Chargers and systems for rescue tools

Abstract

This disclosure relates to a charger for charging multiple rechargeable batteries of one or more battery-powered portable rescue tools, each of which is configured to be detachably connected to the battery-powered portable rescue tool or charger. The charger comprises a spare battery terminal, one or more output terminals, and a controllable power unit. The spare battery terminal is configured to allow a spare first battery from the multiple rechargeable batteries to be directly connected to the charger for charging the first battery. One or more output terminals are configured to allow one or more additional batteries from one or more battery-powered rescue tools to be connected to the charger for charging the one or more additional batteries. The controllable power unit is electrically connected to the spare battery terminal and one or more output terminals. The controllable power unit is configured to selectively supply power to the first battery and one or more additional batteries from one or more rescue tools.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to a charger for charging a plurality of rechargeable batteries of one or more battery-powered portable rescue tools, a system of such a charger equipped with a plurality of battery-powered portable rescue tools, and the use of the charger and the system.

Background Art

[0002] [[ID=eleven]] Rescue vehicles such as fire trucks are designed to carry equipment that can be used in various different accidents. Types of accidents include fires, water accidents, accidents at heights, accidents caused by hazardous substances, accidents where there is a risk of collapse, entrapment in a vehicle, accidents where a tree or part of it becomes unstable or causes a dangerous situation, etc. For each type of accident, one or more different rescue electric tools are required. Examples of rescue tools include various types of saws, hydraulic devices for cutting and opening / spreading a vehicle when trapped, positive pressure fans for discharging smoke and gas, pumps for emptying a flooded basement, lighting units for illuminating the accident site, etc. As a result, rescue vehicles often become overcrowded with electric tools.

[0003] Many of these rescue tools (hereinafter also referred to as rescue power tools or power tools) are equipped with rechargeable batteries, which must be removed from the rescue tool and charged in a charger when depleted. Various rescue tools often require different types of batteries, meaning that each of them comes with its own unique (or at least incompatible) charger. Furthermore, spare batteries are often made available in rescue vehicles so that a fully charged (spare) battery can always be used to operate a particular rescue tool. This multitude of different chargers and batteries further exacerbates the problem of overcrowding in rescue vehicles. A known charging system in this technology is shown in Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram according to a known arrangement of a set of rescue tools in a rescue vehicle. Figure 2 shows different rescue tools 20, 20', 20'' with batteries 15B, 15B', 15B'' connected to a corresponding number of separate chargers (C, C', C''). Figure 2 shows a practical arrangement in which the rescue tools and chargers are mounted in a vehicle (V), for example, on a slide-out panel (P) of a rescue truck. In these systems, a single charger can only charge one battery at a time, either located within or on the rescue tool. To charge multiple batteries located within the corresponding tool, multiple chargers (C, C', C'') are required. As shown in Figure 2, if multiple sets of chargers for numerous rescue tools are installed on the slide-out panel (P) of the rescue vehicle (V), the chargers can occupy a considerable amount of space. Furthermore, one or more spare batteries should be kept in the vehicle so that a depleted battery in a particular rescue tool can be replaced with a spare when using the rescue tool or when the battery of the rescue tool currently in use is about to run out.

[0004] Rescue tool chargers should be compact, taking into account the limited space available in rescue vehicles, and must be easy and convenient for rescue personnel to operate. In many cases, it is not possible to connect all rescue tools to their associated chargers in order to save storage space in rescue vehicles. If a rescue tool is switched off while stored in the rescue vehicle's storage compartment and is not connected to a charger, it may be impossible to determine the battery status of the rescue tool. This means that rescue personnel may actually be uncertain whether this rescue tool, or indeed all rescue tools in the rescue vehicle, are operational, and / or whether sufficient spare batteries are available for replacement in case of prolonged use of rescue tools in an emergency.

[0005] Generally, a group of rescue workers must be able to trust that all rescue tools in the rescue vehicle are fully charged and ready for immediate use. Furthermore, the chargers must be able to withstand harsh weather conditions, such as when they are exposed to physical shock, wind, rain, snow, or hail.

[0006] A further problem is that after deploying rescue tools, their batteries must be removed, placed on a charger to be fully charged, and then reassembled to prepare for the next deployment. All of this is done manually and may not be (fully) performed by the rescue team. These tasks are easily forgotten (especially if rescue team members are working different shifts), resulting in the tools not being ready for the next accident. [Overview of the project]

[0007] The objective is to provide a charger and system that mitigates or eliminates at least one of the above-mentioned disadvantages.

[0008] Furthermore, the aim is to provide a compact charger suitable for charging two or more rescue tools, and / or a system that can always determine the battery status of multiple rescue tools regardless of the state of the rescue tools (for example, whether the rescue tools are switched on or off).

[0009] According to a first aspect, a charger as described in attached claim 1 is provided. The charger provided herein is relatively compact and can significantly increase the number of rescue tools that can be connected and charged using a single charger. This means that, given the relatively small storage space available in a typical rescue vehicle, more rescue tools or all rescue tools in the vehicle's storage space can be connected to the charger. This then means that all batteries in the rescue tools are more likely to be properly charged and therefore ready to operate. Furthermore, when the rescue tools are stored, more rescue tools, or all rescue tools, can be connected to the charger, thus providing constant power to the rescue tools. As will be described later, this makes it possible to constantly supply power to electronic circuits such as communication modules within the rescue tools, for example, to constantly monitor the current status of each rescue tool and communicate with the charger and / or other external devices such as a smartphone.

[0010] Furthermore, the charger can properly accommodate at least one spare battery, ensuring that one or more rescue tools are prepared to have their batteries replaced if they run out. This also enhances the preparedness of the rescue tool kit and helps give rescue workers confidence that all rescue tools are always properly powered. The risk of rescue workers having to deal with underpowered rescue tools in the next accident is minimized.

[0011] In embodiments of the present invention, the spare first battery and one or more additional batteries are configured to be interchangeable (or essentially identical). In this way, the spare batteries are always available for attachment to any one of the rescue tools. This means that the rescue tools are always ready for use.

[0012] In this regard, it should be noted that, with a battery installed in the rescue tool, the output terminal of the charger may be directly connected to the battery, or indirectly connected to the battery, i.e., via the rescue tool itself. In one embodiment, at least one of the output terminals is provided with an electrical charging cable for detachable connection to the battery of the associated rescue tool or a directly associated rescue tool. The charger preferably has two or more output terminals for simultaneously connecting at least two rescue tools to their respective electrical charging cables. The electrical charging cable may be provided with a quick-release connector to facilitate connection of the cable to and disconnection of the cable from the rescue tool.

[0013] In further embodiments, the charger comprises a housing for housing at least a spare battery terminal, one or more output terminals, and a controllable power supply unit, preferably further an information acquisition unit and a controller, the housing preferably having mounting elements configured for removably mounting a spare first battery to the housing, and / or the housing preferably having a holding compartment for removablely holding a spare first battery, and optionally further having mounting elements for removablely holding at least partially the spare first battery in the housing. The battery may be held without being mounted in a compartment of the housing, but in other embodiments, the battery is located in a compartment and mounted to the housing using mounting elements.

[0014] In further embodiments, the charger is • A first housing portion in which a spare battery terminal, a controllable power unit, a retaining compartment and / or mounting elements are located, • A second housing portion separate from the first housing portion, the second housing portion having one or more output terminals, • A single connecting cable positioned between the first and second housing sections, configured to provide an electrical connection between the power supply unit and the respective output terminals. It is equipped with.

[0015] This embodiment (also known as the “splitter” configuration) is particularly beneficial when the charger is installed in a rescue vehicle. An additional benefit is that the second housing portion can be located away from the first housing portion within the vehicle. For example, if the first housing portion is located within the vehicle, in a position where the housing portion is protected by the vehicle from external influences such as rain and snow, and the second housing portion is potentially exposed to the environment, for example, if the second housing portion is located on a slide-out panel, the second housing portion can be configured to be robust and waterproof, while the first housing portion does not need to be waterproof and does not need to be as robust.

[0016] In further embodiments, the charger is • An information acquisition unit configured to acquire information about a connected first battery, a connected battery-powered rescue tool, and at least one of one or more further connected batteries. A controller connected to a controllable power supply unit and an information acquisition unit, configured to control the controllable power supply unit based on the acquired information. It is equipped with.

[0017] The charger may also be configured so that the acquisition unit can receive information about the connected battery-powered rescue tool and / or one or more additional connected batteries via one or more wired connections, where optionally, the wired connection is part of a charging cable placed between the power unit and the battery or battery-powered rescue tool for exchanging information via power line communication.

[0018] In a further embodiment, the charger comprises a charger communication module, the charger communication module configured such that an acquisition unit can receive information about a connected battery-powered rescue tool and / or one or more connected additional batteries from each battery communication module located on or within the rescue tool via one or more respective connections, wherein at least one of the charger communication module and battery communication module is a wireless communication module configured to transmit and receive information via at least one wireless connection.

[0019] In further embodiments, the charger communication module and at least one of the battery communication modules (preferably all of the battery communication modules) are configured to receive and transmit information via communication signals generated by at least one of the battery communication modules. The communication signals can be transmitted by the battery communication modules to the charger communication module wirelessly or via a galvanic connection (wired) (one-way communication). In some embodiments, two-way communication is also possible, and the charger communication module can transmit information signals to one or more battery communication modules.

[0020] In a further embodiment, at least one of the charger communication module and the battery communication module is configured to wirelessly transmit information about the connected battery-powered rescue tool and / or one or more additional connected batteries to a mobile device such as a mobile phone, tablet, or laptop. In this way, rescue workers can remotely monitor information about the rescue tool, such as status information, even while the rescue tool is stored in the rescue vehicle. This can provide rescue workers with confidence that the rescue vehicle is ready for use. In embodiments where the modules are configured for bidirectional communication, the mobile device can be used to remotely configure the operation of the charger, for example, to set the charging sequence of various rescue tools (and spare batteries).

[0021] In a further embodiment, the battery communication module of the additional battery is configured to be powered by the additional battery, which is connected to a battery charging cable connected to the additional battery. This allows power to be supplied to the battery communication module sequentially, i.e., by the battery and then the charger, or in the reverse order, or simultaneously, i.e., by both the battery and the charger at the same time. While the charger is supplying power to the battery communication module, the charger can also charge the battery. In another embodiment, only the battery can be connected to the battery communication module, and the battery can be connected to the charger.

[0022] If the associated rescue tool is switched on, and the battery communication module is powered only by an additional battery, the communication module will not be able to communicate the battery status of the rescue tool if the rescue tool is switched off. For example, if the rescue tool is switched off (for example, if the rescue tool is stored in a vehicle), the communication module will not be powered and therefore will not be able to communicate with the charger and, for example, will not be able to issue a warning that a particular battery is (almost) empty or faulty. In embodiments of the present disclosure, the battery communication module may also be powered by the charger, at least when the rescue tool is connected to the charger. This means that the battery communication module can be powered even when the rescue tool is switched off. This means that the battery status can always be transmitted to the charger, so that the operator can always know whether the rescue tool is ready for emergency action.

[0023] Considering that the charger's capabilities may be limited, it may be necessary to determine which batteries to charge, which not to charge, or in what order multiple rechargeable batteries need to be charged. Such a determination may be supported by information obtained from the batteries connected to the charger. In a further embodiment, the information that can be obtained from the first battery and / or one or more additional batteries may include at least one of the battery's state, such as the state of charge or the health state of the battery, the temperature of the battery, the errors of the battery, the number of charge cycles of the battery, the nominal voltage of the battery, the expected charging time of the battery, the type or model of the battery, the serial number of the battery. Also, the information that can be obtained from the rescue tool may include at least one of the (current) rescue state, the serial number of the tool, and the number of operating times of the rescue tool since the latest battery replacement.

[0024] In a further embodiment, the controller is configured to control a controllable power unit to selectively supply power to at least one of the first battery and one or more additional batteries based on a battery charging program stored in the controller, preferably based on the information obtained from the information acquisition unit.

[0025] In a further embodiment, the controller is programmed to select one or more batteries for charging based on a priority charging order, which is, for example, determined by the controller. The priority charging order may be based on the information obtained from the first battery and / or additional batteries, such as the state of the obtained rescue tool or the obtained battery state.

[0026] In a further embodiment, the controller controls the power unit to continuously charge the first battery and one or more additional batteries (regardless of the obtained state or according to the obtained information for each battery) based on the battery charging program.

[0027] Tools that are only used for a short time may still have a fairly full battery and may already be fully charged for further use while in use. Therefore, it is advantageous to first charge batteries that are empty or have a low charge level. In a further embodiment, the controller controls the power unit to charge the first battery based on a battery charging program.

[0028] The power unit, optionally also the controller, may be configured to supply power simultaneously from a plurality of connected batteries to a single connected battery, whereby this battery is charged as quickly as possible and thus the associated rescue tool is ready for operation in the shortest possible time interval.

[0029] The power unit, optionally also the controller, may be configured to charge the batteries one at a time (sequentially) from a plurality of connected rechargeable batteries. Charging of one or more additional batteries is preferably achieved as follows: at the start of the charging operation, the battery with the lowest charge level is charged first, and then the remaining batteries are charged in the order in which the charge level of the batteries increases at the start of the charging operation.

[0030] While it may be preferable for all rescue tools to have fully charged batteries, this is not necessarily required for all rescue tools, as they can function well and for a sufficiently long time even with low battery charge levels. Furthermore, if all batteries are only partially charged, for example, half-charged, the individual tools at that time may not be able to function for the longest possible time, but they can all function long enough to perform the required rescue operations. The situation in which all rescue tools can operate for a sufficiently long time during a rescue operation may be preferred over a situation in which some rescue tools are at their maximum capacity, but one or more others are not sufficiently powered (e.g., charged below a first threshold). In a further embodiment, the controller may be programmed to control the power unit to charge the first battery and one or more additional batteries, including charging the first battery and one or more additional batteries that are charged below a first threshold up to a maximum of the first threshold (e.g., 80% of maximum capacity) (where the first threshold is lower than fully charged), and then charging the first battery and one or more additional batteries until they are fully charged. This is particularly beneficial in situations where the time interval for charging from nearly empty to 80% is relatively short compared to the time interval for charging from approximately 80% to maximum capacity.

[0031] In some cases, it may be desirable to allow the user to have more direct control over which battery is charged first. In a further embodiment, this can be achieved by having a controller, based on a battery charging program, control the power unit to charge the first battery and one or more additional batteries based on a predetermined order of the terminals to which the aforementioned batteries are connected to the charger. Preferably, the charger is provided with a visual indicator of the aforementioned predetermined order.

[0032] In a further embodiment, the information acquisition unit is further configured to acquire information about at least one of the connected first battery, the connected battery-powered rescue tool, and the connected further battery via the corresponding terminal to which at least one of the connected first battery, the connected battery-powered rescue tool, and the connected further battery is connected to the power unit.

[0033] In a further embodiment, the charger according to any of the preceding claims is configured to supply power to only one of the first battery and one or more further batteries at a time.

[0034] In embodiments of the present disclosure, the controller includes a memory configured to store data for different types of rescue tools and / or different types of batteries, and for each type, data for corresponding priority charge ratings. Alternatively, the controller may be configured to determine one or more types of rescue tools currently connected to the charger, determine the associated priority charge ratings for the connected rescue tools, and determine the charging order of the batteries of the connected rescue tools. For example, the power unit may be configured to charge the connected batteries sequentially based on the priority ratings of the connected battery-powered rescue tools.

[0035] The charger further includes an input terminal configured to receive one end of a power supply cable, where the power supply unit is further configured to receive input power via the input terminal.

[0036] In embodiments of the present disclosure, the charger comprises at least one charging cable with a quick-release connector to enable rapid connection of the charger to a rescue tool and rapid disconnection of the charger from the rescue tool, respectively.

[0037] In a further embodiment, a combination of multiple chargers is provided, wherein the multiple chargers have a common power mounting cable for connecting the associated controllable power units of the chargers to an external power source, such as a vehicle battery and / or alternator.

[0038] In a further embodiment, a system for charging multiple batteries of one or more battery-powered rescue tools, wherein each battery is configured to be detachably connected to the battery-powered rescue tool, and the system is • Chargers defined here, Multiple battery-powered portable rescue tools, each of which is configured to be detachably connected to a corresponding outlet terminal of a charger, Equipped with, A system is provided in which the charger is configured to selectively charge rescue tools when connected.

[0039] The charger may be configured to selectively charge one or more of the rescue tool's additional batteries or the first battery, based on information about the status of each of the additional batteries and the first battery.

[0040] Each of the battery-powered portable rescue tools is, ·battery, An information acquisition tool configured to acquire information about batteries and / or rescue tools, and configured to generate an information signal representing the acquired information, and A battery communication module configured to connect to an information acquisition tool, receive information signals from the information acquisition tool, and transfer communication signals to the charger based on the received information signals. It can be equipped with.

[0041] The information acquisition tool may include a sensor configured to sense (e.g., detect or measure) at least one operating characteristic of a battery and / or at least one operating characteristic of a rescue tool, and to generate an information signal representing the sensed operating characteristic. In a further embodiment, the rescue tool includes an electronic storage medium for storing information about the rescue tool, in particular information about the battery of the rescue tool. The information acquisition tool may include a storage medium reader configured to read information from the electronic storage medium.

[0042] The communication signal containing the acquired information can be transmitted to the charger's information acquisition unit via a wired and / or wireless connection. The information from the communication signal can then be used by the controller to control the controllable power supply.

[0043] At least one of the operating characteristics is the electrical characteristics of the battery, e.g., the voltage supplied by the battery or the charge supplied by the battery, where the sensor is, for example, a charge meter, a voltmeter, and / or an ammeter, configured to measure the electrical characteristics of the battery and generate a sensor signal representing the electrical characteristics of the battery. For example, a voltmeter may be part of a battery management system (BMS). The BMS may be configured to monitor the battery (cell) voltage, battery temperature, and / or battery charge profile, protect the battery by limiting power input and output for thermal and overcharge protection, and / or determine the charge state and health of the battery.

[0044] The controller may be configured to determine a measure of the current state of each of the additional batteries and / or the first battery.

[0045] Alternatively, or in addition, the operating characteristic may be the battery temperature. In this case, the sensor may be configured to measure the battery temperature and generate a sensor signal representing the battery temperature.

[0046] Further aspects of this disclosure relate to the use of the charger or system defined and claimed herein. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0047] Further details regarding good exemplary embodiments and advantages of the embodiments of this disclosure will become clearer with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Figure 1] This shows a charging system known for this technology. [Figure 2] This shows another charging system known for this technology. [Figure 3] An embodiment of a charging system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. [Figure 4] Further embodiments of a charging system according to one embodiment are shown. [Figure 5A] A schematic design of a charging system according to a further embodiment is shown. [Figure 5B] A schematic design of a charging system according to a further embodiment is shown. [Figure 6A] Further embodiments of the charging system according to a further embodiment are shown. [Figure 6B] Further embodiments of the charging system according to a further embodiment are shown. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0048] Please note that the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” used herein and in the appended claims include the plural forms unless otherwise explicitly stated in the context. Furthermore, please note that claims may be constructed to exclude any element whatsoever. Accordingly, this statement is intended to be contingent on the use of exclusive terms such as “solely,” “only,” or “negative” limitations in relation to the description of elements of a claim.

[0049] As will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading this disclosure, each individual embodiment described and illustrated herein has separate components and features that can be readily separated from or combined with features of any of several other embodiments without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Any method described may be performed in the order of events described or in any other logically possible order.

[0050] "Communication" of information refers to the transmission of data representing that information as signals (e.g., electrical signals, optical signals, radio signals, etc.) over an appropriate communication channel (e.g., private or public networks), such as a wide area network (WAN), telephone network, satellite network, or any other appropriate communication channel including the internet, intranet, etc. Communication can be carried out using any convenient communication module suitable for the type of communication channel used, such as a computer network card, computer fax card or machine, or telephone or satellite modem.

[0051] A “controller” can generally consist of a “processor” and “memory.” The term “processor” refers to any combination of hardware and / or software that performs the functions required of it. For example, any processor here could be a programmable digital microprocessor, such as an electronic controller, mainframe, server, or personal computer (desktop or portable). If the processor is programmable, the appropriate programming can be communicated to the processor remotely or stored in advance in a computer program product (such as a portable or fixed computer-readable storage medium based on magnetic, optical, or solid-state devices). The term “memory” refers to any device that can store information for subsequent retrieval by the processor, and may include magnetic and / or optical devices or solid-state memory devices. Memory can have multiple physical memory devices of the same or different types (for example, memory can have multiple memory devices, such as multiple solid-state memory devices).

[0052] Wireless communication modes include all point-to-point communication modes that utilize wireless technology at least partially, including various protocols and combinations of protocols related to wireless transmission, data, and devices. Wired communication includes all point-to-point communication that utilizes wired technology, including various protocols and combinations of protocols related to wired transmission, data, and devices.

[0053] Figure 3 shows one embodiment of the charging system. The aforementioned system comprises a charger 1 and several battery-powered portable rescue tools 20, 20', 20'', for example, a spreader, a cutter, and a ram. One rechargeable battery 15A' is directly connected to the charger 1, and the other three rechargeable batteries 15B, 15B', 15B'' are connected to the corresponding tools 20, 20', 20''. This embodiment further comprises, in particular, one input power cable 16 for connecting the charger 1 to an energy source, such as a generator, battery, or grid, via an input terminal 2, and three output power cables 12, 12', 12'' for connecting the tools 20, 20', 20'' to the charger 1 via output terminals 3A, 3B, 3C. In the embodiment shown in Figure 3, the charger is completely housed in a single housing 5. As shown in Figure 3, battery 15A' is connected directly to charger 1 while detached from any portable rescue tool, while batteries 15B, 15B, and 15B'' are connected to charger 1 via their respective cables 12, 12', and 12'' while connected to their respective tools 20, 20', and 20''.

[0054] An alternative embodiment is shown in Figure 4. In the previously described embodiment, the charging system comprises a charger 1 and a plurality of battery-powered portable rescue tools 20, 20', 20'', for example, a spreader, a cutter, and a ram. The rechargeable batteries are connected directly to the charger 1 or to the corresponding tools 20, 20', 20'', as in the embodiment shown in Figure 3. In this embodiment, in particular, the charger 1 is partially housed in a first housing 5A and partially housed in a second housing 5B. The two housings 5A, 5B are electrically connected to each other via an electrical cable 12A. Specifically, the electrical cable 12A can connect an output socket 19 located in housing 5A and an input socket 19' located in housing 5B. The tools 20, 20', 20'' are connected to the charger 1 via a further set of charging cables 12B, 12B', 12B'' connected to output terminals 3A, 3B, 3C.

[0055] Figures 5A and 5B show schematic designs of the charging system according to the present disclosure. Similar to the systems in Figures 3 and 4, this system comprises a charger 1 and tools 20, 20', and 20''. Similar to the system in Figure 3, in this system the charger 1 is housed in a single housing 5. Figure 5A shows an embodiment with a single common housing, while the embodiment in Figure 5B shows that the housing is formed from two housing portions.

[0056] Specifically, Figure 5 shows one embodiment of the charger according to the present disclosure. In this embodiment, the charger 1 comprises a controller 7, an information acquisition unit 11, a controllable power supply 10, a spare battery terminal 4, and four output terminals 3A, 3B, 3C, and 3D. The charger 1 may optionally include a (wireless) charger communication module 17.

[0057] Power supply 10 receives power via input terminal 2 and transfers this power to either the auxiliary battery terminal 4 or one of the output terminals 3A, 3B, 3C, or 3D to charge any rechargeable battery 15A, 15B, or 15B' connected thereto.

[0058] The spare battery terminal 4 may be formed by one or more mounting elements (14), such as electrical contacts, to electrically connect the spare battery 15A to the power supply 10, and by a recess 13 in the housing 5 to support the spare battery 15A and / or to physically mount the spare battery 15A to the charger 1 in a removable manner.

[0059] Output terminals 3A, 3B, 3C, and 3D may be implemented as conventional sockets or as one half of a magnetic quick-release connection—the other half being included on the corresponding side of charging cable 12, 12'.

[0060] The information acquisition unit 11 is configured to acquire information necessary to determine the order in which the batteries are charged. This may be based on various types of information. In some embodiments, the acquisition unit 11 obtains such characteristics from (or indirectly, via a tool) an electrical connection to the aforementioned batteries, and such characteristics may relate to the state of the batteries, for example, the charge state or health of the batteries, the nominal battery voltage, or the expected charging time.

[0061] Alternatively, the tools 20, 20', 20'' and / or the rechargeable batteries 15B, 15B', 15B'' may be further provided with an information acquisition tool 33 configured to acquire information about at least one of the rescue batteries and other components of the rescue tools. The information acquisition tool 33 is further configured to generate an information signal representing the acquired information. The battery communication module 27 is connected to the information acquisition tool (33) and is configured to receive an information signal from the information acquisition tool and to transfer a communication signal to the charger (1) based on the received information signal.

[0062] Various types of information acquisition tools 33 can be employed. In the first embodiment, the information acquisition tool 33 includes a sensor 34, for example, a temperature sensor, a voltage or current sensor, etc., where the sensor is configured to sense at least one operating characteristic of the battery and / or at least one operating characteristic of the rescue tool and to generate an information signal representing the sensed operating characteristic. In the second embodiment, the rescue tool includes an electronic storage medium 35 for storing information about the rescue tool, in particular information about the battery of the rescue tool, for example, the type of battery, capacity, serial number, etc., and the information acquisition tool 33 may include a storage medium reader 36 configured to read information from the electronic storage medium 36.

[0063] The battery communication module 27 can communicate information such as battery temperature, possible battery errors, the number of battery charge cycles the battery has experienced, or information to identify the battery, such as the battery type, model, or serial number. Further identifiers for the tools 20, 20', and 20'' that can be acquired via the information acquisition unit 11 are the type, model, or serial number. The tools can also monitor and collect historical data, which can be provided to the acquisition unit 11—for example, the number of times the tool has been used since the last charge.

[0064] The charger communication module 17 can communicate with external devices, such as a server or user equipment (e.g., a phone or tablet, and possibly via a browser or app), and can communicate information about the charger 1 or information acquired by unit 11. This allows the user to know which batteries are charged to what level and to receive notifications and / or warnings if the batteries and / or tools experience problems. The charger 1 can also notify the user if it detects that a problematic or unintended change is expected. The charger 1 can notify the user if the connection was disconnected before the battery 15A or tools 20, 20', 20'' were fully charged.

[0065] Charger 1 continuously charges any connected rechargeable batteries 15A, 15B, and 15B'. There are many approaches to continuously charging rechargeable batteries. Furthermore, the ratio of batteries to be charged to the charger is much higher than in systems following conventional technology.

[0066] In the following examples, when it is mentioned that charger 1 charges a battery, this can be understood as power supply 10 supplying power to the battery in order to charge the aforementioned battery. When it is mentioned that charger 1 charges a specific battery, this can be understood as controller 7 controlling power supply 10 to supply power to that specific battery. When it is mentioned that some aspect of the tool's battery is determined generally or specifically by charger 1, this can be understood as information acquisition unit 11 acquiring this information and actively transmitting it to controller 7, or at least making it available to controller 7. When it is mentioned that something is communicated from tools 20, 20', 20'' to charger 1, this can also be understood as information being communicated to charger 1 by battery communication module 27 included in the aforementioned tools 20, 20', 20''.

[0067] According to the first approach, the charge state of each connected battery can be determined. Charger 1 can start by fully charging the battery with the lowest charge state and can then charge the connected batteries sequentially in order of increasing charge state.

[0068] In a similar approach, charger 1 may begin charging the battery with the lowest charge level, but rather than fully charging the battery, it charges the battery to a predetermined (second) threshold level that is lower than the level of a fully charged battery but high enough to ensure that the battery and / or associated tool can be used effectively in the next accident. This threshold level may be the same for all batteries and / or rescue tools, but in other embodiments, the threshold may be set based on a specific type of rescue tool (spreader, ram, cutter).

[0069] For example, the type of tool can be determined, and the threshold level can be adjusted accordingly. Tools that are very likely to be used, tools that require a lot of power per use, or tools that are used many times during an accident—if used—need to be charged to a relatively high level. At the same time, since the system uses the same type of rechargeable battery for all tools, some tools may not require such a high level of charge so that they can be used efficiently. Tools that consume very little power or tools that are operated only a few times during an accident—if used—may be charged to a lower level. Tools can be identified by some tool identifiers by the charger 1, in which case memory 9 can contain a list of tool identifiers and corresponding thresholds.

[0070] Alternatively, an embodiment is conceivable in which the tool itself is configured to communicate to the charger 1 what threshold level is most effective for it to operate at, and the charger 1 determines the charging order based on that.

[0071] According to the second approach, connected tools can be identified by the charger 1 based on their identifiers, and the priority for charging these tools can be determined based on this. The charger 1 may have a list of identifiers stored in memory 9 and the corresponding priority for each tool. In this case, the charger 1 can start by fully charging the battery of the tool with the highest priority, and then sequentially charge the connected batteries in order of decreasing priority.

[0072] Alternatively, as described above, charger 1 may not immediately fully charge the aforementioned batteries, but may begin by charging them to a threshold level—which may be the same for all batteries or determined by one of the methods described above—and then continue charging the batteries until they are fully charged.

[0073] The order in which the batteries are charged during the first charging round—that is, up to the threshold level—does not need to be the same as the order in which they are charged during the second charging round—that is, up to a full charge.

[0074] An embodiment is also conceivable in which the tool itself is configured to communicate the priority to the charger 1. The tool can communicate the set priority value used by the charger 1, but it is also possible for the tool to monitor its own usage and determine the priority value itself based on historical data. Alternatively, the tool can send such historical data to the charger 1, and the charger 1 can determine the priority value based on that data.

[0075] An embodiment is also conceivable in which the controller 7 can be programmed by the user to charge the batteries sequentially in a specific order. That is, the user can use a terminal (e.g., a smartphone, laptop, or tablet) and determine the order in which the batteries should be charged via a browser or app. For example, the user can change the approach used by the controller 7 from one of the above or other approaches to another. The user can also submit a priority list or modify an existing priority list stored in memory 9.

[0076] Embodiments of the charger 1 that do not require a controller 7 and / or an information acquisition unit 11 to continuously charge rechargeable batteries are also conceivable. For example, the power supply 10 can continuously charge connected batteries using a predetermined terminal sequence—that is, the power supply 10 can first attempt to charge the battery installed in the tool connected to output terminal 3A, then the battery installed in the tool connected to output terminal 3B, and so on, and finally the battery placed and / or connected to the spare battery terminal 4. Preferably, such an embodiment of the charger 1 is provided with an indication of the sequence in which the terminals are intended. This means that the user can decide which tool needs to be charged first.

[0077] Each of the above approaches may further include one or more of the following steps: Determine whether a rechargeable battery 15A, 15B, 15B'' and / or a tool 20, 20', 20'' equipped with such a battery is connected to charger 1, and if so, which terminal to use. • It is suggested to replace the rechargeable batteries 15B and 15B' installed in tools 20, 20', and 20'' with spare batteries 15A. This suggestion may be based on the current charge status of any one of these batteries 15B or 15B', the priority of the specific tool as described above, or the health of the battery (i.e., current temperature, maximum voltage, maximum charge state, etc.).

[0078] According to this disclosure, charger 1 may also use other approaches, programs and / or algorithms for charging the battery.

[0079] Figures 6A and 6B illustrate further embodiments of the charging system according to the present disclosure. Figure 6A shows an embodiment with a single common housing, while the embodiment in Figure 6B shows that the housing is formed from two housing portions. Both embodiments include, in particular, three chargers 1, 1', and 1''. As in the previous embodiments, charger 1 is connected to a power source—for example, a grid—via an input terminal 2A. In particular, in this system chargers 1, 1', and 1'' also have a front terminal 2B configured to supply power to another charger. Specifically, one power cable 18 connects the front terminal 2B of charger 1 to the input terminal 2A of charger 1', and the other power cable 18 connects the front terminal 2B of charger 1' to the input terminal 2A of charger 1''. This system allows for the simultaneous charging of multiple power tools while keeping the manufacturing costs of individual chargers low.

[0080] In a further embodiment, a kit of components is provided that includes one charger, three rescue tools, and four batteries. The battery charger comprises a battery receptacle and three charging cable connectors. Alternatively, it may include a splitter that receives power from the original battery charger via a power cable and has three charging cable connectors. The three common rescue tools that may be included in the kit are a ram, a spreader, or a cutter. Other battery-powered tools, such as a lighting unit, a positive pressure fan, a pump, etc., can also be considered. Relying on the technical teachings of this disclosure, all three can be connected to one battery charger, and one spare battery can also be connected to the aforementioned single charger. The kit can comprise any number of tools and an equal number of batteries, plus one spare battery. This is more economically advantageous as it saves space and weight in the vehicle.

[0081] The advantages of this disclosure are enhanced if all rescue tools can be connected to the same battery platform and / or charger. For example, four batteries can be charged consecutively per charger, and three chargers can be connected to a single outlet (e.g., grid).

[0082] The charger according to this disclosure can be daisy-chained. For example, 12 batteries can be charged from a single outlet, three of which can be charged simultaneously and nine can be charged sequentially—see Figure 6 for an embodiment that achieves this.

[0083] Systems according to this disclosure may be exposed to wind, rain, snow, and hail. In this embodiment, housing 5 or housing 5A / 5B is configured to be waterproof.

[0084] In the event of an accident, the timing factor can be extremely important to the chances of the victim's survival, so all charging cables can be connected to rescue tools 20, 20', and 20''' with "quick-release connectors"—that is, connector pairs with magnets that press the contact points together but can be released with a light pulling motion.

[0085] This disclosure may further relate to any of the following items:

[0086] Article 1. A charger (1) for charging multiple rechargeable batteries (15A, 15B) of one or more battery-powered portable rescue tools (20, 20'), wherein each rechargeable battery is configured to be detachably connected to a battery-powered portable rescue tool or charger, and the charger (1) comprises: a spare battery terminal (4) configured to allow a spare first battery (15A) from the multiple rechargeable batteries to be directly connected to the charger (1) for charging the first battery; one or more output terminals (3A~3D) configured to allow one or more additional batteries (15B) of one or more battery-powered rescue tools to be connected to the charger for charging the one or more additional batteries; and a controllable power unit (10) electrically connected to the spare battery terminal (4) and one or more output terminals (3A~3D), the controllable power unit (10) configured to selectively supply power to the first battery and one or more additional batteries of one or more rescue tools.

[0087] Section 2. The charger (1) according to Section 1, comprising an electrical charging cable (12, 12') whose output terminal is detachably connected to an associated rescue tool (20, 20') or to the battery (15A, 15B) of a directly associated rescue tool (20, 20').

[0088] 3. A charger (1) according to paragraph 1 or 2, comprising at least spare battery terminals (4), one or more output terminals (3A to 3D), and a housing (5) for housing a controllable power supply unit (10), preferably further an information acquisition unit (11) and a controller (7), wherein the housing is preferably provided with a mounting element (14) configured for removably mounting a spare first battery (15A) to the housing, and / or the housing preferably comprises a retaining compartment (13) for removably holding the spare first battery (15A), optionally further the mounting element (14), in the housing (5) at least partially.

[0089] 4. The charger (1) according to paragraph 3, comprising: a first housing portion (5A) in which a spare battery terminal, a controllable power unit, a retaining compartment, and / or mounting elements are located; a second housing portion (5B) separate from the first housing portion, the second housing portion (5B) having one or more output terminals; and a single connecting cable located between the first housing portion and the second housing portion and configured to provide an electrical connection between the power unit and each of the output terminals.

[0090] 5. A charger (1) according to any one of paragraphs 1 to 4, further comprising: an information acquisition unit (11) configured to acquire information about a connected first battery, a connected battery-powered rescue tool, and at least one of one or more further connected batteries; and a controller (7) connected to a controllable power unit (10) and the information acquisition unit (11), the controller (7) configured to control the controllable power unit (10) based on the acquired information.

[0091] Section 6. Charger (1) as described in Section 5, wherein the acquisition unit (11) is configured to receive information about a connected battery-powered rescue tool and / or one or more connected additional batteries via one or more respective wired connections, wherein optionally, the wired connections are part of a charging cable arranged between the power unit and the battery or battery-powered rescue tool for exchanging information via power line communication.

[0092] A charger (1) as described in paragraph 5 or 6, wherein the acquisition unit (11) comprises a charger communication module (17) configured to receive information about connected battery-powered rescue tools (20, 20') and / or one or more connected additional batteries (15B, 15B') from each battery communication module (27) located on or within the rescue tool, via one or more respective connections, wherein at least one of the charger communication module and the battery communication module is a wireless communication module configured to transmit and receive information via at least one wireless connection.

[0093] Section 8. The charger (1) according to Section 7, wherein at least one of the charger communication module and the battery communication module is configured to receive and transmit information via a communication signal generated by at least one of the battery communication modules.

[0094] Section 9. A charger (1) as described in Section 7 or 8, wherein at least one of the charger communication module (17) and the battery communication module (27) is configured to wirelessly transmit information about a connected battery-powered rescue tool (20, 20') and / or one or more connected additional batteries (15B, 15B') to a mobile device such as a cell phone, tablet or laptop.

[0095] Paragraph 10. A battery communication module (27) of an additional battery is configured to be powered by the additional battery, and is connected to a battery charging cable (12, 12') connected to the additional battery and the charger (1) of paragraph 7, 8, or 9.

[0096] 11. A charger (1) as described in paragraphs 5 to 10, wherein information obtainable from the first battery and / or one or more additional batteries includes at least one of the following: battery status, e.g., battery charge status or battery health, battery temperature, battery error, number of battery charge cycles, battery nominal voltage, battery expected charge time, battery type or model, and battery serial number, and / or information obtainable from the rescue tool includes at least one of the following: rescue tool status, rescue tool serial number, rescue tool type, and number of rescue tool operations since the most recent battery replacement.

[0097] 12. A charger (1) according to any one of paragraphs 1 to 11, comprising a controller (7) configured to control a controllable power supply unit (10) and selectively supply power to at least one of a first battery and one or more further batteries based on a battery charging program stored in the controller (7), preferably based on information further acquired from an information acquisition unit (11).

[0098] Paragraph 13. Charger (1) as described in Paragraph 12, wherein the controller (7) is programmed to select one or more batteries to charge based on a preferred charging order, where the preferred charging order is based on acquired states, e.g., the battery states of the first battery and / or further batteries.

[0099] Paragraph 14. A charger (1) as described in paragraph 12 or 13, wherein the controller controls a power supply unit (10) based on a battery charging program to continuously charge the first battery and one or more additional batteries.

[0100] Paragraph 15. A charger (1) according to any of paragraphs 1 to 14, wherein the power supply unit (10), optionally further comprising a controller (7), is configured to simultaneously supply power from multiple connected batteries to a single connected battery (15A, 15B) and / or to continuously charge a battery (15A, 15B) from multiple connected rechargeable batteries.

[0101] Paragraph 16. A charger (1) according to any one of paragraphs 1 to 15, wherein the controller controls a power supply unit (10) based on a battery charging program to charge a first battery and one or more additional batteries, and at the start of the charging operation, the charge is started with the battery with the lowest charge, and then the remaining batteries are charged in an order in which the charge of the batteries at the start of the charging operation increases.

[0102] Paragraph 17. A charger (1) according to any of paragraphs 1 to 16, wherein the controller controls a power supply unit (10) based on a battery charging program to charge a first battery and one or more further batteries, and includes charging the first battery and one or more further batteries to a charge amount less than a first threshold (where the first threshold is less than the amount of a fully charged battery), and then charging the first battery and one or more further batteries to the amount of a fully charged battery.

[0103] Paragraph 18. A charger (1) according to any one of paragraphs 1 to 17, wherein the controller controls the power supply unit (10) based on a battery charging program to charge the first battery and one or more further batteries based on a predetermined order of the terminals to which the aforementioned batteries are connected to the charger, and preferably the charger is provided with a visible indicator of the aforementioned predetermined order.

[0104] Paragraph 19. Charger (1) according to any of paragraphs 5 to 18, wherein the information acquisition unit (11) is further configured to acquire information about at least one of the connected first battery, the connected battery-powered rescue tool, and the connected further battery via the corresponding terminal to which at least one of the aforementioned connected first battery, the connected battery-powered rescue tool, and the connected further battery is connected to the power unit (10).

[0105] Item 20. A charger (1) according to any one of items 1 to 15, wherein the power supply unit (10) is configured to supply power to the first battery and one or more further batteries at one time.

[0106] Paragraph 21. A charger (1) according to any of paragraphs 1 to 20, wherein the controller (7) further comprises a memory (9) that stores data for different types of rescue tools and / or different types of batteries (15A, 15B) and for each type corresponding to the priority charge rating, and / or the controller (7) is configured to determine one or more types of rescue tools currently connected to the charger, determine the associated priority charge rating for the connected rescue tools, and determine the charging order of the batteries of the connected rescue tools.

[0107] Paragraph 22. A charger (1) according to any one of paragraphs 1 to 21, further comprising an input terminal configured to receive one end of a power supply cable, wherein the power supply unit is further configured to receive input power through the input terminal.

[0108] Item 23. A charger as described in any of items 1 to 22, comprising a charging cable with a quick-release connector (1).

[0109] Paragraph 24. A combination of multiple chargers according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the multiple chargers have a common power mounting cable for connecting the associated controllable power supply unit (10) of the chargers to an external power source, for example, a vehicle battery and / or alternator.

[0110] Paragraph 25. A system for charging multiple batteries of one or more battery-powered rescue tools, each of which is a rechargeable battery configured to be detachably connected to a battery-powered rescue tool, the system comprising a charger according to any of the preceding claims, and a plurality of battery-powered portable rescue tools, each of which is configured to be detachably connected to a corresponding outlet terminal of the charger, the charger being configured to selectively charge the rescue tools when connected.

[0111] Section 26. The system described in Section 25, wherein the charger is configured to selectively charge one or more of the additional batteries or the first battery of the rescue tool based on information about the status of the additional batteries and the first battery, respectively.

[0112] The system described in paragraph 25 or 26, wherein each battery-powered portable rescue tool comprises a battery, an information acquisition tool (33) configured to acquire information about the battery and / or the rescue tool, and configured to generate information signals representing the acquired information, and a battery communication module (27) connected to the information acquisition tool and configured to receive information signals from the information acquisition tool and to transfer communication signals to a charger based on the received information signals.

[0113] The system according to paragraph 27, wherein the information acquisition tool (33) comprises a sensor (34) configured to sense at least one operating characteristic of a battery and / or at least one operating characteristic of a rescue tool and to generate an information signal representing the sensed operating characteristic.

[0114] Paragraph 29. The system according to paragraph 27 or 28, wherein the rescue tool comprises an electronic storage medium (35) for storing information about the rescue tool, in particular information about the battery of the rescue tool, wherein the information retrieval tool (33) comprises a storage medium reader (36) configured to read information from the electronic storage medium.

[0115] Paragraph 30. The system according to paragraph 28 or 29, wherein at least one operating characteristic is an electrical characteristic of a battery, for example, a voltage supplied by the battery or a charge supplied by the battery, wherein a sensor, for example, a charge meter, a voltmeter and / or an ammeter, is configured to measure the electrical characteristics of the battery and to generate a sensor signal representing the electrical characteristics of the battery.

[0116] Paragraph 31. The system described in Paragraph 30, wherein the controller is configured to determine a measure of the current state of each of the additional batteries and / or the first battery.

[0117] Section 32. The system described in any of Sections 27 to 31, wherein the operating characteristic is the temperature of the battery, and the sensor is configured to measure the temperature of the battery and generate a sensor signal representing the temperature of the battery.

[0118] Section 33. Use of any charger or system described in any of Sections 1 through 32.

[0119] Those skilled in the art will understand that the embodiments described above are merely illustrative and do not limit the scope of the application. The rights sought are defined by the following claims, within which various modifications are permitted.

Claims

1. A charger (1) for charging multiple rechargeable batteries (15A, 15B) of one or more battery-powered portable rescue tools (20, 20'), wherein each of the rechargeable batteries is configured to be detachably connected to the battery-powered portable rescue tool, and the charger (1) - A spare battery terminal (4) is configured to allow a spare first battery (15A) from the plurality of rechargeable batteries to be directly connected to the charger (1) for charging the first battery. - One or more output terminals (3A to 3D) configured to allow one or more additional batteries (15B) of one or more battery-powered rescue tools to be connected to the charger via one or more electrical charging cables (12, 12') for charging each of the one or more additional batteries, - A controllable power supply unit (10) electrically connected to the auxiliary battery terminal (4) and one or more output terminals (3A to 3D), the controllable power supply unit (10) configured to selectively supply power to the first battery and one or more further batteries of the one or more rescue tools, A charger (1) equipped with the following:

2. The charger (1) according to claim 1, wherein the charger (1) comprises one or more electrical charging cables (12, 12'), and the one or more electrical charging cables (12, 12') are configured to be detachably connected to one or more associated rescue tools (20, 20') or directly to the batteries (15A, 15B) of one or more associated rescue tools (20, 20').

3. A charger (1) according to any of the preceding claims, comprising at least the spare battery terminal (4), one or more output terminals (3A to 3D), and a housing (5) for housing the controllable power supply unit (10).

4. The charger (1) according to claim 3, wherein the housing is provided with a mounting element (14) configured for removably attaching the spare first battery (15A) to the housing, the mounting element (14) forming at least a portion of the spare battery terminal (4).

5. The charger (1) according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the housing comprises a retaining compartment (13) for removably holding the spare first battery (15A), and further comprises, to the extent dependent on claim 4, a mounting element (14) for at least partially removably holding the spare first battery (15A) in the housing (5).

6. - The first housing portion (5A) in which the spare battery terminal, the controllable power supply unit, the retaining compartment, and / or the mounting element are located, - A second housing portion (5B) separate from the first housing portion, the second housing portion (5B) having one or more output terminals, - A single connecting cable positioned between the first housing portion and the second housing portion, configured to provide an electrical connection between the power supply unit and each of the output terminals, A charger (1) according to any one of claims 3 to 5, further comprising:

7. - An information acquisition unit (11) configured to acquire information about the connected first battery, the connected battery-powered rescue tool, and at least one of one or more further connected batteries, and A controller (7) connected to the controllable power supply unit (10) and the information acquisition unit (11), wherein the controller (7) is configured to control the controllable power supply unit (10) based on the acquired information. Furthermore, The charger (1) according to any of the preceding claims, to the extent that it is dependent on claim 4, wherein the information acquisition unit (11) and the controller (7) are preferably housed in the housing (5).

8. The charger (1) according to claim 7, wherein the acquisition unit (11) is configured to receive information about the connected battery-powered rescue tool and / or one or more connected additional batteries via one or more wired connections, wherein at least one of the wired connections is part of a charging cable arranged between the power unit and the battery or battery-powered rescue tool for exchanging information via power line communication.

9. Furthermore, the charger (1) according to claim 7 or 8, further comprising a charger communication module (17), wherein the charger communication module (17) is configured such that the acquisition unit (11) can receive information about the connected battery-powered rescue tools (20, 20') and / or one or more of the connected additional batteries (15B, 15B') from each battery communication module (27) located on or within the rescue tools via one or more respective connections, wherein at least one of the charger communication module and the battery communication module is a wireless communication module configured to transmit and receive the information, respectively, via at least one wireless connection.

10. The charger (1) according to claim 9, wherein at least one of the charger communication module and the battery communication module is configured to receive and transmit the information via a communication signal generated by at least one of the battery communication modules.

11. The charger (1) according to claim 9 or 10, wherein at least one of the charger communication module (17) and the battery communication module (27) is configured to wirelessly transmit the information about the connected battery-powered rescue tools (20, 20') and / or one or more of the connected additional batteries (15B, 15B') to a mobile device such as a mobile phone, tablet, or laptop.

12. The charger (1) according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the battery communication module (27) of the further battery is configured to be powered by the further battery and is connected to a battery charging cable (12, 12') connected to the further battery.

13. The information that can be obtained from the first battery and / or one or more further batteries is - Battery status, for example, battery charge level or battery health, Battery temperature, Battery error, • Number of battery charge cycles, • Nominal voltage of the battery, - Estimated battery charging time, • Battery type or model, • Battery serial number, Including at least one of and / or The aforementioned information can be obtained from rescue tools. - Condition of rescue tools, • Serial number of the rescue tool, Types of rescue tools, - Number of times the rescue tool has been used since the last battery replacement, A charger (1) according to any one of claims 7 to 12, comprising at least one of the following.

14. The charger (1) according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising a controller (7) configured to control the controllable power supply unit (10) and to selectively supply power to at least one of the first battery and one or more further batteries based on a battery charging program stored in the controller (7), preferably based on information further acquired from an information acquisition unit (11).

15. The charger (1) according to claim 14, wherein the controller (7) is programmed to select one or more batteries to be charged based on a preferred charging order, the preferred charging order being based on acquired states, for example, the battery states of the first battery and / or further batteries.

16. The charger (1) according to claim 14 or 15, wherein the controller controls the power supply unit (10) based on the battery charging program to continuously charge the first battery and one or more further batteries.

17. The charger (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the power supply unit (10) may be controlled by a controller (7) and is configured to simultaneously supply power from a plurality of connected batteries to a single connected battery (15A, 15B), and / or to continuously charge the batteries (15A, 15B) from the plurality of connected rechargeable batteries.

18. The charger (1) according to any one of claims 14 to 17, wherein the controller is configured to control the power supply unit (10) based on the battery charging program to charge the first battery and the one or more further batteries, and at the start of the charging operation, it starts with the battery with the lowest charge and then charges the remaining batteries in an order in which the charge amount of the batteries at the start of the charging operation increases.

19. The controller is configured to control the power supply unit (10) based on the battery charging program to charge the first battery and one or more additional batteries. Charging the first battery and the one or more further batteries to a charge amount less than a first threshold (where the first threshold is less than the amount of a fully charged battery), and then charging the first battery and the one or more further batteries to the amount of a fully charged battery. A charger (1) according to any one of claims 14 to 18, including the charger (1) described above.

20. The controller is configured to control the power supply unit (10) based on the battery charging program to charge the first battery and one or more additional batteries based on a predetermined order of the terminals to which the batteries are connected to the charger. Preferably, the charger is provided with visible indicators in the predetermined order, according to any one of claims 14 to 19 (1).

21. The charger (1) according to any one of claims 7 to 20, wherein the information acquisition unit (11) is further configured to acquire information relating to at least one of the connected first battery, the connected battery-powered rescue tool, and the further connected battery via corresponding terminals to which at least one of the connected first battery, the connected battery-powered rescue tool, and the further connected battery is connected to the power unit (10).

22. The charger (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the power supply unit (10) is configured to supply power to the first battery and one of the one or more further batteries at a time.

23. The controller (7) further, A memory (9) that stores data on different types of rescue tools and, for each type, the corresponding priority charge rating. Equipped with, The charger (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the controller (7) is configured to determine the type of rescue tool currently connected to the charger, determine the associated priority charge evaluation for the connected rescue tool, and determine the charging order of the batteries of the connected rescue tool.

24. Furthermore, it is equipped with an input terminal configured to receive one end of the power supply cable, The charger (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the power supply unit is further configured to receive input power via the input terminal.

25. The charger (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the one or more electrical charging cables (12, 12') comprises a charging cable with a quick-release connector.

26. The spare battery terminal (4) is configured to be directly connected to the spare first battery (15A) when the spare first battery (15A) is removed from any battery-powered portable rescue tool (20, 20'). The charger (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the one or more output terminals are configured to be connected to the one or more further batteries via one or more charging cables, with each of the one or more further batteries attached to the one or more battery-powered portable rescue tools (20, 20').

27. A combination of a plurality of chargers (1) as described in any of the preceding claims, wherein the plurality of chargers have a common power mounting cable for connecting the controllable power unit (10) associated with the chargers to an external power source, for example, a vehicle battery and / or alternator.

28. A system for charging multiple batteries of one or more battery-powered rescue tools, wherein each of the batteries is a rechargeable battery configured to be detachably connected to the battery-powered rescue tool, and the system is - Charger according to any of the prior claims, Multiple battery-powered portable rescue tools, each of which is configured to be detachably connected to a corresponding outlet terminal of the charger, Equipped with, A system in which the charger is configured to selectively charge the rescue tool when connected.

29. The system according to claim 28, wherein the charger is configured to selectively charge one or more of the further batteries or the first battery of the rescue tool based on information about the state of the further batteries and the first battery, respectively.

30. Each of the aforementioned battery-powered portable rescue tools is ·battery, - An information acquisition tool (33) configured to acquire information about the battery and / or the rescue tool, and configured to generate an information signal representing the acquired information, and - A battery communication module (27) connected to the information acquisition tool, configured to receive the information signal from the information acquisition tool, and to transfer a communication signal to the charger based on the received information signal. The system according to claim 28 or 29, comprising:

31. The system according to claim 30, wherein the information acquisition tool (33) comprises a sensor (34) configured to sense at least one operating characteristic of the battery and / or at least one operating characteristic of the rescue tool, and to generate an information signal representing the sensed operating characteristic.

32. The system according to claim 30 or 31, wherein the rescue tool comprises an electronic storage medium (35) for storing information about the rescue tool, in particular information about the battery of the rescue tool, and the information acquisition tool (33) comprises a storage medium reader (36) configured to read information from the electronic storage medium.

33. The system according to claim 31 or 32, wherein the at least one operating characteristic is an electrical characteristic of the battery, for example, a voltage supplied by the battery or a charge supplied by the battery, and the sensor is configured to measure the electrical characteristics of the battery, for example, a charge meter, a voltmeter, and / or an ammeter, and to generate a sensor signal representing the electrical characteristics of the battery.

34. The system according to claim 33, wherein the controller is configured to determine a measure of the current state of each of the further batteries and / or the first battery.

35. The system according to any one of claims 30 to 34, wherein the operating characteristic is the temperature of the battery, and the sensor is configured to measure the temperature of the battery and generate a sensor signal representing the temperature of the battery.

36. Use of the charger or system described in any of the preceding claims.

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