Electronic spindle lock for a power tool
AssigneeMilwaukee Electric Tool Corporation
InventorsGareth Mueckl, Zachary G. Stanke, Jeremy R. Ebner, Timothy R. Obermann, Ryan B. Jipp
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Electronic spindle lock for a power tool. One embodiment provides a power tool including a housing, a bit receiving portion provided on the housing for receiving a power tool bit, a motor within the housing configured to rotate the bit receiving portion, and a controller coupled to the motor. The controller is configured to enter an electronic spindle lock mode, and detect rotation of the bit receiving portion in a first direction. The controller is also configured to control motor to rotate in a second direction in response to detecting rotation of the bit receiving portion in the first direction.
Claims20
A power tool comprising:
- a housing;
- a bit receiving portion provided on the housing;
- a motor within the housing configured to rotate the bit receiving portion;
- and
- a controller coupled to the motor, the controller configured to:
- enter an electronic spindle lock mode for controlling the motor to engage or disengage the bit receiving portion with a tool bit, and
- activate a spindle lock control loop in response to entering the electronic spindle lock mode, the spindle lock control loop including:
- detect a positional quantity of the motor in a first direction,
- determine that the positional quantity is different from an expected positional quantity of the motor, and
- control the motor to generate a torque in a second direction, the torque maintains a rotational position of the motor, in response to determining that the positional quantity is different from the expected positional quantity of the motor.
A method for operating an electronic spindle lock of a power tool including a motor configured to rotate a bit receiving portion, the method comprising:
- entering, using a controller of the power tool, an electronic spindle lock mode for controlling the motor to engage or disengage the bit receiving portion with a tool bit;
- and
- activating, using the controller, a spindle lock control loop in response to entering the electronic spindle lock mode, the spindle lock control loop including:
- detect a positional quantity of the motor in a first direction,
- determining that the positional quantity is different from an expected positional quantity of the motor, and
- controlling the motor to generate a torque in a second direction, the torque maintains a rotational position of the motor, in response to determining that the positional quantity is different from the expected positional quantity of the motor.
A power tool comprising:
- a housing;
- a bit receiving portion provided on the housing;
- a motor within the housing configured to rotate the bit receiving portion;
- a sensor configured to detect a positional quantity of the motor in a first direction;
- and
- a controller coupled to the motor, the controller configured to:
- enter an electronic spindle lock mode for controlling the motor to engage or disengage the bit receiving portion with a tool bit, and
- control the motor as a brake in response to entering the spindle lock mode,
- wherein the motor generates a counter torque that maintains a rotational position of the motor in response to determining a difference between an expected positional quantity of the motor and the positional quantity of the motor in the first direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.