US 12,390,912 B2
Impact tool with control mode
Jason K. Leh, Shrewsbury, PA (US); Karim Najjar, Baltimore, MD (US); Scott M. Rudolph, Aberdeen, MD (US); and Daniel White, Baltimore, MD (US)
Assigned to BLACK & DECKER INC., New Britain, CT (US)
Filed by BLACK & DECKER INC., New Britain, CT (US)
Filed on Jan. 16, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/414,278.
Application 18/414,278 is a continuation of application No. 16/523,734, filed on Jul. 26, 2019, granted, now 11,904,441.
Application 16/523,734 is a continuation of application No. 14/633,211, filed on Feb. 27, 2015, granted, now 10,406,662, issued on Sep. 10, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2024/0149410 A1, May 9, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B25B 23/147 (2006.01); B25B 21/02 (2006.01)
CPC B25B 23/1475 (2013.01) [B25B 21/02 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An impact tool comprising:
a housing;
a motor disposed in the housing;
an output spindle;
an impact mechanism coupled to the output spindle and configured to be driven by the motor, the impact mechanism configured to transmit continuous rotary motion without impacts from the motor to the output spindle when a torque on the output spindle does not exceed a first transition torque, and to transmit rotational impacts from the motor to the output spindle when a torque on the output spindle exceeds the first transition torque while the motor rotates in a single direction; and
a controller electrically coupled to the motor to control operation of the motor by controlling a first parameter, the first parameter being at least one of power, current, voltage, resistance, duty cycle of a PWM signal, or motor speed,
wherein the controller is configured to determine if a second parameter has reached a first threshold value, the second parameter being at least one of an amount of current being delivered to the motor, an amount of power being delivered to the motor, a speed of the motor, or a torque on the output spindle, and
wherein, when the controller determines that the second parameter has reached the first threshold value, the controller temporarily holds the second parameter at or below the first threshold value for a first predetermined time period by controlling the first parameter, and then allows the second parameter to increase beyond the first threshold value, so that the impact mechanism transitions from transmitting continuous rotary motion to transmitting rotational impacts when the torque on the output spindle exceeds a second transition torque that is greater than the first transition torque.