Battery, battery charger, electrical system and method of charging a battery

• US 6,924,620 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2002
• Issued: 08/02/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Inventors: Santana, George L. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward H.
• Application Number:
  US10/202,693
• Publication Number:
  US 20040017177A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,104 Days
• Field of Search: 320/110, 320/114, 320/116, 320/127, 320/128, 320/138
• US Class Current: 320/114
• CPC Class Codes: B25F 5/02 Construction of casings, bodies or handles B25F5/006, B25F5/008 take precedence
• 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 50/213 adapted for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic H01M50/209, H01M50/216 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/247 specially adapted for portable devices, e.g. mobile phones, computers, hand tools or pacemakers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/296 characterised by terminals of battery packs terminals of batteries H01M50/543
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/581 in response to temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/59 characterised by the protection means
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery, a battery charger, an electrical system, and a method of charging a battery. In one aspect, the battery includes a housing, a battery cell supported by the housing, a first terminal electrically connected to the battery cell and having a first terminal end, and a second terminal electrically connected to the battery cell and having a second terminal end, the second terminal end extending forwardly of the first terminal end. In another aspect, the battery charger includes a charger housing, a charging circuit supported by the charger housing and connectable to a power source, a first charger terminal connected to the charging circuit and having a first charger terminal end, the first charger terminal being connectable to the first battery terminal, and a second charger terminal connected to the charging circuit and having a second charger terminal end, the second charger terminal being connectable to the second battery terminal, the second charger terminal end extending forwardly of the first charger terminal end.

Claims

1. An electrical system comprising:

a battery including

a housing,

a battery cell supported by the housing,

a first battery terminal electrically connected to the battery cell and having a first battery terminal end, and

a second battery terminal electrically connected to the battery cell and having a second battery terminal end; and

a battery charger including a charger housing,

a charging circuit supported by the charger housing and connectable to a power source,

a first charger terminal connected to the charging circuit and having a first charger terminal end, the first charger terminal being connectable to the first battery terminal,

a second charger terminal connected to the charging circuit and having a second charger terminal end, the second charger terminal being connectable to the second battery terminal;

wherein one of the second battery terminal end and the second charger terminal end extends forwardly of the first battery terminal end and first charger terminal end, respectively.

2. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the second battery terminal end extends forwardly of the first battery terminal end.

3. The system as set forth in claim 2, wherein the first charger terminal end and the second charger terminal end are aligned.

4. The system as set forth in claim 2, wherein the second charger terminal end extends forwardly of the first charger terminal end.

5. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the second charger terminal end extends forwardly of the first charger terminal end.

6. The system as set forth in claim 5, wherein the first battery terminal end and the second battery terminal end are aligned.

7. The system as set forth in claim 5, wherein the second battery terminal end extends forwardly of the first battery terminal end.

8. The system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a power tool connectable with the battery and selectively powered by the battery.

9. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first battery terminal is a positive current terminal.

10. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the second battery terminal is a ground terminal.

11. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the battery further includes a third battery terminal electrically connected to the battery cell.

12. The system as set forth in claim 11, wherein the third battery terminal has a third battery terminal end, and wherein the second battery terminal extends forwardly of the third battery terminal.

13. The system as set forth in claim 11, wherein the battery further includes a temperature monitoring device electrically connected to the third battery terminal.

14. The system as set forth in claim 13, wherein the temperature monitoring device is a thermistor.

15. The system as set forth in claim 11, wherein the battery charger further includes a third charger terminal connected to the charging circuit, the third charger terminal being connectable to the third battery terminal.

16. The system as set forth in claim 15, wherein the battery charger further includes a temperature monitoring device electrically connected to the third charger terminal.

17. The system as set forth in claim 16, wherein the battery further includes a thermistor connected to the third battery terminal, and wherein the temperature monitoring device communicates with the thermistor to selectively deactivate the charging circuit.

18. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the battery cell is a NiMH battery cell.

19. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the battery cell is a NiCd battery cell.

20. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the battery cell is a Li-ion battery cell.

21. An electrical system comprising:

a battery including

a housing,

a battery cell supported by the housing,

a first battery terminal electrically connected to the battery cell and having a first battery terminal end, and

a second battery terminal electrically connected to the battery cell and having a second battery terminal end, the second battery terminal end extending forwardly of the first battery terminal end; and

a battery charger including

a charger housing,

a charging circuit supported by the charger housing and connectable to a power source,

a first charger terminal connected to the charging circuit, the first charger terminal being connectable to the first battery terminal, and

a second charger terminal connected to the charging circuit, the second charger terminal being connectable to the second battery terminal.

22. The system as set forth in claim 21, further comprising a power tool connectable with the battery and selectively powered by the battery.

23. The system as set forth in claim 21, wherein the first battery terminal is a positive current terminal.

24. The system as set forth in claim 21, wherein the second battery terminal is a ground terminal.

25. The system as set forth in claim 21, wherein the battery further includes a third battery terminal electrically connected to the battery cell.

26. The system as set forth in claim 25, wherein the third battery terminal has a third battery terminal end, and wherein the second battery terminal end extends forwardly of the third battery terminal end.

27. The system as set forth in claim 25, wherein the battery further includes a temperature monitoring device electrically connected to the third battery terminal.

28. The system as set forth in claim 27, wherein the temperature monitoring device is a thermistor.

29. The system as set forth in claim 25, wherein the battery charger further includes a third charger terminal connected to the charging circuit, the third charger terminal being connectable to the third battery terminal.

30. The system as set forth in claim 29, wherein the battery charger further includes a temperature monitoring device electrically connected to the third charger terminal.

31. The system as set forth in claim 30, wherein the battery further includes a thermistor connected to the third battery terminal, and wherein the temperature monitoring device communicates with the thermistor to selectively deactivate the charging circuit.

32. The system as set forth in claim 21, wherein the battery cell is a NiMH battery cell.

33. The system as set forth in claim 21, wherein the battery cell is a NiCd battery cell.

34. The system as set forth in claim 21, wherein the battery cell is a Li-ion battery cell.

35. The system as set forth in claim 21, wherein the first charger terminal has a first charger terminal end and the second charger terminal has a second charger terminal end, and wherein the first charger terminal end and the second charger terminal end are aligned.

36. The system as set forth in claim 21, wherein the first charger terminal has a first charger terminal end and the second charger terminal has a second charger terminal end, and wherein the second charger terminal end extends forwardly of the first charger terminal end.

37. An electrical system comprising:

a battery including

a housing,

a battery cell supported by the housing,

a first battery terminal electrically connected to the battery cell, and

a second battery terminal electrically connected to the battery cell; and

a battery charger including

a charger housing,

a charging circuit supported by the charger housing and connectable to a power source,

a first charger terminal connected to the charging circuit and having a first charger terminal end, the first charger terminal being connectable to the first battery terminal, and

a second charger terminal connected to the charging circuit and having a second charger terminal end, the second charger terminal being connectable to the second battery terminal, the second charger terminal end extending forwardly of the first charger terminal end.

38. The system as set forth in claim 37, further comprising a power tool connectable with the battery and selectively powered by the battery.

39. The system as set forth in claim 37, wherein the first battery terminal is a positive current terminal.

40. The system as set forth in claim 37, wherein the second battery terminal is a ground terminal.

41. The system as set forth in claim 37, wherein the battery further includes a third battery terminal electrically connected to the battery cell, and wherein the charger further includes a third charger terminal electrically connected to the charging circuit, the third charger terminal being to the third battery terminal.

42. The system as set forth in claim 41, wherein the third charger terminal has a third charger terminal end, and wherein the second charger terminal end extends forwardly of the third charger terminal end.

43. The system as set forth in claim 41, wherein the charger further includes a temperature monitoring device electrically connected to the third charger terminal.

44. The system as set forth in claim 43, wherein the battery further includes a thermistor connected to the third battery terminal, and wherein the temperature monitoring device communicates with the thermistor to selectively deactivate the charging circuit.

45. The system as set forth in claim 37, wherein the battery cell is a NiMH battery cell.

46. The system as set forth in claim 37, wherein the battery cell is a NiCd battery cell.

47. The system as set forth in claim 37, wherein the battery cell is a Li-ion battery cell.

48. The system as set forth in claim 37, wherein the first battery terminal has a first battery terminal end and the second battery terminal has a second battery terminal end, and wherein the first battery terminal end and the second battery terminal end are aligned.

49. The system as set forth in claim 37, wherein the first battery terminal has a first battery terminal end and the second battery terminal has a second battery terminal end, and wherein the second battery terminal end extends forwardly of the first battery terminal end.

50. A method of charging a battery with a battery charger, the battery including a housing, a battery cell supported by the housing, a first terminal electrically connected to the battery cell, and a second terminal electrically connected to the battery cell, the battery charger including a charger housing, a charging circuit supported by the charger housing connectable to a power source, a first charger terminal connected to the charging circuit, a second charger terminal connected to the charging circuit, said method comprising the acts of:

connecting the second battery terminal to the second charger terminal; and

after the act of connecting the second battery terminal to the second charger terminal, connecting the first battery terminal to the first charger terminal.

51. The method as set forth in claim 50, further comprising the acts of:

connecting the charging circuit to the power source; and

supplying power from the power source to the battery cell to charge the battery cell.

52. The method as set forth in claim 50, wherein the first charger terminal has a first charger terminal end and the second charger terminal has a second charger terminal end, the second charger terminal end extending forwardly of the first charger terminal end, and wherein the act of connecting the second battery terminal to the second charger terminal includes the act of connecting the second charger terminal end to the second battery terminal before connecting the first charger terminal end to the first battery terminal.