ELECTRIC POWER TOOL POWERED BY BATTERY PACK AND ADAPTER THEREFOR

• US 20130062955A1
• Filed: 06/08/2011
• Published: 03/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Makita Corporation
• Original Assignee: Makita Corporation
• Inventors: Suzuki, Hitoshi
• Granted Patent: US 9,337,677 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/77
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0525 Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/204 Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/296 characterised by terminals of battery packs terminals of batteries H01M50/543
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0014 Circuits for equalisation of charge between batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0025 Sequential battery discharge in systems with a plurality of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0031 using battery or load disconnect circuits H02J9/002 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An adapter is provided with a connecter portion configured to be detachably attached to the main body of the electric power tool and at least one battery receiving portion configured to be detachably attached to the battery pack. The battery pack attached to the battery receiving portion is electrically coupled with the main body of the power tool attached to the connecter portion via a power supply circuit of the adapter. The adapter is provided with a measuring portion configured to measure an index corresponding to a charged level of the battery pack and a signal receiving portion configured to receive an alarm signal outputted from the battery pack, and is configured to stop or restrict power supply to the main body of the electric power tool based upon a measurement by the measuring portion and the alarm signal that is received.

Claims

1. An adapter for connecting a main body of an electric power tool and at least one battery pack to each other, the adapter comprising:

a connecter portion configured to be detachably attached to the main body of the power tool;

at least one battery receiving portion configured to be detachably attached to the battery pack;

a power supply circuit configured to electrically couple the battery pack attached to the battery receiving portion to the main body of the electric power tool attached to the connecter portion;

a measuring portion configured to measure an index corresponding to a charged level of the battery pack attached to the battery receiving portion;

a signal receiving portion configured to receive an alarm signal outputted from the battery pack attached to the battery receiving portion; and

a controller portion configured to stop or restrict power supply to the main body of the electric power tool based upon a measurement by the measuring portion and the alarm signal that is received.

2. The adapter as in claim 1, wherein the alarm signal is a signal that the battery pack outputs according to a decrease of the charged level.

3. The adapter as in claim 1, wherein the measuring portion is configured to measure an output voltage of the battery pack.

4. The adapter as in claim 1, wherein the controller portion is configured to stop or restrict the power supply to the main body of the electric power tool when the alarm signal is received or when the measurement by the measuring portion is out of a predetermined allowable range.

5. The adapter as in claim 4, wherein the controller portion is configured to:

be capable of detecting whether or not the battery pack attached to the battery receiving portion has an alarm function that outputs the alarm signal,

ignore the measurement by the measuring portion if the battery pack attached to the battery receiving portion has the alarm function, and

stop or restrict the power supply to the main body of the electric power tool only when the alarm signal is received.

6. The adapter as in claim 5, wherein the controller portion is configured to:

be further capable of detecting whether or not the battery pack attached to the battery receiving portion has an auto stop function that automatically stops discharging according a decrease of the charged level, and

ignore the measurement by the measuring portion if the battery pack attached to the battery receiving portion has the auto stop function.

8. The adapter as in claim 1, wherein

the at least one battery receiving portion includes a plurality of battery receiving portions, and

the power supply circuit is configured to electrically couple a plurality of battery packs attached to the plurality of battery receiving portions to the main body of the electric power tool.

9. The adapter as in claim 8, wherein the power supply circuit is configured to electrically connect in series the plurality of battery packs attached to the plurality of battery receiving portions to the main body of the electric power tool.

10. The adapter as in claim 9, wherein

each of the battery receiving portions comprises a pair of power input terminals, one of which is connected to a positive electrode of the battery pack and the other is connected to a negative electrode of the battery pack, and

the pair of the power input terminals are electrically coupled with each other via a diode.

7. (canceled)

11. An electric power tool powered by at least one battery pack, the electric power tool comprising:

a motor configured to drive a tool;

at least one battery receiving portion configured to be detachably attached to the battery pack;

a power supply circuit configured to electrically couple the battery pack attached to the battery receiving portion to the motor;

a measuring portion configured to measure an index corresponding to a charged level of the battery pack attached to the battery receiving portion;

a signal receiving portion configured to receive an alarm signal outputted from the battery pack attached to the battery receiving portion; and

a controller portion configured to stop or restrict power supply to the motor based upon a measurement by the measuring portion and the alarm signal that is received.

12. An electric power tool powered by at least one battery pack, the electric power tool comprising:

a motor configured to drive a tool;

at least one battery receiving portion configured to be detachably attached to the battery pack;

a power supply circuit configured to electrically couple the battery pack attached to the battery receiving portion to the motor;

a measuring portion configured to measure an index corresponding to a charged level of the battery pack attached to the battery receiving portion; and

a controller portion configured to stop or restrict power supply to the motor based upon a measurement by the measuring portion,

wherein the controller portion is configured to;

be capable of detecting whether or not the battery pack attached to the battery receiving portion has an auto stop function that automatically stops discharging according a decrease of the charged level,

ignore a measurement by the measuring portion if the battery pack attached to the battery receiving portion has the auto stop function, and

stop or restrict the power supply to the main body of the electric power tool when the measurement by the measuring portion is out of a predetermined allowable range if the battery pack attached to the battery receiving portion does not have the auto stop function.

13. An adapter for connecting a main body of an electric power tool and at least one battery pack to each other, the adapter comprising:

a connecter portion configured to be detachably attached to the main body of the power tool;

at least one battery receiving portion configured to be detachably attached to the battery pack;

a power supply circuit configured to electrically couple the battery pack attached to the battery receiving portion to the main body of the electric power tool attached to the connecter portion;

a measuring portion configured to measure an index corresponding to a charged level of the battery pack attached to the battery receiving portion; and

a controller portion configured to stop or restrict power supply to the main body of the electric power tool based upon a measurement by the measuring portion,

wherein the controller portion is configured to;

be capable of detecting whether or not the battery pack attached to the battery receiving portion has an auto stop function that automatically stops discharging according a decrease of the charged level,

ignore the measurement by the measuring portion if the battery pack attached to the battery receiving portion has the auto stop function, and

stop or restrict the power supply to the main body of the electric power tool when the measurement by the measuring portion is out of a predetermined allowable range if the battery pack attached to the battery receiving portion does not have the auto stop function.

14. The adapter as in claim 13, wherein

the at least one battery receiving portion includes a plurality of battery receiving portions, and

the power supply circuit is configured to electrically couple a plurality of battery packs attached to the plurality of battery receiving portions to the main body of the electric power tool.

15. The adapter as in claim 14, wherein the power supply circuit is configured to electrically connect in series the plurality of battery packs attached to the plurality of battery receiving portions to the main body of the electric power tool.

16. The adapter as in claim 15, wherein

each of the battery receiving portions comprises a pair of power input terminals, one of which is connected to a positive electrode of the battery pack and the other is connected to a negative electrode of the battery pack, and

the pair of the power input terminals are electrically coupled with each other via a diode.