Battery charger

• US 20110074353A1
• Filed: 09/24/2010
• Published: 03/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Electric Works Power Tool Company Limited
• Inventors: Ikeda, Masaki, Miwa, Tatsuya
• Granted Patent: US 8,476,866 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/112
• 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 battery charger for charging a detachably attached battery pack by supplying an electric power from an external power source, the battery charger includes a notification unit for notifying a user of a charging operation by turning on or flickering a light-emitting member. The notification unit notifies the user of a power connection state of the battery charger by turning on or flickering the light-emitting member immediately after the battery charger is electrically connected to the external power source without attaching the battery pack thereto, and the notification unit turns off the light-emitting member after a predetermined period of time lapses and keeps the light-emitting member in an off-state until the battery pack is attached to the battery charger.

Claims

1. A battery charger for charging a detachably attached battery pack by supplying an electric power from an external power source, the battery charger comprising:

a notification unit for notifying a user of a charging operation by turning on or flickering a light-emitting member,

wherein the notification unit notifies the user of a power connection state of the battery charger by turning on or flickering the light-emitting member immediately after the battery charger is electrically connected to the external power source without attaching the battery pack thereto, and the notification unit turns off the light-emitting member after a predetermined period of time lapses and keeps the light-emitting member in an off-state until the battery pack is attached to the battery charger.

2. The battery charger of claim 1, wherein a light brightness used in the turning-on or flickering of the light-emitting member performed immediately after the battery charger is electrically connected to the external power source is darker than a light brightness used in the turning-on or flickering of the light-emitting member performed to notify the user of the charging operation.

3. The battery charger of claim 1, wherein the notification unit includes a sound output unit for outputting a sound to the outside, and

wherein the sound output unit notifies the user of the power connection state of the battery charger by outputting a sound immediately after the battery charger is electrically connected to the external power source.

4. The battery charger of claim 2, wherein the notification unit includes a sound output unit for outputting a sound to the outside, and

wherein the sound output unit notifies the user of the power connection state of the battery charger by outputting a sound immediately after the battery charger is electrically connected to the external power source.

5. The battery charger of claim 1, wherein if the battery pack is attached to the battery charger in a fully charged state, the notification unit notifies the user of the fully charged state.

6. The battery charger of claim 2, wherein if the battery pack is attached to the battery charger in a fully charged state, the notification unit notifies the user of the fully charged state.

7. The battery charger of claim 3, wherein if the battery pack is attached to the battery charger in a fully charged state, the notification unit notifies the user of the fully charged state.