Electric working machine

Abstract

To provide an electric working machine configured so that heat generated from a battery is hardly accumulated while preventing contact of rainwater or the like with a connection terminal to which the battery is electrically connected.SOLUTION: According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electric working machine including an electric working unit and a main body, wherein the electric working unit is provided on a front side of the main body and is configured to be operated by electric power supplied from a battery, the main body includes a battery storage part configured to form a gap opening upward between the main body and the battery in a state in which the battery is inserted from above, and a cover attached to the battery storage part so as to cover the battery from above, and the cover is configured to expose the gap to the outside in a state in which the cover is attached to the battery storage part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electric power tool. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a chainsaw that includes a motor, a housing in which the motor is disposed, a battery pack that is detachably attached to the housing and electrically connected to the motor, and a cover that is connected to the housing and that covers the battery pack in an openable and closable manner. In such chainsaws, when the battery pack is covered with the cover, the housing is sealed. While this prevents rainwater and other elements from coming into contact with the connection terminals to which the battery pack is electrically connected, heat generated by the battery pack can accumulate inside the housing, which can cause the battery pack to shut down for safety reasons. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-21558 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In view of the above circumstances, the present invention provides an electric work machine that is configured to prevent rainwater and the like from coming into contact with the connection terminal to which the battery is electrically connected, while making it difficult for heat from the battery to accumulate. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electric work machine comprising an electric working unit and a main body unit, the electric working unit being provided on the front side of the main body unit and configured to operate using power supplied from a battery, the main body unit having a battery storage section that forms a gap between the battery and the main body unit that is open to the top when the battery is inserted from above, and a cover that is attached to the battery storage section so as to cover the battery from above, and the cover being configured so that the gap can be exposed to the outside when attached to the battery storage section.

[0006] According to this aspect, it is possible to prevent rainwater and the like from coming into contact with the connection terminals, while also making it difficult for heat generated by the battery to accumulate. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a left side view showing the overall configuration of the chain saw. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a chainsaw as viewed from above. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a chainsaw as viewed from below. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a part of the cross section taken along the line AA in FIG. 2. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating other configuration examples of the cover. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating other configuration examples of the cover. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments of an electric operating machine will be described with reference to the drawings. Various features shown in the following embodiments can be combined with each other. In the following, a chainsaw for cutting trees, boards, etc. will be described as a representative example of an electric work machine. FIG. 1 is a left side view showing the overall configuration of a chain saw. In this specification, as shown in the drawings, the up-down direction, the front-rear direction, and the left-right direction are defined. Specifically, the vertical direction when the chainsaw 1 is placed on a flat, horizontal installation surface is defined as the up-down direction. The front-to-rear direction is defined as the direction perpendicular to the up-down direction, and the left-to-right direction is defined as the direction perpendicular to both the up-down direction and the front-to-rear direction.

[0009] The chainsaw 1 includes a main body 2, an electric working part 3, an intake part 4, a handle part 5, and a battery 6. The electric working unit 3 is provided on the front side of the main body 2, and is configured to operate using power supplied from the battery 6 when the operator performs work using the chainsaw 1. This operation causes the electric working unit 3 to directly act on the work object. Here, the work performed by the operator is, for example, cutting trees, boards, etc. The electric working unit 3 includes a guide bar 31, a saw chain 32, and a lever 33. The guide bar 31 is a plate-shaped member that extends in the front-to-rear direction, and its rear end is attached to the main body 2. A circular saw chain 32 is wound around the outer periphery of the guide bar 31.

[0010] Although not shown in FIG. 1, the main body 2 houses a control board, a drive gear, a motor, and the like. The saw chain 32 is engaged with a drive gear, which is driven to rotate by a motor. When the lever 33 is operated, the control board executes a control process for controlling the rotation of the motor. With the above configuration, when the operator operates the lever 33 , the motor controlled by the control board rotates the drive gear, and this rotational power rotates the saw chain 32 along the outer periphery of the guide bar 31 .

[0011] The main body 2 is made of a resin material or the like and is a housing (also called a "case") that houses the motor, etc. The main body 2 has a bottom surface 21, a battery storage section 22, and a rear handle 23. The bottom surface 21 is a portion that comes into contact with the installation surface when the chainsaw 1 is placed on the installation surface. In this embodiment, the bottom surface 21 includes a flat surface that comes into contact with the installation surface, but it may have a shape that comes into contact with the installation surface at multiple sides or points as long as the chainsaw 1 is stable when placed on the installation surface. The battery 6 is inserted into the battery storage section 22 from the top side. The rear handle 23 is provided on the rear side of the main body 2 and is the part that the operator grips when performing electrical work. The rear handle 23 is a rod-shaped part that is long in the front-to-rear direction and is sized to be easy for the operator to grip with his hand.

[0012] The intake section 4 has an intake port 41 and forms a passage for sending the air taken in from the intake port 41 into the inside of the main body section 2 as cooling air. The handle section 5 has a front handle 51 and a front hand guard 52. The front handle 51 is provided on the front side of the main body section 2 and is the part that the operator grips when performing electrical work. The front handle 51 is provided from the top to the left side of the main body section 2 and is designed to be held in different positions depending on whether the work object is to be cut vertically or horizontally. The front hand guard 52 protects the hands gripping the front handle 51 from injury, and also functions as a brake to stop the operation of the electric working unit 3.

[0013] As described above, the operator holds the front handle 51 and the rear handle 23 while carrying the main body 2 of the chainsaw 1, and rotates the saw chain 32 to perform work on a work target such as a tree. In the chainsaw 1, the side of the saw chain 32 where work is performed is defined as the front side, and the side of the rear handle 23 that the operator grips is defined as the rear side, and the directions pointing to the front and rear are defined as the front-to-rear direction. In addition, the directions facing left and right when looking at the front from the rear are defined as the left-to-right direction.

[0014] The battery 6 has an elongated outer shape. The battery 6 is inserted from above into the storage space 220 of the battery storage section 22, with its longitudinal direction as the insertion direction. Hereinafter, the upper end of the battery 6 when inserted into the battery storage section 22 will also be referred to as the upper end 61, and the lower end as the lower end 62. Meanwhile, the battery 6 is removed from the upper side in a removal direction opposite to the insertion direction.

[0015] The battery storage section 22 has a storage space 220 into which the battery 6 can be inserted from above, and detachably holds the battery 6 inserted into the storage space 220. The storage space 220 has a first opening 221 on the upper side through which the battery 6 passes when inserted, and a second opening 222 on the opposite side (lower side) to the first opening 221. The second opening 222 is provided with a size that allows an operator's fingers to pass through.

[0016] According to this aspect, by inserting a finger into the second opening 222 and pressing the lower end 62 of the battery 6, a force can be applied to the battery 6 in the removal direction (upward), making it easier to remove the battery 6 than when the second opening 222 is not provided. Also, since it is easier to provide the second opening 222 than when a removal mechanism including a spring member, a lever, or the like is provided, the chainsaw 1 can make it easier to remove the battery with a simpler configuration.

[0017] The first opening 221 is a location where the storage space 220 opens to the outside on the upper end 61 side of the battery 6. The second opening 222 is a location where the storage space 220 opens to the outside on the lower end 62 side of the battery 6. In other words, when the battery storage section 22 of the main body 2 is placed with the bottom surface 21 facing downwards, the second opening 222 is located lower than the first opening 221. According to this embodiment, the battery 6 can be inserted into the storage space 220 by its own weight, making it easier to insert the battery 6 compared to when the positional relationship between the first opening 221 and the second opening 222 is reversed.

[0018] As shown in Fig. 2, the main body 2 is provided with a non-slip surface 24 on the rear side of the first opening 221 (battery storage section 22). The non-slip surface 24 is formed by a plurality of ribs that extend in the left-right direction. The non-slip surface 24 is the part that an operator's thumb touches when gripping the rear handle 23, and is also the part that an operator's fingers touch when removing the battery 6, and prevents the fingers from slipping when touching it. The non-slip surface 24 is not limited to a plurality of ribs, but may be, for example, a surface with a plurality of protrusions, a plurality of depressions, or a surface with a compound or wavy surface, like a file. 3, the main body 2 is provided with an exhaust port 25 on the front side of the second opening 222. The exhaust port 25 takes in air from the intake port 41 and discharges the air (cooling air) that has cooled heat-generating components such as the motor and control board arranged inside the main body 2 to the outside.

[0019] As described above, the battery storage section 22 has the second opening 222 on the side of the lower end 62 of the battery 6. Here, the length (dimension) of the battery 6 in the left-right direction is greater than the length (dimension) of the second opening 222 in the left-right direction. In other words, a part of the lower end 62 of the battery 6 is covered by the bottom surface section 21. In this way, the second opening 222 has a shape and size that prevents the battery 6 inserted into the storage space 220 from passing through by the bottom surface portion 21, etc. According to this embodiment, it is easier to ensure the strength of the main body portion 2 compared to when the second opening 222 has a shape and size that allows the battery 6 to pass through, like the first opening 221.

[0020] Moreover, the exhaust port 25 is provided between the electric working unit 3 and the second opening 222. According to this embodiment, the air discharged from the exhaust port 25 makes it difficult for foreign matter such as chips generated during work to enter the storage space 220. Furthermore, by directing the direction in which the air discharged from the exhaust port 25 is discharged toward the side in the left-right direction where the electric working unit 3 is installed (the lower side in Figure 3), it is possible to make it more difficult for foreign matter such as chips to enter the storage space 220.

[0021] 4, when the battery 6 is inserted (stored) in the storage space 220, the battery storage section 22 forms a gap 223 between the battery 6 and the storage space 220. This gap 223 opens to the upper side of the battery storage section 22 at the first opening 221, and also opens to the lower side of the battery storage section at the second opening 222. In other words, the gap 223 penetrates the main body 2 (battery storage section 22) from top to bottom, even when the battery 6 is stored in the storage space 220. 1 and 4, the main body 2 has a cover 29 attached to the battery storage section 22 so as to cover the battery 6 from above. When attached to the battery storage section 22, the cover 29 covers the upper end 61 of the battery 6, but does not cover the upper side of the gap 223, allowing the gap 223 to be exposed to the outside.

[0022] According to this configuration, water W such as rainwater is discharged to the outside from the lower side of the battery storage section 22 through the gap 223, which makes it possible to suitably prevent adverse effects (for example, leakage, corrosion, etc.) on electrical components such as the battery 6. Furthermore, heat H generated by the battery 6 is not accumulated in the battery storage section 22 but is discharged to the outside from the upper side, which makes it possible to sufficiently prevent malfunction of the battery 6. Furthermore, the cover 29 is attached to be rotatable relative to the battery storage section 22. With this configuration, the operation of attaching and detaching the battery 6 to and from the battery storage section 22 can be performed relatively easily.

[0023] The cover 29 has a cover body 291 that covers the battery 6, and legs 292 that are connected to the cover body 291 and fixed to the battery storage section 22. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1, the lower end of the leg 292 is rotatably attached to the main body 2 (battery storage section 22) on a rotation shaft 292a. As a result, cover 29 is configured to be able to rotate between a first position where it covers battery 6 and a second position where it rotates forward to expose battery 6. With this configuration, cover body 291 of cover 29 in the first position can cover battery 6 and the electrical components below it, thereby more effectively preventing water W from adversely affecting the electrical components.

[0024] In this embodiment, the battery storage section 22 has a connection terminal 27 electrically connected to the battery 6 forward of the gap 223. With this configuration, it is easy to protect the connection terminal 27, which is particularly susceptible to adverse effects of water W. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1, the cover body 291 of the cover 29 in the first position covers the vicinity of the top 28 of the main body 2 (the front boundary between the battery storage section 22 and the battery 6), thereby more effectively preventing water W from coming into contact with the connection terminal 27. 4, the rotation center O of the cover 29 is located between the connection terminal 27 and the gap 223 in the front-rear direction. This configuration makes it easy to prevent water W from entering the front boundary between the battery storage section 22 and the battery 6, even when the cover 29 is rotated from the first position to the second position. Furthermore, cover 29 is provided so that its tip is located forward of the edge of battery storage section 22 (top 28 of main body 2) on the side of connection terminal 27. With this configuration, since the rotation center O of cover 29 is provided on the side of connection terminal 27, even if water that has adhered to cover 29 due to the rotation of cover 29 flows forward of main body 2, it is possible to prevent or suppress water from entering between battery 6 and battery storage section 22.

[0025] The cover 29 may also have the configuration shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 are diagrams showing other configuration examples of the cover. The cover 29 shown in FIG. 5 is configured to be attached to the battery storage section 22 by sliding it up and down. 6 has a rotation shaft 292a at a position corresponding to the gap 223 of the battery storage section 22. The cover 29 is configured to rotate between a first position where it covers the battery 6 and a second position where it rotates rearward to expose the battery 6 to the outside.

[0026] In the above-described embodiment, a chainsaw has been described as an example of an electric work machine, but the electric work machine is not limited to this. For example, the electric work machine may be a hedge trimmer, a power cutter, a blower, etc. In other words, any electric work machine may be used as long as it has a battery mounted in a battery storage section of the main body and an electric work unit that operates with power supplied from the battery. Furthermore, it may be provided in the following aspects.

[0027] (1) An electric work machine comprising an electric working unit and a main body, the electric working unit being provided in front of the main body and configured to operate on power supplied from a battery, the main body having a battery storage section that forms a gap between the battery and the main body when the battery is inserted from above and is open to the top, and a cover that is attached to the battery storage section so as to cover the battery from above, the cover being configured to be able to expose the gap to the outside when attached to the battery storage section.

[0028] (2) The electric operating machine according to (1) above, wherein the cover is attached to the battery storage section so as to be rotatable relative to the battery storage section.

[0029] (3) In the electric working machine described in (2) above, the cover is configured to rotate between a first position that covers the battery and a second position that rotates forward to expose the battery to the outside.

[0030] (4) The electric operating machine according to any one of (1) to (3) above, wherein the gap is also open to a lower side of the battery storage section.

[0031] (5) In the electric operating machine described in any one of (1) to (4) above, the battery storage section has a connection terminal that is electrically connected to the battery on the front side of the gap.

[0032] (6) In the electric working machine described in (5) above, the cover is rotatably attached to the battery storage section, and the center of rotation is located between the connection terminal and the gap in the front-to-back direction.

[0033] (7) An electric working machine as described in any one of (1) to (6) above, wherein the cover has a cover body that covers the battery and legs that are connected to the cover body and fixed to the battery storage section. Of course, this is not the case.

[0034] Finally, while various embodiments of the present invention have been described, these are presented by way of example only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The novel embodiments may be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. The embodiments and their modifications are intended to be included within the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as within the scope of the inventions and their equivalents as defined in the appended claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0035] 1: Chainsaw 2: Main body 21: Bottom part 22: Battery compartment 220: Storage space 221: First opening 222: Second opening 223: Gap 23: Rear handle 24: Anti-slip 25: Exhaust port 27: Connection terminal 28:Top 29: Cover 291: Cover body 292: Legs 292a: Rotating shaft 3: Electric working part 31: Guide bar 32: Saw chain 33: Lever 4: Intake section 41: Air intake 5: Handle 51: Front handle 52: Front handguard 6: Battery 61:Top edge 62: Bottom edge W:Water H: Heat O: Rotation center

Claims

1. An electric work machine, The electric working unit and the main body are provided. the electric working unit is provided on the front side of the main body unit and is configured to operate using power supplied from a battery, The main body portion is a battery storage section that forms a gap that opens upward between the battery and the battery storage section when the battery is inserted from above; a cover attached to the battery storage section so as to cover the battery from above, The cover is configured to expose the gap to the outside when attached to the battery storage section.

2. The electric operating machine according to claim 1, The cover is attached to the battery storage section so as to be rotatable relative to the battery storage section.

3. The electric operating machine according to claim 2, The cover is configured to rotate between a first position in which it covers the battery and a second position in which it rotates forward to expose the battery to the outside.

4. The electric operating machine according to claim 1, The gap is also open to a lower side of the battery storage section.

5. The electric operating machine according to claim 1, The battery storage section has a connection terminal that is electrically connected to the battery forward of the gap.

6. The electric operating machine according to claim 5, The cover is attached to the battery storage section so as to be rotatable, and the center of rotation is located between the connection terminal and the gap in the front-rear direction.

7. The electric operating machine according to claim 1, The cover has a cover body that covers the battery, and legs that are connected to the cover body and fixed to the battery storage section.

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