System for identi fying Hi ffprRnt working pnsif.inn,q of a portable power tool anH for monitoring and goΛrerning f.hs operation of a power tool .
The invention relates to a system for identifying the positions of a portable power tool at a process site when applied on working objects having one or more working positions and comprises a programmable control unit with a means for calculating and identifying the actual power tool position in relation to the position of the working object at the process site and to programmed co-ordinates of known working positions on a working object. The invention also comprises a system for monitoring and governing the operation of a power tool including a programmable control unit programmed with data for one or more power tool operation parameters suitable for each working position on a working object.
The invention concerns a system for improving the quality of the operation of a portable power tool on working objects having two or more working positions in different positions to be engaged by the power tool . The working object could be a mechanical structure, like a car body, stationary or travelling together with other structures on an assembly line and having a number of threaded fasteners to be tightened. It is important for the quality of the assembled product that all fasteners in all working positions on each structure are not only tightened but tightened in a correct way and to a correct pretension level .
A problem concerned with securing the quality of the work performed by a portable power tool is to accomplish an accurate and reliable position identification. A number of position identification systems have been described and used in practice, but most of them suffer from limitations in their application on large working objects, like car
bodies, where some working positions are located in "hidden" places on or inside the object.
In EP 1 230 563 there is described a system for power tool position identification wherein a number of super sonic sound wave emitters are located at the process site and arranged to emit sound waves of different characteristics, a receiver carried on the power tool and connected to a calculating unit for determining the actual power tool position in response to the individual travel times of the sound waves from the different sound wave emitters. This system is limited in use because of its dependency of a free sound wave propagation from the sound wave emitters to the power tool receiver without being screened off by parts of the working object, i.e. parts of a car body when working inside same.
In US 2002/0038159 there is described a system for identifying the working positions of a power tool where an image recognition system is used. This image recognition system includes an image pick-up device carried on the power tool, and a recognition device for comparing the picked up images with programmed pixel maps for determining which operating position the power tool is occupying. This known system is rather expensive and involves uncertainties as to the image recognition due to light reflections and/or a dusty environment at the process site.
The main object of the invention is to provide a position identifying system for a portable power tool by which the quality and reliability of the tool operation is improved in that the tool position indicating means is independent of environmental factors like dust and/or reflections and not limited in use in screened-off "hidden" working positions.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the specification and claims, and a preferred embodiment of the invention is below described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawing.
In the drawing there is illustrated schematically a system for identifying different positions of a portable power tool including a power tool 10 in the form of an angle nut runner which is connected via cables 12,13 to a programmable control unit 11 for receiving process operating data and power and delivering signals representing actual operation parameter values.
The power tool 10 is arranged to operate at a process site on an assembly line 15 carrying a number of objects 16a,b each having a number of working positions 18a,b,c,d. The objects 16a,b travelling on the line do not need to be identical, i.e. have working positions located at the same co-ordinates. The objects are identified by a specific means comprised in the process control system and their positions relative to different working sites along the line are continuously identified by the control system in response to position signals received from a sensing means on the assembly line drive motor (not shown) via a cable connection 19. The assembly line movement sensing means is comprised in a working site monitoring system installed as common feature in working premises of this type.
For determining the power tool position there are provided an inertia navigation system including accelerometer and gyro components for sensing the position changes of the tool . The components included in this system are located in a section 20 of the power tool 10. However, since the arrangement of these components per se does not form any part of this invention they are not described in further detail .
To be able to accurately determining the tool position there is required a reference position for repeatedly calibrating the system. Such a reference point is schematically illustrated at 22 in the drawing and is stationary relative to the working site, i.e. stationary relative to the surroundings in the working premises. Preferably, this reference point 22 is formed by a stationary socket member mounted on a fixed structure. Alternatively, the reference point could be stationary relative to the assembly line, which means that it would be moving relative to the surrounding premises but be stationary relative to the object to be worked. By means of position signals received from the assembly line drive motor via the cable connection 19 the control system 11 is still able to correctly identify such a moving reference point.
A reference point of this type could be formed by the identification mark carried on each object travelling on the assembly line, for instance a bar code marking. This is a common way to identify objects on an assembly line. A bar code reader mounted on the power tool (not illustrated) is put into place together with the power tool for identification of the actual object, and at the same time the position of the power tool relative to the object is registered. By the identification of the object the control system is able to provide information about the object like the number working positions, the exact location of each working position, the correct tightening parameter data for each threaded fastener to be tightened etc.
As described above, the inertia navigation system has to rely on a specific reference point with known co-ordinates, stationary or movable with the assembly line, as an initial or starting reference. During the continued tightening operation at the working site each preceding screw joint position is used as a reference point for defining the
power tool position before its application on the next screw joint position. This is possible since the control unit 11 is programmed with the co-ordinates of all the working positions 18a-d on each object, and the movement of the assembly line is continuously considered when determining the actual location of the working positions.
The embodiments of the invention are not limited to the described example but can be freely varied within the scope of the claims. For instance, in the described example the working object and the assembly line are of relatively small size, but an important application for the system according to the invention is car body assembling where the working positions / threaded fasteners to be tightened are disposed both inside and outside the car bodies.