Cordless power system

• US 20060087285A1
• Filed: 10/14/2005
• Published: 04/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Inventors: Francis, Jeffrey J., Carrier, David A., Brotto, Daniele C., Phillips, Steven J., Seman, Andrew E. Jr., White, Daniel J., Yahnker, Christopher R., Watson, James B., Trinh, Danh T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,723,952 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/114
• 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: B25F 5/02 Construction of casings, bodies or handles B25F5/006, B25F5/008 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/052 Li-accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0525 Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4207 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/441 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/204 Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/247 specially adapted for portable devices, e.g. mobile phones, computers, hand tools or pacemakers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/296 characterised by terminals of battery packs terminals of batteries H01M50/543
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/42 Grouping of primary cells into batteries H01M6/40 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0063 with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00711 with introduction of pulses during the charging process
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00714 in response to battery charging or discharging current
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007182 in response to battery voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007194 : of the battery
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 : Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A cordless system has cordless system components that include a cordless device, such as a cordless power tool, a battery pack and a charger. The battery pack is mated with either the cordless device to provide power to operate the cordless device or to the charger to charge the battery cells in the battery pack. In an aspect, the cordless system has an identification and communication system by which the battery pack identifies and communicates information about the battery pack to the cordless device or to the charger to which the battery pack is mated. In an, the battery pack of the cordless system is capable of multiple modes, such as controlling the cordless device and controlling the charger. In an aspect, the battery pack validates the cordless device or charger to which it is mated. In an aspect of the invention, the cordless system uses any of a wired interface, radio frequency interface, an optical interface or a magnetic interface to communicate information between the battery pack and the cordless device or charger to which the battery pack is mated. In an aspect, female terminals are used in a terminal block of the battery pack to protect against foreign objects contacting the terminals. In aspect, the terminals in the terminal block of the battery pack are staggered or scattered to reduce the likelihood of a short circuit. In an aspect of the invention, the battery pack has a trap door that closes when the battery pack is not mated to a cordless device or charger to protect the terminal block of the battery pack. In an aspect of the invention, multi-spring, split contact terminals are used in the terminal block of at least one of the cordless system components. In an aspect of the invention, the battery cells are Lithium Ion battery cells.

Claims

1. A cordless power tool system, comprising:

a plurality of system components including a battery pack and a power tool;

the battery pack including an at least one component that identifies at least one parameter of the battery pack to another one of system components to which the battery pack is coupled; and

the other one of the system components responding to the at least one parameter.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of system components include a battery charger and the at least one component that identifies at least one parameter of the battery pack includes a resistor having a value that indicates a voltage parameter of the battery pack at which the charger charges the battery pack.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of system components includes a battery charger and the at least one component that identifies at least one parameter of the battery pack includes a resistor having a value that indicates a maximum current parameter and the charger limits the current at which it charges the battery pack to be below the current indicated by this maximum current parameter.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of system components includes a battery charger and the at least one component that identifies a parameter of the battery pack includes an identification component that identifies a chemistry of the battery pack, the charger charging the battery pack using a charging algorithm for the chemistry of the battery pack.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of system components includes a battery charger and the at least one component that identifies at least one parameter of the battery pack includes a resistor having a value that indicates a voltage parameter of the battery pack, a second resistor having a value that indicates a maximum current parameter of the battery pack, and a temperature sensor that provides a signal to the battery charger indicative of the temperature of the battery pack, the charger charging the battery pack at a voltage indicated by the voltage parameter, limiting the current at which it charges the battery pack to be below the current indicated by this maximum current parameter, and charging the battery pack only when the temperature of the battery pack is within an acceptable temperature range.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the at least one component that identifies a parameter of the battery pack includes an identification component that identifies a chemistry of the battery pack, the charger charging the battery pack using a charging algorithm for the chemistry of the battery pack.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one component that identifies a parameter of the battery pack includes at least one analog component and at least one digital component, the digital component providing data to another of the system components of at least one parameter of the battery pack.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the analog component identifies a voltage at which the battery pack is charged or a maximum current limit at which the battery pack is charged, the data provided by the digital component including any of temperature limits, voltage limits, current limits, serial identification numbers, hardware revision numbers, software revisions numbers, cooling capabilities, number of charge cycles completed, number of discharge cycles completed, remaining capacity, battery pack impedance, or fault conditions.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the digital component includes a microcontroller or a memory device.

10. A cordless power tool system, comprising:

a plurality of system components including a battery pack and a power tool; and

the system component to which the battery pack is coupled including a controller that checks the battery pack to determine a level of intelligence of the battery pack.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the controller of the system component to which the battery pack is coupled checks the battery pack to determine the level of intelligence by checking the battery pack to determine if it includes any of a controller, EEPROM or analog identification component.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the system component to which the battery pack is coupled is the power tool and, upon the power tool controller determining that the battery pack intelligence includes a controller, the battery pack controller and the power tool controller determining whether the power tool controller or the battery pack controller controls a discharge profile of the battery pack.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein whichever of the battery pack controller and the power tool controller that is controlling the discharge profile of the battery pack initializes discharge parameters.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the power tool controller reads a user input and the one of the battery pack controller and power tool controller that is controlling the discharge profile of the battery pack sets a speed and discharge profile of the battery pack for controlling a motor of the power tool based on the user input and discharge parameters.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the user input is a signal from a trigger switch.

16. The system of claim 11 wherein the system component to which the battery pack is coupled is the power tool, the power tool controller, upon determining that the battery pack level of intelligence includes the EEPROM or analog identification component, reads the EEPROM or analog identification component and initializes discharge parameter based on information read from the EEPROM or analog identification component.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the power tool controller reads a user input and sets a speed and discharge profile of the battery pack for controlling a motor of the power tool based on the user input and the discharge parameters.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the user input is a signal from a trigger switch.

19. The system of claim 11 wherein the system component to which the battery pack is coupled is a charger having the controller and, upon the charger controller determining that the battery pack intelligence includes a controller, the charger controller controlling charging of the battery pack.

20. The system of claim 11 wherein the system component to which the battery pack is coupled is a charger having the controller and, upon the charger controller determining that the battery pack intelligence includes an EEPROM or analog identification component, reading the EEPROM or analog identification component, initializing charging parameters based on information obtained from reading the EEPROM or analog identification component and controlling charging of the battery pack.

21. The system of claim 10 wherein the battery pack includes a hybrid analog/digital identification and communication system.

22. The system of claim 10 wherein the battery pack includes a digital only identification and communication system.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the battery pack includes analog identification components coupled to the digital identification and communication system that identify parameters of the battery pack to the digital identification and communication system.

24. The system of claim 10 wherein the battery pack includes an analog only identification and communication system.

25. The system of claim 10 wherein the battery pack includes a mechanical identification system.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the mechanical identification system includes switch actuating elements that actuate switches in the system component to which the battery pack is coupled.

27. A cordless power tool system, comprising:

a plurality of system components including a battery pack and a cordless power tool, and

the battery pack including an enable/disable switch that is actuated by a switch actuating element of another of the system components to which the battery pack is coupled, the battery pack being disabled unless its enable/disable switch is actuated by the switch actuating element of the system component to which the battery pack is coupled.

28. A method of controlling the charging of a battery pack by a charger, comprising sensing with the charger a resistance of a resistor in the battery pack indicative of a voltage at which the charger is to charge the battery pack and charging the battery pack with the charger at that voltage.

29. The method of claim 28 further including sensing with the charger a resistance of a second resistor within the battery pack indicative of a maximum current at which the battery pack is to be charger and charging the battery pack with the charger at a current that does not exceed that maximum current.

30. A method of controlling the charging of a battery pack by a charger, comprising sensing with the charger an identification component in the battery pack indicative of a chemistry of battery cells in the battery pack and charging the battery pack with the charger using a charging algorithm for the chemistry of the battery cells.

31. In a cordless power tool system having a plurality of system components including a battery pack and a cordless power tool having a controller, a method of controlling the power tool comprising determining with the power tool controller a level of intelligence of the battery pack including whether the battery pack includes a controller and upon determining that the battery pack includes a controller, determining with the power tool controller and the battery pack controller which of the power tool controller and battery pack controller control a discharge profile of the battery pack, and upon determining that the battery pack does not include a controller, controlling the discharge profile of the battery pack with the power tool controller.

32. The method of claim 31 including initializing discharge parameters with the controller that controls the discharge profile of the battery pack, reading user input with that controller and, with that controller, setting a speed and the discharge profile of the battery pack to control a motor of the power tool based on the discharge parameters and the user input.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein reading the user input includes reading a signal from a trigger switch.

34. The method of claim 31 wherein upon determining that the battery pack does not include a controller, determining with the power tool controller whether the battery pack includes an EEPROM or analog identification component and with the power tool controller reading the EEPROM or analog identification component and initializing discharge parameters based on the information read from the EEPROM or analog identification component.

35. The method of claim 34 including reading with the power tool controller a signal from a trigger switch and setting a speed and the discharge profile based on the signal from the trigger switch and the discharge parameters to control a speed of the power tool motor.

36. In a cordless power tool system having a plurality of system components including a battery pack, a cordless power tool and a charger having a controller, a method of controlling charging of the battery pack comprising determining with the charger controller a level of intelligence of the battery pack including whether the battery pack includes a controller and upon determining that the battery pack includes a controller, controlling the charging of the battery pack with the charger controller.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein upon the charger controller determining that the battery pack does not include a controller, determining with the charger whether the battery pack includes an EEPROM or an analog identification component, reading information from the EEPROM or analog identification component with the charger controller upon determining that the battery pack includes the EEPROM or analog identification component, and initializing with the charger controller charging parameters based on the information read from the EEPROM or analog identification component.

38. A cordless power tool apparatus, comprising a plurality of system components including a charger having a controller and a cordless power tool, the charger controller reading identification information from the cordless power tool that identifies characteristics of the cordless power tool to the charger controller.

39. The apparatus of claim 38 wherein the cordless power tool includes an identification component that provides the identification information.

40. The apparatus of claim 39 wherein the identification component of the cordless power tool includes a resistor.