Charging system including a charger and an electric power tool operating on an internal battery unit

• US 6,066,938 A
• Filed: 03/18/1999
• Issued: 05/23/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company), Makita Corporation
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company), Makita Corporation
• Inventors: Sugimoto, Manabu, Umemura, Shingo, Hyodo, Koki, Nakane, Shin-ichi, Horikawa, Kazuyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Berhane, Adolf Deneke
• Assistant Examiner(s): TOATLEY, GREGORY J
• Application Number:
  US09/272,635
• Time in Patent Office: 432 Days
• Field of Search: 320/114, 320/115, D 8/68, 30/500, 30/DIG. 1, 211/69, 408/116, 408/239 R, 173/217
• US Class Current: 320/114
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction

Abstract

A battery-charging system is provided that does not require removal of batteries from an impact screwdriver (1) for recharging. The battery-charging system includes the impact screwdriver and a charger (20). The impact screwdriver (1) has a nose (3a) to which a tool bit is attached. The impact screwdriver additionally includes a grip handle (4) containing a battery unit (5) whose terminals (10) for recharging are exposed in a surface of a protrusion (7) of the grip handle. The charger (20) includes a charger circuit encased in an enclosure having a base (21) covered with a housing (22). The housing of the charger is provided with a first receiving recess (29) which can receive the nose (3a) of the screwdriver and a second receiving recess (30) which can receive the protrusion (7) of the screwdriver. The system additionally includes a pair of charge terminals of the charger circuit that resiliently projects into the second receiving recess (30). The charger circuit terminals are brought into electrical contact with the corresponding terminals in the protrusion of the impact screwdriver when the screwdriver is set on the charger. While the battery unit is charged, the entire impact screwdriver (1), not the battery unit alone, is set on the charger (20) with the nose placed in the first receiving recess and the protrusion in the second receiving recess.

Claims

1. A power tool charging system, comprising:

an electric power tool including

at least one rechargeable battery,

a handle containing the at least one battery,

a plurality of first terminals provided on the handle for passing currents for charging the at least one battery,

a nose to which a tool bit is attached, and

a motor powered by the at least one battery for driving the nose; and

a charger on which the electric power tool is set for charging the at least one battery, the charger including

first means for receiving the handle of the electric power tool,

second means for receiving the nose of the electric power tool, and

a first recess disposed between the first and second receiving means, the first recess configured to provide clearance around the handle when the electric power tool is set on the charger,

a plurality of second terminals that are connected to a charger circuit and are provided in the first receiving means, the second terminals establishing electrical contact with the first terminals when the electric power tool is set on the charger, whereby the charger is capable of charging at least one battery of the electric power tool when the handle and the nose are placed in the first and second receiving means, respectively.

2. A charging system in accordance with claim 1 further including first elastic means and second elastic means in the first receiving means and the second receiving means, respectively, for being elastically deformed approximately in the direction in which the electric power tool is set on the charger.

3. A charging system in accordance with claim 2, wherein the first and second elastic means are made of rubber adapted to cushion the impact of the handle and the nose on the first and second receiving means, respectively, when the handle and the nose are placed in the first and second receiving means.

4. A charging system in accordance with claim 3, wherein the second receiving means defines a second recess rimmed with at least one slope for guiding the nose into the second recess, the second recess having a bottom surface covered with the first elastic means.

5. A charging system in accordance with claim 4, further comprising a fan disposed in the charger for activation while the at least one battery is charged by the charger, said fan drawing air from the outside of the charger and discharging the air at the second terminals in the second means for receiving.

6. A charging system in accordance with claim 3, wherein the first terminals are provided on a protrusion that extends from the handle approximately parallel to the nose and further wherein the first receiving means defines a third recess rimmed with at least one slope for guiding the protrusion on the handle into the third recess, the third recess having a bottom surface on which the second elastic means is provided and from which the second terminals project.

7. A charging system in accordance with claim 6, wherein the third recess has a shape complementary to the protrusion so that the protrusion fits in the third recess.

8. A charging system in accordance with claim 3, wherein the handle is sized to form a clearance around the handle at least large enough to allow an operator'"'"'s hand to grip the handle without contacting the charger.

9. A charging system in accordance with claim 3, wherein the second terminals are individually detachably mounted on a surface of the first receiving means and project from the surface so as to individually and elastically deform approximately in the direction in which the electric power tool is set on the charger, and further wherein the first terminals are configured to be pressed into contact with the second terminals when the electric power tool is set on the charger.

10. A charging system in accordance with claim 3, further comprising a fan disposed in the charger for activation while the at least one battery is charged by the charger, said fan drawing air from the outside of the charger and discharging the air at the second terminals in the second means for receiving.

11. A charging system in accordance with claim 2, wherein the handle is sized to form a clearance around the handle at least large enough to allow an operator'"'"'s hand to grip the handle without contacting the charger.

12. A charging system in accordance with claim 2, wherein the second terminals are individually detachably mounted on a surface of the first receiving means and project from the surface so as to individually and elastically deform approximately in the direction in which the electric power tool is set on the charger, and further wherein the first terminals are configured to be pressed into contact with the second terminals when the electric power tool is set on the charger.

13. A charging system in accordance with claim 2, further comprising a fan disposed in the charger for activation while the at least one battery is charged by the charger, said fan drawing air from the outside of the charger and discharging the air at the second terminals in the second means for receiving.

14. A charging system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the handle is sized to form a clearance around the handle at least large enough to allow an operator'"'"'s hand to grip the handle without contacting the charger.

15. A charging system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the second terminals are individually detachably mounted on a surface of the first receiving means and project from the surface so as to individually and elastically deform approximately in the direction in which the electric power tool is set on the charger, and further wherein the first terminals are configured to be pressed into contact with the second terminals when the electric power tool is set on the charger.

16. A charging system in accordance with claim 15, further comprising a fan disposed in the charger for activation while the at least one battery is charged by the charger, said fan drawing air from the outside of the charger and discharging the air at the second terminals in the second means for receiving.

17. A charging system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a fan disposed in the charger for activation while the at least one battery is charged by the charger, said fan drawing air from the outside of the charger and discharging the air at the second terminals in the second means for receiving.