Battery charging systems

• US 20070252553A1
• Filed: 04/24/2007
• Published: 11/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Makita Corporation
• Original Assignee: Makita Corporation
• Inventors: Sakakibara, Kazuyuki, Mori, Tatsuki, Kasuya, Toshiyasu
• Granted Patent: US 7,944,175 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/114
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0047 with monitoring or indicating devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0049 Detection of fully charged condition

Abstract

A system for charging a power tool battery includes a charging device capable of charging a battery, a memory device capable of storing data of a plurality of sound patterns, a selecting device capable of selecting a sound pattern data from the plurality of sound patterns, and a sound generating device capable of generating a sound based on the selected sound pattern data when the charging operation of the battery by the charging device has been completed.

Claims

1. A system for charging a power tool battery, comprising;

a battery side connector and a charger side connector electrically connectable to each other;

a charging device capable of charging the battery when the battery side connector and the charger side connector are electrically connected;

a memory device capable of storing data of a plurality of sound patterns;

a selecting device capable of selecting a sound pattern data from the data of the plurality of sound patterns stored in the memory device;

a sound generating device capable of generating a sound based on the selected sound pattern data when the charging operation of the battery by the charging device has been completed.

2. The system as in claim 1, wherein:

the charging device starts the charging operation when a predetermined time has passed after the battery side connector and the charger side connector has been connected.

3. The system as in claim 2, wherein the selecting device changes the selected sound pattern data with the next sound pattern data stored in the memory device when the battery side connector and the charger side connector have been disconnected and reconnected to each other.

4. The system as in claim 1, wherein:

the sound generating device is also capable of generating the sound based on the selected sound pattern data during the selecting operation by the selecting device.

5. The system as in claim 4, wherein a volume of the sound generated during the selecting operation is smaller than a volume of the sound generated when the charging operation of the battery by the charging device has been completed.

6. The system as claim 1, wherein:

the sound generating device comprises a sound generating element that can generate a sound when a voltage is applied.

7. The system as in claim 6, wherein a volume of the sound generated by the sound generating element can be varied in response to a change of the voltage.

8. The system as in claim 1, wherein;

the sound pattern memory device is configured such that sound pattern data from a personal computer can be written into the sound pattern memory device.

9. The system as in claim 1, further comprising a lighting device including a light emitter that can emit light when the battery charging operation by the charging device has been completed.

10. The system as in claim 1, further comprising a transmitter that can transmit a signal receivable by a communication terminal device when the charging operation by the charging device has been completed.

11. A system for charging a battery comprising:

a battery charger capable of charging the battery and comprising;

a first memory capable of storing sound data groups;

a sound generating device capable of generating a sound;

a controller capable of selecting one of the sound data groups and instructing the sound generating device to generate the sound based on the selected sound data group when a charging operation of the battery has been completed.

12. The system as in claim 11, wherein the controller is capable of instructing the sound generating device to generate the sound based on the selected sound data group when the sound data group has been selected.

13. The system as in claim 11, further comprising a battery pack constricted to receive the battery, so that the battery is electrically connectable to the battery charger via the battery pack,

wherein the battery pack includes a second memory capable of storing the sound data groups, and

wherein the controller is capable of coping the sound data stored within the second memory to the first memory.

14. The system as in claim 13, wherein the controller is capable of selecting the sound data in response to the operation of electrically disconnecting and reconnecting between the battery charger and the battery.

15. A system for charging a battery comprising:

a charging device capable of charging a battery;

a memory device capable of storing data of a plurality of sound patterns;

a selecting device capable of selecting a sound pattern data from the plurality of sound patterns;

a sound generating device capable of generating a sound based on the selected sound pattern data when the charging operation of the battery the charging device has been completed.

16. The system as in claim 15, further including a battery side connector and a charger side connector electrically connectable to each other, wherein the charging device starts the charging operation when a predetermined time has passed after the battery side connector and the charger side connector have been connected.

17. The system as in claim 16, wherein the selecting device changes the selected sound pattern data with the next sound pattern data stored in the memory device when the battery side connector and the charger side connector have been disconnected and reconnected to each other.

18. The system as in claim 15, wherein the memory device is configured to receive sound pattern data from a personal computer.

19. The system as in claim 15, further comprising a lighting device that can emit light when the battery charging operation by has been completed.

20. The system as in claim 15, further comprising a transmitter that can transmit a signal receivable by a communication terminal device when the charging operation by the charging device has been completed.