Battery charger and assembly

• US 7,659,696 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2007
• Issued: 02/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Inventors: Rozwadowski, David J., Santana, George L. Jr., Johnson, Todd W., Glasgow, Kevin L., Zeiler, Jeffrey M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Assouad; Patrick J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Muralidar; Richard V
• Application Number:
  US11/877,387
• Publication Number:
  US 20080036420A1
• Time in Patent Office: 840 Days
• Field of Search: 320/107, 320110-115
• US Class Current: 320/115
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/22 The load being a portable electronic device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0014 Circuits for equalisation of charge between batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries

Abstract

Battery chargers and combinations. In some aspects and in some constructions, the invention may provide a combination including a battery charger having a housing and a charging circuit, and protective structure separate from and connectable with the battery charger. The protective structure, when connected, extending from the housing beyond a battery connected to the battery charger. In some aspects and in some constructions, the invention may also provide a combination including a first battery charger, a second battery charger and a connecting structure operable to connect the first battery charger and the second battery charger as a unit. In some aspects and in some constructions, the invention may further provide a combination including a battery charger and a handle separate from and connectable with the battery charger. In addition, in some aspects and in some constructions, the invention may provide a battery charger including a housing having a base and an upper portion opposite the base. A height is defined between the base and the upper portion and the base having a width less than or equal to the height.

Claims

1. A combination comprising:

a first battery charger including

a first housing, and

a first charging circuit supported by the first housing and electrically connectable to a power source and to a first battery;

a second battery charger including

a second housing, and

a second charging circuit supported by the second housing and electrically connectable to the power source and to a second battery, the second charging circuit being electrically connectable to the power source independently of the first charging circuit;

a base operable to connect the first battery charger and the second battery charger as a unit, the first and second battery chargers being independently removable from the base; and

a bar extending from the base and graspable by a user to hand carry the combination, wherein at least a portion of the bar is positioned above the first and second battery chargers.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein the base is blow molded from an impact-resistant plastic material.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 1, further comprising locking structure for releasably locking the first battery charger and the second battery charger with the base.

4. The combination as set forth in claim 3, wherein the locking structure includes a recess defined on one of the first battery charger and the base and a projection provided by the other of the first battery charger and the base, the projection being engageable in the recess to lock the first battery charger to the base.

5. The combination as set forth in claim 4, wherein the projection is movable between a locking position, in which the projection engages the recess to lock the first battery charger to the base, and an unlocking position, in which the first battery charger is removable from the base, and wherein the locking structure further includes an actuator operable to move the projection from at least one of the locking position and the unlocking position to the other of the locking position and the unlocking position.

6. The combination as set forth in claim 4, wherein the locking structure further includes a biasing member biasing the projection toward the locking position.

7. The combination as set forth in claim 4, wherein the locking structure includes a second recess defined on one of the second battery charger and the base and a second projection provided by the other of the second battery charger and the base, the second projection being engageable in the second recess to lock the second battery charger to the base.

8. The combination as set forth in claim 3, wherein the locking structure includes

a first locking assembly operable to releasably lock the first battery charger to the base, and

a second locking assembly operable to releasably lock the second battery charger to the base.

9. The combination as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a power distribution assembly at least partially positioned within the base.

10. The combination as set forth in claim 9, further comprising an electrical cord extending from the base and operable to electrically connect the first and second charging circuits to the power source through the power distribution assembly.

11. The combination as set forth in claim 10, further comprising a pair of cleats around which the electrical cord is wrapped to support the electrical cord, wherein at least one of the cleats extends from the bar.

12. The combination as set forth in claim 9, wherein the power distribution assembly includes a plurality of power outlets.

13. The combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein the portion of the bar positioned above the first and second battery chargers includes a grip to facilitate hand carrying the combination.

14. The combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein the bar is a first bar including a first end coupled to a first portion of the base, and a second end coupled to a second portion of the base, and wherein the combination further comprises a second bar extending from the base and coupled to the first bar between the first and second ends of the first bar.

15. The combination as set forth in claim 14, wherein the second bar is fastened to the first bar.

16. The combination as set forth in claim 14, wherein each of the first and second housings lies entirely within an envelope defined by the base and at least one of the first bar and the second bar when viewing the combination from at least two different orthogonal views.