Adapter for battery charger

• US 20030090239A1
• Filed: 10/15/2002
• Published: 05/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Makita Corporation
• Original Assignee: Makita Corporation
• Inventors: Sakakibara, Kazuyuki
• Application Number:
  US10/257,605
• Publication Number:
  US 20030090239A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/166
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• 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 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0071 with a programmable schedule
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 using capacitors as storage or buffering devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

The present invention provides adapter 30 that supplies driving power from battery charger 10, which charges a battery pack, to cableless appliance 70, which is driven by the battery pack, via cable 44. Adapter 30 comprises charger-side adapter 40, which controls a charging voltage and a charging current of charger 10, an appliance-side adapter 45, which intermittently supplies a large current to the appliance 70 by utilizing power accumulated in capacitor C, which is disposed within the appliance-side adapter 45, and cable 44. By allowing a small current to continuously flow in cable 44 in order to charge capacitor C and by intermittently supplying the power accumulated in capacitor C to appliance 70, a large amount of power can be supplied to appliance 70. Accordingly, appliance 70 can be continuously used without the battery pack.

Claims

1. An adapter for supplying charging power from a battery charger to a load, comprising:

a power supply device constructed to be coupled to the load, wherein the power supply device comprises a capacitor and supplies power to the load, and

a connecting device constructed to be mounted on the battery charger, wherein the connecting device controls a charging voltage of the charger and supplies power to the capacitor of the power supply device via a power line.

2. An adapter as in claim 1, wherein the capacitor is a condenser.

3. An adapter for supplying charging power from a battery charger to a load, the adapter comprising:

a reader adapted to read identification information assigned to the load, and

a controller adapted to control a charging voltage of the charger in accordance with the identification information read by the reader and to permit the charging voltage to be supplied to the load.

4. An adapter as in claim 3, further comprising a capacitor adapted to accumulate power supplied by the charger.

5. An adapter comprising:

a charger-side adapter constructed to be connected to a battery charger,

an appliance-side adapter constructed to be connected to an appliance, and

a cable connecting the charger-side adapter to the appliance-side adapter, wherein the appliance-side adapter comprises a capacitor and a small amount of power continuously flows in the cable, whereby the capacitor can supply a large current to the appliance for a short period of time.

6. An adapter as in claim 5, wherein the charger-side adapter contains a memory that stores a program, the program having priority in the actuation of a CPU of the charger over a program stored in a memory contained in the charger.

7. An adapter as in claim 5, wherein the charger-side adapter contains a CPU that has priority in the control of electronic components of the charger over the CPU contained in the charger.

8. An adapter as in claim 5, wherein the appliance-side adapter contains a condenser that serves as the capacitor.

9. An adapter constructed to connect to a battery charger, wherein the adapter contains a memory that stores a program, the program having priority in the actuation of a charger CPU over a program stored in a memory contained in the charger.

10. An adapter as in claim 9, wherein the adapter includes a device adapted to read data concerning the type of appliance coupled to the adapter and other information relating to the appliance, and wherein the program for actuating the charger CPU is selected or corrected based upon the read data.

17. An adapter as in claim 9, wherein an appliance is coupled to the adapter and the appliance is one of a lamp, a heating device, a cooling device, an anti-theft device, a battery pack, or a battery pack activation device.

11. An adapter constructed to connect to a battery charger, wherein the adapter contains a CPU, the CPU having priority in the control of electronic components within the charger over a CPU contained in the battery charger.

12. An adapter as in claim 11, wherein the charger CPU reads a control signal from the adapter CPU in order to control the charger.

13. An adapter as in claim 11, wherein the adapter CPU bypasses the charger CPU in order to control the charger.

14. An adapter as in claim 11, wherein the adapter CPU is capable of transmitting/receiving data to/from the charger CPU.

15. An adapter as in claim 14, wherein the adapter CPU is capable of transmitting/receiving data to/from the charger CPU via radio communication.

16. An adapter as in claim 11, wherein an appliance is coupled to the adapter and the appliance is one of a lamp, a heating device, a cooling device, an anti-theft device, a battery pack, or a battery pack activation device.