Battery pack release structure

Abstract

The present invention provides a battery pack release structure, which includes a battery pack seat having a battery pack installation cavity, a battery pack inserted into the battery pack installation cavity, a release button and a release knob connected to the battery pack seat. The release knob has three working states: a locked state, a released state and a free state. The release knob includes a locking bolt protruding into the battery pack installation cavity. In the locked state, the locking bolt cooperates with a limiting structure on the battery pack to be fixed, and the included angle between the locking bolt and the longitudinal axis of the release knob is a first included angle; in the released state, the locking bolt disengages from the limiting structure, and the included angle between the locking bolt and the longitudinal axis of the release knob is a second included angle; in the free state, the battery pack disengages from the battery pack installation cavity, and the included angle between the locking bolt and the longitudinal axis of the release knob is a third included angle; the third included angle is greater than the first included angle, and the first included angle is greater than the second included angle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery pack release structure, belonging to the field of gardening tools. Background Art

[0002] Most of the battery pack release structures used in existing power tools are rotary or press-and-translate types. However, when using a rotary release button, due to the large limiting force, two fingers are required to press for release. At the same time, since it protrudes too much from the battery pack cavity, during the drop test, the release button is easily damaged by impact. While the press-and-translate release button can achieve single-finger release, its limiting force is insufficient. When power tools such as chain saws are working, due to the large vibration of the machine body, the limit will be too narrow, prone to slipping or self-bouncing and falling off.

[0003] In view of this, it is indeed necessary to improve the existing battery pack release structure to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a battery pack release structure that can not only be released with a single finger, but also has a large limiting force and will not produce slipping or self-bouncing and falling off phenomena.

[0005] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a battery pack release structure, including a battery pack seat provided with a battery pack installation cavity and a battery pack inserted into the battery pack installation cavity. The battery pack release structure further includes a release button and a release knob connected to the battery pack seat. After pressing the release button downward, the release knob is synchronously driven to rotate relative to the battery pack seat to fix or release the battery pack. The release knob has three working states: a locked state, a released state, and a free state. The release knob includes a locking bolt protruding into the battery pack installation cavity. In the locked state, the locking bolt cooperates with a limiting structure on the battery pack to be fixed, and the angle between the locking bolt and the longitudinal axis of the release knob is a first angle. In the released state, the locking bolt disengages from the limiting structure, and the angle between the locking bolt and the longitudinal axis of the release knob is a second angle. In the free state, the battery pack is detached from the battery pack installation cavity, and the angle between the locking bolt and the longitudinal axis of the release knob is a third angle. The third angle is greater than the first angle, and the first angle is greater than the second angle.

[0006] As a further improvement of the present invention, the first angle is between 30 and 42 degrees; the second angle is between 15 and 26 degrees; the third angle is between 40 and 52 degrees.

[0007] As a further improvement of the present invention, the limiting structure is a limiting boss, and a clamping surface is formed on the locking bolt to cooperate with the limiting boss on the battery pack. The clamping surface is an arc surface, and the radian of the clamping surface is between 8 and 20 degrees.

[0008] As a further improvement of the present invention, when the release knob switches between the locked state, the released state and the free state, the rotation radius of the locking bolt is between 12 and 24 mm.

[0009] As a further improvement of the present invention, in the released state, when the release button is pressed down to the bottom end, the locking bolt is in a tightened state.

[0010] As a further improvement of the present invention, a first elastic member is provided on the release button to drive the release button to reset after the release button is released; a second elastic member is provided on the release knob to drive the release knob to reset after the release knob is released.

[0011] As a further improvement of the present invention, the release button includes a pressing portion and a pushing portion extending vertically downward from the pressing portion. A receiving cavity is formed at the connection between the pressing portion and the pushing portion, and the first elastic member is received in the receiving cavity.

[0012] As a further improvement of the present invention, the first elastic member is a compression spring. After the release button is assembled to the battery pack base, the top of the compression spring abuts against the pressing portion, and the bottom of the compression spring abuts against the battery pack base, so that the compression spring is compressed after the release button is pressed.

[0013] As a further improvement of the present invention, the release knob further includes a pivoting portion hinged to the battery pack base. The locking bolt extends obliquely from the bottom end of the pivoting portion toward the battery pack installation cavity. A rotating block is further provided at the bottom end of the pivoting portion, and the rotating block extends obliquely away from the battery pack installation cavity.

[0014] As a further improvement of the present invention, the second elastic member is a torsion spring, including a fixing portion sleeved on the pivoting portion, a first abutting portion extending from the fixing portion to contact the lower surface of the locking bolt, and a second abutting portion extending from the fixing portion to abut against the battery pack base. When the release knob rotates relative to the battery pack base, the first abutting portion is compressed.

[0015] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: When the release button of the battery pack release structure of the present invention is pressed down, the release knob can be driven to rotate synchronously, so that the release knob rotates relative to the battery pack base to fix or release the battery pack. It can not only achieve single-finger release, but also has a large limiting force, which can effectively prevent falling off and prevent vibration ejection. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the battery pack release structure of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 2 is Figure 1Exploded view of the battery pack release structure shown

[0018] Figure 3 is Figure 2 the exploded view of the battery pack seat in

[0019] Figure 4 is Figure 3 the exploded view of the battery pack seat shown from another angle

[0020] Figure 5 is Figure 2 the three - dimensional view of the insert seat in

[0021] Figure 6 is Figure 2 the structural diagram when the release button and the release knob cooperate with each other in

[0022] Figure 7 is Figure 6 the exploded view of

[0023] Figure 8 is Figure 7 the schematic diagram of another angle of

[0024] Figure 9 is when replacing Figure 6 the first elastic member in with a shrapnel, the cross - sectional view

[0025] Figure 10 is when replacing Figure 6 the second elastic member in with a shrapnel, the cross - sectional view

[0026] Figure 11 is the cross - sectional view of the battery pack release structure of the present invention in the locked state

[0027] Figure 12 is Figure 11 the enlarged view of the circled part in

[0028] Figure 13 is the cross - sectional view of the battery pack release structure of the present invention in the released state

[0029] Figure 14 is Figure 13 the enlarged view of the circled part in

[0030] Figure 15 is the cross - sectional view of the battery pack release structure of the present invention in the free state

[0031] Figure 16 is Figure 15 the enlarged view of the circled part in

[0032] Figure 17 is Figure 2 the exploded view of the pop - up structure in Detailed implementation mode

[0033] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention clearer, the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0034] As Figure 1 shown in Figure 2 FIG. 10, the present invention discloses a battery pack release structure 100, which includes a battery pack seat 10 provided with a battery pack installation cavity 101 and a battery pack 20 inserted into the battery pack installation cavity 101. A plug seat 30 is correspondingly arranged in the battery pack seat 10, and the battery pack 20 is connected to the plug seat 30. The battery pack release structure 100 of the present invention can be applied to DC-powered garden tools such as chain saws, lawn mowers, lawn trimmers, and blowers.

[0035] As Figure 3 shown in Figure 4 FIG. 11, the battery pack seat 10 includes an upper cover 11 and a base 12 assembled up and down. The battery pack installation cavity 101 is formed by enclosing the upper cover 11 and the base 12, and the plug seat 30 is arranged at the bottom of the base 12. An opening 111 is provided at the top of the upper cover 11, and the opening 111 communicates with the battery pack installation cavity 101. After the upper cover 11 and the base 12 are installed, the battery pack 20 can be directly inserted and removed in the battery pack installation cavity 101 from the opening 111.

[0036] As Figure 5 shown in

[0037] FIG. 12, the plug seat 30 includes a socket body 31 and plug terminals 32 installed and fixed on the socket body 31. After the battery pack 20 is inserted into the battery pack installation cavity 101, it is electrically connected to the plug terminals 32 to realize power transmission. Since the specific structure of the plug seat 30 can adopt existing technical solutions, it will not be described in detail here and no restrictions will be imposed.

[0037] As Figures 6 to 10 and combined with Figure 2 shown in Figure 4 FIG. 13, the battery pack release structure 100 further includes a release button 40 and a release knob 50 assembled and connected to the battery pack seat 10. After pressing the release button 40 downward, the release knob 50 will be synchronously driven to rotate relative to the battery pack seat 10 to fix or release the battery pack 20.

[0038] Specifically, the release button 40 includes a pressing portion 41, a pushing portion 42 extending vertically downward from the pressing portion 41, and a first elastic member 43 for driving the release button 40 to reset. The pressing portion 41 protrudes beyond the upper surface of the upper cover 11, facilitating operation by the operator. Preferably, the upper cover 11 is provided with a through groove 112 for receiving the release button 40. The through groove 112 is divided into two parts. One part is for receiving the pressing portion 41 and facilitating the protrusion of the pressing portion 41, and the other part is for receiving and limiting the pushing portion 42. Since the size of the pressing portion 41 is larger than that of the pushing portion 42, the cross-section of the through groove 112 is generally in a stepped shape.

[0039] A receiving cavity 411 is formed at the connection between the pressing portion 41 and the pushing portion 42. The first elastic member 43 is received in the receiving cavity 411 so as to drive the release button 40 to reset after the release button 40 is released. In this embodiment, the first elastic member 43 is a compression spring; of course, the first elastic member 43 can also be a spring sheet (such as Figure 9 ) or other devices capable of performing a reset function, which is not limited herein.

[0040] Setting the cross-section of the through groove 112 in a stepped shape has two advantages: 1. It can control the downward pressing stroke of the pressing portion 41 to be not less than 3 mm. Subsequently, during the process of releasing the battery pack 20, the release button 40 has an obvious movement trend, enabling the user to perceive the difference between pressing and not pressing, thus meeting the safety regulations for device use; preferably, the pressing stroke of the release button 40 is between 3 and 8 mm (preferably 5 mm or 6 mm). At this time, not only can the requirements of safety regulations be met, but the requirements for the compression spring 43 are also relatively low, reducing the size of the entire release button 40 and avoiding the poor user experience caused by an overly long stroke. 2. It facilitates the reset of the release button 40; after the release button 40 is assembled onto the battery pack base 10, the top of the compression spring 43 abuts against the pressing portion 41, and the bottom of the compression spring 43 abuts against the inner side wall of the through groove 112. Thus, after the pressing portion 41 completes pressing, the compression spring 43 is compressed, and after the pressing on the pressing portion 41 is cancelled, the entire release button 40 will be driven by the compression spring 43 to reset.

[0041] The pushing portion 42 is provided with a first contact surface 421 and a second contact surface 422 that come into contact with the release knob 50. The first contact surface 421 is provided in a hollow shape, and the second contact surface 422 is an inclined surface. The first contact surface 421 being in a hollow shape means that the pushing portion 42 is provided with a plurality of grooves 423 recessed inward from the first contact surface 421. Reinforcing ribs 424 are formed between adjacent two grooves 423, and the outer wall surfaces of these reinforcing ribs 424 are coplanar with the first contact surface 421. Designed in this way, a hollow effect is formed.

[0042] The first contact surface 421 is designed to be hollow mainly because: The release button 40 is usually made of plastic. If the pushing part 42 is a solid body, it will deform after repeated use; if the pushing part 42 is a completely hollow structure, there will be a problem of insufficient structural strength. Therefore, setting multiple reinforcing ribs 424 can solve the deformation problem and at the same time increase the structural strength of the pushing part 42, killing two birds with one stone.

[0043] On the left and right sides of the pushing part 42, there are also provided limiting ribs 425. The bottom of the limiting ribs 425 is connected to the outer wall surface of the pushing part 42, and the top is elastically suspended. It can be used to limit the pressing stroke of the release button 40 in the battery pack seat 10 and the reset stroke of the release button 40 in the battery pack seat 10 after being pressed. The setting of the limiting ribs 425 enables the release button 40 to still have a good limiting effect after multiple reciprocating movements; correspondingly, on the inner side wall of the upper cover 11, there is a matching part (not shown) that matches the limiting ribs 425. This matching part can be a boss or a clamping groove, mainly used to prevent the stroke of the release button 40 from changing due to the deformation of the limiting ribs 425 after fatigue. The best included angle between the limiting ribs 425 and the outer wall surface of the pushing part 42 is 20 degrees.

[0044] The release knob 50 includes a pivoting part 51 hinged on the battery pack seat 10, locking bolts 52 and a rotating block 53 that respectively extend obliquely to the left and right sides from the bottom end of the pivoting part 51. The pivoting part 51 is arranged in an axial shape and can be used as a rotating shaft. The limiting ribs 425 are arranged on both sides of the pushing part 42 along the axis direction of the pivoting part 51. The locking bolts 52 extend obliquely from the bottom end of the pivoting part 51 towards the battery pack installation cavity 101 side until the locking bolts 52 protrude into the battery pack installation cavity 101. At this time, the locking bolts 52 can be used to fix or release the battery pack 20. The rotating block 53 extends obliquely from the bottom end of the pivoting part 51 towards the side away from the battery pack installation cavity 101 and is used to cooperate with the pushing part 42 of the release button 40. Thus, under the drive of the pushing part 42, the release knob 50 can be rotated relative to the battery pack seat 10.

[0045] A receiving groove 531 is formed in the rotating block 53. The pushing portion 42 protrudes into the receiving groove 531, and the first contact surface 421 contacts the pivoting portion 51, and the second contact surface 422 contacts the inner wall surface of the rotating block 53, so as to drive the rotating block 53 to rotate. Preferably, the best contact between the inner wall surface of the rotating block 53 and the second contact surface 422 of the pushing portion 42 is in a tangential state throughout. Based on this, the end of the rotating block 53 is designed to be elliptical, and the shortest diameter R3 of this end is between 2 and 7 mm, the longest diameter R2 is between 6 and 17 mm, the inclination angle α of the second contact surface 422 (i.e., the angle between the second contact surface 422 and the longitudinal axis of the release knob 50) is 16 to 28 degrees, and the length S1 of the pushing portion 42 protruding into the receiving groove 531 is 14 to 22 mm, as specifically shown in Figure 9 shown. The test conditions after different size combinations can be referred to Table 1 below, where the operating condition refers to the cooperation between the release knob 50 and the release button 40 when the release button 40 is pressed multiple times.

[0046] Table 1 Comparison of operating jamming experimental data

[0047] Structure α (degrees) <![CDATA[R2(mm)]]> <![CDATA[R3(mm)]]> <![CDATA[S1]]> Operating condition 1 16 6 2 14 Poor 2 18 8 3 15 Fair 3 20 8 3 17 Good 4 22 10 4 19 Fair 5 24 12 5 20 Poor 6 26 15 6 21 Poor 7 28 17 7 22 Poor

[0048] It can be seen from Table 1 above that when the inclination angle α of the second contact surface 422 is 20 degrees, the longest diameter R2 is 8 mm, the shortest diameter R3 is 3 mm, and S1 is 17 mm, the cooperation effect between the release knob 50 and the release button 40 is the best.

[0049] The release knob 50 has three working states: a locked state, a released state, and a free state. As Figure 11 shown in Figure 12 , in the locked state, the locking bolt 52 cooperates with the limiting structure 21 on the battery pack 20 (see Figure 2 ) to be fixed, and then the battery pack 20 is locked in the battery pack installation cavity 101. At this time, the angle between the locking bolt 52 and the longitudinal axis of the release knob 50 is the first angle θ1; as Figure 13 shown in Figure 14 , in the released state, the release button 40 is pressed down to the bottommost end, the locking bolt 52 is in a tightened state and disengages from the limiting structure 21. At this time, the angle between the locking bolt 52 and the longitudinal axis of the release knob 50 is the second angle θ2; as Figure 15 shown in Figure 16 , in the free state, the battery pack 20 is separated from the battery pack installation cavity 101, the release button 40 is no longer pressed, and the release knob 50 is in a free state. At this time, the angle between the locking bolt 52 and the longitudinal axis of the release knob 50 is the third angle θ3; the third angle θ3 is greater than the first angle θ1, and the first angle θ1 is greater than the second angle θ2.

[0050] Preferably, the limiting structure 21 is a limiting boss, the first included angle θ1 is between 30° and 42°, the second included angle θ2 is between 15° and 26°, and the third included angle θ3 is between 40° and 52°. Based on the lever principle, when the release knob 50 switches between the locked state, the released state and the free state, the rotation radius R1 of the locking bolt 52 is 12 - 24 mm.

[0051] The end of the locking bolt 52 is formed with an engaging surface 521 that cooperates with the limiting boss 21 on the battery pack 20. The engaging surface 521 is an arc surface, and the radian β of the arc surface is between 8° and 20°, so as to ensure that the cooperation between the engaging surface 521 of the locking bolt 52 and the limiting boss 21 will not get stuck during rotation. The specific experimental data and states are shown in Table 2 below. The damage condition in Table 2 represents the structural stability after multiple test collisions, and the locking condition represents the locking situation of the release button 40 and the release knob 50 on the battery pack 20.

[0052] Table 2 Comparison of Experimental Data

[0053] Structure <![CDATA[θ1 (degrees)]]> <![CDATA[θ2 (degrees)]]> <![CDATA[θ3 (degrees)]]> β (degrees) <![CDATA[R1(mm)]]> Damage condition Locking condition 1 30 15 40 8 12 Poor Poor 2 32 16 42 10 14 Fair Fair 3 35 18 45 12 16 Good Good 4 37 20 47 14 18 Fair Fair 5 39 22 48 16 20 Poor Poor 6 40 24 50 18 22 Poor Poor 7 42 26 52 20 24 Poor Poor

[0054] It can be seen from Table 2 above that: the optimal value of the first included angle θ1 is 35°, the optimal value of the second included angle θ2 is 18°, the optimal value of the third included angle θ3 is 45°, the optimal rotation radius R1 of the locking bolt 52 is 16 mm, and the optimal radian β of the engaging surface 521 of the locking bolt 52 is 12°. At this time, the structural stability of the release knob 50 and the release button 40 is the best, and the locking situation of the battery pack 20 is the optimal.

[0055] A second elastic member 54 is provided on the release knob 50, and the second elastic member 54 is used to drive the release knob 50 to reset after the release knob 50 is released. In this embodiment, the second elastic member 54 is a torsion spring, including a fixing portion 541 sleeved on the pivoting portion 51, a first abutting portion 542 extending from the fixing portion 541 to contact the lower surface of the locking bolt 52, and a second abutting portion 543 extending from the fixing portion 541 to abut against the upper cover 11. When the release knob 50 rotates relative to the battery pack seat 10, the first abutting portion 542 is compressed.

[0056] There are two fixing portions 541, which are respectively sleeved on both ends of the pivoting portion 51; the first abutting portion 542 connects the two fixing portions 541 to compress the first abutting portion 542 and synchronously drive the elastic deformation of the two fixing portions 541 when the locking bolt 52 rotates; there are also two second abutting portions 543, which respectively abut against the inner side wall of the upper cover 11 to provide a supporting force for the elastic deformation and elastic reset of the torsion spring 54. Of course, in other embodiments, the second elastic member 54 can also be a spring sheet (such as Figure 10) or other devices capable of implementing a reset function, which are not limited herein.

[0057] Such as Figure 2 , Figure 4 and Figure 17 As shown, the battery pack release structure 100 further includes a pop-up structure 60 located at the bottom of the base 12 and close to the insert seat 30. The pop-up structure 60 includes a pop-up compression spring 61 and a spring seat 62 covering the outside of the pop-up compression spring 61. There are two pop-up compression springs 61, which are simultaneously received in the limiting cavity 121 at the bottom of the base 12. The spring seat 62 covers the tops of the two pop-up compression springs 61 and cooperates with the inner side wall of the limiting cavity 121.

[0058] After the battery pack 20 is inserted into the battery pack installation cavity 101, the battery pack 20 will press down the pop-up structure 60, compressing the pop-up compression spring 61. At this time, the release knob 50 will fix the battery pack 20 by the cooperation of the locking bolt 52 and the limiting boss 21. When the battery pack 20 needs to be taken out, press down the release button 40, so that the release button 40 drives the release knob 50 to rotate relative to the battery pack seat 10 until the locking bolt 52 disengages from the limiting boss 21. Then the battery pack 20 will pop out under the reaction force of the pop-up compression spring 61 and the spring seat 62. Finally, release the release button 40. Under the action of the first elastic member 43, the release button 40 resets, and at the same time, the release knob 50 rotates reversely and resets under the action of the second elastic member 54, realizing the function of releasing the battery pack 20 with a single finger.

[0059] In summary, when the release button 40 of the battery pack release structure 100 of the present invention is pressed down, it can synchronously drive the release knob 50 to rotate, so that the release knob 50 rotates relative to the battery pack seat 10 to fix or release the battery pack 20. It not only realizes single-finger release, but also increases the limiting force of the release button 40 and the release knob 50, which can effectively prevent falling off and vibrating and popping out.

[0060] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that the technical solutions of the present invention can be modified or equivalently replaced without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention.

Claims

1. A battery pack release structure, comprising a battery pack seat provided with a battery pack installation cavity and a battery pack inserted into the battery pack installation cavity, characterized in that: The battery pack release structure further includes a release button and a release knob connected to the battery pack seat. After pressing the release button downward, the release knob is synchronously driven to rotate relative to the battery pack seat to fix or release the battery pack. The release button includes a pressing portion and a pushing portion extending downward from the pressing portion. The release knob has three working states: a locked state, a released state, and a free state. The release knob includes a locking bolt protruding into the battery pack installation cavity, a pivoting portion hinged on the battery pack seat, and a rotating block provided at the bottom end of the pivoting portion. The locking bolt extends obliquely from the bottom end of the pivoting portion toward the battery pack installation cavity side, and the rotating block extends obliquely away from the battery pack installation cavity side. A receiving groove is formed in the rotating block, and the pushing portion protrudes into the receiving groove and makes the inner wall surface of the rotating block tangent to the contact surface of the pushing portion to drive the rotating block to rotate. In the locked state, the locking bolt cooperates with the limiting structure on the battery pack to be fixed, and the angle between the locking bolt and the longitudinal axis of the release knob is a first angle; in the released state, the locking bolt disengages from the limiting structure, and the angle between the locking bolt and the longitudinal axis of the release knob is a second angle; in the free state, the battery pack is separated from the battery pack installation cavity, and the angle between the locking bolt and the longitudinal axis of the release knob is a third angle; the third angle is greater than the first angle, and the first angle is greater than the second angle.

2. The battery pack release structure according to claim 1, wherein: The first angle is between 30 and 42 degrees; the second angle is between 15 and 26 degrees; the third angle is between 40 and 52 degrees.

3. The battery pack release structure according to claim 1, wherein: The limiting structure is a limiting boss, and a engaging surface is formed on the locking bolt to cooperate with the limiting boss on the battery pack. The engaging surface is an arc surface, and the radian of the engaging surface is between 8 and 20 degrees.

4. The battery pack release structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the release knob switches between the locked state, the released state, and the free state, the rotation radius of the locking bolt is between 12 and 24 mm.

5. The battery pack release structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the released state, the release button is pressed downward to the bottom end, and the locking bolt is in a tightened state.

6. The battery pack release structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: A first elastic member is provided on the release button to drive the release button to reset after releasing the release button; a second elastic member is provided on the release knob to drive the release knob to reset after releasing the release knob.

7. The battery pack release structure according to claim 6, wherein: A receiving cavity is formed at the connection between the pressing portion and the pushing portion, and the first elastic member is received in the receiving cavity.

8. The battery pack release structure according to claim 7, characterized in that: The first elastic member is a compression spring. After the release button is assembled to the battery pack seat, the top of the compression spring abuts against the pressing portion, and the bottom of the compression spring abuts against the battery pack seat, so that the compression spring is compressed after pressing the release button.

9. The battery pack release structure according to claim 6, characterized in that: The second elastic member is a torsion spring, including a fixing portion sleeved on the pivoting portion, a first abutting top extending from the fixing portion to contact the lower surface of the locking bolt, and a second abutting top extending from the fixing portion to abut against the battery pack seat. When the release knob rotates relative to the battery pack seat, the first abutting top is compressed.

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