Handheld working machine

Abstract

To provide a hand-held type work machine which can suppress an increase in weight.SOLUTION: A hand-held type work machine 1 has a body 10 having a driving source operated by power, a battery mounting part that is provided on the body 10 and is mounted with a body side battery pack 40A for supplying power to the driving source, and a cable mounting part that is provided on the body 10 and has a connection terminal to which an electric cable 51 electrically connected to an external battery pack 40B for supplying power to the driving source is electrically connected.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a handheld working machine. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an electric power tool as an example of a handheld working machine. This electric power tool includes a main body to which the tool is attached, a motor housed in the main body, and a number of attachment parts provided on the main body. A battery pack can be attached and detached to each of the attachment parts. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2010-51329 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When multiple battery packs are attached to a handheld working machine, the weight of the entire working machine including the battery packs increases. Since a user handles the working machine while holding it in his / her hand, if the weight of the entire working machine increases, it may become difficult for the user to work.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a handheld working machine that can suppress an increase in weight even when multiple battery packs are used. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A handheld working machine according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a main body (10) having a driving source (3) operated by electricity, a battery attachment section (12) provided on the main body (10), the battery attachment section (12) having a first battery pack (40A) attached thereto that supplies power to the driving source (3) and having a first connection terminal (13) electrically connected to the first battery pack (40A), and a cable attachment section (37) provided on the main body (10), the cable attachment section (37) having a second connection terminal (38) to which a cable (51) electrically connected to a second battery pack (40B) that supplies power to the driving source (3) is electrically connected.

[0007] In the above-mentioned handheld working machine, power is supplied to the drive source (3) by the first battery pack (40A) and the second battery pack (40B), so that, for example, the handheld working machine can be driven for a longer period of time than when only one battery pack is provided. The second battery pack (40B) is not attached to the main body (10) but is connected to the second connection terminal (38) of the cable attachment part (37) via the cable (51), so that the weight of the second battery pack (40B) is not added to the main body (10) when the worker uses the handheld working machine. Therefore, when multiple battery packs are used, an increase in the weight of the handheld working machine can be suppressed.

[0008] The first connection terminal (13) and the second connection terminal (38) in one example can be electrically connected in parallel to the drive source (3). In this configuration, even if only one of the first battery pack (40A) and the second battery pack (40B) is connected, the handheld working machine can be operated.

[0009] The example handheld working machine may further include a control circuit (18) that selectively switches between power from the first battery pack (40A) and power from the second battery pack (40B) and supplies the power to the drive source (3). In this configuration, when both the first battery pack (40A) and the second battery pack (40B) are connected, power can be supplied from either one of the battery packs.

[0010] The control circuit (18) in one example may supply power to the driving source (3) via the second connection terminal (38) when the power supplied from the first connection terminal (13) is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold. In this configuration, when the first battery pack (40A) and the second battery pack (40B) are connected to the first connection terminal (13) and the second connection terminal (38), respectively, the power of the first battery pack (40A) is consumed first.

[0011] In a state where the first battery pack (40A) is electrically connected to the first connection terminal (13) and the second battery pack (40B) is electrically connected to the second connection terminal (38), the control circuit (18) in one example can start supplying power from the second battery pack (40B) to the drive source (3) after substantially all of the power of the first battery pack (40A) has been consumed. In this configuration, since the power of the first battery pack (40A) is consumed first, the handheld working machine can be operated in a state where the first battery pack (40A) is detached from the main body (10) after substantially all of the power of the first battery pack (40A) has been consumed.

[0012] The main body (10) in one example has a main body case (11) in which the driving source (3) is housed, the battery mounting section (12) includes an opening (12a) provided in the main body case (11) for housing the first battery pack (40A) inside the main body case (11), and the main body case (11) may have a lid (14) capable of opening and closing the opening (12a). In this configuration, even when the first battery pack (40A) is not attached, the first connection terminal (13) of the battery mounting section (12) is prevented from being exposed to the outside of the main body (10).

[0013] The handheld working machine as an example further includes a first grip portion (15) and a second grip portion (30) spaced apart from each other and provided on the main body (10), and the battery mounting portion (12) can be provided at a position between the first grip portion (15) and the second grip portion (30). In this configuration, the user can support the weight of the first battery pack (40A) approximately evenly with both hands.

[0014] The second connection terminal (38) may be provided directly below the second gripping portion (30) when the main body (10) is placed on a horizontal surface with its bottom surface facing down. In this configuration, the second connection terminal (38) can be protected by the second gripping portion (30) disposed directly above the second connection terminal (38).

[0015] The second connection terminal (38) may be inclined so as to face upward from the base end toward the tip end of the main body (10) when the main body (10) is placed on a horizontal surface with the bottom side facing down. In this configuration, when the main body (10) is placed on the ground or the like, the cable (51) connected to the second connection terminal (38) is prevented from coming into contact with the ground or the like and being damaged. Effect of the Invention

[0016] According to the handheld working machine of the present invention, even if a plurality of battery packs are used, an increase in weight can be suppressed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a handheld working machine according to an example. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a handheld working machine in use; [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a side view showing a handheld working machine according to an example. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a power control system. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 illustrates an example of an operation panel. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing an operation flow of the handheld working machine. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same elements are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted. In this specification, terms indicating directions such as up / down, front / rear, left / right, etc., indicate directions based on the operator using the handheld working machine. The front of the operator (the blade side in this example) is defined as "front".

[0019] A hedge trimmer 1, which is an example of a handheld working machine, has a main body 10 having a motor 3 (see Figure 4) which is an electrically powered drive source and a gear case 5 connected to the motor 3, and a blade 20 arranged to protrude forward from the gear case 5.

[0020] The main body 10 includes a main body case 11, a front handle (first grip) 15, and a rear handle (second grip) 30. At least a motor 3 is housed inside the main body case 11. As shown in FIG. 1, the motor 3 is operated by power supplied from a main body side battery pack (first battery pack) 40A attached to the main body 10, or an external battery pack (second battery pack) 40B connected to the main body 10 via an electric cable 51. The rotational motion of the motor 3 is transmitted to the blade 20 as a reciprocating motion by a gear (power transmission mechanism) in a gear case 5 attached to the lower part of the main body case 11. The main body side battery pack 40A and the external battery pack 40B may be the same product based on the same standard. Therefore, in the following description, when the main body side battery pack 40A and the external battery pack 40B are not distinguished from each other, the main body side battery pack 40A and the external battery pack 40B are collectively referred to as the battery pack 40.

[0021] The battery pack 40 is a rechargeable power storage device. For example, the battery pack 40 has a resin housing 41 and a storage cell such as a lithium ion secondary battery housed inside the housing 41. The battery pack 40 may also have a control protection circuit that protects the storage cell from overcharging and overdischarging. In one example, the battery pack 40 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. An electrode 43 for external connection is provided on the outer surface of the battery pack 40. For example, the battery pack 40 can be charged by a dedicated adapter. As one example, the battery pack 40 may have a guide for sliding onto the adapter.

[0022] The blade 20 includes a guide 21 provided to protrude forward of the gear case 5, and an upper blade 23 and a lower blade 25 attached along the guide 21, protruding in the left-right direction and having multiple blades arranged side by side in the front-rear direction. The upper blade 23 and the lower blade 25 of the blade 20 are configured to reciprocate by converting the rotational motion of the motor 3 into a reciprocating motion and transmitting it to trim objects to be cut, such as hedges and plants.

[0023] The main body side battery pack 40A is electrically connected to the motor 3 by being attached to the battery attachment section 12 provided in the main body case 11. An example of the main body side battery pack 40A can be accommodated inside the main body case 11. For example, the main body case 11 has an opening 12a for accommodating the main body side battery pack 40A inside as the battery attachment section 12. An example of the opening 12a is formed in the upper part of the main body case 11. A space 12s in the opening 12a has a size capable of accommodating the battery pack 40 assumed to be used in the hedge trimmer 1. The main body side battery pack 40A can be electrically connected to the motor 3 in a state where it is accommodated in the space 12s in the opening 12a. That is, a connection terminal (first connection terminal) 13 (see FIG. 4) that can be electrically connected to the battery pack 40 is provided inside the opening 12a. For example, the battery pack 40 is engaged with a guide (not shown) arranged in the space 12s within the opening 12a, whereby the connection terminal 13 within the opening 12a and the electrode 43 of the battery pack 40 are electrically connected.

[0024] The illustrated main body case 11 has a cover (lid) 14 that can open and close the opening 12a. The cover 14 has a periphery that follows the periphery of the opening 12a, and is provided so as to be able to close the opening 12a. In one example, the cover 14 has a curved plate shape that is convex toward the upper side. As shown in FIG. 1, when the cover 14 is open, the battery pack 40 can be attached to and detached from the battery mounting section 12. The cover 14 can close the opening 12a when the battery pack 40 is attached to the battery mounting section 12, that is, when the battery pack 40 is housed in the space 12s in the opening 12a. The cover 14 may be provided integrally with the main body case 11. For example, the front end of the cover 14 may be connected to the main body case 11 by a hinge structure. The cover 14 may also be detachable from the main body case 11.

[0025] The front handle 15 is, for example, a part that is held by one hand of an operator using the hedge trimmer 1 (see FIG. 2). One example of the front handle 15 has an inverted U shape that connects the lower parts of the left and right sides of the front part of the main body case 11. The front handle 15 is connected to the main body case 11 at a position forward of the space in which the main body side battery pack 40A is housed. In the illustrated example, the front handle 15 is disposed above the gear case 5. When viewed from the side, the position where the front handle 15 is connected overlaps with the position where the motor 3 is disposed.

[0026] The rear handle 30 is, for example, a part that is held by the other hand of an operator using the hedge trimmer 1. Note that, since the rear handle 30 in the example is provided rotatably with respect to the main body case 11, unless otherwise specified, the structural description of the rear handle 30 is based on the state in which the rear handle 30 is in a standard position where it is not rotated.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 3, the rear handle 30 may have, for example, a substantially rectangular ring shape when viewed from the side. The rear handle 30 includes an upper grip portion 31, a lower grip portion 33, and a connecting portion 35. The upper grip portion 31 is intended to be primarily held by the user. The upper grip portion 31 constitutes the upper portion of the rear handle 30 and extends in the front-rear direction and downward from its rear end. The lower grip portion 33 extends forward from the rear end of the upper grip portion 31. The connecting portion 35 includes an attachment portion 36 that connects the rear handle 30 and the main body case 11. The connecting portion 35 constitutes the front portion of the rear handle 30 and extends in the up-down direction so as to connect the front end of the upper grip portion 31 and the front end of the lower grip portion 33.

[0028] The mounting portion 36 protrudes forward from the center of the connection portion 35 in the vertical direction. One example of the mounting portion 36 is hollow and tubular, and has an axis along the front-rear direction. The mounting portion 36 is rotatably supported on the rear end surface of the main body case 11. That is, the rear handle 30 can be rotated relative to the main body case 11 with the mounting portion 36 along the front-rear direction as a rotation axis. The space 12s in which the main body side battery pack 40A is accommodated is located between the front handle 15 and the rear handle 30, which are arranged at a distance from each other in the front-rear direction (a predetermined direction).

[0029] A cable attachment portion 37 is provided at the lower end of the connection portion 35. The cable attachment portion 37 includes a connection terminal 38 (second connection terminal). The connection terminal 38 has a substantially cylindrical outer shape. When the hedge trimmer 1 is viewed from the side, the connection terminal 38 protrudes rearward from the lower end of the connection portion 35, and is inclined so as to face upward from the base end on the connection portion 35 side (main body case 11 side) to the tip end when the main body case 11 is placed on a horizontal surface with the bottom surface 11a facing down. In this case, for example, the inclination angle θ of the connection terminal 38 with respect to the horizontal surface may be 0° to 15°, and may be about 10° as an example. In the illustrated example, the lower grip portion 33 is inclined at the same inclination angle as the connection terminal 38. The connection terminal 38 is provided directly below the lower grip portion 33 of the rear handle 30 when the main body case 11 is placed on a horizontal surface with the bottom surface 11a facing down. For example, the left-right width of the lower grip portion 33 may be greater than the left-right width of the connection terminal 38 .

[0030] The connection terminal 38 is electrically connected to the motor 3 via a wiring passing through the inside of the attachment portion 36. An electric cable 51 electrically connected to an external battery pack 40B that supplies power to the motor 3 can be electrically connected to the connection terminal 38. For example, the external battery pack 40B may be housed in a housing case 50 to which the electric cable 51 is connected. The housing case 50 has a rectangular tubular housing 53 with a bottom. The housing 53 may be formed of, for example, resin or the like.

[0031] A first band 54 for preventing the accommodated battery pack 40 from falling off is provided on the periphery of an opening 53a formed in the upper part of the housing 53. The first band 54 is in a belt shape. For example, one end of the first band 54 may be fixed to one of a pair of opposing side surfaces of the housing 53, and the other end of the first band 54 may be detachable to the other of the pair of opposing side surfaces of the housing 53. When the battery pack 40 is accommodated in the housing 53, if both ends of the first band 54 are fixed to the housing 53, the first band 54 crossing the opening 53a prevents the battery pack 40 from falling off.

[0032] Further, a second band 55 is provided on one side of the housing 53, which passes through the bottom surface 53b and is connected to the other opposing side. The second band 55 is belt-shaped. For example, one end of the second band 55 may be fixed to the housing, and the other end of the second band 55 may be detachable from the housing 53. As shown in FIG. 2, by passing a waist belt or the like of a harness H worn by a user between the second band and the housing 53, the user can hold the housing 53 with both hands available.

[0033] A connection terminal 57 (see FIG. 4) connectable to the electrode 43 of the battery pack 40 is provided inside the housing 53. For example, the battery pack 40 is engaged with a guide (not shown) formed in the housing 53, whereby the connection terminal 57 in the housing 53 and the electrode 43 of the battery pack 40 are electrically connected to each other.

[0034] The connection terminal 57 is connected to one end of the electric cable 51. The electric cable 51 may be fixed to the housing 53 or may be configured to be detachable. The other end of the electric cable 51 may be a connector 51a configured to be detachable to the connection terminal 38. In the illustrated example, the connection terminal 38 is a male type, and the connector 51a of the electric cable 51 is a female type. For example, the connection terminal 38 and the connector 51a are threaded to correspond to each other, and the electric cable 51 can be prevented from coming loose by rotating the connector 51a side.

[0035] A trigger 32 is disposed below the upper grip portion 31. The trigger 32 is for operating the motor 3. In addition, a safety lever 39 is disposed above the upper grip portion 31. The safety lever 39 is for enabling the trigger 32 to be operated.

[0036] An operation panel 60 is provided at the upper end of the connection portion 35, i.e., at the front end of the upper grip portion 31. As shown in FIG. 5, an example of the operation panel 60 is provided with a rotation lever 61, a main power switch 62, a speed switch 63, a power lamp 65, and a speed lamp 66. The rotation lever 61 can regulate the rotation of the rear handle 30. For example, when a user rotates the rear handle 30, the user rotates the rear handle 30 while operating (for example, pressing) the rotation lever 61. The main power switch 62 is a switch for starting the operating system of the hedge trimmer 1. When the main power switch 62 is pressed and power is supplied from the battery pack 40, the power lamp 65 is turned on. The speed switch 63 is a switch for changing the reciprocating speed of the blade 20. For example, the reciprocating speed of the blade 20 can be switched to any one of low speed, medium speed, and high speed by switching the speed switch 63. The speed lamp 66 is a lamp for notifying the user that the speed of the blade 20 is in a low speed, medium speed, or high speed state.

[0037] The hedge trimmer 1 of the example has a control circuit 18 for drive control. The control circuit 18 is electrically connected to each of the main power switch 62, the speed switch 63, the trigger 32, and the connection terminal 38 via wiring cords passing through the mounting portion 36. The control circuit 18 is also electrically connected to each of the connection terminal 13 and the motor 3 via wiring cords arranged in the main body case 11. Although not shown, a power lamp 65 and a speed lamp 66 may also be connected to the control circuit 18.

[0038] The control circuit 18 is disposed, for example, inside the main body case 11. The control circuit 18 includes an arithmetic unit, a storage device, an interface, etc., and executes a program stored in the storage device to perform predetermined control. An example of the control circuit 18 may include an MCU (Micro Control Unit).

[0039] The control circuit 18 electrically connects the main battery pack 40A connected via the connection terminal 13 and the external battery pack 40B connected via the connection terminals 38 and 57 in parallel to the motor 3. For example, when the trigger 32 is pulled by a user, the control circuit 18 rotates the motor 3 in response to a signal input from the trigger 32. The rotation speed of the motor 3 is controlled by the control circuit 18 based on a signal input from a speed switch 63. The control circuit 18 switches on and off the speed lamp 66 based on the signal input from the speed switch 63. In addition, the control circuit 18 detects the voltage of the main battery pack 40A and the external battery pack 40B, and when the voltage is confirmed to be equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold, it determines that the motor 3 can be driven and turns on the power lamp 65.

[0040] The control circuit 18 in one example selectively switches between power from the main body side battery pack 40A and power from the external battery pack 40B and supplies the power to the motor 3. For example, the control circuit 18 supplies power to the motor 3 via the connection terminal 38 when the power supplied from the connection terminal 13 is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold. In one example, in a state in which the main body side battery pack 40A is electrically connected to the first connection terminal and the external battery pack 40B is electrically connected to the connection terminal 38, the control circuit 18 starts supplying power from the second battery pack to the motor 3 after substantially all of the power of the main body side battery pack 40A has been consumed.

[0041] An example of control by the control circuit 18 will be described below with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 6. In the example of the hedge trimmer 1, first, the operator mounts the main body battery pack 40A to the battery mounting section 12, and mounts the connector of the electric cable 51 electrically connected to the external battery pack 40B to the electric cable 51 mounting section. When the battery pack 40 is connected to the hedge trimmer 1, the control circuit 18 goes into a standby state (step S1). For example, the standby state may be a state in which the MCU included in the control circuit 18 is activated. Power for activating the MCU is supplied by either the main body battery pack 40A or the external battery pack 40B.

[0042] In the standby state of step S1, the control circuit 18 checks the calculator of the battery pack 40. In one example, the control circuit 18 determines whether the voltage of the main body battery pack 40A is normal or not (step S2). For example, the control circuit 18 measures the voltage of the main body battery pack 40A, and determines whether the motor 3 can be operated by the main body battery pack 40A based on the measurement result. As one example, the control circuit 18 may determine whether the motor 3 can be operated by calculating the remaining battery level of the main body battery pack 40A from the measured voltage. The control circuit 18 may also determine whether the motor 3 can be operated by comparing the measured voltage with a predetermined threshold value.

[0043] If it is determined in step S2 that the voltage of the main body battery pack 40A is normal, that is, that the motor 3 can be operated by the main body battery pack 40A, the control circuit 18 determines whether or not the main power switch 62 is pressed (step S3). If the main power switch 62 is pressed, the control circuit 18 starts up the entire control circuit 18, that is, all systems related to the operation of the hedge trimmer 1 (step S4). In this case, the control circuit 18 selects the main body battery pack 40A as the power supply source for the motor 3. If the main power switch 62 is not pressed, the example control method returns to step S1 again.

[0044] In step S2, if the voltage of the main body side battery pack 40A is not normal, that is, if it is determined that the voltage of the main body side battery pack 40A is low and the motor 3 cannot be operated by the voltage of the main body side battery pack 40A, the control circuit 18 determines whether the voltage of the external battery pack 40B is normal or not (step S5). The method of determining the external battery pack 40B may be the same as the method of determining the main body side battery pack 40A in step S2.

[0045] In step S5, if the voltage of the external battery pack 40B is not normal, that is, if it is determined that the voltage of the external battery pack 40B is low and the motor 3 cannot be operated by the voltage of the external battery pack 40B, the motor 3 cannot be operated by either the main body battery pack 40A or the external battery pack 40B, so the control circuit 18 ends the standby state.

[0046] If it is determined in step S5 that the voltage of the external battery pack 40B is normal, that is, that the motor 3 can be operated by the external battery pack 40B, the control circuit 18 determines whether or not the main power switch 62 is pressed (step S6). If the main power switch 62 is pressed, the control circuit 18 starts up the entire control circuit 18, that is, all systems related to the operation of the hedge trimmer 1 (step S7). In this case, the control circuit 18 selects the external battery pack 40B as the power supply source for the motor 3. If the main power switch 62 is not pressed, the example control method returns to step S1 again.

[0047] Next, the control circuit 18 judges whether the main body side battery pack 40A and the external battery pack 40B are normal or not (step S8). For example, the control circuit 18 judges whether there is an abnormality such as an overload or an overtemperature for each of the main body side battery pack 40A and the external battery pack 40B. Such a judgment can be performed based on signals input from the respective protection circuits of the main body side battery pack 40A and the external battery pack 40B, for example.

[0048] In step S8, if it is determined that any of the battery packs 40 has an abnormality, the control circuit 18 terminates the operation of the system. In this case, for example, the main power switch 62 is turned off by an operator, and replacement of the battery pack 40 or the like is performed.

[0049] If it is determined in step S8 that the battery pack 40 is normal, the control circuit 18 determines whether a drive signal is being input from the trigger 32 (step S9). If the drive signal is not being input from the trigger 32 for a certain period of time, the control circuit 18 terminates the operating system. On the other hand, if a drive signal is being input from the trigger 32, the control circuit 18 determines whether the voltage of the battery pack 40 selected as the power supply source for the motor 3 is low (step S10). The method of determining the battery pack 40 may be the same as the method of determining the main body side battery pack 40A in step S2.

[0050] If it is determined in step S10 that the voltage of the battery pack 40 is not low, that is, if the battery pack 40 has a remaining battery power sufficient to operate the motor 3, the control circuit 18 operates the motor 3 according to the speed input from the speed switch 63 (step S11). As a result, the upper blade 23 and the lower blade 25 receive power from the motor 3 and reciprocate symmetrically in the front-rear direction.

[0051] If it is determined in step S10 that the voltage of the battery pack 40 is low, the control circuit 18 determines whether the currently selected battery pack 40 is the main body side battery pack 40A (step S12). If it is determined that the currently selected battery pack 40 is the main body side battery pack 40A, the control circuit 18 switches the power supply source of the motor 3 to the external battery pack 40B (step S13) and returns to step S9.

[0052] On the other hand, if it is determined that the currently selected battery pack 40 is the external battery pack 40B, neither the main battery pack 40A nor the external battery pack 40B has enough remaining battery power to operate the motor 3, so the control circuit 18 stops the motor 3 (step S14). In this case, for example, the main power switch 62 is turned off by an operator, and charging of the removed battery pack 40 is performed.

[0053] As described above, one example of a handheld work machine comprises a main body 10 having a motor 3 that operates using electricity, a battery attachment section 12 provided on the main body 10, to which a main body side battery pack 40A that supplies power to the motor 3 is attached and which has a connection terminal 13 that is electrically connected to the main body side battery pack 40A, and a cable attachment section 37 provided on the main body 10, which has a connection terminal 38 to which an electrical cable 51 that is electrically connected to an external battery pack 40B that supplies power to the motor 3 is electrically connected.

[0054] In the above-mentioned handheld working machine, power is supplied to the motor 3 by the main body battery pack 40A and the external battery pack 40B, so that, for example, the handheld working machine can be driven for a longer period of time than when only one battery pack is provided. The external battery pack 40B is not attached to the main body 10, but is connected to the connection terminal 38 of the cable attachment portion 37 via an electric cable 51, so that the weight of the external battery pack 40B is not added to the main body 10 when the worker uses the handheld working machine. Therefore, when multiple battery packs are used, an increase in the weight of the handheld working machine can be suppressed.

[0055] The connection terminal 13 and the connection terminal 38, as an example, can be electrically connected in parallel to the motor 3. In this configuration, even if only one of the main body battery pack 40A and the external battery pack 40B is connected, the handheld working machine can be operated.

[0056] The handheld working machine as an example may further include a control circuit 18 that selectively switches between power from the main body battery pack 40A and power from the external battery pack 40B and supplies the power to the motor 3. In this configuration, when both the main body battery pack 40A and the external battery pack 40B are connected, power can be supplied from either one of the battery packs.

[0057] The control circuit 18, as an example, can supply power to the motor 3 via the connection terminal 38 when the power supplied from the connection terminal 13 is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold. In this configuration, when the main body side battery pack 40A and the external battery pack 40B are connected to the connection terminal 13 and the connection terminal 38, respectively, the power of the main body side battery pack 40A is consumed first.

[0058] In one example, the control circuit 18 can start supplying power from the external battery pack 40B to the motor 3 after the power of the main body battery pack 40A has been substantially all consumed in a state in which the main body battery pack 40A is electrically connected to the connection terminal 13 and the external battery pack 40B is electrically connected to the connection terminal 38. In this configuration, the power of the main body battery pack 40A is consumed first, so that the handheld working machine can be operated with the main body battery pack 40A detached from the main body 10 after the power of the main body battery pack 40A has been substantially all consumed.

[0059] The main body 10 in one example has a main body case 11 in which the motor 3 is housed, and the battery mounting section 12 includes an opening 12a provided in the main body case 11 for housing the main body side battery pack 40A inside the main body case 11, and the main body case 11 may have a cover 14 capable of opening and closing the opening 12a. In this configuration, even when the main body side battery pack 40A is not attached, the connection terminal 13 of the battery mounting section 12 is prevented from being exposed to the outside of the main body 10.

[0060] One example of the handheld working machine further includes a front handle 15 and a rear handle 30 spaced apart from each other and provided on the main body 10, and the battery mounting section 12 can be provided at a position between the front handle 15 and the rear handle 30. In this configuration, the user can support the weight of the main body side battery pack 40A approximately evenly with both hands.

[0061] The connection terminal 38 may be provided directly below the rear handle 30 when the main body 10 is placed on a horizontal surface with the bottom side facing down. For example, the connection terminal 38 may be provided at another location, such as the rear end of the rear handle 30, but in that case, the connection terminal 38 may be easily damaged by contact or the like. In the above configuration, the connection terminal 38 can be protected by the rear handle 30 that is disposed directly above the connection terminal 38.

[0062] The connection terminal 38 may be inclined so as to face upward from the base end toward the tip end of the main body 10 when the main body 10 is placed on a horizontal surface with the bottom side facing down. In this configuration, when the main body 10 is placed on the ground or the like, the electric cable 51 connected to the connection terminal 38 is prevented from coming into contact with the ground or the like and being damaged.

[0063] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the specific form of the present invention is not limited to the above example. For example, the above embodiment has been described using a hedge trimmer as an example, but the present invention may be applied to other handheld working machines other than hedge trimmers. The present invention is applicable to any working machine that includes a drive source such as an electrically powered motor and is used while being held by a user, and the present invention may be applied to, for example, a chain saw, a brush cutter, a blower, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 1...hedge trimmer (handheld work machine), 10...main body, 11...main body case, 12...battery attachment section, 12a...opening, 13...connection terminal (first connection terminal), 14...cover (lid body), 18...control circuit, 15...front handle (first gripping section), 30...rear handle (second gripping section), 37...cable attachment section, 38...connection terminal (second connection terminal), 40A...main body side battery pack (first battery pack), 40B...external battery pack (second battery pack), 51...electrical cable (cable).

Claims

1. A main body (10) having a driving source (3) operated by electricity; A battery mounting section (12) provided on the main body (10), a first battery pack (40A) that supplies power to the driving source (3) is mounted on the battery mounting section (12), and the battery mounting section (12) has a first connection terminal (13) that is electrically connected to the first battery pack (40A). 12) and a cable attachment portion (37) provided on the main body (10), the cable attachment portion (37) having a second connection terminal (38) to which a cable (51) electrically connected to a second battery pack (40B) located away from the main body in order to supply power to the driving source (3), is electrically connected; The main body (10) includes a first gripping portion (15) and a second gripping portion (30) arranged spaced apart from each other in a predetermined direction; The handheld working machine, wherein the battery mounting portion (12) is provided at a position between the first grip portion (15) and the second grip portion (30) in the predetermined direction.

2. 2. The handheld working machine according to claim 1, wherein the first connection terminal (13) and the second connection terminal (38) are electrically connected in parallel to the drive source (3).

3. 3. The handheld working machine according to claim 2, further comprising a control circuit (18) that selectively switches between power from the first battery pack (40A) and power from the second battery pack (40B) and supplies the power to the drive source (3).

4. 4. The handheld working machine according to claim 3, wherein the control circuit (18) supplies power to the drive source (3) via the second connection terminal (38) when the power supplied from the first connection terminal (13) is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold value.

5. 4. The handheld working machine according to claim 3, wherein, in a state in which the first battery pack (40A) is electrically connected to the first connection terminal (13) and the second battery pack (40B) is electrically connected to the second connection terminal (38), the control circuit (18) starts supplying power from the second battery pack (40B) to the drive source (3) after substantially all of the power of the first battery pack (40A) has been consumed.

6. The main body (10) has a main body case (11) in which the driving source (3) is housed, the battery mounting portion (12) includes an opening (12a) provided in the main body case (11) for housing the first battery pack (40A) inside the main body case (11), The handheld working machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the main body case (11) has a lid (14) capable of opening and closing the opening (12a).

7. The handheld working machine according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the second connection terminal (38) is provided directly below the second grip portion (30) when the main body (10) is placed on a horizontal surface with its bottom surface facing down.

8. The handheld work machine of claim 7, wherein the second connection terminal (38) is inclined so as to face upward from the base end on the main body (10) side toward the tip end when the main body (10) is placed on a horizontal surface with its bottom surface facing down.

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