Power tool with automatic chuck

Abstract

A power tool having a tool portion, a chuck and a lock. The tool portion has a housing, a motor, and a spindle driven by the motor. The chuck has a body coupled to the spindle for rotation therewith, and a sleeve rotatably disposed about the body. The lock has a first lock structure pivotally coupled to the housing about a pivot axis, and a second lock structure. The first lock structure has a first locking feature. The second lock structure has a second locking feature and is coupled to the sleeve for rotation therewith. Pivoting the first lock structure into a first pivot position positions the first locking feature in a rotational path of the second locking feature. Engagement of the first and second locking features inhibits rotation of the sleeve so that rotation of the spindle will cause corresponding rotation of the body relative to the sleeve.

1 .- 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A power tool comprising:
 a tool portion having a housing, a motor disposed in the housing, and an output spindle driven by the motor;   a chuck having a chuck body, which is coupled to the output spindle for rotation therewith, and a sleeve that is disposed about and rotatable relative to the chuck body;   the chuck further including jaws for holding a bit, wherein the jaws are configured to be movable in a direction of closing the jaws to hold the bit and a direction of opening the jaws to release the bit;   a trigger switch configured to operate the motor to drive the output spindle and the chuck;   an actuating mechanism configured to operate the motor to open and close the jaws;   further comprising at least one controller, the at least one controller configured to receive a trigger signal from the trigger switch indicative of operating the motor to rotate the jaws and further configured to receive an actuating mechanism signal from the actuating mechanism indicative of operating the motor to open and close the jaws;   wherein during an operation of closing the jaws, the at least one controller is configured to determine if the jaws of the chuck are at least one of open or closed by detecting a rate of rise in a current provided to the motor.   
     
     
         22 . The power tool of  claim 21 , wherein the controller determines if the jaws of the chuck are closed by determining whether the rate of rise of the current provided to the motor is above a predetermined threshold. 
     
     
         23 . The power tool according to  claim 21 , wherein when the at least one controller determines that the jaws of the chuck are at least one of opened or closed during the operation of closing the jaws, the controller is configured to halt the operation of opening or closing the jaws. 
     
     
         24 . The power tool according to  claim 23 , wherein the at least one controller halting the operation of opening or closing the jaws comprises at least one of a halting operation of the motor and vibrating the motor. 
     
     
         25 . The power tool of  claim 22 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to control the power tool to provide a short pulse of higher voltage power after detection of a rate of rise above a predetermined threshold. 
     
     
         26 . The power tool of  claim 25 , wherein power to the motor is interrupted after the short pulse of higher voltage. 
     
     
         27 . The power tool of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to determine if the jaws of the chuck are closed by detecting a rate of rise in a current provided to the motor. 
     
     
         28 . A method of operating a power tool, the power tool comprising a housing, a motor disposed in the housing, an output spindle driven by the motor, a controller which controls operation of the motor and a chuck, the chuck having a chuck body, which is coupled to the output spindle for rotation therewith, and a sleeve that is disposed about and rotatable relative to the chuck body, the chuck further including jaws for holding a bit and which may be moved in a direction of opening the jaws or a direction of closing the jaws; the method comprising:
 providing at least one of a trigger signal and an actuating mechanism signal to the controller;   operating the motor by the controller in accordance with the actuating mechanism signal to at least one of open and close the jaws when the controller receives an actuating mechanism signal indicative of opening or closing the jaws;   operating the motor by the controller in accordance with the trigger signal to drive the output spindle when the controller receives a trigger signal indicative of operating the motor to drive the output spindle and does not receive an actuating mechanism signal indicative of opening or closing the jaws; and   ignoring the trigger signal indicative of operating the motor to drive the output signal when the controller receives both the actuating mechanism signal indicative of opening or closing the jaws and the trigger signal indicative of operating the motor to drive the output spindle.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the controller compares the trigger signal with a predetermined threshold. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein when the controller determines that the trigger signal is greater than the predetermined threshold, the controller controls the power tool to supply power to the motor in accordance with the trigger signal. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising providing a trigger direction switch signal to the controller. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , further comprising the controller ignoring the trigger direction switch signal at least when the controller receives both the actuating mechanism signal indicative of opening or closing the jaws and the trigger signal indicative of operating the motor to drive the output spindle. 
     
     
         33 . A method of operating a power tool, the power tool comprising a housing, a motor disposed in the housing, an output spindle driven by the motor, a controller which controls operation of the motor, a trigger switch and a chuck, the chuck having a chuck body, which is coupled to the output spindle for rotation therewith, and a sleeve that is disposed about and rotatable relative to the chuck body, the chuck further including jaws for holding a bit and which may be moved in a direction of opening the jaws or a direction of closing the jaws; the method comprising:
 operating a user actuatable actuating mechanism to open the jaws, wherein the controller operates the motor at a first torque to open the jaws;   placing a bit between the open jaws;   operating the user actuatable actuating mechanism to close the jaws and hold the bit therebetween, wherein the controller operates the motor at a second torque to close the jaws, the second torque being less than the first torque;   operating a user actuatable trigger, separate from the user actuatable actuating mechanism, to rotate the chuck, including the jaws and the bit held by the jaws.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the operating the user actuable trigger to rotate the chuck comprises the controller operating the motor in accordance with a trigger signal received from the user actuatable trigger.