Battery pack

• US 8,653,790 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2013
• Issued: 02/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Inventors: Johnson, Todd W., Grzybowski, Dennis J., Kubale, Mark A., Rosenbecker, Jay J., Scheucher, Karl F., Meyer, Gary D., Zeiler, Jeffrey M., Glasgow, Kevin L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): BOATENG, ALEXIS ASIEDUA
• Application Number:
  US13/891,452
• Publication Number:
  US 20130241499A1
• Time in Patent Office: 284 Days
• Field of Search: 320/120, 320/132, 320/134, 320/150, 320/112, 320/113, 320/114, 320/115, 320/116, 320/118, 320/119, 320/135, 320/136
• US Class Current: 320/112
• 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 10/0525 Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/425 Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing printed circuits H05K1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/441 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• 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 2010/4271 Battery management systems including electronic circuits, e.g. control of current or voltage to keep battery in healthy state, cell balancing
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/30 Batteries in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/20 Mountings; Secondary casings or frames; Racks, modules or packs; Suspension devices; Shock absorbers; Transport or carrying devices; Holders structural combination of accumulators with charging apparatus H01M10/46
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/213 adapted for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic H01M50/209, H01M50/216 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0029 with safety or protection devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00309 Overheat or overtemperature protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0063 with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007 Regulation of charging or discharging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007184 in response to battery voltage gradient

Abstract

An electrical combination. The electrical combination comprises a battery pack configured to be interfaced with a hand held power tool, a control component, and a semiconducting switch. The transfer of power from the battery pack to the hand held power tool is controlled by the control component and the switch based on one of a battery pack state of charge and a respective state of charge of one of a plurality of battery cells. A discharge current of the battery pack is regulated based on the switch being controlled into one of a first state and a second state by the control component to selectively enable the transfer power from the plurality of battery cells to the hand held power tool.

Claims

1. An electrical combination comprising:

a battery pack configured to be interfaced with a hand held power tool, the battery pack including

a battery pack housing connectable to and supportable by the hand held power tool,

a plurality of terminals configured to be interfaced with corresponding terminals of the hand held power tool, and

a plurality of battery cells arranged within and supported by the housing, each of the plurality of battery cells being rechargeable and having a lithium-based chemistry, each of the plurality of battery cells having a respective state of charge, the battery pack having a battery pack state of charge, power being transferable from the plurality of battery cells to the hand held power tool when the battery pack is connected to the hand held power tool;

a control component; and

a semiconducting switch electrically connected to at least one of the plurality of terminals;

wherein the transfer of power from the battery pack to the hand held power tool is controlled by the control component and the switch based on one of the battery pack state of charge and the respective state of charge of one of the plurality of battery cells; and

wherein a discharge current of the battery pack is regulated based on the switch being controlled into one of a first state and a second state by the control component to selectively enable the transfer of power from the plurality of battery cells to the hand held power tool.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein the control component includes a microprocessor.

3. The combination of claim 2, wherein the microprocessor is within the battery pack housing.

4. The combination of claim 1, wherein the switch includes a field-effect transistor (“

FET”

).

5. The combination of claim 4, wherein the FET is within the battery pack housing.

6. The combination of claim 1, wherein the control component and the switch are within the battery pack housing.

7. The combination of claim 1, further comprising a heat sink in a heat transfer relationship with the switch.

8. The combination of claim 1, wherein the first state of the switch interrupts a discharge current from the plurality of battery cells to the hand held power tool.

9. The combination of claim 1, further comprising the hand held power tool.

10. The combination of claim 9, wherein the control component includes a microprocessor.

11. The combination of claim 10, wherein the hand held power tool includes a power tool housing, and wherein the microprocessor is within the power tool housing.

12. The combination of claim 9, wherein the switch includes a field-effect transistor (“

FET”

).

13. The combination of claim 12, wherein the hand held power tool includes a power tool housing, and wherein the FET is within the power tool housing.

14. The combination of claim 9, wherein the hand held power tool includes a power tool housing, and wherein the control component and the switch are within the power tool housing.

15. The combination of claim 9, wherein the hand held power tool includes one of a circular saw and a driver drill.

16. The combination of claim 1, wherein the lithium-based chemistry includes manganese.

17. The combination of claim 1, further comprising a locking assembly operable to lock the battery pack to the hand held power tool, the locking assembly including an actuator.

18. The combination of claim 1, wherein the plurality of battery cells are electrically connected in a partial parallel and partial series arrangement.

19. The combination of claim 1, wherein the battery pack state of charge is a voltage.

20. The combination of claim 1, wherein the respective state of charge of one of the plurality of battery cells is a voltage.

21. The combination of claim 1, wherein the control component is operable to prevent the battery pack from entering an over-discharged state based on a predetermined threshold for one of the battery pack state of charge and the respective state of charge of one of the plurality of battery cells.

22. The combination of claim 21, wherein the battery pack state of charge is a voltage.

23. The combination of claim 21, wherein the respective state of charge of one of the plurality of battery cells is a voltage.

24. The combination of claim 1, further comprising a fuel gauge including a plurality of light-emitting diodes, the fuel gauge being operable to display a representation of the battery pack state of charge.