Battery System for a Power Tool, As Well As Battery Holder Therefor, Charger, and Charging System

• US 20170070067A1
• Filed: 11/01/2016
• Published: 03/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Makita Corporation
• Original Assignee: Makita Corporation
• Inventors: Suzuki, Hitoshi, ITO, Kosuke, Naito, Akira
• Granted Patent: US 10,476,284 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B25H 3/022 in fixed relationship
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/22 The load being a portable electronic device
• 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 50/40 using two or more transmitting or receiving devices H02J50/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• 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 7/00045 Authentication, i.e. circuits for checking compatibility between one component, e.g. a battery or a battery charger, and another component, e.g. a power source
• 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

Abstract

A battery system for a power tool includes two or more battery packs (12), at least one battery holder (14) adapted to detachably engage two or more of the battery packs and a charger (16, 216, 316, 416) adapted to detachably engage the battery holder and to simultaneously electrically communicate with two or more of the battery packs while the at least one battery holder engages both the charger and the battery packs.

Claims

1-45. -45. (canceled)

46. A power tool charging device comprising:

a charging unit that charges a rechargeable battery of a power tool;

a condition detection unit that detects condition information of the rechargeable battery;

an information processing unit that receives the condition information of the rechargeable battery from the condition detection unit and outputs the received condition information of the rechargeable battery to a communication unit capable of performing near field communication with another device.

47. The power tool charging device according to claim 46, wherein:

the condition detection unit detects the condition information of the rechargeable battery regardless of whether or not the charging unit is charging the rechargeable battery, and

the information processing unit outputs the condition information of the rechargeable battery detected by the condition detection unit to the communication unit.

48. The power tool charging device according to claim 46, further comprising a charging device body that accommodates the charging unit, the condition detection unit, and the information processing unit, wherein the charging device body includes a receptacle that receives the communication unit in a removable manner.

49. The power tool charging device according to claim 46, wherein when receiving a charging termination signal from another device via the communication unit, the information processing unit has the charging unit terminate charging of the rechargeable battery.

50. A power tool charging system comprising:

a power tool charging device that includes

a charging unit that charges a rechargeable battery of a power tool,

a condition detection unit that detects condition information of the rechargeable battery, and

an information processing unit that receives the condition information of the rechargeable battery from the condition detection unit; and

a communication unit capable of performing near field communication with another device,

wherein the information processing unit outputs the received condition information of the rechargeable battery to the communication unit.

51. A charger configured to charge a battery pack for a power tool, the charger comprising:

at least one battery interface configured to detachably attach to the battery pack;

a charging circuit configured to charge the battery pack attached to the battery interface; and

a charger controller configured to acquire information related to the battery pack attached to the battery interface,

wherein the charger controller is connectable to a wireless communication circuit and is configured to transmit the acquired information to an external device via the wireless communication circuit.

52. The charger according to claim 51, wherein the acquired information includes at least one state indication of the battery pack, the at least one state indication being selected from the group consisting of:

a charge level of the battery pack;

an output voltage of the battery pack;

an internal resistance of the battery pack;

a temperature of the battery pack; and

a charging elapsed time of the battery pack.

53. The charger according to claim 51, wherein the acquired information includes battery information of the battery pack, the battery information including a unique identification code of the battery pack.

54. The charger according to claim 51, wherein the charger controller is configured to further transmit interface identification information assigned to the battery interface attached to the battery pack, together with the acquired information, to the external device via the wireless communication circuit.

55. The charger according to claim 51, wherein the charger controller is configured to receive charger update information from the external device via the wireless communication circuit and to change an operation condition, an operating parameter and/or an operating program stored in a memory of the charger based upon the received charger update information.

56. The charger according to claim 51, wherein the charger controller is configured to receive an operation instruction signal from the external device via the wireless communication circuit and to perform an operation corresponding to the received operation instruction signal.

57. The charger according to claim 56, wherein the charger controller is configured to further receive interface identification information assigned to the battery interface attached to the battery pack, together with the operation instruction signal from the external device, via the wireless communication circuit.

58. The charger according to claim 51, further comprising a charger housing on which the battery interface is disposed, wherein the charger housing is configured to accommodate the wireless communication circuit.

59. The charger according to claim 51, further comprising a charger housing on which the battery interface is disposed, wherein the charger housing is configured to detachably attach to the wireless communication circuit.

60. The charger according to claim 51, further comprising a charger housing on which the battery interface is disposed, wherein the charger housing is configured to detachably attach to a housing that contains the wireless communication circuit.

61. A charging system configured to charge a battery pack for a power tool, the system comprising:

a charger comprising

at least one battery interface configured to detachably engage the battery pack,

a charging circuit configured to charge the battery pack attached to the battery interface, and

a charger controller configured to acquire information related to the battery pack attached to the battery interface; and

a wireless communication circuit connected to the charger controller, wherein the charger controller is configured to transmit the acquired information to an external device via the wireless communication circuit.

62. The charging system according to claim 61, further comprising an external device configured to receive the information transmitted from the wireless communication circuit and display the received information.

63. The charging system according to claim 62, wherein:

the charger controller is configured to further transmit interface identification information assigned to the battery interface attached to the battery pack, together with the acquired information, to the external device via the wirelessly communication circuit, and

the external device is configured to further receive the interface identification information transmitted from the wireless communication circuit and display the information related to the battery pack together with the interface identification information.