Battery system for a power tool, as well as battery holder therefor, charger, and charging system

• US 9,537,336 B2
• Filed: 12/25/2012
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Makita Corporation
• Original Assignee: Makita Corporation
• Inventors: Suzuki, Hitoshi, Ito, Kosuke, Naito, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Arun
• Application Number:
  US14/369,710
• Publication Number:
  US 20140361740A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,470 Days
• Field of Search: 320/108
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B25H 3/022 in fixed relationship
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/22 The load being a portable electronic device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 5/00 Circuit arrangements for transfer of electric power between ac networks and dc networks H02J3/36 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/40 using two or more transmitting or receiving devices H02J50/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00045 Authentication, i.e. circuits for checking compatibility between one component, e.g. a battery or a battery charger, and another component, e.g. a power source
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters

Abstract

A battery system for a power tool includes two or more battery packs (12), at least one battery holder (14) adapted to detachably engage two or more of the battery packs and a charger (16, 216, 316, 416) adapted to detachably engage the battery holder and to simultaneously electrically communicate with two or more of the battery packs while the at least one battery holder engages both the charger and the battery packs.

Claims

1. A battery system for a power tool, comprising:

two or more battery packs each having a positive battery terminal and a negative battery terminal;

at least one battery holder adapted to detachably engage the two or more battery packs; and

a charger adapted to detachably engage the battery holder and having a plurality of battery interfaces each adapted to simultaneously electrically communicate with one of the two or more battery packs while the at least one battery holder engages both the charger and the battery packs,

wherein each battery interface comprises a positive charging output terminal and a negative charging output terminal adapted to conduct charging current to the corresponding positive and negative battery terminals of each of the two or more battery packs,

wherein the plurality of battery interfaces are adapted to simultaneously electrically communicate with the positive battery terminal and the negative battery terminal of each of the two or more battery packs when the two or more battery packs are engaged with the battery holder, and

wherein the plurality of battery interfaces are adapted to simultaneously electrically communicate with the positive battery terminal and the negative battery terminal of each of the two or more battery packs when the two or more battery packs are not engaged with the battery holder and the battery holder is not engaged with the charger.

2. The battery system according to claim 1, wherein the positive and negative charging output terminals are adapted to electrically contact the corresponding positive and negative battery terminals of the battery pack.

3. The battery system according to claim 1, wherein:

each battery interface comprises an induction coil adapted to generate a varying electromagnetic field, and

each battery pack comprises an induction coil adapted to generate a charging current when proximal to the varying electromagnetic field.

4. The battery system according to claim 1, wherein each battery interface comprises at least one battery engaging device adapted to mechanically engage with the battery pack.

5. The battery system according to claim 4, wherein the battery engaging device comprises at least one slide rail adapted to slidably engage with a complementary rail and/or groove on the battery pack.

6. The battery system according to claim 1, wherein each battery interface is adapted to directly attach to one of the battery packs even if the battery holder is not interleaved between the battery interface and the battery pack.

7. The battery system according to claim 1, wherein the charger, the battery packs and the at least one battery holder are adapted to permit the battery pack to be detachably attached to the charger when the battery holder is already attached to the charger.

8. The battery system according to claim 1, wherein:

one of the battery pack and the battery holder comprises a movable hook; and

the other comprises a hook receiving part adapted to detachably engage with the movable hook.

9. The battery system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one battery holder comprises a carrying handle.

10. The battery system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one battery holder has a base part adapted to shield the plurality of battery packs attached thereto and prevent the battery packs from being contaminated by a surface, upon which the battery holder is rested.

11. The battery system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one battery holder comprises a battery holder engaging part adapted to mechanically engage the battery holder with another battery holder.

12. The battery system according to claim 11, wherein the battery holder engaging part is adapted to mechanically engage the battery holder with another battery holder while at least one of the battery packs is attached to the battery holder.

13. The battery system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one battery holder is formed from an integral piece of material with no seams between its various parts.

14. A battery holder for the battery system according to claim 1, comprising:

a plurality of battery pack holding devices adapted to respectively detachably engage a plurality of battery packs; and

at least one charger holding device adapted to detachably engage a charger such that, when the battery holder is attached to the charger, the plurality of battery packs attached to the battery holder are proximal to corresponding battery interfaces on the charger.

15. The battery holder according to claim 14, further comprising at least one element selected from the group consisting of:

a carrying handle;

a base part adapted to shield the plurality of battery packs attached thereto and prevent the battery packs from being contaminated by a surface, upon which the battery holder is rested; and

a battery holder engaging part adapted to mechanically engage the battery holder with another battery holder.

16. The battery holder according to claim 14, further comprising a battery holder engaging part adapted to mechanically engage the battery holder with another battery holder, wherein the battery holder engaging part is adapted to mechanically engage the battery holder with another battery holder while at least one of the battery packs is attached to the battery holder.

17. A battery system for a power tool, comprising:

two or more battery packs;

at least one battery holder adapted to detachably engage the two or more battery packs; and

a charger adapted to detachably engage the at least one battery holder and to simultaneously electrically communicate with the two or more battery packs while the at least one battery holder engages both the charger and the battery packs,

wherein the charger includes a plurality of battery interfaces, each battery interface being adapted to mechanically engage one of the two or more battery packs, and

wherein the charger and the battery holder are configured such that, when the two or more battery packs are engaged with the at least one battery holder, engaging the at least one battery holder with the charger engages each of the two or more battery packs with one of the battery interfaces, and such that disengaging the battery holder from the charger disengages the two or more battery packs from the battery interfaces.

18. A battery system for a power tool, comprising:

two or more battery packs;

a charger including a plurality of electrical battery interfaces, each of the plurality of electrical battery interface being adapted to connect electrically to a corresponding one of the two or more battery packs; and

at least one battery holder adapted to detachably engage the two or more battery packs mechanically but not electrically and adapted to detachably engage the at least one charger mechanically but not electrically.

19. The battery holder according to claim 18, wherein the charger includes a plurality of mechanical battery interfaces, each of the plurality of mechanical battery interfaces being adapted to mechanically connect to the corresponding one of the two or more battery packs.

20. The battery holder according to claim 19, wherein each of the plurality of mechanical battery interfaces is adapted to mechanically connect to the corresponding one of the two or more battery packs when the two or more battery packs are engaged by the at least one battery holder.