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Electric power tool system

a power tool and electric technology, applied in the field of electric power tool systems, can solve the problems of troublesome or inconvenient users, each operation of electric power tools is relatively short, and achieve the effects of convenient charging, convenient charging, and relatively small charge storage capacity of battery packs

Inactive Publication Date: 2012-05-03
MAKITA CORP
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0005]It is an object of the present teachings to disclose an improved electric (cordless) power tool system and method, which may, e.g., simplify or facilitate the charging of the battery pack.
[0006]In a first aspect of the present teachings, an electric power tool system may comprise a tool main body, a battery pack that is detachably attachable to the tool main body, and a first charger configured or adapted to charge the battery pack. At least one of the tool main body and the battery pack is detachably attachable to the first charger. The charger is also preferably configured to charge the battery pack while the battery pack is attached to the tool main body. With an electric power tool system having such a design, it is not necessary to detach the battery pack from the tool main body in order to recharge the battery pack. Thus, the battery pack can be conveniently charged while it is still attached to the tool main body.
[0007]In typical power tool operations, the user intermittently operates the electric power tool, and each operation of the electric power tool is relatively short. Therefore, if the battery pack were to be charged frequently, e.g., during each interval between power tool operations, it may be possible operate the power tool for long periods of time without ever completely depleting the battery pack, even if the charge storage capacity of the battery pack is relatively small. However, if the user were to frequently charge of the battery pack of a conventional power tool system during each interval between power tool operations, it would be troublesome or inconvenient for the user, because it would be necessary to detach the battery pack from the tool main body and then attach it to the charger each time it is desired to charge the battery pack. In contrast, power tool systems according to certain aspects of the present teachings eliminate the need to remove the battery pack from the tool main body in order to charge the battery pack, thereby enabling frequent charging in a very convenient manner. That is, it may not be necessary to detach the (first) depleted battery pack from the tool main body and attach a (second) charged battery pack to the tool main body in order to operate the power tool over a relatively long period of time (e.g., more power tool operations may be performed than would normally be possible for a single charging of the battery pack). Moreover, such a power tool system may advantageously utilize a relatively small and light weight battery pack having a relatively small charge storage capacity, thereby reducing the overall weight of the power tool system. As a result, in such embodiments of the present teachings, user fatigue during the power tool operations may be reduced without sacrificing power tool performance (e.g., without reducing output power and / or length of power tool operations using a single charged battery pack).

Problems solved by technology

However, in such a conventional electric cordless power tool system, the battery pack must be detached from the tool main body in order to charge the battery pack, which is inconvenient for the user.
In typical power tool operations, the user intermittently operates the electric power tool, and each operation of the electric power tool is relatively short.
However, if the user were to frequently charge of the battery pack of a conventional power tool system during each interval between power tool operations, it would be troublesome or inconvenient for the user, because it would be necessary to detach the battery pack from the tool main body and then attach it to the charger each time it is desired to charge the battery pack.

Method used

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Examples

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embodiment 1

[0036]An electric (cordless) power tool system of Embodiment 1 will be described with reference to the drawings. The electric power tool system of the present embodiment is a hand-held electric screwdriver and can be used, e.g., to drive screws both into and out of an object. However, the technology described in the present embodiment is not limited to electric screwdrivers, and can also be applied in the same manner to a wide variety of other types of electric power tools, such as the above-described electric power tools, or even other electric power tools that are not specifically mentioned herein.

[0037]As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the electric power tool system comprises a tool main body 10, a battery pack 30, a cordless charger 50 and an AC charger 70.

[0038]The tool main body comprises a tool holder 12, a motor 14, a trigger switch 16 and a battery pack interface 18. The tool holder 12 is rotatably supported and constructed so that a screwdriver bit (a tool) can be detachably attac...

embodiment 2

[0053]A cordless charger 150 of Embodiment 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. The cordless charger 150 of Embodiment 2 charges the battery pack 30 described in Embodiment 1, and is a modification of the cordless charger 50 described in Embodiment 1. In FIGS. 9 and 10, components that are common with the cordless charger 50 of Embodiment 1 have been assigned the same reference numbers.

[0054]As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the cordless charger 150 of Embodiment 2 further comprises a second charging controller 162, an AC-DC converter 164 and a power cord 166, which are not provided in the cordless charger 50 of Embodiment 1. The power cord 166 is electrically connectable to an external AC power source (e.g., to a wall socket in electrical communication with a commercial AC power supply). The AC current supplied from the AC power source is converted into DC power by the AC-DC converter 164. The AC-DC converter 164 is electrically connected to the rechargeable battery 56 v...

embodiment 3

[0056]A cordless charger 250 of Embodiment 3 will be described with reference toFIGS. 11 to 15. The cordless charger 250 of Embodiment 3 charges the battery pack 30 described in Embodiment 1, and is a modification of the cordless charger 50 described in Embodiment 1. In FIGS. 11 to 15, components that are common with the cordless charger 50 of Embodiment 1 have been assigned the same reference numbers.

[0057]As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the cordless charger 250 of Embodiment 3 further comprises a tool interface 252, which is not provided in the cordless charger 50 of Embodiment 1. The tool interface 252 is electrically connected to the rechargeable battery 56 inside the cordless charger 250. The tool interface 252 of the cordless charger 250 preferably has the same structure as the tool interface 32 of the battery pack 30, or at least has a structure that permits the tool interface 252 to be electrically connected to the battery pack interface 18 of the tool main body 10. Thus, such ...

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Abstract

An electric power tool system comprises a tool main body, a battery pack detachably attached to the tool main body and a first charger that charges the battery pack. The first charger is detachably attached to the tool main body and / or the battery pack. The first charger is capable of charging the battery pack while the battery pack is attached to the tool main body. The first charger is preferably cordless and contains at least rechargeable battery for storing energy to charge the battery pack.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO A RELATED APPLICATION[0001]This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2010-241480 filed on Oct. 27, 2010, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference into the present application.TECHNICAL FIELD[0002]The present disclosure relates to electric (cordless) power tool systems that use a battery pack as a power source.RELATED ART[0003]A well known type of electric (cordless) power tool system is disclosed in WO 2006 / 044693 A2. This electric power tool system comprises a tool main body, a battery pack detachably attached to the tool main body, and a charger for charging the battery pack.SUMMARY[0004]Such a cordless electric power tool system does not require an external power source (e.g., a wall socket) to drive the electric power tool. Instead, the user may simply charge the battery pack prior to using the electric power tool. However, in such a conventional electric cordless power tool system, the battery pack must be detached ...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Applications(United States)
IPC IPC(8): H02J7/00B25F5/00H01M50/296
CPCH01M2/1055H01M2/30H01M10/46H02J7/0045H02J7/0052Y02E60/10H01M50/213H01M50/296H02J7/00
Inventor SUZUKI, HITOSHIUMEMURA, TAKUYA
Owner MAKITA CORP