Electronic torque wrench with detection of incorrect use
An electronic torque wrench ( 10 ) comprises a body with an axial extension along a longitudinal axis ( 11 ), a front end provided with a coupling ( 14 ) intended to engage the wrench on a joint to be tightened by manual rotation around a rotation axis ( 15 ) which is transverse to the longitudinal axis ( 11 ), and a handle ( 13 ) along the body for operating the wrench. A sensor ( 16 ) is intended to detect a torque applied with the wrench to the coupling ( 14 ) and comprises two flex sensor elements ( 16 a and 16 b ) which are arranged spaced apart along the longitudinal axis ( 11 ). An electronic control circuit ( 17 ) is connected to the sensor ( 16 ) for receiving signals from it and is intended to implement a method which comprises the steps: calculating, depending on flexing values detected by the two sensor elements ( 16 a and 16 b ), the point P along the longitudinal axis ( 11 ) which is used for applying the manual force of rotation of the wrench about the rotation axis ( 15 ); comparing the position of the point P with admissible predefined positions along the longitudinal axis ( 11 ); and emitting an error signal if the position of the point P does not correspond to these admissible positions.
1. A control method in an electronic torque wrench ( 10 ), the wrench ( 10 ) comprising:
a body with an axial extension along a longitudinal axis ( 11 );
a front end provided with a coupling ( 14 ) intended to engage the wrench on a joint to be tightened by manual rotation around a rotation axis ( 15 ) which is transverse to the longitudinal axis ( 11 );
a handle ( 13 ) along the body for operating the wrench;
a sensor ( 16 ) for detecting a torque applied with the wrench to the coupling ( 14 ) and comprising two flex sensor elements ( 16 a and 16 b ) which are arranged spaced apart along the longitudinal axis ( 11 );
an electronic control circuit ( 17 ) which is connected to the sensor ( 16 ) for receiving signals from it;
the method comprising the steps of:
calculating, depending on flexing values detected by the two sensor elements ( 16 a and 16 b ), the point P along the longitudinal axis ( 11 ) which is used for applying the manual force of rotation of the wrench around the rotation axis ( 15 );
comparing the position of the point P with admissible predefined positions along the longitudinal axis ( 11 );
emitting an error signal if the position of the point P does not correspond to these admissible positions.
2. The method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the positions considered admissible are a range of positions along the longitudinal axis ( 11 ).
3. The method according to claim 2 , characterized in that the range of positions along the longitudinal axis ( 11 ) is contained in the handle ( 13 ).
4. The method according to claim 2 , characterized in that the error signal contains the information relating to the position of the point P situated before or after the range of positions along the longitudinal axis ( 11 ) with respect to the front end of the wrench.
5. The method according to claim 4 , characterized in that said information is displayed on the body of the wrench in the form of arrows pointing in the direction along the longitudinal axis ( 11 ) towards which the hand must be moved along the wrench to bring the point P back within the range of positions.
6. The method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the error signal is shown on a display on the body of the wrench and/or is indicated acoustically with the emission of a sound.
7. The method according to claim 1 , characterized in that, if the position of the point P corresponds to the admissible predefined positions, the following step is performed: calculating, depending on flexing values detected by the two sensor elements ( 16 a and 16 b ), the rotation torque which is applied with the wrench to the joint ( 14 ) and displaying this torque on a display on the body of the wrench.
8. An electronic torque wrench ( 10 ) comprising:
a body with an axial extension along a longitudinal axis ( 11 );
a front end provided with a coupling ( 14 ) intended to engage the wrench on a joint to be tightened by manual rotation around a rotation axis ( 15 ) which is transverse to the longitudinal axis ( 11 );
a handle ( 13 ) along the body for operating the wrench;
a sensor ( 16 ) for detecting a torque applied with the wrench to the coupling ( 14 ) and comprising two flex sensor elements ( 16 a and 16 b ) which are spaced apart along the longitudinal axis ( 11 );
an electronic control circuit ( 17 ) which is connected to the sensor ( 16 ) for receiving signals from it;
wherein the two flex sensor elements ( 16 a and 16 b ) are connected to the said electronic control circuit ( 17 ) which is configured to carry out the method according to claim 1 .
9. The electronic torque wrench ( 10 ) according to claim 8 , characterized in that it comprises a display on the body of the wrench and/or an acoustic signalling device which are connected to the electronic control circuit for emitting the error signal.
10. The electronic torque wrench ( 10 ) according to claim 8 , characterized in that the electronic control circuit comprises an electronic memory ( 26 ) containing the positions or the limit values of a range of positions which are predefined as being admissible for the point P along the longitudinal axis ( 11 ).