Methods of discharge control for a battery pack of a cordless power tool system, a cordless power tool system and battery pack adapted to provide over-discharge protection and discharge control
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A battery pack removably attachable to a cordless power tool and to a charger, comprising:
- at least one battery cell; and
at least one power limiting device arranged in series with the at least one battery cell for limiting at least one of power and current output of the battery pack based on the component that is connected to the pack.
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Abstract
In a cordless power tool system, a battery pack which may removably attachable to a cordless power tool and to a charger may include at least one battery cell and a power limiting device. The power limiting device may be arranged in series with the at least one battery cell for limiting power output of the battery pack based on the component that is connected to the pack. Current and hence power out of the battery pack may be controlled as a function of total internal impedance in the battery pack, which may be adjusted depending on the component that is connected to the pack.
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Citations
85 Claims
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1. A battery pack removably attachable to a cordless power tool and to a charger, comprising:
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at least one battery cell; and
at least one power limiting device arranged in series with the at least one battery cell for limiting at least one of power and current output of the battery pack based on the component that is connected to the pack. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A cordless power tool system, comprising:
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a power tool; and
a battery pack removably attachable to the power tool, the pack including at least one battery cell and at least one power limiting device arranged in series with the at least one battery cell for limiting one of power output and current output from the battery pack.
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12. In a cordless power tool system including a battery pack that is removably attachable to a power tool and to a charger, a method of limiting one of power and current out of a battery pack, comprising:
limiting one of power and current output of the battery pack as a function of the component that is connected to the pack. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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16. In a cordless power tool system having a power tool and a battery pack removably attachable to the power tool, a method of controlling discharge rate of a plurality of serially connected cells in the battery pack, comprising:
raising total internal pack impedance of a first battery pack to match an internal impedance of a second battery pack designed for a given power tool so as to control discharge rate of the serially-connected cells in the first battery pack to prevent one or more cells in the first battery pack from reaching one of an over-discharge state and an over-current condition, when the first battery pack is operatively connected and providing power to the given power tool. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A cordless power tool system, comprising:
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a power tool; and
a battery pack removably attachable to the power tool, the battery pack including one or more serially-connected cells therein and at least one power limiting device in series with at least one of the serially-connected cells, the at least one power limiting device adapted to raise total internal pack impedance of the battery pack to match an internal impedance of a second battery pack that is designed for operation with the power tool, so as to control discharge rate of the serially-connected cells and prevent one or more cells from reaching one of an over-discharge state and an over-current state, when the battery pack is operatively connected and providing power to the power tool. - View Dependent Claims (24)
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25. A battery pack operatively attachable to differently-rated cordless power tools, the battery pack adapted for controlling discharge rate therein, comprising:
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at least one or more serially-connected battery cells for providing one of a first current and first power to drive a first power tool that is designed to operate with the battery pack and for driving a second power tool configured to operate at one of a second current and second power lower than the first current or power; and
at least one power limiting device for raising internal impedance of the battery pack to match an internal impedance of another, second battery pack that is designed to operate with the second power tool to control discharge rate of cells in the battery pack, so as to prevent one or more cells from reaching one of an over-discharge state and an over-current state during operation with the second power tool. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A battery pack adapted to power one of a first power tool and a second power tool, the first power tool configured to operate at a higher current or power than the second power tool, the battery pack characterized as providing a higher current and a higher power at a lower internal impedance than that of a second battery pack designed for operation with the second power tool, the battery pack comprising:
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a sensor adapted to selectively add internal impedance in the battery pack based on a indicator signal indicating that the battery pack is connected to one of the first or second power tools, and an active resistance device for dynamically adding a series resistance to increase total internal impedance of the battery pack, depending on the indicator signal. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39)
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40. A battery pack adapted to power a first power tool configured to operate at one of a higher current and power than a second power tool, comprising:
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a positive terminal;
a negative terminal;
a third terminal for sensing power operation of the first or second power tool to provide a sensed signal, when the pack is attached thereto; and
a control circuit for determining a desired internal impedance mode for the battery pack based on the sensed signal received from an attached one of the first and second power tools via the third terminal. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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47. A battery pack adapted to power a first power tool configured to operate at one of a higher current and power than a second power tool, the first and second power tools including a motor, semiconductor device and control circuit, the semiconductor device and control circuit adapted for providing variable speed control in the motor of the first or second power tool, the battery pack comprising:
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a positive terminal;
a negative terminal;
a third terminal for receiving an indicator from the semiconductor device of one of the first and second power tools; and
a current limiting device connected to the third terminal and configured to select a desired impedance mode to selectively add resistance to raise internal impedance of the battery pack, based on the received indicator. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50, 51)
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52. A cordless power tool having a positive terminal, negative terminal, motor, semiconductor device and control circuit, the cordless power tool designed to operate with a battery pack having a positive terminal, negative terminal and a third terminal, the cordless power tool comprising:
a third terminal sending an indicator generated by the semiconductor device to the corresponding third terminal of the battery pack indicating an impedance mode to be selected for the cordless power tool. - View Dependent Claims (53)
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54. In a cordless power tool system having a power tool and a battery pack removably attachable to the power tool, a method of controlling discharge rate of one or more serially-connected cells in the battery pack to protect the cells from an over-current condition, comprising:
controlling at least one semiconductor device in the pack in series with at least one of the one or more serially-connected cells so as to selectively control total internal battery pack impedance. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56)
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57. A cordless power tool system, comprising:
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a power tool, and a battery pack having a plurality of serially-connected cells and removably attached to the power tool, the pack including a discharge control circuit controlling at least one semiconductor device so as to selectively control the average voltage applied to the tool motor so as to control at least one of power and current output from the battery pack. - View Dependent Claims (58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68)
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69. In a cordless power tool system having a power tool and a battery pack removably attachable to the power tool, the battery pack including one or more serially-connected cells, a discharge control circuit, comprising:
a current controlled relay arranged in a current path of the pack to provide a current limiting function with hysteresis that limits current out of the pack to a motor of the tool. - View Dependent Claims (70, 71, 72)
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73. A cordless power tool system, comprising:
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a power tool including a tool motor, and a battery pack having a plurality of cells and removably attached to the power tool for providing power to the motor, wherein a control signal related to speed control information for the motor of the tool is an input for controlling the current output from the cells for powering the tool. - View Dependent Claims (74, 75)
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76. A cordless power tool system, comprising:
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a power tool having a tool motor and means for variable speed control of the tool motor, and a battery pack having a plurality of cells and removably attached to the power tool, the pack including a discharge control device controlling a semiconductor device so as to selectively raise internal battery pack impedance for limiting current out of the cells of the pack.
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77. A cordless power tool system, comprising:
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a power tool including a tool motor, and a battery pack having a plurality of cells and removably attached to the power tool for providing power to the motor, wherein discharge control for controlling current out of the pack and speed control for controlling speed of the tool resides in the power tool. - View Dependent Claims (78, 79, 80)
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81. In a cordless power tool system including a battery pack that is removably attachable to a power tool and to a charger, a method of communicating a fault in the battery pack to the charger, comprising:
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detecting a fault in the battery pack, and communicating the fault to the charger upon pack engagement with the charger.
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82. A cordless power tool system, comprising:
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a charger; and
a battery pack removably attachable to the charger for receiving a charge current and to a power tool of the system for powering the tool, the battery pack including a fault detection device detecting a fault in the battery pack and communicating the fault to the charger upon pack engagement with the charger. - View Dependent Claims (83, 84, 85)
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Specification