Charger

• US 9,166,417 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2013
• Issued: 10/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Makita Corporation
• Original Assignee: Makita Corporation
• Inventors: Muramatsu, Tomoo, Tabuchi, Yasuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): LIN, SUN J
• Application Number:
  US13/958,792
• Publication Number:
  US 20140055093A1
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• Field of Search: 320/112
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 7/0047 with monitoring or indicating devices or circuits

Abstract

A charger of the present invention includes a plurality of battery connection parts to which battery packs can be connected to charge, with each battery connection part having an indicator. The indicators can be configured such that when charging is expected to be completed more quickly in a first battery connection part compared to a second battery connection part, the indicator of the first battery connection part is displayed differently from the indicator of the second battery connection part.

Claims

1. A charger comprising a plurality of battery connection parts, the charger configured such that a battery pack can be charged by connecting the battery pack to respective one of the battery connection parts, wherein:

each battery connection part includes an indicator;

an indicator on a first battery connection part is displayed differently from an indicator on a second battery connection part when charging by use of the first battery connection part is expected to be completed more quickly than charging by use of the second battery connection part;

at least one battery pack is being charged in a battery connection part; and

among the battery connection parts not connected to the battery pack, an indicator on a battery connection part in which charging is expected to be completed more quickly than other battery connection parts is displayed differently from the indicators on the other battery connection parts.

2. A charger comprising a plurality of battery connection parts, the charger configured such that a battery pack can be charged by connecting the battery pack to respective one of the battery connection parts, wherein:

each battery connection part includes an indicator;

an indicator on a first battery connection part is displayed differently from an indicator on a second battery connection part when charging by use of the first battery connection part is expected to be completed more quickly than charging by use of the second battery connection part;

the charger includes a plurality of charging units, each of the charging units having two or more battery connection parts; and

when all of the battery connection parts in a charging unit are not connected to a battery, their indicators are displayed such that charging is expected to be completed more quickly as compared to a battery connection part in another charging unit which is connected to a battery.

3. The charger according to claim 2, wherein:

a temperature detector that detects a temperature of electrical components is provided on the respective charging units; and

the indicator of a battery connection part in a charging unit in which the temperatures of electrical components are lower than a predetermined value is displayed such that charging is expected to be completed more quickly as compared to a battery connection part in a charging unit in which the temperatures of the electrical components exceed the predetermined value.

4. A charger comprising a plurality of battery connection parts, the charger configured such that a battery pack can be charged by connecting the battery pack to respective one of the battery connection parts, wherein:

each battery connection part includes an indicator;

an indicator on a first battery connection part is displayed differently from an indicator on a second battery connection part when charging by use of the first battery battery connection part;

an indication state of the indicator on the first battery connection part is different from that of the indicator on the second battery connection part by changing a blink frequency of an illuminant that is used in the indicators;

one blink frequency of an indicator is equal to an integral multiple of a blink frequency of a different indicator; and

timing of a start of an illumination of each indicator is configured to be the same for all of the indicators.