Cordless power system
First Claim
1. A multi-mode battery pack for a cordless power tool, comprising:
- a housing in which a plurality of battery cells are disposed; and
a controller that in a first mode controls a power tool when the battery pack is coupled to the power tool and in a second mode controls a charger when the battery pack is coupled to the charger.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
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.
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Citations
65 Claims
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1. A multi-mode battery pack for a cordless power tool, comprising:
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a housing in which a plurality of battery cells are disposed; and
a controller that in a first mode controls a power tool when the battery pack is coupled to the power tool and in a second mode controls a charger when the battery pack is coupled to the charger. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A multi-mode battery pack for a cordless power tool, comprising:
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a housing in which a plurality of battery cells are disposed; and
a controller that in a first mode determines whether to control a power tool when the battery pack is coupled to the power tool and in a second mode determines whether to control a charger when the battery pack is coupled to the charger. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A multi-mode battery pack for a cordless power tool, comprising:
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a housing in which a plurality of battery cells are disposed;
a controller that determines whether the battery pack is coupled to a power tool or to a charger;
the controller in a first mode upon determining that the battery pack is coupled to the power-tool and determining whether the power tool is a smart power tool or a dumb power tool, the controller upon determining that the battery pack is coupled to a smart power tool, validates the smart power tool and enables the battery pack to operate with the smart power tool only when it determines that the smart power tool is a valid power tool, and upon determining that the smart power tool is a valid power tool, the battery pack controller set to a slave and exchanging information with a power tool controller for use by the power tool controller in controlling the smart power tool, and upon determining that the battery pack is coupled to a dumb power tool, the battery pack controller controlling the dumb power tool; and
the controller in a second mode upon determining that the battery pack is coupled to a charger, when in the second mode, the battery pack controller determining whether the charger is a smart charger and upon determining that the charger is a smart charger, validating the smart charger and enabling the battery pack to operate with the smart charger only when the battery pack controller determines that the smart charger is a valid charger, the battery pack controller upon determining that the smart charger is a valid charger, exchanging data with a controller of the charger for use by the charger controller in controlling the charger. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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- 17. A battery pack for a cordless power tool system that includes a plurality of system components, the battery pack comprising a housing in which a plurality of battery cells are disposed and a controller that validates the system component to which the battery pack is coupled and enabling the battery pack to operate with that system component only upon determining that the system component is valid system component.
- 20. A battery pack for a cordless power tool system that includes a plurality of system components, the battery pack comprising a housing in which a plurality of battery cells are disposed and a controller that determines, when the battery pack is coupled to a system component, whether the system component is a smart system component having a controller or a dumb system component that does not have a controller.
- 28. A cordless power tool system, comprising a plurality of system components including a battery pack, a cordless power tool, and a charger, the battery pack including a housing in which a plurality of battery cells are disposed, the battery pack having a controller that in a first mode controls the power tool when the battery pack is coupled to the power tool and in a second mode controls a charger when the battery pack is coupled to the charger.
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33. A cordless power tool system, comprising a plurality of system components including a battery pack, a cordless power tool, and a charger, the battery pack including a housing in which a plurality of battery cells are disposed;
- and a controller that in a first mode determines whether to control the power tool when the battery pack is coupled to the power tool and in a second mode determines whether to control the charger when the battery pack is coupled to the charger.
- View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
- 42. A cordless power tool system, comprising a plurality of system components including a battery pack and a cordless power tool, the battery pack including a housing in which a plurality of battery cells are disposed and a controller that validates the system component to which the battery pack is coupled and enabling the battery pack to operate with that system component only upon determining that the system component is valid system component.
- 45. A cordless power tool system, comprising a plurality of system components including a battery pack and a cordless power tool, the battery pack comprising a housing in which a plurality of battery cells are disposed and a controller that determines, when the battery pack is coupled to a system component, whether the system component is a smart system component having a controller or a dumb system component that does not have a controller.
- 52. In a cordless power tool system having a plurality of system components including a battery pack, a cordless power tool and a charger, a method of controlling the cordless power tool and the charger comprising controlling the power tool with a controller of the battery pack when the battery pack is coupled to the power tool and controlling the charger with the battery pack controller when the battery pack is coupled to the charger.
- 54. In a cordless power tool system having a plurality of system components including a battery pack, a cordless power tool and a charger, a method of controlling the cordless power tool and the charger comprising when the battery pack is coupled to the power tool determining whether to control the power tool with a controller of the battery pack and determining whether to control the charger with the battery pack controller when the battery pack is coupled to the charger.
- 60. In a cordless power tool system including a plurality of system components including a battery pack and a power tool, a method of controlling the system components comprising validating the system component to which the battery pack is coupled and enabling the battery pack to operate with the system component only upon determining that the system component is a valid system component.
- 62. In a cordless power tool system including a plurality of system components including a battery pack and a power tool, a method of controlling the system components comprising determining whether the system component is a smart system component having a controller or a dumb system component without a controller.
Specification