Electric power tool system

• US 9,819,203 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2016
• Issued: 11/14/2017
• 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): Tso, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): OMAR, AHMED H
• Application Number:
  US15/377,034
• Publication Number:
  US 20170093188A1
• Time in Patent Office: 336 Days
• Field of Search: 320103, 320108
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0525 Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/441 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/30 Batteries in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/204 Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells
• 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 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 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
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/342 The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/0034
• 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 comprises a rechargeable battery that supplies current to at least one rechargeable battery of the battery pack. The at least one rechargeable battery of the first charger preferably has a larger charge storage capacity than the at least one rechargeable battery of the battery pack.

Claims

1. An electric power tool system comprising:

a tool main body;

a battery pack configured to be detachably attached to the tool main body, wherein the battery pack comprises;

at least one rechargeable battery,

a battery pack housing containing the at least one rechargeable battery, and

a charge receiving element electrically connected to the at least one rechargeable battery and disposed on or within the battery pack housing; and

a first charger configured to charge the battery pack, wherein the first charger comprises;

at least one rechargeable battery configured to supply energy to charge the at least one rechargeable battery of the battery pack, and

a charge transmitting element electrically connected to the at least one battery of the first charger and configured to wirelessly transmit the energy to the charge receiving element of the battery pack.

2. The electric power tool system according to claim 1, wherein the charge transmitting element is configured to charge the at least one rechargeable battery by electromagnetic induction.

3. The electric power tool system according to claim 1, wherein the charge transmitting element comprises at least one transmitting coil and the charge receiving element comprises at least one receiving coil.

4. The electric power tool system according to claim 3, wherein

the at least one transmitting coil is configured to generate an electromagnetic field when a first charging current, supplied by the at least one rechargeable battery, flows through the at least one transmitting coil, and

the at least one receiving coil is configured to output a second charging current when the at least one receiving coil is placed within the electromagnetic field generated by the at least one transmitting coil.

5. The electric power tool system according to claim 1, wherein the first charger further comprises a battery pack interface configured to detachably receive the battery pack housing such that the charge receiving element of the battery pack is positioned within an electromagnetic field generated by the charge transmitting element of the first charger.

6. The electric power tool system according to claim 5, wherein the first charger further comprises at least one charger housing on which the battery pack interface is disposed.

7. The electric power tool system according to claim 6, wherein the at least one charger housing contains the at least one rechargeable battery of the first charger.

8. The electric power tool system according to claim 7, wherein the at least one charger housing comprises a first charger housing that contains the at least one rechargeable battery of the first charger and a second charger housing on which the battery pack interface is disposed, the second charger housing being detachably attachable to the first charger housing.

9. The electric power tool system according to claim 5, wherein the battery pack interface is configured to receive the battery pack housing while the battery pack is attached to the tool main body.

10. The electric power tool system according to claim 1, further comprising a second charger configured to charge the at least one rechargeable battery of the first charger.

11. The electric power tool system according to claim 10, wherein

the first charger further comprises at least one housing containing the at least one rechargeable battery of the first charger, and

the second charger is contained within the at least one housing of the first charger.

12. The electric power tool system according to claim 10, wherein

the first charger further comprises at least one housing containing the at least one rechargeable battery of the first charger, and

the second charger comprises a housing containing a charging controller, the at least one housing of the first charger being removably mountable on the housing of the second charger to charge the at least one rechargeable battery of the first charger.

13. The electric power tool system according to claim 1, wherein the tool main body further comprises an electric motor, a trigger switch operable to control the electric motor and a tool chuck operably coupled to an output of the electric motor.

14. The electric power tool system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one rechargeable battery of the first charger is configured to store sufficient charge to completely recharge the at least one rechargeable battery of the battery pack.

15. The electric power tool system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one rechargeable battery of the battery pack comprises a plurality of lithium ion cells.

16. The electric power tool system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one rechargeable battery of the first charger comprises a plurality of lithium ion cells.

17. An electric power tool system comprising:

a tool main body;

a battery pack configured to be detachably attached to the tool main body and comprising a battery pack housing and at least one rechargeable battery in the battery pack housing; and

a first charger including at least one rechargeable battery, the first charger being configured to wirelessly charge the at least one rechargeable battery of the battery pack.

18. The electric power tool system according to claim 17, wherein the at least one rechargeable battery of the first charger has a charge storage capacity that is larger than a charge storage capacity of the at least one rechargeable battery of the battery pack.

19. The electric power tool system according to claim 17, including a second charger configured to charge the rechargeable battery of the first charger, the second charger including a charger controller.

20. The electric power tool system according to claim 17, wherein the first charger includes a charger induction coil and the battery pack includes a battery pack induction coil, the battery pack induction coil being configured to receive electromagnetic energy from the charger induction coil.