Adaptor, assembly of battery pack and adaptor, and electric tool with the same
First Claim
1. An electric tool comprising:
- an electric motor;
a switch that is connected to the electric motor in series;
a battery pack, including a plurality of lithium battery cells, that serves as a driving source for the electric motor and includes a protection means for monitoring each voltage of each lithium battery cell and current flowing to each lithium battery cell, and for outputting a signal indicating one of an overcurrent situation and an overdischarge situation of the lithium battery cells when at least one of the lithium battery cells is in one of the overcurrent situation and the overdischarge situation; and
an adaptor attached on the battery pack to be located between the electric motor and the battery pack, the adaptor including;
a first terminal electrically connectable to the battery pack;
a second terminal electrically connectable to the electric motor;
a third terminal for receiving the signal from the protection means of the battery pack;
an effective voltage converting unit for converting an effective voltage inputted from the first terminal and outputting the voltage from the second terminal;
a cutting-off unit for cutting off a closed circuit between the electric motor and the battery pack;
a switching control unit for controlling a switching operation of the switching unit by changing a switching frequency and a switching duty of the switching unit;
a constant-voltage unit for supplying a constant voltage to the switching control unit;
a power supply unit for supplying a power voltage to the constant-voltage unit in accordance with an operation of a switch provided in the electric tool; and
a power supply maintaining unit, to which the constant voltage is supplied from the constant-voltage unit, for maintaining the supply of the power voltage from the power supply unit, wherein;
the cutting-off unit includes a switching unit that is connected between the first terminal and the second terminal and is configured to be turned off for cutting off the closed circuit when the cutting-off unit receives the signal indicating said one of the overcurrent situation and the overdischarge situation of the lithium battery cells via the third terminal,the power supply maintaining unit monitors the supply of the power voltage from the power supply unit and cuts off the power supply unit depending on whether the electric tool is connected to the second terminal or not, andthe power supply maintaining unit counts a power supply time of the power supply unit and cuts off the power supply unit after a predetermined time.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
When a battery pack having an output voltage of 14.4 V that is connectable to an electric tool in a sliding manner is used as a power supply source for the electric tool that is connectable to a battery pack in an insertion manner and has a rated voltage of 12 V, the electric tool and the battery pack are connected to each other with an adaptor interposed therebetween. The adaptor has an FET that is switched at a predetermined duty of a predetermined frequency. The battery pack and the electric tool are connected or disconnected to or from each other by the switching operation, thereby dropping the output voltage of the battery pack. The voltage from the battery pack is detected. When the detected voltage is out of a predetermined value range, it is judged that the overcurrent or overdischarge has occurred. Then, the FET is turned off to stop the electric tool.
29 Citations
9 Claims
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1. An electric tool comprising:
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an electric motor; a switch that is connected to the electric motor in series; a battery pack, including a plurality of lithium battery cells, that serves as a driving source for the electric motor and includes a protection means for monitoring each voltage of each lithium battery cell and current flowing to each lithium battery cell, and for outputting a signal indicating one of an overcurrent situation and an overdischarge situation of the lithium battery cells when at least one of the lithium battery cells is in one of the overcurrent situation and the overdischarge situation; and an adaptor attached on the battery pack to be located between the electric motor and the battery pack, the adaptor including; a first terminal electrically connectable to the battery pack; a second terminal electrically connectable to the electric motor; a third terminal for receiving the signal from the protection means of the battery pack; an effective voltage converting unit for converting an effective voltage inputted from the first terminal and outputting the voltage from the second terminal; a cutting-off unit for cutting off a closed circuit between the electric motor and the battery pack; a switching control unit for controlling a switching operation of the switching unit by changing a switching frequency and a switching duty of the switching unit; a constant-voltage unit for supplying a constant voltage to the switching control unit; a power supply unit for supplying a power voltage to the constant-voltage unit in accordance with an operation of a switch provided in the electric tool; and a power supply maintaining unit, to which the constant voltage is supplied from the constant-voltage unit, for maintaining the supply of the power voltage from the power supply unit, wherein; the cutting-off unit includes a switching unit that is connected between the first terminal and the second terminal and is configured to be turned off for cutting off the closed circuit when the cutting-off unit receives the signal indicating said one of the overcurrent situation and the overdischarge situation of the lithium battery cells via the third terminal, the power supply maintaining unit monitors the supply of the power voltage from the power supply unit and cuts off the power supply unit depending on whether the electric tool is connected to the second terminal or not, and the power supply maintaining unit counts a power supply time of the power supply unit and cuts off the power supply unit after a predetermined time.
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2. An adaptor comprising:
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a base portion that is attachable to a battery pack, the battery pack including a plurality of lithium battery cells and a protection means for monitoring each voltage of each lithium battery cell and current flowing to each lithium battery cell, and for outputting a signal indicating one of an overcurrent situation and an overdischarge situation of the battery pack when at least one of the lithium battery cells is in one of the overcurrent situation and the overdischarge situation; a first terminal that is electrically connectable to the battery pack; a second terminal that is electrically connectable to an electric tool having an electric motor; a third terminal for receiving the signal from the battery pack, the signal indicating that the battery pack is in an abnormal situation which is output from the battery pack when at least one of the lithium battery cells is in the abnormal situation, the abnormal situation including the overcurrent and the overdischarge; a voltage converting unit for converting the voltage of the battery pack inputted through the first terminal into a predetermined voltage and outputting the converted voltage from the second terminal; a switching unit that is connected between the first terminal and the second terminal and is configured to be turned off when the adaptor receives the signal from the battery pack via the third terminal; a switching control unit for controlling a switching operation of the switching unit by changing a switching frequency and a switching duty of the switching unit; a constant-voltage unit for supplying a constant voltage to the switching control unit; a power supply unit for supplying a power voltage to the constant-voltage unit in accordance with an operation of a switch provided in the electric tool; and a power supply maintaining unit, to which the constant voltage is supplied from the constant-voltage unit, for maintaining the supply of the power voltage from the power supply unit, wherein; the power supply maintaining unit monitors the supply of the power voltage from the power supply unit and cuts off the power supply unit depending on whether the electric tool is connected to the second terminal or not, and the power supply maintaining unit counts a power supply time of the power supply unit and cuts off the power supply unit after a predetermined time. - View Dependent Claims (6)
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3. An assembly of a battery pack and an adaptor,
the battery pack comprising: -
a battery group that is formed of a plurality of lithium battery cells; a first terminal that is electrically connectable to an electric tool having an electric motor; and a protection means for monitoring each voltage of each lithium battery cell and current flowing to each lithium battery cell, and for outputting a signal indicating one of an overcurrent situation and an overdischarge situation of the battery group when at least one of the lithium battery cells is in one of the overcurrent situation and the overdischarge situation, the adaptor comprising; a base portion that is attachable to the battery pack; a second terminal that is electrically connectable to the first terminal; a third terminal that is electrically connectable to the battery pack and is configured to receive the signal from the protection means of the battery pack; a voltage converting unit for converting the voltage of the battery pack inputted through the second terminal into a predetermined voltage and outputting the converted voltage from the second terminal; a switching unit that is connected between the first terminal and the second terminal and is configured to be turned off for cutting off the closed circuit when the adaptor receives the signal indicating one of the overcurrent situation and the overdischarge situation of the battery group via the third terminal; a switching control unit for controlling a switching operation of the switching unit by changing a switching frequency and a switching duty of the switching unit; a constant-voltage unit for supplying a constant voltage to the switching control unit; a power supply unit for supplying a power voltage to the constant-voltage unit in accordance with an operation of a switch provided in the electric tool; and a power supply maintaining unit, to which the constant voltage is supplied from the constant-voltage unit, for maintaining the supply of the power voltage from the power supply unit, wherein; the power supply maintaining unit counts a power supply time of the power supply unit and cuts off the power supply unit after a predetermine time, and the adaptor comprises the power supply maintaining unit. - View Dependent Claims (4, 7)
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5. An electric tool comprising:
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an electric motor; a switch that is connected to the electric motor in series; a battery pack, including a plurality of lithium battery cells, that serves as a driving source for the electric motor and includes a protection means for monitoring each voltage of each lithium battery cell and current flowing to each lithium battery cell, and for outputting a signal indicating one of an overcurrent situation and an overdischarge situation of the lithium battery cells when at least one of the lithium battery cells is in one of the overcurrent situation and the overdischarge situation; and an adaptor, comprising; a base portion that is attachable to the battery pack; a first terminal that is electrically connectable to the battery pack; a second terminal that outputs a voltage, inputted from the first terminal, to the electric motor; a third terminal for receiving the signal from the protection means of the battery pack; a voltage converting unit for converting the voltage of the battery pack inputted through the first terminal into a predeteimined voltage and outputting the converted voltage from the second terminal; a cutting-off unit including a switching unit that is connected between the first terminal and the second terminal and is configured to be turned off for cutting off the closed circuit when the cutting-off unit receives the signal indicating said one of the overcurrent situation and the overdischarge situation of the lithium battery cells via the third terminal; a switching control unit for controlling a switching operation of the switching unit by changing a switching frequency and a switching duty of the switching unit; a constant-voltage unit for supplying a constant voltage to the switching control unit; a power supply unit for supplying a power voltage to the constant-voltage unit in accordance with an operation of a switch provided in the electric tool; and a power supply maintaining unit, to which the constant voltage is supplied from the constant-voltage unit, for maintaining the supply of the power voltage from the power supply unit, wherein; the power supply maintaining unit monitors the supply of the power voltage from the power supply unit and cuts off the power supply unit depending on whether the electric tool is connected to the second terminal or not, the power supply maintaining unit counts a power supply time of the power supply unit and cuts off the power supply unit after a predetermine time, and the adaptor comprises the power supply maintaining unit. - View Dependent Claims (8)
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9. An electric tool comprising:
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an electric motor; a switch that is connected to the electric motor in series; a battery pack, including a plurality of lithium battery cells, that serves as a driving source for the electric motor and includes a protection means for monitoring each voltage of each lithium battery cell and current flowing to each lithium battery cell, and for outputting a signal indicating one of an overcurrent situation and an overdischarge situation of the lithium battery cells when at least one of the lithium battery cells is in one of the overcurrent situation and the overdischarge situation; and an adaptor attached on the battery pack to be located between the electric motor and the battery pack, the adaptor including; a first terminal electrically connectable to the battery pack; a second terminal electrically connectable to the electric motor; a third terminal for receiving the signal from the protection means of the battery pack; an effective voltage converting unit for converting an effective voltage inputted from the first terminal and outputting the voltage from the second terminal; and a cutting-off unit for cutting off a closed circuit between the electric motor and the battery pack, wherein; the cutting-off unit includes a switching unit that is connected between the first terminal and the second terminal and is configured to be turned off for cutting off the closed circuit when the cutting-off unit receives the signal indicating said one of the overcurrent situation and the overdischarge situation of the lithium battery cells via the third terminal, the adaptor further comprises a counting unit that counts a power supply time of the power supply unit, and the cutting-off unit cuts off the closed circuit after a predetermined time counted by the counting unit.
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Specification