Electrical combination, electrical component and battery charger

• US 7,471,063 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2005
• Issued: 12/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Inventors: Zick, Jonathan A., Rozwadowski, David J., Santana, George L. Jr., Zeiler, Jeffrey M.
• Primary Examiner(s): TSO, EDWARD H
• Application Number:
  US11/147,687
• Publication Number:
  US 20050264260A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,301 Days
• Field of Search: 320/106, 320/107, 320/110, 320/112, 320/113, 320/114, 320/115
• US Class Current: 320/114
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/42 Methods or arrangements for servicing or maintenance of secondary cells or secondary half-cells H01M10/60 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/267 having means for adapting to batteries or cells of different types or different sizes
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An electrical component, such as, for example, a radio, an audio component, a battery charger or a radio/charger. The electrical component includes a housing and an electrical circuit supported by the housing. In some aspects, the electrical component is an audio component and the electrical circuit is an audio circuit. In other aspects, the electrical component is a battery charger and the electrical circuit is a charging circuit. In further aspects, the electrical component is an audio and battery charger combined and the electrical circuit is an audio and charging circuit. A battery may be connectable to the housing and electrically connectable the electrical circuit. The electrical component may include a locking assembly operable to lock the battery in a position relative to the housing. A biasing member may be positioned within a receptacle defined by the housing and operable to bias the battery out of the receptacle.

Claims

1. A battery charger comprising:

a housing;

a charging circuit supported by the housing, the charging circuit being selectively connectable to a power source, a battery being connectable to the housing and electrically connectable to the charging circuit, the charging circuit being operable to charge the battery; and

a locking assembly operable to lock the battery in a position relative to the housing, the locking assembly including a pair of first locking members supported by the housing engageable with a pair of second locking members supported by the battery, the first locking members being movable relative to the housing between a locked position, in which each first locking member engages an associated second locking member to lock the battery in a position relative to the housing, and an unlocked position, in which the battery is movable relative to the housing, the first locking members being movable relative to the housing along an axis, the first locking members being movable in opposite directions to one another along the axis during movement from the locked position to the unlocked position and during movement from the unlocked position to the locked position.

2. A battery charger according to claim 1, wherein the housing defines a receptacle having an open end, the battery being supportable in the receptacle, the housing including a cover selectively closing the open end of the receptacle with the battery supported in the receptacle.

3. A battery charger according to claim 1, wherein the locking assembly includes a biasing member biasing the first locking members toward the locked position.

4. The battery charger of claim 3, wherein the locking assembly further includes an actuator operable to at least move the first locking members from the locked position toward the unlocked position.

5. The battery charger of claim 4, wherein the biasing member biases the actuator toward a position corresponding to the locked position of the first locking members to thereby bias the first locking members to the locked position.

6. The battery charger of claim 5, wherein the locking assembly further includes a second biasing member connected to the first locking members and operable to move the first locking members from the locked position toward the unlocked position when the actuator is moved from the position corresponding to the locked position of the first locking members toward a position corresponding to the unlocked position of the first locking members.

7. A battery charger according to claim 1, wherein the battery is a slide-on power tool battery, the housing including a support portion, the support portion selectively supporting the slide-on power tool battery.

8. A battery charger according to claim 7, wherein one of the slide-on power tool battery and the support portion includes a projection, the other of the slide-on power tool battery and the support portion defining a recess, the projection being engageable in the recess to support the slide-on power tool battery on the support portion.

9. A battery charger according to claim 1, wherein the battery is a tower power tool battery, the housing defining an opening, the opening selectively supporting the tower power tool battery.

10. A battery charger according to claim 9, wherein the housing defines a receptacle, wherein the tower power tool battery includes a battery insertion portion, the battery insertion portion being engageable in the receptacle to support the tower power tool battery on to housing.

11. A battery charger according to claim 1, wherein the power tool battery includes a battery locking assembly to lock the power tool battery to a power tool, to locking assembly cooperating with the battery locking assembly to lock the battery in a position relative to the housing.

12. The battery charger of claim 1, wherein each first locking member defines a first locking member recess, in the locked position, each second locking member being received in the first locking member recess of the associated first locking member.

13. The battery charger of claim 12, wherein each first locking member includes a first portion on one side of the axis and a second portion on the opposite side of the axis , the first locking member recess being defined between the first portion and the second portion, wherein each second locking member has a first side on one side of the axis and a second side on the opposite side of the axis, and wherein, in the locked position, the first portion of the first locking member is engageable with the first side of the second locking member to limit movement of the battery toward the one side of the axis, and the second portion of the first locking member is engageable with the second side of the second locking member to limit movement of the battery toward the opposite side of the axis.

14. An electrical component comprising:

a housing defining a receptacle;

an electrical circuit supported by the housing and including a circuit terminal, a power tool battery being supportable in the receptacle, the battery including a battery terminal connectable to the circuit terminal to connect the battery to the electrical circuit; and

a biasing member supported on the housing and operable to bias the battery out of the receptacle, the biasing member not being electrically connected to the electrical circuit.

15. An electrical component according to claim 14, wherein the electrical component is an audio component, and wherein the electrical circuit is an audio circuit for producing an audio signal.

16. An electrical component according to claim 14, wherein the electrical component is a battery charger, and wherein the electrical circuit is a charging circuit electrically connectable to the battery and to a power source, and operable to charge the battery.

17. An electrical component according to claim 14, wherein the receptacle has an open end, and wherein the housing includes a cover selectively closing the open end of the receptacle with the battery supported in the receptacle.

18. An electrical component according to claim 17, wherein the cover includes a second biasing member, the second biasing member biasing the battery into the receptacle.

19. An electrical component according to claim 14, wherein the battery is a slide-on power tool battery, and wherein the housing includes a support portion, the support portion selectively supporting the slide-on power tool battery.

20. An electrical component according to claim 19, wherein one of the slide-on power tool battery and the support portion include a projection, the other of the slide-on power tool battery and the support portion defining a recess, the projection being engageable in the recess to support the slide-on power tool battery on the support portion.

21. An electrical component according to claim 14, wherein the battery is a tower power tool battery, and wherein the housing defines an opening, the opening selectively supporting the tower power tool battery.

22. An electrical component according to claim 21, wherein the tower power tool battery includes a battery insertion portion, at least the battery insertion portion being engageable in the receptacle to support the tower power tool battery on the housing.

23. An electrical component according to claim 14, further comprising a locking assembly operable to lock the battery in a position relative to the housing.

24. An electrical component according to claim 23, wherein the receptacle has an open end, and wherein the locking assembly includes a cover supported by the housing, the cover selectively closing the open end of the receptacle to lock the battery in the receptacle.

25. An electrical component according to claim 23, further comprising an electrical connector assembly for electrically connecting the battery to the electrical circuit, wherein the locking assembly locks the battery to the electrical connector assembly.

26. The electrical component of claim 25, wherein the electrical connector assembly is movably supported by the housing.

27. An electrical component according to claim 14, further comprising:

an electrical connector assembly for electrically connecting the battery to the electrical circuit, the electrical connector assembly including a movable portion supported for movement relative to the housing, the circuit terminal being supported by the movable portion for movement with the movable portion relative to the housing; and

a locking assembly operable to lock the battery in a position relative to the housing, the locking assembly locking the movable member in a position relative to the housing to lock the electrical connector assembly to the housing.

28. An electrical component according to claim 27, wherein the locking assembly includes a locking projection on one of the electrical connector assembly and the housing and a recess defined by the other of the electrical connector assembly and the housing, the locking projection being movable between a locked position, in which the projection engages the recess to lock the electrical connector assembly in a position relative to the housing, and an unlocked position, in which the electrical connector assembly is movable relative to the housing.

29. The electrical component of claim 14, wherein the receptacle has an open end through which the battery is insertable into the receptacle and an opposite closed end, and wherein the biasing member is supported on the closed end.

30. The electrical component of claim 14, further comprising an electrical connector assembly for electrically connecting the battery to the electrical circuit, the electrical connector assembly including a movable portion supported for movement relative to the housing, the circuit terminal being supported by the movable portion for movement with the movable portion, wherein the biasing member is supported between the housing and the movable portion to bias the battery out of the receptacle.

31. A combination comprising:

an electrical component;

a battery including a battery housing, power being transferable between the battery and the electrical component;

a locking arrangement provided between the battery and the electrical component to selectively lock the battery to the electrical component, the locking arrangement including a battery locking member supported on the battery and a component locking member supported on the component, the battery locking member being movable relative to the battery housing between a battery locked position, in which the battery locking member engages the component locking member to lock the battery to the electrical component, and a battery unlocked position, in which the battery is movable relative to the electrical component; and

a battery charger including

a charger housing,

a charging circuit supported by the charger housing, the charging circuit being selectively connectable to a power source, the battery being connectable to the charger housing and electrically connectable to the charging circuit, the charging circuit being operable to charge the battery, and

a locking assembly operable to lock the battery in a position relative to the charger housing, the locking assembly including a charger locking member supported on the charger housing and the battery locking member, the charger locking member being movable relative to the charger housing between a locked position, in which the charger locking member engages the battery locking member to lock the battery to the charger, and an unlocked position, in which the battery is movable relative to the charger.

32. The combination according to claim 31, wherein the electrical component is a power tool and the battery is a power tool battery operable to power the power tool.

33. The combination of claim 31, wherein each charger locking member defines a charger locking member recess, in the locked position, each battery locking member being received in the charger locking member recess of the associated charger locking member.

34. The battery charger of claim 33, wherein each charger locking member includes a first portion on one side of the axis and a second portion on the opposite side of the axis, the charger locking member recess being defined between the first portion and the second portion, wherein each battery locking member has a First side on one side of the axis and a second side on the opposite side of the axis, and wherein, in the locked position, the first portion of the charger locking member is engageable with the first side of the battery locking member to limit movement of the battery toward the one side of the axis, and the second portion of the charger locking member is engageable with the second side of the battery locking member to limit movement of the battery toward the opposite side of the axis.

35. An electrical component for use with a power tool battery, the battery including a battery terminal, the electrical component comprising:

a housing defining a receptacle having an end, the battery being supportable in the receptacle;

an electrical circuit supported by the housing, the battery being connectable to the electrical circuit, power being transferable between the battery and the electrical component;

an electrical connector assembly including

a support portion supported for movement relative to the housing, the battery being supportable by the support portion,

a circuit terminal supported by the support portion for movement with the support portion relative to the housing, the battery terminal being connectable to the circuit terminal to connect the battery to the electrical circuit; and

a biasing member supported between the housing and the support portion and operable to bias the support portion toward the end of the receptacle to thereby bias the battery out of the receptacle.