Battery adapter

• US 9,160,125 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2012
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Makita Corporation
• Original Assignee: Makita Corporation
• Inventors: Ota, Tomoyuki, Suzuki, Hitoshi, Umemura, Shingo, Kobayashi, Yukio
• Primary Examiner(s): DIAO, M BAYE
• Application Number:
  US13/676,688
• Publication Number:
  US 20130130552A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,063 Days
• Field of Search: 320/106, 320/112, 320/114, 439/504, 439/620.21, 439/639
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B25F 5/02 Construction of casings, bodies or handles B25F5/006, B25F5/008 take precedence
• 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 2200/30 Preventing polarity reversal
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/30 Batteries in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/267 having means for adapting to batteries or cells of different types or different sizes
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/06 Intermediate parts for linking two coupling parts, e.g. adapter with a holder adapted for supporting apparatus to which its counterpart is attached H01R33/94
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/065 with built-in electric apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0063 with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00712 the cycle being controlled or terminated in response to electric parameters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery adapter can include a plurality of machine-side-connecting sections capable of being connected to a plurality of battery-connecting ports provided on an electric machine, and a battery-side-connecting section(s) to which a battery or batteries can be connected. The number of the machine-side-connecting sections is preferably configured to be larger than the number of the battery-side-connecting section(s). Further, the electric machine is preferably connected to the machine-side-connecting sections of the battery adapter through its battery-connecting ports. The electric machine can be driven by the battery or batteries connected to the battery-side-connecting section(s) of the battery adapter.

Claims

1. A battery adapter, comprising a plurality of machine-side-connecting sections that can be connected to a plurality of battery-connecting ports provided on an electric machine and also comprising a battery-side-connecting section that can be connected to a battery such that the electric machine is drivable by the battery when the electric machine is connected to the machine-side-connecting sections of the battery adapter via the battery-connecting ports of the electric machine and the battery is connected to the battery-side-connecting section of the battery adapter, wherein;

each of the machine-side-connecting sections comprises a positive terminal and a negative terminal and the battery-side-connecting section comprises a positive terminal and a negative terminal.

2. The battery adapter according to claim 1, wherein there are a plurality of battery-side-connecting sections and further that the number of the machine-side-connecting sections is configured to be larger than the number of the battery-side-connecting sections and further wherein each of the plurality of battery-side-connecting sections comprises a positive terminal and a negative terminal.

3. The battery adapter according to claim 1, wherein the electric machine connected to the machine-side-connecting sections of the battery adapter via the battery-connecting ports of the electric machine can be driven by a battery the nominal voltage of which is substantially equal to the rated voltage of a motor of the electric machine, the battery being connected to the battery-side-connecting section of the battery adapter.

4. The battery adapter according to claim 3, wherein the sum of the voltages applied to the machine-side-connecting sections of the battery adapter is equal to the rated voltage of the motor of the electric machine.

5. The battery adapter according to claim 1, wherein the battery adapter includes a step-down section that is configured to reduce the battery voltage applied to the battery-side-connecting section;

and

the output voltage of the step-down section is configured to be equal to the rated voltage of the motor of the electric machine.

6. The battery adapter according to claim 2, wherein the battery adapter includes a step-down section that is configured to reduce the battery voltage applied to the battery-side-connecting sections;

and

the output voltage of the step-down section is configured to be equal to the rated voltage of the motor of the electric machine.

7. The battery adapter according to claim 5, wherein the output voltage of the step-down section is equal to the voltage applied to one of the machine-side-connecting sections.

8. The battery adapter according to claim 5, wherein the output voltage of the step-down section is applied between positive and negative terminals of different sets of the plurality of machine-side-connecting sections.

9. The battery adapter according to claim 1, wherein the battery includes a step-up section configured to increase the battery voltage applied to the battery-side-connecting section;

and

the output voltage of the step-up section is configured to be equal to the rated voltage of the motor of the electric machine.

10. The battery adapter according to claim 2, wherein the battery includes a step-up section configured to increase the battery voltage applied to the battery-side-connecting sections;

and

the output voltage of the step-up section is configured to be equal to the rated voltage of the motor of the electric machine.

11. The battery adapter according to claim 9, wherein the output voltage of the step-up section is configured to be equal to the sum of the voltages applied to the machine-side-connecting sections.

12. The battery adapter according to claim 9, wherein the output voltage of the step-up section is equal to the voltage applied to one of the machine-side-connecting sections.

13. The battery adapter according to claim 9, wherein the output voltage of the step-up section is applied between positive and negative terminals of different sets of the plurality of machine-side-connecting sections.

14. A battery adapter for use with an electric machine, comprising:

a battery-side-connection section configured to receive a battery voltage from one or more batteries; and

a plurality of machine-side-connecting sections configured to transmit an output voltage from the battery adapter to the electric machine,

wherein the number of machine-side-connections is greater than the number of battery-side-connections; and

wherein the battery adapter has a step-up and step-down function configured to adjust the battery voltage such that the output voltage from the machine-side-connecting sections is sufficient to power the electric machine.

15. A battery adapter comprising a plurality of machine-side-connecting sections configured to be connected to a plurality of battery-connecting ports provided on an electric machine and also comprising a battery-side-connecting section configured to be connected to a battery such that the electric machine is drivable by the battery when the electric machine is connected to the machine-side-connecting sections of the battery adapter via the battery-connecting ports of the electric machine and the battery is connected to the battery-side-connecting section of the battery adapter, wherein:

the number of machine-side-connections is greater than the number of battery-side-connections;

a battery-side-signal terminal that is connected to a signal terminal of the battery is provided in the battery-side-connecting section;

a machine-side-signal terminal that is connected to a signal terminal of the battery-connecting port on the electric machine is provided in the machine-side-connecting section;

a signal is transmitted between the signal terminal of the battery and the signal terminal of the battery-connecting port on the electric machine via the battery-side-signal terminal and the machine-side-signal terminal of the battery adapter; and

the number of machine-side-signal terminals is greater than the number of battery-side-signal terminals.

16. The battery adapter according to claim 15, wherein:

a plurality of machine-side-signal terminals are provided in the battery-side-connecting sections; and

at least one of the machine-side-signal terminals transmits a discharge enable signal that permits discharge of the battery.

17. The battery adapter according to claim 16, wherein the discharge enable signal is transmitted when the battery is connected to the battery-side-connecting section.

18. The battery adapter according to claim 17, wherein a machine-side-signal terminal other than the machine-side-signal terminal that transmits the discharge enable signal transmits a discharge enable signal that permits discharge of the battery or a discharge inhibit signal that inhibits discharge of the battery.

19. The battery adapter according to claim 15, wherein a discharge enable signal that permits discharge of the battery or an overload signal of the electric machine is transmitted between the battery and the electric machine via the battery-side-signal terminal and the machine-side-signal terminal of the battery adapter.