IP Library Granted Patent US 12,427,634
Granted Patent B2
US 12,427,634 · App. 16/706,365 · Granted Sep 30, 2025

Gas spring-powered fastener driver

Inventors: David Bierdeman (New Berlin, WI); Andrew R. Wyler (Pewaukee, WI); Nicholas A. Albers (Portland, OR); Mitchell Ellena (Brookfield, WI)
Assignee: MILWAUKEE ELECTRIC TOOL CORPORATION
B25C1/041B25C1/008B25C1/047
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,427,634
App. No.
16/706,365
Granted
Sep 30, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A gas spring-powered fastener driver includes a cylinder, a moveable piston positioned within the cylinder, and a driver blade attached to the piston and movable therewith between a top-dead-center (TDC) position and a driven or bottom-dead-center (BDC) position. The driver blade defines a driving axis. The driver blade includes a body having a first side and an opposite, second side with the driving axis passing therebetween. A plurality of teeth extends from the first side of the body. A plurality of projections extends from the second side of the body. The body, the teeth, and the projections are bisected by a common plane. A lifter is operable to move the driver blade from the BDC position toward the TDC position, and is engageable with the teeth. A latch assembly is movable between a latched state, and a released state. The latch assembly is configured to engage with the projections.

Claims (20)

1. A gas spring-powered fastener driver comprising:

a cylinder;

a moveable piston positioned within the cylinder;

a driver blade attached to the piston and movable therewith between a top-dead-center (TDC) position and a driven or bottom-dead-center (BDC) position, the driver blade including a body and a plurality of teeth extending therefrom, the driver blade defining a driving axis; and

a lifter operable to move the driver blade from the BDC position toward the TDC position, the lifter having a plurality of drive pins, at least one of the drive pins including a roller bushing positioned on the at least one drive pin and configured to engage with one of the teeth of the driver blade when moving the driver blade from the BDC position toward the TDC position, wherein each one of the plurality of teeth includes a contact surface engageable with the roller bushing and/or one of the drive pins as the lifter moves the driver blade from the BDC position toward the TDC position, and wherein the contact surface of each tooth defines an included angle with the driving axis that is greater than 90 degrees,

wherein the driver blade includes an elongated body defining a first side and a second side opposite the first side,

wherein the teeth extend laterally from the first side of the body,

wherein a projection extends laterally from the second side of the body,

wherein the body, the teeth, and the projection are bisected by a common plane that extends between the first and second sides,

wherein the projection has a shape that is different from a shape of each of the plurality of teeth,

wherein a latch is configured to engage the projection to maintain the driver blade between the TDC position and BDC position, and

wherein the projection is one of a plurality of projections extending laterally from the second side of the body and the same shape, the latch configured to engage each of the projections, and wherein a surface of each of the plurality of projections engageable by the latch is between the contact surfaces of adjacent teeth of the plurality of teeth.

2. The gas spring-powered fastener driver of claim 1 , wherein the angle is between 110 degrees and 120 degrees.

3. The gas spring-powered fastener driver of claim 2 , wherein the angle is 115 degrees.

4. The gas spring-powered fastener driver of claim 1 , wherein each drive pin includes a respective roller bushing positioned thereon, and wherein each roller bushing is configured to engage the contact surface of one of the teeth.

5. The gas spring-powered fastener driver of claim 1 , wherein the contact surface of each tooth is disposed on a side of the tooth facing away from the piston.

6. The gas spring-powered fastener driver of claim 1 , wherein each tooth includes a surface opposite the contact surface that defines an included angle that is greater than 90 degrees.

7. The gas spring-powered fastener driver of claim 1 , wherein a surface of the projection engageable by the latch is offset along the driving axis relative to the contact surface of a lowermost tooth of the plurality of teeth.

8. The gas spring-powered fastener driver of claim 7 , wherein the surface of the projection is closer to the piston than the contact surface of the lowermost tooth of the plurality of teeth.

9. The gas spring-powered fastener driver of claim 1 , wherein the shape of each of the plurality of teeth is different from the shape of each of the plurality of projections.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 8, 2021
From: BIERDEMAN, DAVID; WYLER, ANDREW R.; ALBERS, NICHOLAS A.; ELLENA, MITCHELL
To: MILWAUKEE ELECTRIC TOOL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 055183/0736 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation In Part 16437621 · Jun 11, 2019
Provisional Application 62683460 · Jun 11, 2018
Related Publication 20200114500A1 · Apr 16, 2020
References Cited (234)
US 2801415A · Jenny · 1957 [cited by applicant]
US 2801417A · Jenny · 1957 [cited by applicant]
US 2801418A · Jenny · 1957 [cited by applicant]
US 2850738A · Campbell et al. · 1958 [cited by applicant]
US 3049715A · Allen · 1962 [cited by applicant]
US 3190187A · Doyle · 1965 [cited by applicant]
US 3198412A · Roosa · 1965 [cited by applicant]
US 3496840A · Wandel et al. · 1970 [cited by applicant]
US 3673922A · Doyle · 1972 [cited by applicant]
US 3760695A · Rothfuss · 1973 [cited by applicant]
US 3776445A · Pomeroy · 1973 [cited by applicant]
US 3945120A · Ritz · 1976 [cited by applicant]
US 3952814A · Gelfand et al. · 1976 [cited by applicant]
US 3969989A · Maurer et al. · 1976 [cited by applicant]
US 4129240A · Geist · 1978 [cited by applicant]
US 4197974A · Morton et al. · 1980 [cited by applicant]
US 4441644A · Farian · 1984 [cited by applicant]
US 4442670A · Goldman · 1984 [cited by applicant]
US 4463888A · Geist et al. · 1984 [cited by applicant]
US 4510894A · Williams · 1985 [cited by applicant]
US 4624401A · Gassner et al. · 1986 [cited by applicant]
US 4739915A · Cotta · 1988 [cited by applicant]
US 4753115A · Moody · 1988 [cited by applicant]
US 4879875A · Davert et al. · 1989 [cited by applicant]
US 5025971A · Schafer et al. · 1991 [cited by applicant]
US 5091123A · Fealey · 1992 [cited by examiner]
US 5138908A · Raetz et al. · 1992 [cited by applicant]
US 5197647A · Howell · 1993 [cited by applicant]
US 5219110A · Mukoyama · 1993 [cited by applicant]
US 5297713A · Perra et al. · 1994 [cited by applicant]
US 5309714A · Putney et al. · 1994 [cited by applicant]
US 5322189A · Oda · 1994 [cited by applicant]
US 5433367A · Liu · 1995 [cited by applicant]
US 5441192A · Sugita et al. · 1995 [cited by applicant]
US 5720423A · Kondo · 1998 [cited by examiner]
US 5722643A · Chamberlin et al. · 1998 [cited by applicant]
US 5853211A · Sawdon et al. · 1998 [cited by applicant]
US 5924671A · Baumann · 1999 [cited by applicant]
US 5937683A · Chartier · 1999 [cited by examiner]
US 5951449A · Oppriecht · 1999 [cited by applicant]
US 6012622A · Weinger et al. · 2000 [cited by applicant]
US 6076799A · Baumann · 2000 [cited by applicant]
US 6168093B1 · Greer, Jr. et al. · 2001 [cited by applicant]
US 6176412B1 · Weinger et al. · 2001 [cited by applicant]
US 6179192B1 · Weinger et al. · 2001 [cited by applicant]
US 6267284B1 · Clark · 2001 [cited by applicant]
US 6296167B1 · Jen · 2001 [cited by applicant]
US 6357534B1 · Buetow et al. · 2002 [cited by applicant]
US 6679411B2 · Popovich et al. · 2004 [cited by applicant]
US 6698200B1 · Rauen · 2004 [cited by applicant]
US 6705503B1 · Pedicini et al. · 2004 [cited by applicant]
US 7064462B2 · Hempe et al. · 2006 [cited by applicant]
US 7175064B2 · Schell et al. · 2007 [cited by applicant]
US 7201301B2 · Moeller et al. · 2007 [cited by applicant]
US 7225768B2 · Akiba et al. · 2007 [cited by applicant]
US 7284685B1 · Wojcicki · 2007 [cited by applicant]
US 7299959B2 · Ishizawa et al. · 2007 [cited by applicant]
US 7314025B2 · Shkolnikov et al. · 2008 [cited by applicant]
US 7316209B2 · Akiba et al. · 2008 [cited by applicant]
US 7320422B2 · Schell et al. · 2008 [cited by applicant]
US 7407071B2 · Sperrfechter et al. · 2008 [cited by applicant]
US 7516532B2 · Wojcicki · 2009 [cited by applicant]
US 7549562B2 · Wu et al. · 2009 [cited by applicant]
US 7584723B2 · Schkolnikov et al. · 2009 [cited by applicant]
US 7591236B2 · Moeller et al. · 2009 [cited by applicant]
US 7712647B2 · Tanji · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 7726533B2 · Wojcicki · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 8011441B2 · Leimbach et al. · 2011 [cited by applicant]
US 8011547B2 · Leimbach et al. · 2011 [cited by applicant]
US 8074855B2 · Johnson · 2011 [cited by applicant]
US 8230941B2 · Leimbach et al. · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 8267296B2 · Leimbach et al. · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 8267297B2 · Leimbach et al. · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 8286722B2 · Leimbach et al. · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 8292144B2 · Maltais et al. · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 8336748B2 · Hlinka et al. · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 8387718B2 · Leimbach et al. · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 8387845B2 · Franz · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 8397967B2 · Calvet et al. · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 8408438B2 · Taylor · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 8418587B2 · DeBaker · 2013 [cited by examiner]
US 8556148B2 · Schell et al. · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 8567654B2 · Wu et al. · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 8602282B2 · Leimbach et al. · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 8733609B2 · Weigmann et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 8746526B2 · Hlinka et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 8763874B2 · McCardle et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 8844787B2 · Shima et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 8899460B2 · Wojcicki · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 9126318B2 · Cheung et al. · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 9469021B2 · Gregory et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 9486904B2 · Gregory et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 9492915B2 · Largo et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 9498871B2 · Gregory et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 9539714B1 · Pedicini · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 9643305B2 · Gregory et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 9649755B2 · Gregory et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 9664045B2 · Mina et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 9676041B2 · Allen · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 9676088B2 · Leimbach et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 9827658B2 · Gregory et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 9868196B2 · Chien · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 9912020B2 · Glasgow et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 10126107B2 · Khangar · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 10173310B2 · Wyler et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10625407B2 · Sato · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 10632600B2 · Pomeroy · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 10632601B2 · Pomeroy · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 10654155B2 · Meyer · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 10821586B2 · Wu · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 10821591B2 · Verbrugge et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 10898994B2 · Carrier · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 20030121948A1 · Hsien · 2003 [cited by applicant]
US 20040150137A1 · Palmer et al. · 2004 [cited by applicant]
US 20050194419A1 · Smolinski · 2005 [cited by examiner]
US 20060086210A1 · Kingham · 2006 [cited by applicant]
US 20060175373A1 · Erhardt et al. · 2006 [cited by applicant]
US 20060175374A1 · Zahner et al. · 2006 [cited by applicant]
US 20060180631A1 · Pedicini et al. · 2006 [cited by applicant]
US 20060186171A1 · Porth et al. · 2006 [cited by applicant]
US 20070034659A1 · Moeller et al. · 2007 [cited by applicant]
US 20070187452A1 · Budzisz · 2007 [cited by examiner]
US 20070210134A1 · Oda et al. · 2007 [cited by applicant]
US 20070271761A1 · Haytayan · 2007 [cited by applicant]
US 20080067212A1 · Wen · 2008 [cited by applicant]
US 20080179371A1 · Gardner et al. · 2008 [cited by applicant]
US 20080190986A1 · Chang et al. · 2008 [cited by applicant]
US 20080190988A1 · Pedicini et al. · 2008 [cited by applicant]
US 20090194573A1 · Liang et al. · 2009 [cited by applicant]
US 20090250500A1 · Brendel et al. · 2009 [cited by applicant]
US 20090321495A1 · Hirabayashi et al. · 2009 [cited by applicant]
US 20100012446A1 · Ollat et al. · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 20100155096A1 · Morrison · 2010 [cited by examiner]
US 20100213235A1 · Pedicini et al. · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 20110180582A1 · Cordeiro et al. · 2011 [cited by applicant]
US 20110198381A1 · McCardle · 2011 [cited by examiner]
US 20120090850A1 · Botich · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 20120160889A1 · Tanji · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 20120227389A1 · Hinderks · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 20130320063A1 · Gregory et al. · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 20130320064A1 · Gregory et al. · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 20140034700A1 · Chang · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 20140087631A1 · Raghavan et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 20140174839A1 · Steben et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 20140260231A1 · Burns · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 20140361066A1 · Liu et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 20150102084A1 · Zhao · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 20150196995A1 · Neitzell · 2015 [cited by examiner]
US 20150275849A1 · Sieber et al. · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 20160096259A1 · Pedicini · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20160144497A1 · Boehm et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20160229043A1 · Wyler et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20160288305A1 · McCardle et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20160325420A1 · Krout et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20160333542A1 · Jinnings et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20170016555A1 · Franconi · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20170036333A1 · Lin · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20170036334A1 · Baskar et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20170049452A1 · Milliman · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20170066116A1 · Garber et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20170100829A1 · Pedicini et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20170175696A1 · Florijancic et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20170190037A1 · Sato et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20170217004A1 · Kato · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20170254204A1 · Mina et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20170266796A1 · Leimbach et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20170274513A1 · Pedicini et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20180001461A1 · Pedicini et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180022049A1 · Montgomery · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180036870A1 · Komazaki et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180071904A1 · Gregory et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180085904A1 · Gregory et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180126527A1 · Pomeroy et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180126528A1 · Pomeroy et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180126529A1 · Pomeroy · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 20180126530A1 · Pomeroy et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180126532A1 · Pomeroy · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 20180152076A1 · Alei et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180154505A1 · Sato et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180169846A1 · Fan et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180178361A1 · Kabbes · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 20180193990A1 · Zhao et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180290279A1 · Kobori · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 20190091845A1 · Wyler et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20190126453A1 · Po · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20190168366A1 · Yasutomi et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20190201597A1 · Shelton, IV et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20190224833A1 · Watanabe et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20190366527A1 · Akiba · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20190375084A1 · Bierdeman · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20190381643A1 · Fan · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20200030953A1 · Tan · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20200114500A1 · Bierdeman et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20200164498A1 · Wechselberger · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20200223044A1 · Xiao Chuan · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20200282534A1 · Po · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20210008701A1 · Tan · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 20210205969A1 · Zhu · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20210291335A1 · Liu et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20210299835A1 · Ward · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 20210316433A1 · Ueda et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20210347023A1 · Carrier · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 20220134525A1 · Bandy · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 20220143798A1 · Cholst · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 20220219301A1 · Bierdeman · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 20220250222A1 · Garces · 2022 [cited by examiner]
CN 102554878B · 2012 [cited by applicant]
CN 102689289B · 2012 [cited by applicant]
CN 202702169U · 2013 [cited by applicant]
CN 103707264B · 2014 [cited by applicant]
CN 203863632U · 2014 [cited by applicant]
CN 204136014U · 2015 [cited by applicant]
CN 105818099A · 2016 [cited by applicant]
CN 205835215U · 2016 [cited by applicant]
CN 106457539A · 2017 [cited by applicant]
CN 107020674A · 2017 [cited by applicant]
CN 107249823A · 2017 [cited by applicant]
CN 107708934A · 2018 [cited by applicant]
DE 1403600A1 · 1959 [cited by applicant]
DE 6915710U · 1969 [cited by applicant]
DE 2510858C2 · 1976 [cited by applicant]
DE 8711784U1 · 1987 [cited by applicant]
DE 112018002619T5 · 2020 [cited by applicant]
EP 0147601A1 · 1985 [cited by applicant]
JP H0617882U · 1994 [cited by applicant]
JP 2006017882U · 2006 [cited by applicant]
NO 2016046188A1 · 2016 [cited by applicant]
WO 2008149902A1 · 2008 [cited by applicant]
WO 2016190133A1 · 2016 [cited by applicant]
WO 2017056810A1 · 2017 [cited by applicant]
WO 2017061425A1 · 2017 [cited by applicant]
WO 2018061556A1 · 2018 [cited by applicant]
International Search Report and Written Opinion for Application No. PCT/US2019/036520 dated Sep. 25, 2019 (14 pages). [cited by applicant]
International Search Report and Written Opinion for International Application No. PCT/US2020/063204 dated May 3, 2021 (13 pages). [cited by applicant]