US 12,214,477 B2
Fastening tool having a dry fire lockout assembly
Luke Moloznik, Baltimore, MD (US)
Assigned to Black & Decker, Inc., New Britain, CT (US)
Filed by Black & Decker, Inc., New Britain, CT (US)
Filed on Jun. 10, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/837,316.
Application 17/837,316 is a continuation of application No. PCT/US2020/064319, filed on Dec. 10, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/946,190, filed on Dec. 10, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/946,238, filed on Dec. 10, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0297276 A1, Sep. 22, 2022
Int. Cl. B25C 1/00 (2006.01); B25C 1/04 (2006.01); B25C 1/06 (2006.01)
CPC B25C 1/008 (2013.01) [B25C 1/005 (2013.01); B25C 1/047 (2013.01); B25C 1/06 (2013.01)] 33 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A fastening tool comprising:
a housing;
a nosepiece assembly connected to the housing and including a fastener drive track having a drive axis;
a magazine assembly including a magazine pusher slidably disposed in the magazine assembly for feeding a number of fasteners successively along a fastener channel to the fastener drive track of the nosepiece assembly;
a driver member provided in the housing and configured for movement along the drive axis to drive a lead fastener into a workpiece;
a motor disposed within the housing and configured to drive the driver member along the drive axis;
a power source providing power to the motor;
a controller configured to control a supply of power from the power source to the motor and initiate a drive sequence;
a lever having a first end and a second end longitudinally opposite to the first end, the lever configured to pivot in response to a change in force applied to the first end thereof;
a sensor target disposed on the second end of the lever and having a characteristic that changes in response to the change in force; and
a sensor configured to sense a characteristic of the sensor target and send a signal to the controller in response to the characteristic,
wherein when the controller receives the signal from the sensor, the controller inhibits the drive sequence, and
wherein when there is less than a predetermined number of fasteners in the magazine assembly, the first end of the lever is configured to enter the fastener channel.