CORDLESS POWER TOOL SYSTEM

• US 20190312242A1
• Filed: 06/24/2019
• Published: 10/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Inventors: BARTON, Luke R., CRUISE, Nathan J., MOTURU, Abhisheka, JEFFERIES, Dustin, POTTER, Christine H., ROBERTS, Michael W., VARIPATIS, Michael, QIN, Fugen, ALBRECHT, Daniel J., ARONOFF, Michael J.
• Granted Patent: US 11,211,664 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B25F 5/02 Construction of casings, bodies or handles B25F5/006, B25F5/008 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/425 Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing printed circuits H05K1/00
• 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 2220/30 Batteries in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/213 adapted for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic H01M50/209, H01M50/216 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00045 Authentication, i.e. circuits for checking compatibility between one component, e.g. a battery or a battery charger, and another component, e.g. a power source
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0024 Parallel/serial switching of connection of batteries to charge or load circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0063 with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007182 in response to battery voltage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

This application relates to a power tool system including a plurality of power tools, a plurality of battery packs and at least one battery pack charger and method for operating the power tools with the battery packs. This application also relates to a method for charging the battery packs and a method for monitoring a state of charge of the battery pack. In one implementation, the system includes an existing battery pack designed to provide (output) a relatively low voltage, an existing power tool designed to operate at the relatively low voltage, a new battery pack designed to provide (output) the relatively low voltage and a relatively high voltage, and a new power tool designed to operate at the relatively high voltage.

Claims

1. A power tool system, comprising:

a first battery pack comprising a first plurality of battery cells providing a first operating voltage;

a second battery pack comprising a second plurality of battery cells capable of providing the first operating voltage and a second operating voltage;

a first power tool comprising a set of power terminals configured to mechanically and electrically couple with the first battery pack and operate at the first operating voltage and to mechanically couple with the second battery pack such that the second battery pack provides the first operating voltage to the first power tool; and

a second power tool comprising a set of power terminals configured to mechanically and electrically couple with the second battery pack such that the second battery pack provides the second operating voltage to the second power tool.

2. The power tool system, as recited in claim 1, wherein the first battery pack comprises a set of power terminals aligned in a row and the second battery pack comprises a set of power terminals comprising a first subset of power terminals aligned in a first row and a second subset of power terminals aligned in a second row, wherein the first row is parallel to the second row.

3. The power tool system, as recited in claim 2, wherein the first power tool comprises a set of power terminals aligned in a row and the second power tool comprises a set of power terminals comprising a first subset of power terminals aligned in a first row and a second subset of power terminals aligned in a second row

wherein upon mating the first power tool with the first battery pack the row of power terminals of the first power tool mates with corresponding power terminals of the row of power terminals of the first battery pack, and

wherein upon mating the first power tool with the second battery pack the row of power terminals of the first power tool mates with corresponding power terminals of the first of power terminals of the second battery pack and

wherein upon mating the second power tool with the second battery pack the first row of power terminals of the second power tool mates with corresponding power terminals of the first row of power terminals of the second battery pack and the second row of power terminals of the second power tool mates with corresponding power terminals of the second row of power terminals of second battery pack.

4. The power tool system, as recited in claim 2, wherein the first subset of power terminals in the second battery pack and the second subset of power terminal in the second battery pack are offset in a first direction.

5. The power tool system, as recited in claim 2, wherein the first subset and the second subset of battery pack power terminals of the second battery pack is coupled to one of the sets of battery cells.

6. A battery pack, comprising:

a plurality of sets of battery cells

a first set of power terminals coupled to a first one of the plurality of sets of battery cells

a second set of power terminals coupled to a second one of the plurality of sets of battery cells

wherein the first set of power terminals are aligned in a first row and the second set of power terminals are aligned in a second row parallel to the first row.

7. The battery pack, as recited in claim 6, wherein the power terminals of the first set of power terminals are aligned with the second set of power terminals to such that each of the power terminals of the first set of power terminals is aligned with one of the power terminals of the second set of power terminals to form a column.

8. The battery pack, as recited in claim 6, wherein the first row and the second row are offset in a first direction.

9. A power tool system, comprising:

a battery pack comprising a plurality of sets of battery cells;

a first power tool configured to couple to only one of the plurality of sets of battery cells; and

a second power tool configured to couple to all of the plurality of sets of battery cells.

10. The power tool system, as recited in 9, wherein the first power tool comprises a set of power terminals having a first configuration and the second power tool comprises a set of power terminals having a second configuration, the second configuration being different than the first configuration.

11. The power tool system, as recited in 9, wherein the battery pack comprises a set of power terminals, wherein the first power tool comprises a set of power terminals and the second power tool comprises a set of power terminals and wherein upon mating the first power tool to the battery pack the first power tool set of power terminals couples with a subset of the battery pack power terminals and upon mating the second tool to the battery pack the second power tool set of power terminals couples with the set of battery pack power terminals.

13. The power tool system, as recited in claim 11, wherein the set of battery pack power terminals comprises a plurality of subsets of power terminals wherein each subset of power terminals is coupled to one of the sets of battery cells.

12. The power tool system, as recited in 9, further comprising a second battery pack comprising a set of battery cells wherein the second battery pack is configured to couple with the first power tool and configured not to couple with the second power tool.

14. A battery pack comprising:

a state of charge indicator having a first set of indicators representing a first operating voltage and a second set of indicators representing a second operating voltage.

15. The battery pack, as recited in claim 14, further comprising a plurality of battery cells wherein coupling a subset of the plurality of battery cells generates the first operating voltage and coupling all of the plurality of battery cells generates the second operating voltage.

16. The battery pack, as recited in claim 14, further comprising a plurality of battery cells wherein coupling the plurality of battery cells in a first configuration generates the first operating voltage and coupling the plurality of battery cells in a second configuration generates the second operating voltage.