Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080220324 | BATTERY PACK AND INTERNAL COMPONENT ARRANGEMENT WITHIN THE BATTERY PACK FOR CORDLESS POWER TOOL SYSTEM - An internal component arrangement within a battery pack housing having multiple cells and adapted for cordless power tools may provide desired mechanical support to constrain the cells. The housing with internal component arrangement is configured to route sensing wires from the cells to an electronics module of the pack. | 09-11-2008 |
20080318088 | Battery pack for cordless devices - A battery pack including a housing, a terminal block, a printed circuit board electrically connected to the terminal block, at least one battery cell, and a spark gap device on the printed circuit board to provide electrostatic discharge protection and disposed between the printed circuit board and the terminal block. | 12-25-2008 |
20090208819 | Rechargeable Battery Pack for Power Tools - A rechargeable battery pack comprises a battery having a high voltage side and a low voltage side, a positive terminal accessible external of the battery pack and connected to the high voltage side of the battery, a negative terminal accessible external of the battery pack and connected to the low voltage side of the battery, a control terminal accessible external of the battery pack, a switching element electrically connected between the control terminal and the high voltage side of the battery, and a control module operable to control the switching element so that the control terminal is selectively coupled to the high voltage side of the battery. | 08-20-2009 |
20100085012 | SIGNAL FOR PRE-CHARGE SELECTION IN LITHIUM CHARGING AND DISCHARGE CONTROL/PRE-CHARGE FUNCTION - A rechargeable battery pack for a power tool can have a data terminal that provides a signal that is indicative of whether the voltage is below a threshold and can serve as both a pre-charge signal for a charger and as a stop-discharge signal for a power tool. A charger can include a power supply circuit and a voltage detection circuit. A charger control module can receive a signal indicative of the voltage of the battery pack and determine a pre-charge time based on the voltage and can monitor a change in the voltage of the battery pack during the pre-charge operation and stop the pre-charge operation based on the change in voltage and the time period. | 04-08-2010 |
20100085018 | SHARED CONTROL OF THERMISTOR AND DUAL PURPOSE THERMISTOR LINE - A battery pack can include a temperature sensor that can provide an output that is indicative of a temperature associated with the battery pack. A battery management unit can directly measure the temperature sensor when the battery pack is by itself or engaged with a tool. A charger can directly read the temperature sensor when the battery pack is engaged with the charger. Thus, the temperature sensor can be shared by the battery pack and the charger. The battery pack can utilize a same terminal that provides access to the temperature sensor to indicate a stop-charge signal. The charger can read the stop-charge signal on the same terminal used to directly access the temperature sensor. | 04-08-2010 |
20100108341 | Battery pack, charger and terminal block arrangements for cordless power tool system - A battery pack, charger, and terminal blocks for the pack, charger and a cordless power tool are provided. The pack includes battery cells disposed between end caps within a bottom housing of the pack, and a potting boat for housing pack electronics electrically connected to the cells between the end caps and disposed within a pack top housing. A pack terminal block is connected to the potting boat within the top housing. The charger and the power tool each include a terminal block for providing electrical connections between the charger/tool and the battery pack. The terminal block is configured to float side-to-side to provide displaceable movement of the terminal block within the charger housing or tool housing for aligning the battery pack terminal block therein. | 05-06-2010 |
20100141207 | Cordless Power System - 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. | 06-10-2010 |
20100273031 | Battery Pack For Cordless Devices - A battery pack including a housing, a terminal block, a printed circuit board electrically connected to the terminal block, at least one battery cell, and a spark gap device on the printed circuit board to provide electrostatic discharge protection and disposed between the printed circuit board and the terminal block. | 10-28-2010 |
20110008655 | Cell connection straps for battery cells of a battery pack - A cell connection strap for electrically connecting a pair of adjacent battery cells within a battery pack includes, in one example, a fusible link for preventing a thermal runaway condition from occurring in a cell connected thereto. The strap may include raised features thereon for permitting relative movement between the cells in the pack due to vibration or an impact of the pack from translating stress to welds connecting the straps to the cells. In another example, the body of the cell strap may include slits formed in sides thereof to reduce rigidity of the strap for protecting the welds between strap and cell, and also provides a fusible link capability in the strap for preventing a thermal runaway condition from occurring in a cell connected thereto. | 01-13-2011 |
20110148425 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DETECTING AN OPEN CELL TAP IN A BATTERY PACK - A method is provided for detecting an open cell tap condition in a battery pack. The method includes: applying a detection voltage across an electrical impedance that is coupled to a measurement node, where the detection voltage exceeds voltage measures at a node disposed between serially coupled battery cells of the battery pack and the measurement node is coupled by a circuit path to said node; measuring the voltage at the measurement node while the detection voltage is being applied; and detecting a break in the circuit path when the voltage measured at the measurement node is substantially equal to the detection voltage. | 06-23-2011 |
20120160529 | POWER SCREWDRIVER HAVING ROTARY INPUT CONTROL - An improved method is provided for operating a power tool. The method includes: monitoring rotational motion of the power tool about an axis using a rotational motion sensor disposed in the power tool; determining a direction of the rotational motion about the axis; and driving the output member in a direction defined by the detected rotational motion of the tool, where the output member is driven by a motor residing in the power tool. Thus, the output member is drive clockwise when the rotational motion of the tool is clockwise about the axis and the output member is drive counter-clockwise when the rotational motion of the tool is counter-clockwise about the axis. | 06-28-2012 |
20120286732 | SHARED CONTROL OF THERMISTOR AND DUAL PURPOSE THERMISTOR LINE - A battery pack can include a temperature sensor that can provide an output that is indicative of a temperature associated with the battery pack. A battery management unit can directly measure the temperature sensor when the battery pack is by itself or engaged with a tool. A charger can directly read the temperature sensor when the battery pack is engaged with the charger. Thus, the temperature sensor can be shared by the battery pack and the charger. The battery pack can utilize a same terminal that provides access to the temperature sensor to indicate a stop-charge signal. The charger can read the stop-charge signal on the same terminal used to directly access the temperature sensor. | 11-15-2012 |
20120326670 | CHARGE CONTROL SCHEME FOR USE IN POWER TOOLS - A simplified control scheme is presented for use in a power tool. The power tool may be comprised of two or more lithium-ion battery cells connected in series and operable to drive the motor in the tool. A charging circuit is configured to receive a charging current from an AC adapter and to supply the charging current to the battery cells. A microcontroller monitors the voltage of the battery cells and terminates charging of the battery cells in accordance with the monitored voltages of the battery cells. The microcontroller does not receive power from the battery cells but is only powered by the AC adapter. Of note, each of the battery cells preferably employs an electrolyte composition comprised of a redox shuttle material. In combination with other tool components, the use of the redox shuttle material reduces or eliminates the need for expensive charge and discharge controls, thereby reducing the cost of the tool. | 12-27-2012 |
20130106343 | Battery Pack For Cordless Devices | 05-02-2013 |
20130118767 | Power Tool Having Interchangeable Tool Heads With An Independent Accessory Switch - A power tool is provided which accommodates interchangeable tool heads. The power tool includes: a tool body having a housing and an electric motor mounted within the housing, as well as a tool head that releasably attaches via a mechanical connection and an electrical connection to the tool body. The tool releasably connects to the output shaft of the electric motor when the tool head is attached to the tool body. A tool switch interposed between a power source for the electric motor and the electric motor is operable to supply power from the power source to the electric motor. A tool accessory switch interposed between the tool accessory and the power source for the electric motor is operable to supply power from the power source via the electrical connection to the tool accessory, thereby providing the tool operator independent control of the tool accessory. | 05-16-2013 |
20130277923 | POWER TOOL WITH AUTOMATIC CHUCK - A power tool having a tool portion, a chuck and a lock. The tool portion has a housing, a motor, and a spindle driven by the motor. The chuck has a body coupled to the spindle for rotation therewith, and a sleeve rotatably disposed about the body. The lock has a first lock structure pivotally coupled to the housing about a pivot axis, and a second lock structure. The first lock structure has a first locking feature. The second lock structure has a second locking feature and is coupled to the sleeve for rotation therewith. Pivoting the first lock structure into a first pivot position positions the first locking feature in a rotational path of the second locking feature. Engagement of the first and second locking features inhibits rotation of the sleeve so that rotation of the spindle will cause corresponding rotation of the body relative to the sleeve. | 10-24-2013 |
20130327552 | POWER TOOL HAVING MULTIPLE OPERATING MODES - A handheld power tool is configured to receive an input indicative of a clutch setting for an electronic clutch from the tool operator, where the clutch setting is selectable from a drill mode, an automated drive mode and one or more user-defined drive modes. Each of the user-defined drive modes specifies a different value of torque at which to interrupt transmission of torque to the output spindle. In an automated drive mode, the controller interrupt torque to the output spindle in an automated manner when a fastener being driven reaches a desired stopping position. In a selected one of the user-defined drive modes, the controller sets a value of a maximum current threshold in accordance with the selected one of the user-defined drive modes and interrupts torque to the output spindle when current measures exceeding the maximum current threshold. | 12-12-2013 |
20140070924 | System and Method for Identifying a Power Tool - A system for identifying a type of a power tool, the system comprising: a power tool having an electric motor; and a usage attachment configured to couple to the power tool, the usage attachment having a vibration sensor that generates vibration data when the power tool vibrates, a memory that stores the vibration data generated by the vibration sensor, and an identification subsystem that receives the vibration data from the memory, and identifies the type of the power tool by comparing the received vibration data to predetermined vibration data of a known type of power tool. | 03-13-2014 |
20140367134 | REMOTE PROGRAMMING OF A POWER TOOL - A method is provided for controlling operation of a power tool, such as a drill driver. The method begins with one or more descriptors for a fastening application being received by a controller residing in the power tool, where the descriptors are indicative of a fastening application to be performed by the power tool and are received via a wireless data link from a computing device located remotely from the power tool. The descriptors are translated into a threshold value used by a fastener setting algorithm and the threshold value is stored in a data store of the power tool. During a subsequent fastening operation performed using the tool, an operating parameter of the power tool is monitored and evaluated in accordance with the fastener setting algorithm, including the updated threshold value. Example operating parameters include current delivered to the motor and speed of the motor. | 12-18-2014 |