CHARGING DEVICE

• US 20090027005A1
• Filed: 07/12/2007
• Published: 01/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Schmid, Ursula, Dengler, Klaus, Osswald, Alexander
• Granted Patent: US 8,283,889 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/112
• 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: 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 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00309 Overheat or overtemperature protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

The invention relates to a loading device (10, 100), comprising a charging device (12) and at least a changeable, rechargeable energy storage (14), particularly an interchangeable battery (18), of a power tool (16), wherein each energy storage (14) comprises first contact means (24) for contacting the respective power tool (16). The loading device (10, 100) is characterized by each energy storage (14) having further contact means (38) for contacting the charging device (12) such that the charging device (12) can charge the energy storage (14) via the further contact means (38) in a state when connected to the power tool (16), as well as in a state when not connected to the power tool (16).

Claims

1. A charging device (10, 100) including a charging unit (12) and at least one interchangeable, rechargeable energy storage unit (14), in particular an interchangeable battery (18), of a power tool (16) in which each energy storage unit (14) has first contact means (24) for contacting the corresponding power tool (16),

wherein each energy storage unit (14) has additional contact means (38) for contacting the charging unit (12) in such a way that the charging unit (12) is able to charge the energy storage unit (14) via the additional contact means (38), both when the unit is connected to the power tool (16) and when it is disconnected from the power tool (16).

2. The charging device (10, 100) as recited in claim 1,

wherein each energy storage unit (14) has a sensor (44) for emitting a sensor signal (S, S₁, S₂, S₃) relating to the respective energy storage unit (14), in which both the respective power tool (16) and the charging unit (12) have the ability to evaluate the sensor signal (S, S₁, S₂, S₃).

3. The charging device (10, 100) as recited in claim 2,

wherein it is possible for the sensor signal (S, S₁, S₂, S₃) to be conveyed to the power tool (16) via the first contact means (24) of the respective energy storage unit (14) and for it to be conveyed to the charging unit (12) via the additional contact means (38).

4. The charging device (10, 100) as recited in claim 1,

wherein the respective power tool (16) has an evaluation and detection means (48), which detects from the sensor signal (S, S₁, S₂, S₃) whether the charging unit (12) is currently charging the energy storage unit (14) connected to the power tool (16).

5. The charging device (10, 100) as recited in claim 4,

wherein if a charging procedure is detected, then the evaluation and detection means (48) of the power tool (16) does not carry out an evaluation of the sensor signal (S, S₁, S₂, S₃).

6. The charging device (10, 100) as recited in claim 4,

wherein the evaluation and detection means (48) of the respective power tool (16) evaluates the sensor signal (S, S₁, S₂, S₃) if the energy storage unit (14) connected to the power tool (16) is not currently undergoing a charging procedure.

7. The charging device (10, 100) as recited in claim 2,

wherein with each measurement procedure, the evaluation and detection means (48) of the respective power tool (16) tests whether the charging unit (12) is currently charging the energy storage unit (14) connected to the power tool (16).

8. The charging device (10, 100) as recited in claim 1,

wherein the charging unit (12) interrupts the evaluation of the sensor signal (S, S₁, S₂, S₃) for a definite time interval (T, T₁, T₂, T₃).

9. The charging device (10, 100) as recited in claim 8,

wherein the evaluation and detection means (48) of the respective power tool (16) detects the interruption of the evaluation of the sensor signal (S, S₁, S₂, S₃) by the charging unit (12) and evaluates the sensor signal (S, S₁, S₂, S₃) during the definite time interval (T, T₁, T₂, T₃).

10. The charging device (10, 100) as recited in claim 1,

wherein the charging unit (12) assigns each energy storage unit (14) of a power tool (16) that is connected to the charging unit (12) its own definite time interval (T₁, T₂, T₃) during which the evaluation and detection means (48) of the respective power tool (16) evaluates the sensor signal (S₁, S₂, S₃) of the energy storage unit (14) connected to it.

11. The charging device (10, 100) as recited in claim 8,

wherein the charging unit (12) continues the evaluation of the sensor signal (S, S₁, S₂, S₃) once more after the definite time interval (T, T₁, T₂, T₃).

12. The charging device (10, 100) as recited in claim 1,

wherein the sensor (44) is embodied in the form of a temperature-dependent resistor (46) in order to emit a sensor signal (S, S₁, S₂, S₃) in the form of a temperature signal or a voltage signal.

13. The charging device (10, 100) as recited in claim 1,

wherein the sensor (44) is a resistor, a capacitor, a coil, or the like for emitting a sensor signal (S, S₁, S₂, S₃) in the form of a voltage or current signal.

14. The charging device (10, 100) as recited in claim 1,

wherein the first (24) and/or additional contact means (38) of the energy storage unit (14) and the corresponding contact means (30, 42) of the power tool (16) and/or of the charging unit (12) function in a contactless fashion, in particular inductively, at least for the transmission of the sensor signal (S, S₁, S₂, S₃)