Electric power tool system

• US 9,748,780 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2014
• Issued: 08/29/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Makita Corporation
• Original Assignee: Makita Corporation
• Inventors: Suzuki, Hitoshi, Umemura, Takuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn, Drew A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zhou, Zixuan
• Application Number:
  US14/526,976
• Publication Number:
  US 20150054464A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,035 Days
• Field of Search: 320113-115, D13108
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• 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: H01M 50/296 characterised by terminals of battery packs terminals of batteries H01M50/543
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An electric power tool system comprises a tool main body, a battery pack detachably attached to the tool main body and a first charger that charges the battery pack. The first charger is detachably attached to the tool main body and/or the battery pack. The first charger is capable of charging the battery pack while the battery pack is attached to the tool main body. The first charger is preferably cordless and contains at least rechargeable battery for storing energy to charge the battery pack.

Claims

1. An electric power tool system comprising:

a tool main body comprising a battery pack interface and a battery charging interface;

a battery pack comprising a tool interface that is configured to physically and electrically connect to and disconnect from the battery pack interface of the tool main body, the battery pack further comprising a battery charging interface; and

a charger comprising a first output interface and a second output interface, and configured to output charging power from the first and second output interfaces for charging the battery pack, wherein;

the first output interface of the charger is configured to physically connect to and disconnect from at least one of the tool main body and the battery pack while the tool interface of the battery pack is physically and electrically connected to the battery pack interface of the tool main body, and

the first output interface of the charger is configured to electrically connect to and disconnect from the battery charging interface of the battery pack while the tool interface of the battery pack is physically and electrically connected to the battery pack interface of the tool main body, and

the first output interface of the charger is configured to electrically connect to and disconnect from the battery charging interface of the tool main body while the tool interface of the battery pack is physically and electrically connected to the battery pack interface of the tool main body, and

the second output interface of the charger is configured to physically and electrically connect to and disconnect from the tool interface of the battery pack while the tool interface of the battery pack is physically and electrically detached from the battery pack interface of the tool main body.

2. The electric power tool system as in claim 1, wherein:

the charger is adapted to supply charging current to the battery pack while the battery pack is attached to the tool main body.

3. The electric power tool system as in claim 1, wherein the battery pack has a nominal voltage between 10-30 volts.

4. The electric power tool system as in claim 1, wherein the battery pack has a nominal output current equal to or greater than 10 amps.

5. The electric power tool system as in claim 1, wherein the battery pack has a nominal capacity of at least 0.5 amp-hour.

6. The electric power tool system as in claim 1, wherein the electric power tool is one of an electric drill, an electric impact driver, an electric screw driver, an electric impact wrench, an electric grinder, an electric circular saw, an electric reciprocating saw, an electric jig saw, an electric band saw, an electric hammer, an electric cutter, an electric chain saw, an electric planer, an electric nailer, an electric rivet guns, an electric stapler, an electric shears, an electric hedge trimmer, an electric lawn clipper, an electric lawn mower, an electric brush cutter, an electric blower, an electric flashlight, an electric concrete vibrator and an electric vacuum cleaner.

7. The electric power tool system as in claim 1, wherein, when the battery charging interface of the battery pack is electrically connected to the first output interface of the charger, the battery charging interface of the tool main body is not in contact with the charger.

8. The electric power tool system as in claim 7, wherein, when the battery charging interface of the tool main body is electrically connected to the first output interface of the charger, the battery charging interface of the battery pack is not in contact with the charger.

9. A method for recharging the electric power tool system according to claim 1, comprising:

supplying charging current from the charger to the battery pack while the battery pack is attached to the tool main body.

10. A cordless power tool system comprising:

a tool main body comprising a battery pack interface and a battery charging interface,

a tool mounted on or in the tool main body,

a motor disposed within the tool main body and configured to movably drive the tool,

a battery pack comprising a tool interface and a battery charging interface, wherein the tool interface is configured to be detachably attachable to the battery pack interface of the tool main body and configured to supply driving current to the motor; and

a charger comprising a first output interface and a second output interface,

wherein

the first output interface of the charger is configured to detachably attach to at least one of the tool main body and the battery pack,

the first output interface of the charger is configured to charge the battery pack via the battery charging interface of the battery pack while the tool interface of the battery pack is physically and electrically connected to the battery pack interface of the tool main body,

the first output interface of the charger is configured to charge the battery pack via the battery charging interface of the tool main body while the tool interface of the battery pack is physically and electrically connected to the battery pack interface of the tool main body, and

the second output interface of the charger is configured to detachably attach to the tool interface of the battery pack and is configured to charge the battery pack via the tool interface while the battery pack is detached from the tool main body.

11. The electric power tool system as in claim 10, wherein:

the charger is adapted to supply charging current to the battery pack while the battery pack is attached to the tool main body.

12. The electric power tool system as in claim 10, wherein the battery pack has a nominal voltage between 10-30 volts.

13. The electric power tool system as in claim 10, wherein the battery pack has a nominal output current equal to or greater than 10 amps.

14. The electric power tool system as in claim 10, wherein the battery pack has a nominal capacity of at least 0.5 amp-hour.

15. The electric power tool system as in claim 10, wherein the electric power tool is one of an electric drill, an electric impact driver, an electric screw driver, an electric impact wrench, an electric grinder, an electric circular saw, an electric reciprocating saw, an electric jig saw, an electric band saw, an electric hammer, an electric cutter, an electric chain saw, an electric planer, an electric nailer, an electric rivet guns, an electric stapler, an electric shears, an electric hedge trimmer, an electric lawn clipper, an electric lawn mower, an electric brush cutter, an electric blower, an electric flashlight, an electric concrete vibrator and an electric vacuum cleaner.

16. The electric power tool system as in claim 10, wherein, when the battery charging interface of the battery pack is electrically connected to the first output interface of the charger, the battery charging interface of the tool main body is not in contact with the charger.

17. The electric power tool system as in claim 16, wherein, when the battery charging interface of the tool main body is electrically connected to the first output interface of the charger, the battery charging interface of the battery pack is not in contact with the charger.

18. An electric power tool comprising:

a tool main body comprising a battery pack interface and a battery charging interface;

a motor disposed within the tool main body and configured to movably drive the tool;

a battery pack removably connectable to the tool main body, the battery pack comprising a tool interface that is configured to physically and electrically connect to and disconnect from the battery pack interface of the tool main body, the battery pack further comprising a battery charging interface; and

the battery charging interface of the tool main body and the battery charging interface of the battery pack each being configured to individually electrically connect to a first output interface of a charger and allow the charger to charge the battery pack while the tool interface of the battery pack is physically and electrically connected to the battery pack interface of the tool main body,

wherein the battery charging interface of the tool main body and the battery charging interface of the battery pack are not connectable to the first output interface of the charger at the same time.

19. The electric power tool according to claim 18, wherein at least one of the battery charging interface of the tool main body and the battery charging interface of the battery pack is configured to be inductively coupled with the first output interface of the charger.

20. An electric power tool system, comprising

the electric power tool according to claim 18;

and

a charger comprising a first output interface and configured to output charging power from the first output interface for charging the battery pack,

wherein;

the first output interface of the charger is configured to physically connect to and disconnect from at least one of the tool main body and the battery pack while the tool interface of the battery pack is physically and electrically connected to the battery pack interface of the tool main body,

the first output interface of the charger is configured to electrically connect to and disconnect from the battery charging interface of the battery pack while the tool interface of the battery pack is physically and electrically connected to the battery pack interface of the tool main body, and

the first output interface of the charger is configured to electrically connect to and disconnect from the battery charging interface of the tool main body while the tool interface of the battery pack is physically and electrically connected to the battery pack interface of the tool main body.