Adaptor for power tool devices

• US 10,569,398 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2019
• Issued: 02/25/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Inventors: Mergener, Matthew J., Stampfl, Burtrom Lee, Monteleone, Michael, Conrad, Cole A., Matson, Stephen, Hollis, Robert R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Islam, Muhammad S
• Application Number:
  US16/246,017
• Publication Number:
  US 20190143495A1
• Time in Patent Office: 410 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B23B 45/008 Gear boxes, clutches, bearings, feeding mechanisms or like equipment
• CPC Class Codes: B23B 47/00 Constructional features of components specially designed for boring or drilling machines; Accessories therefor working-spindles, bearing sleeves therefor B23Q1/70; for machine tools in general B23Q
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 21/008 with automatic change-over from high speed-low torque mode to low speed-high torque mode
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 21/02 with means for imparting impact to screwdriver blade or nut socket
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 23/1475 for impact wrenches or screwdrivers
• CPC Class Codes: B25D 16/006 Mode changers; Mechanisms connected thereto
• CPC Class Codes: B25D 2216/0015 Tools having a percussion-only mode
• CPC Class Codes: B25D 2216/0023 Tools having a percussion-and-rotation mode
• CPC Class Codes: B25D 2216/0038 Tools having a rotation-only mode
• CPC Class Codes: B25D 2250/005 Adjustable tool components; Adjustable parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B25D 2250/041 Cable management or routing of electrical cables and wires
• CPC Class Codes: B25D 2250/221 Sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B25F 5/00 Details or components of portable power-driven tools not particularly related to the operations performed and not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0024 Parallel/serial switching of connection of batteries to charge or load circuit

Abstract

An adapter for a power tool including a housing, a tool-side connector, and a battery-side connector in electrical communication with each other. The tool-side connector is configured to couple to a power tool, and the battery-side connector is configured to couple to a battery pack. The adapter also includes a communication interface configured to couple with an external device, and a controller. The controller is configured to determine a state of the power tool, operate in a data transmission mode when the power tool is in the idle state, operate in a pass-through mode when the power tool is in the active state, and switch between the data transmission mode and the pass-through mode based on the state of the power tool.

Claims

1. An adapter for a power tool, the adapter comprising:

an adapter housing including a top side, a bottom side opposite the top side, and a sidewall connecting the top side and the bottom side;

a tool-side connector supported by the adapter housing and positioned on the top side of the adapter housing, the tool-side connector including a plurality of contacts configured to couple to a device interface of the power tool, the plurality of contacts including a first contact, a second contact, and a third contact;

a latching tab supported by the adapter housing, and positioned in a raised portion of the top side of the adapter housing, wherein the latching tab is configured to engage with a power tool housing to secure the adapter to the power tool;

a battery-side connector supported by the adapter housing and positioned on the bottom side of the adapter housing, the battery-side connector configured to couple to a battery pack;

an indicator supported by the adapter housing and positioned on the sidewall of the adapter housing, the indicator configured to provide an indication regarding communication between the adapter and an external device;

a push-button switch supported by the adapter housing and positioned on the sidewall of the adapter housing;

a controller supported inside the adapter housing and coupled to the indicator and the push-button switch; and

an integrated power source supported inside the adapter housing.

2. The adapter of claim 1, further comprising an actuator supported by the adapter housing, and mechanically linked to the latching tab, wherein actuation of the actuator moves the latching tab out of engagement with the power tool housing.

3. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the sidewall is a front sidewall of the adapter housing.

4. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the adapter is configured to receive power tool configuration data from the external device;

and

wherein the power tool is configured to operate based on the power tool configuration data.

5. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the communication between the adapter and the external device occurs via a wired connection between the adapter and the external device.

6. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control whether the power tool receives power from the battery pack via the adapter.

7. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the sidewall of the adapter housing includes an angled surface that is positioned adjacent and at an oblique angle with respect to one of the top side of the adapter housing and the bottom side of the adapter housing;

wherein the sidewall of the adapter housing also includes a perpendicular surface that is positioned adjacent the other one of the top side of the adapter housing and the bottom side of the adapter housing.

8. An adapter for a power tool, the adapter comprising:

an adapter housing including a top side, a bottom side opposite the top side, and a sidewall connecting the top side and the bottom side;

a tool-side connector supported by the adapter housing and positioned on the top side of the adapter housing, the tool-side connector configured to couple to the power tool;

a latching tab supported by the adapter housing, and positioned on the top side of the adapter housing, wherein the latching tab is configured to engage with a power tool housing to secure the adapter to the power tool;

a battery-side connector supported by the adapter housing and positioned on the bottom side of the adapter housing, the battery-side connector configured to couple to a battery pack;

an indicator supported by the adapter housing and positioned on the sidewall of the adapter housing, the indicator configured to provide an indication regarding communication between the adapter and an external device;

a switch supported by the adapter housing and positioned on the sidewall of the adapter housing; and

a controller supported inside the adapter housing and coupled to the indicator and to the switch.

9. The adapter of claim 8, further comprising an actuator supported by the adapter housing, and mechanically linked to the latching tab, wherein actuation of the actuator moves the latching tab out of engagement with the power tool housing.

10. The adapter of claim 9, wherein the actuator is positioned on the top side of the adapter housing.

11. The adapter of claim 8, further comprising a second latching tab supported by the adapter housing, and positioned on the top side of the adapter housing, wherein the second latching tab is configured to engage with the power tool housing to secure the adapter to the power tool.

12. The adapter of claim 8, wherein the sidewall is a front sidewall of the adapter housing.

13. The adapter of claim 8, further comprising:

a port supported by the adapter housing and configured to couple with the external device; and

a cover configured to cover the port, wherein the cover is movable between an open position in which the port is exposed and a closed position in which the port is covered.

14. The adapter of claim 8, further comprising:

an integrated power source supported inside the adapter housing.

15. The adapter of claim 8, wherein the controller is a first controller and is configured to:

receive at least one of power tool configuration data and a firmware upgrade from the external device; and

transmit the at least one of power tool configuration data and the firmware upgrade to a second controller of the power tool.

16. The adapter of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to:

receive at least one of power tool status, operation statistics, and power tool identification information from the power tool; and

transmit the at least one of power tool status, operation statistics, and power tool identification information to the external device.

17. The adapter of claim 8, wherein the sidewall of the adapter housing includes an angled surface that is positioned adjacent and at an oblique angle with respect to the top side of the adapter housing;

wherein the sidewall of the adapter housing also includes a perpendicular surface that is positioned adjacent the bottom side of the adapter housing.

18. An adapter for a power tool, the adapter comprising:

an adapter housing including a top side, a bottom side opposite the top side, and a sidewall connecting the top side and the bottom side, wherein the sidewall is a front sidewall;

a tool-side connector supported by the adapter housing and positioned on the top side of the adapter housing, the tool-side connector configured to couple to the power tool;

a latching tab supported by the adapter housing, and positioned on the top side of the adapter housing, wherein the latching tab is configured to engage with a power tool housing to secure the adapter to the power tool;

a battery-side connector supported by the adapter housing and positioned on the bottom side of the adapter housing, the battery-side connector configured to couple to a battery pack;

an indicator supported by the adapter housing and positioned on the front sidewall of the adapter housing, the indicator configured to provide an indication regarding communication between the adapter and an external device;

a switch supported by the adapter housing and positioned on the front sidewall of the adapter housing; and

a controller supported inside the adapter housing and coupled to the indicator and to the switch.

19. The adapter of claim 18, further comprising an actuator supported by the adapter housing, and mechanically linked to the latching tab, wherein actuation of the actuator moves the latching tab out of engagement with the power tool housing.

20. The adapter of claim 18, wherein the switch is a push-button switch, and in response to actuation of the switch, the adapter is configured to turn on to enable the communication between the adapter and the external device.

21. The adapter of claim 18, further comprising:

an integrated power source supported inside the adapter housing.

22. The adapter of claim 18, wherein the adapter is configured to receive power tool configuration data from the external device;

and

wherein the power tool is configured to operate based on the power tool configuration data.

23. The adapter of claim 18, further comprising a radio transceiver supported inside the adapter housing, wherein the communication between the adapter and the external device occurs via the radio transceiver over a wireless communication link.

24. The adapter of claim 18, wherein the front sidewall of the adapter housing includes an angled surface that is positioned adjacent and at an oblique angle with respect to one of the top side of the adapter housing and the bottom side of the adapter housing;

wherein the front sidewall of the adapter housing also includes a perpendicular surface that is positioned adjacent the other one of the top side of the adapter housing and the bottom side of the adapter housing.