Battery-operated screwdriver

• US 7,546,785 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2005
• Issued: 06/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Bergmann, Julian, Meeuwissen, Jean-Paul, Roehm, Heiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Ullah; Akm E
• Assistant Examiner(s): DIAO, M BAYE
• Application Number:
  US10/573,627
• Publication Number:
  US 20070120527A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,457 Days
• Field of Search: 320/107, 320/114, 320/115, 81/52, 81/54, 81/571.1, 81/573.9, 811/774, 814/90, 814/38, 814/39, 206/349, 173/48, 173/217, 439/500, 429/97, 429/98, 429/99
• US Class Current: 81/490
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 21/00 Portable power-driven screw or nut setting or loosening tools; details or components, e.g. casings, bodies, of portable power-driven tools not particularly related to the operation performed B25F5/00; for mounting or dismounting wheels B60B29/006; Attachments for drilling apparatus serving the same purpose machines B23P19/06
• CPC Class Codes: B25F 5/02 Construction of casings, bodies or handles B25F5/006, B25F5/008 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B25H 3/006 Storage means specially adapted for one specific hand apparatus, e.g. an electric drill
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence

Abstract

A battery-operated screwdriver, having a housing (12, 18) with a handle (14), in particular bent at an angle like a pistol grip, with a preferably fixedly installed rechargeable battery (40), and with charge contact tongues (37) for charging the battery (40) on a charger shell (22), is always ready for use and available by quick, simple access to the tool insert and screwdriver bit, because its battery (40) is designed as a lithium ion cell (Li ion cell) and can be placed in a chronologically undefined way, particularly in intervals between uses, on a charger shell (22), and the charging mode can be produced automatically, and the charger shell (22) has a detachably securable, magazinelike bit holder (99), with a plurality of compartments into which screwdriver bits (20) can be inserted.

Claims

1. A battery-operated screwdriver, having a housing (12, 18) with a handle (14), in particular bent at an angle like a pistol grip, with a preferably fixedly installed rechargeable battery (40), and with charge contact tongues (37) for charging the battery (40) on a charger shell (22), characterized in that the battery-operated screwdriver (10) has a battery (40), which is designed as a lithium ion cell (Li ion cell) and can be placed on a charger shell (22), and the charging mode can be produced automatically;

and that the charger shell (22) comprises at least one detachably mounted bit holder (99) fir storing tool inserts, particularly screwdriver bits, of the battery-operated screwdriver (10) in captive fashion.

2. The battery-operated screwdriver as recited in claim 1, characterized in that in the charging mode, the handle (14) protrudes so far from the charger shell (22) that for removing the battery-operated screwdriver (10) it can comfortably be grasped from beneath and/or largely encircled with the hand.

3. The battery-operated screwdriver as recited in claim 1, characterized in that the charge contact tongues (37) protrude outward through lateral slots (35) in the lower end of the handle (14) on both sides of the parting plane (15) on the side of the internal angle and lock in the charging mode onto charge contacts (23) of the charger shell (22), without requiring that separate cords or coupling plugs be actuated.

4. The battery-operated screwdriver as recited in claim 1, characterized in that the battery-operated screwdriver (10), in the charging mode, fits with the indentations (33) in its handle (14) over the resilient charge contacts (23)on the charger shell (22) and is thus secured in overlocking fashion against unintentional release from the charger shell.

5. The battery-operated screwdriver as recited in claim 1, characterized in that the charger shell (22) has embedding means (25, 251, 252) on its top side for receiving the battery-operated screwdriver (10), which correspond to a copy of its internal angle outer surfaces that are enclosed by the handle (14) and the motor housing (12) and the gearbox (18);

and that at least one of the embedding means (25, 251 252) extends at an angle of less than 90°

to the vertical.

6. The battery-operated screwdriver as recited in claim 1, characterized in that the handle (14) enters in wedgelike fashion only with its ON/OFF button (26) into the embedding means (25, 251, 252) of the charger shell (22), and the handle (14) itself protrudes from the charger shell (22) and dips only minimally into the embedding means (25, 251, 252).

7. The battery-operated screwdriver as recited in claim 1, characterized in that the charger shell (22) can be placed, standing securely, on a flat and in particular horizontal storage shelf, without having to be secured and firmly held when the battery-operated screwdriver (10) is removed.

15. The battery-operated screwdriver as recited in claim 1, wherein the bit holder (99) is overlockably received in the charger shell (22).

16. The battery-operated screwdriver as recited in claim 1, wherein the charger shell (22) comprises a groovelike indentation for receiving the bit holder (99).

17. The battery-operated screwdriver as recited in claim 1, wherein the bit holder (99) is made of an elastic material.

8. A charger shell for a battery-operated screwdriver (10) wherein the charger shell has at least one, detachably, mountable bit holder (99), configured to receive a plurality of bits (93), which, in operation, can be inserted in a manner secure against relative rotation, in communication with the battery-operated screwdriver (10) and wherein:

the battery-operated screwdriver has a housing (12, 18) with a handle (14), in particular bent at an angle like a pistol grip, with a preferably fixedly installed rechargeable lithium ion cell battery (40), and with charge contact tongues (37) for charging the battery (40) on the charger shell (22), and

the battery (40), can be placed on the charger shell (22), and the charging mode can be produced automatically.

9. The charger shell as recited in claim 8, characterized in that the bit holder (99) is mountable laterally on the charger shell (22) and in the process is fitted flush into the outer contour of the charger shell (22), in an overlockable fashion.

10. The charger shell as recited in claim 9, characterized in that the charger shell (22) has an elongated indentation (98) for receiving the bit holder (99), which indentation is longer than the bit holder (99) and which, with the bit holder (99) inserted, forms a permanent opening (96) for grasping from below with the finger for the sake of removing the bit holder (99).

11. The charger shell as recited in claim 10, characterized in that the bit holder (99) is located parallel to the indentation for the handle region of the battery-operated screwdriver (10).

12. The charger shell as recited in claim 11, characterized in that the bit holder (99) is kept in the signal color red, and the charger shell (22) is kept in the color black and/or dark green and/or dark blue.

13. The charger shell as recited in claim 12, characterized in that input pinions (73, 95) for the bits (93) are located extending perpendicular to the contour of the charger shell (22).

14. The charger shell as recited in claim 13, characterized in that the charger shell (22) has input pinions (73), disposed fixedly in its front region, for captively receiving screwdriver bits (93), particularly in one row parallel to the length of the bit holder (99).