Power tool with light unit

• US 9,722,334 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2011
• Issued: 08/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sterling, Brian C., Osborne, Stephen P., White, Paul S., Delcamp, Jeffrey D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Taningco, Alexander H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Luque, Renan
• Application Number:
  US13/079,158
• Publication Number:
  US 20110248650A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,311 Days
• Field of Search: 315307, 315362, 315291, 315360, 408 4, 439628, 173217, 173170, 362119
• 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: B25F 5/02 Construction of casings, bodies or handles B25F5/006, B25F5/008 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B25F 5/021 with guiding devices guiding devices for hand tools on stands or supports B25H1/0078
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3646 for indicating electrical conditions or variables, e.g. visual or audible indicators
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/374 with means for correcting the measurement for temperature or ageing
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3835 involving only voltage measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/385 Arrangements for measuring battery or accumulator variables for monitoring G01R31/382
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2009/065 Battery operated hand tools in which the battery and the switch are directly connected
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/061 enclosing a continuously variable impedance
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/441 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/448 End of discharge regulating measures
• 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 2010/4278 Systems for data transfer from batteries, e.g. transfer of battery parameters to a controller, data transferred between battery controller and main controller
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/30 Batteries in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/569 Constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals battery terminal connectors with integrated measuring arrangements G01R31/364
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/7005 Guiding, mounting, polarizing or locking means; Extractors for printed circuit boards H05K
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/112 forked sockets having two legs
• 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 7/00041 in response to measured battery parameters, e.g. voltage, current or temperature profile
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0019 : using switched or multiplexed charge circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0025 : Sequential battery discharge in systems with a plurality of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0029 : with safety or protection devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00306 : Overdischarge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0031 : using battery or load disconnect circuits H02J9/002 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 : concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 : Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0063 : with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00714 : in response to battery charging or discharging current
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007182 : in response to battery voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 3/08 : for stopping or slowing a dc motor
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 31/00 : Arrangements for regulating or controlling electric motors not provided for in groups H02P1/00 - H02P5/00, H02P7/00 or H02P21/00 - H02P29/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 7/285 : controlling armature supply only
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 7/29 : using pulse modulation
• 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 power tool includes a housing coupled to an electrical power source, a motor contained in the housing, and a motor control circuit that controls output speed of the motor. A light unit is coupled to the housing to illuminate a work surface. A light unit control circuit controls illumination of the light unit. A switch unit is coupled to the housing and selectively operable to control the operation of the motor control circuit and the light unit control circuit. The light unit control circuit includes a timer configured to cause the light unit to illuminate a first brightness level when the switch unit is actuated, and to remain illuminated at the first brightness level for a predetermined time period after the trigger is actuated. The predetermined time period restarts if the switch unit is not deactivated before the end of the predetermined time period.

Claims

1. A power tool comprising:

a housing able to be coupled to an electrical power source;

a motor contained in the housing and connectable to the electrical power source by a motor control circuit configured to control output speed of the motor;

a light unit coupled to the housing, configured to illuminate a work surface, and electrically connectable to the electrical power source by a light unit control circuit configured to control illumination of the light unit;

a switch unit coupled to the housing and selectively operable by the user to control the operation of the motor control circuit and the light unit control circuit;

wherein the light unit control circuit includes a timer configured to cause the light unit to illuminate at a first brightness level other than an OFF state upon the switch unit being actuated to an ON state to initiate operation of the motor, and configured to cause the light unit to remain illuminated at the first brightness level for a predetermined time period that starts upon actuation of the switch unit to the ON state, wherein the timer restarts the predetermined time period when the switch unit is not deactivated to an OFF state to stop operation of the motor upon the end of the predetermined time period and wherein the timer causes the light unit to remain illuminated for any remaining time in the predetermined time period upon the switch unit being deactivated to the OFF state.

2. The power tool of claim 1, wherein the light control circuit comprises a light unit switch coupled to the switch unit and the timer, so that the light unit switch closes to cause current to flow to the light unit when the switch unit is actuated, and that opens to prevent current from flowing to the light unit hen the predetermined time period expires.

3. The power tool of claim 2, wherein the light unit switch comprises one of an electronic switch or electromechanical switch that is closed by actuation of the switch unit.

4. The power tool of claim 2, wherein the timer is configured to cause the light unit switch to remain closed a predetermined amount of time after the switch unit is actuated.

5. The power tool of claim 4, wherein the timer comprises one of a microprocessor, a digital timer circuit or an analog timer circuit.

6. The power tool of claim 4, wherein the light unit control circuit includes a fader that causes the light unit to gradually fade between the first brightness level and a second brightness level.

7. The power tool of claim 1, wherein the light unit control circuit causes the light unit to illuminate at a second brightness level other than an OFF state that is less than the first brightness level when the switch unit is deactivated and the predetermined time period has expired.

8. The power tool of claim 7, wherein the light unit control circuit further comprises a first resistor and a second resistor electrically wired in parallel to each other between the electrical power source and the light unit, the second resistor having greater resistance than the first resistor, wherein current is permitted to flow through the first resistor when the switch unit is actuated and current is prevented from flowing through the first resistor when the switch unit is released.

9. The power tool of claim 8, wherein the resistance of the second resistor is at least approximately one hundred times the resistance of the first resistor.

10. The power tool of claim 8, wherein the light control circuit further comprises a light unit switch that closes to cause current to flow through the first resistor when the switch unit is actuated, and that opens to prevent current from flowing through the first resistor when the switch unit is released and the predetermined time period has expired.

11. The power of claim 1, wherein the switch unit comprises a trigger that can travel relative to the housing, and the timer senses a position of the trigger and causes the predetermined time period to restart when the position of the trigger changes without the trigger being deactivated.

12. A power tool comprising:

a housing able to be coupled to an electrical power source;

a tool holder coupled to the housing;

a motor contained in the housing and electrically connectable to the electrical power source by a motor control circuit, the motor control circuit including a microprocessor configured to control output speed of the motor;

a transmission connecting the motor to the tool holder, such that rotation of the motor causes rotation of the tool holder;

a light unit coupled to the housing, configured to illuminate a work surface, and connectable to the electrical power source by a light unit control circuit, the light unit control circuit including a first resistor and a second resistor electrically wired in parallel to each other between the electrical power source and the light unit, the second resistor having greater resistance than the first resistor, a transistor in series with the first resistor and the light unit, and a timer connected to a gate of the transistor;

a trigger coupled to the housing, the motor control circuit and the light unit control circuit, the trigger selectively operable by the user to control the operation of the motor control circuit and the light unit control circuit;

wherein the motor control circuit and the light unit control circuit are configured so that when the trigger is actuated, the motor is activated by the microprocessor, and the light unit is illuminated at a first brightness level, and remains illuminated at the first brightness level other than an OFF state for a predetermined time period after the trigger is actuated, wherein the timer restarts the predetermined time period when the trigger remains actuated at the end of the predetermined time period, and wherein when the trigger is released, the motor is deactivated by the microprocessor, and the light unit is illuminated at a second brightness level other than an OFF state that is less than the first brightness level after the predetermined time period has expired.

13. A power tool comprising:

a housing able to be coupled to an electrical power source;

a motor contained in the housing and connectable to the electrical power source by a motor control circuit configured to control output speed of the motor;

a light unit coupled to the housing, configured to illuminate a work surface, and electrically connectable to the electrical power source by a light unit control circuit configured to control illumination of the light unit;

a switch unit coupled to the housing and selectively operable by the user to control the operation of the motor control circuit and the light unit control circuit;

wherein the light unit control circuit includes a tinier configured to cause the light unit to illuminate at a first brightness level other than an OFF state upon the switch unit being actuated to an ON state to initiate operation of the motor and configured to cause the light unit to remain illuminated at the first brightness level, for a predetermined time period that starts upon actuation of the switch unit to the ON state, wherein the timer restarts the predetermined time period when the switch unit is not deactivated to an OFF state to stop operation of the motor upon the end of the predetermined time period, and wherein the light unit control circuit causes the light unit to illuminate at a second brightness level other than an OFF state that is less than the first brightness level when the switch unit is deactivated and the predetermined time period has expired.

14. The power tool of claim 13, wherein the timer comprises one of a microprocessor, a digital timer circuit or an analog timer circuit.

15. The power tool of claim 13, wherein the light unit control circuit includes a fader that causes the light unit to gradually fade between the first brightness level and the second brightness level.

16. The power tool of claim 13, wherein the light unit control circuit further comprises a first resistor and a second resistor electrically wired in parallel to each other between the electrical power source and the light unit, the second resistor having greater resistance than the first resistor, wherein current is permitted to flow through the first resistor when the switch unit is actuated and current is prevented from flowing through the first resistor when the switch unit is released.

17. The power tool of claim 16, wherein the resistance of the second resistor is at least approximately one hundred times the resistance of the first resistor.

18. The power tool of claim 16, wherein the light control circuit further comprises a light unit switch that closes to cause current to flow through the first resistor when the switch unit is actuated, and that opens to prevent current from flowing through the first resistor when the switch unit is released and the predetermined time period has expired.

19. The power tool of claim 13, wherein the switch unit comprises a trigger that can travel relative to the housing, and the timer senses a position of the trigger and causes the predetermined time period to restart when the position of the trigger changes without the trigger being deactivated.