Adapter for Power Tools, Power Tool System and Method of Operating the Same

• US 20140159919A1
• Filed: 07/24/2012
• Published: 06/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Makita Corporation
• Original Assignee: Makita Corporation
• Inventors: Furui, Nobuyasu, Suzuki, Hitoshi, Fukumoto, Masaaki, Umemura, Takuya, Ito, Kosuke, Sengiku, Hitoshi
• Granted Patent: US 9,595,839 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.07
• CPC Class Codes: B25F 3/00 Associations of tools for different working operations with one portable power-drive means; Adapters therefor
• 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: B25F 5/02 Construction of casings, bodies or handles B25F5/006, B25F5/008 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/024 in which a parameter or coefficient is automatically adjusted to optimise the performance
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An adapter for a power tool powered by a detachable battery pack includes a connector for directly connecting the adapter only to the power tool in a detachable manner, a controller, at least one memory and/or storage device in communication with the controller, and at least one communication port configured to transmit electrical communications from the adapter controller to a controller located in the power tool and vice versa. The adapter is further configured such that, when a battery pack, which also includes a controller, is connected to the power tool, a communication path is established from the battery pack controller to the adapter controller via the power tool controller.

Claims

1. An adapter for a power tool powered by a detachable battery pack, comprising:

means for detachably connecting to only the power tool,

an adapter controller,

at least one memory and/or storage device in communication with the adapter controller, and

at least one communication port configured to transmit electrical communications from the adapter controller to a controller located in the power tool and from the controller located in the power tool to the adapter controller,

wherein the adapter is configured such that, when a battery pack having a battery pack controller, is connected to the power tool, a communication path is established from the battery pack controller to the adapter controller via the power tool controller.

3. The adapter according to claim 1, wherein the adapter is configured to change one or more operating parameters stored in a memory of the battery pack and/or the power tool.

4. The adapter according to claim 3, wherein the one or more operating parameters includes a value for a maximum current limit or

wherein the one or more operating parameters includes a maximum charged level of the battery pack and the adapter is configured to change the maximum charged level stored in the memory of the battery pack and/or the power tool, and/or

wherein the adapter is configured to change a charging speed of the battery pack based upon an instruction manually input into the adapter or based upon an instruction transmitted by an external device, the instruction comprising increasing the charging current and/or increasing a battery pack temperature threshold.

10. The adapter according to claim 1, wherein the adapter is configured to measure one or more values indicative of an operational state of the battery pack and/or the power tool, including one or more of a temperature, a current and a voltage, and

wherein the adapter is further configured to transmit the one or more measured values to an external device.

11. The adapter according to claim 3, wherein the adapter is configured to receive instructions concerning the changed operating parameter from an external device.

13. The adapter according to claim 1, wherein:

the adapter is configured or adapted to measure a remaining battery capacity of the battery pack, and/or

wherein the adapter is configured to measure a discharge voltage of battery cells located in the battery pack, and/or

wherein the adapter is configured to estimate a number of additional power tool operations that can be performed based upon the measured remaining battery capacity and/or based upon the measured discharge voltage of the battery cells, and/or

wherein the at least one memory stores a set of energy values corresponding to a plurality of power tool operations and the controller is configured to calculate a number of additional power tool operations that can be performed based upon the measured remaining battery capacity and/or the measured discharge voltage of the battery cells by dividing the measured remaining battery capacity by the stored energy value corresponding to a currently performed power tool operation, and/or

wherein at least one of the adapter, the power tool or the battery pack is further configured to dynamically measure an amount of energy consumed during a performance of a power tool operation and the adapter controller is configured to calculate the number of additional power tool operations of a same type that can be performed based upon the measured remaining battery capacity and/or the measured discharge voltage of the battery cells by dividing the measured remaining battery capacity by the measured amount of energy consumed during the power tool operation, and/or

wherein the adapter controller is configured to store in the memory the measured amount of consumed energy for a plurality of power tool operations and calculate the number of additional power tool operations by dividing the measured remaining battery capacity by an average or a mean of the measured amount of consumed energy for the plurality of power tool operations, and/or

wherein the adapter is configured to dynamically detect a discharge current supplied to an electronic motor of the power tool during operation and to store the detected discharge current and wherein the adapter is further configured to compare the detected discharge current to an upper discharge current limit and/or to a lower discharge current limit, and optionally to use the comparison result to recommend a different power tool for performing a power tool operation and wherein the adapter is further configured to transmit the detected discharge current and/or the power tool recommendation to an external device.

27. The adapter according to claim 1, wherein the adapter is configured to communicate with an external device comprising a smart phone or a PDA or a tablet computer or a laptop computer or a desktop computer or a server or a mainframe computer.

30. The adapter according to claim 1, further comprising:

means (78, 79) for wirelessly communicating information concerning the power tool and/or the battery pack to an external device.

31. The adapter according to claim 30, wherein the means (78, 79) for wirelessly communicating information comprises one or more of:

a wireless communication device

a WiFi device,

a Bluetooth device,

a radio frequency (RF) communication device, or

a cellular or mobile telephone device.

32. The adapter according to claim 30, wherein the communicated information is one, or any two or more, of:

a measured remaining battery capacity and/or an estimated number of additional power tool operations of a same type that can be performed with the remaining battery capacity,

a value(s) for one or more operating parameters stored in a memory of the battery pack and/or the power tool,

maintenance information,

a detected discharge current and/or power tool recommendation,

an anti-theft function or key,

a person responsible for administering or managing the adapter, battery pack and/or power tool,

information to change the charging speed of the battery pack, and/or

a value(s) indicative of an operational state of the battery pack and/or the power tool.

33. The adapter according to claim 30, wherein the communicated information is a new value representative of a maximum current limit or a maximum charged level of the battery pack.

34. The adapter according to claim 33, wherein the maximum charged level determines a stopping point for a charging operation of the battery pack.

35. The adapter according to claim 1, further comprising:

an input device configured to directly input instructions, data, information, operating parameters and/or user preferences into the adapter, the input device comprising a touch pad, touch screen, up/down button(s), push button(s) and/or a toggle switch; and

a display comprising a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light-emitting diode (LED) display, an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, an organic electroluminescent (EL) display, a touch pad or a touch panel;

the display being configured to visually indicate one or more types of information, value(s) or function(s) selected from the group consisting of;

a charge level of the battery pack, an alarm indicating overheating, a predicted number of additional power tool operations of a same type that may be performed based upon the remaining battery capacity of the battery pack, a name of an administrator of the power tool and the battery pack, maintenance information, a charging speed value, a detected discharge current value, an operating parameter or any value indicative of the operational state of the battery pack and/or the power tool, the display being configured to visually indicate a maximum current limit or a maximum charged level of the battery pack.

42. A power tool system comprising:

the adapter according to claim 1,

a power tool having a housing and a battery pack interface, and

a battery pack connected to the battery pack interface,

wherein the adapter is physically engaged with only the power tool and the battery pack does not contain any means for physically engaging the adapter.

43. The power tool system according to claim 42, further comprising:

an external device in wireless communication with the adapter.

44. A method for operating the power tool system of claim 42, comprising:

electrically communicating first information from the at least one controller of the adapter to at least one controller of the power tool,

electrically communicating said first information from the at least one controller of the power tool to at least one controller of the battery pack, and

storing said first information in at least one memory of the battery pack.

49. The adapter according to claim 1, wherein the connector is configured to connect the adapter to power tool independently of the battery pack.

2. (canceled)

5-9. -9. (canceled)

12. (canceled)

14-26. -26. (canceled)

28-29. -29. (canceled)

36-41. -41. (canceled)

45-48. -48. (canceled)

50. An adapter for a power tool powered by a detachable battery pack, comprising:

a connector configured to directly, detachably, connect the adapter to the power tool,

an adapter controller,

at least one memory and/or storage device in communication with the adapter controller, and

at least one communication port configured to transmit electrical communications from the adapter controller to a controller located in the power tool and from the controller located in the power tool to the adapter controller,

wherein the adapter is configured such that, when a battery pack having a battery pack controller, is connected to the power tool, a communication path is established from the battery pack controller to the adapter controller via the power tool controller.