Abstract:
A torque wrench is provided that includes a radio frequency identification (RFID) or near field communication (NFC) sensing mechanism that enables the wrench to receive information regarding the different attributes of a shaft that is operably connected to the wrench. The sensing mechanism can communicate with a corresponding RFID/NFC tag located in a shaft that is releasably connected to the wrench in order to receive information from the tag on the status of the shaft and set points for the application of torque using the shaft. Information can also be written and stored on the tag concerning the length of time the shaft has been in use.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application claims priority from U.S. Provisional patent Application Ser. No. 62/297,278, filed on Feb. 19, 2016, the entirety of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein for all purposes. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates generally to wrenches, and more specifically to an electronic torque wrench. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Torque wrenches are utilized to drive fasteners into a substrate while allowing the user to control the amount of force exerted on the fastener, such as to avoid damage to the substrate. 
         [0004]    In certain medical procedures, different implants are positioned within the patient and secured therein by fasteners driven by the tools using fasteners connected to the tool. The forces exerted on the fasteners should not exceed predetermined levels in order to avoid damage from being done to the patient or to the implant/fastener. However, without suitable feedback from the wrench in the form of alerts or displays it is difficult for the user to know the proper level of force or torque to or being applied the fastener. 
         [0005]    Prior art tools and wrenches enable user to input various set or alarm points into the tool that provide this feedback to the user for the particular fasteners and corresponding shafts used with the fasteners. This enables the user to be notified by the tool when a preset limit for the torque to be applied to a fastener is close to or has been reached by the user. This allows the user to properly tighten the fasteners in a manner that significantly limits the potential for over- or under tightening of the fastener, thereby reducing complications with regard to the medical procedure in which the implant and fasteners are being utilized. 
         [0006]    However, with the wide variety of shafts and fasteners utilized with any given tool, the torque of other forces applied by the tool to the fastener can vary significantly, such as when a manual driving tool is utilized versus a motorized driving tool. Also, the different types of fasteners can require different forces to engage the fasteners to similar depth based on the construction of the fasteners. As such, in order to compensate for the differences between the tools, it is necessary to manually input and/or reprogram the alerts into the tool to correspond to the particular fastener and corresponding shaft connected to the tool/wrench to drive the fastener. 
         [0007]    Thus, it is desirable to develop a driving tool such as a torque wrench, that is capable of being set without the need for manually inputting the alarm limits and set points for the particular fasteners and shafts. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    Briefly described, according to one exemplary and non-limiting embodiment of the invention a torque wrench includes a radio frequency identification (RFID) or near field communication (NFC) sensing mechanism or tag that enables the wrench to receive information regarding the different attributes of a shaft that is operably connected to the wrench. The sensing mechanism can communicate with a corresponding tag located on or in a shaft that is connected to the wrench. The tag stores information on the shaft and its manufacturer, usage and configuration and the fasteners, as well as any other relevant information concerning the shaft. This information can be transmitted to the wrench upon connection of the shaft to the wrench and used by a control system within the wrench to provide the user with alarm and set point indications during the use of the wrench and shaft to tighten one or more fasteners. 
         [0009]    According to another exemplary embodiment of the invention, the sensing mechanism can be utilized to record information about the shaft connected to the tool, and to store that information on the shaft. For example, the information written to the tag disposed on the shaft can include, but is not limited to, the amount of time a shaft has been in use, in order to prevent a shaft from being used past its useful life and to prevent unauthorized or counterfeit shafts from being able to be utilized with the wrench. 
         [0010]    Numerous other aspects, features, and advantages of the invention will be made apparent from the following detailed description together with the drawings figures. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    The drawings illustrate the best mode currently contemplated of practicing the present invention. 
           [0012]    In the drawings: 
           [0013]      FIG. 1  is an isometric view of an electronic driving tool according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention; 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view along line  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1 ; and 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of another exemplary embodiment of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0016]    Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation, not limitation, of the invention. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope and spirit thereof. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment may be used on another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. 
         [0017]    Referring now to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a driving tool or device  10 , such as an in-line electronic torque wrench, is illustrated in accordance with one exemplary and non-limiting embodiment of the invention, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,358,672, entitled Electronic Torque Wrench, the entirety of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. The electronic torque wrench  10  includes a wrench body  12 , a ratchet/wrench shaft  14 , a resilient grip handle  16 , a housing  18 , a battery assembly  19 , and an electronics unit  20  with a user interface or display  22  including display control buttons  86   c ,  86   d . In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, wrench body  12  is of generally a tubular construction, and receives shaft  14  at a first end and a power supply or battery assembly  19  at a second end, secured therein by an end cap  17 . Housing  18  is mounted therebetween and carries electronics unit  20 . 
         [0018]    As shown, a front end  26  of shaft  14  includes an adapter  28  connected to a suitable ratcheting mechanism (not shown) such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 7,413,065, incorporated by reference herein in its entirety for all purposes. The adapter  28  is configured to receive variously sized sockets, extensions, etc., that are releasably engaged within the adapter  28 . The adapter  28  can also be detachably connected to the shaft  14  by any suitable mechanism. 
         [0019]    The attachment mechanism for securing the shaft  14  to the body  12  includes a sensor  30  configured to sense the torque or strain exerted by the wrench  10  through the shaft  14  onto a fastener (not shown). The sensor  30  can take any of a number of suitable forms, such as a strain gauge, a Hall sensor, and a piezoelectric sensor, among others. 
         [0020]    The sensor  30  is operably connected to the electronics unit  20 , such that the signal generated by the sensor  30  can be transmitted to the unit  20 . Once in the unit  20 , the unit  20  can utilize the signal for a variety of purposes, such as to calculate a torque value from the signal to provide a real-time indication of the torque applied via the wrench  10  on the display  22 . 
         [0021]    The operation of the electronics unit  20  and the sensor  30  is controlled by a switch  32  disposed on the body  12 , and operably connected between the unit  20  and sensor  30 , and the power supply  19 , e.g., batter  21 , at the opposite end. Thus, depressing the protruding portion  35  of the switch  32  enables power to be selectively applied from the power supply  19  to the unit  20  and sensor  30  as desired. The engagement of the housing  18 , the body  12  the handle  16  and the end cap  17  provide an enclosure or barrier  33 , which can also be formed separately, for the battery assembly  19 , the electronics unit  20  and the sensor(s)  30  that enables the wrench  10  to be autoclaved for sterilization purposes without damaging the battery assembly  19 , the electronics unit  20  or the sensor  30 , as well as the display  22 . 
         [0022]    Looking now at  FIGS. 2 and 3 , where  FIG. 3  illustrated another exemplary and non-limiting embodiment of the invention where the tool  10  takes the form of a T-handle wrench, the wrench  10  further includes an RFID/NFC sensing mechanism  100  disposed within the housing  18 . The mechanism  100  is formed with a reader  101  operably connected to the electronics unit  20  and display  22 . The reader  101  is a device capable of sending and receiving information from a suitable RFID/NFC chip or tag  102  when the tag  102  is placed within a certain proximity of the reader  101 . The reader  101  can operated in a passive manner where the tag  102  is independently powered, such that the tag  102  actively sends a signal that is received by the reader  101 , and/or in an active manner where the reader  101  sends out a querying signal that serves to both to operate and interrogate the tag  102 . 
         [0023]    In either mode of operation, the reader  101  and is capable of sensing and receiving information from an RFID/NFC chip or tag  102 . In the illustrated exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 2 , the tag  102  is disposed on or operatively connected to the shaft  14 . The chip  102  includes a suitable storage medium  104  in which information about the shaft  14 , is stored. This information can include, but is not limited to, information on the manufacturer of the shaft  14 , the amount of time the shaft  14  has been in use, and the set points/torque limits for the use of the shaft  14  in tightening a fastener using the tool  10  and shaft  14 . When the tool  10  is in use, the reader  101  can update the information contained in the storage medium  104  on the tag  102 , thereby providing information on the length of use of the tool  10  and shaft  14 . Each time the tag  102  is accessed by the reader  101 , the information obtained from the tag  102  can be illustrated on the display  22  or in any other suitable manner to illustrate the current condition of the shaft  14  and whether the shaft  14  has exceeded its useful life, for example. Further, the tag  102  can supply information relating to the maximum torque to be applied using the shaft  14  and/or the maximum torque to be applied when engaging fasteners (not shown) of various types, with this information transmitted to the electronics control unit  20  from the reader  101  to automatically determine the torque set points for the procedure in which the tool  10  is going to be used. 
         [0024]    Looking now at  FIG. 3 , in another exemplary and non-limiting embodiment, the shaft  14  is illustrated as being detachable from the housing  18 , such that different shafts  14  suitable for different fasteners (not shown) or operations can be engaged with the housing  18 . In this exemplary embodiment, while the tag  102  can be disposed on the shaft  14  in any position where the reader  101  can sense and communicate with the tag  102 , the tag  102  is disposed within a hub  106  disposed on the shaft  14 . The hub  106  provides a locating feature to the shaft  14  and properly positions the shaft  14  adjacent the housing  18  when the shaft  14  is secured to the housing  18 . In this position, the tag  102  located within the hub  106  is positioned near the reader  101  such that the information stored on the tag  102  can be transferred to the reader  101  and electronics unit  20 . With that information the electronics unit  20  can operate the display  22  during use of the tool  10  to indicate to the user when the force/torque applied by the wrench to a fastener has reached one or more predetermined set points or exceeded the limit for the use of the shaft  14  and/or fastener. In addition, the information stored on and/or supplied by the tag  102  can provide an indication to the user of the length of service time for the shaft  14 , thereby providing an indication to the user of whether the shaft  14  can continue to be used in procedures, or if the shaft  14  requires replacement. Further, the information retained ion the tag  102  and accessed by the reader  101  can include compatibility information concerning those tools  10  with which the shaft  14  can be utilized. In this manner, the use of a shaft  14  that is incompatible with a particular tool  10  can be avoided prior to the shaft  14  being utilized in a procedure. 
         [0025]    In this manner, the electronics unit  20  can be configured for use with a particular shaft  14  simply by the connection of the hub  106  to the housing  18 , enabling the tag  102  to be sensed and read by the reader  101  with logic programmed in the device  10  transmitted to and utilized by the electronics unit  20  to set the appropriate torque alert level for that shaft  14 . The wrench  10  can correspondingly be set with multiple set points automatically without the need for any manual configuration, thereby the need for manual input and its chances for user error. 
         [0026]    In alternative exemplary embodiments, the tag reader  101  can be configured as a part of the electronics unit  20 , and the tag  102  can be an active or a passive tag embedded in the shaft  14  of an instruments or in the implant on a surgical tray. When the tag  102  is present in a location on the shaft  14  other than the hub  106 , the housing  18  and reader  101  can be positioned in close proximity to the tag  102  on the shaft  14  in order for the information to be sensed and received by the reader  101  and electronics unit  20  prior to engagement of the shaft  14  to the housing  18  for use. 
         [0027]    Various other embodiments of the invention are contemplated as being within the scope of the filed claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter regarded as the invention.