Equipment system comprising a battery-operated electrical device, a rechargeable battery unit, and a battery charger

• US 8,148,941 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2009
• Issued: 04/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Fiebig, Arnim, Baur, Hans-Joachim, Lohr, Guenther, Roepke, Stefan, Glauning, Rainer, Bosch, Volker
• Primary Examiner(s): Koval, Melissa
• Assistant Examiner(s): BOATENG, ALEXIS ASIEDUA
• Application Number:
  US12/414,138
• Publication Number:
  US 20100085013A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,100 Days
• Field of Search: 320/134, 320/136, 320/114, 320/106, 320/112, 320/126, 320/132, 320/101, 320/142, 320/147
• US Class Current: 320/114
• CPC Class Codes: N/A

Abstract

An equipment system includes a battery unit (10) having a monitoring circuit (14), which detects at least one operating parameter of the battery unit (10) and furnishes a control signal, dependent on the operating parameter, for switching means (25, 31). The switching means control the charging and discharging process of the battery unit (10) and are located in the electrical device (20) and in the charger (30), respectively. From the battery unit (10), the control signal is transmitted to the switching means (25, 31) in the electrical device (20) and in the charger (30), respectively. By this provision of shifting the switching means (25, 31) out of the battery unit (10) into the electrical device (20) and into the charger (30), respectively, the heat development in the battery unit (10) and also its structure size are reduced.

Claims

1. An electrical device, being electrically connectable to a battery unit for energy supply, comprising:

an electric motor;

a plurality of supply lines connected to the electric motor and electrically contactable to supply lines of the battery unit;

a switch system included in the electrical device and configured to control a current flow on the plurality of supply lines to the electric motor of said electrical device from the battery unit, and

a receive unit within the electrical device configured to receive a control signal from a signal line electrically connectable to a monitoring circuit of the battery unit,

wherein said switch system of the electrical device is controlled by said control signal output from the monitoring circuit of the battery unit, and

wherein the monitoring circuit is configured to detect at least one operating parameter of the battery unit, and from said at least one operating parameter, derives the control signal for controlling a current flow from the battery unit to the electrical device.

2. The electrical device of claim 1, wherein

said at least one operating parameter detected by said monitoring circuit is a current flowing into or out of said battery unit and/or a terminal voltage of said battery unit and/or a temperature of said battery unit and/or a temperature dependent parameter of said battery unit.

3. The electrical device of claim 1, wherein

said switch system is configured to control the power consumption of said electrical device such that the maximum power consumption of said electrical device is constantly adapted to the actual charging state of the battery unit.

4. The electrical device of claim 1, wherein

said receive unit is configured to transmit information unidirectionally.

5. The electrical device of claim 1, wherein

said receive unit is configured to transmit information bidirectionally.

6. A handheld tool electrically connectable to a battery unit for energy supply;

the handheld tool comprising;

a switch system within the handheld tool configured to control a current flow to an electric motor of the handheld tool from the battery unit on a plurality of supply lines;

a receive unit within the handheld tool configured to receive a control signal from a signal line electrically connectable to a monitoring circuit of the battery unit;

the switch system being controlled by an output of said control signal from the signal line of the monitoring circuit of the battery unit; and

wherein the monitoring circuit is configured to detect at least one operating parameter of the battery unit, and from said at least one operating parameter, derive the control signal for controlling a current flow from the battery unit to the handheld tool.

7. The handheld tool of claim 6 wherein:

said at least one operating parameter detected by said monitoring circuit is a current flowing into or out of said battery unit, or a terminal voltage of said battery unit or a temperature of said battery unit, or a temperature dependent parameter of said battery unit.

8. The handheld tool of claim 6 wherein:

said switch system is configured to control power consumption of the handheld tool such that maximum power consumption of the handheld tool is constantly adapted to an actual charging state of the battery unit.

9. The handheld tool of claim 6, wherein:

said receive unit is configured to transmit information unidirectionally.

10. The handheld tool of claim 6, wherein:

said receive unit is configured to transmit information bidirectionally.

11. A handheld tool comprising:

a battery unit which is electrically connectable to the handheld tool, the battery unit comprising;

a monitoring circuit configured to detect at least one operating parameter of the battery unit, and from said at least one operating parameter, derive a control signal for controlling a discharging process of the battery unit;

said handheld tool comprising;

an electric motor;

a plurality of supply lines connected to the electric motor and connectable to the battery unit;

a switch system configured to control current flow from the battery unit to the handheld tool on the plurality of supply lines; and

a receive unit including a signal line configured to receive the control signal from the monitoring circuit of the battery unit;

wherein the switch system is controlled by the control signal output of the monitoring circuit of the battery unit.

12. The handheld tool of claim 11 wherein said at least one operating parameter detected by the monitoring circuit is:

(i) a current flowing into or out of the battery unit, or (ii) a terminal voltage of the battery unit, or (iii) a temperature of the battery unit, or (iv) a temperature dependent parameter of the battery unit.

13. The handheld tool of claim 11 wherein the battery unit further comprises a transmit unit configured to transmit the control signal to the switch system of the handheld tool.

14. The handheld tool of claim 13 wherein the transmit unit comprises a signal line.

15. The handheld tool of claim 14 wherein the signal line of the handheld tool and the signal line of the battery unit are connectable to one another.

16. The handheld tool of claim 11 wherein the battery unit further comprises a temperature sensor arranged in a vicinity of at least one battery cell in the battery unit.

17. The handheld tool of claim 11 wherein the control signal serves to interrupt or reduce a current flow from the battery unit to the handheld tool when the battery unit reaches a given minimum discharge threshold.

18. The handheld tool of claim 11 wherein the transmit unit of the battery unit and the receive unit of the handheld tool are configured to transmit information unidirectionally.

19. The handheld tool of claim 11 wherein the transmit unit of the battery unit and the receive unit of the handheld tool are configured to transmit information bidirectionally.

20. The handheld tool of claim 11 wherein the switch system comprises an electrically controllable switch.

21. The handheld tool of claim 20 wherein the switch is arranged in at least one supply line of the handheld tool;

said at least one supply line being connectable with at least one supply line of the battery unit.

22. The handheld tool of claim 11 wherein the switch system is configured to control the power consumption of the handheld tool such that a maximum power consumption of the handheld tool is constantly adapted to the actual charging state of the battery unit.

23. A handheld tool comprising:

an electric motor;

a detachable battery unit comprising a transmit unit configured to transmit a control signal to said handheld tool, the control signal containing information about an actual operating state of the battery unit,

a plurality of supply lines electrically connected between the electric motor and the battery unit; and

said handheld tool comprising a receive unit including a signal line configured to receive the control signal from the transmit unit of the battery unit.