Power supply device

Abstract

The invention discloses a power supply device. The power supply device comprises a shell; at least one set of battery connection terminals supported by the housing, the battery connection terminals being configured to access a battery pack; the plurality of tool connecting ends are used for connecting electric tools; the power supply circuit comprises at least two power supply paths and is used for converting the electric energy input by the battery pack and then supplying power to the electric tool; the controller is at least electrically connected with the power supply circuit; wherein the controller is configured to control at least one of the power supply paths to continuously supply power under the condition that the at least two power supply paths output electric energy.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to an energy conversion device, and more particularly to a power supply device. Background Art

[0002] In terms of the types of power sources used, power tools generally include DC power tools and AC power tools, namely cordless power tools and corded power tools. In some usage scenarios, corded power tools can be directly connected to the AC power grid to obtain supply power. In cases where it is inconvenient to plug in AC power, they can also be connected through an inverter or an adapter, or a power transfer device, and obtain supply power through an electrical energy storage device such as a battery pack. However, the electrical energy stored in the energy storage device is limited and not suitable for powering multiple tools simultaneously. Usually, the power supply to some tools will be frequently cut off. And some special power tools are not suitable for frequent power off, which will affect their working quality.

[0003] This section provides background information related to the present application, and this background information is not necessarily prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0004] An object of the present application is to solve or at least alleviate part or all of the above problems. To this end, an object of the present application is to provide an inverter that can ensure continuous power supply to at least one connected power tool.

[0005] To achieve the above object, the present application adopts the following technical solutions: A power supply device includes: a housing; at least one set of battery connection terminals supported by the housing, the battery connection terminals being configured to connect to a battery pack; a plurality of tool connection ends configured to connect to a power tool; a power supply circuit including at least two power supply paths for converting the electrical energy input from the battery pack and supplying power to the power tool; a controller electrically connected to at least the power supply circuit; wherein the controller is configured to: when at least two power supply paths output electrical energy, control at least one of the power supply paths to continuously supply power.

[0006] In one embodiment, the power tool includes an AC power tool; the power supply circuit includes at least an inverter circuit for inverting the electrical energy input from the battery pack to supply power to the AC power tool.

[0007] In one embodiment, a power supply switch is provided on the power supply path; the controller is configured to be able to control the on / off state of the power supply switch to control the power supply state of the power supply path where the power supply switch is located.

[0008] In one embodiment, the power supply device further includes: a mode operation member disposed on the housing, configured to receive a mode selection operation and trigger a power supply mode instruction; the controller is configured to, when at least two power supply paths output electric energy, control the target power supply path to continuously supply power according to the power supply mode instruction.

[0009] In one embodiment, the power supply device further includes a communication unit configured to receive a power supply mode instruction sent by a user terminal; the controller is configured to, when at least two power supply paths output electric energy, control the target power supply path to continuously supply power according to the power supply mode instruction.

[0010] In one embodiment, the power supply mode instruction includes at least one or a combination of instructions such as the discharge sequence, discharge time, and discharge power of multiple power supply paths.

[0011] A power supply device includes: a housing; a first connection terminal configured to access a power supply; a plurality of second connection terminals configured to access a power tool; a power supply circuit including at least two power supply paths for converting the electric energy input from the power supply to supply power to the power tool; a controller electrically connected to at least the power supply circuit; wherein, the controller is configured to: when at least two power supply paths output electric energy, control at least one of the power supply paths to continuously supply power.

[0012] In one embodiment, the power supply device further includes: a mode operation member disposed on the housing, configured to receive a mode selection operation and trigger a power supply mode instruction; the controller is configured to, when at least two power supply paths output electric energy, control the target power supply path to continuously supply power according to the power supply mode instruction.

[0013] In one embodiment, the power supply device further includes a communication unit configured to receive a power supply mode instruction sent by a user terminal; the controller is configured to, when at least two power supply paths output electric energy, control the target power supply path to continuously supply power according to the power supply mode instruction.

[0014] In one embodiment, the power supply mode instruction includes at least one or more of the discharge sequence, discharge time, and discharge power of multiple power supply paths. Description of the Drawings

[0015] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a charging system provided by an embodiment of the present application; Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a power tool powered by a battery pack provided by an embodiment of the present application; Figure 3 is a schematic circuit structure diagram of a charger provided by an embodiment of the present application; Figure 4a It is a schematic structural diagram of a charging circuit in the charger provided by an embodiment of the present application; Figure 4b It is another schematic structural diagram of a charging circuit in the charger provided by an embodiment of the present application; Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the interaction and communication between the charger and the user terminal provided by an embodiment of the present application; Figure 6 It is a schematic circuit diagram of the power supply device provided by an embodiment of the present application; Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of an internal circuit structure of the power supply device provided by an embodiment of the present application; Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of the interaction and communication between the power supply device and the user terminal provided by an embodiment of the present application. Detailed implementation manners

[0016] Before explaining any embodiment of the present application in detail, it should be understood that the present application is not limited to the structural details and component arrangements described in the following description or shown in the above drawings.

[0017] In the present application, the terms "include", "comprise", "have" or any other variant thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article or device including a series of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article or device. Without further limitation, an element defined by the phrase "including a..." does not exclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article or device including the element.

[0018] In the present application, the term "and / or" is a relationship describing associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B may represent: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / " in the present application generally represents an "and / or" relationship between the associated objects before and after.

[0019] In the present application, the terms "connect", "combine", "couple", "mount" may be direct connection, combination, coupling or mounting, or may be indirect connection, combination, coupling or mounting. Among them, by way of example, direct connection means that two parts or components are connected together without setting an intermediate member, and indirect connection means that two parts or components are respectively connected to at least one intermediate member, and these two parts or components are connected through the intermediate member. In addition, "connect" and "couple" are not limited to physical or mechanical connection or coupling, and may include electrical connection or coupling.

[0020] In this application, those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that relative terms used in connection with quantities or conditions (e.g., "about", "approximately", "substantially", etc.) are intended to include the recited value and have the meaning indicated by the context. For example, such relative terms include at least the degree of error associated with the measurement of a particular value, tolerances resulting from manufacturing, assembly, use, etc. associated with a particular value. Such terms should also be considered to disclose ranges defined by the absolute values of two endpoints. The relative terms may refer to plus or minus a certain percentage (e.g., 1%, 5%, 10% or more) of the indicated value. Numerical values that do not employ relative terms should also be disclosed as specific values with tolerances. In addition, when expressing relative angular positional relationships (e.g., substantially parallel, substantially perpendicular), "substantially" may refer to plus or minus a certain number of degrees (e.g., 1 degree, 5 degrees, 10 degrees or more) from the indicated angle.

[0021] In this application, those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the functions performed by a component can be performed by one component, multiple components, one part, or multiple parts. Similarly, the functions performed by a part can also be performed by one part, one component, or a combination of multiple parts.

[0022] In this application, the directional terms such as "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "front", "rear", etc. are described based on the orientation and positional relationship shown in the drawings, and should not be construed as limiting the embodiments of this application. In addition, in the context, it should also be understood that when it is mentioned that one element is connected "above" or "below" another element, it can not only be directly connected "above" or "below" another element, but also be indirectly connected "above" or "below" another element through an intermediate element. It should also be understood that the directional terms such as the upper side, the lower side, the left side, the right side, the front side, the rear side, etc. not only represent the positive direction, but can also be understood as the side direction. For example, the lower side can include directly below, lower left, lower right, lower front, and lower rear, etc.

[0023] In this application, the terms "controller", "processor", "central processor", "CPU", "MCU" can be used interchangeably. When using the units "controller", "processor", "central processor", "CPU", or "MCU" to perform specific functions, unless otherwise specified, these functions can be performed by a single one of the above units or multiple of the above units.

[0024] In this application, for the terms "device", "module", or "unit" to achieve a specific function, they can be implemented in the form of hardware or software.

[0025] In this application, terms such as "calculate", "judge", "control", "determine", "identify", etc. refer to the operations and processes of a computer system or similar electronic computing devices (e.g., controllers, processors, etc.).

[0026] Reference Figure 1 The charging system shown may include a charger 10 and a battery pack 20. Among them, the battery pack 20 may include battery packs of various types or models or different battery parameters. The battery pack 20 can be adapted to various types of power tools, or different types of battery packs are adapted to different types of power tools.

[0027] In this embodiment, some of the power tools 30 that the battery pack 20 can be adapted to are as Figure 2 shown, and may include a ride-on mower 30a, a hand-held drill 30b, a chainsaw 30c, a string trimmer 30d, a blower 30e. In some embodiments, the power tool 30 can be a hand-held power tool, for example, a drill, a pruning machine, a sander, etc. Or, the power tool 30 can also be a table-type tool, for example, a table saw, a miter saw, etc. Or, the power tool 30 can also be a walk-behind power tool, for example, a walk-behind mower, a walk-behind snow blower. Or, the power tool 30 can also be a ride-on power tool, for example, a ride-on mower, a ride-on vehicle, an all-terrain vehicle, etc. Or, the power tool 30 can also be a robotic tool, for example, a lawn mowing robot, a snow sweeping robot, etc. In some embodiments, the power tool 30 can be a drill, a light, an electric vehicle, etc. In some embodiments, the power tool 30 can also be a gardening tool, for example, a pruning machine, a blower, a mower, a chainsaw, etc. Or, the power tool 30 can also be a decorating tool, for example, a screwdriver, a nail gun, a circular saw, a sander, etc. In some embodiments, the power tool 30 can also be a vegetation care tool, for example, a string trimmer, a mower, a pruning machine, a chainsaw, etc. Or, the power tool 30 can also be a cleaning tool, for example, a blower, a snow blower, a washer, etc. Or, the power tool 30 can also be a drill-type tool, for example, a drill, a screwdriver, a wrench, a jackhammer, etc. Or, the power tool 30 can also be a saw-type tool, for example, a reciprocating saw, a jigsaw, a circular saw, etc. Or, the power tool 30 can also be a table-type tool, for example, a table saw, a miter saw, a metal cutting machine, a router, etc. Or, the power tool 30 can also be a grinding-type tool, for example, an angle grinder, a sander, etc. Or, the power tool 30 can also be other tools, for example, a light, a fan, etc. Of course, the load can also include other types of household electrical appliances.

[0028] In this embodiment, reference Figure 1The charger 10 includes a housing 11 and multiple sets of battery connection terminals 12 supported by the housing. Each set of battery connection terminals 12 can be used as an electric energy output interface to access a battery pack 20. The charger 10 further includes a plug 13 that can be connected to the power grid. In one embodiment, a set of battery connection terminals 12 may include a positive terminal, a negative terminal, or may also include a communication terminal. The communication terminal can transmit communication data between the charger 10 and the battery pack 20. For example, the battery parameters of the battery pack 20 that can be transmitted may include at least one of the temperature, voltage, state of charge, state of health, and remaining power of the battery pack 20. The plug 13 can be connected to an AC power grid, or can be connected to a solar power grid, or can be connected to a vehicle charging pile or other devices that can provide a charging power source. The specific structure of the plug 13 is not specifically limited in this embodiment.

[0029] A charging circuit 14 is disposed in the housing 11. As Figure 3 shown, one end of the charging circuit 14 is connected to the plug 13 to access alternating current, and the other end of the charging circuit 14 can be electrically coupled to at least one set of battery connection terminals 12. The alternating current provided by an external charging power source is accessed into the charger 10 through the plug 13. The charging circuit 14 can perform electric energy conversion on the accessed alternating current and then transmit it to the battery connection terminals 12 to charge the battery pack 20 connected to the battery connection terminals 12. Among them, the charging circuit 14 can at least perform electric energy conversion such as rectification, filtering, boosting / buckling on the accessed alternating current.

[0030] The charging circuit 14 has multiple charging paths L, and the maximum output powers of at least two charging paths are different. For example, if the charging circuit 14 has two charging paths, the maximum output powers of these two charging paths are different. If the charging circuit 14 has three or more charging paths, the maximum output powers of at least two charging paths are different. In one embodiment, the number of charging paths L can be the same as the number of sets of battery connection terminals 12, that is, there are as many charging paths as there are sets of battery connection terminals 12. It can be understood that the charging path is at least a bridge connecting the AC power input end, that is, the socket 13, and the battery connection terminals 12, or a path for converting and transmitting electric energy between the electric energy input end and the battery connection terminals 12.

[0031] In the following embodiments, the charging circuit 14 having two charging paths L1 and L2 is taken as an example to illustrate the structure of the charging path or the implementation process of the charger 10 charging one or two battery packs 20. Of course, the circuit structure or charging control process of other charging circuits 14 having three or more charging paths can refer to the circuit structure and charging process of the charging circuit 14 having two charging paths.

[0032] As Figure 4a, the charging circuit 14 may include an AC / DC module 141, a main DC / DC module 142, and an auxiliary DC / DC module 143. Define the charging path led out from the main DC / DC module 142 as L1, and the charging path led out from the auxiliary DC / DC module 143 as L2. It can also be understood that the charging path L2 is a branch of the charging path L1. The charging circuit 14 may also be as Figure 4b shown, including a DC / DC module 144. The charging path led out from the AC / DC module 141 can be defined as L1, and the charging path led out from the DC / DC module 144 can be defined as L2. It can be understood that the AC / DC module 141 in the charging circuit 14 is mainly used for rectification or filtering, and the main DC / DC module 142, the auxiliary DC / DC module 143, or the DC / DC module 144 can achieve power conversion such as boosting and / or bucking, and can change the output power of the charging path. Figure 4a In [reference], the main DC / DC module 142 can change the output power of the charging path L1, and the auxiliary DC / DC module 143 can change the output power of the charging path L2. Figure 4b In [reference], the DC / DC module 144 can change the output power of the charging path L2.

[0033] In this embodiment, the charger 10 further includes a controller 15, and the controller 15 can control Figure 4a and Figure 4b the working states of the AC / DC module 141, the main DC / DC module 142, the auxiliary DC / DC module 143, and the DC / DC module 144 in [reference]. Although the connection relationship between the controller 15 and different modules in the charging circuit 14 is not shown in the figure, it can be understood that the controller 15 can output control signals to the controllable elements in the charging circuit 14, such as the power elements in each module, through a wired or wireless connection relationship. In this embodiment, by controlling the working states of different modules in the charging circuit 14, the controller 15 can change the output power of different charging paths. In one embodiment, a controller can be respectively set for each charging path in the charger 10, or a controller can be set to control the components on all charging paths. In one embodiment, the controller 15 can be arranged on a control circuit board, the charging circuit 14 can be arranged on a power circuit board, or the controller 15 and the charging circuit 14 can be integrated on one circuit board.

[0034] In one implementation, the charging path L1 can be electrically coupled to the first battery connection terminal 121, and the charging path L2 can be electrically coupled to the second battery connection terminal 122. Since the maximum output powers of the two charging paths are different, if the battery connection terminal 12 into which the battery pack 20 is inserted does not match, intelligent optimized distribution of the charging power may not be achieved. For example, the maximum output power of the charging path L1 is basically the same as the input power of the charger 10, such as 300W, while the maximum output power of the charging path L2 is 150W. If the battery pack 20 can be charged at the maximum power, i.e., 300W charging, but the battery pack 20 is plugged into the second battery connection terminal 122, then the maximum power charging cannot be performed.

[0035] To solve the above problems, each battery connection terminal 12 in the present application can be electrically coupled to any one of any plurality of charging paths L. That is to say, the first battery connection terminal 121 can be electrically coupled to any one of the charging paths L1 or L2, and the second battery connection terminal 122 can also be electrically coupled to any one of the charging paths L1 or L2.

[0036] In this embodiment, a controllable power element, a multi-contact switch, a relay or other components can be used to realize that a battery connection terminal 12 is connected to different charging paths. In one implementation, a plurality of switch elements S are arranged in parallel on each charging path. One end of each switch element S is connected to the output end of the charging path, and the other end is connected to the battery connection terminal 12. As Figure 4a and Figure 4b shown, switch elements S1 and S3 are arranged in parallel in the charging path L1. The switch S1 can be electrically connected to the first battery connection terminal 121, and the switch S3 can be electrically connected to the second battery connection terminal 122. Switch elements S2 and S4 are arranged in parallel in the charging path L2. The switch S2 can be electrically connected to the first battery connection terminal 121, and the switch S4 can be electrically connected to the second battery connection terminal 122. In this embodiment, the control ends of the switch elements S1 to S4 are connected to the controller 15, and the controller 15 can control the on-off states of the respective switch elements. When the switch element is turned on, the charging path where it is located is turned on, and the battery connection terminal to which it is connected can receive charging electric energy. For example, when the switch S1 is turned on, the charging path L1 is turned on, and the first battery connection terminal 121 connected to S1 can output charging electric energy.

[0037] In this embodiment, the controller 15 controls the charging path electrically coupled to the first battery connection terminal 121 and the second battery connection terminal 122 by controlling the conduction states of the respective switching elements S1 to S4. Thus, regardless of whether the battery pack 20 is connected to the first battery connection terminal 121 or the second battery connection terminal 122, the controller 15 can enable the battery pack 20 to obtain an appropriate charging speed or charging power, etc. through the charging path adapted thereto. On the basis of selecting an appropriate charging path, the controller 15 can also match an appropriate charging mode for the battery pack according to the battery parameters of the battery pack. This avoids the situation where the battery pack 20 is connected to an inappropriate charging path and cannot be charged in an adapted charging mode. In this embodiment, the charging modes that the controller 15 can match for the battery pack may include a single-pack priority charging mode, a multi-pack balanced charging mode, a fast charging mode, a lifespan charging mode, a constant current charging mode, a constant voltage charging mode, a constant power charging mode, etc.

[0038] In this embodiment, the maximum output power of the charging path L1 is substantially equal to the input power of the charger 10, the maximum output power of the charging path L1 is substantially less than or equal to 80% of the input power of the charger 10, or less than or equal to 70% of the input power of the charger 10, or less than or equal to 60% of the input power of the charger 10, or 50% of the input power of the charger 10, etc. It can be understood that for a charger having 3 or more charging paths, at least one charging path has a charging power substantially equal to the input power of the charger 10, and at least one charging path has a charging power substantially less than or equal to 80% of the input power of the charger 10.

[0039] In other embodiments, at least two of the multiple charging paths have different charging rates, charging modes, magnitudes of charging currents, etc. That is to say, the battery pack 20 can be charged in different charging modes, charging methods, charging rates, charging powers, etc. on at least two different charging paths. The controller 15 can control the charging path connected to the battery connection terminal by controlling the conduction states of the switching elements, and further enable the battery pack at the battery connection terminal to obtain a charging power, charging current, charging rate, charging mode, etc. more suitable for its own battery characteristics in the above-mentioned charging paths.

[0040] In one embodiment, a parameter detection module 16 is further provided in the charger 10, which can detect the battery parameters of the battery pack 20 or the electrical parameters at the battery connection terminal 12. In one implementation, such as Figure 4a amount Figure 4bAs shown, the parameter detection module 16 is connected to the first battery connection terminal 121 and the second battery connection terminal 122, and can detect the electrical parameters at the first battery connection terminal 121 and the second battery connection terminal 122. For example, it can detect the voltage at the battery connection terminal 12 to determine whether a battery pack 20 is connected to this terminal. In this embodiment, the parameter detection module 16 can also obtain the battery parameters of the battery pack 20 from the battery connection terminal 12. In one implementation, the communication terminal in the battery connection terminal 12 can transmit the obtained battery parameters to the controller 15, or transmit them to the controller 15 through the parameter detection module 16.

[0041] In this embodiment, the battery parameters can include at least one of the voltage, state of charge, state of health, remaining power, temperature, or maximum charging current of the battery pack 20. The controller 15 can determine whether the battery connection terminal 12 is connected to a battery pack based on the electrical parameters at the battery connection terminal 12, and determine the charging mode, charging method, charging rate, charging current, etc. that the connected battery pack 20 can adapt to based on the battery parameters.

[0042] In one embodiment, if the controller 15 determines through the electrical parameters at the battery connection terminal 12 that only the first battery connection terminal 121 is connected to the battery pack 20, and comprehensively determines through the battery parameters that the battery pack 20 can be charged at the maximum power, it can control the switch S1 to conduct and the switches S2 - S4 to turn off, connecting the first battery connection terminal 121 to the charging path L1 to charge the battery pack 20 at the maximum power. In one embodiment, if the controller 15 determines through the electrical parameters at the battery connection terminal 12 that both the first battery connection terminal 121 and the second battery connection terminal 122 are connected to the battery pack 20, and the voltages of the two battery packs 20 are basically the same, or other battery parameters such as the power or lifespan are basically the same, it can control S1 and S3 to conduct and S2 and S4 to disconnect, or control S1 and S3 to disconnect and S2 and S4 to conduct, to charge the two battery packs 20 using basically the same charging mode, charging power, charging rate, or charging current.

[0043] In one embodiment, the controller 15 determines that both the first battery connection terminal 121 and the second battery connection terminal 122 are connected to the battery pack 20 based on the electrical parameters at the battery connection terminal 12. However, the two battery packs 20 differ significantly at least in terms of voltage parameters. For example, the voltage of the battery pack connected to the first battery connection terminal 121 is less than the voltage of the battery pack connected to the second battery connection terminal 122. Then the controller 15 can control S1 to conduct and S2 to disconnect, so that the first battery connection terminal 121 is connected to the charging path L1, control S4 to conduct and S3 to disconnect, so that the second battery connection terminal 122 is connected to the charging path L2. Thus, the battery pack 20 at the first battery connection terminal 121 can be charged with a relatively large charging current, and the voltage of the battery pack 20 at the first battery connection terminal 121 can be made consistent with the voltage of the battery pack 20 at the second battery connection terminal 122 in a relatively short time. After the voltages of the two battery packs 20 are charged to be basically the same, the controller 15 can switch the conduction state of the switches, so that the two battery connection terminals 12 are electrically coupled to the charging path L1, and the two battery packs 20 are charged using basically the same charging mode or charging power or charging rate or charging current.

[0044] In one embodiment, during the process of a battery connection terminal 12 being connected to and charged by the battery pack 20, the controller 15 detects that another battery connection terminal 12 is connected to the battery pack 20. If it is detected that the voltage of the newly connected battery pack 20 is not much different from or basically the same as the voltage of the battery pack 20 that is being charged, the controller 15 can control S1 and S3 to conduct and S2 and S4 to disconnect, or control S1 and S3 to disconnect and S2 and S4 to conduct, so as to charge the two battery packs 20 using basically the same charging mode or charging power or charging rate or charging current.

[0045] In one embodiment, during the process of a battery connection terminal 12 being connected to and charged by the battery pack 20, the controller 15 detects that another battery connection terminal 12 is connected to the battery pack 20. If it is detected that the voltage of the newly connected battery pack 20 is much higher than the voltage of the battery pack 20 that is being charged. Then regardless of which charging path the originally charged battery pack 20 is connected to, after the newly connected battery pack with a higher voltage is connected, the controller 15 controls the conduction state of the switches S1 to S4, connects the originally charged battery pack to the charging path L1, and connects the newly connected battery pack to the charging path L2. And after the voltages of the two packs are basically the same, change the conduction state of S1 - S4, so that both battery packs 20 are connected to the charging path L1, so as to charge the two battery packs 20 using basically the same charging mode or charging power or charging rate or charging current.

[0046] In one embodiment, during the process of connecting a battery connection terminal 12 to a battery pack 20 and charging, the controller 15 detects that another battery connection terminal 12 is connected to the battery pack 20. If it is detected that the voltage of the newly connected battery pack 20 is much lower than the voltage of the battery pack 20 that is being charged, then regardless of which charging path the originally charged battery pack 20 is connected to, after the battery pack with a higher newly connected voltage is connected, the controller 15 controls the on / off states of the control switches S1 to S4 to connect the newly connected battery pack to the charging path L1 and connect the originally charged battery pack to the charging path L2. After the voltages of the two packs are basically the same, the on / off states of S1 - S4 are changed so that both battery packs 20 are connected to the charging path L1 to charge the two battery packs 20 using basically the same charging mode or charging power or charging rate or charging current.

[0047] In one embodiment, during the process of charging with both battery connection terminals 12 connected to the battery pack 20, if one battery pack is unplugged, the controller 15 can change the switching elements S1 to S4 to switch the charging path of the remaining charging battery pack to L1. Of course, if the remaining charging battery pack is already connected to the charging path L1, there is no need to switch its charging path.

[0048] It should be noted that the charging modes in the above embodiments may include various charging modes or combinations of different charging modes such as single - pack priority charging, multi - pack balanced charging, fast charging, lifespan charging, constant - current charging, constant - voltage charging, constant - power charging, etc. Among them, single - pack priority charging can be understood as that regardless of how many battery packs are connected to the charger, any one of the battery packs can be controlled to be charged first. For example, it is charged with the maximum charging current that the battery pack can withstand. The multi - pack balanced charging mode can be understood as a mode in which when multiple battery packs with basically the same battery parameters are connected to the charger 10 at the same time, the multiple battery packs can be charged with basically the same charging rate or charging voltage or charging power, etc. Of course, for multiple battery packs with relatively large differences in battery parameters, such as a large voltage difference, the single - pack priority charging mode can be used to quickly charge the battery pack with a lower voltage to be basically the same as the voltage of the battery pack with a higher voltage and then perform balanced charging. The fast - charging mode can be understood as a mode of quickly charging with the maximum charging current that the battery pack can withstand. The lifespan - charging mode can be a charging mode that selects the most suitable charging power or limits the charging power or limits the upper charging voltage, etc. based on the health state of the battery pack to ensure that the health state of the battery pack is basically not affected. As for constant - current charging, constant - voltage charging, or constant - power charging, they are well - known battery charging modes and will not be elaborated here. In some embodiments, the above - mentioned multiple charging modes can be used in combination.

[0049] In the above embodiments, before the start of charging or during the charging process, the controller 15 can automatically switch or change the conduction states of the switching elements S1 - S4 by detecting the electrical parameters at the battery connection terminals 12 and the battery parameters of the battery pack 20, so as to change the charging path L for charging the battery pack 20, and control the charging circuit 14 in the corresponding charging path to charge the battery pack in a suitable charging mode. This makes the power distribution or the switching of the charging mode during the charging process of the multi - head charger more intelligent, and ensures the charging efficiency of the multi - head charger for at least two battery packs.

[0050] In one embodiment, as Figure 5 shown, the controller 15 further includes a communication module 151. The communication module 151 can communicate with the communication module in the user terminal 40 or can communicate with the communication module in the power tool 30. In one embodiment, the communication module 151 can support wireless communication, such as wifi communication technology, Bluetooth communication technology, ZigBee communication technology, cellular network communication technology, infrared communication technology, etc. In one embodiment, the communication module 151 can also support wired communication, such as USB communication technology, power line communication technology (Power Line Communication, PLC communication), Ethernet communication technology (EtherNet, ETH communication), etc. Among them, the user terminal 40 can be various terminal devices such as a smart phone, a computer, a tablet computer, etc.

[0051] In this embodiment, the communication module 151 can obtain the mode selection instruction sent by the user through the user terminal 40, and control at least one charging path to conduct according to the mode selection instruction, and charge the battery pack based on the charging mode indicated by the mode selection instruction along the conducted charging path. That is to say, the user can remotely control the charging mode of the charger 10 through the smart terminal.

[0052] In this embodiment, the controller 15 may have a priority setting for responding to mode selection instructions or response parameter changes. In one embodiment, the controller 15 preferentially selects mode selection instructions. Exemplarily, after the controller 15 detects the electrical parameters at the battery connection terminal 12, the battery parameters of the battery pack 20, and the mode selection instruction received by the communication module 151, the mode selection instruction may be set as the highest priority for response, and the mode selection instruction is preferentially responded to. For example, if the mode selection instruction is a single-pack priority charging instruction for the battery pack connected to the first battery connection terminal 121 selected, even if the voltage of the battery pack at the second battery connection terminal 122 is lower than the voltage of the battery pack at the first battery connection terminal 121, the controller 15 still selects to preferentially charge the battery pack at the second battery connection terminal 122. In one embodiment, the controller 15 preferably controls the charging path of the battery pack 20 according to the battery parameters and adaptively matches the charging mode, or preferably controls the charging path of the battery pack 20 according to the battery parameters, and after selecting the charging path, charges in the charging mode corresponding to the mode selection instruction. In other embodiments, the controller 15 may also set the order of more types of response instructions or parameter changes, which will not be enumerated one by one here.

[0053] In one embodiment, the charger 10 may further include a mode selector (not shown), and the mode selector may be disposed at any convenient operation position of the charger 10. The user can control the charging mode of the charger 10 by operating the mode selector. In this embodiment, the mode selector may be a button, a knob, a touch component, etc. After the mode selector is operated, it can trigger a mode selection instruction. This mode selection instruction may be the same as or different from the mode selection instruction sent by the user terminal 40. Similarly, the controller 15 may have a priority setting for responding to control instructions or response parameter changes. This will not be elaborated here.

[0054] In one embodiment, the power supply device may be an inverter that can convert direct current into alternating current and output it, or it may be a power transfer device that can transfer alternating current and output it, that is, the input of the power transfer device is alternating current and the output is also alternating current. The present application does not limit the specific name of the power supply device, and any device that can achieve the above functions is within the protection scope of the present application.

[0055] Such as Figure 6The power supply device 50 shown includes a housing 51, a first connection terminal 52, and a second connection terminal 53. Among them, the first connection terminal 52 is arranged to be able to access a power supply. In one embodiment, the first connection terminal 52 can be a battery connection terminal and can access the battery pack 20. In one embodiment, the first connection terminal 52 can be an AC connection terminal and can access alternating current. In one embodiment, the second connection terminal 53 can be a tool connection terminal and can access the power tool 30, where the power tool 30 can be an AC-powered tool or a DC-powered tool.

[0056] Continuing to refer to Figure 6 , a power supply circuit 54 is provided in the power supply device 50. The power supply circuit 54 has at least two power supply paths 541 and 542, and can convert the electrical energy input by the power supply (such as the battery pack 20) and supply power to the power tool 30.

[0057] When the power supply device 50 accesses at least two power tools 30, it can supply power to at least two power tools 30 simultaneously. However, when the electrical energy stored in the battery pack 20 is insufficient, or the power supply power that the battery pack 20 can provide is less than the sum of the required powers of multiple power tools 30, or the total output power of the power supply device 50 is greater than the total input power of the device itself, the power supply device 50 can cut off all the power supply paths 54 connected to the second connection terminal 53, and can conduct multiple power supply paths 54 when the total power of the power supply device 50 can support the power consumption of multiple power tools 30. However, in some special working conditions, frequent power outages of power tools or electrical equipment will affect their working quality. For example, an electric cooker that is cooking in household electrical equipment, or a lamp that illuminates in a dark environment, etc.

[0058] In one embodiment, referring to Figure 7 the circuit structure in the power supply device 50 shown, the power supply device 50 can also include a DC / DC module 55, an inverter circuit 56, and a controller 57. Among them, a power supply switch 543 is provided in each power supply path 54. The controller 57 can at least control the on / off states of the respective power supply switches 543, thereby controlling the power supply states of the power supply paths 54 where the respective power supply switches 543 are located, that is, controlling whether the power supply paths 54 can output electrical energy to the second connection terminal 53 electrically coupled thereto.

[0059] In this embodiment, the controller 57 can control the on / off states of the respective power supply paths 54 according to the battery parameters of the battery pack 20 and / or the tool parameters of the power tool 30. For example, when the controller 57 detects that the battery pack 20 is fully charged or the total output power of the battery pack 20 is greater than the total power consumption of all the electrical devices currently connected to the power supply device 50, it can control all the power supply paths 54 connected to the power tools or electrical devices to be turned on, so as to supply power to all the power tools or electrical devices connected to the power supply device 50. In this embodiment, the electrical parameters of the battery pack may include the output power of the battery pack, the supply voltage, the battery capacity, the total energy, the temperature of the battery pack, etc. The tool parameters may include the operating voltage, the operating current, the power, etc. of the power tool.

[0060] In one embodiment, when at least two power supply paths 54 of the power supply device 50 are conducting to output electrical energy, the controller 57 can cut off at least one power supply path 54 according to the battery parameters and / or the tool parameters. That is to say, the controller 57 can disconnect all the power supply paths, or a part of the power supply paths and keep a part of the power supply paths for power supply. In this embodiment, the controller 57 can control the power supply switch 543 on the corresponding power supply path 54 to be turned off.

[0061] Exemplarily, when the output power of the battery pack 20 is less than the total power consumption of the respective power tools 30, one or more power supply paths can be randomly cut off to at least ensure that the total power consumption of the power tools 30 is less than or equal to the output power of the battery pack 20, or reduce the output power of one or more power supply paths, so as to ensure that the continuous output power of the target power supply path can meet the continuous operation of the power tool connected to the power supply path. In one implementation manner, the controller 57 can select the power supply path 54 to be cut off according to the tool attributes or identification information of the respective power tools. Exemplarily, when at least two power tools are connected to the power supply device 50, the controller 57 can obtain the identification information of the power tools, and then can set the power supply priority for the tools according to the identification information. For example, the priority of the lighting lamp is the highest, the priority of the electric fan is the second, and the priority of the TV is the lowest. When the output power of the battery pack 20 is less than the total power consumption of the respective power tools 30, the controller 57 can first disconnect the power supply path connected to the TV, then disconnect the power supply path connected to the electric fan, and finally disconnect the power supply path connected to the lighting lamp. In one embodiment, when the output power of the battery pack 20 is less than the total power consumption of the respective power tools 30, the controller 57 can also keep the power supply path of the electrical device with the highest priority continuously powered, and disconnect all the other power supply paths, so as to ensure the continuous output of electrical energy of the power supply path with the highest priority to the greatest extent.

[0062] In one embodiment, the power supply device 50 may further include a mode operation member 58. The mode operation member 58 may be disposed at any position of the power supply device 50. For example, it may be disposed at a position convenient for user operation, such as the upper end face, front end face, rear end face, or side face of the power supply device 50. By operating the mode operation member 58, the user can select the power supply mode of the power supply device 50. The power supply mode at least includes the selection of the power supply sequence, time, or discharge power of multiple power supply paths 54, etc. After the mode operation member 58 is operated, a power supply mode instruction can be triggered. The controller 57 can control the power supply mode of the power supply path 54 according to the power supply mode instruction. For example, when the controller 57 can output electrical energy from at least two power supply paths, it can control the target power supply path to continuously supply power according to the power supply mode instruction. Herein, the target power supply path may be the power supply path that needs to continuously supply power indicated by the power supply mode instruction, or the power supply path that needs to continuously supply power determined by the controller 57 according to the battery parameters and / or tool parameters. In one implementation manner, the mode operation member 58 may be a button, a knob, a touch member, etc.

[0063] In one embodiment, as Figure 8 shown, the power supply device 50 may further include a communication unit 571. The communication unit 501 may support wireless communication or wired communication and can communicate with the user terminal 60, and at least can obtain the power supply mode instruction sent by the user through the user terminal. Alternatively, the communication unit 571 may be disposed within the controller 57 or be a part of the controller 57. In one embodiment, the communication unit 571 may support wireless communication, such as wifi communication technology, Bluetooth communication technology, ZigBee communication technology, cellular network communication technology, infrared communication technology, etc. In one embodiment, the communication unit 501 may also support wired communication, such as USB communication technology, PLC communication, ETH communication, etc. Herein, the user terminal 60 may be various terminal devices such as a smart phone, a computer, a tablet computer, etc.

[0064] In one embodiment, the power supply mode instruction at least includes one or a combination of instructions such as the discharge sequence, discharge time, and discharge power of multiple power supply paths. For example, the power supply mode instruction may include the target power supply path, the time and power for which this path continuously supplies power.

[0065] In this embodiment, by operating the mode operation member 58 for close control or remotely controlling through the user terminal 60, at least when the power supply device 50 has multiple power supply paths 54 supplying power simultaneously and the input power of the battery pack 20 is less than the total power of all electrical devices, at least one target power supply path can be reserved to supply power to at least one electric tool, avoiding the working quality of some electric tools that cannot be powered off or cannot be powered off frequently.

[0066] The basic principles, main features, and advantages of the present application have been shown and described above. Those skilled in the art should understand that the above embodiments do not limit the present application in any form. Any technical solutions obtained by means of equivalent substitution or equivalent transformation fall within the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A power supply device, comprising: Housing; At least one set of battery connection terminals supported by the housing, the battery connection terminals being configured to access a battery pack; Multiple tool connection ends configured to access a power tool; A power supply circuit including at least two power supply paths for converting the electrical energy input from the battery pack and supplying power to the power tool; A controller electrically connected to at least the power supply circuit; Wherein, the controller is configured to: When at least two power supply paths output electrical energy, control at least one of the power supply paths to continuously supply power.

2. The power supply device according to claim 1, wherein, The power tool includes an AC-powered tool; the power supply circuit at least includes an inverter circuit to invert the electrical energy input from the battery pack to supply power to the AC-powered tool.

3. The power supply device according to claim 1, wherein, A power supply switch is provided on the power supply path; the controller is configured to be able to control the on / off state of the power supply switch to control the power supply state of the power supply path where the power supply switch is located.

4. The power supply device according to claim 1, wherein, The power supply device further includes: a mode operation member provided on the housing, configured to receive a mode selection operation and trigger a power supply mode instruction; the controller is configured to, when at least two power supply paths output electrical energy, control the target power supply path to continuously supply power according to the power supply mode instruction.

5. The power supply device according to claim 1, wherein, The power supply device further includes a communication unit configured to be able to receive a power supply mode instruction sent by a user terminal; the controller is configured to, when at least two power supply paths output electrical energy, control the target power supply path to continuously supply power according to the power supply mode instruction.

6. The power supply device according to claim 5 or 6, wherein, The power supply mode instruction at least includes a combination of one or more of the discharge sequence, discharge time, and discharge power of multiple power supply paths.

7. A power supply device, comprising: Housing; A first connection terminal configured to access a power supply; Multiple second connection terminals configured to access a power tool; A power supply circuit including at least two power supply paths for converting the electrical energy input from the power supply and supplying power to the power tool; A controller electrically connected to at least the power supply circuit; Wherein, the controller is configured to: When at least two power supply paths output electrical energy, control at least one of the power supply paths to continuously supply power.

8. The power supply device according to claim 7, wherein, The power supply device further includes: a mode operation member provided on the housing, configured to receive a mode selection operation and trigger a power supply mode instruction; the controller is configured to, when at least two power supply paths output electrical energy, control the target power supply path to continuously supply power according to the power supply mode instruction.

9. The power supply device according to claim 7, wherein, The power supply device further includes a communication unit configured to be able to receive a power supply mode instruction sent by a user terminal; the controller is configured to, when at least two power supply paths output electrical energy, control the target power supply path to continuously supply power according to the power supply mode instruction.

10. The power supply device according to claim 8 or 9, wherein, The power supply mode instruction at least includes one or more of the discharge sequence, discharge time, and discharge power of multiple power supply paths.

Images