Rechargeable battery pack

• US 8,940,427 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2011
• Issued: 01/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Makita Corporation
• Original Assignee: Makita Corporation
• Inventors: Noda, Masafumi, Suzuki, Hitoshi, Okabayashi, Hisakazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Ryan, Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anthony, Julian
• Application Number:
  US13/277,469
• Publication Number:
  US 20120100405A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,195 Days
• Field of Search: 429/100, 429/123, 429/90, 429/91, 320/134
• US Class Current: 429/123
• 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 10/488 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 50/213 adapted for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic H01M50/209, H01M50/216 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

A rechargeable battery pack attachable to a power tool includes a display element, a remaining capacity detection device, a remaining capacity display control device, an abnormality detection device, and an abnormality display control device. The display element is provided such that a lighted state thereof can be confirmed from outside. The remaining capacity detection device detects a remaining capacity of a rechargeable battery. The remaining capacity display control device displays the remaining capacity detected by the remaining capacity detection device by controlling the lighted state of the display element. The abnormality detection device detects an abnormality of the rechargeable battery. The abnormality display control device displays the abnormality of the rechargeable battery detected by the abnormality detection device by controlling the lighted state of the display element to an abnormality display state, which is different from a remaining capacity display state controlled by the remaining capacity display control device.

Claims

1. A rechargeable battery pack attachable to a power tool, the rechargeable battery pack comprising:

a rechargeable battery;

a display element provided in such a manner that a lighted state thereof can be confirmed from outside;

a remaining capacity detection device that detects a remaining capacity of the rechargeable battery;

a remaining capacity display control device that displays the remaining capacity detected by the remaining capacity detection device by controlling the lighted state of the display element;

an abnormality detection device that detects an abnormality of the rechargeable battery;

a determination device that determines whether or not an operation switch of the power tool has been operated when the rechargeable batter sack is attached to the power tool; and

an abnormality display control device that displays the abnormality of the rechargeable battery, even when the determination device determines that the operation switch of the power tool has been operated, detected by the abnormality detection device by controlling the lighted state of the display element to an abnormality display state, which is different from a remaining capacity display state controlled by the remaining capacity display control device.

2. The rechargeable battery pack according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display switch that inputs a display command by an external operation,

wherein the remaining capacity display control device controls the lighted state of the display element in accordance with the display command from the display switch, thereby to display the remaining capacity of the rechargeable battery.

3. The rechargeable battery pack according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display switch that inputs a display command by an external operation,

wherein the abnormality display control device controls the lighted state of the display element in accordance with the display command from the display switch, thereby to display the abnormality of the rechargeable battery.

4. The rechargeable battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the remaining capacity display control device continues a display of the remaining capacity of the rechargeable battery from when the display is started until when a preset time period for displaying a remaining capacity is elapsed, and terminates the display when the preset time period is elapsed.

5. The rechargeable battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the abnormality display control device continues a display of the abnormality of the rechargeable battery from when the display is started until when a preset time period for displaying an abnormality is elapsed, and terminates the display when the preset time period is elapsed.

6. The rechargeable battery pack according to claim 1,

wherein the abnormality detection device is configured to detect each of a plurality of kinds of abnormalities occurring in the rechargeable battery, and

wherein the abnormality display control device displays the abnormality of the rechargeable battery in such a manner that a content of the abnormality can be identified by setting a lighting pattern of the display element in accordance with the content of the abnormality detected by the abnormality detection device.

7. The rechargeable battery pack according to claim 6, wherein the abnormality display control device sets the lighting pattern of the display element in such a manner that it can be identified whether or not the content of the abnormality detected by the abnormality detection device is a kind in which an abnormal state can be removed by an external operation.

8. The rechargeable battery pack according to claim 1, wherein, when the abnormality of the rechargeable battery is detected by the abnormality detection device, the abnormality display control device performs an abnormality display in priority to a remaining capacity display performed by the remaining capacity display control device.