Multi-bin battery pack charger and power supply

Abstract

A multi-compartment battery charger and power supply includes a device housing, a handle at a top portion of the device housing, a user interface disposed on a front side of the device housing between the top portion of the device housing and a bottom portion of the device housing, and first and second battery interfaces disposed at the bottom portion of the device housing. The first battery pack interface includes a terminal block configured to removably receive a battery pack.

Description

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 691,466, filed September 6, 2024. The entire disclosure of the aforementioned application is incorporated herein by reference. Background Technology

[0002] Power tool battery packs are used in the workplace to operate various power tools. Workplace AC power (i.e., AC outlets) may be limited. Furthermore, power tool battery packs may need to be charged before being used for other applications. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In some aspects, the technology described in this invention relates to a multi-compartment battery pack charger and power supply, comprising: a device housing; a handle located at a top portion of the device housing; a user interface disposed on the front side of the device housing between the top portion and the bottom portion of the device housing; and a first battery pack interface and a second battery pack interface disposed at the bottom portion of the device housing, the first battery pack interface including a terminal block configured to removably receive a battery pack.

[0004] In some aspects, the technology described in this invention relates to a multi-compartment battery pack charger and power supply, comprising: a first battery pack interface configured to removably receive a first battery pack; a second battery pack interface configured to removably receive a second battery pack; a power output unit; a discharge circuit electrically connected between (i) the first battery pack interface and the second battery pack interface and (ii) the power output unit; and a controller electrically connected to the discharge circuit, the controller being configured to sequentially discharge the first battery pack and the second battery pack using the discharge circuit, wherein the transition time for switching between the first battery pack and the second battery pack during sequential discharge is less than 125 milliseconds.

[0005] Before explaining any embodiment in detail, it should be understood that the application of each embodiment is not limited to the details of the configuration and arrangement of components described in the following description or shown in the drawings. Each embodiment can be practiced or implemented in various ways. Furthermore, it should be understood that the wording and terminology used in this invention are for illustrative purposes and should not be considered limiting. The use of "comprising," "including," or "having," and variations thereof, is intended to cover the items listed thereafter and their equivalents, as well as additional items. Unless otherwise stated or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," "supported," and "coupled," and variations thereof, are used broadly and cover direct and indirect mounting, connection, support, and coupling.

[0006] Furthermore, it should be understood that various embodiments may include hardware, software, and electronic components or modules, which, for the purposes of discussion, may be illustrated and described as if most components were implemented solely in hardware. However, those skilled in the art will recognize from this detailed description that, in at least one embodiment, the electronic aspects may be implemented in software (e.g., stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium) executable by one or more processing units (such as microprocessors and / or application-specific integrated circuits (“ASICs”)). Therefore, it should be noted that various embodiments may be implemented using a plurality of hardware and software-based devices and a plurality of different structural components. For example, “server,” “computing device,” “controller,” “processor,” etc., as described in the specification may include one or more processing units, one or more computer-readable medium modules, one or more input / output interfaces, and various connectors (e.g., system buses) for connecting components.

[0007] Related terms used in conjunction with quantities or conditions, such as “about,” “approximately,” “generally,” etc., will be understood by a person skilled in the art to include the stated value and have a meaning defined by the context (e.g., the term includes at least the degree of error associated with measurement accuracy, the tolerance associated with a particular value [e.g., manufacturing, assembly, use, etc.]). Such terms should also be considered to disclose a range defined by the absolute values ​​of two endpoints. For example, the statement “about 2 to about 4” also discloses a range of “2 to 4.” Related terms may refer to a percentage added to or subtracted from the indicated value (e.g., 1%, 5%, 10% or more).

[0008] It should be understood that although some figures illustrate hardware and software within a particular device, these depictions are for illustrative purposes only. Functions described herein as being performed by a single component can be performed by multiple components in a distributed manner. Similarly, functions performed by multiple components can be combined and performed by a single component. In some embodiments, the components shown may be combined or divided into separate software, firmware, and / or hardware. For example, logic and processing may be distributed among multiple electronic processors, rather than residing within and being performed by a single electronic processor. Regardless of how the hardware and software components are combined or divided, they may reside on the same computing device or be distributed among different computing devices connected via one or more networks or other suitable communication links. Similarly, components described as performing specific functions may also perform additional functions not described herein. For example, a device or structure “configured” in a certain way is at least configured in that manner, but may also be configured in a manner not explicitly listed.

[0009] Other aspects of the various embodiments will become apparent from the detailed description and accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0010] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of a multi-compartment battery pack charger and power supply according to some embodiments.

[0011] Figure 2 According to some embodiments Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a multi-compartment battery pack charger.

[0012] Figure 3 According to some embodiments Figure 1 A 3D view of a multi-compartment battery pack charger and power supply.

[0013] Figure 4 According to some embodiments Figure 1 Exploded view of the handle of the multi-compartment battery pack charger and power supply.

[0014] Figure 5 It is installed on the wall panel according to some embodiments. Figure 1 A 3D view of a multi-compartment battery pack charger and power supply. Detailed Implementation

[0015] Figure 1 An embodiment of a multi-compartment battery pack charger and power supply 100 is illustrated. The multi-compartment battery pack charger and power supply 100 includes a device housing 105, a plurality of battery pack interfaces 110 configured to removably receive a plurality of battery packs 115, and a user interface 120. The device housing 105 includes a handle 125 disposed at a top portion of the device housing 105. The battery pack interfaces 110 are disposed at a bottom portion of the device housing 105 opposite to the handle 125. In the illustrated embodiment, the multi-compartment battery pack charger and power supply 100 includes two battery pack interfaces 110 configured to removably (e.g., slidably) receive two battery packs 115. Each of the plurality of battery pack interfaces 110 includes a terminal block comprising terminals (e.g., power terminals and communication terminals) for connection to a corresponding battery pack terminal block of the battery pack 115. The user interface 120 is disposed on the front side of the device housing 105 between the top and bottom portions of the device housing 105.

[0016] Battery pack 115 is, for example, a power tool battery pack for operating battery-powered power tools. In some embodiments, battery pack 115 is a power tool battery pack based on an 18-volt nominal voltage lithium-ion chemical system. In other embodiments, battery pack 115 may have different nominal voltages (e.g., 12 volts, 36 volts, 72 volts, etc.) and different chemical systems (e.g., nickel-based).

[0017] User interface 120 includes a display section 130, an AC socket 135, an AC enable button 140, a plurality of DC sockets 145, and a DC enable button 150. In one embodiment, the display section 130 is, for example, an LCD display, an LED display, an e-ink display, etc. In the illustrated embodiment, the display section 130 includes a plurality of indicators to provide indications of the status of the multi-compartment battery pack charger and power supply 100 and the connected battery pack 115. For example, the display section 130 may display fuel gauges, socket status, over-temperature conditions, etc., related to the battery pack 115.

[0018] AC enable button 140 is, for example, a push-button switch that can be used to enable and disable AC jack 135. AC enable button 140 may include a transparent or translucent material disposed above an LED. AC enable button 140 can therefore also indicate whether AC jack 135 is enabled or disabled. In the illustrated embodiment, the plurality of DC jacks 145 includes three DC jacks 145. In the illustrated embodiment, the plurality of DC outlets 145 include three DC jacks: a first DC jack 145A, a second DC jack 145B, and a third DC jack 145C. The first DC jack 145A is a first type of DC jack, for example, a Universal Serial Bus-C (USB-C) Power Delivery (PD) jack configured to provide a maximum power output of about 100 watts. The second DC jack 145B and the third DC jack 145C are second type of DC jacks, for example, Universal Serial Bus-C (USB-C) jacks configured to provide a maximum power output of about 15 watts. DC enable button 150 is, for example, a push-button switch that can be used to enable and disable DC socket 145. DC enable button 150 may include a transparent or translucent material positioned above an LED. Therefore, DC enable button 150 can also indicate whether DC socket 145 is enabled or disabled. The DC socket can be unidirectional (i.e., output only) or bidirectional (i.e., input and output).

[0019] The device housing 105 can be made of lightweight plastic material. Without the battery pack 115, the weight of the multi-compartment battery charger and power supply 100 can be less than 4 pounds (lbs).

[0020] Figure 2This is a schematic diagram of the controller 200 of the multi-compartment battery pack charger and power supply 100. The controller 200 is electrically and / or communicatively connected to various modules or components of the multi-compartment battery pack charger and power supply 100. For example, the controller 200 shown is connected to the user interface 120, charging circuit 205, DC-AC converter 210, DC-DC converter 215, charging FET 220, discharging FET 225, and USB FET 230. The controller 200 provides control signals to control the user interface 120, charging circuit 205, DC-AC converter 210, DC-DC converter 215, charging FET 220, discharging FET 225, and USB FET 230.

[0021] The controller 200 includes a combination of hardware and software operable to control, in particular, the operation of the multi-compartment battery pack charger and the power supply 100. For example, the controller 200 specifically includes a processing unit 235 (e.g., a microprocessor, microcontroller, electronic processor, electronic controller, or other suitable programmable device), a memory 240, an input unit 245, and an output unit 250. The processing unit 235 specifically includes a control unit 255, an arithmetic logic unit (“ALU”) 260, and a plurality of registers 265 (in... Figure 3 The system is shown as a set of registers and is implemented using a known computer architecture (e.g., a modified Harvard architecture, von Neumann architecture, etc.). Processing unit 235, memory 240, input unit 245, and output unit 250, as well as various modules or circuits connected to controller 200, are connected via one or more control and / or data buses (e.g., common bus 270). For illustrative purposes, the data is shown as a set of registers and is implemented using a known computer architecture (e.g., a modified Harvard architecture, von Neumann architecture, etc.). Figure 2 The control and / or data bus is roughly shown in the diagram. Although the controller 200 is... Figure 2 While shown as a single controller, controller 200 may also include multiple controllers configured to work together to achieve a desired level of control over the multi-compartment battery pack charger and power supply 100. Therefore, any control functions and processes described herein with respect to controller 200 can also be performed by two or more controllers operating in a distributed manner.

[0022] Memory 240 is a non-transitory computer-readable medium, including, for example, a program storage area and a data storage area. The program storage area and data storage area may include combinations of different types of memory, such as read-only memory (“ROM”), random access memory (“RAM”) (e.g., dynamic RAM [“DRAM”], synchronous DRAM [“SDRAM”], etc.), electrically erasable programmable ROM (“EEPROM”), flash memory, hard disk, SD card, or other suitable magnetic, optical, physical, or electronic memory devices. Processing unit 235 is connected to memory 240 and configured to execute software instructions that can be stored in the RAM of memory 240 (e.g., during execution), the ROM of memory 240 (e.g., on a substantially permanent basis), or another non-transitory computer-readable medium (such as another memory or disk). Software included in the implementation of the multi-compartment battery pack charger and power supply 100 and controller 200 may be stored in the memory 240 of controller 200. Software includes, for example, firmware, one or more applications, program data, filters, rules, one or more program modules, and other executable instructions. The controller 200 is configured to retrieve and execute instructions related to the control flow and method described in this invention from the memory 240. In other embodiments, the controller 200 may include additional, fewer, or different components.

[0023] The multi-compartment battery pack charger and power supply 100 includes a power input 275, such as a power cord that can be plugged into a wall outlet to receive power from the grid or a generator. The power cord may be removable. The power input 275 is provided to a charging circuit 205 to charge the battery pack 115. In one embodiment, the multi-compartment battery pack charger and power supply 100 includes a port for connecting to a solar power source (e.g., a solar panel) to receive charging power for the battery pack 115. The charging circuit 205 includes a charging field-effect transistor (FET) 220 that selectively connects the power input to the battery pack interface 110 to charge the battery pack 115 received in the battery pack interface 110. The charging circuit 205 may be a fast charger or a standard charger. A controller 200 controls the charging FET 220 to charge the battery pack 115 received in the battery pack interface 110. The controller 200 sequentially charges the battery packs 115 received in the battery pack interface 110 such that only one battery pack 115 is charged at a time. Additionally, controller 200 operates battery pack 115 independently, neither in series nor in parallel. Instead, controller 200 can sequentially operate the battery pack, as further explained below. Controller 200 uses a discharge FET 225 to connect battery pack 115 to a DC-AC converter and a USB FET 230 to connect battery pack 115 to a DC-DC converter.

[0024] DC-AC converter 210 is an inverter circuit, for example, including a power switching network with an inverter bridge (3-bridge) configuration. DC-AC converter 210 converts DC power received from battery pack 115 in battery pack interface 110 into AC power supplied at AC socket 135. DC-AC converter 210 is configured to provide approximately 400 watts of pure sine wave AC output. Discharge FET 225 selectively electrically couples battery pack interface 110 to DC-AC converter 210. DC-DC converter 215 converts DC power from battery pack 115 at a first voltage to DC power supplied to DC socket 145 at a second voltage. DC-DC converter 215 is configured to provide approximately 100 watts of power from first DC socket 145A and approximately 15 watts of power from each of second DC socket 145B and third DC socket 145C. USB FETs 230 selectively electrically couple battery pack interface 110 to DC-DC converter 215.

[0025] Controller 200 controls DC-AC converter 210, DC-DC converter 215, discharge FET 225, and USB FET 230 to sequentially discharge a plurality of connected battery packs 115. In one embodiment, not all battery packs 115 discharge simultaneously. For example, a first battery pack 115 discharges at a first time while a second battery pack 115 does not discharge (i.e., when both battery packs are connected to or received at the battery pack interface 110). When the first battery pack 115 reaches the end of its discharge or is at a different transition point, the second battery pack 115 discharges at a second time while the first battery pack 115 does not discharge. The second time occurs after the first time (e.g., immediately following the first time). Controller 200 can control components such that the transition between the first and second battery packs 115 (i.e., between the first and second times) is less than 125 milliseconds (ms). In one embodiment, the transition time is between 15 ms and 30 ms. In some embodiments, the multi-compartment battery pack charger and power supply 100 can charge the first battery pack 115 while simultaneously discharging the second battery pack 115. For example, the controller 200 can charge the first battery pack 115 while simultaneously discharging the second battery pack 115 to the USB port 145 (e.g., pseudo-passthrough mode). In this embodiment, the AC port 135 can be disabled. The controller 200 can use a multiplexer or multiplexer control to control various FETs. The display portion 130 can use indicator LEDs to provide indication of charging and discharging. In some embodiments, the multi-compartment battery pack charger and power supply 100 can operate to charge or discharge even when only a single battery pack 115 is received.

[0026] In one embodiment, the multi-compartment battery pack charger and power supply 100 includes vents and a fan (not shown). Controller 200 controls the fan to generate airflow for cooling components of the multi-compartment battery pack charger and power supply 100. The fan can operate at a cumulative LwA (i.e., sound power) of less than 55 dB (A).

[0027] Figure 3 A multi-compartment battery pack charger and power supply 100 according to another embodiment is shown. In the illustrated embodiment, the multi-compartment battery pack charger and power supply 100 includes a socket cover 300 for covering an AC socket 135. Figure 3 A battery pack interface 110 configured to receive a power tool battery pack 115 is also shown.

[0028] Figure 4 An exploded view of the handle 125 is shown. The handle 125 includes a base 400 fixed to the device housing 105. The handle 125 also includes a molded overlay 410 disposed above the base 400 to provide a gripping area for the user.

[0029] In some embodiments, the multi-compartment battery pack charger and power supply 100 are adapted to be installed in the power tool storage system. Figure 5 An embodiment of a multi-compartment battery pack charger and power supply 100 mounted to a wall panel 500 is shown. The wall panel 500 may be part of a power tool storage system. Components of the power tool storage system may include mounting features 510 corresponding to each other to be slidably mounted to each other, for example. In the illustrated embodiment, the wall panel 500 may be secured to a wall using, for example, fasteners. The multi-compartment battery pack charger and power supply 100 includes mounting features 510 (not shown) on the rear (i.e., opposite to the front side providing the user interface 120) side to correspond to the mounting features 510 of the wall panel 500, so that the multi-compartment battery pack charger and power supply 100 are mounted to the wall panel 500 using the corresponding mounting features 510.

[0030] Therefore, the embodiments described in this invention particularly provide a multi-compartment battery pack charger and power supply.

Claims

1. A multi-compartment battery pack charger and power supply, comprising: Device housing; A handle, located at the top portion of the device housing; A user interface is disposed on the front side of the device housing, between the top portion and the bottom portion of the device housing; and A first battery pack interface and a second battery pack interface are disposed at the bottom portion of the device housing. The first battery pack interface includes a terminal block configured to removably receive a battery pack.

2. The multi-compartment battery pack charger and power supply as described in claim 1, wherein, The user interface includes an AC enable button and an AC socket.

3. The multi-compartment battery pack charger and power supply as described in claim 2, further comprising: A DC-AC converter is electrically connected between (i) the first battery pack interface and the second battery pack interface and (ii) the AC socket, and is configured to convert DC power received via the first battery pack interface and the second battery pack interface into AC power provided at the AC socket; and A controller, electrically coupled to the AC enable button and the DC-AC converter, is configured to: The AC port is enabled / disabled in response to the actuation of the AC enable button.

4. The multi-compartment battery pack charger and power supply as described in claim 3, wherein, The DC-AC converter is configured to provide approximately 400 watts of pure sine wave AC output.

5. The multi-compartment battery pack charger and power supply as described in claim 3, wherein, The AC enable button includes a light-emitting diode (LED) and a transparent or translucent material disposed above the LED, wherein the controller is electrically coupled to the LED and configured as follows: When the AC socket is enabled, the LED is activated; and When the AC socket is disabled, the LED is disabled.

6. The multi-compartment battery pack charger and power supply as described in claim 1, wherein, The user interface includes a DC enable button and a plurality of Universal Serial Bus-C (USB-C) ports, including at least one USB-C Power Delivery (PD) port.

7. The multi-compartment battery pack charger and power supply as described in claim 6, further comprising: A DC-DC converter electrically connected between (i) the first battery pack interface and the second battery pack interface and (ii) the plurality of USB-C ports, and configured to convert DC power received at a first voltage via the first battery pack interface and the second battery pack interface into DC power provided at a second voltage at the plurality of USB-C ports; and A controller, electrically coupled to the DC enable button and the DC-DC converter, is configured to: The plurality of USB-C ports are enabled / disabled in response to actuation of the DC enable button, such that a single DC enable button is used to enable / disable the plurality of USB-C ports.

8. The multi-compartment battery pack charger and power supply as described in claim 7, wherein, The DC-DC converter is configured to provide approximately 100 watts of maximum power from a first USB-C port among the plurality of USB-C ports, and approximately 15 watts of maximum power from a second USB-C port among the plurality of USB-C ports.

9. The multi-compartment battery pack charger and power supply as described in claim 7, wherein, The DC enable button includes a light-emitting diode (LED) and a transparent or translucent material disposed above the LED, wherein the controller is electrically coupled to the LED and configured as follows: When the plurality of USB-C ports are enabled, the LED is activated; and The LED is disabled when the plurality of USB-C ports are disabled.

10. The multi-compartment battery pack charger and power supply as described in claim 1, wherein, The handle includes a base fixed to the housing of the device and a cover molding disposed above the base, the cover molding providing a gripping area for the user.

11. The multi-compartment battery pack charger and power supply as described in claim 1, wherein, The weight of the device housing is less than 4 pounds.

12. The multi-compartment battery pack charger and power supply of claim 1, further comprising a mounting feature disposed on a rear portion of the device housing and configured to be slidably mounted to a power tool storage system.

13. A multi-compartment battery pack charger and power supply, comprising: A first battery pack interface, configured to removably receive a first battery pack; A second battery pack interface is configured to removably receive a second battery pack. Power output unit; A discharge circuit, which is electrically connected between (i) the first battery pack interface and the second battery pack interface and (ii) the power output unit; and A controller, electrically connected to the discharge circuit and configured to: The discharge circuit is used to sequentially discharge the first battery pack and the second battery pack, wherein the transition time for switching between the first battery pack and the second battery pack during sequential discharge is less than 125 milliseconds.

14. The multi-compartment battery pack charger and power supply as described in claim 13, wherein, The transition time is between 15 milliseconds and 30 milliseconds.

15. The multi-compartment battery pack charger and power supply as claimed in claim 13, further comprising: Power input section; and A charging circuit, which is electrically connected between (i) the first battery pack interface and the second battery pack interface and (ii) the power input unit. The controller is electrically coupled to the charging circuit and configured as follows: The charging circuit is used to sequentially charge the first battery pack and the second battery pack, wherein the transition time for switching between the first battery pack and the second battery pack during sequential charging is less than 125 milliseconds.

16. The multi-compartment battery pack charger and power supply as described in claim 15, wherein, The controller is further configured as follows: The charging circuit is used to charge the first battery pack, while the discharging circuit is used to discharge the second battery pack.

17. The multi-compartment battery pack charger and power supply as claimed in claim 16, further comprising: AC socket; and USB-C port The discharge circuit includes: A DC-AC converter is electrically connected between (i) the first battery pack interface and the second battery pack interface and (ii) the AC socket, and is configured to convert DC power received via the first battery pack interface and the second battery pack interface into AC power provided at the AC socket; and A DC-DC converter electrically connected between (i) the first battery pack interface and the second battery pack interface and (ii) the USB-C port, and configured to convert DC power received at a first voltage via the first battery pack interface and the second battery pack interface into DC power provided at the USB-C port at a second voltage.

18. The multi-compartment battery pack charger and power supply as claimed in claim 17, further comprising: A power input unit configured to receive a power cord inserted into a wall socket, wherein the controller is further configured to disable the AC socket while the first battery pack is being charged using power from the power input unit, while simultaneously discharging the second battery pack into the USB-C socket.

19. The multi-compartment battery pack charger and power supply as described in claim 17, wherein, The DC-AC converter is configured to provide approximately 400 watts of pure sine wave AC output, and the DC-DC converter is configured to provide approximately 100 watts of maximum power from the USB-C port.

20. The multi-compartment battery pack charger and power supply of claim 13, wherein the first battery pack and the second battery pack have a nominal voltage of about 18 volts.

Images