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

• US 8,922,164 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2012
• Issued: 12/30/2014
• 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): Tso, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): BOATENG, ALEXIS ASIEDUA
• Application Number:
  US13/371,978
• Publication Number:
  US 20120139497A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,051 Days
• Field of Search: 320/134, 320/136, 320/114, 320/106, 320/112, 320/126, 320/132, 320/101, 320/142, 320/147, 320/127, 320/113, 320/115, 320/116, 320/135, 302/106, 302/112, 302/114, 302/126, 302/132, 302/101, 302/142, 302/147
• US Class Current: 320/114
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007182 in response to battery voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007194 of the battery

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. A handheld tool comprising:

an electrical drive;

at least two supply terminals;

a battery unit, said battery unit comprising;

(i) at least two supply terminals being electrically connectable to said supply terminals of said handheld tool; and

(ii) a monitoring circuit configured to detect at least one operating parameter of said battery unit during operation of the handheld tool and to provide a control signal to said handheld tool to control the handheld tool during operation of the handheld tool.

2. The handheld tool of claim 1, wherein said operating parameter is a temperature or a temperature dependent parameter of said battery unit.

3. The handheld tool of claim 1, wherein said battery unit comprises a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of at least one battery cell of said battery unit.

4. The handheld tool of claim 1, wherein said operating parameter is a discharge current of said battery unit.

5. The handheld tool of claim 1, wherein said operating parameter is a terminal voltage of at least one battery cell of said battery unit.

6. The handheld tool of claim 1, wherein said control signal is dependent on said at least one operating parameter.

7. The handheld tool of claim 1, wherein said battery unit further comprises a signal line connection to provide said control signal to said handheld tool.

8. The handheld tool of claim 1, wherein said handheld tool further comprises a signal line connection to receive said control signal from said battery unit.

9. The handheld tool of claim 1, wherein said handheld tool further comprises a switching circuit, said switching circuit being configured to receive said control signal from said battery unit.

10. The handheld tool of claim 1, wherein said handheld tool further comprises an electrically controllable switch.

11. The handheld tool of claim 10, wherein said switch is controlled by said switching circuit based on said control signal received from said battery unit.

12. The handheld tool of claim 10, wherein said switch is configured to interrupt a discharge current of said battery unit provided to said handheld tool.

13. The handheld tool of claim 10, wherein said switch is configured to reduce a discharge current of said battery unit provided to said handheld tool.

14. The handheld tool of claim 1, further comprising a battery charger, said battery charger comprising:

at least two supply terminals being electrically connectable to said supply terminals of said battery unit; and

a signal line connection to receive said control signal from said battery unit.

15. The handheld tool of claim 14, wherein said battery charger further comprises a current or voltage source, said current or voltage source being configured to receive said control signal from said battery unit.

16. The handheld tool of claim 15, wherein said current or voltage source comprises switching means.

17. The handheld tool of claim 16, wherein said switching means are controlled based on said control signal received from said battery unit.

18. The handheld tool of claim 16, wherein said switching means are configured to interrupt a charging current of said battery charger provided to said battery unit.

19. The handheld tool of claim 16, wherein said switching means are configured to reduce a charging current of said battery charger provided to said battery unit.

20. The handheld tool of claim 1, further comprising a signal line which is connectable to a signal line of said battery unit.

21. The handheld tool of claim 20, wherein said signal line of said handheld tool and said signal line of said battery unit are configured to transfer data unidirectionally from said battery unit to said handheld tool.

22. The handheld tool of claim 20, wherein said signal line of said handheld tool and said signal line of said battery unit are configured to transfer data bidirectionally from said battery unit to said handheld tool.

23. The handheld tool of claim 22, wherein said signal line is a serial data line.

24. A handheld tool comprising:

an electrical drive;

at least two supply terminals;

a signal line;

a battery unit, said battery unit comprising;

(i) at least two supply terminals being electrically connectable to said supply terminals of said handheld tool; and

(ii) a monitoring circuit configured to detect at least one operating parameter of said battery unit during operation of the handheld tool, said monitoring circuit being connectable to said signal line of said handheld tool to provide a control signal to the handheld tool to control the handheld tool during operation of the handheld tool.

25. The handheld tool of claim 24, wherein said operating parameter is a temperature or a temperature dependent parameter of said battery unit.

26. The handheld tool of claim 24, wherein said battery unit comprises a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of at least one battery cell of said battery unit.

27. The handheld tool of claim 24, wherein said operating parameter is a discharge current of said battery unit.

28. The handheld tool of claim 24, wherein said operating parameter is a terminal voltage of at least one battery cell of said battery unit.

29. The handheld tool of claim 24, wherein said monitoring circuit is configured to provide a control signal being dependent on said at least one operating parameter.

30. The handheld tool of claim 29, wherein said battery unit further comprises a signal line being connectable to said signal line of said handheld tool for transmitting said control signal from said battery unit to said handheld tool.

31. The handheld tool of claim 24, wherein said handheld tool further comprises a switching circuit, said switching circuit being configured to receive said control signal from said battery unit.

32. The handheld tool of claim 24, wherein said handheld tool further comprises an electrically controllable switch.

33. The handheld tool of claim 32, wherein said switch is controlled by said switching circuit based on said control signal received from said battery unit.

34. The handheld tool of claim 32, wherein said switch is configured to interrupt a discharge current of said battery unit provided to said handheld tool.

35. The handheld tool of claim 32, wherein said switch is configured to reduce a discharge current of said battery unit provided to said handheld tool.

36. The handheld tool of claim 24, further comprising a battery charger, said battery charger comprising:

at least two supply terminals being electrically connectable to said supply terminals of said battery unit; and

a signal line being connectable to said monitoring circuit of said battery unit.

37. The handheld tool of claim 36, wherein said battery charger further comprises a current or voltage source, said current or voltage source being configured to receive a control signal from said battery unit.

38. The handheld tool of claim 37, wherein said current or voltage source comprises switching means.

39. The handheld tool of claim 38, wherein said switching means are controlled based on said control signal received from said battery unit.

40. The handheld tool of claim 38, wherein said switching means are configured to interrupt a charging current of said battery charger provided to said battery unit.

41. The handheld tool of claim 38, wherein said switching means are configured to reduce a charging current of said battery charger provided to said battery unit.

42. The handheld tool of claim 30, wherein said signal line of said handheld tool and said signal line of said battery unit are configured to transfer data unidirectionally from said battery unit to said handheld tool.

43. The handheld tool of claim 30, wherein said signal line of said handheld tool and said signal line of said battery unit are configured to transfer data bidirectionally from said battery unit to said handheld tool.

44. The handheld tool of claim 43, wherein said signal line is a serial data line.