Adapter, electric machine, and electric machine body

Abstract

The present invention provides an adapter, an electric machine using the adapter, and an electric machine body, which can mount a battery pack (150) that cannot be directly mounted to the electric machine body (1), and can further perform communication. The adapter (200) interposed between the battery pack (150) and the electric machine body (1) has a first mounting portion (210) capable of mounting the battery pack (150) and a second mounting portion (250) capable of being mounted to the electric machine body (1). A first communication terminal capable of connecting to the communication terminal of the battery pack (150) is provided in the first mounting portion (210), and a second communication terminal capable of connecting to the communication terminal of the electric machine body (1) is provided in the second mounting portion (250). A control portion is provided in the adapter (200), and the control portion outputs a signal to the other of the first or second communication terminals based on an input signal input from one of the first or second communication terminals.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an adapter for mounting a different type of battery pack on an electric machine body, an electric machine using this adapter, and an electric machine body. Background Art

[0002] In electric machines such as power tools powered by a motor, lighting, audio, and thermal machines operated by electricity, so-called cordless electric machines using a detachable secondary battery (battery pack) as a power source have been widely used. In cordless electric machines, each manufacturing company uses battery packs of different shapes. Even in the same manufacturing company, multiple types of battery packs are developed and sold due to the diversification of battery voltages or the increase in battery capacity. In order to mount such battery packs of different specifications or forms of the company's own production on other company's own electric machine bodies, an invention has been proposed in which an adapter is interposed between the electric machine body and the battery pack. Such a well-known technique is disclosed, for example, in Patent Document 1 below. In Patent Document 1, an adapter is interposed between the electric machine body and the battery pack, and an installation portion for directly connecting to the battery pack installation portion of the electric machine body is formed on the adapter. Since a battery pack installation portion having a shape corresponding to the battery pack is formed on the adapter, the battery pack can be mounted on the adapter.

[0003] Prior Art Documents

[0004] Patent Documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-178278 Summary of the Invention

[0006] Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] When using the adapter described in Cited Document 1, it is possible to connect battery packs with different battery pack mounting mechanisms to the electric machine body. However, when using a battery pack having a communication terminal capable of communicating with the electric machine body, since the specifications of the communication terminals are different, there may be a problem that communication cannot be established between the electric machine body and the battery pack. Moreover, since the battery packs are different in specifications or shapes for each manufacturing company, for example, it is impossible to mount a battery pack of another manufacturing company (manufactured by another company) on an electric machine body of the company owned by the user. Assuming that a battery pack of another company is mounted on the electric machine body, even if it is connected using an adapter, how to achieve compatibility of different communication terminal specifications also becomes a problem.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above background, and an object thereof is to provide an adapter capable of enabling communication between an electric machine body and a battery pack, such as a battery pack manufactured by another company, that cannot be directly connected to the electric machine body, and an electric machine using this adapter. Another object of the present invention is to provide an adapter capable of converting a communication signal from a battery pack into a signal that can be processed by an electric machine body, and an electric machine using this adapter. Still another object of the present invention is to provide an adapter capable of connecting a battery pack having a battery pack connection portion that does not support (cannot be directly connected to) an electric machine body to the electric machine body, and an electric machine using this adapter.

[0009] Technical means for solving the problem

[0010] The representative features of the invention disclosed in the present application are described as follows. According to one feature of the present invention, an adapter is connected between a battery pack and an electric machine body. The adapter has: a first mounting portion having a first communication terminal capable of connecting to a communication terminal of the battery pack and capable of mounting the battery pack; a second mounting portion having a second communication terminal capable of connecting to a communication terminal of the electric machine body and capable of being mounted on the electric machine body; and an adapter control portion connected to the first communication terminal and the second communication terminal, and configured to output an output signal to the other of the first communication terminal and the second communication terminal based on an input signal input from one of the first communication terminal and the second communication terminal. The shapes of the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion are different, and are configured to be able to mount the battery pack corresponding to the first mounting portion to the electric machine body corresponding to the second mounting portion. Moreover, the first mounting portion and the body-side mounting portion of the electric machine body have different shapes. The battery pack can be directly mounted on the first mounting portion, while it cannot be directly mounted on the body-side mounting portion.

[0011] According to another feature of the present invention, a pair of first rail mechanisms extending substantially in parallel are formed in the first mounting portion, and a pair of second rail mechanisms extending substantially in parallel are formed in the second mounting portion. The first rail mechanism and the second rail mechanism are formed in such a way that their shapes are different from each other. The adapter is configured in a split form including a first housing and a second housing. One side of the first rail mechanism is provided on the first housing side, and the other side is provided on the second housing. Moreover, one side of the second rail mechanism is provided on the first housing side, and the other side is provided on the second housing. The first housing and the second housing are split in a direction intersecting the extending direction of the first rail mechanism and the second rail mechanism. Furthermore, the adapter control portion is configured to output an output signal different from the input signal or an output signal corresponding to the input signal to the other of the battery pack and the electric machine body according to an input signal input from one of the battery pack and the electric machine body.

[0012] According to another feature of the present invention, the adapter includes: a battery-side power terminal connected to the power terminal of the connected battery pack; and a machine-side power terminal connected to the power terminal of the electric machine body, and the battery-side power terminal and the machine-side power terminal are directly connected or connected without passing through the adapter control unit. Moreover, the adapter control unit is provided on the substrate, and the first communication terminal and the second communication terminal are connected to the adapter control unit via the substrate. On the other hand, the battery-side power terminal and the machine-side power terminal are connected to each other without passing through the substrate. Furthermore, the adapter control unit includes a logic operation circuit or an operation circuit using a microcomputer. In the adapter, there is a power supply circuit that supplies the operating voltage to the operation circuit with the power supplied from the battery-side power terminal.

[0013] According to another feature of the present invention, an electric machine is constituted by using the adapter and the battery pack and including the electric machine body, and the electric machine body has a battery pack mounting portion and a load portion to which the adapter can be connected.

[0014] Effects of the Invention

[0015] According to the present invention, by using an adapter that converts a communication signal transmitted from the battery pack to the electric machine body or from the electric machine body to the battery pack, it is possible to use an in-house or other company's battery pack with a different structure of the battery pack mounting portion. Furthermore, communication can be performed between the battery pack and the electric machine body. Moreover, since the adapter has a control unit, it is possible to convert the communication signal output from the battery pack into a communication signal that can be processed by the electric machine body and transmit it to the electric machine body. As a result, even when using other battery packs that do not support (cannot be directly connected to) the electric machine body, it is possible to achieve optimal discharge control based on the state of the battery pack. Moreover, when the electric machine body is a charging device, it is possible to achieve optimal charging control based on the state of the battery pack. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing a state in which the electric machine body 1 and the battery pack 150 are connected (mounted) via the first adapter 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 2 FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing a state in which the first adapter 200 and the battery pack 150 are removed from the state of Figure 1 FIG. 15.

[0018] Figure 3 FIG. 17 is an exploded perspective view showing the state of Figure 2 FIG. 15 as viewed from another angle.

[0019] Figure 4 FIG. 18 is Figure 1An exploded perspective view of the first adapter 200 is shown.

[0020] Figure 5 (A) and Figure 5 (B) is Figure 1 The longitudinal section of the first adapter 200 is shown, Figure 5 (A) is a cross-sectional view in the left-right direction. Figure 5 (B) is a cross-sectional view in the front-to-back direction.

[0021] Figure 6 is Figure 1 This is a circuit diagram of an electric machine body 1 equipped with a battery pack 100 manufactured by a self-made company.

[0022] Figure 7 is Figure 1 This is a circuit diagram of an electric machine body 1 in which a battery pack 150 manufactured by another company is mounted via a first adapter 200 .

[0023] Figure 8 (A) to Figure 8 (C) is Figure 7 FIG. 1 is a waveform diagram of input signals and output signals of the adapter control unit in the first adapter 200 .

[0024] Figure 9 This is a developed perspective view of a battery pack 100 manufactured by a self-owned company being mounted on an electric machine body 401 manufactured by another company using a second adapter 300 .

[0025] Figure 10 is Figure 9 A portion of a circuit diagram in which an electric machine body 401 manufactured by another company is mounted with a battery pack 100 manufactured by the company through a second adapter 300 .

[0026] Figure 11 (A) to Figure 11 (C) is Figure 10 FIG. 1 is a waveform diagram of input signals and output signals of the adapter control unit in the second adapter 300 .

[0027] Figure 12 (A) to Figure 12 (C) means Figure 8 (A) to Figure 8 (C) is a waveform diagram of a modified example.

[0028] [Explanation of Symbols]

[0029] 1: Electric machine body

[0030] 2: Shell

[0031] 2a: Main body

[0032] 2b: Gripping part

[0033] 2c: Battery pack mounting part

[0034] 4: Motor

[0035] 4a: Rotor

[0036] 4b: Stator

[0037] 6: Trigger switch

[0038] 6a: Trigger lever

[0039] 9: Chuck mechanism

[0040] 15: Operation panel

[0041] 22, 23: Tracks

[0042] 22a, 23a: Recesses

[0043] 24: Opening

[0044] 25: Curved wall

[0045] 26: Protrusion

[0046] 27: Lighting device

[0047] 28: Hook

[0048] 29: Screw

[0049] 30: Termination unit

[0050] 30a: Base part

[0051] 30b: Vertical wall part

[0052] 30c: Upper wall part

[0053] 31: Positive terminal

[0054] 32: Negative terminal

[0055] 33: Communication terminal (LD terminal)

[0056] 50: Arithmetic unit

[0057] 51: Control signal circuit

[0058] 52: Power supply unit

[0059] 53: Current detection circuit

[0060] 54: Rotation position detection circuit

[0061] 55: Rotational speed detection circuit

[0062] 56: Rotation position detection element

[0063] 57: Shunt resistor

[0064] 58: Capacitor

[0065] 59: Switch operation detection circuit

[0066] 100: (First) battery pack

[0067] 101: Housing

[0068] 102: Lower surface

[0069] 103: Step portion

[0070] 104: Upper surface

[0071] 105: Protrusion

[0072] 106: Depression

[0073] 116: Latch button

[0074] 117: Latch claw

[0075] 120: Slot group

[0076] 122, 127, 128: Slot

[0077] 125, 126: Track groove

[0078] 131: Positive terminal

[0079] 137: Negative terminal

[0080] 138: Communication terminal (LD terminal)

[0081] 140: Operation unit

[0082] 145: Battery cell group

[0083] 150: (Second) battery pack

[0084] 153: Lower surface

[0085] 154a, 154b: Stopper portion

[0086] 155: Upper surface

[0087] 160: Mounting portion

[0088] 161 - 164: Slot

[0089] 167, 168: Groove portion

[0090] 171: Positive terminal

[0091] 172: Negative terminal

[0092] 173: First signal terminal

[0093] 174: Second signal terminal

[0094] 181: Latch button

[0095] 182: Latch claw

[0096] 190: Operation unit

[0097] 191: Temperature signal

[0098] 192: Overload signal

[0099] 195: Battery cell group

[0100] 200: First adapter

[0101] 201: Housing

[0102] 201R: Right side piece

[0103] 201L: Left side piece

[0104] 202R: Opening

[0105] 203R: Groove part

[0106] 204, 205: Screw holes

[0107] 210: First mounting part

[0108] 211: Upper wall surface

[0109] 212: Recess

[0110] 213: Right side surface

[0111] 214: Left side surface

[0112] 221: Side wall surface

[0113] 222, 223: Tracks

[0114] 230: Termination part

[0115] 230a: Base part

[0116] 230b: Upper wall part

[0117] 230c: Horizontal wall

[0118] 231: Positive input terminal

[0119] 232: Negative input terminal

[0120] 233: First communication terminal

[0121] 234: Second communication terminal

[0122] 235: Terminal cover

[0123] 236 - 239: Connecting piece

[0124] 247: Circuit board

[0125] 248: Power supply unit

[0126] 249: Operation unit

[0127] 250: Second mounting part

[0128] 251: Lower surface

[0129] 252: Step part

[0130] 253: Upper surface

[0131] 254: Protrusion

[0132] 255: Depression

[0133] 256, 257: Groove part

[0134] 261 - 263: Slot

[0135] 266: Positive output terminal

[0136] 267: Negative output terminal

[0137] 268: LD output terminal

[0138] 268a: LD signal

[0139] 271 - 275: Wiring

[0140] 275, 276: Groove part

[0141] 281, 283: Lock button

[0142] 282, 284: Lock claw

[0143] 300: Second adapter

[0144] 301: Housing

[0145] 310: First mounting part

[0146] 350: Second mounting part

[0147] 353: Upper surface

[0148] 367: Rail

[0149] 401: Electric machine body

[0150] 402: Housing

[0151] 402a: Main body part

[0152] 402b: Gripping part

[0153] 420: Battery pack mounting part Detailed implementation mode

[0154] Embodiment 1

[0155] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. In this embodiment, as an example of an electric machine, an example of a power tool that uses a battery pack as a power source to drive a motor to perform fastening operations such as screwing will be used for description. In addition, in the following drawings, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions are omitted. Moreover, in this specification, the front, rear, left, and right directions of the battery packs 100, 150, and the adapters 200, 300 are as shown in (A) of Figure 2 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 and (B) of Figure 5 , which are opposite to the front, rear, left, and right directions of the electric machine body 1 (refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 ), so attention should be paid.

[0156] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which the electric machine body (power tool body) 1 and the battery pack 150 are connected (mounted) via the first adapter 200 of the embodiment of the present invention. As a power tool as a form of an electric machine, a battery pack 150 is mounted on the electric machine body 1, but here, the first adapter 200 that constitutes the feature of this embodiment is interposed between the electric machine body 1 and the battery pack 150. The electric machine body 1 is a machine as described below, that is, a detachable battery pack 150 is used as a power source to rotate the motor 4, and thereby, a front-end tool (not shown) held by a chuck mechanism 9 is rotated or driven via a power transmission mechanism (not shown). As the power transmission mechanism (not shown), various structures are considered. For example, not only a reduction mechanism is considered, but also various combinations such as a reduction mechanism and a clutch mechanism, and a reduction mechanism and an impact mechanism are considered. However, in Figure 1 , an external view of a screwdriver drill having a reduction mechanism and a clutch mechanism is shown.

[0157] The housing 2 includes the following three main parts, namely: a substantially cylindrical main body portion 2a that houses a power transmission mechanism such as a motor 4 or a clutch mechanism; a grip portion 2b that extends substantially perpendicularly to the axis of the main body portion 2a and is gripped by an operator; and a battery pack mounting portion 2c (main body side mounting portion) formed at the front end of the grip portion 2b (the side away from the main body portion 2a). The housing 2 is manufactured by integrally molding a synthetic resin such as plastic in a manner that can be divided into two parts in the left-right direction along a vertical plane including the rotation axis of the motor 4. Above the grip portion 2b and directly below the main body portion 2a, there is a trigger switch 6 (not visible in the figure, refer to the symbol in Figure 6 ), and a trigger lever 6a for operating the trigger switch 6 protrudes from the grip portion 2b to the front side. The battery pack mounting portion 2c is for housing a control circuit (not visible in the figure) for controlling the electric machine main body 1, and for configuring a rail mechanism and a latch mechanism for mounting a battery pack 100 (refer to Figure 9 ) described later. Moreover, an operation panel 15 is provided on the outer upper surface of the battery pack mounting portion 2c to display the remaining battery levels of the battery packs 100 (refer to Figure 9 ) and 150, and a lighting switch for the lighting device 27 is provided.

[0158] In the battery pack mounting portion 2c, a battery pack sold by the manufacturing company of the electric machine main body 1 (here, the battery pack 100 described later in Figure 9 , hereinafter referred to as "the company's own battery pack") can usually be directly mounted. However, in this embodiment, a first adapter 200 is used to mount a battery pack 150 of another company. By interposing the first adapter 200 between the electric machine main body 1 and the battery pack 150 of another company, a battery pack 150 sold by a different manufacturing company (another company) from the electric machine main body 1 can be mounted on the electric machine main body 1.

[0159] The battery pack 150 (second battery pack) cannot be directly mounted on the electric machine main body (the electric machine main body 1 and the first electric machine main body). For example, it is another type of battery pack of the same manufacturing company as the electric machine main body 1, or a battery pack of a different manufacturing company or another company from the electric machine main body 1, and has a rated voltage corresponding to the operating voltage of the electric machine main body 1. Additionally, a battery pack with a different rated voltage can also be provided. The battery pack 150 can be mounted on a first mounting portion 210 on the lower side of the first adapter 200 (refer to the symbol in Figure 2 ). On the upper side of the first adapter 200, a second mounting portion 250 for mounting to the battery pack mounting portion 2c of the electric machine main body 1 is formed (refer to the symbol in Figure 2)。The side shape of the first adapter 200 is set to a shape that is continuous with the side shape of the battery pack mounting portion 2c of the electric machine body 1. Similarly, the side shape of the lower side of the first adapter 200 is set to a shape that is continuously connected to the left and right sides and the front surface of the battery pack 150.

[0160] The battery pack 150 is provided with two battery cell groups formed by connecting five lithium-ion battery cells in series, and the positive electrodes and negative electrodes of these two groups are connected to each other. Through such a parallel connection, a DC 18V (rated) is output. By mounting the battery pack 150 to the battery pack mounting portion 2c via the first adapter 200, Figure 1 the electric tool shown becomes a shape that extends downward in the direction compared to the form of the company's own battery pack 100 (refer to Figure 9 , the first battery pack) that can be directly connected to the electric machine body 1. The hook 28 for suspending the electric tool on a belt or the like is mounted to the side of the battery pack mounting portion 2c of the electric machine body 1 by screws 29 (refer to Figure 3 ), so it does not interfere with the installation and removal of the first adapter 200.

[0161] When using the battery pack 150, the mounting body that can be mounted to the battery pack mounting portion 2c of the electric machine body 1 becomes an assembly of the first adapter 200 and the battery pack 150. The first adapter 200 can be mounted by sliding the battery pack 150 relative to the battery pack mounting portion 2c from the front to the rear. That is, the installation of the first adapter 200 is the same as the process of installing the company's own battery pack 100 (refer to Figure 9 ). When removing the first adapter 200, it is performed by relatively moving the first adapter 200 forward relative to the electric machine body 1 while pressing the lock buttons 281, 283 ( Figure 1 not visible in the figure) provided on the first adapter 200 side.

[0162] When removing the battery pack 150 from the first adapter 200, it is performed by relatively moving the battery pack 150 forward relative to the first adapter 200 while pressing the lock button 181 provided on the battery pack 150 side. In addition, for the removal of the first adapter 200 from the electric machine body 1 and the removal of the battery pack 150 from the first adapter 200, either can be done first. When removing the first adapter 200 from the electric machine body 1 in the Figure 1 shown mounted state, the state where the battery pack 150 is mounted on the lower side of the first adapter 200 is maintained.

[0163] Figure 2This is an expanded stereoscopic view showing the state in which the first adapter 200 and the battery pack 150 are disassembled. The first adapter 200 is a partitioning part used when the electric machine body 1 of the company is mounted on the battery pack 150 of another company, for example. The housing 201 of the first adapter 200 is divided into two parts by a right side piece 201R and a left side piece 201L. The first mounting portion 210 for mounting the battery pack 150 is formed on the lower side, and the second mounting portion 250 for mounting to the electric machine body 1 is formed on the upper side. The shape of the second mounting portion 250 is similar to that of the battery pack 100 of the company (see below). Figure 9 ) is the same as the mounting portion, and is shaped to correspond to (and be directly connectable to) the battery pack mounting portion 2c of the company's electric machine body 1. Therefore, the first adapter 200 can be connected to the company's battery pack 100 (see below). Figure 9 ) The same process is used to install it on the electric machine body 1 and it can be removed from the electric machine body 1.

[0164] The second mounting portion 250 of the first adapter 200 is formed with a lower surface 251 and an upper surface 253 in a stepped shape, and three slots 261 to 263 are cut out so as to extend rearward from the stepped portion 252. The internal space of the portion opened by the slots 261 to 263 is used to accommodate the connection terminal (described later). Figure 4 A raised portion 254 is formed at the rear of the upper surface 253, and a recess 255 corresponding to the protrusion 26 formed on the electric machine body 1 is formed at the center of the raised portion 254.

[0165] On the right side surface 213 of the second mounting portion 250, a groove portion 256 is formed which is recessed inward (in the left-right centerline direction) relative to the right side surface 213. Figure 2 It cannot be seen in the figure, but on the left side surface 214 of the left side of the second mounting portion 250 (see the Figure 4 ) also has a groove 257 (see below). Figure 4 A pair of grooves 256 and 257 arranged on the left and right form a track mechanism. Behind the grooves 256 and 257, there are lock buttons 281 and 283 (refer to the symbols described later). Figure 4 The lock buttons 281 and 283 are release buttons for releasing the lock mechanism (lock mechanism) for maintaining or releasing the installation state of the first adapter 200 to the electric machine body 1. The lock mechanism includes the lock buttons 281 and 283 and the lock claws 282 and 284 that move in conjunction with the lock buttons 281 and 283 (see Figure 4 ) and constituted.

[0166] The first mounting portion 210 is formed so as not to support the battery pack mounting portion 2c of the electric machine body 1, but to support the mounting portion 160 (having the same shape as the mounting portion 160) of the battery pack 150 of another company, for example. The mounting portion 160 includes a pair of grooves 167 and 168 ( Figure 2 The battery pack 150 has an upper surface 155 and a lower surface 153. Slots 161 to 164 are formed near the step difference between the upper surface 155 and the lower surface 153. The slots 161 to 164 are cut toward the rear. The inner side of the slots 161 to 164 accommodates the connection terminal group ( Figure 3 Here, when the protrusion 254 formed on the second mounting portion 250 of the first adapter 200 is inserted until it abuts against the curved wall 25 of the battery pack mounting portion 2c of the electric machine body 1, the terminal provided on the battery pack mounting portion 2c side and the terminal provided on the first adapter 200 ( Figure 3 The lock button 181 formed on the battery pack 150 is pressed, and the lock claw 182 moves downward (avoids inward), and when the lock button 181 is released, the lock button 181 is restored to its original position by the spring force, and the lock claw 182 is restored to its original position in the upward direction ( Figure 2 Furthermore, the locking claws 282 and 284 of the first adapter 200 are ejected in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rail portion (grooves 256 and 257) by the action of a spring (not shown), and engage with the recesses 22a and 23a (see later) formed in the battery pack mounting portion 2c. Figure 3 ) is engaged, thereby preventing the first adapter 200 from falling off.

[0167] Figure 3 From another perspective Figure 2 The bottom side of the electric machine body 1 is provided with a battery pack 100 (see FIG. Figure 9 ) of the battery pack mounting portion 2c. The battery pack mounting portion 2c is primarily composed of rails 22 and 23 formed parallel to the left and right sides, extending in the front-to-back direction, and connection terminals 31-33 disposed between the rails 22 and 23. The connection terminals 31-33 include a positive terminal 31 and a negative terminal 32 for receiving power, and a communication terminal 33 for receiving signals from the battery pack 150. While only one communication terminal 33 is provided for communication, the number of communication terminals is not limited to one; up to four can be provided to accommodate the space.

[0168] The rails 22 and 23 are shaped to protrude in opposite directions from the side walls of the battery pack mounting portion 2c toward a position close to the dividing surface. The rails 22 and 23 extend from the open ends at the front end to a position further back than the connection terminals 31 to 33. Near the front end, recesses 22a and 23a are formed for engaging the latch claws of the locking mechanism. A terminal unit 30 is fixed between the parallel rails 22 and 23. The terminal unit 30 is a unit in which a metal terminal part is cast in resin. It is formed by a base portion 30a that is roughly rectangular and solid, and an upper wall portion 30c that extends the upper portion of the base portion 30a toward the front side in a plate-like shape. The positive terminal 31, the negative terminal 32, and the communication terminal 33 are each a metal plate-like part that is cast through the base portion 30a and fixed so that a portion thereof protrudes toward the front side of the base portion 30a. The rear end of the plate-like component is exposed above the base portion 30 a to form a connection terminal portion (not visible in the figure), which is connected to a lead wire inside the housing 2 of the electric machine body 1 .

[0169] The upper outer edge of the terminal unit 30 is provided with a groove (not visible in the figure) that is continuously formed and recessed inward along the outer edge. The terminal unit 30 is fixed to the housing 2 at the opening 24 formed in the housing 2, with the groove being clamped between the left and right parts. The upper wall 30c of the terminal unit 30 forms a surface that faces the upper section 253 of the first adapter or the upper section 104 of the battery pack 100. Furthermore, the vertical wall 30b of the terminal unit 30 forms a surface that faces the stepped portion 252 of the first adapter 200 or the stepped portion 103 of the battery pack 100. The lower surface of the base portion 30a of the terminal unit 30 forms a surface that faces the lower section 251 of the first adapter or the lower section 102 of the battery pack 100.

[0170] A curved wall 25 is formed on the front side of the rails 22 and 23 in the battery pack mounting portion 2c, and is bent upward to mate with the raised portion 254 (see FIG. Figure 2 ) or battery pack 100 (refer to Figure 9 ) of the raised portion 105 (see Figure 9 ) abut. The protrusion 26 is a portion forming screw holes and screw bosses (both not visible in the figure) for screwing the right and left pieces of the housing 2. The protrusion 26 is located in the recess 255 of the first adapter 200 (see Figure 2 ) or battery pack 100 (refer to Figure 9 ) in the recess 106.

[0171] The battery pack 150 generally supports (can be directly connected to) an electric machine (for example, an electric tool manufactured by another company and described later) that is different from the electric machine body 1 (for example, an electric tool manufactured by the company itself) Figure 9The second electric machine body 401) shown here is connected to the electric machine body 1 via the first adapter 200. Inside the battery pack 150, a plurality of secondary battery cells such as lithium-ion batteries are housed, and a direct current with a rated voltage (e.g., 18V) corresponding to the electric machine body 1 is output.

[0172] On the lower side of the synthetic resin housing 201 (201R, 201L) of the first adapter 200, a first mounting portion 210 for mounting the battery pack 150 is formed. In the first mounting portion 210, a side wall surface 221 that is U-shaped in plan view and extends downward is formed, and a rail 222 that protrudes inward from near the lower end of the right side except for the front side portion of the side wall surface 221 and a rail 223 that protrudes inward from near the lower end of the left side are formed. The rails 222 and 223 form a rail mechanism of the first mounting portion of the first adapter 200 and correspond to the groove portions 167 and 168 of the battery pack 150 (refer to Figure 2 ).

[0173] The upper wall surface 211 of the first mounting portion 210 is formed at the same height as the horizontal wall 230c of the terminal portion 230 and becomes a surface facing the upper end surface 155 of the battery pack 150. Near the center of the upper wall surface 211, a concave portion 212 that is recessed upward in a mountain shape is formed. The concave portion 212 has a shape corresponding to the locking claw 182 of the battery pack 150 (refer to Figure 2 ). When the battery pack 150 is mounted on the first mounting portion 210 of the first adapter 200 and the ends of the rails 222 and 223 move until they abut against the stopper portions 154a and 154b formed by the ends of the groove portions 167 and 168 of the battery pack 150, the locking claw 182 moves upward and engages with the concave portion 212, whereby the battery pack 150 is fixed to the first adapter 200.

[0174] Four connection terminals are cast in the terminal portion 230. That is, as power connection terminals, a positive input terminal 231 and a negative input terminal 232 are arranged at intervals in the left-right direction. The positive input terminal 231 is inserted into the narrow slot 161 of the battery pack 150 (refer to Figure 2 ), and the negative input terminal 232 is inserted into the narrow slot 162 of the battery pack 150 (refer to Figure 2 ). Between the positive input terminal 231 and the negative input terminal 232, a first communication terminal 233 and a second communication terminal 234 for signal transmission are arranged. The first communication terminal 233 is inserted into the narrow slot 163 of the battery pack 150 (refer to Figure 2 ), and the second communication terminal 234 is inserted into the narrow slot 164 of the battery pack 150 (refer to Figure 2 ).

[0175] When the battery pack 150 is inserted into the first mounting portion 210 until the stoppers 154a, 154b formed on the upper surface 155 of the battery pack 150 abut against the docking portion of the first adapter 200 (until the ends of the rails 222, 223 abut against the stoppers 154a, 154b), the connection terminals 231-234 provided on the first adapter 200 side and the connection terminals 171-174 provided on the battery pack 150 (see below) are connected. Figure 7 ) contacts and becomes conductive. Furthermore, the locking claw 182 of the battery pack 150 is ejected upward by the action of the spring and engages with the recess 212 formed in the first adapter 200, thereby preventing the battery pack 150 from falling off.

[0176] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 The exploded perspective view of the first adapter 200 is shown. The housing of the first adapter 200 is split into left and right parts, and the termination portion 230 is held by the housing 201 (201R, 201L). An opening 202R is provided at the lower portion of the right side piece 201R of the housing 201, and a groove 203R is formed above the opening 202R, extending along the outer edge for engaging with the outer edge of the right half of the termination portion 230. Although not visible in the figure, a similar opening and groove are also formed at the lower portion of the left side piece 201L of the housing 201. The right side piece 201R and the left side piece 201L of the housing 201 are fixed by two screws, not shown. Two screw holes 204 and 205 are formed in the right side piece 201R, and screw bosses with female threads are formed at corresponding positions on the left side piece 201L.

[0177] In the housing 201 assembled by joining the right side piece 201R and the left side piece 201L, the upper side becomes the second mounting portion 250 connected to the electric machine body 1, and the lower side becomes the first mounting portion 210 for connecting to the battery pack 150 manufactured by another company. In the second mounting portion 250, a groove portion 256 extending in the front-to-back direction is formed on the right side surface 213 and the left side surface 214 (see FIG. Figure 2 ) 257. The front ends of the grooves 256 and 257 are open at the upper side of the lower surface 251, and the rear portion is closed by the raised portion 254. A locking claw 282 (reference symbol) is formed near the rear end of the grooves 256 and 257. Figure 2 ), 284. Furthermore, lock buttons 281 and 283 are provided which move in conjunction with the lock claws 282 and 284, respectively.

[0178] On the upper surface portion 253 that connects the upper edges of the right side surface 213 and the left side surface 214, three slots 261 to 263 are formed. The slots 261 to 263 are slender rectangles when viewed from above, and the front ends thereof open at a step portion 252 formed between the upper surface portion 253 and the lower surface portion 251.

[0179] The terminal block 230 forms input terminals on the side of the first mounting portion 210 (the lower side in the figure) and output terminals on the side of the second mounting portion 250 (the upper side in the figure), and transmits signals or converts and transmits signals between the signal terminals on the side of the first mounting portion 210 and the signal terminals of the second mounting portion 250. The terminal block 230 has a base portion 230a that is a solid portion of synthetic resin, and an upper wall portion 230b having the same upper surface as the base portion 230a is formed so as to be continuous rearward. A horizontal wall 230c that holds a flat substrate is connected to the rear of the upper wall portion 230b. The upper wall portion 230b and the horizontal wall 230c can be formed independently or integrally.

[0180] A circuit board 247 is disposed above the horizontal wall 230c. The circuit board 247 mounts Figure 7 the power supply unit 248 or the arithmetic unit 249 including a microcomputer, which will be described later. Above the base portion 230a of the terminal block 230, a positive output terminal 266, a negative output terminal 267, and a communication terminal (LD output terminal) 268 are disposed. These three terminals are made of metal, and a synthetic resin terminal cover 235 is provided around these terminals. On the other hand, on the lower side of the terminal block 230, four connection terminals 231 to 234 ( Figure 4 only the negative input terminal 232 is visible in the figure, and the rest are referred to Figure 3 ) are formed. The four connection terminals 231 to 234 are formed of a thin metal plate and are cast into the base portion 230a manufactured by molding synthetic resin.

[0181] The ends of the connection terminals 231 to 234 are shaped to be exposed above the upper wall portion 230b, and the exposed portions thereof become connection pieces 236 to 239 for soldering wiring. The connection piece 236 is connected to the positive input terminal 231 (refer to Figure 3)Connected, through thick wiring 271, directly connected to the connecting piece extending to the rear side of the positive output terminal 266 without passing through the control unit (circuit board 247 or arithmetic unit 249), and connected to the circuit board 247 through thin wiring 275. The connecting piece 237 is connected to the negative input terminal 232, and through thick wiring 272, directly connected to the connecting piece extending to the rear side of the negative output terminal 267 without passing through the control unit (circuit board 247 or arithmetic unit 249), and connected to the circuit board 247 through thin wiring 276. The connecting piece 238 is connected to the first communication terminal 233 and connected to the circuit board 247 through wiring 273. Similarly, the connecting piece 239 is connected to the communication terminal 234 and connected to the circuit board 247 through wiring 274. The LD output terminal 268 is connected to the circuit board 247 through wiring 277.

[0182] Figure 5 (A) and Figure 5 (B) are the top view and longitudinal sectional view of the first adapter 200. Figure 5 (A) The sectional position corresponds to Figure 5 (B) The section of the B-B part of Figure 5 In (A), the housing 201 of the first adapter 200 is composed of a right side piece 201R and a left side piece 201L in a split form, and the termination part 230 is held in a manner of being clamped by the right side piece 201R and the left side piece 201L of the housing 201. Above the upper wall part 230b of the termination part 230, a second mounting part 250 is formed. As the terminal part of the second mounting part 250, it includes a positive output terminal 266, a negative output terminal 267, and an LD output terminal 268. The periphery of the terminal part is covered by a terminal cover 235. On the right side surface 213 and the left side surface 214 of the upper section surface 253, groove parts 256, 257 constituting the rail mechanism of the second mounting part 250 are formed. Lock buttons 281, 283 are provided behind the groove parts 256, 257.

[0183] In the first mounting part 210, rails 222, 223 are formed. The rail 222 is formed in a manner of protruding inward from the lower end side surface of the right side piece 201R, and the rail 223 is formed in a manner of protruding inward from the lower end side surface of the left side piece 201L.

[0184] Figure 5 (B) is Figure 5Cross-sectional view of section AA of (A). Slots 261-263 are formed behind the stepped portion 252 of the first mounting portion 210. A positive output terminal 266, a negative output terminal 267, and an LD output terminal 268 are located behind the slots 261-263. The locking buttons 281 and 283 are configured to be pushed inward from the outside, and locking claws 282 and 284 are connected to the front of the locking buttons 281 and 283.

[0185] Figure 6 is Figure 1 The electric machine body 1 is installed with a battery pack 100 that can be directly connected to the electric machine body 1, for example, manufactured by the same company (or self-made company) as the electric machine body 1. The motor 4 of the electric machine body 1 can use any type of motor, but in this embodiment, a three-phase brushless DC (Direct Current, DC) motor is used. The brushless DC motor has: a rotor 4a, which is composed of multiple groups (two groups in this embodiment) of permanent magnets (magnets) containing north and south poles; a stator 4b, which has three-phase stator windings U, V, and W connected in a star shape; and three rotation position detection elements (Hall elements) 56, which are arranged at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction, for example, every 60 degrees, in order to detect the rotation position of the rotor 4a. The direction and time of energization of the stator windings U, V, and W are controlled based on the position detection signals from these rotation position detection elements 56, so that the motor 4 rotates.

[0186] The motor 4 is driven by an inverter circuit having six switching elements Q1 to Q6, such as field effect transistors (FETs) connected in a three-phase bridge configuration. The gates of the six bridge-connected switching elements Q1 to Q6 are connected to the control signal circuit 51, and the drains or sources of the six switching elements Q1 to Q6 are connected to the star-connected stator windings U, V, and W. Thus, the six switching elements Q1 to Q6 perform switching operations according to the switching element drive signals (such as H4, H5, and H6) input from the control signal circuit 51, and the DC voltage of the battery pack 100 applied to the inverter circuit is converted into a three-phase (U-phase, V-phase, and W-phase) voltage V U 、V V 、V W Electric power is supplied to the stator windings U, V, and W.

[0187] Among the switching element drive signals (three-phase signals) for driving the gates of the six switching elements Q1 to Q6, pulse-width modulation signals (pulse-width modulation (PWM) signals) H4, H5, and H6 are supplied to the three negative power supply side switching elements Q4, Q5, and Q6. Through the arithmetic unit 50, the movement amount (stroke) of the trigger lever 6a of the operation trigger switch 6 is detected by the switch operation detection circuit 59, and this detection signal is output to the arithmetic unit 50. Based on the output of the switch operation detection circuit 59, the arithmetic unit 50 changes the pulse width (duty ratio) of the PWM signal, thereby adjusting the power supply amount to the motor 4, and thus controlling the start / stop and rotational speed of the motor 4.

[0188] Although not shown, the arithmetic unit 50 is composed of a central processing unit (central processing unit (CPU)) for outputting drive signals based on a processing program and data, a read-only memory (read only memory (ROM)) for storing the processing program or control data, a random access memory (random access memory (RAM)) for temporarily storing data, a timer, and the like. The reference voltage VCC (for example, +5V) for operating the arithmetic unit 50 is generated by the power supply unit 52 connected to the positive terminal 31 and the negative terminal 32, and is supplied to the arithmetic unit 50 or other electronic circuits.

[0189] Based on the output signal of the rotational position detection circuit 54, the arithmetic unit 50 forms a drive signal for alternately switching the specified switching elements Q1 to Q6, and outputs this drive signal to the control signal circuit 51. Thereby, the specified windings of the stator windings U, V, and W are alternately energized, and the rotor 4a rotates in the set rotational direction. The current value supplied to the motor 4 is measured by the current detection circuit 53 by detecting the voltage across both ends of the shunt resistor 57, and the rotational speed of the motor 4 is detected by the rotational speed detection circuit 55 using the output of the rotational position detection circuit 54. These values are fed back to the arithmetic unit 50, and thereby adjusted to become the set drive power.

[0190] The power supply unit 52 uses the power from the positive terminal 31 and the negative terminal 32 to generate a reference voltage (for example, 5V) for operating the arithmetic unit 50, and for example, uses a constant voltage conversion circuit using a three-terminal regulator. A capacitor 58 is connected between the positive terminal 31 and the negative terminal 32 for smoothing.

[0191] The battery pack 100 is a battery pack made by the company itself, for example, which can be directly connected to the electric machine body 1. In the battery pack 100, a battery cell group 145 is accommodated, for example, ten lithium-ion battery cells with a rated voltage of 3.6V. Two groups of five battery cells connected in series are set up and connected in parallel to obtain an output with a rated voltage of 18V (the parallel connection state is not shown in the figure). The positive electrode on the battery cell group 145 side is connected to the positive terminal 31 via the positive terminal 131, and the negative electrode on the battery cell group 145 side is connected to the negative terminal 32 via the negative terminal 137.

[0192] An arithmetic unit 140 is provided in the battery pack 100. A microcomputer is included in the arithmetic unit 140, and the voltages of the respective battery cells are measured by the microcomputer to manage the charging and discharging of the battery cells. When any one of the battery cells in the battery cell group 145 becomes over-discharged, the microcomputer of the arithmetic unit 140 sends a discharge prohibition signal (LD signal) via the communication terminal (LD terminal) 138 to stop the use of the battery pack 100 as a whole. The communication terminal 138 is connected to the communication terminal (LD terminal) 33 on the electric machine body 1 side, and the discharge prohibition signal is transmitted to the microcomputer of the arithmetic unit 50.

[0193] Figure 7 It is a circuit diagram when Figure 1 a battery pack 150 made by another company, for example, which cannot be directly connected to the electric machine body 1, is installed on the electric machine body 1 via the first adapter 200. The battery pack 150 is a battery pack made by another company. For example, it accommodates a battery cell group 195 of ten lithium-ion battery cells with a rated voltage of 3.6V. Two groups of five battery cells connected in series are set up and connected in parallel to obtain an output with a rated voltage of 18V (the parallel connection state is not shown in the figure). The positive electrode on the battery cell group 195 side is connected to the positive electrode input terminal 231 of the first adapter 200 via the positive terminal 171, and the negative electrode on the battery cell group 195 side is connected to the negative electrode input terminal 232 via the negative terminal 172.

[0194] An arithmetic unit 190 is provided in the battery pack 150. A microcomputer is included in the arithmetic unit 190, and the voltages of the respective battery cells are measured by the microcomputer to manage the charging and discharging of the battery cells. The microcomputer of the arithmetic unit 190 outputs the temperature signal 191 of the battery cell group 195 to the first signal terminal 173. Moreover, when the microcomputer of the arithmetic unit 190 detects that any one of the battery cell group 195 is in an overload state, it outputs an overload signal 192 to the second signal terminal 174.

[0195] The first adapter 200 is formed with a positive input terminal 231, a negative input terminal 232, communication terminals 233, 234 on the side of the first mounting portion 210. Moreover, on the side of the second mounting portion 250 of the first adapter 200, a positive output terminal 266, a negative output terminal 267, and one signal terminal (communication terminal), i.e., an LD output terminal 268, are formed. The positive input terminal 231 and the positive output terminal 266 are directly connected by a thick wiring 271. Similarly, the negative input terminal 232 and the negative output terminal 267 are directly connected by a thick wiring 272.

[0196] On the circuit board 247 of the first adapter 200, a power supply unit 248 and an arithmetic unit 249 are mounted. Electric power is supplied to the power supply unit 248 from the positive input terminal 231 and the negative input terminal 232 through wirings 275, 276, and the power supply unit 248 supplies a reference voltage VCC for the operation of the arithmetic unit 249. The power supply unit 248 is, for example, a constant voltage conversion circuit using a three-terminal regulator. The arithmetic unit 249 includes a microcomputer, and the signals input from the first communication terminal 233 and the second communication terminal 234 are converted by the microcomputer to conform to the communication standard on the side of the electric machine body 1. Here, a communication signal (LD signal) 268a is generated from the two signals input from the first communication terminal 233 and the second communication terminal 234 and output to the communication terminal (LD output terminal) 268. The arithmetic unit 249 corresponds to an adapter control unit. In addition, the adapter control unit may also be constituted by including a logic operation circuit or an arithmetic circuit using a microcomputer.

[0197] In this way, the first adapter 200 converts the terminals (171, 172) of a battery pack 150, which cannot be directly connected to the electric machine body 1, for example, made by other companies or with different manufacturing companies, into connection terminals (266, 267) conforming to the shape of the terminals (31, 32) of the electric machine body 1. Moreover, the arithmetic unit 249 of the first adapter 200 converts the signals (temperature signal and overload signal in this example) output from the battery pack 150 made by other companies into a communication signal (LD signal) that can be received on the side of the electric machine body 1. In this way, in addition to the transfer of electric power, the first adapter 200 can also convert the communication signal from the battery pack 150 that cannot be directly connected to the electric machine body 1 into a communication signal corresponding to the electric machine body 1 as the destination, so that the battery pack 150 made by other companies, etc., that cannot be directly connected to the electric machine body 1 can be used as the power source of the electric machine body 1.

[0198] Next, use Figure 8 of (A) to Figure 8For (C), the relationship between the input signal (Input) and the output signal (Output) in the arithmetic unit 249 of the first adapter 200 will be described. The vertical axis represents the level (high or low) of each signal, and the horizontal axis represents the passage of time. Here, as the input from the battery pack 150 to the first adapter 200, the temperature signal 191 and the overload signal 192 from the battery pack 150 are transmitted. As the output from the first adapter 200 to the LD terminal 33 of the electric machine body 1, the LD signal 268a is output to the LD output terminal 268.

[0199] Regarding Figure 7 For the temperature signal 191 of the battery pack 150 shown, it will be at a low level until within the allowable range (e.g., less than +50°C). Once this allowable range is exceeded, a high-level voltage will be output to the signal terminal 173. Also, regarding the overload signal 192 of the battery pack 150, if the battery voltage is above the allowable range (e.g., 12V or more), it will be at a low level. Once it is below 12V, a high-level voltage will be output to the signal terminal 174. Also, as the overload signal 192, it can also be that if the current flowing through the battery pack 150 is less than the specified value, it is at a low level, and once it reaches above the specified value, it switches to a high level.

[0200] Regarding the communication signal (LD signal) 268a in the battery pack 100, once the battery pack 100 side becomes in an over-discharged state, that is, any one of the battery cells drops below the lower limit voltage for use, it becomes a high level. The arithmetic unit 249 of the first adapter 200 (refer to Figure 7 ) receives the temperature signal 191 and the overload signal 192 output from the battery pack 150, replaces them with the LD signal of the battery pack 100, and outputs them to the communication terminal 33 (LD terminal) of the electric machine body 1.

[0201] Figure 8 (A) shows a state where both the temperature signal 191 and the overload signal 192 are low until time t1. In this state, the arithmetic unit 249 of the first adapter 200 (refer to Figure 7 ) maintains the LD signal 268a at a low state. At time t1, due to the rise in the battery temperature exceeding the allowable range, the temperature signal 191 becomes high, and the overload signal 192 remains low after time t1. Then, at time t1, the arithmetic unit 249 of the first adapter 200 (refer to Figure 7 ) switches the LD signal 268a to high and outputs it from the LD output terminal 268 (refer to Figure 7 ). Through the transmission of the LD signal 268a, the operation of the power tool body 1 is blocked.

[0202] Figure 8(B) shows that until time t1, both the temperature signal 191 and the overload signal 192 are low, and at time t1, the battery voltage is less than the allowable range and the overload signal 192 becomes high. The temperature signal 191 remains low after time t1. In this case, the arithmetic unit 249 of the first adapter 200 (refer to Figure 7 ) switches the LD signal 268a to high at time t1 and outputs it from the LD output terminal 268 (refer to Figure 7 ).

[0203] Figure 8 (C) shows that until time t1, both the temperature signal 191 and the overload signal 192 are low, and at time t1, both the temperature signal 191 and the overload signal 192 become high. In this case, the arithmetic unit 249 of the first adapter 200 (refer to Figure 7 ) switches the LD signal 268a to high at time t1 and outputs it from the LD output terminal 268 (refer to Figure 7 ).

[0204] Regarding Figure 8 's (A) to Figure 8 's (C) waveform diagrams shown, for simplicity of explanation, a simple OR output is described, that is, the LD signal 268a is consistent with the OR operation result of the temperature signal 191 and the overload signal 192, but any of the following structures is acceptable, namely: based on the difference in the interfaces of the signal terminals of the battery pack 150 and the electric machine body 1, the arithmetic unit 249 of the first adapter 200 (refer to Figure 7 ) becomes a structure of a simple logical operation result; or after performing a high-level conversion process using computer software, the LD signal 268a is determined and output from the LD output terminal 268 (refer to Figure 7 ). In this embodiment, since a microcomputer is installed in the arithmetic unit 249 of the first adapter 200, the conversion process of the communication signal can be performed arbitrarily. In addition, it can also be configured that the microcomputer of the arithmetic unit 249 does not use all of the multiple signals input from the battery pack 150, but selects the signals used to determine the LD signal 268a, and does not use the remaining signals. Moreover, when the levels of the input signals (temperature signal 191, overload signal 192) and the output signal (LD signal 268a) of the arithmetic unit 249 are the same in normal and abnormal situations, for example, when it is low level in normal times and changes to high level in abnormal times, any of the input signals can also be directly output as the output signal.

[0205] Figure 9This is an expanded stereoscopic view of the case where the battery pack 100 manufactured by the company is installed on the electric machine body 401 manufactured by another company (the electric machine body to which the battery pack 100 cannot be directly connected) using the second adapter 300. The electric machine body 401 manufactured by another company is, for example, an impact driver, and operates at the same voltage as the electric machine body 1 manufactured by the company (the electric machine body to which the battery pack 100 can be directly connected). The housing 402 of the electric machine body 401 has a main body 402a and a gripping portion 402b extending downward from the main body 402a. A battery pack mounting portion 420 (main body side mounting portion) is formed below the gripping portion 402b. The shape of the battery pack mounting portion 420 is similar to that of the battery pack mounting portion 420. Figure 3 The shapes of the first mounting portions 210 shown are the same.

[0206] The battery pack 100 supports (can be directly connected to) Figure 1 The electric machine body 1 made by the company shown in FIG. 1 houses a plurality of battery cells in a synthetic resin housing 101. The upper portion of the battery pack 100 is provided with two rail grooves 125 and 126 ( Figure 9 (not visible in the figure). The lower section 102 and the upper section 104 of the shell 101 are formed in a stepped manner with different heights, and are provided with a group of eight narrow slots 120 extending from their step difference parts toward the rear side. Inside this cut portion, a plurality of connection terminals (connection terminal group) are provided. Among the eight narrow slots, the second narrow slot 122 from the right is provided with a positive terminal, the seventh narrow slot 127 is provided with a negative terminal, and the eighth narrow slot 128 is provided with an LD terminal. A locking mechanism (locking portion) for maintaining or releasing the installation state with the electric machine body 1 is provided behind the connection terminal group. The locking mechanism on the right side is composed of a locking button 116 and a locking claw 117 that moves in conjunction with the locking button 116. Although not visible in the figure, the left side of the battery pack 100 is also provided with a locking button and a locking claw.

[0207] The second adapter 300 has a first mounting portion 310 formed on the lower side thereof corresponding to the battery pack 100 and a second mounting portion 350 formed on the upper side thereof corresponding to the electric machine body 401. Figure 2 、 Figure 3 The shape of the battery pack mounting portion 2c shown is interchangeable. Figure 2 、 Figure 3 The shape of the mounting portion 160 of the battery pack 150 is interchangeable. The basic structure of the second adapter 300 is the same as that of the Figure 4Similarly, the first adapter 200 shown forms an orbital mechanism and a locking mechanism with a left - right split housing 301 (301R, 301L), and holds a terminal connection part (not visible in the figure). The shape of the terminal connection part is set according to the shapes of the first mounting part 310 and the second mounting part 350 or the arrangement of connection terminals. Figure 10 Shows a part of the circuit diagram (near the communication terminal) when the battery pack 100, the second adapter 300, and the power tool body 401 are connected. Other structures are the same as Figure 6 or Figure 7 Similarly, so they are omitted. As Figure 9 and Figure 10 shown, in the first mounting part 310, there are provided a positive - pole input terminal connected to the positive - pole terminal 131 of the battery pack 100, a negative - pole input terminal connected to the negative - pole terminal 137 of the battery pack 100, and a communication terminal (LD terminal) 301 connected to the communication terminal (LD terminal) 138 of the battery pack 100. In the second mounting part 350, slots 361 - 364 for housing connection terminals are formed. In the second adapter 300, there is also provided an arithmetic unit 304 including a microcomputer. As will be described later, the arithmetic unit 304 mediates communication signals between the battery pack 100 (arithmetic unit 140) and the power tool body 401 (arithmetic unit 413).

[0208] In the slot 361, a positive - pole output terminal connected to the positive - pole input terminal is housed. In the slot 364, a negative - pole output terminal connected to the negative - pole input terminal is housed. In the slot 362, a first signal terminal (communication terminal) 302 is housed, and the first signal terminal (communication terminal) 302 is connected to the first signal terminal 410 to which the first signal (temperature signal) 370 input to the power tool body 401 is input. In the slot 363, a second signal terminal (communication terminal) 303 is housed, and the second signal terminal (communication terminal) 303 is connected to the second signal terminal 411 to which the second signal (overload signal) 380 input to the power tool body 401 is input.

[0209] The signal 110 output from the battery pack 100 (arithmetic unit 140) is input to the second adapter 300 (arithmetic unit 304) via the communication terminals 138 and 301. When an abnormal signal (discharge prohibition signal, LD signal) indicating an abnormal state is input as the signal 110 to the arithmetic unit 340, the arithmetic unit 340 switches at least one of the first signal (temperature signal) 370 and the second signal (overload signal) 380 from the normal state to the abnormal state and outputs it to the power tool body 401 (arithmetic unit 412) via each communication terminal.

[0210] Figure 11 of (A) to Figure 11 of (C) is Figure 9Waveform diagrams of the input signal 110 and the output signals 370 and 380 of the adapter control unit 412 in the second adapter 300. The vertical axis represents the level (high or low) of each signal, and the horizontal axis represents the passage of time. As an input from the battery pack 100 to the second adapter 300, the abnormal signal 110 from the battery pack 100 is transmitted. As an output from the second adapter 300 to the first signal terminal 410 of the electric machine body 401, the first signal (temperature signal) 370 is output to the first signal terminal 302. As an output from the second adapter 300 to the second signal terminal 411 of the electric machine body 401, the second signal (overload signal 380) is output to the second signal terminal 303.

[0211] Regarding the signal output from the arithmetic unit 140 of the battery pack 100, when any one of the following situations occurs: the battery pack 100 or any one of the battery cells drops below the unusable lower limit voltage, the current flowing through the battery pack 100 becomes equal to or higher than the overcurrent threshold, or the temperature of the battery pack 100 exceeds the allowable range of the group, and when the arithmetic unit 140 of the battery pack 100 makes a judgment, the abnormal signal 110 switches from the low level indicating the normal state to the high level indicating the abnormal state.

[0212] When the abnormal signal 110 is input to the arithmetic unit 304 of the second adapter 300, at least one of the first signal 370 and the second signal 380 is switched from the low level indicating the normal state to the high level indicating the abnormal state.

[0213] Figure 11 In (A), until time t1, the signal 110 is in the low state, so the first signal 370 and the second signal 380 are also in the low state. That is, the arithmetic unit 304 of the second adapter 300 maintains the first signal 370 and the second signal 380 in the low state. At time t1, when the signal 1110 of the battery pack 100 becomes high indicating the abnormal state, the arithmetic unit 304 of the second adapter 300 maintains the first signal 370 in the low state, switches the second signal 380 to high, and outputs it from the second signal terminal 303. By transmitting the second signal 380 indicating the abnormal state, the operation of the power tool body 401 is blocked (stopped or prohibited).

[0214] ​ In (B), until time t1, the same as ​is the same as (A). At time t1, when the signal 1110 of the battery pack 100 becomes high indicating an abnormal state, the arithmetic unit 304 of the second adapter 300 maintains the second signal 380 at a low state, switches the first signal 370 to high, and outputs it from the first signal terminal 302. By transmitting the first signal 370 indicating an abnormal state, the operation of the power tool body 401 is blocked (stopped or prohibited).

[0215] ​ In (C), until time t1, it is the same as ​ is the same as (A). At time t1, when the signal 1110 of the battery pack 100 becomes high indicating an abnormal state, the arithmetic unit 304 of the second adapter 300 switches the first signal 370 and the second signal 380 to high, and outputs them from the first signal terminal 301 and the second signal terminal 302 respectively. By transmitting the first signal 370 indicating an abnormal state, the operation of the power tool body 401 is blocked (stopped or prohibited).

[0216] When at least one of the signals input via the first signal terminal 410 and the second signal terminal 411 indicates an abnormal state (high), the arithmetic unit 412 of the power tool body 401 determines that an abnormality has occurred in the battery pack 100. Thereby, the operation of the power tool body 401 can be blocked.

[0217] As described above, the present invention has been described based on the embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist thereof. For example, in the above embodiments, as the adapters, examples of the first adapter 200 and the second adapter 300 have been described, but it is also within the scope of the present invention to configure by preparing a third adapter or a fourth adapter. The third adapter is used to mount a battery pack (second battery pack) of another shape or another company (manufacturing company) to the electric machine body 1 (first electric machine body), and the fourth adapter is used to mount the battery pack 100 (first battery pack) of the company itself to an electric machine body (second electric machine body) of another shape or company (manufacturing company). Moreover, in the above embodiments, battery packs and electric machine bodies of the company itself and other manufacturing companies (other companies) different from the company itself have been described, but it is not limited to the company itself and other companies. The battery pack and the electric machine body can also be manufactured by the same company (manufacturing company). For example, it can also be applied in a structure where the battery pack and the electric machine body cannot be directly connected due to the difference in the rated voltage between the battery pack and the electric machine body. Moreover, the signal indicating an abnormality can also be reversed between high and low. ​ from (A) to ​ from (C) and ​ from (A) to ​In (C), it has been described that it is low during normal times and high during abnormal times. However, it can also be as shown in the (A) to ​ of (A) to ​ the modified example of (C) of ​ from (A) to ​ of (C), where it is high during normal times and low during abnormal times. At this time, the arithmetic unit 249 of the first adapter 200 only needs to be pre-programmed to determine that it is normal if the input signals from terminals 233 and 234 are high, and abnormal if they are low. Moreover, it is also possible to set only one of the input signal and the output signal of the arithmetic unit 249 to be opposite to the signal of (A) to ​ of (A) to ​ of (C). If the input signal is low, it is regarded as normal, and if the output signal is low, it is regarded as abnormal. Moreover, as the electric machine body, it can not only be a structure driven by the power of the battery pack, but also a charging device for charging the battery pack.

Claims

1. An adapter is connected between a battery pack and an electric machine body. The adapter is characterized in that the adapter has: a first mounting portion having a first communication terminal capable of connecting to a communication terminal of the battery pack and capable of mounting the battery pack; a second mounting portion having a second communication terminal capable of connecting to a communication terminal of the electric machine body and capable of being mounted on the electric machine body; and an adapter control unit connected to the first communication terminal and the second communication terminal and configured to output an output signal to the other of the first communication terminal and the second communication terminal based on an input signal input from one of the first communication terminal and the second communication terminal.

2. The adapter according to claim 1, characterized in that the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion have different shapes and are configured to be able to mount the battery pack corresponding to the first mounting portion to the electric machine body corresponding to the second mounting portion.

3. The adapter according to claim 2, characterized in that the first mounting portion and the body-side mounting portion of the electric machine body have different shapes. The battery pack can be directly mounted on the first mounting portion, while it cannot be directly mounted on the body-side mounting portion.

4. The adapter according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that a pair of first rail mechanisms extending substantially in parallel are formed in the first mounting portion, and a pair of second rail mechanisms extending substantially in parallel are formed in the second mounting portion, and the shapes of the first rail mechanism and the second rail mechanism are different from each other.

5. The adapter according to claim 4, characterized in that the adapter is formed in a split form including a first housing and a second housing, one side of the first rail mechanism is provided on the side of the first housing, and the other side is provided on the second housing, one side of the second rail mechanism is provided on the side of the first housing, and the other side is provided on the second housing, and the first housing and the second housing are split in a direction intersecting the extending direction of the first rail mechanism and the second rail mechanism.

6. The adapter according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the adapter control unit is configured to output the output signal different from the input signal or the output signal corresponding to the input signal to the other of the battery pack and the electric machine body according to the input signal input from one of the battery pack and the electric machine body.

7. The adapter according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that including: a battery-side power terminal connected to a power terminal of the connected battery pack; and a machine-side power terminal connected to a power terminal of the electric machine body, wherein the battery-side power terminal and the machine-side power terminal are directly connected or connected without passing through the adapter control unit.

8. The adapter according to claim 7, characterized in that the adapter control unit is provided on a substrate, The first communication terminal and the second communication terminal are connected to the adapter control unit via the substrate. On the other hand, the battery-side power terminal and the machine-side power terminal are connected to each other without passing through the substrate.

9. The adapter according to claim 7, wherein: The adapter control unit includes a logic operation circuit or an operation circuit using a microcomputer. In the adapter, there is a power supply circuit that supplies an operating voltage to the operation circuit with the power supplied from the battery-side power terminal.

10. An electric machine, characterized in that Comprising: The adapter according to any one of claims 1 to 9; A battery pack; And An electric machine body having a load portion and a battery pack mounting portion, and to which the adapter can be connected.

11. An electric machine, characterized in that, Comprising: The adapter according to any one of claims 1 to 9; And A battery pack having at least one battery cell.

12. An electric machine, characterized in that, Comprising: The adapter according to any one of claims 1 to 9; And An electric machine body having a load portion and a battery pack mounting portion, and to which the adapter can be connected.

13. An electric machine body capable of being connected to the adapter according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that it comprises: A load portion; A battery pack mounting portion to which one of the adapter and the battery pack can be directly mounted; And A machine-side communication terminal to which the second communication terminal of the adapter can be connected and configured to input a signal from the second communication terminal or output a signal to the second communication terminal.

14. An electric machine body capable of being connected to an adapter, the adapter having a first communication terminal and a second communication terminal and having an adapter control unit, the adapter control unit outputting a signal to the other of the first communication terminal and the second communication terminal based on an input signal input from one of the first communication terminal and the second communication terminal, characterized in that the electric machine body comprises: A load portion; A battery pack mounting portion to which one of the adapter and the battery pack can be directly mounted; And A machine-side communication terminal to which the second communication terminal can be connected and configured to input a signal from the second communication terminal or output a signal to the second communication terminal.

Images