Battery Pack and Hand-Held Power Tool

• US 20090123817A1
• Filed: 09/20/2005
• Published: 05/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Metabowerke GMBH (Koki Holdings Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Metabowerke GMBH (Koki Holdings Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Schmid, Olaf, Stickel, Wolfgang
• Granted Patent: US 8,211,560 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/91
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/482 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/488 Cells or batteries combined with indicating means for external visualization of the condition, e.g. by change of colour or of light density
• 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: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

The invention relates to a battery pack, especially for a hand-held power tool. Said battery pack comprises a battery housing (10) and an electronic unit (16) housed in said battery housing (10). The electronic unit (16) has one or more light sources (18). A first light-guiding element (28) can be inserted into the battery housing (10) and interacts with the at least one light source (18) in such a manner that the light emitted by the at least one light source (18) can be injected into the first light-guiding element (28).

Claims

1. A battery pack, in particular one for a hand-held power tool with a battery housing (10) as well as an electronics unit (16) housed in the battery housing (10), whereby the electronics unit (16) exhibits one or more light sources (18) and where a first light-guiding element (28) can be inserted in the battery housing (10) and interacts with the at least one light source (18) in a manner that the light emitted by the at least one light source (18) can be injected into the first light-guiding element (28).

2. A battery pack as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that the at least one light source (18) injects the light into the first light-guiding element (28) in a non-contact manner and in that preferably a gap is provided between the light source (18) and the first light-guiding element (28).

3. A battery pack as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that the first light-guiding element (28) exhibits a receptacle (50) for a switch actuating element (46).

4. A battery pack as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that the light sources (18) interact with a second light-guiding element (20) by which the light can be injected into the first light-guiding element (28), whereby the second light-guiding element (20) is preferably located at the electronics unit (16).

5. A battery pack as set forth in claim 4, characterized in that the first and the second light-guiding elements (20, 28) comprise light-guiding zones (22, 30), whereby to each light source (18) is assigned a light-guiding zone (22, 30) in the light-guiding elements (20, 28) and the light-guiding zones (22, 30) of a light-guiding element (20, 28) are essentially optically separated from each other.

6. A battery pack as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that the electronics unit (16) comprises a switch (28) that interacts with the switch actuating element (46).

7. A battery pack as set forth in claim 6, characterized in that the switch actuating element (26) is preloaded in the non-actuated condition by a spring (48) away from the switch (26).

8. A battery pack as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that the at least one light source (18) is an LED.

9. A battery pack as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that the light-guiding elements (20, 28) are made of a synthetic material.

10. A battery pack as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that the first light-guiding element (28) is held positively in the battery housing (10), in particular snapped into the housing.

11. A battery pack as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that battery cells are located in the battery housing (10), where said battery cells (10) can be coupled with the electronics unit (16), whereby the battery cells are lithium ion cells.

12. A hand-held power tool with a battery pack as set forth in claim 1, whereby the battery pack can be mechanically and electrically connected with the hand-held power tool for driving a tool via an electric motor that is provided in the hand-held power tool.