Fastener-driving tool

This application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application Nos. 2009-156512 filed Jul. 1, 2009 and 2009-223410 filed Sep. 28, 2009. The entire contents of each of these priority applications is incorporated herein by reference.

The present invention relates to a fastener-driving tool.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. H07-115307 and Japanese Patent Application Publication No. H04-122581 disclose a battery-powered fastener-driving tool. The fastener-driving tool uses the driving force of a motor to raise a plunger, compressing a coil spring. When the coil spring is released, the plunger accelerates to drive a fastener.

This fastener-driving tool uses the rotation of a motor to compress the coil spring, storing the energy of the spring. When the coil spring is released, the plunger and a driver blade mounted thereon are rapidly accelerated, and the driver blade strikes a fastener. After impact, the plunger collides with a bumper that absorbs the excess energy, halting the plunger and driver blade. During this operation, the driver blade ejects a prescribed distance out through an opening in the main body of the fastener-driving tool to drive the fastener into a workpiece.

Here, there is a need for the fastener-driving tool to be capable of adjusting the depth at which the fastener is driven into the workpiece, hereinafter referred to as the “driving depth,” because the fastener-driving tool may be used on workpieces formed of various materials. Depending on the material composition of the workpiece, the fastener may not be completely embedded in the workpiece or may be driven too far into the workpiece if the fastener-driving tool strikes the workpiece with a fixed force of impact. Therefore, some conventional fastener-driving tools have been provided with a mechanism for adjusting the driving depth.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. H04-122581 discloses a mechanism for shifting the bumper in the direction that the fastener is driven (hereinafter “driving direction”) or in the direction opposite the driving direction. This fastener-driving tool is provided with a bumper holder for supporting the bumper in the housing. The bumper holder is capable of moving integrally with the bumper in the driving direction or the direction opposite the driving direction. A rotatable adjuster is provided in the housing. A threaded part is formed on part of the bumper holder, and another threaded part is formed on a portion of the adjuster and is screwed together with the threaded part of the bumper holder. A peripheral portion of the adjuster is exposed outside of the housing through a through-hole formed in the housing.

The user can adjust the positions of the bumper and bumper holder in either the driving direction or the direction opposite the driving direction by rotating the adjuster. When the user adjusts the position of the bumper in the direction opposite the driving direction, the plunger more quickly impacts the bumper during a driving operation, reducing the driving depth. Conversely, when the user adjusts the position of the bumper in the driving direction, the plunger impacts the bumper later during a driving operation, increasing the driving depth.

This fastener-driving tool is also provided with an anti-rotating mechanism to prevent the adjuster from unexpectedly rotating when there is no need to rotate the adjuster. Specifically, a plurality of recessed parts is formed circularly in one axial endface of the adjuster, while a pin whose head part can contact one of the recessed parts is urged toward the adjuster endface by a spring. With this construction, the pinhead engages in one of the recessed part when the adjuster is rotated, producing a clicking sensation and preventing the adjuster from rotating in a smooth, continuous motion. Thus, the engagement of the pin in one of the recessed parts prevents the adjuster from rotating unexpectedly.

However, in the fastener-driving tool described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. H04-122581, the bumper, bumper holder, and anti-rotating mechanism are all disposed on one axial end of the adjuster. Further, the head of the pin constituting the anti-rotating mechanism contact the axial endface of the adjuster. Consequently, when the adjuster collides with the bumper, the pinhead collides with the endface of the adjuster, the impact force can damage the pinhead.

In addition, if an adjuster is annular in shape, with a threaded part formed on an inner circumferential surface of the adjuster, this threaded part is engaged in and covers a threaded part on a bumper holder. Thus, during a driving operation, an impact load is applied to the threaded parts of the bumper holder and adjuster. Consequently, the bumper holder tends to rotate relative to the adjuster along the slope of the threaded parts, moving in the driving direction. When the bumper holder and adjuster are in contact with each other (i.e., when the bumper holder is in its lowest position relative to the adjuster), the impact load during a driving operation may further rotate and tighten the bumper holder. When such tightening occurs, the torque of the adjuster is abruptly increased due to the spring constant of its material and, in some cases, the user may have difficulty rotating the adjuster.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a fastener-driving tool having an anti-rotating mechanism that is not damaged when the plunger impacts the bumper. It is another object of the present invention to provide a fastener-driving tool that improves operability by preventing changes in the torque of the adjuster during a driving operation.

In order to attain the above and other objects, the present invention provides a fastener-driving tool including a housing, a motor provided on the housing, a blade, a plunger, a bumper, an adjuster, and an urging member. The blade is provided in the housing and impacts a fastener in one direction. The plunger is provided in the housing and is movable together with the blade in the one direction and another direction opposite the one direction. The bumper is movable in the one direction and the another direction. The plunger collides the bumper when the blade impacts the fastener. The adjuster has a cylindrical shape and is rotatably supported in the housing about an axis parallel to the one direction. The adjuster has an outer circumferential surface provided with one of a first recessed portion and a first protruding portion. The bumper is movable in the one direction and the another direction according to a rotation of the adjuster. The urging member is provided in the housing and has one of a second recessed portion and a second protruding portion. One of the second recessed portion and the second protruding portion is constantly in contact with the outer circumferential surface and is engaged with the one of the first recessed portion and the first protruding portion.

Another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a fastener-driving tool including a housing, a blade, a plunger, a bumper, a bumper holder, a threaded member, and an elastic member. The blade is provided in the housing and impacts a fastener in one direction. The plunger is provided in the housing and is movable together with the blade in the one direction and another direction opposite the one direction. The bumper is disposed to overlap with the plunger in the one direction. The plunger collides the bumper when the blade impacts the fastener. The bumper holder has a receiving surface for receiving the bumper and a first surface positioned on an opposite side of the receiving surface from the bumper. The bumper holder is provided with a first threaded part positioned on the opposite side of the receiving surface from the bumper. The threaded member is rotatably supported on the housing and is provided with a second threaded part threadingly engaged with the first threaded part. The threaded member has a second surface disposed in opposition to the first surface. The bumper holder is movable in the one direction and the another direction according to a rotation of the threaded member. The elastic member is interposed between the first surface and the second surface.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view of a nail-driving tool according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows a final gear and an angular position detecting mechanism according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an adjuster and surrounding region taken along the line III-III in FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IV-IV in FIG. 1 showing a bumper holder and the surrounding area prior to rotating the bumper holder;

FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view of the bumper holder in FIG. 4A after the bumper holder has been rotated slightly clockwise;

FIG. 4C is a cross-sectional view of the bumper holder in FIG. 4A after the bumper holder has been rotated slightly counterclockwise;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the final gear and the angular position detecting mechanism taken along the line V-V in FIG. 2 ;

FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional view of a plunger provided in nail-driving tool according to the embodiment from one side thereof;

FIG. 6B is a view of a plunger provided in the nail-driving tool according to the embodiment from the opposite side thereof;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the bumper holder in the nail-driving tool according to the embodiment;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of the bumper holder in FIG. 7 when a holder-side surface is in proximity to a threaded-part-side surface;

FIGS. 9A and 9B are explanatory diagrams illustrating the tightening effect in the nail-driving tool according to the embodiment; and

FIGS. 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams illustrating the tightening effect for a comparative example in which an O-ring is not provided.

Next, a fastener-driving tool according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 through 8 . The fastener-driving tool shown in FIG. 1 is an electrically powered nail-driving tool 1 used to drive staples 1 A into a workpiece, such as boards made of wood or gypsum. The nail-driving tool 1 primarily includes a housing 2 and, accommodated in the housing 2 , a motor 3 , a drive-reducing mechanism 4 , a compression mechanism 5 , a coil spring unit 6 , a magazine 7 , and an angular position detecting mechanism 8 .

In the following description, a direction in which a plunger 63 (described later) moves is defined as the vertical direction; a direction in which a coil spring 62 (described later) of the coil spring unit 6 urges the plunger 63 to strike the staple 1 A will be defined as the downward direction (hereinafter also referred to as the “driving direction”), while the opposite direction will be defined as the upward direction (hereinafter also referred to as the direction opposite the driving direction); and a direction in which a handle 22 (described later) extends from the side of the nail-driving tool 1 (a main body 21 ) accommodating the plunger 63 (leftward in FIG. 1 ) will be referred to as the rearward direction, while the opposite direction will be defined as the forward direction.

The housing 2 is formed of a resin, such as nylon or polycarbonate. The housing 2 is chiefly configured of the main body 21 primarily housing the compression mechanism 5 , coil spring unit 6 , and a blade guide 26 ; the handle 22 extending from the top portion of the main body 21 in a direction substantially orthogonal to the vertical direction; and a sub-body 23 extending from the bottom portion of the main body 21 substantially parallel to the handle 22 and primarily accommodating the drive-reducing mechanism 4 .

A nose part 21 A constitutes the bottom end of the main body 21 and protrudes downward therefrom. The blade guide 26 is embedded in the nose part 21 A and serves to hold a driver blade 6 A described later. The rear surface of the blade guide 26 in the nose part 21 A defines part of an ejection hole 21 a . The ejection hole 21 a penetrates the main body 21 to the position of the plunger 63 . A cover plate (not shown) positioned on the front surface of the driver blade 6 A is disposed above the blade guide 26 . A receiving part 21 B for receiving the coil spring unit 6 is formed in a lower inner portion of the main body 21 near the nose part 21 A. A lower penetrating hole 21 b is formed in a substantially central portion of the receiving part 21 B. The lower penetrating hole 21 b is open on the top, and the coil spring unit 6 is fitted therein.

An upper recess portion 21 c is formed in the main body 21 above the coil spring unit 6 , and the coil spring unit 6 is fitted therein.

As shown in FIG. 3 , an opening 21 d is formed in a side wall of the main body 21 at a position above the receiving part 21 B. The opening 21 d provides communication between the interior and exterior of the housing 2 so that a peripheral portion of an adjuster 66 described later is exposed therethrough. As shown in FIG. 4A , a pair of rails 21 C extending vertically is provided on the inner surface of each of opposing side walls constituting the main body 21 at positions above the opening 21 d . An urging member 21 E is fixed to the inside of the housing 2 near the opening 21 d . The urging member 21 E is configured of a leaf spring. The urging member 21 E is oriented so that its surface is parallel to the vertical and is bent so as to form a protruding portion 21 F in the approximate longitudinal center of the urging member 21 E. The protruding portion 21 F extends vertically along the surface of the urging member 21 E. The urging member 21 E is formed of a material having a high degree of hardness, such as a stainless steel designed for springs and having a high hardness specification so as not to wear when sliding over the peripheral surface of the adjuster 66 .

As shown in FIG. 1 , a push lever 24 capable of moving vertically in relation to the main body 21 is disposed in the main body 21 on the front side of the coil spring unit 6 . The lower end of the push lever 24 protrudes farther downward than the bottom end of the nose part 21 A. When an user places the nose part 21 A in contact with a workpiece, the push lever 24 is pushed in through the tip of the nose part 21 A and retracts upward into the main body 21 . An urging member 24 A is disposed on the top end of the push lever 24 for urging the push lever 24 to protrude out from the tip of the nose part 21 A. Accordingly, the push lever 24 constantly protrudes from the nose part 21 A when not urged upward through contact with a workpiece.

The push lever 24 also has an arm part 24 B that extends rearward while skirting the coil spring unit 6 . A push switch 24 C is disposed in the main body 21 above the arm part 24 B for detecting upward movement of the push lever 24 .

A gear holder 25 is disposed in the main body 21 to the rear of the coil spring unit 6 for holding a planetary gear mechanism 41 and a final gear 42 described later. The gear holder 25 includes a supporting shaft 25 A for axially supporting the final gear 42 . The supporting shaft 25 A protrudes forward from the gear holder 25 , with its axis oriented in the front-to-rear direction. A through-hole 25 a penetrates the gear holder 25 below the supporting shaft 25 A in the front-to-rear direction. The planetary gear mechanism 41 is inserted in the through-hole 25 a.

A trigger 22 A and a trigger switch 22 B for controlling the motor 3 are disposed in the portion of the handle 22 that connects to the main body 21 . A detachable battery 2 A is disposed on the rear end of the handle 22 . A power supply regulator 2 B is provided in the handle 22 at a position near the battery 2 A for controlling the supply of power from the battery 2 A to the motor 3 based on detection results from the push switch 24 C, trigger switch 22 B, as well as a sensor switch 73 and a microswitch 83 described later.

The magazine 7 is provided on the bottom of the sub-body 23 , extending in the front-to-rear direction. The motor 3 has a rotational shaft 31 whose axis is oriented in the front-to-rear direction.

The drive-reducing mechanism 4 is disposed on the front side of the motor 3 and is primarily configured of the planetary gear mechanism 41 and final gear 42 . The planetary gear mechanism 41 is provided on the front end of the rotational shaft 31 and is mounted in the through-hole 25 a and held by the gear holder 25 . The planetary gear mechanism 41 is a well-known mechanism that includes a sun gear mounted on the rotational shaft 31 , a planetary gear, and an output gear 41 A. The output gear 41 A of the planetary gear mechanism 41 is disposed coaxially with the rotational shaft 31 . The planetary gear mechanism 41 is also provided with a one-way clutch (not shown). The one-way clutch allows the output gear 41 A to rotate in a direction driven by the rotational force of the motor 3 , but restricts rotation of the output gear 41 A in the opposite direction.

The final gear 42 is engaged with the output gear 41 A and is rotatably supported on the supporting shaft 25 A. As shown in FIG. 5 , a distance between the rear endface of the final gear 42 and the front surface of the gear holder 25 is set slightly larger than the plate thickness of a switch lever 82 described later. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , a protrusion 42 A is provided on the rear endface of the final gear 42 for contacting the switch lever 82 . The protrusion 42 A has an arc shape that follows the circumferential direction of the final gear 42 , covering about 180 degrees of the same. The protrusion 42 A protrudes from the rear endface of the final gear 42 a distance slightly greater than the thickness of the switch lever 82 described later.

The compression mechanism 5 is configured of a first engaging part 5 A and a second engaging part 5 B that protrude forward from the front endface of the final gear 42 . As shown in FIG. 2 , the first engaging part 5 A and second engaging part 5 B are disposed on the front surface of the final gear 42 at an interval of about 120 degrees along a circle centered on the axis of the supporting shaft 25 A. In FIG. 2 , the first engaging part 5 A is positioned ahead of the second engaging part 5 B in the clockwise direction.

As shown in FIG. 5 , the first engaging part 5 A is configured of a first pin 51 and a first roller 53 , while the second engaging part 5 B is configured of a second pin 52 and a second roller 54 having substantially equivalent respective diameters to the first pin 51 and first roller 53 . However, the second pin 52 and second roller 54 are slightly longer in the front-to-rear direction than the first pin 51 and first roller 53 . That is, the second pin 52 and second roller 54 protrude farther forward than the first pin 51 and first roller 53 . The first roller 53 and second roller 54 are configured to contact with the plunger 63 .

The first pin 51 is configured of a substantially columnar first base 51 A extending out from the front surface of the final gear 42 ; and a substantially columnar first flange 51 B having a larger diameter than the first base 51 A and being disposed on the front side of the first base 51 A for rotatably supporting the first roller 53 . The first roller 53 is formed in an annular shape with a first hole 53 a and a second hole 53 b penetrating the first roller 53 in the front-to-rear direction. The first roller 53 is rotatably mounted on the first pin 51 . The diameter of the first hole 53 a is substantially equivalent to that of the first flange 51 B so that the inner peripheral surface of the first hole 53 a slides over the outer circumferential surface of the first flange 51 B. The diameter of the second hole 53 b is set smaller than the diameter of the first flange 51 B and larger than the first base 51 A, with the first base 51 A inserted into the second hole 53 b . Since the outer periphery of the first flange 51 B is larger than the second hole 53 b , the first roller 53 is restricted from coming off the first pin 51 . Further, the depth at which the first hole 53 a penetrates the first roller 53 is substantially equivalent to the front-to-rear dimension of the first flange 51 B. Consequently, the front ends of the first flange 51 B and the first roller 53 are flush with each other.

Similarly to the first pin 51 described above, the second pin 52 is provided with a second base 52 A and a second flange 52 B. As with the first roller 53 , the second roller 54 is also annular in shape, with a first hole 54 a and a second hole 54 b and is slidably and rotatably supported on the second flange 52 B. Since the second engaging part 5 B protrudes farther forward than the first engaging part 5 A, the front-to-rear dimension of the second flange 52 B is set greater than that of the first flange 51 B. Thus, the penetrating depth of the first hole 54 a in the second roller 54 is set larger than that of the first hole 53 a in the first roller 53 to match the front-to-rear dimension of the second flange 52 B. Consequently, the area of contact between the second roller 54 and the second flange 52 B is greater than the area of contact between the first roller 53 and first flange 51 B.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the coil spring unit 6 primarily includes a shaft 61 , the coil spring 62 , the plunger 63 , a bumper 64 , a bumper holder 65 , and the adjuster 66 , all of which components are configured as a single integrated unit. The shaft 61 is cylindrical in shape and has a flange part 61 A disposed on the top end, and a position-restricting part 61 B on the bottom end. The position of the coil spring unit 6 is accurately established in the housing 2 by inserting and fixing the position-restricting part 61 B in the lower penetrating hole 21 b and inserting and fixing the flange part 61 A in the upper recess portion 21 c , thereby restraining the shaft 61 from shifting relative to the housing 2 during use. A groove is formed circumferentially around the bottom end of the shaft 61 at a position near the position-restricting part 61 B. A C-shaped retaining ring 61 C is mounted in this groove. The coil spring 62 , plunger 63 , bumper 64 , and adjuster 66 are mounted on the shaft 61 at positions above the retaining ring 61 C.

The coil spring 62 is configured of a steel wire wound in a spiral shape, and the shaft 61 is inserted through the spiral-shaped coil spring 62 . A pair of washers 62 B are mounted over the shaft 61 on the upper side of the coil spring 62 , and an elastic member 62 A such as a ring-shaped member formed of resin or the like is interposed between the pair of washers 62 B. The inner diameter of the washers 62 B is smaller than the outer diameter of the flange part 61 A. With this configuration, the pair of washers 62 B and the elastic member 62 A restrict upward movement of the top end of the coil spring 62 .

A pair of washers and an elastic member having a similar configuration to the washers 62 B and the elastic member 62 A are disposed on the bottom side of the coil spring 62 . The washers and elastic members disposed above and below the coil spring 62 function to absorb surging in the coil spring 62 .

A through-hole 63 a extending vertically is formed in the plunger 63 . The shaft 61 is inserted into the through-hole 63 a so that the plunger 63 is mounted on the shaft 61 at a position below the coil spring 62 and is capable of moving up and down. Since the pair of washers and the elastic member are disposed on the bottom side of the coil spring 62 , the coil spring 62 contacts the plunger 63 via the washers and elastic member. As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B , a first lifting protrusion 63 A and a second lifting protrusion 63 B juxtaposed vertically are provided on the rear surface of the plunger 63 , and a protrusion 63 C is provided on the front surface of the plunger 63 .

The first lifting protrusion 63 A protrudes rearward from the top end of the plunger 63 a distance sufficient to engage the first engaging part 5 A. The second lifting protrusion 63 B protrudes rearward from the bottom end of the plunger 63 a distance sufficient to engage the second engaging part 5 B but not engage the first engaging part 5 A.

The driver blade 6 A is mounted on the protrusion 63 C. The driver blade 6 A has a narrow elongated plate shape. A hole 6 a is formed in the upper end of the driver blade 6 A. The driver blade 6 A is coupled to the plunger 63 by inserting the protrusion 63 C into the hole 6 a , enabling the driver blade 6 A to move up and down within the ejection hole 21 a , as shown in FIG. 1 . The initial state of the driver blade 6 A is set such that the distal end (tip) protrudes out from the bottom end of the nose part 21 A. Since the cover plate (not shown) is provided on the front side of the driver blade 6 A in the ejection hole 21 a , the driver blade 6 A is restricted from moving forward, thus preventing the driver blade 6 A from falling out of the protrusion 63 C.

The bumper 64 is formed of a soft rubber or a synthetic resin, such as urethane. The bumper 64 is disposed below the plunger 63 and is configured to contact with the plunger 63 .

As shown in FIG. 7 , the bumper holder 65 includes a bumper receiving part 65 A having a receiving surface for receiving the bumper 64 , a male threaded part 65 B positioned on the opposite side of the bumper 64 with respect to the receiving surface of the bumper receiving part 65 A and extending downward from the bottom surface of the bumper receiving part 65 A, and a holder-side surface 65 C constituting the bottom surface of the bumper receiving part 65 A that is orthogonal to the vertical. A through-hole 65 a is formed in the bumper holder 65 so as to penetrate the bumper receiving part 65 A and male threaded part 65 B vertically. The shaft 61 is inserted through the through-hole 65 a so that the bumper holder 65 is mounted on the shaft 61 and is capable of moving vertically relative to the shaft 61 . The bumper holder 65 also holds the bumper 64 .

As shown in FIG. 4A , the outer periphery of the bumper receiving part 65 A has been processed to form two opposing surfaces 65 D. The bumper holder 65 is disposed in the main body 21 so that the surfaces 65 D oppose the rails 21 C formed on both inner side walls of the main body 21 . The distance between one surface 65 D and the other surface 65 D is slightly shorter than the distance between the rails 21 C on one inner side wall of the main body 21 and the rails 21 C on the other inner side wall. Thus, the bumper holder 65 can move up and down inside the main body 21 smoothly with only a slight amount of play. The amount of play between the main body 21 and bumper holder 65 is small enough that the bumper holder 65 cannot rotate 180 degrees in the main body 21 about its center axis, for example, but is sufficient to allow the bumper holder 65 to rotate over a small fixed rotational angle of approximately 10 degrees, as illustrated in FIGS. 4B and 4C .

As shown in FIG. 7 , the male threaded part 65 B is formed according to the same specifications as an M12 screw. Further, the diameter of the through-hole 65 a formed in the bumper holder 65 is smaller than the outer diameter of the retaining ring 61 C mounted on the shaft 61 .

The adjuster 66 is substantially cylindrical in shape and is supported in the housing 2 so as to be capable of rotating about its center axis. The adjuster 66 is positioned coaxially with the male threaded part 65 B. A female threaded part 66 A is provided on the inner peripheral portion of the adjuster 66 and is threadingly engaged with the male threaded part 65 B. By rotating the adjuster 66 , it is possible to move the male threaded part 65 B upward or downward together with the bumper 64 . The bumper 64 and bumper holder 65 can move within a range of approximately 2 mm vertically.

The top surface of the adjuster 66 opposite the holder-side surface 65 C is a threaded-part-side surface 66 B, while the bottom surface is in contact with the receiving part 21 B of the main body 21 . As shown in FIG. 3 , a peripheral portion of the adjuster 66 is exposed outside the housing 2 through the opening 21 d . A plurality of grooves 66 a extending in the axial direction of the adjuster 66 is formed along the entire outer circumferential surface of the adjuster 66 . The protruding portion 21 F is constantly in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the adjuster 66 by the elastic force of the urging member 21 E itself, enabling the protruding portion 21 F to engage in the grooves 66 a and thereby preventing unexpected rotation of the adjuster 66 . The entire outer circumferential surface of the adjuster 66 is plated with nickel plating or another material that does not wear when the protruding portion 21 F slides over this peripheral surface. Nickel plating has a high degree of hardness and is resistant to wear and conducive to sliding.

Since the adjuster 66 is in contact with the receiving part 21 B of the main body 21 , as described above, the bumper holder 65 threadingly engaged with the adjuster 66 moves upward relative to the housing 2 when the adjuster 66 is rotated to move the bumper holder 65 upward relative to itself. Further, since both ends of the shaft 61 are fixed to the housing 2 , as described earlier, the bumper holder 65 moves upward relative to the shaft 61 when moving upward relative to the housing 2 . The bumper 64 provided above the bumper holder 65 is configured to contact with the plunger 63 and, thus, defines the lower dead center of the plunger 63 . Further, since the driver blade 6 A is mounted on the plunger 63 , the user can modify the position of the driver blade 6 A at its lower dead center, i.e., the depth at which the driver blade 6 A drives a fastener, by rotating the adjuster 66 .

As shown in FIG. 7 , an O-ring 67 is mounted on the bumper holder 65 between the holder-side surface 65 C and the threaded-part-side surface 66 B. The O-ring 67 is formed of rubber or another elastic material and is coated with grease for preventing wear. The O-ring 67 is an example of an elastic member.

As described above, the retaining ring 61 C mounted on the shaft 61 prevents the coil spring 62 , plunger 63 , bumper 64 , bumper holder 65 , adjuster 66 , and O-ring 67 from coming off the shaft 61 . By configuring the above parts 61 through 67 as a single integrated unit in this way, the coil spring 62 , plunger 63 , bumper 64 , bumper holder 65 , adjuster 66 , and O-ring 67 are simultaneously mounted in the housing 2 when the shaft 61 is mounted and fixed in the housing 2 by inserting the ends of the shaft 61 into the lower penetrating hole 21 b and upper recess portion 21 c.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the magazine 7 is disposed beneath the sub-body 23 and primarily includes a holder 71 , a pusher 72 , and a sensor switch 73 . The holder 71 retains a plurality of staples 1 A arranged in a row. The front end of the holder 71 is positioned in the ejection hole 21 a on the rear side of the blade guide 26 . The staples 1 A are sequentially supplied to this position in the ejection hole 21 a on the rear side of the blade guide 26 by the pusher 72 described next.

The pusher 72 is mounted in the holder 71 and positioned on the rear side of the staples 1 A. A spring (not shown) urges the pusher 72 in a forward direction for supplying the staples 1 A sequentially into the ejection hole 21 a . A contact piece 72 A provided on the rear end of the pusher 72 is capable of contacting the sensor switch 73 .

The sensor switch 73 is disposed in the sub-body 23 at a position above the holder 71 . The sensor switch 73 contacts the contact piece 72 A when the pusher 72 moves to a prescribed position (for example, a position at which only one staple 1 A remains).

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5 , the angular position detecting mechanism 8 includes a lever pin 81 , a switch lever 82 , and a microswitch 83 . The lever pin 81 is mounted on the front surface of the gear holder 25 above the final gear 42 , with its axis extending in the front-to-rear direction. The switch lever 82 is rotatably supported on the lever pin 81 so as to be capable of moving between a contact position in contact with the protrusion 42 A and an initial position not in contact with the protrusion 42 A. As shown in FIG. 5 , the switch lever 82 is formed of a metal plate that is thinner than the protruding length of the protrusion 42 A and is bent into a shape having a substantially L-shaped cross section. The L-shaped cross section of the switch lever 82 is defined by a protrusion-contacting part 82 A forming the portion of the plate extending orthogonal to the front-to-rear direction, and a switch-contacting part 82 B that forms the portion of the plate extending in the front-to-rear direction.

The protrusion-contacting part 82 A is disposed in the gap between the gear holder 25 and final gear 42 and is capable of contacting the protrusion 42 A. Since the gap formed between the gear holder 25 and final gear 42 is just slightly larger than the plate thickness of the protrusion-contacting part 82 A, the protrusion-contacting part 82 A is restricted from sliding off the protrusion 42 A. Further, the outer edge of the protrusion-contacting part 82 A is curved, as shown in FIG. 2 , with the curved edge positioned to contact the protrusion 42 A.

As shown in FIG. 5 , the switch-contacting part 82 B opposes the outer circumferential surface of the final gear 42 along a radial direction to the final gear 42 .

The microswitch 83 is positioned above the switch-contacting part 82 B. The microswitch 83 has a switch 83 A that is pushed in by the switch-contacting part 82 B when the switch lever 82 moves into the contact position. Since the switch 83 A is urged outward by a spring (not shown), the switch 83 A returns to its initial protruding position when contact between the switch lever 82 and protrusion 42 A is lost and the switch lever 82 returns to its initial position.

When operating the nail-driving tool 1 having the construction described above, the user rotates the adjuster 66 to adjust the driving depth of the staple 1 A based on the type of workpiece material. Specifically, the user of the nail-driving tool 1 rotates the adjuster 66 with a finger or thumb placed over the peripheral portion of the adjuster 66 that is exposed in the opening 21 d . That is, the peripheral portion of the adjuster 66 serves as an operating part for rotating the adjuster 66 . In order to increase the driving depth, the user rotates the adjuster 66 in a direction for moving the bumper 64 in the driving direction. In order to reduce the driving depth, the user rotates the adjuster 66 in a direction for raising the bumper 64 .

Since a peripheral portion of the adjuster 66 is exposed outside the housing 2 , the user can easily rotate the adjuster 66 by pushing a finger over the surface of the adjuster 66 in which the grooves 66 a are formed. Further, since the protruding portion 21 F engages in the grooves 66 a formed in the peripheral surface of the adjuster 66 , the adjuster 66 does not rotate in a smooth continuous motion, but produces a clicking sensation as the user rotates the adjuster 66 .

Further, the bumper 64 is disposed above the adjuster 66 and is supported in the bumper holder 65 having the male threaded part 65 B, and the adjuster 66 having a substantially cylindrical shape covers the male threaded part 65 B. Accordingly, since the adjuster 66 and bumper holder 65 are coupled together by threadingly engaging the female threaded part 66 A and the male threaded part 65 B, the outer diameter of the adjuster 66 can be increased. Therefore, the user of the nail-driving tool 1 can rotate the adjuster 66 using a relatively small force.

After adjusting the driving depth for the staple 1 A, the user places the tip of the nose part 21 A in contact with the workpiece. By so doing, the push lever 24 is retracted into the housing 2 , causing the arm part 24 B to contact the push switch 24 C and turn the push switch 24 C on. While the push switch 24 C is on, the user pulls the trigger 22 A, turning the trigger switch 22 B on. When the power supply regulator 2 B detects an ON signal from the push switch 24 C and an ON signal from the trigger switch 22 B, the power supply regulator 2 B begins supplying power to drive the motor 3 .

The drive of the motor 3 rotates the rotational shaft 31 , while the planetary gear mechanism 41 reduces the rotational speed of the rotational shaft 31 to drive the output gear 41 A at a slower speed. The output gear 41 A in turn rotates the final gear 42 so that, first, the first engaging part 5 A engages the first lifting protrusion 63 A (see FIG. 6A ), moving the plunger 63 upward. As the final gear 42 continues to rotate and the plunger 63 continues to move upward, the second engaging part 5 B engages the second lifting protrusion 63 B (see FIG. 6B ) and moves the plunger 63 farther upward. When the second engaging part 5 B engages the second lifting protrusion 63 B and begins to moves the plunger 63 farther upward, the first lifting protrusion 63 A separates from the first engaging part 5 A.

As the plunger 63 moves upward, elastic energy accumulates in the coil spring 62 by which the coil spring 62 applies an urging force to the plunger 63 . When the final gear 42 rotates farther from this state, the second engaging part 5 B moving in a circular motion separates from the second lifting protrusion 63 B. When this separation occurs, the plunger 63 moves rapidly downward, and the driver blade 6 A strikes the staple 1 A, driving the staple 1 A into the workpiece.

While the driver blade 6 A is driving the staple 1 A, the plunger 63 collides with the bumper 64 . Since this impact is transferred to the adjuster 66 along the axial direction of the same, a strong impact is not applied to the urging member 21 E having the protruding portion 21 F that contacts the peripheral surface of the adjuster 66 . Thus, this configuration prevents damage to the urging member 21 E caused by such impacts. Further, the grooves 66 a formed in the peripheral surface of the adjuster 66 and the protruding portion 21 F that engages in these grooves 66 a serve as a detent for preventing the unintended rotation of the adjuster 66 during a driving operation when the user is not rotating the adjuster 66 .

Further, since the urging member 21 E supported on the housing 2 is configured of the leaf spring, the construction of the urging member 21 E can be simplified. Furthermore, since the protruding portion 21 F is formed by bending a portion of the urging member 21 E, the construction of the protruding portion 21 F can be simplified. In addition, the plurality of grooves 66 a extending parallel to one another along the axial direction of the adjuster 66 can prevent the user's finger from slipping over the peripheral surface of the adjuster 66 when rotating the same.

Further, the power supply regulator 2 B determines the rotational state of the final gear 42 based on a detection signal received from the microswitch 83 when the switch lever 82 contacts the microswitch 83 . Specifically, the protrusion 42 A and the second engaging part 5 B are arranged so that the separation of the protrusion 42 A from the switch lever 82 and the separation of the second engaging part 5 B from the second lifting protrusion 63 B occur simultaneously. Accordingly, upon occurring these separation, the switch lever 82 moves from the contact position to the initial position, causing the microswitch 83 to output an OFF signal. Since the microswitch 83 outputs an ON signal while the switch lever 82 is in contact with the protrusion 42 A, the power supply regulator 2 B can halt the supply of power to the motor 3 upon detecting that the ON signal has switched to an OFF signal, thereby preventing the final gear 42 from over-rotating.

When the nail-driving tool 1 begins to run out of staples 1 A in the magazine 7 , the contact piece 72 A of the pusher 72 contacts the sensor switch 73 , causing the sensor switch 73 to output an ON signal. When the power supply regulator 2 B detects an ON signal from the sensor switch 73 , the power supply regulator 2 B does not supply power to the motor 3 , even upon detecting ON signals from the trigger switch 22 B and the push switch 24 C, thus preventing the nail-driving tool 1 from shooting blanks when the nail-driving tool 1 runs out of staples 1 A.

As shown in FIG. 8 , the holder-side surface 65 C does not directly contact the threaded-part-side surface 66 B when the driving depth for the staple 1 A is set to the maximum depth, i.e., when the user rotates the adjuster 66 to move the bumper receiving part 65 A of the bumper holder 65 as close as possible to the adjuster 66 , because the O-ring 67 is interposed between the holder-side surface 65 C and the threaded-part-side surface 66 B.

If a staple 1 A is driven in this state, the impact of the plunger 63 against the bumper 64 is transferred in a downward direction toward the bumper holder 65 . Since the protruding portion 21 F restricts rotation of the adjuster 66 in this state, the adjuster 66 does not rotate relative to the housing 2 . On the other hand, the bumper holder 65 can rotate slightly relative to the housing 2 , as described above. Therefore, the impact of the plunger 63 causes the bumper holder 65 to tighten against the adjuster 66 . However, since the O-ring 67 is interposed between the bumper holder 65 and adjuster 66 , as described above, the O-ring 67 merely compresses slightly while preventing the holder-side surface 65 C from contacting and tightening against the threaded-part-side surface 66 B.

Here, the slight rotation of the bumper holder 65 relative to the adjuster 66 due to tightening, as illustrated in FIGS. 4B and 4C will be explored while comparing cases in which an O-ring 67 is provided and not provided. FIGS. 9A and 9B are explanatory diagrams illustrating the tightening effect in the nail-driving tool 1 according to this embodiment. FIG. 9A is a cross-sectional view of the bumper holder 65 and adjuster 66 taken along the vertical and front-to-rear directions. FIG. 9B is a cross-sectional view of the O-ring 67 taken along a plane orthogonal to the vertical. In this embodiment, the O-ring 67 has a spring constant k 1 and a vertical thickness L 1 . The spring constant k 1 of the O-ring 67 is determined by a longitudinal elastic modulus E 1 of the base material forming the O-ring 67 , a cross-sectional area A 1 of the O-ring 67 , and the thickness L 1 . Hence, the spring constant k 1 of the O-ring 67 is defined as k 1 =A 1 E 1 /L 1 . During tightening, the O-ring 67 having the thickness L 1 receives a compressive deformation δ 1 , generating a deformation load f 1 (=k 1 ×δ 1 ) relative to the spring constant k 1 , as shown in FIG. 9A . Since a frictional force μ 1 f 1 proportional to the deformation load f 1 is generated at a point on the contact surface of the O-ring 67 having the radius R 1 , the torque T 1 required to rotate the adjuster 66 in a tightened state is defined as T 1 =μ 1 f 1 ×R 1 =μ 1 k 1 δ 1 R 1 . Here, the radius R 1 is the distance along a radial of the O-ring 67 from the center of the O-ring 67 to the cross-sectional center of the O-ring 67 .

FIGS. 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams illustrating the tightening effect for a comparative example in which an O-ring is not provided. FIG. 10A is a cross-sectional view of the bumper holder 65 and adjuster 66 along a plane in the vertical and front-to-rear directions. FIG. 10B is a cross-sectional view showing the area of contact between the holder-side surface 65 C and threaded-part-side surface 66 B and the male threaded part 65 B. In this example, the male threaded part 65 B has a spring constant k 2 and a vertical length L 2 . The spring constant k 2 of the male threaded part 65 B is defined by a longitudinal elastic modulus E 2 of the adjuster 66 , a cross-sectional area A 2 of the male threaded part 65 B, and the length L 2 . Hence, the spring constant k 2 of male threaded part 65 B is defined as k 2 =A 2 E 2 /L 2 . During tightening, the male threaded part 65 B having the length L 2 receives a compressive deformation δ 2 , generating a deformation load f 2 (=k 2 ×δ 2 ) proportional to the spring constant k 2 . Since a frictional force μ 2 f 2 proportional to the deformation load f 2 is produced at a position on the contact surface of the adjuster 66 having the radius R 2 , the torque T 2 required for rotating the adjuster 66 in a tightened state is defined as torque T 2 =μ 2 f 2 ×R 2 =μ 2 k 2 δ 2 R 2 . Here, the radius R 2 is the distance along a radial direction from the center of the holder-side surface 65 C and threaded-part-side surface 66 B to the center of the contact area between the holder-side surface 65 C and threaded-part-side surface 66 B in the radial direction.

When comparing actual values based on the above definitions, the O-ring 67 and the male threaded part 65 B of the adjuster 66 have respective spring coefficients of k 1 =181 N/mm and k 2 =1280×10 3 N/mm, and respective frictional coefficients of μ 1 =0.2 and μ 2 =0.2. The amount of displacement in the bumper holder 65 of this embodiment is δ 1 =0.05 mm and δ 2 =0.05 mm, respectively, while the radius for the two examples is R 1 =5.75 mm and R 2 =7.5 mm, respectively. Based on these values, the torque in the example of this embodiment is T 1 =10.4 Nmm, while the torque in the comparative example is T 2 =96,000 Nmm. Thus, in the comparative example the user would not be above to rotate the adjuster 66 .

The amount of torque that an user normally inputs into the adjuster 66 was found to be 140 Nmm through measurements. Therefore, assuming that the maximum torque an user can input is three times this measured value of 140 Nmm, or 420 Nmm, then the distance that the bumper holder 65 is displaced (i.e., the amount that the O-ring 67 compresses) when the adjuster 66 is rotated at the maximum torque of 420 Nmm is 0.8 mm. Thus, the bumper holder 65 and adjuster 66 will not contact each other, even when the above displacement of 0.05 mm is added. Further, this amount of displacement falls within the elastic deformation range of the O-ring 67 . In other words, the adjuster 66 (threaded member) and the bumper holder 65 will not become fixed together, even when the user turns the adjuster with great force.

Further, the increase in torque of the adjuster 66 is 10.4 Nmm in this embodiment and 96,000 Nmm in the comparative example. Hence, the change in torque occurring over the same rotational angle is reduced to about 1/1000 th in this embodiment.

Therefore, in the nail-driving tool 1 according to this embodiment, the frictional force generated between the bumper holder 65 and adjuster 66 via the O-ring 67 is less than that generated when the bumper holder 65 and adjuster 66 directly contact each other. Accordingly, torque in the adjuster 66 relative to the bumper holder 65 is less likely to increase, preventing a decline in operability when tightening occurs.

Further, by configuring the O-ring 67 in a shape and of a material capable of keeping the displacement related to tightening within the elastic deformation range of the O-ring 67 , the torque does not change excessively when the adjuster 66 is tightened, improving overall ease of use.

While the fastener-driving tool of the invention has been described in detail with reference to specific embodiments thereof, it would be apparent to those skilled in the art that many modifications and variations may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the attached claims.

For example, while the urging member 21 E of this embodiment is configured of the leaf spring, this embodiment is not limited to the leaf spring. Further, the protruding portion 21 F of this embodiment is formed by bending a portion of the urging member 21 E. However, the protruding portion 21 F is not limited to this construction. The grooves 66 a are formed in the peripheral surface of the adjuster 66 as a plurality of recessed portions. However, the recessed portions are also not limited to the grooves 66 of this embodiment.

Further, while the grooves 66 a are formed in the peripheral surface of the adjuster 66 and the protruding portion 21 F is formed on the urging member 21 E, it is also possible to provide a plurality of protrusion portions on the peripheral surface of the adjuster 66 and to form an recessed portion in the urging member 21 E. Here, the protruding portions formed on the peripheral surface of the adjuster 66 may be configured of steel balls, for example.

While the fastener-driving tool of the present invention is a nail-driving tool in this embodiment, the present invention is not limited to a nail-driving tool, but may also be applied to a fastener-driving tool used to drive screws or the like.