Battery pack and hand-held power tool

• US 8,211,560 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2005
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Metabowerke GMBH (Koki Holdings Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Metabowerke GMBH (Koki Holdings Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Stickel, Wolfgang, Schmid, Olaf
• Primary Examiner(s): Ryan, Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCCONNELL, WYATT P
• Application Number:
  US12/067,421
• Publication Number:
  US 20090123817A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,478 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 429/91
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/482 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/488 Cells or batteries combined with indicating means for external visualization of the condition, e.g. by change of colour or of light density
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/204 Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/247 specially adapted for portable devices, e.g. mobile phones, computers, hand tools or pacemakers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

The invention relates to a battery pack, especially for a hand-held power tool. Said battery pack comprises a battery housing (10) and an electronic unit (16) housed in said battery housing (10). The electronic unit (16) has one or more light sources (18). A first light-guiding element (28) can be inserted into the battery housing (10) and interacts with the at least one light source (18) in such a manner that the light emitted by the at least one light source (18) can be injected into the first light-guiding element (28).

Claims

1. A battery pack for use with a hand-held power tool, comprising:

a battery housing defining an internal cavity, and wherein a multiplicity of recesses are formed in the battery housing and which individually extend through the battery housing and are each coupled with the internal cavity of the battery housing;

a battery received within the internal cavity of the battery housing and which, when appropriately charged, produces a source of electricity for use by the hand-held power tool;

an electronics unit electrically coupled to the battery, and located within the internal cavity of the battery housing;

a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) mounted on the electronics unit, and selectively, electrically coupled with the battery by way of the electronics unit, and which, when selectively energized by the electronics unit, emits light;

a first longitudinally elongated light guiding element mounted on the battery housing, and within the internal cavity, and which further defines a plurality of discrete light guiding zones, and wherein the respective light guiding zones of the first longitudinally elongated light guiding element each have a first light entry face; and

an opposite, second, light decoupling face which are individually received in the respective recesses formed in the battery housing, and wherein the emitted light received at the first light entry face is passed along the respective light guiding zones, and departs from the second light decoupling face, and may be observed from a location which is outside of the battery housing, and wherein the respective light guiding zones are decoupled, one relative to the others, as to the transmission of light therebetween adjacently positioned light guiding zones; and

a second light guiding element mounted on the electronics unit, and located within the internal cavity of the battery housing, and wherein the second light guiding element further defines a plurality of discrete light guiding zones which individually correspond in number to the plurality of light emitting diodes mounted on the electronics unit, and wherein the respective light guiding zones defined by the second light guiding element each have a first, light entry face which is located in spaced relation relative to an adjacent LED, and an opposite, second, light decoupling face which is located in an aligned, spaced, light transmitting relationship relative to the light entry face of an adjacent light guiding zone as defined by the first longitudinally elongated light guiding element, and wherein the light emitted by an energized LED passes along individual light guiding zones of the first and second light guiding elements and is observable from a location exterior to the battery housing, and wherein the battery housing is subjected to a source of vibratory energy when the hand-held power tool is in use, and wherein the vibratory energy imparted to the battery housing is not transmitted by way of the first longitudinally elongated light guiding element to the electronics unit so as to impede vibratory damage from being imparted to the electronics unit.

2. A battery pack as claimed in claim 1, and wherein the battery comprises a lithium ion battery cell.

3. A battery pack as claimed in claim 1, and wherein the electronics unit further has a switch that interacts with a switch actuating element.

4. A battery pack as claimed in claim 3, and wherein the switch actuating element is preloaded in a non-actuated condition relative to the switch by a spring which biases the switch actuation element away from the switch.

5. A battery pack as claimed in claim 1, and wherein the first and second light guiding elements are fabricated of a synthetic material.

6. A battery pack as claimed in claim 1, and wherein the first light guiding element is mounted in the battery housing in the manner of a snap-fit.

7. A battery pack for use with a hand-held power tool, comprising:

a battery, which when appropriately charged, produces a source of electricity for use by a hand-held power tool;

an electronics unit which is electrically coupled to the battery and operably coupled to the hand-held power tool;

an emitter of visible light electrically coupled with the electronics unit, and which, when electrically energized by the source of electricity supplied by the battery to the electronics unit, is operable to emit visible light;

a first light guiding element which has a first light entry face, and an opposite, second, light decoupling face, and wherein emitted visible light produced by the emitter of visible light is received at the first, light entry face, and is passed along the first light guiding element, and departs from the second, light decoupling face, and may be observed from a location which is outside of the battery pack; and

a second light guiding element mounted on the electronics unit and which has a first light entry face which is located in spaced relation relative to the emitter of visible light, and an opposite, second, light decoupling face which is located in spaced, visible light transmitting relation relative to the first, light entry face of the first, light guiding element, and wherein visible light generated by the emitter of visible light passes along each of the first and second light guiding elements, and can then be observed from a location outside the battery pack, and wherein a source of vibratory energy imparted to the first light guiding element is not transmitted by the first, light guiding element to the electronics unit so as to impede any vibratory damage to the electronics unit.

8. A battery pack as claimed in claim 7, and further comprising:

a battery housing which defines an internal cavity, and wherein a recess is formed in the battery housing and which extends through the battery housing and is coupled with the internal cavity of the battery housing, and wherein the battery and the electronics unit are received within the internal cavity of the battery housing, and wherein the second, light decoupling face of the first light guiding element is received within the recess defined by the battery housing.

9. A battery pack as claimed in claim 8, and wherein the emitter of visible light comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs).

10. A battery pack as claimed in claim 9, and wherein the first, light guiding element is elongated in shape, and further defines a plurality of discrete light guiding zones which individually correspond in number to the plurality of light emitting diodes, and wherein the respective light guiding zones are substantially optically decoupled, one relative to the others, as to the transmission of visible light therebetween adjacently positioned light guiding zones.

11. A battery pack as claimed in claim 10, and wherein the battery comprises a lithium ion battery cell.

12. A battery pack as claimed in claim 11, and wherein the electronics unit further has a switch that interacts with a switch actuating element.

13. A battery pack as claimed in claim 12, and wherein the switch actuating element is preloaded in a non-actuated condition relative to the switch by a spring which biases the switch actuation element away from the switch.

14. A battery pack as claimed in claim 13, and wherein the first and second light guiding elements are fabricated of a synthetic material.

15. A battery pack as claimed in claim 14, and wherein the first light guiding element is mounted in the battery housing in the manner of a snap-fit.