Electric power supply assembly for a cordless electric appliance

• US 5,208,525 A
• Filed: 10/15/1991
• Issued: 05/04/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gardena Kresta and Kastner GmbH
• Original Assignee: Gardena Kresta and Kastner GmbH
• Inventors: Lindermeir, Wolfgang, Katzer, Johann, Lopic, Franz
• Primary Examiner(s): Stephan, Steven L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peckman, Kristine
• Application Number:
  US07/776,853
• Time in Patent Office: 567 Days
• Field of Search: 30/DIG. 1, 173/217, 320/2, 320/3, 320/4, 320/5, 15/DIG. 1, 429/7, 429/9, 429/96, 429/97, 429/98, 429/99, 429/100, 310/50
• US Class Current: 320/112
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 3/053 motor-driven
• CPC Class Codes: B25F 5/02 Construction of casings, bodies or handles B25F5/006, B25F5/008 take precedence
• 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 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An electric supply device for the cordless operation of electrical appliances has a holder fixed to the electrical appliance for detachably locking and substantially exposing a mounting support of a storage unit. For electrical contact connection, approximately in the plane of a countersunk bearing surface, the storage unit has flat, rigid contacting contacts, with which are associated corresponding countercontacting contacts in the vicinity of the associated counterbearing surface of the holder. The contacting contacts are proximate to a hinge axis formed by a projecting hinged cam and a cam pocket between the storage unit and the holder, so that a favorable leverage is obtained. For detachable locking, two separately, but simultaneously, operable locks are provided in the vicinity of the other end of the storage unit, in which the holder is substantially embedded.

Claims

1. An electric power supply assembly for a cordless electric appliance, said assembly comprising:

at least one power storage unit;

a mounting support having at least one holder for removably receiving said storage unit, said holder having a first engaging surface and said storage unit having a second engaging surface for removably engaging said first engaging surface, said first engaging surface and said second engaging surface defining a contact plane when engaged;

at least one holder electric contact provided on said holder; and

at least one storage unit electric contact provided on said storage unit, said holder electric contact and said storage unit electric contact providing electrical connection when engaged, at least one of said holder electric contact and said storage unit electric contact providing a contact face aligned in a plane substantially parallel to said contact plane, wherein said holder electric contact and said storage unit electric contact engage and disengage in a connecting direction transverse to said contact plane by pivotal mounting and dismounting of said storage unit with said holder and wherein at least one of said holder electric contact and said storage unit electric contact is resiliently flexible in a direction substantially parallel to said connecting direction.

2. The supply assembly according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said holder electric contact and said storage unit electric contact is provided in flat, elongated, strip-like manner, substantially parallel to said contact plan.

3. The supply assembly according to claim 1, wherein said holder electric contact and said storage unit electric contact are juxtaposed in a parallel manner.

4. The supply assembly according to claim 1, wherein said holder electric contact and said storage unit electric contact are strips having a length extension and removably engage one another over most of said length extension.

5. The supply assembly according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said holder electric contact and said storage unit electric contact is substantially disposed in said contact plane.

6. The supply assembly according to claim 1, wherein said storage unit electric contact is rigidly mounted and is raised substantially only by a contact strip thickness over the second engaging surface.

7. The supply assembly according to claim 1, wherein said holder electric contact moves in a depression in said first engaging surface.

8. The supply assembly according to claim 1, wherein said storage unit and said holder pivotally separate about a hinge axis and said storage unit has an end edge a distance from said hinge axis, said holder electric contact and said storage unit electric contact being disposed closer to said hinge axis than to said storage unit end.

9. The supply assembly according to claim 8, wherein at least one of said holder electric contact and said storage unit electric contact is located substantially at a right angle to said hinge axis.

10. The supply assembly according to claim 1, wherein said storage unit is removably secured in an attached state to said holder with at least one lock means having at least two separately operable pushbutton locks located on remote sides of said supply assembly.

11. The supply assembly according to claim 10, wherein at least one of said at least two pushbutton locks is provided proximate a shield of said storage unit, said shield laterally engaging over said holder.

12. The supply assembly according to claim 10, wherein said at least two locks have adjacent pushbuttons, a release pushbutton on said storage unit and a locking stud on said holder, said locking stud being located in a movement path of said release pushbutton, at least one of said pushbuttons being spring loaded towards a locking position.

13. The supply assembly according to claim 1, wherein said holder is formed by a preassembled component constructed to be fixed to said appliance as a unit.

14. The supply assembly according to claim 1, wherein said holder has a flat web with a surface and a securing leg projecting at one end of said web at an angle over the surface of said web for removably engaging with a projecting hinged cam of said storage unit.

15. The supply assembly according to claim 1, wherein said holder has a locking casing projecting in a direction away from said first engaging surface.

16. The supply assembly according to claim 1, wherein, in an attached state, said holder is substantially embedded in a recess provided by at least one of said storage unit and said appliance.

17. The supply assembly according to claim 1, wherein, in an attached state, said storage unit and said holder engage one another by means of a three-point connection.

18. The supply assembly according to claim 1, wherein a hinged cam, dimensioned narrower than a width of said storage unit, and two locks form three connecting points located at apices of an imaginary acute-angled triangle substantially inclined with respect to said contact plane.

19. The supply assembly according to claim 1, wherein said holder is substantially constructed as a casing.

20. The supply assembly according to claim 1, wherein said holder is substantially constructed as a grip part of an appliance grip, said grip part having a width and a length extension, at least one of said extensions being substantially the same as an associated extension of a grip web of said appliance grip.

21. The supply assembly according to claim 1, wherein said holder is connected to an electric starter of a motor.

22. The supply assembly according to claim 21, wherein said motor is a lawnmower internal combustion engine.

23. The supply assembly according to claim 21, wherein said holder is located on a control panel of a handle connected to said motor.

24. The supply assembly according to claim 1, wherein said holder is constructed separate from said appliance, said holder having a flexible supply line.

25. The supply assembly according to claim 24, wherein said holder is constructed as a plug-in retaining clip removably connectable to a body of an operator.

26. The supply according to claim 24, wherein said holder removably connects by means of a flexible connecting cable to at least one plug-in shoe electrically attachable to a second holder provided on said appliance.

27. The supply assembly according to claim 1, wherein said holder is part of a charger for a plurality of storage cells superimposed in two rows in said storage unit.

28. The supply assembly according to claim 1, wherein said storage unit has at least one electric secondary connection separate from said storage unit electric contact.

29. The supply assembly according to claim 1, wherein said storage unit has a bipolar socket.

30. The supply assembly according to claim 1, wherein said appliance is a portable electric driven tool.