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US 6,711,972 B1Granted
Articulated support for manually-operated tool
AssigneeVisteon Global Technologies, Inc.
InventorsJames E. Joyner, Michael G. Vitale
Life of this patent
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AssigneeVisteon Global Technologies, Inc.
InventorsJames E. Joyner, Michael G. Vitale
Estimating the term…
An articulated support for a manually-operated power tool, such as a manually-positioned and trigger-operated tool having a driven rotary spindle for engagement with a work, includes a plurality of elongated segments that are connected by articulating joints to thereby define several relative joint angles. Angle sensors at the joints generate relative angle information that is used by a controller to determine when the tool has been placed in a position, relative to either the support's fixed base or the work, in which a selected tool operation is likely to be performed successfully. Thereafter, the controller enables trigger-operation of the tool, monitors the length of time that the selected tool operation is performed, and, preferably, determines the likelihood of a successful completion of the operation based at least in part on the monitoring.
An articulated support for a manually-operated power tool, wherein the tool, when mounted on the articulated support, is movable to at least one predetermined tool position in which a selected tool operation is to be performed on a work, the articulated support comprising:
An articulated support for a power tool, the tool being adapted to be manually positioned relative to a first predetermined tool position in which a selected tool operation is to be performed on a work, the support comprising:
A method for controlling a selected operation of a manually-operated tool that is supported relative to a fixed base by an articulated support mounted on the base, the articulated support including an arm formed by at least two rigid elongated segments connected end-to-end, each adjacent pair of connected segments defining a respective joint permitting rotation of one segment of each pair relative to the other segment of each pair about a respective joint axis, the method including:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.