Charging device and rechargeable power tool set

• US 7,692,408 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2006
• Issued: 04/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Electric Works Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Electric Works Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ito, Masatoshi, Miyazaki, Hiroshi, Ohashi, Toshiharu
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso; Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): DIAO, M BAYE
• Application Number:
  US11/390,209
• Publication Number:
  US 20060214642A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,470 Days
• Field of Search: 320/106, 320/107, 320/110, 320/112, 320/111, 320/113, 320/114, 320/115, 320/119, 320/128, 320/134, 320/136, 320/144, 320/150, 320/153, 429/96, 429/97, 429/98, 429/99, 429/100
• US Class Current: 320/150
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007192 in response to temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007194 of the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage

Abstract

A charging device for use in charging plural types of secondary batteries includes a power source unit for supplying a charging current to an object secondary battery, a battery type signal receiving unit for receiving a battery type signal, a battery temperature signal receiving unit for receiving a battery temperature signal, a blowing unit for blowing an air to the secondary battery, a storage unit for storing reference judging temperatures for determination of charging-incongruent temperatures of the plural types of secondary batteries, in a matching relationship with the types of the secondary batteries, and a control unit. The control unit allows the blowing unit to perform a blowing operation, if the temperature of the secondary battery exceeds a reference judging temperature, and to stop the blowing operation, if otherwise.

Claims

1. A charging device for use in charging plural types of secondary batteries, comprising:

a power source unit for supplying a charging current to an object secondary battery;

a battery type signal receiving unit for receiving a battery type signal indicative of the type of the object secondary battery;

a battery temperature signal receiving unit for receiving a battery temperature signal indicative of a temperature of the object secondary battery;

a blowing unit for blowing an air to the object secondary battery;

a storage unit storing reference judging temperatures for determination of charging-incongruent temperatures of the plural types of secondary batteries, in a matching relationship with the types of the secondary batteries; and

a control unit;

wherein the control unit is configured to cause the blowing unit to perform a cooling operation if the temperature of the object secondary battery represented by the battery temperature signal received in the battery temperature signal receiving unit exceeds a reference judging temperature stored in the storage unit in a matching relationship with the type of the object secondary battery that is represented by the battery type signal received in the battery type signal receiving unit, and

wherein the control unit is configured to cause the blowing unit to stop the cooling operation if the temperature of the object secondary battery represented by the battery temperature signal received in the battery temperature signal receiving unit is less than or equal to the reference judging temperature.

5. A rechargeable power tool set comprising the charging device of claim 1.

9. The rechargeable power tool set of claim 5, further comprising:

a power tool main body with a motor; and

a battery pack including the object secondary battery mounted on the power tool main body for supplying an electric current to the motor, a battery type signal generating unit for generating the battery type signal indicative of the type of the object secondary battery, and a battery temperature detecting unit for detecting the temperature of the object secondary battery to generate the battery temperature signal indicative of the battery temperature detected,

wherein the charging device performs a charging operation with respect to the battery pack.

13. The charging device of claim 1, wherein the battery type signal is generated by using a resistance value depending on the type of the secondary battery.

2. A charging device for use in charging plural types of secondary batteries, comprising:

a power source unit for supplying a charging current to an object secondary battery;

a battery type signal receiving unit for receiving a battery type signal indicative of the type of the object secondary battery;

a battery temperature signal receiving unit for receiving a battery temperature signal indicative of a temperature of the object secondary battery;

a blowing unit for blowing an air to the object secondary battery;

a storage unit storing reference judging temperatures for determination of charging-incongruent temperatures of the plural types of secondary batteries, in a matching relationship with the types of the secondary batteries;

an air temperature detecting unit for detecting a temperature of the air blown by the blowing unit; and

a control unit for allowing the blowing unit to perform a blowing operation, if the temperature of the air detected by the air temperature detecting unit is higher than the temperature of the object secondary battery represented by the battery temperature signal received in the battery temperature signal receiving unit and the temperature of the object secondary battery represented by the battery temperature signal received in the battery temperature signal receiving unit is equal to or lower than a reference judging temperature stored in the storage unit in a matching relationship with the type of the object secondary battery that is represented by the battery type signal received in the battery type signal receiving unit, and for causing the blowing unit to stop the blowing operation, if the temperature of the air is equal to or lower than the temperature of the object secondary battery and the temperature of the object secondary battery is equal to or lower than the reference judging temperature.

6. A rechargeable power tool set comprising the charging device of claim 2.

10. The rechargeable power tool set of claim 6, further comprising:

a power tool main body with a motor; and

a battery pack including the object secondary battery mounted on the power tool main body for supplying an electric current to the motor, a battery type signal generating unit for generating the battery type signal indicative of the type of the object secondary battery, and a battery temperature detecting unit for detecting the temperature of the object secondary battery to generate the battery temperature signal indicative of the battery temperature detected,

wherein the charging device performs a charging operation with respect to the battery pack.

14. The charging device of claim 2, wherein the battery type signal is generated by using a resistance value depending on the type of the secondary battery.

3. A charging device for use in charging plural types of secondary batteries, comprising:

a power source unit for supplying a charging current to an object secondary battery;

a battery type signal receiving unit for receiving a battery type signal indicative of the type of the object secondary battery;

a battery temperature signal receiving unit for receiving a battery temperature signal indicative of a temperature of the object secondary battery;

a first blowing unit for blowing an external air to the object secondary battery;

a storage unit storing reference judging temperatures for determination of charging-incongruent temperatures of the plural types of secondary batteries, in a matching relationship with the types of the secondary batteries;

an air-warming unit for warming up an air;

a second blowing unit for blowing the air warmed up by the air-warming up unit to the object secondary battery; and

a control unit;

wherein the control unit is configured to cause the first blowing unit to blow the external air, if the temperature of the object secondary battery represented by the battery temperature signal received in the battery temperature signal receiving unit exceeds a reference judging temperature stored in the storage unit in a matching relationship with the type of the object secondary battery that is represented by the battery type signal received in the battery type signal receiving unit,

and wherein the control unit is configured to cause the second blowing unit to blow the warmed-up air to the object secondary battery, if the temperature of the object secondary battery represented by the battery temperature signal received in the batter temperature signal receiving unit is less than or equal to the reference judging temperature.

4. The charging device of claim 3, wherein the power source unit is used as the air-warming unit.

7. A rechargeable power tool set comprising the charging device of claim 3.

8. A rechargeable power tool set comprising the charging device of claim 4.

11. The rechargeable power tool set of claim 7, further comprising:

a power tool main body with a motor; and

a battery pack including the object secondary battery mounted on the power tool main body for supplying an electric current to the motor, a battery type signal generating unit for generating the battery type signal indicative of the type of the object secondary battery, and a battery temperature detecting unit for detecting the temperature of the object secondary battery to generate the battery temperature signal Indicative of the battery temperature detected,

wherein the charging device performs a charging operation with respect to the battery pack.

12. The rechargeable power tool set of claim 8, further comprising:

a power tool main body with a motor; and

a battery pack including the object secondary battery mounted on the power tool main body for supplying an electric current to the motor, a battery type signal generating unit for generating the battery type signal indicative of the type of the object secondary battery, and a battery temperature detecting unit for detecting the temperature of the object secondary battery to generate the battery temperature signal indicative of the battery temperature detected,

wherein the charging device performs a charging operation with respect to the battery pack.

15. The charging device of claim 3, wherein the battery type signal is generated by using a resistance value depending on the type of the secondary battery.