Setting tool

A setting tool for driving fastening elements in a constructional component, includes a muzzle (14), a bolt guide (15) located in the muzzle (14), a magazine (20) for fastening elements (50) and releasably mountable on the tool housing (11) and having a connection section (21) provided at an end of the magazine (20) adjacent to the muzzle (14) and with which the magazine (20) is secured to the muzzle (14), and a connection device for releasably mounting the magazine (20) on the housing (11) and including a snap device (30) located between the magazine (20) and the housing (11) and having a snap member (33) and a counter-snap member (34) engageable with each other in a snap position (35) of the magazine (20), with the snap device (30) applying pressure to the muzzle (14) in the snap position (35).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a setting tool for driving fastening elements in a constructional component and including a housing, a guide located in the housing, a drive member displaceable in the guide, a muzzle, a bolt guide located in the muzzle, a magazine for fastening elements and releasably mountable on the housing and having a connection section provided at an end of the magazine adjacent to the muzzle and with which the magazine is secured to the muzzle.

2. Description of the Prior Art

In the setting tools of the type described above, in which the drive member such as setting piston or ram drives a fastening element in a constructional component, the drive member is accelerated in the direction toward the fastening element. In combustion-operated setting tools, the drive member is driven, e.g., by combustion gases. The drive member is accelerated in a direction of a fastening element by pressure of the expanding combustion gases acting on the drive member. The drive member drives the fastening element in the constructional component. The fastening elements are usually stored in a magazine provided in the region of the muzzle of the setting tool.

German Publication DE 33 37 278 A1 discloses a setting tool with a drive member for driving fastening elements and including a magazine mounted on the housing in the region of the muzzle and which pivots about a pivot points against a biasing force of a spring.

The drawback of this pivotal arrangement of the magazine on the setting tool housing consists in that an undesirable penetration of dirt in the magazine becomes possible. The dirt, which penetrates the magazine, can adversely affect the transportation of the fastening elements therein. In addition, the costs, which are associated with mounting of the magazine on the setting tool housing, are noticeably increased.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is a setting tool described above and in which the drawbacks, which are described above, are eliminated.

Another object of the present invention is a setting tool with an easy mounting of a magazine on the tool.

A further object of the present invention is a setting tool of the type described above with as tight as possible sealing of the tool housing and the magazine which would prevent penetration of dirt in both the housing and the magazine.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

These and other objects of the present invention, which will become apparent hereinafter, are achieved by providing a setting tool in which the connection means for releasably mounting the magazine on the housing includes snap means located between the magazine and the housing and having a snap member and a counter-snap member engageable with each other in locking or snap position of the magazine, with the snap means applying pressure to the muzzle in the snap position of the magazine.

With the snap member engageable with the counter-snap member, the magazine can be quickly mounted because with the connection means formed as a snap connection, the snap connection automatically snaps in when the magazine is pressed against the housing of the setting tool, whereby the magazine becomes connected with the setting tool housing, the muzzle. Simultaneously, with the magazine being pressed against the muzzle or the bolt guide, which is provided in the muzzle, a tight connection of the muzzle or the bolt guide on one hand, and the connection section of the magazine, on the other hand, is provided. The seam between the magazine and the muzzle is tightly closed. Therefore, when the magazine is mounted on the muzzle, no particles can penetrate into the magazine through the opening of the guide channel, which is provided in the magazine, and into the bolt guide open toward the magazine. A particular advantage consists in that in case the setting tool is inadvertently dropped, the snap connection can disengage so that the magazine can become at least partially detached from the setting tool. This can reduce the danger of breaking of components.

Advantageously, the snap means includes a slide, which is provided on one of the parts of the housing or the magazine and which is at least partially displaceable along a longitudinal extent of the magazine. The slide carries the snap member, and at least one elastic element is provided for biasing the slide.

The slide biases, in its biased position, the magazine against the muzzle in the snap position of the magazine.

The slide, which is displaceable in the longitudinal direction of the magazine, permits to achieve that a relatively high force is applied by the magazine to the muzzle. The counter-snap member is provided on another of the parts of the housing or magazine.

According to a further advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the slide is provided on the magazine and is biased by the elastic element in a direction away from the connection section. The snap member is provided at an end of the slide remote from the connection section and adjacent to the housing, and the counter-snap member is provided on the housing. This provides for a simple two-hand operation during detachment of the magazine from the setting tool. The tool operator holds the setting tool in one hand and the magazine in another hand and simultaneously displaces the slide, opening the snap connection.

Alternatively, the slide can be arranged on the housing.

It is further advantageous when additional connection means is provided between the muzzle and magazine and includes a hinge bearing having a pivot axis and provided on a side of the magazine remote from the housing. The pivot axis is located outside of the magazine and outside of the muzzle and extends at a right angle to a plane defined by the bolt guide and the magazine. Thereby, an easy mounting of the magazine on the muzzle and the setting tool housing is possible by easy pivoting of the magazine about the hinge bearing. With the pivot axis located outside of the magazine and outside of the housing, the magazine can be pivoted on the muzzle collision-free and over a large angle within a confined space.

It is advantageous when the hinge bearing has a curved support surface provided on the connection section of the magazine and a complementary curved counter-support surface provided on the muzzle. Preferably, the radius of the curved support surface is the same as the radius of the curved counter-support surface. Thereby, a simple positioning of both bearing sections over each other and, thus, of the magazine on the muzzle, and an easy pivoting during the pivotal process becomes possible. Further, a maximum large contact surface is provided, resulting in a small surface pressure. Therefore, impacts and blows which act on the bearing, are better absorbed during mounting of the magazine.

According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the support surface of the hinge bearing is concave, and the counter-support surface is convex. Thereby, upon mounting of the magazine on the muzzle, pivoting the magazine toward the housing is possible.

Optimal dimensions of the hinge bearing are achieved when the support surface and the counter-support surface span, respectively, an arcuate angle α1, α2from minimum 25° to maximum 185°.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIGS. 1 through 3show a muzzle region of a hand-held setting tool10according to the present invention. The setting tool10can be formed as an electrically or combustion-operated power tool and includes a setting mechanism located in the tool housing11. The setting mechanism includes a drive member13that is formed as a setting piston and is displaceable in a guide12. InFIGS. 1 through 3, the drive member13is shown in its initial position in which the drive member13is ready for a setting process.

In the muzzle14of the setting tool10, there is arranged a bolt guide15extending coaxially with the guide12in which the drive member13is displaceable. The muzzle14is placeable with its free end, remote from the housing11, against a workpiece. The bolt guide15serves for receiving and guiding fastening elements50(shown inFIG. 1) and for guiding a fastening element-driving end of the drive member13. A fastening element50, which is located in the bolt guide15, is driven, during a setting process, in a workpiece (not shown) by the drive member13movable in the direction of the free end of the bolt guide15.

Sidewise of the muzzle14, a magazine for fastening elements50, which is generally designated with a reference numeral20, projects. The magazine20is releasably mounted on the setting tool10. In the magazine20, there is provided a guide channel24for fastening elements50and which is open toward the bolt guide15, which makes the transportation of the fastening elements50from the guide channel24into the bolt guide15possible when the magazine20is secured to the housing11. At its end adjacent to the muzzle14, the magazine20has a connection section21which is formed as a connection member. The first narrow side25of the connection section21has a concave support surface22that forms together with a counter-support surface19, which is provided on a mounting section18of the muzzle14, a hinge bearing17a pivot axis S of which is located outside of the muzzle14and outside of the magazine20and at a right angle to a plane E defined by the bolt guide15and the magazine20. The concave support surface22and the convex support surface19are formed complementary to each other and provide for an arcuate angle α1, α2of minimum 25° to maximum 185° (seeFIG. 1), which insures an optimal guidance of the two surfaces relative to each other. The hinge bearing17is arranged on a side of magazine20remote from the housing11of the setting tool10.

The hinge bearing17supports the magazine20against the muzzle14in the drive-in direction of the drive member13and in a direction transverse to the longitudinal extent of the bolt guide15.

Opposite the narrow side25of the connection section21and the magazine20with its concave support surface22, a second narrow side26of the connection section21and the magazine20are arranged. On the second narrow side26, a stop A is provided in the region of the connection section21. The stop A engages an edge of the muzzle14in an attached position of the magazine20. The stop A supports the magazine20against the muzzle14in a direction opposite the drive-in direction of the drive member13. On the second narrow side26, in the region of the magazine body itself, there is provided a slide31of a snap connection generally designated with a reference numeral30. The slide31is displaceable, within certain limits, along a longitudinal extent of at least partially rectilinearly extending magazine20. The slide31is biased in a direction away from the connection section21of the magazine20by at least one elastic element32such as, e.g., a spring. The slide31has, in its end region remote from the connection section21of the magazine20, at least one snap element33that is brought in engagement with a counter-snap element34of the snap connection30and which is provided on the housing11of the setting tool10, in the snap position35shown inFIG. 1. In the snap position35, the magazine20is reliably secured on the setting tool10by the hinge bearing17in combination with the snap connection30. The biased slide31biases or presses the magazine20toward the muzzle14in a direction transverse to the bolt guide15. As a result, a seam23between the muzzle14or the bolt guide15, on one hand, and the connection section21of the magazine20, on the other hand, is tightly closed. In this position, in which the magazine20is secured to the muzzle14, no particles can penetrate through the opening of the guide channel24in the magazine20and in the bolt guide15that is open toward the magazine20.

In order to detach the magazine20from the muzzle14, the slide31is displaced manually against the biasing force of the at least one elastic element32in the direction of the arrow70into a release position36in which the slide31is shown inFIG. 1with dash lines. With this release of the snap connection between the snap member33and the counter-snap member34, the magazine20can be pivoted about the hinge bearing17with a virtual pivot axis S, which is located outside of the muzzle14and outside the magazine20, only in the direction of the pivot arrow71(see (FIGS. 2 and 3) until the magazine20is completely detached from the muzzle part14and becomes free.

For mounting the magazine20, this process is carried out in the opposite direction until the snap connection30becomes closed and the snap member33engages in the counter-snap element34.