Electrical component, audio component, or electrical combination having a selectively connectable battery charger

• US 7,609,027 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2004
• Issued: 10/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Inventors: Zick, Jonathan A., Bublitz, Scott D., Ottens-Rendon, Melissa A., Rozwadowski, David J., Santana, George L. Jr., Zeiler, Jeffrey M.
• Primary Examiner(s): TSO, EDWARD H
• Application Number:
  US10/926,744
• Publication Number:
  US 20050083013A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,888 Days
• Field of Search: 320/107, 320/112, 320/114, 320/115, D13/103, D13/108
• 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 50/202 Casings or frames around the primary casing of a single cell or a single battery
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/244 Secondary casings; Racks; Suspension devices; Carrying devices; Holders characterised by their mounting method
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/247 specially adapted for portable devices, e.g. mobile phones, computers, hand tools or pacemakers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/267 having means for adapting to batteries or cells of different types or different sizes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/271 Lids or covers for the racks or secondary casings
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An electrical component, such as, for example, a radio, MP3 player, audio component, battery charger, radio/charger, MP3 player/radio, MP3 player/charger, or MP3 player/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 MP3 player and the electrical circuit is a MP3 circuit. In yet further aspects, the electrical component is an combination of any or all of a radio, battery charger, and MP3 player and the electrical component can include any combination or all of the audio, radio, and MP3 circuits. A battery may be connectable to the housing and electrically connectable the electrical circuit.

Claims

1. An electrical combination comprising:

a power tool battery;

a power tool including

a power tool housing, and

a motor supported by the power tool housing and electrically connectable to the power tool battery;

an audio component including

a component housing including a component connector, and

an audio circuit supported by the component housing and operable to produce an audio signal, the audio circuit being electrically connectable to at least one of the power tool battery and a power source; and

a battery charger including

a charger housing including a charger connector, the charger connector being connectable with the component connector to removably connect the charger housing to the component housing, and

a charging circuit connectable to the power tool battery and to the power source and operable to charge the power tool battery.

2. The electrical combination according to claim 1, wherein the power tool battery is a tower power tool battery, the component housing defining an opening, the opening selectively supporting the tower power tool battery.

3. The electrical combination according to claim 2, wherein the tower power tool battery includes a battery insertion portion, the battery insertion portion being engageable in the opening of the component housing to support the tower power tool battery on the component housing.

4. The electrical combination according to claim 1, further comprising a second charging circuit supported by the component housing, the second charging circuit being selectively connectable to the power tool battery, the second charging circuit being operable to charge the power tool battery.

5. The electrical combination according to claim 1, wherein the power tool battery is a slide-on power tool battery, the component housing including a support portion, the support portion selectively supporting the slide-on power tool battery.

6. The electrical combination according to claim 1, further comprising:

a locking assembly operable to lock the power tool battery in a position relative to the component housing;

wherein the locking assembly includes a locking projection on one of the power tool battery and the component housing and a recess defined by the other of the power tool battery and the component housing, the locking projection being movable between a locked position, in which the projection engages the recess to lock the power tool battery in a position relative to the component housing, and an unlocked position, in which the power tool battery is movable relative to the component housing.

7. The electrical combination according to claim 6, wherein the locking assembly includes a biasing member biasing the locking projection toward the locked position.

8. The electrical combination according to claim 7, wherein the locking assembly includes an actuator operable to move the locking projection between the locked position and the unlocked position, and wherein the biasing member biases the actuator to a position corresponding to the locked position of the locking projection to bias the locking projection to the locked position.

9. The electrical combination according to claim 6, wherein the component housing defines a receptacle having an open end and a closed end, the power tool battery being supportable in the receptacle, the receptacle defining an axis of insertion extending from the open end of the receptacle to the closed end of the receptacle, and wherein the locking projection of the locking assembly is movable perpendicularly to the axis of insertion between the locked position and the unlocked position.

10. The electrical combination according to claim 6, wherein the locking assembly includes an actuator operable to move the locking projection from the locked position to the unlocked position.

11. The electrical combination according to claim 10, wherein the actuator is movable between a locked position and an unlocked position, the locking projection being in the locked position thereof when the actuator is in the locked position thereof, and the locking projection being in the unlocked position thereof when the actuator is in the unlocked position thereof.

12. The electrical combination according to claim 11, wherein the actuator allows the locking projection to move from the locked position of the locking projection to the unlocked position of the locking projection.

13. The electrical combination according to claim 11, wherein the actuator moves the locking projection from the locked position to the unlocked position of the locking projection.

14. The electrical combination according to claim 6, further comprising an electrical connector assembly for electrically connecting the power tool battery to the audio circuit, wherein the locking assembly locks the power tool battery to the electrical connector assembly.

15. The electrical combination according to claim 14, wherein the power tool battery is locked in a position relative to the electrical connector assembly when the locking projection is in the locked position and the power tool battery is movable relative to the electrical connector assembly when the locking projection is in the unlocked position.

16. The electrical combination according to claim 1, wherein the component housing defines a receptacle, and wherein the power tool battery is supportable in the receptacle.

17. The electrical combination according to claim 16, wherein the receptacle includes an open end and a closed end, and further comprising a biasing member to bias the power tool battery toward the open end of the receptacle.

18. The electrical combination according to claim 17, wherein the biasing member is a spring.

19. The electrical combination according to claim 17, wherein the housing includes a cover selectively closing the open end of the receptacle.

20. The electrical combination according to claim 19, wherein the cover includes a second biasing member, the second biasing member biasing the power tool battery into the receptacle.

21. The electrical combination according to claim 16, wherein the receptacle selectively receives a battery of a first dimension or a battery of a second dimension, and wherein the power tool battery is one of a the battery of the first dimension and the battery of the second dimension.

22. The electrical combination according to claim 21, wherein the receptacle accommodates only one power tool battery at a time.

23. The electrical combination according to claim 22, wherein the receptacle defines an axis of insertion extending from the open end of the receptacle to the closed end of the receptacle, and wherein the first dimension and the second dimension are measured generally along the axis of insertion.

24. The electrical combination according to claim 23, wherein the power tool battery includes a battery terminal, and wherein the audio component includes a connector terminal located at the closed end of the receptacle connected to the audio circuit, the battery terminal being connectable to the connector terminal, the battery terminal and the connector terminal being supportable in the receptacle.

25. The electrical combination according to claim 1, further comprising:

a connector assembly for supporting the power tool battery and for connecting the power tool battery to the audio circuit, the connector assembly being movably supported by the component housing;

wherein the connector assembly includes a support portion, the power tool battery being supportable on the support portion, the support portion being movable relative to the component housing;

wherein one of the power tool battery and the support portion includes a projection and the other of the power tool battery and the support portion defines a recess, the projection being engageable in the recess to support the power tool battery on the connector assembly.

26. The electrical combination according to claim 25, wherein the power tool battery includes a battery terminal, and wherein the connector assembly includes a connector terminal connected to the audio circuit, the connector terminal being movable relative to the component housing, the battery terminal being connectable to the connector terminal to connect the power tool battery to the audio circuit.

27. The electrical combination according to claim 25, further comprising a locking assembly operable to lock the connector assembly in a position relative to the component housing.

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

29. The electrical combination according to claim 28, wherein the locking assembly includes a biasing member biasing the second locking projection toward the locked position.

30. The electrical combination according to claim 29, wherein the locking assembly includes an actuator operable to control movement of the second locking projection between the locked position and the unlocked position, and wherein the biasing member biases the actuator to a position corresponding to the locked position of the second locking projection to bias the second locking projection to the locked position.

31. The electrical combination according to claim 28, wherein the locking assembly includes an actuator operable to control movement of the second locking projection between the locked position and the unlocked position.

32. The electrical combination according to claim 25, wherein the audio component includes a MP3 player and the audio circuit includes a MP3 circuit operable to produce a MP3 audio signal.