Power tool with USB connection

• US 9,917,457 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2016
• Issued: 03/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wenger, Kevin, Dyer, Kelly E., Barnett, Corey, Miller, David A., Brotto, Daniele C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Piggush, Aaron
• Application Number:
  US15/009,038
• Publication Number:
  US 20160226277A1
• Time in Patent Office: 775 Days
• Field of Search: 320112, 320114, 320133, 320155
• 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: H01M 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• 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

A battery pack includes a housing, at least one battery cell housed in the housing, a wireless transmitter housed in the housing, a button that initiates a pairing with an electronic device so that the battery pack may wirelessly communicate with the electronic device through the wireless transmitter, a connection section including a first electrical connector configured to supply power to a power tool and a charging port configured to supply power to an external device. The charging port can be in an on state in which the charging port is operable to supply power to the external device and an off state in which the charging port is not operable to supply power to the external device.

Claims

1. A battery pack comprising:

a housing,

at least one battery cell housed in the housing;

a wireless transmitter housed in the housing;

a button, the button configured to initiate pairing with an electronic device so that the battery pack may wirelessly communicate with the electronic device through the wireless transmitter;

a connection section including a first electrical connector configured to supply power to a power tool; and

a charging port configured to supply power to an external device;

wherein the charging port can be in an on state in which the charging port is operable to supply power to the external device and an off state in which the charging port is not operable to supply power to the external device.

2. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the charging port is configured to change from the on state to the off state when a predetermined amount of time elapses after charging from the charging port begins.

3. The battery pack of claim 2, wherein the predetermined amount of time is ten hours or less.

4. The battery pack of claim 2, wherein the predetermined amount of time is eight hours or less.

5. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the charging port is configured to be turned into the on-state by at least one of a user input from the electronic device and activating the button.

6. The battery pack of claim 2, wherein the predetermined amount of time is set by a user of the separate electronic device.

7. The battery pack of claim 6, wherein the predetermined amount of time that can be set by the user has an upper limit.

8. The battery pack of claim 2, wherein the predetermined amount of time is equal to or less than an Amp hour rating of the battery pack divided by a current drawn from the battery pack by the charging port.

9. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the charging port is a USB port.

10. A power tool system comprising:

a power tool; and

a battery pack, the battery pack comprising;

a housing,

at least one battery cell housed in the housing;

a wireless transmitter housed in the housing and configured to wirelessly communicate with an electronic device;

a connection section including a first electrical connector configured to supply power to the power tool when the battery pack is connected to the power tool; and

a charging port configured to supply power to an external device;

wherein the charging port can be in an on state in which the charging port is operable to supply power to the external device and an off state in which the charging port is not operable to supply power to the external device.

11. The power tool system of claim 10, wherein the charging port is configured to change from the on state to the off state after a predetermined amount of time after charging from the charging port begins.

12. The power tool system of claim 11, wherein the predetermined amount of time is ten hours or less.

13. The power tool system of claim 11, wherein the predetermined amount of time is set by a user of the electronic device.

14. The power tool system of claim 11, wherein the predetermined amount of time set by the user is limited.

15. The power tool system of claim 11, wherein the predetermined amount of time is equal to or less than an Amp hour rating of the battery pack divided by a current drawn from the battery pack by the charging port.

16. The power tool system of claim 10, wherein the separate electronic device comprises one of a computer a tablet computer and a phone.

17. A power tool system comprising:

a plurality of power tools including a drill; and

at least one battery pack, the battery pack selectively couplable to the plurality of power tools to provide electrical power to a coupled power tool to which the battery pack is coupled, the battery pack comprising;

a housing,

at least one battery cell housed in the housing;

a wireless transmitter housed in the housing and configured to wirelessly communicate with an electronic device;

a connection section including a first electrical connector configured to supply power to the coupled power tool; and

a charging port configured to supply power to an external device;

wherein the charging port can be in an on state in which the charging port is operable to supply power to the external device and an off state in which the charging port is not operable to supply power to the external device.

18. The power tool system of claim 17, wherein the charging port is configured to change from the on state to the off state after a predetermined amount of time after charging from the charging port begins.

19. The power tool system of claim 18, wherein the predetermined amount of time is set by a user of the separate electronic device.

20. The power tool system of claim 18, wherein the predetermined amount of time is equal to or less than an Amp hour rating of the battery pack divided by a current drawn from the battery pack by the charging port.