Battery charging systems

• US 7,944,175 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2007
• Issued: 05/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Makita Corporation
• Original Assignee: Makita Corporation
• Inventors: Kasuya, Toshiyasu, Mori, Tatsuki, Sakakibara, Kazuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso; Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): TORRES RUIZ, JOHALI ALEJANDRA
• Application Number:
  US11/790,228
• Publication Number:
  US 20070252553A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,484 Days
• Field of Search: 320/112, 320/113
• US Class Current: 320/113
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0047 with monitoring or indicating devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0049 Detection of fully charged condition

Abstract

A system for charging a power tool battery includes a charging device capable of charging a battery, a memory device capable of storing data of a plurality of sound patterns, a selecting device capable of selecting a sound pattern data from the plurality of sound patterns, and a sound generating device capable of generating a sound based on the selected sound pattern data when the charging operation of the battery by the charging device has been completed.

Claims

1. A system for charging a power tool battery, comprising:

a battery side connector and a charger side connector electrically connected to each other;

a charging device that charges the battery when the battery side connector and the charger side connector are electrically connected, the charging device comprising;

a memory device that stores data of a plurality of sound patterns;

a selecting device that selects a sound pattern data from the data of the plurality of sound patterns stored in the memory device; and

a sound generating device that generates a sound based on the selected sound pattern data when the charging operation of the battery by the charging device is completed,

wherein the sound pattern data includes at least a first sound pattern data and a second sound pattern data,

the selecting device selects the first sound pattern data when the battery side connector and the charger side connector are connected to each other, and

the selecting device changes the first sound pattern data to the second sound pattern data when the battery side connector and the charger side connector are disconnected and reconnected to each other after selection of the first sound pattern data, regardless of a charging state of the battery.

2. The system as in claim 1, wherein:

the charging device starts the charging operation when a predetermined time has passed after the battery side connector and the charger side connector are connected.

3. The system as in claim 1, wherein:

the sound generating device generates the sound based on the selected sound pattern data during the selecting operation by the selecting device.

4. The system as in claim 3, wherein a volume of the sound generated during the selecting operation is smaller than a volume of the sound generated when the charging operation of the battery by the charging device is completed.

5. The system as in claim 1, wherein:

the sound generating device comprises a sound generating element that can generate a sound when a voltage is applied.

6. The system as in claim 5, wherein a volume of the sound generated by the sound generating element is varied in response to a change of the voltage.

7. The system as in claim 1, wherein the sound pattern memory device is configured such that sound pattern data from a personal computer is written into the sound pattern memory device.

8. The system as in claim 1, further comprising a lighting device including a light emitter that emits light when the battery charging operation by the charging device is completed.

9. The system as in claim 1, further comprising a transmitter that transmits a signal to a communication terminal device when the charging operation by the charging device is completed.

10. A system for charging a battery comprising:

a battery charger that charges the battery, the battery charger comprising;

a first memory that stores sound data groups;

a sound generating device that generates a sound; and

a controller that selects one of the sound data groups and instructs the sound generating device to generate the sound based on the selected sound data group when a charging operation of the battery is completed; and

a battery pack constructed to receive the battery, so that the battery is electrically connected to the battery charger via the battery pack,

wherein the battery pack includes a second memory that stores the sound data groups, and

the controller copies the sound data stored in the second memory to the first memory and selects the sound data in response to the operation of electrically disconnecting and reconnecting between the battery charger and the battery, regardless of a charging state of the battery.

11. The system as in claim 10, wherein the controller instructs the sound generating device to generate the sound based on the selected sound data group when the sound data group is selected.

12. A system for charging a battery comprising:

a charging device that charges a battery, the charging device comprising;

a memory device that stores data of a plurality of sound patterns;

a selecting device that selects a sound pattern data from the plurality of sound patterns; and

a sound generating device that generates a sound based on the selected sound pattern data when the charging operation of the battery by the charging device is completed,

wherein the sound pattern data includes at least a first sound pattern data and a second sound pattern data,

the selecting device selects the first sound pattern when the battery side connector and the charger side connector are connected to each other, and

the selecting device changes the first sound pattern data to the second sound pattern data when the battery side connector and the charger side connector are disconnected and reconnected to each other after selection of the first sound pattern data, regardless of the charging state of the battery.

13. The system as in claim 12, further including a battery side connector and a charger side connector electrically connected to each other, wherein the charging device starts the charging operation when a predetermined time has passed after the battery side connector and the charger side connector are connected.

14. The system as in claim 12, wherein the memory device is configured to receive sound pattern data from a personal computer.

15. The system as in claim 12, further comprising a lighting device that emits light when the battery charging operation is completed.

16. The system as in claim 12, further comprising a transmitter that transmits a signal to a communication terminal device when the charging operation by the charging device is completed.