Trigger assembly and method of operation
AssigneeMeritool LLC
InventorsTimm Randall Herman, Brent Michael Findlay, Mason S. James
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A trigger assembly can be used to activate a motor controller to cause a motorized device to respond in a certain manner. For example, when the motorized device is a power tool, based on a number of pulls of the trigger, the motor controller can run the power tool in a forward direction or a reverse direction. A power tool running in the forward direction can receive a tap of the trigger. A timer can be started upon detecting the pull of the trigger. Another tap of the trigger can be detected within a time period determined based on the timer. The power tool can be forced to perform a reverse operation when the other tap f the trigger is within the time period.
Claims21
A method comprising:
- running a power tool to perform a forward operation;
- detecting a tap of a trigger of the power tool;
- starting a timer upon detecting the pull of the trigger;
- detecting another tap of the trigger within a time period determined based on the timer, and
- forcing the power tool to perform a reverse operation based on the other tap of the trigger within the time period.
A material dispensing gun comprising:
- a microprocessor coupled to a motor and a power supply, the microprocessor providing a switch for supplying power to the motor from the power supply when the switch is in a first state;
- the microprocessor further comprising a counter, a timer, and memory, the memory having prescribed normal run time threshold, prescribed minimum time threshold, and prescribed counter threshold;
- and
- said timer being enabled to clock a run time measuring the duration as said switch changes from a second state to said first state, such that when said run time is greater than the minimum prescribed time threshold and less than the prescribed normal run time threshold, said counter is incremented by said microprocessor until said counter is equal to said prescribed counter threshold thereby enabling said microprocessor to provide a threshold signal to perform an operation.
A method of operating a dispensing tool, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a housing for supporting a microprocessor coupled to a motor, power supply, piston, and gear train, the microprocessor providing a switch for supplying power to the motor when the switch is in a first state;
- the microprocessor further providing a counter, a timer, and memory;
- prescribing in said memory a normal run time threshold, a minimum time threshold, and a counter threshold;
- enabling said timer to clock a run time measuring the duration as said switch changes from a second state to said first state;
- evaluating said run time with said processor by comparing said run time to said prescribed normal run time threshold and prescribed minimum time threshold;
- and
- incrementing said counter by said microprocessor when said comparing said ran time is found between said prescribed normal run time threshold and prescribed minimum time threshold until said counter is equal to said prescribed counter threshold thereby enabling said microprocessor to provide a threshold signal to perform an operation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.