Electrical hand operated tool driving device with an electropneumatic striking mechanism

[0002] The invention relates to an electrical hand operated tool driving device, such as a hammer drill, a combination hammer or a chipping hammer, with an electropneumatic striking mechanism, preferably for striking operation, in the abrasive excavation of rock. Using electrical energy, by means of an electric motor and a suitable mechanical transformation, such electrical hand operated tool driving devices produce an axial, striking, oscillating and optionally, in addition, a superimposed rotational movement, which is transferred positively and not positively to a tool for appropriate use.

[0003] In the case of electropneumatic striking mechanisms, which are considered exclusively in these inventions, the mechanical energy, generally produced by an electric motor, is transferred over a cam to an oscillating driving piston and, from this, pneumatically over an air spring to a free piston, which passes on this mechanical striking energy over an anvil largely to a striking or striking and rotating tool.

[0004] Due to the repeated compression and expansion of the air column of the air spring and on the basis of thermodynamic processes, waste heat is produced, which is dissipated by conduction and convection of heat to a cooler wall of the housing of the electrical hand operated tool driving device. This wall warms up until a thermal equilibrium is reached. Depending on the power, surface temperatures of the housing wall may develop which, reaching above the permissible limiting temperatures ranging from 60° C. to 80° C., endanger the operator and his surroundings and thus limit the usable striking power of the electrical hand operated tool driving device.

[0005] Such electrical hand operated tool driving devices are known from the DE3205063A1. By means of cool air, which is produced by a fan of the electric motor and forced through the pneumatic striking mechanism and the cavities between the housing of the striking mechanism and the device housing, the striking mechanism is also cooled. According to the DE196265A1, this cooled air is passed by means of axial slots for the passage of air into an unlocking sleeve for releasing the tool from the tool holder and is used additionally for cooling the front region of the striking mechanism, the tool holder or chuck and the rear region of the tool shaft, where high temperatures occur due to the impact friction. The cooling power of the wall of the housing, which is limited by the convection of the cooling air, and the thus limited usable striking power of the electrical hand operated tool driving device are disadvantages of such solutions.

[0006] The DE4020773A1 discloses such an electrical hand operated tool driving device with an additional container for a cooling liquid and a nozzle for producing a spray mist for wetting the excavated material, for cooling the tool in the region of the abrasively acting tool cutting edges and for flushing the material removed. The cooling liquid is not used to cool the impact mechanism or the electrical hand operated tool driving device.

[0007] It is a primary object of this invention to avoid the above disadvantages and to provide a more efficient cooling of the striking mechanism in order to increase the usable impact power of the electrical hand operated tool driving device, which is limited by the permissible limiting temperatures of the walls of the device housing.

[0008] Essentially, a housing of the electrical hand operated tool driving device has cooling ducts, which surround the impact mechanism and through which a liquid cooling medium, preferably water, is passed.

[0009] Advantageously, the cooling ducts are branched once or several times from a helical distributing duct in the flow direction along the striking axis in the axial region along the air spring in order to increase the length of the cooling ducts and, with that, the usable cooling surface of the striking mechanism.

[0010] For forming the cooling ducts, the housing advantageously is constructed with a double wall. When different materials are used, adequate protection against corrosion is assured by the appropriate pairing of noncorrosive materials and by coatings and coverings in order to avoid the formation of corrosion.

[0011] Furthermore, it is advantageous to use the cooling medium to cool the driving mechanism of the electrical hand operated tool driving device and/or of the motor electronics, before it is used to cool the striking mechanism. Advantageously, the cooling medium is pumped by a pressure-producing pump through the cooling ducts and subsequently also advantageously, for flushing and cooling the tool, sprayed through a nozzle onto the working area of the tool excavating abrasive material.

[0012] The drawing contains a preferred embodiments of the invention where:

[0013] FIG. 1 is an axially extending partial sectional view of a tool driving device embodying the invention; and

[0014] FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of another embodiment of the invention illustrating the flow of the cooling medium.

[0015] In FIG. 1, an electrical hand operated tool driving device 1 is shown with an electropneumatic striking mechanism 2, which consists of means for actuating a driving piston 4, driven electrically by an electrical driving mechanism 3, with an air spring 5 between the driving piston and a free piston 6. Liquid-tight cooling ducts 10, 11, 12, 13, are disposed within a preferably double-wall housing 7 of the electrical hand operated tool driving device 1 and preferably are formed by internal recesses in individual parts of the housing 7. Starting from a cooling medium inlet 10, which, in the flow direction of a cooling medium 8, is advantageously disposed after the cooling of the electrical driving mechanism 3 and of the electronics 9 for the driving mechanism 3, the depressions branch in a distributor duct 11, extending in ring-shape fashion through one or more annular ducts 12 winding at least partially helically about and radially outwardly from a striking axis A passing through the air spring 5, for cooling the striking mechanism 2, and subsequently end in an outlet 13 for further use of the cooling medium 8 or, as indicated by the broken line, is returned through a loop to the inlet 10.

[0016] In FIG. 2, the electrical hand operated tool driving device 1 has an additional cooling medium container 15 mounted on the housing 7, which advantageously is disposed in the lower region of a predominantly horizontally used tool driving device 1 and is provided with a pump 14 for producing a flow of cooling medium 8. Further, a tubular nozzle 17 is mounted on the housing 7 and is directed toward the free end of a tool 16 secured in the tool driving device 1, for flushing and cooling the cutting edges of the tool 16.

[0017] What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by letters patent is set forth in the appended claims.