JP7469103B2 - Fastening Tools - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a fastening tool configured to fasten work materials with fasteners.

There is known a fastening tool that is configured to fasten work material with a fastener that has a rod-shaped pin and a cylindrical portion through which the pin is inserted. Such a fastening tool has a pin gripping portion that can grip the pin, and is configured to deform the fastener by pulling the pin in the axial direction with the pin gripping portion, thereby fastening the work material (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2013-248643 A

The fastening operation using the fastening tool begins with part of the pin inserted into the pin gripping portion. Therefore, if the length of the pin inserted into the pin gripping portion is insufficient, the fastener may fall out of the pin gripping portion before the fastening operation begins.

The objective of the present invention is to provide a technology that helps reduce the possibility of a fastener falling out before the start of fastening work in a fastening tool that fastens work materials with a fastener.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a fastening tool is provided that is configured to fasten work material with a fastener having a pin and a tubular portion through which the pin is inserted. This fastening tool includes a housing, a holding member, a pin receiving portion, a pin gripping portion, and a drive mechanism.

The holding member is cylindrical and connected to the housing so as to extend along the drive shaft. The drive shaft defines the front-rear direction of the fastening tool. The pin receiving portion has a through hole extending along the drive shaft. The pin receiving portion is removably connected to the front end of the holding member. The pin gripping portion is disposed inside the holding member so as to be movable in the front-rear direction. The pin gripping portion is configured to be able to grip a pin inserted through the through hole of the pin receiving portion. The drive mechanism is contained in the housing. The drive mechanism is configured to move the pin gripping portion gripping the pin rearward to deform the fastener and fasten the work material.

The pin receiving portion includes a positioning portion, a fastener abutment portion, and a connecting portion. The positioning portion is inserted inside the holding member. The positioning portion is configured to abut against the pin gripping portion to position the pin gripping portion in the front-rear direction. The fastener abutment portion is disposed forward of the positioning portion. The fastener abutment portion is configured to be able to abut against the cylindrical portion of the fastener. The connecting portion is configured to be detachable from the holding member. The connecting portion is disposed radially outward of at least a portion of the positioning portion and the fastener abutment portion.

In the fastening tool of this embodiment, a pin receiving portion is connected to the front end of the holding member. The pin of the fastener is inserted into the pin gripping portion through a through hole in the pin receiving portion. The connecting portion of the pin receiving portion that is detachable from the holding member is disposed radially outward of at least a portion of the positioning portion and the fastener abutment portion. The pin receiving portion configured in this manner can be configured shorter than a configuration in which the positioning portion, fastener abutment portion, and connecting portion are aligned in the drive shaft direction. This makes it possible to insert a shorter pin to an appropriate position in the pin gripping portion, reducing the possibility of the fastener falling out before the fastening operation begins.

In one aspect of the present invention, the connecting portion may be configured to be detachable from the outer periphery of the holding member. This aspect makes it easy to attach and detach the pin receiving portion to the holding member.

In one aspect of the present invention, the pin receiving portion may have a retaining portion configured to prevent the pin inserted into the through hole from falling out of the through hole. According to this aspect, the possibility of the fastener falling out can be further reduced.

In one aspect of the present invention, the connecting portion may be disposed radially outward of the positioning portion. According to this aspect, the connecting portion can be attached and detached to the portion of the holding member that houses the positioning portion, so that the length of the holding member can be minimized.

In one aspect of the present invention, the positioning portion, fastener contact portion, and connecting portion may be configured as a single member. According to this aspect, it is possible to realize a pin receiving portion that is particularly easy to attach and detach from the holding member.

In one aspect of the present invention, at least the positioning portion and the connecting portion may be configured as separate members. According to this aspect, by combining a positioning portion and a connecting portion with a simple shape, it is possible to reduce manufacturing costs.

In one aspect of the present invention, the fastening tool may further include a motor housed in the housing. The drive mechanism may be configured to be driven by the motor. According to this aspect, the possibility of the fastener falling off can be reduced in the electric fastening tool.

FIG. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an example of a blind rivet. FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 3 . 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. 4. FIG. FIG. 13 is another exploded perspective view of the anvil; FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of another fastening tool. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IX-IX of FIG. FIG. FIG. 13 is another exploded perspective view of the anvil;

[First embodiment]
A fastening tool 1A according to a first embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS.

The fastening tool 1A shown in FIG. 1 is configured to fasten work materials using a blind rivet (hereinafter, simply referred to as a rivet) (see FIG. 2), which is an example of a well-known fastener, and is also called a riveter. First, the general configuration of the fastening tool 1A will be described.

As shown in FIG. 1, the outer shell of the fastening tool 1A is mainly formed by the housing 20, the nose 5A (specifically, the anvil 50A), and the container 6.

The housing 20 is a hollow body formed in a roughly T-shape in side view, and includes a drive mechanism accommodating section 21, a grip section 23, and a controller accommodating section 25. The drive mechanism accommodating section 21 is a section formed in a rectangular box shape, and extends along a predetermined drive axis A1. The drive mechanism accommodating section 21 accommodates a motor 31 and a drive mechanism 4. The grip section 23 is a long cylindrical section that is held by the user, and protrudes from approximately the center of the drive mechanism accommodating section 21 in the longitudinal direction in a direction intersecting the drive axis A1 (more specifically, in a direction roughly perpendicular to the drive axis A1). The grip section 23 is provided with a trigger 231 that can be pressed (pulled) by the user. The controller accommodating section 25 is a section formed in a rectangular box shape, and is connected to the protruding end of the grip section 23. The controller accommodating section 25 accommodates a controller 36. In addition, a rechargeable battery 28 can be attached and detached to the controller accommodating section 25.

The nose 5A protrudes along the drive axis A1 from one end of the drive mechanism housing 21 in the longitudinal direction (extension direction of the drive axis A1). A rivet can be engaged with the tip of the nose 5A. The container 6 is removably connected to the end of the drive mechanism housing 21 opposite the nose 5A in the extension direction of the drive axis A1. The container 6 is configured to be able to accommodate a part of the pin that is separated from the rivet during the fastening operation.

When the user engages the rivet with the tip of the nose 5A and pulls the trigger 231, the motor 31 and drive mechanism 4 are driven, and the work material is fastened by the rivet.

First, referring to FIG. 2, a rivet that can be used with the fastening tool 1A will be described using rivet 9 as an example. As shown in FIG. 2, rivet 9 is composed of a pin 91 and a sleeve 95 that are integrally formed.

The sleeve 95 is a cylindrical body as a whole. The sleeve 95 has a flange 953 that protrudes radially outward from one end in the axial direction.

The pin 91 is a rod-shaped body that penetrates the sleeve 95 and protrudes from both ends of the sleeve 95. The pin 91 includes a shaft portion 911 and a head 915 formed at one end of the shaft portion 911. The head 915 is formed with a diameter larger than the inner diameter of the sleeve 95 and is arranged so as to protrude from the end of the sleeve 95 opposite the flange 953. The shaft portion 911 penetrates the sleeve 95 and protrudes in the axial direction from the end on the flange 953 side. A small diameter portion 912 for breaking is formed in the portion of the shaft portion 911 that is arranged inside the sleeve 95. The small diameter portion 912 is a portion that is relatively weaker in strength than other portions, and is configured to break first when the pin 91 is pulled in the axial direction. The portion of the shaft portion 911 opposite the head 915 with respect to the small diameter portion 912 is called the pintail 913. The pintail 913 is a portion that is separated from the pin 91 (rivet 9) when the shaft portion 911 breaks.

In addition to the rivet 9 illustrated in FIG. 2, the fastening tool 1A can use multiple types of rivets that differ in the axial length and diameter of the pin 91 and sleeve 95, the position of the small diameter portion 912, etc. In the following explanation, for convenience, the rivet 9 is used as an example, but the following explanation also applies to other rivets.

The detailed configuration of the fastening tool 1A will be described below. For ease of explanation, the direction of the fastening tool 1A will be defined as the longitudinal direction, which is the direction in which the drive axis A1 (or the long axis of the drive mechanism housing 21) extends. In the longitudinal direction, the side on which the nose 5A is disposed will be defined as the front side, and the opposite side (i.e., the side on which the container 6 is disposed) will be defined as the rear side. In addition, the direction perpendicular to the drive axis A1 and corresponding to the direction in which the long axis of the grip 23 extends will be defined as the vertical direction. In the vertical direction, the protruding end side of the grip 23 (the controller housing 25 side) will be defined as the lower side, and the base end side of the grip 23 (the drive mechanism housing 21 side) will be defined as the upper side. In addition, the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and the vertical direction will be defined as the left-right direction.

First, the internal structure of the drive mechanism housing 21 will be described. As shown in FIG. 3, the drive mechanism housing 21 mainly houses a motor 31 and a drive mechanism 4 driven by the motor 31.

The motor 31 is housed in the lower part of the rear end of the drive mechanism housing 21. In this embodiment, a brushless direct current (DC) motor is used as the motor 31. The motor 31 is arranged so that the rotation axis of the motor shaft 32 extends below the drive shaft A1 and parallel to the drive shaft A1 (i.e., in the front-to-rear direction). A fan 35 for cooling the motor 31 is fixed to the rear end of the motor shaft 32.

The drive mechanism 4 is configured to use the power of the motor 31 to move the jaw assembly 58 (see Figures 4 and 5), which will be described later, in the forward and backward directions along the drive axis A1 relative to the housing 20 and the anvil 50A (see Figures 4 and 5). In this embodiment, the drive mechanism 4 includes a planetary reducer 41, an intermediate shaft 42, and a ball screw mechanism 43. Each of these components will be described in turn below.

The planetary reducer 41 is disposed coaxially with the motor 31 in front of the motor 31. The planetary reducer 41 is a reducer that uses a planetary gear mechanism, and is configured to increase the torque input from the motor shaft 32 and output it to the intermediate shaft 42. Note that the configuration of the planetary gear mechanism itself is well known, so a detailed description will be omitted here.

The intermediate shaft 42 is coaxially connected to the final output shaft of the planetary reducer 41 and extends forward from the planetary reducer 41. A drive gear 421 is fixed to the front end of the intermediate shaft 42.

The ball screw mechanism 43 is mainly composed of a nut 44 and a screw shaft 45. In this embodiment, the ball screw mechanism 43 is configured to convert the rotational motion of the nut 44 into the linear motion of the screw shaft 45 to move the jaw assembly 58 linearly.

The nut 44 is supported by the drive mechanism housing 21 in a state in which movement in the front-rear direction is restricted and the nut 44 is rotatable around the drive shaft A1. The nut 44 has a driven gear 441. The driven gear 441 is integrally provided on the outer periphery of the nut 44 and meshes with the drive gear 421 of the intermediate shaft 42. The drive gear 421 and the driven gear 441 are configured as a reduction gear mechanism.

The screw shaft 45 is engaged with the nut 44 in a state in which its rotation around the drive axis A1 is restricted and it can move back and forth along the drive axis A1. More specifically, the screw shaft 45 is configured as an elongated body and is inserted into the nut 44 so as to extend along the drive axis A1. Although detailed illustration is omitted, a number of balls are arranged to be able to roll within the track defined by the spiral groove formed on the inner surface of the nut 44 and the spiral groove formed on the outer surface of the screw shaft 45. The screw shaft 45 engages with the nut 44 via these balls.

With this configuration, when the nut 44 rotates around the drive shaft A1 as the motor 31 is driven, the screw shaft 45 moves linearly in the front-to-rear direction relative to the nut 44 and the housing 20 while its rotation around the drive shaft A1 is restricted. Note that, as will be described in detail later, a jaw assembly 58 is connected to the front end of the screw shaft 45.

The extension shaft 451 is coaxially connected and fixed to the rear end of the screw shaft 45, and is integrated with the screw shaft 45. Hereinafter, the integrated screw shaft 45 and extension shaft 451 are collectively referred to as the drive shaft 450. The drive shaft 450 has a through hole that passes through the drive shaft 450 along the drive axis A1.

Furthermore, an opening 211 that connects the inside and outside of the housing 20 is formed in the rear wall of the housing 20 (more specifically, the drive mechanism accommodating section 21). The opening 211 is disposed on the drive axis A1. A cylindrical guide sleeve 212 is fitted into the opening 211. The rear end of the drive shaft 450 is disposed within the guide sleeve 212. The guide sleeve 212 is configured to guide the rear end of the drive shaft 450 to slide along the drive axis A1.

As shown in FIG. 1, the rear end of the housing 20 (specifically, the drive mechanism accommodating section 21) is provided with a cylindrical container connecting section 22 configured to surround the opening 211. A cylindrical container 6 with a bottom is removably connected to the container connecting section 22. The internal space of the container 6 is connected to a passage 201, which will be described later. The pintail 913, which is separated from the rivet 9 during the fastening operation, passes through the passage 201 and reaches the container 6, where it is accommodated.

The internal structure of the grip portion 23 and the controller housing portion 25 is described below.

As shown in FIG. 1, a trigger 231 is provided on the front side of the upper end of the grip portion 23. A switch 233 is housed inside the grip portion 23. The switch 233 is normally maintained in an off state, and is turned on in response to pressing of the trigger 231. The switch 233 is connected to the controller 36 by an electric wire (not shown), and is configured to output a signal indicating the on/off state to the controller 36.

The controller housing 25 also houses a controller 36. The controller 36 is a control device configured to control the operation of the fastening tool 1A. The controller 36 is configured to control the drive of the motor 31 based on a signal output from the switch 233, etc.

A battery mounting section 27 is provided at the lower end of the controller housing section 25. The battery mounting section 27 is configured to allow a battery 28 to be attached and detached. The battery 28 is a repeatedly rechargeable power source for supplying power to each part of the fastening tool 1A, including the controller 36 and the motor 31, and is also called a battery pack. As this is a well-known configuration, detailed explanation will be omitted, but the battery mounting section 27 is equipped with rails that allow the battery 28 to be slidably engaged, and terminals that can be electrically connected to the terminals of the battery 28.

The nose 5A will be described below. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the nose 5A is mainly composed of a cylindrical anvil 50A and a jaw assembly 58 that is held coaxially within the anvil 50A.

The anvil 50A is connected and fixed to the front end of the housing 20 so as to extend along the drive shaft A1. The anvil 50A includes a sleeve (also called a nose housing) 51A and a nose piece (also called a nose tip) 52A.

The sleeve 51A is a long cylindrical member that is arranged to extend in the front-rear direction along the drive axis A1 and is connected and fixed to the front end of the drive mechanism housing 21 via a cylindrical fixing member 501.

More specifically, as shown in Figures 4 to 7, the sleeve 51A is formed in a cylindrical shape with a substantially uniform outer diameter. The outer periphery of the front end of the sleeve 51A is configured as a male threaded portion 511. The rear portion of the sleeve 51A is provided with an annular flange 512 that protrudes radially outward. The portion of the sleeve 51A rearward of the flange 512 is fitted into a cylindrical portion 213 provided at the front end of the drive mechanism housing portion 21.

The front end of the fixed member 501 is provided with an annular stopper portion 502 that protrudes radially inward. The fixed member 501 is fitted from the front into the radially outer side of the sleeve 51A and is screwed onto the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 213 of the drive mechanism accommodating portion 21. This connects the sleeve 51A to the housing 20. The flange 512 of the sleeve 51A is sandwiched between the rear end surface of the stopper portion 502 of the fixed member 501 and the front end surface of the cylindrical portion 213 of the drive mechanism accommodating portion 21, thereby positioning the sleeve 51A in the front-rear direction.

The nosepiece 52A is a separate member from the sleeve 51A, and is removably connected to the front end of the sleeve 51A. The nosepiece 52A has a receiving hole 520 that penetrates the nosepiece 52A along the drive axis A1 and can receive the pin 91 (specifically, the pintail 913) of the rivet 9 (see FIG. 2). The nosepiece 52A is also configured to position the jaw 583, which will be described later, in the front-rear direction. The configuration of the nosepiece 52A will be described in detail later.

As described above, the fastening tool 1A can use multiple types of rivets with different diameters of the pin 91. Although detailed illustration is omitted, multiple types of nosepieces having a similar configuration but with a different diameter of the receiving hole 520 from the illustrated nosepiece 52A can be attached to the sleeve 51A.

As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the jaw assembly 58 is mainly composed of a jaw case 581, multiple jaws 583, a pressing member 585, and a biasing spring 587.

The jaw case 581 is formed in a cylindrical shape and is held slidably along the drive shaft A1 within the sleeve 51A of the anvil 50A. The front end of the jaw case 581 is configured as a tapered section 582 whose inner diameter decreases toward the front. The rear end of the jaw case 581 is screwed into a cylindrical connecting member 589 that is screwed into the front end of the screw shaft 45. In other words, the jaw case 581 is connected to the screw shaft 45 via the connecting member 589. As a result, the jaw case 581 moves in the forward and backward directions relative to the housing 20 and the anvil 50A together with the screw shaft 45 (drive shaft 450).

The multiple jaws 583 are arranged at equal intervals around the drive shaft A1 in the tapered portion 582 of the jaw case 581. Each of the multiple jaws 583 has an outer peripheral surface (tapered surface) that matches the inner peripheral surface (tapered surface) of the tapered portion 582, and can slide within the tapered portion 582. A gap that communicates with the receiving hole 520 of the nosepiece 52A and can receive the pintail 913 is provided in the center of the multiple jaws 583 (the area around the drive shaft A1). In addition, multiple grooves are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the multiple jaws 583 to make it easier to grip the pintail 913.

The pressing member 585 is formed in a cylindrical shape and is slidably disposed within the connecting member 589. The pressing member 585 is disposed on the rear side of the multiple jaws 583, and the front end of the pressing member 585 abuts against the rear end of the jaws 583. The biasing spring 587 is disposed on the rear side of the pressing member 585, between the pressing member 585 and the connecting member 589. The jaws 583 are biased forward (i.e., toward the nosepiece 52A) via the pressing member 585 by the biasing force of the biasing spring 587.

As shown in FIG. 3, the above-described configuration forms a passage 201 that extends from the tip of the nose 5A to the opening 211 of the housing 20 in the front-rear direction along the drive axis A1 within the housing 20. More specifically, the passage 201 is a space that extends through the nosepiece 52A, the jaw assembly 58, the drive shaft 450, and the guide sleeve 212. The passage 201 is configured to allow the pintail 913 separated from the rivet 9 to pass through, and the rear end of the passage 201 is connected to the internal space of the container 6.

In addition, with the above configuration, as the jaw assembly 58 moves forward and backward along the drive shaft A1, the jaws 583 slide radially toward or away from each other within the tapered portion 582.

Specifically, when the jaw assembly 58 moves rearward relative to the anvil 50A, the jaw case 581 moves rearward relative to the jaws 583 that are biased forward. The action of the tapered surfaces of the jaws 583 and the jaw case 581 causes the multiple jaws 583 to move closer to each other in the radial direction. This increases the gripping force of the jaws 583 on the pintail 913, firmly gripping the pintail 913 and pulling it rearward as the jaws 583 move rearward.

Conversely, when the jaw assembly 58 is returned forward along the drive shaft A1, the jaw 583 abuts against the rear end of the nosepiece 52A, and then the jaw case 581 moves forward relative to the jaw 583. The multiple jaws 583 can be separated from each other in the radial direction. This reduces the gripping force of the jaws 583 on the pintail 913, and the pintail 913 can be released from the jaws 583 when an external force is applied.

In this embodiment, when the trigger 231 is pressed and the switch 233 is turned on, the controller 36 drives the motor 31 in the forward direction, moving the drive shaft 450 and the jaw assembly 58 backward. When the drive shaft 450 and the jaw assembly 58 reach a predetermined stop position, the controller 36 stops driving the motor 31 in the forward direction. During this process, the pin 91 is pulled, and the deformed rivet 9 fastens the work material, and the pin 91 breaks at the small diameter portion 912. Furthermore, when the trigger 231 is released and the switch 233 is turned off, the controller 36 drives the motor 31 in the reverse direction, moving the drive shaft 450 and the jaw assembly 58 forward. When the drive shaft 450 and the jaw assembly 58 reach a predetermined initial position, the controller 36 stops driving the motor 31 in the reverse direction.

The detailed configuration of the nose piece 52A will be described below. As shown in FIGS.
In this embodiment, the nosepiece 52A is a single member and includes an abutment portion 53A, a positioning portion 54, and a connecting portion 55 that are integrally formed.

The abutment portion 53A is a portion that can abut against the sleeve 95 (more specifically, the flange 953) of the rivet 9 (see FIG. 2), and constitutes the front end portion of the nosepiece 52A. In this embodiment, the abutment portion 53A is formed in a disk shape and is disposed outside the sleeve 51A (more specifically, so as to abut against the front end of the sleeve 51A). Although detailed illustration is omitted, during fastening work, the center of the front end surface of the abutment portion 53A abuts against the flange 953 of the rivet 9 from behind. The outer diameter of the abutment portion 53A is larger than the outer diameter of the sleeve 51A.

The positioning portion 54 is a portion that can abut against the multiple jaws 583. The positioning portion 54 is formed in a cylindrical shape and is disposed inside the sleeve 51A. In this embodiment, the positioning portion 54 protrudes rearward from the center of the rear end surface of the abutment portion 53A. The outer diameter of the positioning portion 54 is set smaller than the inner diameter of the tapered portion 582 of the jaw case 581, and the positioning portion 54 can be inserted into the tapered portion 582. The positioning portion 54 is configured to abut against the front end of the jaw 583 that is biased forward, thereby defining the forwardmost position of the jaw 583. Therefore, the rear end surface of the positioning portion 54 is configured to be generally aligned with the front end surface of the jaw 583. The receiving hole 520 penetrates the abutment portion 53A and the positioning portion 54 along the drive axis A1, and communicates with the gap in the center of the jaw 583.

The connecting portion 55 is configured to be detachable from the front end of the sleeve 51A. In this embodiment, the connecting portion 55 is formed in a cylindrical shape and protrudes rearward from the periphery of the abutment portion 53A. The inner periphery of the connecting portion 55 is configured as a female thread portion 551, which can be screwed into the male thread portion 511 of the sleeve 51A. The nosepiece 52A is attached to the sleeve 51A by screwing the female thread portion 551 of the connecting portion 55 into the male thread portion 511 of the sleeve 51A.

When the drive shaft 450 and the jaw assembly 58 are disposed in the initial position (position shown in FIG. 4), the jaw 583 is biased forward and disposed in the forward-most position where the front end face abuts against the rear end face of the positioning portion 54 of the nosepiece 52A. As described above, the radial positions of the jaws 583, and therefore the gripping force of the jaws 583, are determined according to the position of the jaws 583 in the front-rear direction (drive axis direction) relative to the jaw case 581. Therefore, the length of the positioning portion 54 is set so that when the jaws 583 are disposed in the forward-most position, the pintail 913 can be inserted inside the jaws 583, and the jaws 583 can loosely grip the pintail 913 with a gripping force that does not cause the rivet 9 to fall off the nose 5A under its own weight.

Due to the above-mentioned configuration, the nosepiece 52A of this embodiment is shorter in the axial direction than a general conventional nosepiece. For example, as disclosed in JP 2013-248643 A, in a general conventional nosepiece, a male screw portion is provided between a front end portion (abutment portion) that can abut against a rivet and a rear end portion (positioning portion) that can abut against a jaw. This male screw portion is screwed into a female screw portion provided at the front end portion of the sleeve (nose housing) of the anvil, thereby connecting the nosepiece to the sleeve. Since the male screw portion has a thread, it requires a certain length. In addition, there are restrictions on setting the length of the positioning portion as described above. Therefore, a nosepiece in which the abutment portion, male screw portion, and positioning portion are aligned in the axial direction is likely to be long in the axial direction. For this reason, for example, if a rivet with a relatively short axial length of the pin is used, the pintail cannot be inserted to an appropriate position relative to the jaw, and the rivet is likely to fall out.

On the other hand, in the nosepiece 52A of this embodiment, only the abutment portion 53A and the positioning portion 54 are aligned in the axial direction, and the connecting portion 55 is disposed radially outside the positioning portion 54. Therefore, the axial length of the nosepiece 52A can be shorter by the length corresponding to the male thread portion compared to the conventional nosepiece described above. This makes it possible to insert a shorter pin to an appropriate position in the jaw 583, reducing the possibility of the rivet 9 falling out. Also, in this embodiment, since the connecting portion 55 is connected to the sleeve 51A radially outside the positioning portion 54, the length of the sleeve 51A can also be minimized.

In addition, in this embodiment, the female threaded portion 551 of the connecting portion 55 can be screwed into the male threaded portion 511 provided at the front end of the sleeve 51A. Furthermore, the nosepiece 52A is a single member in which the abutment portion 53A, the positioning portion 54, and the connecting portion 55 are integrated. This configuration realizes a nosepiece 52A that is particularly easy to attach and detach from the sleeve 51A.

[Second embodiment]
A fastening tool 1B according to the second embodiment will be described below with reference to Figures 8 to 11. Note that the fastening tool 1B of this embodiment has a nose 5B that is partially different in configuration from the nose 5A of the first embodiment, but other than the nose 5B, it has substantially the same configuration as the fastening tool 1A (including cases where the shape is slightly different). Therefore, in the following, the configuration of the fastening tool 1B that is substantially the same as that of the fastening tool 1A will be given the same reference numerals and descriptions thereof will be omitted or simplified, and the nose 5B will be mainly described.

As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the nose 5B of this embodiment is mainly composed of an anvil 50B having a different configuration from that of the first embodiment, and a jaw assembly 58 having the same configuration as that of the first embodiment.

The anvil 50B is connected and fixed to the front end of the housing 20 so as to extend along the drive shaft A1. As shown in Figures 8 to 11, the anvil 50B includes a sleeve 51B and a nosepiece 52B.

The sleeve 51B is a long cylindrical member, and like the sleeve 51A of the first embodiment, it is connected and fixed to the front end of the drive mechanism housing 21 via the fixing member 501 while being positioned by the flange 512. In this embodiment, the front end of the sleeve 51B is configured as a small diameter portion 515 that is slightly smaller in diameter than the other portions. The small diameter portion 515 is configured to be able to engage with the abutment portion 53B of the nose piece 52B described later, and to be able to detachably attach the connecting portion 55. More specifically, the rear end of the small diameter portion 515 is provided with an annular stopper portion 517 that protrudes radially inward. The outer periphery of the small diameter portion 515 is configured as a male thread portion 516.

The nosepiece 52B is a separate member from the sleeve 51B and is removably connected to the front end of the sleeve 51B. Unlike the nosepiece 52A of the first embodiment, the nosepiece 52B is composed of two separate members, a first member 521 and a second member 522.

The first member 521 includes a contact portion 53B and a positioning portion 54 that are integrally formed.
The abutment portion 53B is a portion that can abut against the sleeve 95 (more specifically, the flange 953) of the rivet 9 (see FIG. 2), and constitutes the front end portion of the nosepiece 52B. In this embodiment, the abutment portion 53B is formed into a cylindrical shape as a whole, but a pair of locking projections 533 that protrude radially outward are provided at approximately the center of the abutment portion 53B in the front-to-rear direction. The abutment portion 53B is fitted into the small diameter portion 515 so that the rear end faces of the locking projections 533 abut against the stopper portion 517 of the sleeve 51B from the front.

As in the first embodiment, the cylindrical positioning portion 54 protrudes rearward from the center of the rear end surface of the abutment portion 53B and is inserted into the tapered portion 582 of the jaw case 581, and determines the forward-most position of the jaw 583 by abutting against the front end of the jaw 583. The receiving hole 520 passes through the abutment portion 53B and the positioning portion 54 along the drive axis A1, and communicates with the gap in the center of the jaw 583.

The second member 522 is configured to be detachable from the front end of the sleeve 51B. The second member 522 includes a connecting portion 55 and a pressing portion 56 that are integrally formed.

The pressing portion 56 is an annular portion disposed radially outward of the front end of the abutting portion 53B. The outer diameter of the pressing portion 56 is larger than the outer diameter of the small diameter portion 515 of the sleeve 51B. The inner diameter of the pressing portion 56 is set larger than the outer diameter of the abutting portion 53B to allow movement of a pin 573 (see FIG. 9) described below. In this embodiment, the cylindrical connecting portion 55 protrudes rearward from the periphery of the pressing portion 56. The female thread portion 551 of the connecting portion 55 can be screwed into the male thread portion 516 of the small diameter portion 515.

In this embodiment, the first member 521 is connected to the sleeve 51B via the second member 522. More specifically, with the first member 521 fitted into the front end of the sleeve 51B, the second member 522 is fitted from the front onto the radially outer side of the small diameter portion 515. The female threaded portion 551 is screwed into the male threaded portion 516 until the rear end surface of the pressing portion 56 abuts against the front end surface of the locking projection 533 of the abutment portion 53B and the front end surface of the small diameter portion 515. This connects the first member 521 and the second member 522 to the sleeve 51B.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the nosepiece 52B is provided with a retaining portion 57 for the rivet 9. The retaining portion 57 includes a pin 573 and an annular elastic member (a so-called O-ring) 575.

As shown in FIG. 9, the pin 573 is inserted into a retaining hole 571 provided in the abutment portion 53B. The retaining hole 571 extends from the outer circumferential surface of the abutment portion 53B (the portion without the locking projection 533) in a direction approaching the drive shaft A1 as it moves forward, and leads to the receiving hole 520. The pin 573 is slidable within the retaining hole 571. With the pin 573 inserted in the retaining hole 571, the elastic member 575 is attached to an annular groove provided on the outer circumferential portion of the abutment portion 53B.

With this configuration, when the pintail 913 of the rivet 9 (see FIG. 2) is not inserted into the receiving hole 520, the pin 573 is held in a position where it protrudes to the maximum extent into the receiving hole 520. On the other hand, when the pintail 913 is inserted into the receiving hole 520, the pin 573 is moved in a direction away from the receiving hole 520 by the pintail 913, but the elastic member 575 abuts against the pintail 913 and provides resistance. This prevents the pintail 913 from coming out of the receiving hole 520.

As a result of the above configuration, in the nosepiece 52B of this embodiment, just like the nosepiece 52A of the first embodiment, only the abutment portion 53B and the positioning portion 54 are aligned in the axial direction, and the connecting portion 55 is disposed radially outward of the abutment portion 53B. Therefore, the axial length of the nosepiece 52B can be shorter by the length corresponding to the male thread portion compared to a conventional nosepiece in which the abutment portion, male thread portion, and positioning portion are aligned in the axial direction. This can reduce the possibility of the rivet 9 falling out. In addition, the nosepiece 52B is provided with a retaining portion 57, which can further reduce the possibility of the rivet 9 falling out.

In this embodiment, the first member 521 including the contact portion 53B and the positioning portion 54, and the second member 522 including the connecting portion 55 are separate members, and the nosepiece 52B is formed by combining these. Therefore, the first member 521 and the second member 522 can each be made to have a simpler shape that is easier to manufacture, making it possible to reduce manufacturing costs. Also, the contact portion 53B can be easily provided with the retaining portion 7. Also, the nosepiece 52B can be attached to the housing 20 simply by fitting the first member 521 into the sleeve 51B and then screwing the second member 522 into the sleeve 51B, making it easy to attach and detach.

The above embodiment is merely an example, and the fastening tool according to the present invention is not limited to the illustrated fastening tool 1A and fastening tool 1B. For example, the following modifications can be made. Note that any one or more of these modifications can be adopted in combination with the fastening tool 1A and fastening tool 1B shown in the embodiment, or the invention described in the claims.

For example, the following modifications can be made to noses 5A and 5B:

For example, the nose piece 52A (see FIG. 5) of the anvil 50A of the first embodiment may be provided with a structure for preventing the rivet 9 from falling out, which corresponds to the retaining portion 57 of the nose piece 52B (see FIG. 9) of the second embodiment. Conversely, the nose piece 52B of the anvil 50B of the second embodiment may not be provided with the retaining portion 57. In addition, the second member 522 of the sleeve 51B and the nose piece 52B of the second embodiment may be modified so that the connecting portion 55 is screwed onto the outer periphery of the sleeve 51B radially outside the positioning portion 54. In addition, the connecting portion 55 may be capable of being screwed onto the inner periphery of the sleeves 51A and 51B. For example, a female thread portion may be provided at the front end of the sleeve 51A, while a connecting portion configured as a male thread portion may be provided radially outside the abutment portion 53A of the nose piece 52A.

Furthermore, the nosepiece 52A may be connected to the sleeve 51A by a method other than screwing the connecting portion 55. For example, the nosepiece 52A may be fitted into the front end of the sleeve 51A and fixed to the sleeve 51A by a screw separate from the nosepiece 52A. The same applies to the nosepiece 52B.

The configuration of the jaw assembly 58 may also be modified as appropriate. Specifically, the jaw assembly 58 may be configured such that the gripping force on the pin 91 changes as the jaws 583 move in the front-rear and radial directions in conjunction with the relative front-rear movement with respect to the anvils 50A and 50B. For example, the shapes of the jaw case 581 and the jaws 583, the number of jaws 583, the connection structure with the screw shaft 45, etc. may be modified as appropriate. Also, for example, instead of multiple separate jaws 583, a single pin gripping portion having multiple protruding pieces (gripping claws) that can be opened and closed in the radial direction may be employed.

The fastening tool 1A may be configured to be compatible with a so-called multi-piece swage type fastener, instead of a blind rivet. In a multi-piece swage type fastener, the pin and the tubular portion (also called a collar) through which the pin is inserted are originally formed as separate bodies. A multi-piece swage type fastener is a type of fastener that clamps the work material between the head of the pin and the tubular portion swaged to the shaft of the pin. As with blind rivets, there is a type of multi-piece swage type fastener in which the pin breaks. Even when fastening work material using a multi-piece swage type fastener, one end of the pin is temporarily gripped by the jaw 583 or a pin gripping portion equivalent to the jaw 583 before the fastening operation. Therefore, the noses 5A and 5B exemplified in the above embodiment can be suitably adopted in a fastening tool that uses such fasteners.

The configuration and arrangement of the housing 20, motor 31, drive mechanism 4, etc. may be changed as appropriate. For example, the motor 31 may be a motor with brushes. Instead of the ball screw mechanism 43, a feed screw mechanism may be used that includes a nut with a female thread formed on the inner circumference and a screw shaft with a male thread formed on the outer circumference and directly screwed into the nut.

Furthermore, the fastening tools 1A and 1B may be configured to operate on power supplied from an external commercial power source, rather than the battery 28 mounted in the battery mounting section 27. In this case, the fastening tools 1A and 1B are provided with a power cord that can be connected to a commercial power source. Alternatively, the fastening tools 1A and 1B may be changed to pneumatic fastening tools equipped with a drive mechanism driven by compressed air, rather than being electrically powered.

The correspondence between each component of the above embodiment and the modified example and each component of the present invention is shown below. However, each component of the embodiment is merely an example and does not limit each component of the present invention.

Each of the fastening tools 1A and 1B is an example of a "fastening tool". The blind rivet 9, the pin 91, and the sleeve 95 are examples of a "fastener", a "pin", and a "tubular portion", respectively. The housing 20 is an example of a "housing". Each of the sleeves 51A and 51B is an example of a "retaining member". The drive shaft A1 is an example of a "drive shaft". Each of the nose pieces 52A and 52B is an example of a "pin receiving portion". The receiving hole 520 is an example of a "through hole". The jaw 583 is an example of a "pin gripping portion". The drive mechanism 4 is an example of a "drive mechanism". The positioning portion 54 is an example of a "positioning portion". Each of the abutting portions 53A and 53B is an example of a "fastener abutting portion". The connecting portion 55 is an example of a "connecting portion". The retaining portion 57 is an example of a "retaining portion". The motor 31 is an example of a "motor".

Furthermore, in consideration of the spirit of the present invention and the above-mentioned embodiment and its modified examples, the following aspects are constructed. The following aspects may be employed independently or in combination with the fastening tools 1A and 1B shown in the embodiment, the modified examples, other aspects, or the inventions described in the claims.
[Aspect 1]
One of the front end portion of the holding member and the connecting portion has a male thread portion, and the other of the front end portion of the holding member and the connecting portion has a female thread portion that can be screwed into the male thread portion.
[Aspect 2]
The fastener abutment portion is formed in a disk shape centered on the drive shaft,
The positioning portion is formed in a cylindrical shape and protrudes from a center portion of the fastener abutment portion along the drive shaft,
The connecting portion is formed in a cylindrical shape and protrudes from the peripheral edge of the fastener abutting portion in the same direction as the positioning portion.
[Aspect 3]
the pin-receiving portion comprises a first member and a second member formed separately from one another;
The first member includes the positioning portion and the fastener abutment portion,
The second member includes the connecting portion.
The first member 521 and the second member 522 are examples of the "first member" and the "second member", respectively.
[Aspect 4]
The retaining portion is provided on the fastener contact portion.

1A, 1B: fastening tool, 20: housing, 201: passage, 21: drive mechanism accommodating section, 211: opening, 212: guide sleeve, 213: cylindrical section, 22: container connection section, 23: gripping section, 231: trigger, 233: switch, 25: controller accommodating section, 27: battery mounting section, 28: battery, 31: motor, 32: motor shaft, 35: fan, 36: controller, 4: drive mechanism, 41: planetary reducer, 42: intermediate shaft, 421: drive gear, 43: ball screw mechanism, 44: nut, 441: driven gear, 45: screw shaft, 450: drive shaft, 451: extension shaft, 5A, 5B: nose, 50A, 50B: anvil, 501: fixing member, 502: stopper section, 51A, 51B: sleeve, 511: Male threaded portion, 512: flange, 515: small diameter portion, 516: male threaded portion, 517: stopper portion, 52A, 52B: nose piece, 520: receiving hole, 521: first member, 522: second member, 53A, 54B: abutment portion, 533: locking projection, 54: positioning portion, 5: connecting portion, 551: female threaded portion, 56: pressing portion, 57: retaining portion, 571: holding hole, 573: pin, 5 75: Elastic member, 58: Jaw assembly, 581: Jaw case, 582: Tapered portion, 583: Jaw, 585: Pressing member, 587: Spring, 589: Connecting member, 6: Container, 9: Blind bet (rivet), 91: Pin, 911: Shaft portion, 912: Small diameter portion, 913: Pintail, 915: Head, 95: Sleeve, 953: Flange, A1: Drive shaft

Claims (5)

A fastening tool configured to fasten a work material by a fastener having a pin and a cylindrical portion through which the pin is inserted,
Housing and
a cylindrical holding member connected to the housing so as to extend along a drive shaft that defines a front-rear direction of the fastening tool;
a pin receiving portion having a through hole extending along the drive shaft and removably connected to a front end of the retaining member;
a pin gripping portion disposed inside the holding member so as to be movable in the front-rear direction and configured to be able to grip the pin inserted through the through hole;
a drive mechanism that is accommodated in the housing and configured to move the pin gripping portion that grips the pin backward to deform the fastener and fasten the work material;
The pin receiving portion is
a positioning portion that is inserted into the holding member and is configured to abut against the pin gripping portion to position the pin gripping portion in the front-rear direction;
a fastener abutment portion disposed forward of the positioning portion and capable of abutting against the cylindrical portion of the fastener;
A connecting portion configured to be detachable on an outer periphery of the holding member,
the connecting portion is disposed radially outward of at least a portion of the positioning portion and the fastener abutment portion ,
the positioning portion, the fastener abutment portion and the connecting portion are configured as a single member,
The fastener abutment portion has a flat disk-like front end surface,
The positioning portion protrudes rearward from a rear end surface of the fastener abutment portion,
A fastening tool, characterized in that the connecting portion is cylindrical and protrudes from the peripheral edge of the fastener abutment portion in the same direction as the positioning portion . A fastening tool configured to fasten a work material by a fastener having a pin and a cylindrical portion through which the pin is inserted,
Housing and
a cylindrical holding member connected to the housing so as to extend along a drive shaft that defines a front-rear direction of the fastening tool;
a pin receiving portion having a through hole extending along the drive shaft and removably connected to a front end of the retaining member;
a pin gripping portion disposed inside the holding member so as to be movable in the front-rear direction and configured to be able to grip the pin inserted through the through hole;
a drive mechanism that is accommodated in the housing and configured to move the pin gripping portion that grips the pin backward to deform the fastener and fasten the work material;
The pin receiving portion is
a positioning portion that is inserted into the holding member and is configured to abut against the pin gripping portion to position the pin gripping portion in the front-rear direction;
a fastener abutment portion disposed forward of the positioning portion and capable of abutting against the cylindrical portion of the fastener;
A connecting portion configured to be detachable from the holding member,
the connecting portion is disposed radially outward of at least a portion of the positioning portion and the fastener abutment portion ,
the pin-receiving portion comprises a first member and a second member formed separately from one another;
the first member includes the positioning portion and the fastener abutment portion,
the second member includes an annular pressing portion disposed radially outward of a front end portion of the fastener abutment portion, and the connecting portion protruding rearward from a peripheral edge portion of the pressing portion and screwed into an outer periphery of the retaining member,
A fastening tool characterized in that the first member is fitted into a front end portion of the retaining member and is retained by a portion of the fastener abutment portion being positioned between the retaining member and the pressing portion of the second member in the front-to-rear direction . The fastening tool according to claim 1 or 2,
the pin receiving portion has a retaining portion configured to prevent the pin inserted into the through hole from being removed from the through hole,
The fastening tool is characterized in that the anti-slip portion is provided on the fastener abutment portion and is configured so that at least a portion of the anti-slip portion overlaps with the connecting portion when the fastening tool is viewed along the radial direction . The fastening tool according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A fastening tool, characterized in that the connecting portion is arranged radially outward of the positioning portion. The fastening tool according to claim 2 ,
The motor is housed in the housing.
The fastening tool, wherein the drive mechanism is configured to be driven by the motor.

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