Cordless power system

• US 20060087284A1
• Filed: 10/14/2005
• Published: 04/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Inventors: Francis, Jeffrey J., Carrier, David A., Brotto, Daniele C., Phillips, Steven J., Seman, Andrew E. Jr., White, Daniel J., Yahnker, Christopher R., Watson, James B., Trinh, Danh T.
• Application Number:
  US11/251,367
• Publication Number:
  US 20060087284A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/114
• 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: H01M 10/052 Li-accumulators
• 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 10/4207 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/441 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/204 Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/247 specially adapted for portable devices, e.g. mobile phones, computers, hand tools or pacemakers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/296 characterised by terminals of battery packs terminals of batteries H01M50/543
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/42 Grouping of primary cells into batteries H01M6/40 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0063 with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00711 with introduction of pulses during the charging process
• 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: H02J 7/007194 : of the battery
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 : Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A cordless system has cordless system components that include a cordless device, such as a cordless power tool, a battery pack and a charger. The battery pack is mated with either the cordless device to provide power to operate the cordless device or to the charger to charge the battery cells in the battery pack. In an aspect, the cordless system has an identification and communication system by which the battery pack identifies and communicates information about the battery pack to the cordless device or to the charger to which the battery pack is mated. In an, the battery pack of the cordless system is capable of multiple modes, such as controlling the cordless device and controlling the charger. In an aspect, the battery pack validates the cordless device or charger to which it is mated in an aspect of the invention, the cordless system uses any of a wired interface, radio frequency interface, an optical interface or a magnetic interface to communicate information between the battery pack and the cordless device or charger to which the battery pack is mated. In an aspect, female terminals are used in a terminal block of the battery pack to protect against foreign objects contacting the terminals. In aspect, the terminals in the terminal block of the battery pack are staggered or scattered to reduce the likelihood of a short circuit. In an aspect of the invention, the battery pack has a trap door that closes when the battery pack is not mated to a cordless device or charger to protect the terminal block of the battery pack. In an aspect of the invention, multi-spring, split contact terminals are used in the terminal block of at least one of the cordless system components. In an aspect of the invention, the battery cells are Lithium Ion battery cells.

Claims

1. A cordless power tool system, comprising:

a plurality of system components including a battery pack and a power tool;

the battery pack and the power tool having power terminals that mate with each other when the battery pack is coupled to the power tool; and

each of the system components having a magnetic data communication interface.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the magnetic data communication interface includes each of the system components having a modular/demodulator coupled to a magnetic connection point.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the magnetic connection point is a coil.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the magnetic data communication interface includes a modulator/demodulator coupled to a magnetic connection point in each system component that both transmits and receives data and a demodulator coupled to a magnetic connection point in each system component that only receives data.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the battery pack includes a housing in which a plurality of Lithium Ion battery cells are disposed.

6. A cordless power tool system, comprising

a plurality of system components including a battery pack and a power tool;

the battery pack and the power tool having power terminals that mate with each other when the battery pack is coupled to the power tool; and

each of the system components having an RF data communication interface.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the RF data communication includes each system component a modulator/demodulator connected to a RF connection point.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the RF connection point is an antenna.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the RF data communication interface including in each system component that both transmits and receives data a modulator/demodulator coupled to a RF connection point and in each system component that only receives data, a demodulator connected to a RF connection point.

10. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the battery pack includes a housing in which a plurality of Lithium Ion battery cells are disposed.

11. A cordless power tool system, comprising

a plurality of system components including a battery pack and a power tool;

the battery pack and the power tool having power terminals that mate with each other when the battery pack is coupled to the power tool; and

each of the system components having an optical data communication interface.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein optical data communication interface includes each of the system components having a modular/demodulator coupled to an optical connection point.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the optical connection point is a light source and optical receiver.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the optical data communication interface including in each system component that both transmits and receives data a modulator/demodulator coupled to an optical connection point and in each system component that only receives data a demodulator coupled to an optical connection point.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the battery pack includes a housing in which a plurality of Lithium Ion battery cells are disposed.

16. A cordless power tool system, comprising:

a plurality of system components including a battery pack and a power tool;

the battery pack and the power tool having power terminals that mate with each other when the battery pack is coupled to the power tool;

each of the system components having a data communication interface; and

the battery pack including a housing having a plurality of Lithium Ion battery cells disposed therein.