Battery packs and power tools

Abstract

Provided are a battery pack and an electrical device in which one or more sensors are provided on the battery pack side, and sensor information acquired at the battery side is used to control the body of an electrical device 301. A plurality of sensors 61-69 that collect and output physical information attributable to an external factor are provided to a battery pack 1, and a control unit 50 of the battery pack 1 processes signals detected by the sensors 61-69, and creates a control signal compatible with an attached electrical device body 201. The control unit 50 of the battery pack 1 transmits to the body of the electrical device a signal for controlling the body of the electrical device body via a communication terminal, thereby enabling a control unit 250 of the electrical device body 201 to perform optimal control using the sensor information.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery pack and a battery Power tools Regarding. [Background technology]

[0002] Portable electrical devices powered by battery packs are widely used. Such well-known technology is disclosed, for example, in Patent Document 1. Patent Document 1 discloses an adapter that is attached between a battery pack and an electrical device body, and that includes a tilt sensor, a control unit, and a signal output terminal. The adapter of Patent Document 1 is configured such that, when the tilt detected by the tilt sensor is greater than a predetermined value, the control unit of the adapter outputs a stop signal from the signal output terminal to the electrical device body, thereby cutting off the power supply from the battery pack to the electrical device body. Because the adapter disclosed in Patent Document 1 is attached between the battery pack and the electrical device body, the electrical device as a whole becomes larger, which makes it less user-friendly than if an adapter were not attached. Therefore, Patent Document 2 describes a configuration that prevents the electrical device from becoming larger by providing a sensor in the battery pack.

[0003] Patent document 2 discloses an impact tool that has an acceleration sensor and a control unit provided in the battery pack, and the control unit on the battery pack detects an impact from the impact tool body, and the control unit turns off a switching element provided on the battery pack side, thereby cutting off the power supply from the battery pack to the impact tool. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-042850 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-224909 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The control in Patent Document 2 involves cutting off the power supply to the main body within the battery pack based on a judgment by the battery pack. Therefore, while it can detect impacts when connected to an impact tool that generates a large impact force, it cannot detect impacts when connected to an impact tool that generates a small impact force, which is a problem that is considered to limit versatility. To increase versatility, it would be useful to perform control based on device information output from the connected electrical device, such as an impact tool. Furthermore, since battery packs are used in connection with various electrical devices, providing a sensor that can detect information other than impact detection would improve convenience.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above background, and its object is to Power tools While suppressing the size of the tool A battery pack that enables control according to device information output from the main unit and a battery using the same Power tools The purpose is to provide Another object of the present invention is to provide a battery pack with improved convenience and a battery pack using the same. Power tools The purpose is to provide Another object of the present invention is to provide a microcomputer and one or more sensors on the battery pack side, and to communicate between the battery-side microcomputer and the main body-side microcomputer, thereby tool Battery pack and battery that support the control of the main body Power tools The purpose is to provide [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] Representative features of the invention disclosed in this application are as follows. According to one aspect of the present invention, toolThe battery pack is attachable to a main body and includes a sensor unit configured to collect and output physical information caused by external factors of the battery pack, a battery pack side control unit connected to the sensor unit and receiving device information output from the device side control unit, and the device side control unit. tool The battery pack control unit controls the main body. Here, the physical information caused by the external factor includes information about the position, attitude, or acceleration of the battery pack. The battery pack control unit is configured to be able to communicate with the device control unit.

[0008] According to another feature of the present invention, the battery pack comprises: tool It has multiple metal connection terminals that allow electrical connection with the main body, and some of the connection terminals are used tool The battery pack side control unit communicates with the main unit according to the physical information. tool A device configured and connected to change the operating conditions of the device tool Depending on the body tool The device is configured to be able to change the operating conditions of the main body. It also has a battery pack mounting section to which a battery pack can be attached and a load section that is driven by the battery pack. tool The main unit and the battery pack Power tools is configured.

[0009] According to yet another feature of the present invention, a battery pack is configured to include a sensor unit having an equipment-side control unit and configured to collect and output physical information caused by external factors of the battery pack, and a battery pack-side control unit connected to the sensor unit and receiving equipment information output from the equipment-side control unit. The battery pack-side control unit: (1) When the equipment-side control unit enables control using the sensor unit, the battery pack-side control unit performs a control using the output detected by the sensor unit. tool Signals that control the main unit tool (2) When the device-side control unit is unable to control using the sensor unit, the device-side control unit is configured not to perform detection using the sensor unit.

[0010] According to still another feature of the present invention, the battery pack is configured to: tool The battery pack outputs a signal to prohibit the main unit from operating. This identification information includes the permitted operating range based on the direction in which the battery pack is attached. If the information output from the sensor unit is outside the permitted operating range, the battery pack tool The battery pack has a sensor unit configured to collect and output physical information caused by external factors of the battery pack, and a battery pack side control unit connected to the sensor unit and receiving identification information output from the device side control unit that identifies the orientation of the battery pack. The battery pack side control unit performs a function of detecting the orientation of the battery pack based on the identification information and the physical information. tool Control the main unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, Power tools While suppressing the size of the tool The battery pack and battery enable optimal control according to the main unit. Power tools In addition, it is possible to provide a battery pack with improved convenience and a battery using the same. Power tools Furthermore, the battery pack side control unit can provide the following in accordance with the physical information detected by the sensor. tool The device is capable of generating a signal to control the main body. The device has such a battery pack, a battery pack mounting section to which the battery pack can be mounted, and a load section driven by the battery pack. tool a main body and a Power tools This can be achieved. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a left side view of an electric device 201 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the battery pack 1 of FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of the battery pack 1 and the electrical device 201 shown in FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a state transition diagram showing the operation procedure of the battery pack 1 and the electrical device 201 according to the present embodiment. [Figure 5]5 is a flowchart showing the control procedure of the control unit 50 of the battery pack 1 in the process from steps 101 to 117 in FIG. [Figure 6] 1 is a diagram (part 1) for explaining a method for controlling an electric device 201 using a battery pack 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 10 is a diagram (part 2) for explaining a method for controlling an electric device 201 using a battery pack 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 8] 10 is a diagram (part 3) for explaining a method for controlling an electric device 201 using a battery pack 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram (part 1) for explaining a method for controlling an electric device 201 using a battery pack 1A according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram (part 2) for explaining a method for controlling an electric device 201 using a battery pack 1A according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] 10A and 10B are side views of a battery pack 1B and an electric device 301 according to a third embodiment of the present invention, where (A) shows the state at the start of a drilling operation, and (B) shows the state at the end of the drilling operation. [Figure 12] 12A and 12B are diagrams showing the battery pack 1B shown in FIG. 11, in which (A) is a left side view and (B) is a rear view. [Figure 13] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing a battery pack 1C according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is a left side view and (B) is a rear view. [Figure 14] 10A and 10B are longitudinal cross-sectional views for explaining the state of controlling the electrical device main body 401 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) shows the state in which the hammer is in the initial position, and (B) shows the state in which the hammer collides with the cam end, causing vibrations throughout the device that differ from those during normal striking operations. [Figure 15] FIG. 14 is a diagram (part 1) for explaining a method for controlling an electric device 501 according to a tenth embodiment using a battery pack 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16]FIG. 20 is a diagram (part 2) for explaining a method for controlling an electric device 501 according to a tenth embodiment using a battery pack 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] FIG. 20 is a diagram (part 3) for explaining a method for controlling an electric device 501 according to a tenth embodiment using a battery pack 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 18] FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of a battery pack 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention and an electric device 201A according to an eleventh embodiment. [Figure 19] 11 is a flowchart showing the control procedure of the control unit 50 of the battery pack 1 when an electric device main body 201A (circular saw C) according to the eleventh embodiment of the present invention is added to the flowchart of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Example]

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following drawings, the same parts are given the same reference numerals, and repeated explanations will be omitted. In addition, in this specification, the front, back, left, right, and up and down directions will be described as directions shown in the drawings.

[0014] FIG. 1 is a side view of an electric device 201 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Here, a circular saw, which is a power tool, is shown as an example of the electric device 201. The circular saw 201 is a tool for cutting wood or other materials by rotating a saw blade 205, which is a disk-shaped work tool with multiple spire-shaped blades formed on the outer periphery, at high speed using a motor 204. The motor 204 is disposed in the approximate center of a main housing 202 made of synthetic resin. The motor 204 has a rotating shaft (not shown) extending horizontally in the left-right direction, and the output of the rotating shaft is reduced and transmitted to the drive shaft of the saw blade 205. A base 210 is provided on the bottom surface of the main housing 202, which serves as a sliding surface for the material 290 to be cut. A long, narrow opening (not shown) extending in the longitudinal direction is formed in the approximate center of the base 210, and a portion of the saw blade 205 protrudes downward from the opening. The saw blade 205 that protrudes downward from the base 210 makes it possible to cut a material to be cut (a mating material) 290 such as wood. Although not shown in Fig. 1, a protective cover is provided around the underside of the saw blade 205 to protect the edge of the saw blade 205 from being exposed when the saw blade 205 is not pressed against the material to be cut.

[0015] A handle 203 for an operator to grip is formed above the main housing 202, and a trigger lever 206a for turning on the motor 204 is provided on the handle 203. While it is widely known that the electric device 201 is powered by either a commercial power source or a battery pack, this embodiment uses a detachable battery pack 1. Therefore, a battery pack attachment section 202a for attaching the battery pack 1 is provided at the rear of the main housing 202, and the battery pack 1 can be attached to the battery pack attachment section 202a. The battery pack 1 is attached to the battery pack attachment section 202a by sliding it from the rear to the front. When the battery pack 1 reaches a predetermined position, a latch mechanism including a latch button 16 for fixing the battery pack 1 to the main housing 202 to prevent it from falling off is activated, and the battery pack 1 is held in the main body of the electric device 201. In this specification, the term "main body (of an electric device)" will be used to refer to a part of the electric device to which no battery pack is attached (a part of the electric device other than the battery pack). In the following description, the main body of the electric device 201 will be referred to as the electric device main body 201, and the electric device main body 201 and the battery pack 1 together will sometimes be referred to as the electric device. When removing the battery pack 1 from the main body of the electric device 201, the battery pack 1 is slid backward (in the opposite direction to the attachment direction) relative to the main body while pressing the latch release buttons 16 provided on both the left and right sides of the battery pack 1.

[0016] The operator can make a straight cut in the object by pressing the base 210 and the saw blade 205 against the object and operating the trigger lever 206a while holding the handle 203. The cutting direction is the front direction of the electric device 201.

[0017] FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the battery pack 1. The internal space formed by the upper case 10 and the lower case 2 accommodates ten cylindrical battery cells 41. The ten battery cells 41 are stacked in two upper and lower rows of five each and secured in place by separators 42. The type, size, and number of battery cells 41 are arbitrary; for example, lithium-ion battery cells known as 18650 size, which have a diameter of 18 mm and a length of 65 mm and can be charged and discharged multiple times, are used. Here, sets of five battery cells connected in series are connected in parallel to output a direct current with a rated voltage of 18 V. Adjacent battery cells 41 are separated by flat upper and lower partition walls 43, and adjacent battery cells 41 are separated by flat front and rear partition walls 44, preventing the adjacent battery cells 41 from contacting each other.

[0018] A circuit board 45 is fixed to the upper side of the separator 42. The circuit board 45 is a printed circuit board (PCB) that mounts various electronic elements, such as a battery protection IC, a microcomputer, a memory, a PTC thermistor, resistors, capacitors, fuses, and light-emitting diodes. The circuit board 45 also has fixed thereto a plurality of metal connection terminals (only the LD terminal 38 is visible here) that mate with connection terminals on the electrical device body 201. A circuit pattern (not shown) is formed on the circuit board 45, electrically connecting the positive and negative outputs of the battery cells 41 to the connection terminals. The circuit board 45 also has mounted thereon a sensor 61 according to this embodiment. The sensor 61 is a type of sensor known as a triaxial acceleration sensor, and is intended to measure acceleration and detect three-dimensional inertial motion (translational motion in the three orthogonal axes X, Y, and Z shown in the figure). The sensor 61 corresponds to the "sensor unit" of this invention.

[0019] 3 is a circuit diagram of the battery pack 1 and the electrical device main body 201. The battery pack 1 is provided with sensors 61 to 69 for detecting acceleration, etc., and is configured to control the main body of the electrical device 201 in accordance with physical information obtained from the sensors. The battery pack 1 is electrically connected to the electrical device main body 201 via a plurality of connection terminals (32, 34, 36 to 38, etc.). The positive terminal 32 and the negative terminal 37 are power supply terminals connected to the positive and negative electrodes of the battery cell 41, and are connected to the positive input terminal 232 and the negative input terminal 237 of the electrical device main body 201. The positive output of the battery cell 41 is connected to the positive terminal 32, and the negative output output is connected to the negative terminal 37. The battery pack 1 is further provided with a positive terminal for charging (so-called C+ terminal) as a power terminal, but this is not shown here.

[0020] The battery pack 1 is provided with at least one or more built-in or external sensors 61-69. Conventional battery packs 1 are provided with sensors for measuring voltage, current, and temperature supplied from the battery cells 41. The sensors 61-69 of this embodiment are not provided to detect internal factors (battery cells 41) of the battery pack 1, but are provided to detect one or more physical, optical, electrical, and magnetic conditions originating from the outside of the battery pack 1. Examples of the sensors 61-69 include acceleration sensors, distance sensors (ranging sensors), light sensors, human presence sensors, position sensors, sound sensors, image sensors, illuminance sensors, and magnetic sensors. These sensors detect physical information in the environment to which the battery pack 1 is exposed, and physical information applied to the battery pack 1 by the operation of the main body of the electrical device 201. The number of these sensors 61-69 provided in the battery pack 1 is arbitrary; one or more may be provided. Furthermore, like the second sensor 62, the sensor may be attached to the outside of the case of the battery pack 1 rather than being provided inside the case. In that case, a connector for connection may be provided in a position accessible from the outside of the battery pack 1 in order to electrically wire the sensor 62 and the control unit 50. Since the purpose of each of the sensors 61 to 69 is to sense physical information, they are arranged in a position that can be accommodated in or attached to the battery pack 1 and that can achieve that purpose.

[0021] The control unit 50 manages the charging and discharging of the battery cells 41 and processes physical information acquired by the sensors 61-69. The control unit 50 corresponds to the "battery pack-side control unit" of the present invention. The control power supply circuit 51 converts the power of the battery cells 41 into a constant voltage of 3.3 V or 5 V and outputs it to the control unit 50. The control unit 50 is mounted on a circuit board 45 (see FIG. 2) and includes a microcomputer, a ROM for storing processing programs and control data, a RAM for temporarily storing data, a timer, etc. The microcomputer in the control unit 50 performs A / D conversion on the outputs from the sensors 61-69 and performs sampling, noise reduction, and other necessary processing. The control unit 50 is further provided with a wireless communication circuit 55. The wireless communication circuit 55 is a circuit for close-proximity wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark). The wireless communication circuit 55 is provided with an antenna 56, enabling communication within a distance of tens of meters.

[0022] The microcomputer of the control unit 50 processes signals input from the sensors 61 to 69 and controls the operation of the main body of the electric device 201 to which the battery pack 1 is attached. In order for the microcomputer (control unit 50) on the battery pack side to control the main body of the electric device 201, the control unit 50 controls the control unit on the electric device main body 201 side. 2The tool body communication circuit 53 is configured to be able to communicate with the electric device body 201 and uses three communication terminals. One is a second signal terminal (T terminal) 34, which transmits a signal that identifies the battery pack 1 to the electric device body 201. In this embodiment, this terminal is also used as a communication terminal for transmitting information from the battery pack 1 via a tool body communication circuit 53 that performs wired communication. The other is a first signal terminal (LS terminal) 36, which is a signal terminal for transmitting the output of a thermistor (temperature-sensing element, not shown) that is provided to measure the temperature of the battery cell 41. This terminal is also used as a communication terminal for receiving information from the electric device body 201 via the tool body communication circuit 53. The tool body communication circuit 53 is a circuit for performing bidirectional wired communication with the battery communication circuit 260 of the electric device body 201 using the conventional signal terminals, the LS terminal 36 and the T terminal 34. The third signal terminal (LD terminal) 38 is a signal terminal for outputting an abnormal stop signal via a control signal output circuit 52 to protect the battery cell 41 by the control unit 50.

[0023] The electrical device main body 201 is controlled by a control unit 250. The control unit 250 corresponds to the "device-side control unit" of the present invention. A control power supply circuit 255 is provided to operate the control unit 250. The control power supply circuit 255 is a power supply for generating a constant low voltage (e.g., 3.3 V or 5 V) from DC supplied to the positive input terminal 232 and the negative input terminal 237. If the electrical device main body 201 is an impact tool as shown in FIG. 1 , when the battery pack 1 is attached to the electrical device main body 201 and the trigger lever 206 a (trigger switch 206) is first pulled, an ON signal from the trigger switch 206 is input to the control power supply circuit 255, thereby activating the control unit 250. After the control unit 250 is activated, a signal for maintaining the control power supply circuit 255 in an ON state is continuously output to the control power supply circuit 255 by a self-holding circuit 259. The control signal input circuit 261 is a circuit that identifies a signal transmitted from the battery pack 1 side via the third signal terminal (LD terminal) 238 and transmits the signal to the control unit 250. The battery communication circuit 260 is a circuit that performs bidirectional communication with the control unit 50 of the battery pack 1 using the first signal terminal (LS terminal) 236 and the second signal terminal (T terminal) 234.

[0024] Although not shown, the control unit 250 includes a microcomputer for outputting drive signals based on processing programs and data, a ROM for storing processing programs and control data, a RAM for temporarily storing data, a timer, and other components. In this embodiment, the motor 204 is a three-phase brushless DC motor driven by an inverter circuit 252. The motor 204 is a so-called inner rotor type motor, having a rotor 204a including multiple pairs (two pairs in this embodiment) of permanent magnets with north and south poles, and a stator 204b consisting of star-connected three-phase stator windings U, V, and W. When the trigger switch 206 is turned on, signals from three Hall elements 265 are detected by a rotational position detection circuit 266. The control unit 250 receives the detection signal, calculates the direction and duration of current flow to the stator windings U, V, and W, and controls the motor 204 to rotate at a predetermined speed.

[0025] Inverter circuit 252 is composed of six switching elements (Q1 to Q6) such as FETs connected in a three-phase bridge configuration. The gates of switching elements Q1 to Q6 are connected to inverter control circuit 251, and the drains or sources of switching elements Q1 to Q6 are connected to star-connected stator windings U, V, and W. In this way, the microcomputer included in control unit 250 supplies DC power input to inverter circuit 252 to stator 204b as three-phase (U-phase, V-phase, and W-phase) voltages Vu, Vv, and Vw based on the output signal of Hall element 265 that detects the rotational position of motor 204.

[0026] Here, the PWM signal is supplied to either the positive power supply side switching elements Q1 to Q3 or the negative power supply side switching elements Q4 to Q6 of the inverter circuit 252, and high-speed switching of the switching elements Q1 to Q3 or the switching elements Q4 to Q6 controls the power supplied from DC to each of the stator windings U, V, and W. In this embodiment, since the PWM signal is supplied to the negative power supply side switching elements Q4 to Q6, the rotation speed of the motor 204 can be controlled by adjusting the power supplied to each of the stator windings U, V, and W by controlling the pulse width of the PWM signal.

[0027] The current value supplied to the motor 204 is measured by a current detection circuit 256 using a shunt resistor 253, and the measured value is fed back to the control unit 250. The voltage value applied to the inverter circuit 252 is monitored by the control unit 250 by measuring the voltage across a smoothing capacitor 254 using a voltage detection circuit 257. The lighting LED 270 is a light-emitting device that illuminates the area where the tool is used for work. The microcomputer in the control unit 250 detects when the operator operates an illumination button (not shown) provided on the electrical device main body 201, and the control unit 250 turns the lighting LED 270 on or off in accordance with the instruction. The control unit 250 can also notify the operator that the electrical device main body 201 is in a specific state by changing the lighting mode (blinking, changing the display color, etc.) in accordance with a communication signal from the microcomputer (control unit 50) in the battery pack 1. The operation mode switch 267 is a switch for setting the tightening strength and tightening mode of an impact tool or the like. The operation mode set by the operation mode switch 267 is displayed by the corresponding mode display LED 268 as to which operation mode is selected.

[0028] Next, the operation procedure of the battery pack 1 and the electrical device main body 201 will be described using the state transition diagram of FIG. 4. The transition diagram of FIG. 4 starts when the battery pack 1 is attached to the electrical device main body 201 (step 101), the main switch of the electrical device main body 201 is turned on, and the microcomputer of the control unit 250 is started (step 121). In the case of an electrical device that does not have a main switch in the electrical device main body 201, operation starts when the microcomputer of the control unit 250 is started when the trigger lever 206a is first pulled. First, the control unit 250 on the electrical device main body 201 side transmits an "information request signal" to the battery pack 1 to request transmission of information acquired by the sensors 61 to 69 (steps 122, 102). The information used does not need to be information from all sensors; only the necessary sensors 61 to 69 may be selected. In addition to the "information request signal," "device main body information (device information)" for identifying the type of the electrical device main body 201 is also transmitted. This transmission is performed via first signal terminal 36 and first signal terminal 236. The "device main body information" is configured to include the model name of the electric device main body, information about the electric device main body necessary to utilize the sensor information, parameters necessary to control the electric device main body, etc. If the electric device main body to which battery pack 1 is attached is an old model that cannot utilize information from sensors 61 to 69 from battery pack 1, the "information request signal" cannot be transmitted to battery pack 1, so subsequent steps are skipped and the electric device main body operates in the same way as before without using sensor information from battery pack 1.

[0029] When the control unit 50 of the battery pack 1 receives the "information request signal" and the "device main body information," the control unit 50 of the battery pack 1 sets a "reference value" for controlling the electrical device main body 201 based on the "device main body information" (step 111). The reference value is a value indicating the correct main body posture during work, which is determined for each model. In devices such as circular saws, where the main body posture during work is determined for each model, the reference value is used as a comparison value when detecting abnormal postures. On the other hand, in devices such as driver drills, where the working posture is not determined, the posture at the start of work is used as the reference value, so a reference value offset operation (step 123, described later) is performed from the main body of the electrical device 201, and the posture at that time is set as the reference value. When the operator wants to use the current state as the reference for detecting the tilt of the electrical device main body 201, the operator performs a reference value offset operation from the main body of the electrical device 201 (step 123). The reference value offset operation is performed by an operator positioning the main body of the electric device 201 at a reference position by determining the posture of the main body of the electric device 201, and then operating (pressing) a specific button provided on the main body of the electric device 201. This is because it is not possible to determine which position to use as the reference without an instruction from the operator, such as operating a button, on the main body side of the electric device 201.

[0030] When the operator operates (presses) a specific button (not shown) to perform the reference value offset operation, a dedicated or dual-purpose lamp indicating that the offset operation has been performed may be turned on. In this way, for example, every time drilling work is performed using an electric drill or the like, the posture of the electrical device body can be reset by specifying the offset operation button.

[0031] The control unit 250 of the electric device main body 201, which has detected the button operation for setting the reference value, transmits an "offset instruction signal" to the battery pack 1 (step 124). This transmission is performed via the first signal terminal 36 and the first signal terminal 236 (step 103). Note that there may be cases where an offset operation of the reference value of the electric device main body 201 is not necessary. In that case, no specific button operation is performed by the operator, and steps 124 and 103 are skipped.

[0032] The control unit 50 of the battery pack 1 receives the "offset instruction signal" (step 112), collects various pieces of physical information from the outputs of the sensors 61 to 69 (step 113), and uses the physical information value obtained at that time as a reference value to subsequently detect physical information using the sensors 61 to 69 (step 114). This reference value is stored in a storage device (not shown) included in the control unit 50 of the battery pack 1, and is maintained until the next time the reference value is updated.

[0033] Once the preparatory stage for performing an individual task on the electrical device main body 201 is completed as described above, the operator starts the operation of the electrical device main body 201. For example, in the case of a circular saw or impact tool, the operator presses the saw blade or the tip tool against a workpiece and operates the trigger lever 206a to rotate the motor 204. While this task is being performed, the control unit 50 of the battery pack 1 collects physical information about the main body of the electrical device 201 and the area around the battery pack 1 (step 115). Examples of the collected information include position information of the battery pack 1, attitude information of the battery pack 1, and acceleration information of the battery pack 1. This "physical information" is not caused by the battery pack 1 (based on internal factors) but is detected due to external factors, such as the operation of the electrical device main body 201. Although the measurement point measured by the sensor is located on the battery pack 1 side, this information is also information about the electrical device main body 201 to which the battery pack 1 is attached. Next, the detected physical information about the battery pack 1 is stored in a storage device (not shown) included in the control unit 50 of the battery pack 1 (step 116). The reason for storing physical information is that, since the sensor values ​​are constantly fluctuating, when making a determination, information immediately before the determination is temporarily stored, and processing is performed as necessary before making the determination.

[0034] The control unit 50 of the battery pack 1 calculates the state and operating conditions of the electric device main body 201 based on the detected physical information, the device main body information of the electric device main body 201, and the set reference value settings (step 117). These states and operating conditions will be described later with reference to FIGS. 6 to 11. The calculated operating conditions of the electric device main body 201 are sent to the control unit 250 of the electric device main body 201 via the second signal terminal 34 and the second signal terminal 234 (step 104). The control unit 250 of the electric device main body 201, having received the "operating conditions," controls the output of the load unit in accordance with the operating conditions (steps 125 and 126). In this way, the control unit 250 of the electric device main body 201 obtains information (operating conditions) determined from the sensor information detected in the battery pack 1, and performs control in accordance with that information. Thereafter, steps 112 to 117 and steps 123 to 126 are repeated to repeat a plurality of tasks. Thereafter, when the main power supply (main switch) of the electrical device main body 201 is turned off, or, in the case of an electrical device main body that does not have a main power supply (main switch), the battery pack 1 is removed from the main body of the electrical device main body 201 (step 105), the operation of the control unit 250 of the electrical device main body 201 stops (step 127).

[0035] Next, the control procedure of the control unit 50 of the battery pack 1 in the process up to steps 111 to 117 in FIG. 4 will be described using the flowchart in FIG. 5. The control of the flowchart in FIG. 5 is software-controlled by a microcomputer included in the control unit 50 executing a computer program. First, the control unit 50 determines whether or not the battery pack 1 is attached to the electrical device main body 201, i.e., a tool such as a circular saw (electrical device main body 201) (step 131). If the battery pack 1 is not attached in step 131, it waits until it is attached, and if it is attached, it communicates with the control unit 250 of the electrical device main body 201 and obtains an information request signal and device main body information from the electrical device main body 201 (step 132). In response to the transmission of the information request signal, the control unit 50 of the battery pack 1 transmits the output signal of the requested sensor, which is present among the sensors 61 to 69, to the electrical device main body 201.

[0036] Next, the control unit 50 of the battery pack 1 determines the model of the attached electrical device main body 201 using the received device main body information (step 133). If the electrical device main body 201 is a first circular saw (circular saw A), the threshold for determining the position of the electrical device main body using sensor values ​​is set to a predetermined value A (step 134), and data from the sensors 61 to 69 after the start of work is acquired (step 136). In step 136, it is not necessary to obtain outputs from all the set sensors 61 to 69; only outputs from the sensors necessary for the intended control can be used. Similarly, in step 133, if the electrical device main body 201 is a second circular saw (circular saw B), the threshold for determining the position of the electrical device main body using sensor values ​​is set to a predetermined value B (step 135), and data from the sensors 61 to 69 after the start of work is acquired (step 136).

[0037] Next, the control unit 50 of the battery pack 1 uses the acquired sensor information to determine whether the posture of the electrical device main body 201 is normal (step 137). For example, in the case of circular saw A or B, the output of the acceleration sensor is used to determine whether the posture is within an appropriate range for performing work. An example of this determination will be described later with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8. If the posture of circular saw A or B is normal, an output permission signal is sent to the electrical device main body 201 (circular saw A or B) (step 139). If the posture is not normal, an output stop signal is sent to the electrical device main body 201 (circular saw A or B) (step 138). The output permission signal and output stop signal may be sent by any signal, but a signal from an LD terminal conventionally provided on the battery pack 1, i.e., an LD signal that stops the operation of the electrical device main body 201 in the event of over-discharge, can be used. If the output permission signal is sent (step 139), the user can perform work using the electrical device main body 201 (step 140).

[0038] In step 133, if the electric device main body 201 to which the battery pack 1 is attached is neither the circular saw A nor the circular saw B, it is determined that it is another device main body (tool main body), and the process returns to step 131. Note that in the case of a device main body other than the circular saw A or the circular saw B, when an information request signal and device main body information are sent from the electric device main body 201, the sent device main body information may be used to set the type of sensor information to be used and its threshold value, and the control when the sensor output value reaches the threshold value may be set individually for each connected electric device main body 201. For this purpose, the sensor information required for each electric device main body 201 may be stored in a table format in a storage device (not shown) included in the control unit 50 of the battery pack 1, and this may be referenced in steps 132 and 133 for branching. In this way, the electric device main body 2 01 If reference information for each model is stored, it is possible to control a wide variety of electrical device main body 201 using information from the many sensors 61 to 69 provided in battery pack 1.

[0039] By executing the control shown in Figure 5 as described above, after setting the type of sensor information and threshold value, the control unit 50 of the battery pack 1 continuously monitors the sensor information, and when the trigger switch 206 (trigger lever 206a) is pulled while it is within the permitted operating range, the electrical equipment main body (tool main body) operates, but when the tilt, etc. of the electrical equipment main body 201 is outside the permitted operating range, it becomes possible to control so that the electrical equipment main body (tool main body) will not operate even if the trigger switch 206 (trigger lever 206a) is pulled.

[0040] Next, a specific control method when the electric device body 201 is a circular saw will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8. 012 shows a case where the main body of the circular saw is in a horizontal position, where (A) is a left side view of the circular saw (electrical device 201), and (B) is the position of the battery pack 1 in the position shown in (A). The Y-axis and Z-axis directions shown in (B) are based on the battery pack 1 and indicate the direction of the acceleration sensor mounted on the battery pack. The battery pack 1 is attached horizontally to the electrical device main body 201, so when the electrical device main body 201 is in a horizontal position as shown in (A), the battery pack 1 is also in a horizontal position. When cutting with the circular saw in this horizontal position, the output of the acceleration sensor 61 of the battery pack 1 (see FIG. 2) detects a gravity component Z of 1 g in the +Z direction (g is the gravitational acceleration, 1 g = 9.80665 m / s2). This allows the acceleration sensor 61 to detect the tilt of the battery pack 1.

[0041] The circular saw has a base 210 for sliding over the workpiece to be cut, and is configured so that the amount of protrusion of the saw blade 205 from below the base 210 (so-called cutting depth) can be changed. In other words, the angle of the circular saw body relative to the base 210 can be changed. The state in which the saw blade 205 protrudes the most from the base 210 is shown in FIG. 6(A). On the other hand, when the saw blade 205 protrudes the least from the base 210, the circular saw body is within the allowable operating range 280 (example of identification information) shown in FIG. 6(C). Therefore, within the range in which the cutting depth can be adjusted, the circular saw body is within the allowable operating range 280 and can perform cutting work. Hereinafter, in FIGS. 6 to 8, the battery pack 1 is attached to the circular saw body in the front-to-rear direction (direction of the Y axis). The information on the electrical device body 201 includes the attachment direction of the battery pack 1. This type of circular saw corresponds to circular saw A in FIG. 5. The reference 0 degrees in Fig. 6(A) corresponds to the threshold A in step 134 in Fig. 5. Note that the allowable operation range 280 and the thresholds A and B are examples of identification information.

[0042] If the reference direction of the Y axis of the acceleration sensor 61 mounted on the battery pack 1, which changes with the operating posture of the electric device main body 201, is within the operation allowance range 280 shown in Fig. 6(C), the control unit 50 of the battery pack 1 allows the operation of the electric device main body 201, that is, executes the procedure of step 139 in Fig. 5. Here, whether or not it is "within the operation allowance range 280" can be determined by the Y component and Z component of the output of the acceleration sensor 61, and <Y<0.5g、かつ、Z> 6(C), the dotted line on the horizontal axis represents the absolute Y-axis direction (one direction passing through the horizontal plane), and the dotted line on the vertical axis represents the absolute Z-axis direction (one direction passing through the extension plane). In the posture of electrical device 201 in FIG. 6(A), Y=0 and Z=+g due to gravitational acceleration, which is within the range of the aforementioned judgment conditions, so the worker can continue working on electrical device body 201.

[0043] Figure 7 shows the electrical equipment 2 01 5A is a left side view of the circular saw (electrical device main body 201), and (B) is the attitude of the battery pack 1 in the state of (A). As is apparent from a comparison with the state of FIG. 6, the battery pack 1 in this attitude, together with the electrical device main body 201, assumes the same attitude as shown in (B). Therefore, due to the influence of gravitational acceleration, the detected values ​​in the Z-axis direction of the acceleration sensor 61 are 0.64 g in the Z-axis direction and 0.64 g in the Y-axis direction, as shown in (C). Since this is outside the range of the aforementioned judgment conditions, the control unit 50 of the battery pack 1 judges that the operation of the electrical device main body 201 should be prohibited (corresponding to step 137 in FIG. 5), and sends an output stop signal to the electrical device main body 201 (see step 138 in FIG. 5).

[0044] FIG. 8 shows the state where the body of the electric device 201 is inverted. Figure 6This state is rotated approximately 150 degrees from the state shown in (A). This state corresponds to a worker using an electric circular saw to cut tree branches or cut wood from below on a ceiling. FIG. 8(A) is a left side view of the circular saw (electrical device main body 201), and (B) shows the attitude of the battery pack 1 in the state shown in (A). When the battery pack 1 is in the attitude shown in FIG. 8(A), it is affected by gravitational acceleration, and the detected value of the acceleration sensor 61 in the Z-axis direction is −0.87 g and in the Y-axis direction is 0.5 g. The detected value in the Z-axis direction is a negative value because the sensor 61 is upside down. Since this is outside the range of the aforementioned judgment conditions, the control unit 50 of the battery pack 1 judges that the operation of the electrical device main body 201 should be prohibited (corresponding to step 137 in FIG. 5) and sends an output stop signal to the electrical device main body 201 (see step 138 in FIG. 5).

[0045] 6 to 8, the control unit 50 of the battery pack 1 determines the position of the circular saw and stops the operation of the electrical device main body 201 if the electrical device main body 201 falls into an improper position. This control effectively prohibits the use of a battery pack 1 with a sensor to operate the circular saw in an improper position. While the description of FIGS. 6 to 8 does not refer to the detection results in the X-axis direction for the sake of simplicity, more advanced control may be performed by further determining the position by referring to the detection results of all three axes (X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis) of the acceleration sensor 61. Furthermore, the operation of the electrical device main body 201 may be controlled using the outputs of not only the acceleration sensor 61 but also any of the other sensors 62 to 69. [Example]

[0046] Next, a control method for an electrical device main body 201 using a battery pack 1A according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 9. The main body of the electrical device 201 in FIG. 9 is the same as the electrical device main body 201 shown in FIGS. 1 and 6 to 8, with (A) being a left side view and (B) being a front view. The attached battery pack 1A differs from the battery pack 1 in FIG. 2 in that a distance sensor 63 is added to the bottom surface of the lower case 2. The distance sensor 63 measures whether an object is present below the bottom surface of the lower case 2 based on the distance to the object. In other words, the distance sensor 63 measures the distance to the base 210, thereby detecting the set angle of the base 210 and enabling the cutting depth and inclination angle of the saw blade 205 to be detected. The distance sensor 63 corresponds to the "sensor unit" of the present invention. Sensor information acquired by the control unit 50 is transmitted to the control unit 250 of the electrical device main body 201 via the second signal terminals 34 and 234. This sensor information is physical information that changes depending on the posture of the electrical device main body 201 (when viewed from the battery pack 1, it changes due to "external factors"). The microcomputer of the control unit 250 uses this information to determine the distance between the sensor mounting position and the main body of the electrical device 201 (here, the distance to the base 210) and optimizes control according to the cutting depth and tilt angle. As an example of control optimization, when the cutting depth is shallow or there is no tilt, light load work is expected, so the motor rotation speed may be increased, and conversely, when the cutting depth is deep or there is a large tilt, heavy load work is expected, so the motor rotation speed may be decreased to increase torque. Furthermore, if the electrical device main body 201 is provided with a segment display or dot matrix display (e.g., a liquid crystal display), the cutting depth and tilt angle may be displayed digitally as numerical values ​​on the display.

[0047] 9(A) shows a state in which the rear end side of the base 210 is closest to the main housing 202 (battery pack 1) (position where the cutting depth is greatest), and the distance from the distance sensor 63 to the base 210 at this time is S1. FIG. 10(A) shows a case in which the base 210 is fixed so that the rear end of the base 210 is separated from the main body part (main housing 202). In this case, the distance from the distance sensor 63 to the base 210 is S2, and therefore the control unit 250 of the electric device main body 201, to which information about the distance S2 is transmitted via the battery pack 1, can determine that the cutting depth D into the workpiece (mate material) is set to be shallow. [Example]

[0048] FIG. 11(A) is a side view of a battery pack 1B and an electric device main body 301 according to a third embodiment of the present invention, showing the state at the start of drilling. This electric device main body 301 is shown as an example of a driver drill. A brushless DC motor (not shown) is housed inside a housing 302 of the electric device main body 301, and rotates a tool bit 310 via a power transmission unit (not shown) such as a speed reduction mechanism that reduces the rotational force of the motor and a clutch mechanism. The tool bit 310 shown in FIG. 11 is a drill bit. A chuck (tool bit holder) 308 is provided at the tip of the output shaft (not shown) to hold the tool bit 310.

[0049] A handle portion 303 is formed so as to be connected to the portion of the housing 302 that accommodates the motor, and a battery pack 1B is attached to the remote end (the end opposite the motor) of the handle portion 303. A trigger lever 306 is provided in part of the handle portion 303. A forward / reverse switching lever 307 for switching the rotation direction of the motor is provided near the trigger lever 306. A user holds the handle portion 303 in one hand, presses the tip portion 310a of the tool bit 310 against the mating member 330 so as to position it, and pulls the trigger lever 306 with the index finger or the like to adjust the amount of trigger depression (operation amount) and control the rotation speed of the motor (not shown).

[0050] The battery pack 1B has the same configuration as the battery pack 1 of the first embodiment, except for the types of sensors 61 to 69 (see FIG. 3). Here, a distance sensor 64 (64a, 64b) is provided on the housing of the battery pack 1B. The distance sensor 64 uses light (laser) to measure the distance to a distant object in a non-contact manner and is composed of a light-emitting unit 64a and a light-receiving unit 64b. The distance sensor 64 corresponds to the "sensor unit" of the present invention. In this embodiment, the distance from the electrical device main body 301 to the mating material (the material to be drilled) 330 is not measured; rather, the battery pack 1B measures the distance to the mating material (the material to be drilled) 330. This distance is physical information that changes depending on the orientation of the electrical device main body 301 (which, from the perspective of the battery pack 1, changes due to "external factors"). The light emitted from the light-emitting unit 64a of the battery pack 1B is reflected by the mating material 330, such as wood, and returns to the battery pack 1, where it is received by the light-receiving unit 64b. The control unit 50 of the battery pack 1B analyzes and calculates the reflected light, calculates the distance D1 from the light-emitting unit 64a to the target workpiece 330, and outputs the calculated distance to the control unit 250 of the electrical device main body 301. By using the distance sensor 64 in this way, the drilling depth S3 can be detected and the drilling can be automatically stopped at any desired depth. That is, the control unit 50 on the battery pack 1 side sends a stop signal to the control unit 250 on the electrical device main body 301 side via the third signal terminals 38, 238 when the distance from the target workpiece 330 at the start of the drilling operation becomes smaller by the set drilling depth S3 (D2 = D1 - S3).

[0051] In the control of the third embodiment, a drilling depth S3 is set and stored in the microcomputer of the control unit 50 on the battery pack 1 side before each drilling operation. However, the setting method can be arbitrary. For example, the input unit of the electrical device main body 301 may be provided with an input unit for setting the drilling depth and a display unit for setting the depth. The operator sets the drilling depth (e.g., S3 = 30 mm) before drilling. The operator then positions the tip 310a of the tool tip 310 at the drilling location on the target workpiece 330, as shown in FIG. 11(A). When the operator pulls the trigger lever 306 to start the motor, the control unit 250 of the electrical device main body 301 notifies the control unit 50 on the battery pack 1B side that the operation has begun. This notification is made via the first signal terminals 36, 236 (see FIG. 3). The control unit 50 on the battery pack 1B side measures the distance D2 to the target workpiece and stores the distance D2 in a temporary storage device. The control unit 50 continuously monitors the distance to the opposing material during the drilling operation, and when the distance D2 becomes distance D1 - drilling depth S3, it sends a stop signal to the control unit 250 on the electrical equipment main body 301 side via the third signal terminals 38, 238.

[0052] Figure 12 shows the battery pack 1B shown in Figure 11, with (A) being a left side view and (B) being a rear view. The battery pack 1B is configured with a distance sensor 64 (a light-emitting unit 64a, a light-receiving unit 64b, and a distance measurement unit (not shown)) as one of the sensors 61 to 69. The distance sensor 64 is provided in the lower case 2, near the center in the left-right direction.

[0053] As described above, by changing from a conventional battery pack without a sensor to the battery pack 1B according to this embodiment, it becomes possible to perform drilling operations to an accurate depth into the mating workpiece 330. Although the above example illustrates drilling operations, the same applies when the tip tool 310 is a driver bit. That is, when fastening a screw, by automatically stopping the motor when the position of the screw head reaches a position that coincides with the surface of the mating workpiece 330 in accordance with the length of the screw, it becomes possible to accurately fasten the screw into the surface of the mating workpiece 330. Note that, although an example of a distance sensor using light has been described in the third embodiment, other types of distance sensors, such as a distance sensor using ultrasonic waves or other distance sensors, can also be similarly applied. [Example]

[0054] FIG. 13 shows a battery pack 1C according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, with (A) being a left side view and (B) being a rear view. Here, a human presence sensor 65 is provided as one of the sensors 61-69. The human presence sensor 65 is used to move the electrical device main body 301 and the like by detecting changes in the surrounding temperature using an infrared sensor. The human presence sensor 65 corresponds to the "sensor unit" of the present invention. In the fourth embodiment, the human presence sensor 65 is provided on the left side of the display unit 80 of the upper case. By providing the human presence sensor 65 in this position, it is possible to detect whether or not an operator has grasped the handle portion 303 of the electrical device main body 301. The detection value of the human presence sensor 65 is not attributable to the battery pack 1, but is physical information that changes due to an external factor, namely the operator. When the human presence sensor 65 detects that the electrical device main body 301 has been grasped, the control unit 50 of the battery pack 1C can be controlled to activate the control unit 250 on the electrical device main body 301 side. Sensor Information is physical information that changes with the attitude of the electric device main body 301 (which changes due to "external factors" when viewed from the battery pack 1). To enable this control, it is necessary to provide a startup circuit on the electric device main body 301 side that starts up the control unit 250 when a startup instruction signal is sent to the electric device main body 301 side via the second signal terminals 34, 234.

[0055] As in the fourth embodiment, a sensor other than a human presence sensor can be provided in the internal region of or near the display unit 80 of the battery pack 1C. For example, although not shown, a fingerprint sensor can be provided as a sensor unit instead of or in addition to the human presence sensor 65, and the worker can touch the fingerprint sensor (not shown) of the battery pack 1C before starting work to perform fingerprint authentication, thereby controlling the control unit 50 of the battery pack 1C to activate the control unit 250 on the electric device main body 301 side. [Example]

[0056] FIG. 14 illustrates an electric device main body 401 according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 14 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the electric device main body 401 controlled using a battery pack 1 having sensors 61-69, where (A) shows a state in which the hammer is in the initial position (forward position), and (B) shows a state in which the hammer collides with the cam end, causing vibrations throughout the device that differ from those that occur during normal striking operations. Although the battery pack 1 is not shown here, the battery pack 1 used is equipped with the same acceleration sensor 61 as in the first embodiment. The acceleration sensor 61 corresponds to the "sensor unit" of the present invention.

[0057] The hammer 440 is constantly biased forward by a hammer spring (not shown), and when stationary, the hammer 440 is in a forward position due to a cam mechanism using a cam ball (not shown) and a cam groove 452. In this position, the striking claw of the hammer 440 overlaps with the struck claw of the anvil 460 in the direction of the axis A1. When the spindle 430 is driven to rotate, the rotation is transmitted to the hammer 440 via the cam mechanism, and the striking claw of the hammer 440 engages with the struck claw of the anvil 460. For a while after the start of tightening of the electrical device body 401, the hammer 440 and the anvil 460 rotate synchronously (continuous rotation). Thereafter, as tightening progresses, the counter torque transmitted from the tool bit gradually increases. When this counter torque exceeds the spring pressure of the hammer spring, the hammer 440 gradually retreats rearward (toward the motor 404) while compressing the hammer spring (not shown). Normally, this retreat does not cause the rear end of the hammer 440 to reach the stopper position, but if a strong reaction force is received from the tool tip, the hammer 440 may move farther than usual, causing the inner rear end of the hammer 440 to collide with the stopper 456.

[0058] If the hammer 440 moves back excessively, the acceleration sensor 61 mounted on the battery pack 1 detects large acceleration in the horizontal direction (X direction, Y direction). This acceleration is not generated by an internal factor of the battery pack 1, but is physical information generated by an external factor resulting from the operation of the outside of the battery pack 1 (electrical device main body 401). The control unit 50 of the battery pack 1 acquires the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor 61, and if it detects large vibrations exceeding a threshold, it immediately stops the motor 404 of the electrical device main body 401 or continues the operation until the trigger lever 406 is released with the output of the motor 404 greatly reduced. In this way, abnormal vibrations are detected by the acceleration sensor 61 on the battery pack 1 side, and the control unit 50 on the battery pack 1 side determines whether or not the control of the electrical device main body 401 needs to be changed based on the detection result, and transmits the determination result to the control unit 250 of the electrical device main body 401 via the third signal terminals 38 and 238. The control unit 250 of the electric device main body 401 receives the communication information and performs necessary control, for example, immediately stopping the motor 404 or reducing the output of the motor 404 by a certain amount (for example, 40%).

[0059] As described above, in the fifth embodiment, in equipment that is prone to vibration, such as impact tools and hammer drills, it is possible to use the output of the acceleration sensor 61 on the battery pack 1 side to perform control to stop the motor output or to reduce the motor output by a certain amount. [Example]

[0060] The present invention can also be realized in yet another embodiment (sixth embodiment). In the sixth embodiment, a "position sensor" is provided as a sensor unit in the battery pack to identify the position (location) of the battery pack and thereby detect the position of the connected electrical device. Here, a GPS (Global Positioning System) sensor is provided on the circuit board 45 (see FIG. 2) of the battery pack 1E (not shown) as the position sensor. This GPS sensor determines the three-dimensional position of the radio wave receiving device on Earth based on the arrival time of radio waves of time signals emitted from multiple satellites. When this GPS sensor is used, the control unit (microcomputer) of the battery pack 1E determines whether the battery pack 1E is attached to the electrical device main body, and the battery pack 1E can detect its position information when attached to the electrical device main body or when attached to the electrical device main body and the microcomputer of the electrical device main body is activated.

[0061] Once the position of the electrical device body to which the battery pack 1E (not shown) is attached can be detected, it becomes possible to set an allowable operating range (area) for the electrical device body. For example, by registering the location information of the planned work site, the electrical device body can be allowed to operate within the planned work site, and if the microcomputer in the battery pack 1E determines that the location is outside the planned work site, the electrical device body can be controlled to stop operation (for example, by stopping the motor). For this control, information regarding the allowed work range is registered in advance in a storage device in the electrical device body. When the battery pack 1E is attached to the electrical device body, the microcomputer in the battery pack 1E obtains information regarding the allowed work range from the microcomputer in the electrical device body and uses that information for control.

[0062] Providing a "position sensor" in the battery pack allows for other possible uses. For example, when the battery pack 1E is attached to the electrical device body and the microcomputer of the electrical device body is activated, the control unit (microcomputer) of the electrical device body (not shown) can record the position (location) of the battery pack 1E in a storage device, thereby recording the work location of the electrical device body along with time. [Example]

[0063] In the seventh embodiment, a "sound sensor" is provided as a sensor unit provided in the battery pack 1F (not shown) to detect sounds coming from outside the battery pack (physical information due to external factors) and thereby control the operation of the main body of the electrical device connected to the battery pack. F The sound sensor is one of the sensors (first sensor) for collecting sound (sound waves) coming from outside the battery pack, and for example, detects the magnitude of compression waves propagating through the air (medium). It is preferable to use electrodynamic, electrostatic, or piezoelectric microphones in directions 1 to 4 as the sound sensor when viewed from the horizontal plane of the battery pack. For example, the control unit (microcomputer) of the battery pack 1F can monitor the output of the sound sensor to stop the motor if the surrounding sound (noise) becomes too loud while the electrical device is operating or in standby mode. Furthermore, the microcomputer of the battery pack 1F can monitor the output of the sound sensor to detect the sound (operating sound) emitted from the electrical device, determine whether the bolts are tightened, and then stop the motor. [Example]

[0064] In the eighth embodiment, an "image sensor (e.g., a camera)" is provided as a sensor unit in the battery pack 1G (not shown), and the image sensor acquires an image of the outside of the battery pack (physical information due to external factors), which the battery pack uses to control the main body of the electrical device. For example, the control unit (microcomputer) of the battery pack acquires image information of the surroundings, and by using known image recognition technology, it becomes possible to perform control such as stopping the motor of the main body of the electrical device when a human hand enters the work area of ​​a circular saw or the like (an area where hands should not normally be placed). [Example]

[0065] In the ninth embodiment, an "illuminance sensor" is provided as a sensor unit in the battery pack 1H (not shown) to acquire information on the brightness outside the battery pack (e.g., illuminance, which is physical information due to external factors), and the battery pack uses the illuminance image information to control the main body of the electrical device. For example, the illuminance sensor provided in the battery pack 1H can be used to monitor the brightness of the surroundings and adjust the brightness of the main body of the electrical device, such as a light, and the brightness of the display device of the main body of the electrical device (e.g., the illuminance of the backlight of an LCD display) according to the brightness of the site. Furthermore, the rotation speed and other settings of the main body of the electrical device may be controlled so that they change when the illuminance sensor provided in the battery pack 1H (not shown) is covered by hand. [Example]

[0066] Example 10 is a control method for electric device main body 501 that is shaped so that battery pack 1 can be attached to or detached from electric device main body 501 by sliding it up and down (vertical in the direction of the Y axis) relative to electric device main body 501, and will be described using Figures 15 to 17. An example of a circular saw main body is shown as electric device main body 501, and electric device main body 501 corresponds to electric device main body 201 shown in Figure 5, and except for the attachment direction of battery pack 1, the configuration of other parts is the same as electric device main body 201.

[0067] FIG. 15 shows the main body (circular saw main body) of the electric device 501 in a horizontal position, with the angle of the base 510 relative to the horizontal plane being 0 degrees. FIG. 15(A) is a left side view of the circular saw (electric device 501), and (B) shows the position of the battery pack 1 when the electric device 501 is in the position (A) (reference 0 degrees). The battery pack 1 can be attached to the battery pack attachment section 502a by moving it from top to bottom relative to the electric device main body 501. For example, when the battery pack 1 is positioned horizontally on the electric device main body 501 and in the position shown in (A), the Y-axis direction of the battery pack 1 is vertical. When cutting work is performed with the circular saw with the battery pack 1 in a vertical position, the output of the acceleration sensor 61 (see FIG. 2) of the battery pack 1 is -1 g (g is the gravitational acceleration, 1 g = 9.80665 m / s 2) is detected. Also, when the battery pack 1 tilts, the component in the Z direction changes, so the tilt of the battery pack 1 can be detected by the acceleration sensor 61. The electric device main body 501 has a base 510 that is placed on and slides on the object to be cut, a saw blade 505 that protrudes from an opening provided in the base 510 to the lower surface of the base, a motor 504 that rotates the saw blade, and a handle portion 503 provided at the upper part of the housing that houses the motor 504. A trigger lever 506 for turning on the rotation of the motor 504 is provided on the handle portion 503. The configuration of the electric device main body 501 is the same as that of the electric device main body 201 shown in FIG. 1. <0

[0068] When the reference direction of the Z axis of the acceleration sensor 61 mounted on the battery pack 1 that changes according to the operating posture of the electric device main body 501 is within the operation permission range 580 (shown by diagonal lines) shown in FIG. 15(C), the control unit 50 of the battery pack 1 permits the operation of the electric device main body 501, that is, executes the procedure of step 139 in FIG. 5. Here, whether it is within the "operation permission range 580" can be determined by the Y component and the Z component among the outputs of the acceleration sensor 61 provided in the battery pack 1, and it is determined as "operable" when -0.87g < Z < 0.5g and Y < 0. The state in FIG. 15 (reference 0 degrees) corresponds to the threshold value B in step 134 of FIG. 5. In FIG. 15(C), the horizontal axis dotted line is the absolute Z-axis direction (one direction passing through the horizontal plane), and the vertical axis dotted line is the absolute Y-axis direction (one direction passing through the extension plane). In the posture of the electric device main body 501 in FIG. 15(A), due to the gravitational acceleration, Y = -1g and Z = 0, which is within the operation permission range of the above-described determination conditions, so the operator can continue the subsequent work with the electric device main body 501. Note that within the range where the cutting depth can be adjusted, the electric device main body 501 is in a state within the operation permission range and can perform the cutting operation.

[0069] 16 shows a state in which the orientation of the front side of the main body of the electrical device 501 is tilted upward by about 45 degrees from the state shown in FIG. 15(A). (A) is a left side view of the circular saw (electrical device main body 501), and (B) is the orientation of the battery pack 1 in the state shown in (A). As is apparent from a comparison with the state shown in FIG. 15, in this orientation, the battery pack 1, together with the electrical device main body 501, assumes the orientation shown in (B). Therefore, due to the influence of gravitational acceleration, the detected values ​​in the Y-axis and Z-axis directions of the acceleration sensor 61 are −0.64 g in the Y-axis direction and 0.64 g in the Z-axis direction, as shown in (C). Since this is outside the aforementioned determination condition, i.e., the permitted operation range 580, the control unit 50 of the battery pack 1 determines that operation of the electrical device main body 501 should be prohibited (corresponding to step 137 in FIG. 5) and sends an output stop signal to the electrical device main body 501 (see step 138 in FIG. 5).

[0070] FIG. 17 shows a state in which the orientation of the main body of the electrical device 501 has been inverted and rotated approximately 150 degrees from the state shown in FIG. 15(A). This state corresponds to a worker using a circular saw (electrical device main body 501) to cut tree branches or cut wood from below on a ceiling. FIG. 17(A) is a left side view of the circular saw (electrical device main body 501), and (B) shows the orientation of the battery pack 1 in the (A) orientation. When the battery pack 1 is in the orientation shown in FIG. 17(A), the acceleration sensor 61 detects 0.87 g in the Y-axis direction and 0.5 g in the Z-axis direction due to the influence of gravitational acceleration. The detected value in the Y-axis direction is a positive value because the sensor 61 is upside down. Since this falls outside the aforementioned judgment condition, i.e., the operation range 580, the control unit 50 of the battery pack 1 determines that the operation of the electrical device main body 501 should be prohibited (corresponding to step 137 in Figure 5), and sends an output stop signal to the electrical device main body 501 (see step 138 in Figure 5).

[0071] As described above, even in the circular saw B (electrical device body 501) configured to attach and detach the battery pack 1 in the vertical direction relative to the circular saw body, the control unit 50 of the battery pack 1 sets the threshold value (operation allowance) based on the attachment direction of the battery pack 1, similar to the circular saw A (electrical device body 201) of FIGS. range) can be set to perform posture determination and determine whether or not operation is permitted. Therefore, by using the battery pack 1 with a sensor, it is possible to effectively prohibit the circular saw B (electrical device main body 501) from being operated in an inappropriate posture. Note that although FIGS. 6 to 8 show a configuration in which the battery pack 1 is attached and detached in the front-to-back direction (horizontal direction) relative to the circular saw main body, and FIGS. 15 to 17 show a configuration in which the battery pack 1 is attached and detached in the up-and-down direction (vertical direction) relative to the circular saw main body, the direction in which the battery pack 1 is attached to the circular saw main body (electrical device main body 201, 501) can be set arbitrarily. For example, a configuration in which the battery pack 1 is attached and detached in the left-to-right direction, a configuration in which the battery pack 1 is attached and detached in an oblique direction, or a configuration in which multiple battery packs 1 are connected simultaneously can be used. Even if the multiple battery packs 1 are attached and detached in the same direction or in different directions, the control unit 50 of the battery pack 1 can perform posture determination based on device main body information and sensor information of the electrical device main body 201, 501. That is, the electric device main body 201, 501 transmits its own device main body information, including the attachment / detachment direction and number of battery packs 1, to the control unit 50 of the battery pack 1. The control unit 50 determines the posture of the electric device main body 201, 501 based on the posture information detected by the sensor and the information on the attachment / detachment direction of the battery pack 1, and controls the electric device main body 201, 501 according to the result. [Example]

[0072] Next, a circuit diagram of a battery pack and an electrical device main body 201A in a configuration in which multiple battery packs 1 can be simultaneously connected to the electrical device main body 501 is described with reference to FIG. 18. The main housing 202 of the electrical device main body (e.g., circular saw C) 201A is provided with multiple (here, two) battery pack attachment sections, and multiple sets of terminals equivalent to the positive input terminal 232, negative input terminal 237, and first to third signal terminals 234, 236, and 238 in FIG. 3 are provided corresponding to the number of attachable battery packs 1 (here, two). While only one set of the positive input terminal 232 and negative input terminal 237 is shown in the circuit diagram of FIG. 18, this means that multiple battery packs are connected in parallel, and multiple sets (here, two sets) are actually provided. Also, battery communication circuits 260a and 260b corresponding to each battery pack 1 are provided. Although only one control signal input circuit 261 is provided, control signals from multiple battery packs 1 are input. The second battery pack (2) has the same configuration as the first battery pack (1), and the other circuit configurations on the electrical device main body 201A side are the same as those of the electrical device main body 201 in Fig. 3 and are designated by the same reference numerals. It is also possible to configure the two battery packs (1) and (2) to communicate wirelessly with each other, with one battery pack (1) collecting information about the other battery pack (2), and for the other battery pack (1) to communicate with the electrical device main body 201A on behalf of the other battery pack. In this case, it is not necessary to provide two battery communication circuits such as 260a and 260b, and only one battery communication circuit will suffice.

[0073] 19 is a flowchart showing the control procedure for the battery pack 1 when the electric device main body 201A (circular saw C) shown in FIG. 18 is added to the determination element in step 133 of the flowchart in FIG. 5. The control from steps 131 to 140 is the same as the procedure shown in FIG. 5. In step 133, the control unit 50 of the battery pack 1 determines the model of the attached electric device main body 201 using the received device main body information. Here, if the electric device main body 201 is the first circular saw (circular saw A) or the second circular saw (circular saw B), the procedure is the same as in FIG. 5, and the procedure proceeds to steps 134 and 135, respectively. If the electric device main body 201A is a third circular saw (circular saw C) that can simultaneously accommodate multiple battery packs, the procedure proceeds to step 141.

[0074] In step 141, the control unit 50 of the battery pack 1 connected to the electric device main body 201 refers to the information on the battery pack attachment unit from the main body information acquired in step 132. When the battery pack 1 is connected to one battery pack attachment unit (No. 1) among multiple (e.g., two) battery pack attachment units, the control unit 50 sets the threshold for determining the posture of the electric device main body 201A to a predetermined value C based on information including the attachment direction of the No. 1 battery pack attachment unit (step 142). When the battery pack 1 is connected to the other battery pack attachment unit (No. 2), the control unit 50 sets the threshold for determining the posture of the electric device main body 201A to a predetermined value D based on information including the attachment direction of the No. 2 battery pack attachment unit (step 143). Then, the control unit 50 of the battery pack 1 determines the posture of the electric device main body 201A based on the predetermined value C or D and outputs a control signal to the electric device main body (steps 136 to 139). The control units 50 of all battery packs 1 connected to the electric device main body 201A perform these processes. Furthermore, when multiple battery packs 1 are connected, the attitude of the electric device main body 201A may be determined based on information from any one of the battery packs 1, and any one of the battery packs 1 may output a control signal to the electric device main body 201A. Furthermore, in step 126 of Fig. 4, if the operating conditions received from the multiple battery packs 1 do not match, for example, if any one of the battery packs 1 is outside the permitted operating range, the control unit 250 of the electric device main body 201A may prohibit (stop) driving.

[0075] In the case of an electric device main body 201A to which multiple battery packs 1 can be connected simultaneously, there are cases where the electric device main body 201A can be operated if only one battery pack 1 is connected (in the case of a configuration in which multiple battery packs 1 are connected in parallel), and cases where the electric device main body 201A cannot be operated unless all of the multiple battery packs 1 are connected (in the case of a configuration in which multiple battery packs 1 are connected in series). The control unit 250 of the electric device main body 201A is configured to determine whether the required number of battery packs 1 are connected based on information from the battery packs 1 received via the battery communication circuits 260a and 260b. Note that in the case of a configuration in which multiple battery packs 1 can be connected simultaneously, wireless communication may be performed between the battery packs 1, and operating conditions and various information may be transmitted and received between one battery pack 1 and the electric device main body 201A, or between each battery pack 1 and the electric device main body 201A. Furthermore, if the sensor data of any battery pack 1 is abnormal, communication may be performed between the battery packs 1, and the control unit 50 of a normal battery pack 1 may send a signal indicating the abnormality to the electric device main body 201A, or the control unit 50 of a battery pack 1 having abnormal data may send a signal indicating the abnormality to the electric device main body 201A. Alternatively, the control unit on the side of the electric device main body 201A may determine that the data is abnormal and prohibit (stop) driving of the electric device main body 201A.

[0076] The present invention has been described above based on various embodiments, but it is not limited to the above embodiments and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. In particular, in a portable or non-portable electrical device using a detachable battery pack, various sensors can be provided on the battery pack side, and the sensor output can be processed by a control unit (microcomputer) on the battery pack side. The processed information can be transmitted via wired or wireless communication to a control unit on the attached electrical device main body to control the operation of the electrical device main body. Furthermore, the types of sensors are not limited to the above examples. Furthermore, control based on physical information can include stopping or slowing down a motor, changing output, and alerting with a buzzer, LED, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0077] 1, 1A to 1H... battery pack, 2... lower case, 10... upper case, 16... latch button, 32... positive terminal, 34... second signal terminal (T terminal), 36... first signal terminal (LS terminal), 37... negative terminal, 38... third signal terminal (LD terminal), 41... battery cell, 42... separator, 43... upper and lower partition walls, 44... front and rear partition walls, 45... circuit board, 50... control unit, 51... control power supply circuit, 52... control signal output circuit, 53... tool main body communication circuit, 55... wireless communication circuit, 56... antenna, 61... sensor (acceleration), 62...sensor, 63, 64...distance sensor, 64a...light emitting unit, 64b...light receiving unit, 65...human sensor, 69...sensor, 80...display unit, 201, 201A...electrical device (main body), 202...main housing, 202a...battery pack mounting unit, 203...handle unit, 204...motor, 204a...rotor, 204b...stator, 205...saw blade, 206...trigger switch, 206a...trigger lever, 210...base, 232...positive input terminal, 234...second signal terminal, 236...first signal terminal, 237...negative input Terminal, 238...third signal terminal, 250...control unit, 251...inverter control circuit, 252...inverter circuit, 253...shunt resistor, 254...capacitor, 255...control power supply circuit, 256...current detection circuit, 257...voltage detection circuit, 259...self-holding circuit, 260...battery communication circuit, 261...control signal input circuit, 265...hall element, 266...rotation position detection circuit, 267...operation mode switch, 268...mode display LED, 270...lighting LED, 280...allowed operation range, 290...material to be cut (Mating member), 301...electrical device main body, 302...housing, 303...handle portion, 306...trigger lever, 307...forward / reverse switching lever, 310...tip tool, 310a...tip portion, 330...mating member, 401...electrical device main body, 404...motor, 406...trigger lever, 430...spindle, 440...hammer, 452...cam groove, 456...stopper, 460...anvil, 501...electrical device (main body), 502a...battery pack mounting portion, 503...handle portion, 504...motor, 505...saw blade, 506...trigger lever , 510...base, A1...rotation axis of motor

Claims

1. a tool body having a load section and a battery pack mounting section; a battery pack that can be attached by sliding it in an attachment direction relative to the tool body; a sensor unit provided in the battery pack and configured to collect and output posture information of the battery pack as physical information caused by an external factor of the battery pack; a control unit connected to the sensor unit and configured to change control content of the tool body based on the physical information input from the sensor unit; Equipped with the tool body is either a first tool body whose mounting direction is a first direction or a second tool body whose mounting direction is a second direction different from the first direction, The control unit is configured to change the control content between the first tool body and the second tool body. A power tool characterized by:

2. The power tool according to claim 1, When the physical information is first physical information in a state in which the battery pack and the first tool main body are connected, the control unit permits driving of the load unit; When the physical information is the first physical information in a state in which the battery pack and the second tool body are connected to each other, the control unit is configured to prohibit driving of the load unit. A power tool characterized by:

3. The power tool according to claim 1 or 2, The control unit is provided in the battery pack. A power tool characterized by:

4. An electric power tool including a tool body having an apparatus-side control unit and a battery pack attachable to the tool body, The tool body includes: a battery pack mounting portion into which the battery pack can be mounted by sliding in a mounting direction; a load unit driven by the battery pack, The battery pack a sensor unit configured to collect and output physical information caused by external factors of the battery pack; a battery pack-side control unit connected to the sensor unit, receiving device information output from the device-side control unit, and configured to control the tool main body in accordance with the device information and the physical information; the tool body is configured to output, to the battery pack, identification information that identifies the mounting orientation of the battery pack with respect to the battery pack mounting portion; The battery pack is configured to control the tool body based on the identification information and the physical information output from the sensor unit. A power tool characterized by:

5. The power tool according to claim 4, The battery pack is configured to output a signal prohibiting driving of the tool body when the physical information output from the sensor unit does not match the identification information. A power tool characterized by:

6. The power tool according to claim 5, the identification information includes an allowable operation range based on the mounting direction of the battery pack; The battery pack is configured to output a signal prohibiting driving of the tool body when the physical information output from the sensor unit is outside the operation allowance range. A power tool characterized by:

7. A battery pack that can be attached by sliding in an attachment direction to a tool body having an equipment-side control unit, a sensor unit configured to collect and output physical information caused by external factors of the battery pack; a battery pack-side control unit connected to the sensor unit and receiving identification information output from the device-side control unit and identifying the mounting direction of the battery pack relative to the tool body, The battery pack side control unit is configured to control the tool main body based on the identification information and the physical information. A battery pack characterized by:

8. The battery pack according to claim 7, a signal for prohibiting driving of the tool body when the physical information output from the sensor unit does not match the identification information; A battery pack characterized by:

9. 9. The battery pack according to claim 8, the identification information includes an allowable operation range based on the mounting direction of the battery pack; a signal for prohibiting driving of the tool body when the physical information output from the sensor unit is outside the operation allowance range; A battery pack characterized by:

10. An electric power tool including a tool body to which the battery pack according to any one of claims 7 to 9 can be attached, The tool body includes: a battery pack mounting portion into which the battery pack can be mounted; a load unit driven by the battery pack; having A power tool characterized by:

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