience can in turn be further increased.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a power handtool equipped with a device according to the first aspect of the invention.

If the power handtool has a processing axis oriented perpendicularly to the reference surface an advantageously simple evaluating process can be achieved. In that case there is to be understood by "processing axis", for example, an axis of the power handtool about which a tool is rotatably drivable, along which a tool is translationally drivable and/or in which a main thrust direction is oriented.

Moreover, the power handtool can comprise a tool receptacle which forms the reference surface, whereby a particularly simple, especially at least largely intuitive operation can be achieved. By "tool receptacle" there is to be understood, for example, a unit such as a tool chuck which has a recess for reception of a tool and/or elements for transmission of a drive force to the tool. Alternatively or additionally, reference surfaces can also be provided at other appropriate places of the power handtool device and/or power handtool.

The power handtool can be such as is used for drilling, screwing and hammering. Use in other power handtools is, however, equally conceivable, for example in power handtools for grinding, sawing, scraping, cutting, severing, as in angle grinding machines, hand saws, scrapers, etc. According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a method of operating the device according to the first aspect of the invention, in which at least one angle of inclination of at least one sensor axis is detected by a sensor unit and at least one characteristic magnitude of a processing surface is detected and stored by a reference unit. In a related aspect there is provided a method of processing a surface by means of a handtool according to the second aspect of the invention comprising the steps of detecting at least one angle of inclination of the at least one sensor axis by the sensor means, detecting and storing at least one parameter value of the surface to be or being processed and fixing or adjusting the orientation of the handtool with respect to that surface in dependence on the detected at least one angle and at least one parameter value.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention there is provided a power handtool provided with sensor means for detecting an angle of inclination of a processing axis deformed by the handtool, reference means for detecting and storing an angle of inclination of a surface to be processed by the handtool, evaluating means for comparing the detected angles of inclination, and indicating means for indicating to a user of the tool a preferred orientation of the handtool in dependence on the comparison result.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be more particularly described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing, the single figure of which is a schematic elevation of a power handtool equipped with a device embodying the invention.

Referring now to the drawing, there is shown a power handtool, which has the form of a battery-operated drill, with a housing and a power handtool device integrated in the housing. The power handtool device comprises a sensor unit 10, which is provided for detection of an angle 12 of inclination of a sensor axis 14 -which coincides with a processing axis 34 of the power handtool -of the sensor unit 10 and, in particular, relative to an attraction force direction 38 resulting from the earth magnetic field, thus relative to the vertical. For this purpose the sensor unit 10 comprises a micromechanical gravity inclination sensor 40. In addition, the power handtool device comprises a reference unit 16, which is provided for the purpose of detecting and storing a characteristic magnitude for an angIe 20 of inclination of a processing surface 18, in particular a surface to be processed by the handtool. The reference unit 16 and the sensor unit 10 are constructed in part integrally and, in particular, the gravity inclination sensor 40 similarly forms a sensor of the reference unit 16.

In order to achieve convenient operation the power handtool device comprises an evaluating unit 22, which comprises a computing unit 44, a memory unit 46 and an operating program stored in the memory unit 46 and which is provided for the purpose of evaluating characteristic magnitudes detected by the sensor unit and characteristic magnitudes detected by the reference unit 16. The evaluating unit 22 serves, in particular, for the purpose of evaluating the characteristic magnitudes of the sensor unit 10 in relation to the characteristic magnitudes of the reference unit 16. The evaluating unit 22 is coupled with an output unit 24, which is integrated in the power handtool, of the power handtool device and is provided for the purpose of generating signals for the output unit 24.

The power handtool device has two reference surfaces 26 and 28 which are provided for the purpose -in order to detect characteristic magnitudes for the angIe 20 of inclination of the processing surface 18 -of being placed against that surface. The reference surface 26 is formed by a tool receptacle 36 and, in particular, by a surface, which faces in processing direction, of the receptacle 36, with respect to which the processing axis 34 is, in a preferred orientation, perpendicularly oriented. The reference surface 28 is formed on a battery unit 42, in particular by an underside of the battery unit 42. In principle it is also conceivable that only one reference surface is provided or that more than two reference surfaces are provided. A respective sensor unit 30, 32 formed by a contact sensor is arranged in each reference surface 26, 28.

If a hole is to be drilled in the processing surface 18 by means of the power handtool, initially the reference surface 26 or the reference surface 28 is placed against the processing surface 18 in order to detect the characteristic magnitude of the angle 20 of inclination of the processing surface 18, in particular angle of inclination to the vertical. If the processing surface 18 is contacted by the reference surface 26 or the reference surface 28, this is recognised by the sensor unit 30 or 32 and the evaluating unit 22 automatically stores the characteristic magnitude, which is detected by means of the gravity inclination sensor 40, of the inclination angle 20. Alternatively, it would also be possible to provide a control element by means of which a user can confirm recording of a characteristic magnitude of the inclination angle 20.

If subsequently a drilling tool is inserted by the user into the tool receptacle 36 and a drilling process initiated, the evaluating unit 22 automatically and continuously compares characteristic magnitudes, which are detected by means of the sensor 40, for the inclination angle 12 of the sensor axis 14 with a target value resulting from the characteristic magnitude of the inclination angle 20 of the processing surface 18, on attainment of which the processing axis 34 includes a desired angle, in particular a right angle, with the processing surface 18. The evaluating unit 22 in that case continuously transmits signals to the output unit 24 so that it can be optically indicated to the user by means of the output unit 24 in which direction the user has to undertake correction of alignment. When the target value or a target value range embracing permissible tolerances is achieved, the evaluating unit 22 transmits a corresponding signal to the output unit 24 and it is optically indicated to the user that a correct alignment of the power handtool is achieved and the drilling process can begin.

In order to be able to flexibly adapt the power handtool device to different boundary parameters and/or demands, the power handtool device comprises a setting unit 48 by means of which a user can undertake settings of the evaluating unit 22 and the output unit 24 and, in particular, by means of which the user can undertake a setting of the tolerance range, a setting of a desired angle of the processing axis 34 with respect to the processing surface 18 and a setting of a form of output of data by way of the output unit 24.

Claims

Claims 1. A power handtool device for a power handtool, comprising sensor means provided for detecting at least one angle of inclination of at least one sensor axis of the sensor means and reference means provided for detecting and storing at least one parameter value of a surface to be or being processed by a handtool equipped with the device.
2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one parameter value is an angle of inclination of the surface.
3. A device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, comprising evaluating means for evaluating values detected by the sensor means and reference means.
4. A device as claimed in claim 3, the evaluating means being operable to evaluate a value detected by the sensor means in relation to a value detected by the reference means.
5. A device as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4, the evaluating means being operable to provide an output signal in dependence on the evaluation result.
6. A device as claimed in claim 5, comprising output means connected with the evaluating means and responsive to the output signal.
7. A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, the reference means being operable to detect the parameter value by way of a reference surface placed against the surface to be or being processed.
8. A device as claimed in claim 7, comprising a sensor unit for detecting contact of the reference surface with the surface to be or being processed.
9. A device as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 6, the evaluating means being operable to trigger an evaluating process at least partly automatically in dependence on at least one parameter.
10. A power handtool equipped with a device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.
11. A handtool as claimed in claim 10, the device being as claimed in claim 7 or claim 8 and the handtool defining a processing axis perpendicular to the reference surface.
12. A handtool as claimed in claim 11, wherein the reference surface is provided at tool mounting means of the handtool.
13. A handtool as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 12, the handtool being a power hand drill.
14. A method of processing a surface by means of a power handtool as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 13, comprising the steps of detecting at least one angle of inclination of the at least one sensor axis by the sensor means, detecting and storing at least one parameter value of the surface to be or being processed and fixing or adjusting the orientation of the handtool with respect to that surface in dependence on the detected at least one angle and at least one parameter value.
15. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the at least one parameter value is an angle of inclination of the surface to be or being processed.
16. A method as claimed in claim 15, comprising the step of comparing the detected at least one angle of inclination of the at least one sensor axis with the detected angle of inclination of the surface to be or being processed, the step of fixing or adjusting the orientation of the handtool being carried out in dependence on the comparison result.
17. A power handtool provided with sensor means for detecting an angle of inclination of a processing axis deformed by the handtool, reference means for detecting and storing an angle of inclination of a surface to be processed by the handtool, evaluating means for comparing the detected angles of inclination, and indicating means for indicating to a user of the tool a preferred orientation of the handtool in dependence on the comparison result.
18. A power handtool as claimed in claim 17, wherein either or each angle of inclination is with respect to the vertical.
19. A power handtool as claimed in claim 17 or claim 18, comprising setting means for setting at least one operating parameter of the sensor means, reference means, evaluating means and/or indicating means.