Blind rivet nut-setting tool
A method of operating a blind rivet nut-setting tool includes pressing a blind rivet nut on an output shaft of the tool against a workpiece, thereby applying an external force to the output shaft to move the output shaft in a rearward direction along a longitudinal axis from a first position to a second position, activating a first motor to rotate the output shaft about the longitudinal axis in response to the output shaft activating a limit switch after reaching the second position, thereby rotating the output shaft relative to the blind rivet nut causing plastic deformation of the blind rivet nut, and activating a second motor to translate the output shaft along the longitudinal axis in the rearward direction, causing further plastic deformation of the blind rivet nut and permanently setting the blind rivet nut on the workpiece.
1 . A method of operating a blind rivet nut-setting tool, the method comprising:
pressing a blind rivet nut on an output shaft of the tool against a workpiece, thereby applying an external force to the output shaft to move the output shaft in a rearward direction along a longitudinal axis from a first position to a second position;
activating a first motor to rotate the output shaft about the longitudinal axis in response to the output shaft activating a limit switch after reaching the second position, thereby rotating the output shaft relative to the blind rivet nut causing plastic deformation of the blind rivet nut; and
activating a second motor to translate the output shaft along the longitudinal axis in the rearward direction, causing further plastic deformation of the blind rivet nut and permanently setting the blind rivet nut on the workpiece,
wherein the step of activating the second motor includes translating a carrier from a first carrier position to a second carrier position, and
wherein the step of translating the carrier from the first carrier position to the second carrier position includes the second motor rotating a cam member coupled to the carrier about a rotational axis.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein in response to the limit switch being activated, the step of the first motor being caused to rotate the output shaft about the longitudinal axis is automatically performed.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the cam member includes a pin arranged in a lobe of the carrier.
4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the rotational axis is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.
5 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising, in response to the carrier being translated from the first carrier position to the second carrier position, detecting a magnet on the cam member with a sensor.
6 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising, in response to detecting the magnet with the sensor, activating the second motor to rotate the cam member to translate the carrier from the second carrier position to the first carrier position.
7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
depressing a trigger to activate the second motor, causing the second motor and a cam member to rotate about a rotational axis and displace the output shaft along the longitudinal axis to a third position where the blind rivet nut becomes plastically deformed and permanently set on the workpiece; and
depressing a reverse trigger to activate the first motor and rotate the output shaft in an unthreading direction to unthread the blind rivet nut from the output shaft.
8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the step of rotating the cam member includes causing a pin to move within a recess, which displaces a carrier from a first carrier position to a second carrier position.
9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising, in response to the carrier being translated from the first carrier position to the second carrier position, detecting a magnet on the cam member with a sensor.
10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising, in response to detecting the magnet with the sensor, activating the second motor to rotate the cam member to translate the carrier from the second carrier position to the first carrier position.
11 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the rotational axis is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.
12 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
activating the first motor to rotate the output shaft about the longitudinal axis in response to the output shaft reaching the second position, thereby coupling the blind rivet nut onto the output shaft and translating the output shaft toward the first position;
deactivating the first motor in response to the output shaft returning to the first position, at which point the blind rivet nut is engaged with a nosepiece of the tool; and
activating the second motor to translate the output shaft along the longitudinal axis toward a third position that is rearward of the first position, thereby crushing the blind rivet nut against the nosepiece.
13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising activating the first motor to rotate the output shaft about the longitudinal axis to unthread the output shaft from the blind rivet nut after crushing the blind rivet nut against the nosepiece.
14 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising activating a limit switch in response to the step of applying the external force to the output shaft to move the output shaft in the rearward direction along the longitudinal axis from the first position to the second position, wherein in response to the limit switch being activated, the step of the first motor being caused to rotate the output shaft about the longitudinal axis is automatically performed.
15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the step of activating the second motor to translate the output shaft along the longitudinal axis to the third position that is rearward of the first position includes translating a carrier from a first carrier position to a second carrier position.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the step of translating the carrier from the first carrier position to the second carrier position includes the second motor rotating a cam member about a rotational axis with a pin arranged in a lobe of the carrier.
17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the rotational axis is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.
18 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising, in response to the carrier being translated from the first carrier position to the second carrier position, detecting a magnet on the cam member with a sensor.
19 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising, in response to detecting the magnet with the sensor, activating the second motor to rotate the cam member to translate the carrier from the second carrier position to the first carrier position.
20 . A method of operating a blind rivet nut-setting tool, the method comprising:
pressing a blind rivet nut on an output shaft of the tool against a workpiece, thereby applying an external force to the output shaft to move the output shaft in a rearward direction along a longitudinal axis from a first position to a second position;
activating a first motor to rotate the output shaft about the longitudinal axis in response to the output shaft activating a limit switch after reaching the second position, thereby rotating the output shaft relative to the blind rivet nut causing plastic deformation of the blind rivet nut;
activating a second motor to translate the output shaft along the longitudinal axis in the rearward direction, causing further plastic deformation of the blind rivet nut and permanently setting the blind rivet nut on the workpiece;
depressing a trigger to activate the second motor, causing the second motor and a cam member to rotate about a rotational axis and displace the output shaft along the longitudinal axis to a third position where the blind rivet nut becomes plastically deformed and permanently set on the workpiece; and
depressing a reverse trigger to activate the first motor and rotate the output shaft in an unthreading direction to unthread the blind rivet nut from the output shaft.
21 . A method of operating a blind rivet nut-setting tool, the method comprising:
pressing a blind rivet nut on an output shaft of the tool against a workpiece, thereby applying an external force to the output shaft to move the output shaft in a rearward direction along a longitudinal axis from a first position to a second position;
activating a first motor to rotate the output shaft about the longitudinal axis in response to the output shaft activating a limit switch after reaching the second position, thereby rotating the output shaft relative to the blind rivet nut causing plastic deformation of the blind rivet nut;
activating a second motor to translate the output shaft along the longitudinal axis in the rearward direction, causing further plastic deformation of the blind rivet nut and permanently setting the blind rivet nut on the workpiece;
activating the first motor to rotate the output shaft about the longitudinal axis in response to the output shaft reaching the second position, thereby coupling the blind rivet nut onto the output shaft and translating the output shaft toward the first position;
deactivating the first motor in response to the output shaft returning to the first position, at which point the blind rivet nut is engaged with a nosepiece of the tool; and
activating the second motor to translate the output shaft along the longitudinal axis toward a third position that is rearward of the first position, thereby crushing the blind rivet nut against the nosepiece.