Electric power tool, tool body, and battery pack

• US 8,210,273 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2009
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Makita Corporation
• Original Assignee: Makita Corporation
• Inventors: Suzuki, Hitoshi, Muramatsu, Tomoo, Kobayakawa, Tadahiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Nash, Brian D
• Application Number:
  US12/588,081
• Publication Number:
  US 20100084150A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,005 Days
• Field of Search: 173/2, 173/217, 320/106, 320/136
• US Class Current: 173/2
• CPC Class Codes: B25F 5/00 Details or components of portable power-driven tools not particularly related to the operations performed and not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4207 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/482 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/486 for measuring temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/543 Terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0063 with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007182 in response to battery voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007194 of the battery
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An electric power tool includes a tool body and a battery pack. A terminal voltage setting unit of the tool body sets a voltage of a body side terminal to a first voltage when a command to drive a drive portion of the tool body is issued by a switch of the tool body. A voltage changing unit of the battery pack changes a voltage of a battery side terminal from the first voltage to a second voltage when supply of electric power from the battery pack to the drive portion is permitted.

Claims

1. An electric power tool comprising:

a tool body; and

a battery pack,

the tool body including;

a body side terminal that transfers an electric signal between the tool body and the battery pack;

a drive portion that is electrically connected with the battery pack and supplied with electric power from the battery pack to be driven;

a switch that is operable from outside of the tool body and issues one of a command to drive the drive portion and a command to stop the drive portion in accordance with operation to the switch;

a terminal voltage setting unit that sets a voltage of the body side terminal to a first voltage when the command to drive the drive portion is issued by the switch; and

a connection control unit that electrically disconnects the battery pack and the drive portion from each other when the voltage of the body side terminal is set to the first voltage and that electrically connects the battery pack and the drive portion with each other when the voltage of the body side terminal is set to a second voltage different from the first voltage, and

the battery pack including;

a battery side terminal that is electrically connected with the body side terminal of the tool body;

a command recognition unit that generates a command recognition signal indicating that the command to drive the drive portion is issued by the switch of the tool body when a voltage of the battery side terminal is set to the first voltage;

a permission determination unit that determines whether or not supply of electric power from the battery pack to the drive portion should be permitted, in accordance with a predetermined determination procedure including at least determination of a status of the command recognition signal; and

a voltage changing unit that changes the voltage of the battery side terminal from the first voltage to the second voltage when supply of electric power from the battery pack to the drive portion is permitted by the permission determination unit.

2. The electric power tool according to claim 1, wherein

the battery pack comprises a positive electrode that is electrically connected with the drive portion of the tool body,

the switch issues the command to drive the drive portion and the command to stop the drive portion by turning on and off an electrical connection between the positive electrode of the battery pack and the drive portion of the tool body, and

the terminal voltage setting unit applies the first voltage to the body side terminal when the electrical connection between the positive electrode of the battery pack and the drive portion of the tool body is turned on by the switch.

3. The electric power tool according to claim 2, wherein the terminal voltage setting unit generates the first voltage from a voltage of the positive electrode of the battery pack and applies the generated first voltage to the body side terminal when the electrical connection between the positive electrode of the battery pack and the drive portion of the tool body is turned on by the switch.

4. The electric power tool according to claim 1, wherein the voltage changing unit changes the voltage of the battery side terminal from the first voltage to the second voltage by either one of decreasing the first voltage and applying a voltage higher than the first voltage to the battery side terminal.

5. The electric power tool according to claim 1, wherein the battery pack comprises a sleep mode shift unit that stops operations of a part of electronic circuits included in the battery pack, based on at least a status of the command recognition signal.

6. The electric power tool according to claim 1, wherein

the battery pack comprises an over-current determination unit that determines whether or not a magnitude of an electric current flowing into the tool body from the battery pack is greater than a predetermined current value, and

the determination procedure includes determination by the over-current determination unit.

7. The electric power tool according to claim 1, wherein

the battery pack comprises an over-discharge determination unit that determines whether or not the battery pack is over-discharged, and

the determination procedure includes determination by the over-discharge determination unit.

8. The electric power tool according to claim 1, wherein

the battery pack comprises a temperature determination unit that determines whether or not a temperature of the battery pack is higher than a predetermined temperature, and

the determination procedure includes determination by the temperature determination unit.

9. The electric power tool according to claim 1, wherein the battery pack is detachably attached to the tool body.

10. A tool body comprising:

a body side terminal that transfers an electric signal between the tool body and a battery pack;

a drive portion that is electrically connected with the battery pack and supplied with electric power from the battery pack to be driven;

a switch that is operable from outside of the tool body and issues one of a command to drive the drive portion and a command to stop the drive portion in accordance with operation to the switch;

a terminal voltage setting unit that sets a voltage of the body side terminal to a first voltage when the command to drive the drive portion is issued by the switch; and

a connection control unit that electrically disconnects the battery pack and the drive portion from each other when the voltage of the body side terminal is set to the first voltage that indicates issuance of the command to drive the drive portion, and that electrically connects the battery pack and the drive portion with each other when the voltage of the body side terminal is set to a second voltage that is different from the first voltage, and that indicates that supply of electric power from the battery pack to the drive portion is permitted.

11. A battery pack for an electric power tool that supplies electric power to a tool body of the electric power tool, the battery pack comprising:

a battery side terminal that transfers an electric signal between the battery pack and the tool body;

a command recognition unit that generates a command recognition signal indicating that a command to drive a drive portion included in the tool body is issued by a switch included in the tool body when a voltage of the battery side terminal is set to a first voltage;

a permission determination unit that determines whether or not supply of electric power from the battery pack to the drive portion should be permitted, based on a predetermined determination procedure including at least determination of a status of the command recognition signal; and

a voltage changing unit that changes the voltage of the battery side terminal from the first voltage to a second voltage different from the first voltage when supply of electric power from the battery pack to drive portion is permitted by the permission determination unit.