Adjustable suction screwdriver

A driver device may comprise a housing and a hole located on the housing. The hole may comprise a sealing lip. The driver device may comprise a bit holder located within the housing, and a bit socket located on the bit holder. The bit socket may be aligned with the hole, such that inserting a bit into the bit socket also inserts the bit into the hole. The driver device may comprise a spring located within the bit socket. The spring may cause an inserted bit to partially exit the hole in the absence of an external force pushing the it against the spring. The driver device may comprise a vacuum component connected to the housing, and a vacuum chamber within the housing.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to driver devices, and more specifically, to powered screwdrivers with suction mechanisms.

Driver devices such as powered screwdrivers, drills, impact drivers, and others (sometimes collectively referred to herein as “driver devices” or “screwdrivers”) operate by engaging a bit (e.g., a screwdriver bit) with an object that is intended to be driven into another object (e.g., a screw, bolt). A motor within the driver device causes a bit to rotate. When the bit is properly seated within, for example, the head of a screw, rotation of the bit causes the screw to rotate.

SUMMARY

Some embodiments of the present disclosure can be illustrated as a driver device comprising a housing and a hole located on the housing. The hole comprises a sealing lip. The driver device also comprises a bit holder located within the housing, and a bit socket located on the bit holder. The bit socket is aligned with the hole, such that inserting a bit into the bit socket also inserts the bit into the hole. The driver device also comprises a spring located within the bit socket. The spring causes an inserted bit to partially exit the hole in the absence of external forces pushing the bit against the spring. The driver device also comprises a vacuum component connected to the housing and a vacuum chamber within the housing.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure can also be illustrated as a method of operating a driver device. The method comprises mating a screw with a bit of the driver device. The method further comprises pressing the screw towards a sealing lip on a housing of the driver device and seating the screw on the sealing lip. The method further comprises creating a partial vacuum within the housing. The method further comprises operating the driver device.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure can also be illustrated by a system comprising a processor and a memory in communication with the processor. The memory contains program instructions that, when executed by the processor, are configured to cause the processor to perform the above method of operating a driver device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to driver devices, and more specifically, to powered screwdrivers with suction mechanisms. While the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to such applications, various aspects of the disclosure may be appreciated through a discussion of various examples using this context.

Driver devices, such as screwdrivers, drills, impact drivers, and others are useful for driving structural fasteners, such as screws and bolts (sometimes collectively referred to herein as “screws”), into other objects. Typical powered driver devices can be used in a variety of circumstances, and thus are often constructed with the ability to accept driver bits of various shapes. For example, a common screwdriver design includes a bit socket of a hex (6-sided) shape that can accept screwdriver bits with a corresponding hex shape on one end. The other end of the screwdriver bit may be of a size and shape that corresponds to the type of screw with which it is interface to interface.

Some use cases of driver devices require screws to be inserted at precise angles. In these use cases, inserting a screw at an angle other than the desired angle may have negative results. For example, some products, such as high-end electronic personal devices, are manufactured with an aesthetic that requires exterior screws to be very flush with the surrounding exterior housing. A screw being inserted at an unintended angle may cause the screw to rest at that unintended angle once driven into the housing, resulting in part of the screw head jutting out past the surface of the exterior housing.

In some use cases, screws are inserted through several components (e.g., wooden boards). In these instances, the screw may operate both to keep the components from separating, but also from preventing the components from shifting with respect to each other. However, if a screw is inserted through such components at an unintended angle, the screw may exert an unintended torque on one or both of the components. This torque may cause the components to shift with respect to each other, and may even cause damage to one of the components or elsewhere.

Some use cases also involve a threaded screw being inserted into a hole with corresponding threads. If the screw is inserted at an angle that deviates from the desired angle, the screw threads or corresponding threads may be damaged. This may be particularly likely to occur in instances in which a screw is inserted with high torque (for example, when using a powerful drill or impact driver) or in which the threads on a screw or the corresponding threads are delicate (for example, due to small size or soft metal).

Further, some use cases involve driving screws into delicate components such as printed circuit boards. If a screw is inserted at an unintended angle, a higher force may be necessary to drive the screw than if the screw were inserted at the desired angle. In some instances this higher force may be translated to the PCB and connected components. This may result in damage to the PCB, connected components, or breaking of a connection between them.

For these reasons, typical screwdrivers have mechanisms in place to prevent screwdriver bits from being positioned at undesired angles during operation. For example, many bit sockets on driver devices feature a press-fit connection with inserted bits. In other words, the sockets are only barely large enough to contain the bit, thus preventing the bit from shifting in the socket. Some sockets also contain ball bearings that interface with a grove on a bit, keeping the bit in place.

However, it can be difficult to ensure that a screw stays parallel with a desired angle while the screw is being driven into another object. Sometimes this is because the drive bit used is not always a perfect match in terms of size or shape for the screw that is being driven. However, even when perfectly corresponding bits and screws are used, many screw heads and screwdriver bits are designed to allow for screw heads and screwdriver bits to interface at imperfect angles. This is partially to account for the fact that sometimes a driver device needs to be held at an awkward angle when driving a screw, such as when the working in tight spaces. However, this can also be to promote a screwdriver bit slipping out of the screw head when excess torque is applied. Both aspects of bit-screw design may be beneficial by enabling ease of use of a screwdriver and preventing a screw from being inserted too far or twisted too hard. However, the tolerance that results also can make it easier for a screw to sit on a screwdriver bit at an off angle, leading to detriments discussed above.

Some screwdrivers attempt to address these issues by magnetizing screwdriver bits, encouraging an attraction between screwdriver bits and screws. However, in most use cases the magnetic attraction between screw and bit may be sufficient to prevent a screw from completely falling off a bit, but is insufficient to prevent a screw from tilting while seated on a bit. Thus, some screwdrivers attempt to address these issues by incorporating vacuums in a screwdriver designs. These designs involve the head of a screw creating a seal on a housing of the driver device. A vacuum suction is then created within the housing, which causes the pressure (typically atmospheric pressure) outside the housing to push on the screw, keeping it in place. A bit then rotates the screw while the suction is applied, and thus the screw may be driven into another object while reducing the risk that the screw will tilt on the screwdriver bit.

While vacuum-based screwdriver designs can effectively prevent a screw from shifting on a screwdriver bit, they often cause additional problems. This is because vacuum-based screwdrivers are typically incapable of adjusting the position of the screw or screw bit, and thus are similarly incapable of adjusting to variations of the size, shape, and design of screw heads and screwdriver bits. While this may not be an issue for driver devices that always use screws and bits of the same size, shape, and design (for example, a computer-operated screwdriver in an assembly line that only screws one screw into one part), it can be a source of failure for vacuum-incorporating screwdrivers that are expected to work in more general applications. For these driver devices, variations between screw heads and driver bits may cause a bit and a screw head to not interface well. These variations may take several forms, and thus the potential number of permutations of fit between a screw head and driver bit can be quite large.

For example, the type of screw with which a bit is designed to interface may determine the shape of the screw bit, and the shape of a screwdriver bit may affect the fit of the bit in the screw head. Screwdriver bits that are designed to interface with screw heads featuring a small straight slot, for example, may feature a single small flat edge. These bits are often referred to as “flathead” bits. Bits that are intended to interface with screw heads with a large cruciform (i.e., cross shaped) hole may be larger and cruciform in shape. Bits also come in torx shapes, hex shapes, and others. Further, each shape category may have several sub categories, resulting in more variety in bit and screw shape. For example, cruciform screws and bits may come in a Phillips shape, a Frearson shape, and a Pozidriv shape.

The shape of a screwdriver bit not only affects the type of screw head it may interface with, but the depth to which the bit is intended to be inserted into the screw head. For example, a flathead screwdriver bit may properly interface with a screw head even if it is not inserted very far into the screw head, whereas a Phillips bit typically requires the bit to be inserted further into the screw head due to its pointed shape. Similarly, a torx bit with a flat head may not need to be inserted into a screw head as far as a torx bit with a slight taper to the head.

Further, screws may sometimes be driven with screwdriver bits that are not of an exactly corresponding size or design. For example a tapered torx bit may be used to drive a screw that has a tapered torx recess of a slightly larger size (for example, when driving a metric screw with an imperial bit), which can affect how far into the screw head the bit must be inserted in order to create an acceptable grip on the screw. As a further example, a Pozidriv bit may be used to drive a Phillips screw head, which may result in the bit being incapable of being completely inserted into the screw head.

The size and shape of a screw head can also affect the fit of a screwdriver bit within the screw head, and, relatedly, how far a driver bit would optimally be inserted into the screw head. To begin, the same analysis applied to screwdriver bits applies to screw heads. However, when using a vacuum screwdriver, the shape of the screw head also affects how far the screw head will be inserted into the housing before making a seal. For example, a flat-top screw head may be completely flush with the outer housing of a screwdriver when seated on a vacuum opening, requiring a bit to exit out of the housing in order to mate with the screw head. However, a screw head with a dome shape may protrude into the housing at the center in order to create a seal with the housing at the outer edges of the screw. This screw may therefore require the screwdriver bit to protrude out slightly less than the flat-top screw head.

Finally, manufacturing variances may also affect the fit of a screwdriver bit and screw head, and thus how far into a screw head a bit should be inserted. While most screws and bits follow industry standards, manufacturing imperfections can result in some bits being slightly longer than standard. Further, the recess of some screw heads may be slightly deeper than other recesses, even when standards attempt to maintain uniformity among screw heads. Finally, the shape of some screw heads or screwdriver bits may also deviate from standard shapes.

For the reasons discussed above, many factors may result in variations of the perfect fit between a screw head and screwdriver bit. Without an ability to adjust to these variations, a screwdriver bit and screw head may not interface well. Unfortunately, when a screwdriver bit is used to drive a screw with which it does not interface well, damage can result. For example, a screw head can be stripped during driving, making it difficult to completely drive the screw into place or remove it. This may be particularly problematic when the screw is completely stripped when only partially driven (e.g., when sticking halfway out of a board or device housing). These screws may be difficult to remove, potentially resulting in the object into which the screw was driven being wasted.

Further, using a screwdriver bit to drive a screw with which the bit does not interface well can damage the bit. This can be particularly likely in high-torque situations, such as when using a torx bit to drive a hardened screw with a powerful impact driver. Damaging a screwdriver bit can require it to be replaced. Repeated occurrence of damaged bits may result in increased costs and hassle, particularly for large projects or specialized, expensive bits.

Unfortunately, typical vacuum-fit screwdrivers do not allow for the position of the bit or the screw to be adjusted. For example, if the position of a screw is adjusted, the seal between the screw and the housing may be compromised, causing a loss of suction, which would defeat the purpose of the vacuum component. Further, typical screwdrivers prevent shifting of the screwdriver bit in order to prevent the bit from being dislodged. Thus, typical vacuum-fit screwdrivers may be more likely to damage screws and bits due to the inability to adjust to variations between screws and bits.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure address the above issues by featuring a driver device that is both capable of holding a screw in position using vacuum suction and capable of adjusting to variances in shapes of screw heads and screwdriver bits. In some embodiments, a bit holder in a screwdriver includes a spring that pushes an inserted bit towards the screw head. In some such embodiments the bit may be magnetized by the bit holder or by the spring in the bit holder.

In some embodiments, the bit holder may extend past the housing of the driver device when in a “resting” configuration. This may allow a screw to interface with the bit holder before being sealed to a vacuum chamber. In embodiments in which the bit is magnetized, a magnetic attraction between the bit and a screw may encourage proper seating of the screw on the bit. The screw may then be used to push the bit further into the bit holder as the screw is pushed onto a lip on the housing of the device. As the bit is pushed into the bit holder, the spring in the bit holder may be compressed, and may, as a result, push the bit holder into the screw head with greater force. This may continue to encourage a proper seating of the screw head and the bit, even when the screw and bit are being moved on the driver device.

When the screw head is pushed against the lip, a seal may be created between the inside of the housing (i.e., the vacuum chamber) and the outside of the housing. At this point a vacuum could be activated, creating a suction inside the device housing. This suction may hold the screw in place during operation of the driver device. However, because the screwdriver bit is being pushed into the screwhead by the compressed spring, the driver device may automatically adjust to variations of the size and shape of the screw head and of the screwdriver bit.

FIG.1Adepicts a first cross-sectional view of an adjustable driver device100before insertion of a screwdriver bit. As illustrated, driver device100is an abstraction of a driver device. The proportions, component patterns, and position of some components are designed for the sake of understanding, rather than for accuracy. As such, a version of driver device100that has been reduced to practice may differ in size, shape, layout, and components included, consistent with the embodiments of the present disclosure.

Driver device100features a device housing102that surrounds a vacuum chamber104. A motor106and bit holder108are positioned within vacuum chamber104. Motor106may, when activated, cause bit holder108to rotate in a pre-configured direction. Bit holder108includes a bit socket, the rear wall110of which is shown inFIG.1. The bit socket may take a shape of a standard bit connector, such as a hexagon. Bit holder108also contains a spring112, which is shown in a resting state. Bit holder108, spring112, or both, may be magnetized (for example, connected to an electromagnet or a permanent magnet).

Driver device100may also contain vacuum component114. Vacuum component114may, in some embodiments, comprise a vacuum device (i.e., a device capable of creating a suction within vacuum chamber104) or a vacuum connector that may be used to connect driver device100to a vacuum device. Finally, the device housing102of driver device100is illustrated with a hole, the rear wall116of which is shown inFIG.1. The outer edges of this hole may be referred to herein as a “sealing lip.” In some embodiments, pressing the head of a screw up against this sealing lip may create a vacuum seal between the device housing102and the screw, enabling a connected vacuum to create a vacuum (or near vacuum) in vacuum chamber104. As illustrated, the hole in device housing102is approximately the same width of the bit socket in bit holder108. In some embodiments, however, it may be larger than the bit socket.

In some embodiments, device driver100may be a standalone device, such as a powered impact driver with vacuum device attached. However, in some embodiments device driver100may actually be an add-on component, such as a component that could be inserted into the bit holder of an impact driver. In such embodiments, device driver100may not include a motor, because the motor of the impact driver into which device driver100is being inserted may be used to rotate bit holder108.

FIG.1Bdepicts a second view of adjustable driver device100after insertion of bit118into bit holder108. As illustrated, bit118is being pushed by spring112into a position at which bit118could interface with a screw before that screw is pressed onto the sealing lip of device housing102. In some embodiments, bit holder108or spring112may be designed to prevent bit118from being pushed completely out and falling out of device housing102. For example, in some embodiments bit holder108may only be very slightly larger than bit118, and thus an interference fit may form between bit118and bit holder108. In other words, there may be sufficient friction between bit118and bit holder108that bit118is unlikely to fall out. Bit socket118or spring112may also be magnetically charged, and this magnetic charge may attract bit118, preventing it from exiting bit holder108. Bit118may also have a structural feature, such as an indent or groove, that a corresponding component of bit holder108, such as a ball bearing, may interact with, resisting a tendency of bit118from exiting the bit socket.

FIG.1Cdepicts a third view of adjustable driver device100after a screw120is mated with bit118and prior to seating on the vacuum lip. In embodiments in which bit118is magnetically charged (for example, embodiments in which bit holder108or spring112have transferred a magnetic charge to bit118, or embodiments in which bit118itself contains a permanent magnet), screw120may be attracted to bit118, encouraging a proper interface between bit118and screw120. In other embodiments, it may be necessary to hold screw120in place on bit118by an outside force until a suction within vacuum chamber104is able to hold screw on the sealing lip.

FIG.1Ddepicts a fourth view of adjustable driver device100after screw120is seated on the sealing lip of device housing102. The configuration ofFIG.1Dmay have resulted, for example, by a user or a robotic arm pushing screw120towards bit holder108after screw120had mated with bit118. As illustrated, screw120has made contact with the sealing lip (i.e., the portion of device housing102that surrounds the opening out of which bit118protruded). Thus, at this point vacuum component114(or a vacuum device to which vacuum component is connected) could activate and create a vacuum (or near vacuum) within vacuum chamber104. This vacuum may create a significantly high pressure gradient between the environment inside vacuum chamber104and the environment outside device housing102. Due to this pressure gradient, screw120may be pushed onto the sealing lip by the surrounding air, keeping screw120in place, even during operation of driver device100. However, because spring112has been compacted by screw120pushing bit118further into the bit socket, screw120would apply a force to bit118, pushing it into screw120. This force would encourage bit118to remain properly seated within a recess in the screw head of screw120. Thus, even though the position of screw120may be dictated by the seating of screw120on the sealing lip, the position of bit118may be adjustable to the position of screw120.

To illustrate the adjustability of a driver device according to the embodiments of the present disclosure,FIGS.2A through2Cdepict several views of an adjustable driver device200with several permutations of screw shapes and sizes and bit shapes and sizes.FIG.2A, for example, illustrates a cruciform bit202mating with a screw204with a flat screw head. Because the screw head on screw204is flat, the screw head does not enter into vacuum chamber206past the sealing lip of device housing208. Thus, spring210pushes cruciform bit202out to mate with screw204past the sealing lip.

FIG.2B, for example, illustrates the same cruciform bit202mating with a screw212with a domed screw head. The domed head of screw212causes the portion of the screw head with which cruciform bit202to partially enter the vacuum chamber206past the sealing lip. However, due to the adjustability of driver device200, screw212is able to push cruciform bit202back into the bit socket, causing spring210to compress further. When a vacuum (or partial vacuum) is created within vacuum chamber206, screw212will be held in place by suction and cruciform bit202will be held in place by spring210, encouraging screw212and cruciform bit202to maintain a proper interface.

FIG.2C, on the other hand, illustrates a view of driver device200in which a hex bit214is mating with a larger screw216with a large bolt head. Because the bolt head of screw216is flat like the head of screw204, the bolt head does not partially enter vacuum chamber206. Rather, because of the large size of the bolt head of screw216and because of the nature of hex bits and sockets, hex bit214is extending further into screw216to make a proper interface than cruciform bit202was required to (or able to) extend into either screw204or screw212. For this reason, hex bit214is extending further out of the bit socket than cruciform bit202inFIGS.2A and2B. As a result, spring210is extending further, pushing hex bit214into screw216. Thus, even though the optimal position of hex bit214inFIG.2Cis further extended than the optimal position of cruciform bit202inFIGS.2A and2B, the adjustable nature of driver device200causes hex bit214to maintain a proper interface with screw216.

As has been previously discussed, the adjustability of the driver devices of the present disclosure may be beneficial not only in use cases in which a driver device is operated manually by a user, but also in use cases in which a driver device is operated automatically (for example, by a robotic arm on an assembly line). For this reason, some embodiments of the present disclosure may be operated automatically by a computer system including a processor to perform a method of operating a driver device.

FIG.3illustrates a method300of operating a driver device according to the embodiments of the present disclosure. Method300may be operated, for example, by a computer system with a processor and a memory, such as the computer system ofFIG.4. The computer system may be configured to automatically operate, for example, a driver device on a robotic arm or a driver device that is otherwise automatically controllable.

Method300begins in block302, in which a screw is mated with a bit of a driver device. This may involve, for example, a robotic arm grasping a screw and pressing the screw head of the screw onto a screwdriver bit that has been inserted into a bit socket of the driver device. The driver device may have a spring in the bit socket that pushes the screwdriver bit towards the screw, encouraging a proper interface between the screw and bit.

In block304, the system presses the screw towards a sealing lip of the driver device. As a result, the screw may push the screwdriver bit further into the bit socket, compressing the spring within the bit socket. The spring may continue to push the screwdriver bit towards the screw, maintaining a proper interface even though both the screw and bit have changed position. Once the screw is seated on the sealing lip of the housing, the system may stop moving the screw.

In block306, the system may determine wither the screw is sealing the vacuum chamber. For example, in some embodiments the system may be equipped with optical cameras that inspect the fit of the screw on a sealing lip to determine if a gap exists between the screw and the lip. In some embodiments these optical cameras may also inspect the angle of the screw to detect whether the screw is not properly seated. If the system determines that the screw is not sealing the vacuum chamber, the system repeats block304. In some embodiments, this may involve pulling the screw back to the original position and pressing the screw again. In other embodiments, repeating block304may simply involve attempting to press the screw further towards the sealing lip.

If, on the other hand, the system determines in block306that the screw is sealing the vacuum chamber, the system activates a vacuum device that is connected to the driver device in block308. Activating the vacuum device may create a partial (or complete) vacuum within the housing of the driver device, creating a suction that holds the head of the screw firmly on the sealing lip of the device housing. At this point, the screw may be strongly held in place by the vacuum, preventing the screw angle from shifting during operation. Further, a spring in a bit socket of the driver device may continue to push the screwdriver bit into the head of the screw, continuing to encourage a proper interface between the two. For this reason, the driver device may now be prepared to drive the screw, and the system operates the driver device in block310.

FIG.4depicts the representative major components of an example Computer System401that may be used in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. The particular components depicted are presented for the purpose of example only and are not necessarily the only such variations. The Computer System401may include a Processor410, Memory420, an Input/Output Interface (also referred to herein as I/O or I/O Interface)430, and a Main Bus440. The Main Bus440may provide communication pathways for the other components of the Computer System401. In some embodiments, the Main Bus440may connect to other components such as a specialized digital signal processor (not depicted).

The Processor410of the Computer System401may include one or more CPUs412. The Processor410may additionally include one or more memory buffers or caches (not depicted) that provide temporary storage of instructions and data for the CPU412. The CPU412may perform instructions on input provided from the caches or from the Memory420and output the result to caches or the Memory420. The CPU412may include one or more circuits configured to perform one or methods consistent with embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the Computer System401may contain multiple Processors410typical of a relatively large system. In other embodiments, however, the Computer System401may be a single processor with a singular CPU412.

The Memory420of the Computer System401may include a Memory Controller422and one or more memory modules for temporarily or permanently storing data (not depicted). In some embodiments, the Memory420may include a random-access semiconductor memory, storage device, or storage medium (either volatile or non-volatile) for storing data and programs. The Memory Controller422may communicate with the Processor410, facilitating storage and retrieval of information in the memory modules. The Memory Controller422may communicate with the I/O Interface430, facilitating storage and retrieval of input or output in the memory modules. In some embodiments, the memory modules may be dual in-line memory modules.

The I/O Interface430may include an I/O Bus450, a Terminal Interface452, a Storage Interface454, an I/O Device Interface456, and a Network Interface458. The I/O Interface430may connect the Main Bus440to the I/O Bus450. The I/O Interface430may direct instructions and data from the Processor410and Memory420to the various interfaces of the I/O Bus450. The I/O Interface430may also direct instructions and data from the various interfaces of the I/O Bus450to the Processor410and Memory420. The various interfaces may include the Terminal Interface452, the Storage Interface454, the I/O Device Interface456, and the Network Interface458. In some embodiments, the various interfaces may include a subset of the aforementioned interfaces (e.g., an embedded computer system in an industrial application may not include the Terminal Interface452and the Storage Interface454).

Logic modules throughout the Computer System401—including but not limited to the Memory420, the Processor410, and the I/O Interface430—may communicate failures and changes to one or more components to a hypervisor or operating system (not depicted). The hypervisor or the operating system may allocate the various resources available in the Computer System401and track the location of data in Memory420and of processes assigned to various CPUs412. In embodiments that combine or rearrange elements, aspects of the logic modules' capabilities may be combined or redistributed. These variations would be apparent to one skilled in the art.