Charging device

Abstract

Provided is a user-friendly charging device. A charging device 1 can simultaneously mount a battery pack on a first port P1 and a second port P2. When a housing 10 is halved in the left-right direction, the charging device 1 has: a first port P1 and a second port P2 in a right side area which is one of the halved areas and has a first port state display part 28 and a second port state display part 29; a remaining charge display part 30; an operation button 31; a USB energization display part 32; and a silent mode display part 33 in a left side area which is the other of the halved areas.

Description

charging device

[0001] The present invention relates to a charging device.

[0002] A charging device that can simultaneously connect multiple battery packs is known (see Patent Document 1). The charging device in Patent Document 1 has a ventilator facing the opening of the battery pack to exhaust or intake air generated by the rotation of a fan, and cools the battery pack through the ventilator. On the other hand, some battery packs that generate little heat during charging or discharging do not have an opening for cooling the inside of the battery pack (see Patent Document 2).

[0003] JP 2016-92910 A International Publication No. 2020 / 066901

[0004] The present invention aims to solve at least one of the following problems 1 to 3. Problem 1: To provide a charging device that is easy to use. Problem 2: To provide a charging device that can simultaneously accommodate multiple battery packs while maintaining the size of the display unit. Problem 3: To provide a charging device that can cool a battery pack that does not have a cooling opening.

[0005] One aspect of the present invention is a charging device comprising: a housing having an upper surface and a lower surface opposite the upper surface; a plurality of battery pack mounting sections into which a plurality of battery packs can be simultaneously mounted; and a display section that displays the charging status of the plurality of battery packs, wherein when the housing is divided into two sections in a predetermined direction intersecting the vertical direction, the plurality of battery pack mounting sections are disposed in one of the two sections, and the display section is disposed in the other of the two sections.

[0006] Another aspect of the present invention is a charging device comprising: a housing having an upper surface and a lower surface opposite the upper surface; a plurality of battery pack mounting sections each having a rail portion on the side of the battery pack for guiding the mounting of a battery pack; and a display section for displaying the charging status of the plurality of battery packs, wherein when the housing is divided into two sections in a predetermined direction intersecting the vertical direction, the plurality of battery pack mounting sections are disposed in one of the two sections, and the display section is disposed in the other of the two sections.

[0007] Another aspect of the present invention is a charging device comprising: a housing having an upper surface and a lower surface opposite the upper surface; a plurality of battery pack mounting sections each having a charging device-side rail portion for guiding the mounting of a battery pack; and a display portion for displaying the charging status of the plurality of battery packs, wherein the plurality of charging device-side rail portions have a first rail portion extending in a vertical direction and a second rail portion extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the vertical direction.

[0008] Another aspect of the present invention is a charging device comprising: a housing having an upper surface and a lower surface opposite the upper surface; a plurality of battery pack mounting sections into which a plurality of battery packs can be simultaneously mounted; and a display section that displays the charging states of the plurality of battery packs, wherein when the housing is divided into two sections in a predetermined direction intersecting the up-down direction, the plurality of battery pack mounting sections have a first battery pack mounting section disposed on a first surface of one of the two divided sections, and a second battery pack mounting section disposed on a second surface of the one of the two divided sections that intersects with the first surface.

[0009] The present invention may be expressed as a "charger" or an "electrical device", and such expressions are also valid aspects of the present invention.

[0010] According to the present invention, at least one of the above problems 1 to 3 can be solved.

[0011] 11 is a perspective view of a charging device 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 11 is a perspective view of the charging device 1, showing the charging device 1 in a state where a battery pack 100 is attached to the first port P1 and a battery pack 200 is attached to the second port P2. 12 is a plan view of the charging device 1 in the state of FIG. 2. 12 is a plan view of the charging device 1 in a state where the battery pack 100 in FIG. 3 has been replaced with a battery pack 300 with a larger capacity. 13 is a plan view of the charging device 1. 14 is a table summarizing the displays of the first port status display unit 28 and the second port status display unit 29 of the charging device 1 and the relationship between the displays and the states. 14 is a front view of the charging device 1. 15 is a left side view of the charging device 1. 16 is a right side view of the charging device 1. 17 is a rear view of the charging device 1. 18 is a plan view of the charging device 1 in a state where the battery pack 100 is attached to the first port P1. 19 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 11. 19 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 11, showing the state where the battery pack 100 has been removed. 14A is a front view of the charging device 1 with the battery pack 200 attached to the second port P2. FIG. 14B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B of FIG. 14A. FIG. 14B is a plan view of the charging device 1 with the battery pack 200 attached to the second port P2 and the upper part of the housing 10 removed, showing the flow of cooling air generated by the fan 35. FIG. 15 is a plan view of the charging device 1 with the battery pack 200 removed. FIG. 15 is a plan view of the charging device 1 with the intake and exhaust directions of the fan 35 reversed. FIG. 17 is a plan view of the charging device 1 with the battery packs 100 and 200 attached. FIG. 17 is a circuit block diagram of the charging device 1. FIG. 17 is a control flowchart of the charging device 1. FIG. 17 is a plan view of the charging device according to a second embodiment of the present invention, showing the charging device with the battery packs 100 and 200 attached.

[0012] 1 to 20 relate to a charging device 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Figures 1, 2, 5, and 7 to 10 define the mutually orthogonal front-to-rear, up-down, and left-to-right directions of the charging device 1. The front-to-rear direction is the widthwise direction of the charging device 1, and the left-to-right direction is the lengthwise direction of the charging device 1.

[0013] The charging device 1 includes a housing 10, a first port P1 and a second port P2 as battery pack attachment sections, a first port status display section 28 and a second port status display section 29 as display sections, a remaining capacity display section 30, an operation button 31, a USB power indicator section 32, and a silent mode indicator section 33.

[0014] The housing 10 is, for example, an upper and lower two-piece resin molded body that are fixed together and integrated by screws or the like. The housing 10 has a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape and has an upper surface 11 (upper surface portion), a lower surface 12 (lower surface portion), a front surface 13 (front side surface portion), a right surface 14 (right side surface portion), a left surface 15 (left side surface portion), and a rear surface 16 (rear side surface portion). The upper surface 11 and the lower surface 12 face each other. The front surface 13, the right surface 14, the left surface 15, and the rear surface 16 are side surfaces that connect the upper surface 11 and the lower surface 12.

[0015] The first port P1 and the second port P2 each accommodate a detachable battery pack to be charged. Battery packs can be attached to the first port P1 and the second port P2 at the same time. Figures 2 and 3 show a state in which a battery pack 100 is attached to the first port P1 and a battery pack 200 is attached to the second port P2 at the same time. Figure 4 shows a state in which a battery pack 300, which has a larger capacity than the battery pack 100, is attached to the first port P1 and a battery pack 200 is attached to the second port P2 at the same time.

[0016] The rated voltages of the battery packs that can be attached to the first port P1 are 14.4 V, 18 V, and 36 V, while the rated voltage of the battery pack that can be attached to the second port P2 is 10.8 V. In other words, the first port P1 and the second port P2 can simultaneously accommodate battery packs with different rated voltages. The battery packs that can be attached to the first port P1 include a type of battery pack whose output voltage switches between 18 V and 36 V depending on the terminal structure of the connected device.

[0017] As shown in Figures 5 and 7, when the housing 10 is divided into two halves in the left-right direction, the first port P1 and the second port P2 are located in the right region, which is one of the two halves, and the first port status indicator 28, the second port status indicator 29, the remaining capacity indicator 30, the operation buttons 31, the USB power indicator 32, and the silent mode indicator 33 are located in the left region, which is the other halves. The left-right direction is an example of a predetermined direction that intersects with the up-down direction. In the illustrated example, the width ratio of the right region to the left region is approximately 1:1 (approximately equal division), but may be appropriately set within a range of 1:2 to 2:1 or 2:3 to 3:2. The first port P1 and the second port P2 are located at the same position in the left-right direction (their ranges in the left-right direction overlap each other). In the left-right direction, the range of the first port P1 encompasses the range of the second port P2.

[0018] The first port P1 has a pair of first rail portions 25 as charging device side rail portions. The second port P2 has a pair of second rail portions 26 as charging device side rail portions. The first rail portions 25 extend in the front-to-rear direction as a first direction. The second rail portions 26 extend in the up-and-down direction as a second direction intersecting the first direction. The first rail portions 25 and the second rail portions 26 are approximately perpendicular to each other. The first rail portions 25 and the second rail portions 26 each engage with a rail portion (not shown) of the battery pack to guide the installation of the battery pack. The first rail portions 25 are provided on the top surface 11 as a first surface, and the second rail portions 26 are provided on the front surface 13 as a second surface intersecting the first surface.

[0019] The first port status display unit 28 displays the status of the first port P1. The second port status display unit 29 displays the status of the second port P2. The first port status display unit 28 and the second port status display unit 29 are provided across the left part of the top surface 11 and the left surface 15. The first port status display unit 28 and the second port status display unit 29 include light-emitting elements such as LEDs. Figure 6 is a table summarizing the displays of the first port status display unit 28 and the second port status display unit 29 and the relationship between the displays and the statuses corresponding to them.

[0020] When no battery pack is attached to either the first port P1 or the second port P2, both the first port status indicator 28 and the second port status indicator 29 flash red. When a battery pack is attached to only one of the first port P1 or the second port P2 and that battery pack is in a high-temperature standby state (a state in which charging is not performed due to high temperature), one of the first port status indicator 28 and the second port status indicator 29, which corresponds to the port in which a battery pack is attached, flashes red quickly. When battery packs are attached to both the first port P1 and the second port P2 and both battery packs are in a high-temperature standby state, both the first port status indicator 28 and the second port status indicator 29 flash red quickly.

[0021] While the battery pack attached to the first port P1 is charging, the first port status indicator 28 lights up light blue. At this time, if no battery pack is attached to the second port P2 or if a new battery pack is attached to the second port P2 (if a battery pack is attached to the second port P2 and charging has not yet been completed), the second port status indicator 29 turns off. On the other hand, if a battery pack is attached to the second port P2 and charging has already been completed, the second port status indicator 29 lights up green. While the battery pack attached to the second port P2 is charging, the second port status indicator 29 lights up light blue. At this time, if no battery pack is attached to the first port P1 or if a new battery pack is attached to the first port P1 (if a battery pack is attached to the first port P1 and charging has not yet been completed), the first port status indicator 28 turns off. On the other hand, if a battery pack is attached to the first port P1 and charging has already been completed, the first port status indicator 28 turns green. When a battery pack is attached to both the first port P1 and the second port P2 and charging of both battery packs is complete, both the first port status indicator 28 and the second port status indicator 29 will light up green.

[0022] The remaining capacity display unit 30 includes light-emitting elements such as LEDs and displays the remaining capacity of the battery pack during charging, i.e., the charging progress, in multiple stages (six stages with five LEDs in the illustrated example). Specifically, the remaining capacity until full charge is divided into five stages. When charging the lowest first capacity, the LED of the first stage flashes. Once the first capacity is charged, the LED of the first stage changes from flashing to lit, and the LED of the second stage changes from off to flashing. Similarly, when charging to the highest fifth capacity (full charge), the LED of the fifth stage changes from flashing to lit, and all five LEDs are lit. After that, the LEDs turn off after a predetermined time has passed. The operation button 31 is an operation unit that allows the user to switch the operation of the charging device 1. A short press of the operation button 31 turns on / off the power to the USB output unit 39 ( FIG. 10 ) located on the rear face 16. A long press of the operation button 31 turns on / off the silent mode. The USB power indicator 32 includes a light-emitting element such as an LED, and indicates whether power is being supplied to the USB output unit 39 or not. The silent mode indicator 33 includes a light-emitting element such as an LED, and indicates whether the silent mode is on or off. The silent mode is a mode in which the charging current is reduced compared to the normal mode (the mode in which the silent mode is disabled), and unlike the normal mode, charging is performed without driving the fan 35, which will be described later. Unlike the normal mode, the silent mode does not sound a buzzer (not shown) when charging is complete.

[0023] The charging device 1 has vents 17 to 21. The vents 17 to 21 are through-holes for exhausting air generated by the rotation of a fan 35 (described below) to the outside of the housing 10 or drawing air into the housing 10. The vent 17 is provided across the lower part of the right surface 14 and the right part of the bottom surface 12. The vent 18 is provided across the lower part of the front surface 13 and the front part of the bottom surface 12. The vent 19 is provided across the lower part of the back surface 16 and the rear part of the bottom surface 12. The vent 20 is provided in the first port P1 and communicates with the cooling vent 103 ( FIG. 12 ) for the battery pack 100 attached to the first port P1. The vent 21 is provided in the second port P2. The second port P2 has a recess 23 (recessed portion) on the surface facing the attached battery pack. The vent 21 opens into the recess 23. The second port P2 can accommodate a battery pack 200 that does not have a cooling vent (a cooling opening). The recess 23 is provided to ensure space outside the vent 21 so that the vent 21 is not blocked by the surface of the battery pack 200.

[0024] The charging device 1 includes a fan 35 as a cooling fan inside the housing 10. As shown in Figures 12 and 15, the fan 35 is provided in the right rear portion of the housing 10, draws in air from the left, and expels it to the right.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 12 , the charging device 1 has an air duct 36 inside the housing 10 to the left of the fan 35. The air duct 36 separates the airflow that cools the battery cells 102 and other components inside the case 101 of the battery pack 100, passes through the cooling vents 103 of the case 101 and the vent 20 of the first port P1, and then enters the housing 10 before being drawn into the fan 35, from the airflow that enters the housing 10 through the vent 18, cools a circuit board 37 and the circuit components mounted thereon, and then is drawn into the fan 35. The circuit board 37 carries the circuit components necessary for charging. As shown in FIG. 13 , when no battery pack is attached to the first port P1, outside air is drawn directly into the housing 10 through the vent 20 without passing through the battery pack.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 15 and other figures, a partition wall 38 is provided within the housing 10 to separate the intake side and exhaust side of the fan 35. Part of the airflow discharged from the fan 35 is exhausted to the outside of the housing 10 through the vent 17, and the remainder is exhausted to the outside of the housing 10 through the vent 21 of the second port P2. As shown in FIG. 14(B) , the air exhausted to the outside of the housing 10 through the vent 21 passes through the recess 23, enters the case 201 of the battery pack 200 through the gap between the terminals of the battery pack 200, cools the battery cells 202 and other components within the case 201, and is then exhausted to the outside of the case 201 through the drainage holes 203 of the case 201. Note that, as shown in FIG. 16 , when no battery pack is attached to the second port P2, the air within the housing 10 is exhausted to the outside of the housing 10 directly through the vent 21 without passing through the battery pack.

[0027] As another example of the cooling configuration of the charging device 1, the intake and exhaust direction of the fan 35 may be reversed as shown in Figures 17 and 18. In this case, the flow of cooling air is reversed compared to the configuration before the intake and exhaust direction of the fan 35 is reversed (Figures 15 and 16).

[0028] 19 is a circuit block diagram of the charging device 1. The charging device 1 includes a first port voltage detection unit 41, a first port voltage determination unit 42, a first port temperature determination unit 43, a second port voltage detection unit 44, a second port communication control circuit 45, an AC / DC power supply unit 47, a fan power supply 48, a control circuit 49, a control system power supply 50, an arithmetic unit 51, a charging current setting unit 52, a power supply voltage control unit 53, relays 54 and 55, and switching elements 56 and 57. Note that in FIG. 19 , the capacity display unit 30, the operation buttons 31, the USB power display unit 32, and the silent mode display unit 33 are not shown.

[0029] The first port voltage detection unit 41 detects the voltage of the charging positive terminal C+ of the battery pack 100 attached to the first port P1 and sends it to the calculation unit 51. The first port voltage determination unit 42 detects the rated voltage of the battery pack 100 from a signal at the T terminal of the battery pack 100 and sends it to the calculation unit 51. The first port temperature determination unit 43 detects the temperature of the battery pack 100 from a signal at the LS terminal of the battery pack 100 and sends it to the calculation unit 51. The T terminal and LS terminal are also used by the calculation unit 51 to determine whether the battery pack 100 is connected. The LS terminal is also used by the calculation unit 51 to monitor a charge stop warning from the battery pack 100.

[0030] The second port voltage detection unit 44 detects the voltage of the charging positive terminal C+ of the battery pack 200 attached to the second port P2 and transmits it to the calculation unit 51. The second port communication control circuit 45 controls communication between the calculation unit 51 and the battery pack 200. The calculation unit 51 identifies the battery pack 200 and monitors its temperature through communication with the battery pack 200.

[0031] The AC / DC power supply unit 47 converts AC power supplied from an external AC power supply 60 into DC power for charging the battery pack 100 or 200 and supplies it to the battery pack 100 or 200. The fan power supply 48 converts the output voltage of the AC / DC power supply unit 47 into a voltage (e.g., 12 V DC) for driving the fan 35 and supplies it to the fan 35. The control circuit 49 controls the supply and stop of power to the fan 35 under the control of the calculation unit 51. The control system power supply 50 converts the output voltage of the AC / DC power supply unit 47 into a power supply voltage Vcc1 (e.g., 5 V DC) for the calculation unit 51 and other components and supplies it to the calculation unit 51 and other components. The charging current setting unit 52 sets the output current of the AC / DC power supply unit 47, i.e., the charging current, under the control of the calculation unit 51. The power supply voltage control unit 53 includes a Zener diode and controls the output voltage of the AC / DC power supply unit 47 so that it does not exceed a predetermined value.

[0032] The relay 54 is a switch that switches whether the output current of the AC / DC power supply unit 47 is supplied to the first port P1 or the second port P2 under the control of the calculation unit 51. The relay 55 is provided between the relay 54 and the charging positive terminal C+ of the second port P2, and is switched on and off under the control of the calculation unit 51. When the output current of the AC / DC power supply unit 47 is not supplied to either the first port P1 or the second port P2, the relay 54 is connected to the second port P2 and the relay 55 is turned off. The switching elements 56 and 57 are semiconductor switching elements that are switched on and off by the calculation unit 51, and are connected in series to the coils of the relays 54 and 55, respectively.

[0033] The calculation unit 51 includes a microcontroller and controls the overall operation of the charging device 1. The calculation unit 51 controls the connection destination of the relay 54 and the on / off of the relay 55 by controlling the switching elements 56 and 57. That is, the calculation unit 51 controls the switching elements 56 and 57 to determine whether charging is to be performed and to switch the port to which the charging current is to be supplied if charging is to be performed. The calculation unit 51 controls the charging of the battery pack to be charged while monitoring the rated voltage, temperature, and voltage of the battery pack. The calculation unit 51 controls the driving of the fan 35 through control of the control circuit 49. The calculation unit 51 controls the displays of the first port status display unit 28 and the second port status display unit 29.

[0034] FIG. 20 is a control flowchart of the charging device 1 in the normal mode.

[0035] When a battery pack is attached to the first port P1 (Yes in S1), if charging of the battery pack is not complete (No in S3), or if the battery pack is too hot and does not need to be cooled down (No in S5), the calculation unit 51 drives the fan 35 (S7), proceeds to charging control (S20), and lights the first port status indicator 28 light blue. When the battery pack attached to the first port P1 is too hot and needs to be cooled down (Yes in S5) in S5, the calculation unit 51 causes the first port status indicator 28 to flash red at high speed, drives the fan 35 (S9), and proceeds to S11. When charging of the battery pack attached to the first port P1 is complete (Yes in S3), the calculation unit 51 lights the first port status indicator 28 green, and proceeds to S11. When no battery pack is attached to the first port P1 in S1 (No in S1), the calculation unit 51 proceeds to S11.

[0036] When a battery pack is attached to the second port P2 (Yes in S11), if charging of the battery pack is not complete (No in S13), or if the battery pack is too hot and does not need to be cooled down (No in S15), the calculation unit 51 drives the fan 35 (S17), proceeds to charging control (S20), and lights the second port status indicator 29 light blue. When the battery pack attached to the second port P2 is too hot and needs to be cooled down (Yes in S15) in S15, the calculation unit 51 causes the second port status indicator 29 to flash red at high speed, drives the fan 35 (S19), and returns to S1. When charging of the battery pack attached to the second port P2 is complete in S13 (Yes in S13), the calculation unit 51 lights the second port status indicator 29 green, and returns to S1. If the calculation unit 51 determines in S11 that a battery pack is not attached to the second port P2 (No in S11), the calculation unit 51 returns to S1.

[0037] Although not shown in the drawings, when a battery pack is not attached to either the first port P1 or the second port P2 (No in S1 and No in S11), the calculation unit 51 causes the first port status display unit 28 and the second port status display unit 29 to flash in red. After charging starts (S20), if the battery pack being charged satisfies the charge completion condition (Yes in S21) or if the battery pack being charged is removed (Yes in S23), the calculation unit 51 stops charging (S25), stops the fan 35 (S27), and returns to S1. Although not shown in the drawings, after charging starts (S20), the calculation unit 51 displays the remaining capacity of the battery pack being charged, i.e., the progress of charging, on the remaining capacity display unit 30 according to the voltage (remaining capacity) of the battery pack detected by the first port voltage detection unit 41 or the second port voltage detection unit 44.

[0038] This embodiment has the following advantages.

[0039] (1) In the charging device 1, battery packs can be attached to the first port P1 and the second port P2 simultaneously, and when the housing 10 is divided into two in the left-right direction, the right region, which is one of the two regions, has the first port P1 and the second port P2, and the left region, which is the other of the two regions, has the first port status display unit 28, the second port status display unit 29, the remaining capacity display unit 30, the operation button 31, the USB power indicator unit 32, and the silent mode indicator unit 33. This allows multiple battery packs to be attached simultaneously while maintaining the dimensions of each display unit and the operation button 31, and the visibility of each display unit is good, the operation button 31 is easy to operate, and the charging device is easy to use.

[0040] (2) The first port P1 has a first rail portion 25, and the second port P2 has a second rail portion 26. Therefore, in a configuration having two ports (the first port P1 and the second port P2) that can accommodate battery packs that are attached by rail engagement, the dimensions of each display unit and operation button 31 can be maintained, making it easy to use.

[0041] (3) The first rail portion 25 extends in the front-rear direction, and the second rail portion 26 extends in the up-down direction. Therefore, compared to a configuration in which the first rail portion 25 and the second rail portion 26 extend in the same direction, it is easier to prevent the overall range of the first rail portion 25 and the second rail portion 26 combined in the left-right direction from becoming too large. This makes it easier to maintain the dimensions of each display portion and operation button 31, which is advantageous in terms of usability.

[0042] (4) The first port P1 is provided in the right region of the housing 10 and on the top surface 11, and the second port P2 is provided in the right region of the housing 10 and on the front surface 13. Therefore, in a configuration having two ports, the first port P1 is located in the right region of the top surface 11, while the left region of the top surface 11 can be widely used for each display unit, improving usability.

[0043] (5) The second port P2 has a recess 23 on the surface facing the battery pack attached thereto, and the ventilating window 21 opens into the recess 23. Therefore, even if a battery pack 200 that does not have a cooling vent is attached to the second port P2, cooling air can be sent from the ventilating window 21 through the recess 23 and into the case 201 of the battery pack 200 through the gaps between the terminals of the battery pack 200, thereby allowing the battery pack 200 to be cooled appropriately.

[0044] 21 is a plan view of a charging device according to a second embodiment of the present invention, showing the charging device with battery packs 100 and 200 attached. This charging device is different from the charging device 1 of the first embodiment in that the attachment directions of the battery packs 100 and 200 are changed to diagonal directions, but is otherwise the same. This embodiment also achieves the same effects as the first embodiment.

[0045] The present invention has been described above using exemplary embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. Various modifications are possible to the details specifically described in the embodiments within the scope of the claims. The voltage values ​​exemplified in the embodiments, the combinations of the lit or flashing colors and states of the indicators, the number of ports to which battery packs can be attached, the presence or absence of a USB output port 39, and the presence or absence of a silent mode do not limit the scope of the invention and can be freely modified to suit required specifications. Closing means such as a shutter may be provided to close the vent 20 when no battery pack is attached to the first port P1 or the vent 21 when no battery pack is attached to the second port P2.

[0046] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1...charging device, 10...housing, 11...upper surface (upper surface portion), 12...lower surface (lower surface portion), 13...front surface (front side surface portion), 14...right surface (right side surface portion), 15...left surface (left side surface portion), 16...rear surface (rear side surface portion), 17-21...ventilation window, 23...recess (recess portion), 25...first rail portion, 26...second rail portion, 28...first port status display portion, 29...second port status display portion, 30...remaining capacity display portion, 31...operation button, 32...USB power indicator portion, 33...silent mode indicator portion, 35...fan, 36...air duct, 37...circuit board, 38...partition wall, 39...USB output portion, 41...first port Voltage detection unit, 42...first port voltage discrimination unit, 43...first port temperature discrimination unit, 44...second port voltage detection unit, 45...second port communication control circuit, 47...AC / DC power supply unit, 48...fan power supply, 49...control circuit, 50...control system power supply, 51...arithmetic unit, 52...charging current setting unit, 53...power supply voltage control unit, 54, 55...relay, 56, 57...switching element, 60...AC power supply, 100...battery pack, 101...case, 102...battery cell, 103...cooling vent (cooling opening), 200...battery pack, 201...case, 202...battery cell, 203...drain hole.

Claims

1. A housing having an upper surface, a lower surface facing the upper surface, and a side surface connecting the upper surface and the lower surface, Each battery pack mounting section has a rail section on the charging device side that guides the installation of the battery pack, and multiple battery pack mounting sections that allow different battery packs to be installed simultaneously. Equipped with, Each of the aforementioned charging device-side rail portions includes a second rail portion extending in the vertical direction and a first rail portion extending in a direction intersecting the vertical direction and provided on different surfaces of the housing from the second rail portion. A charging device characterized by the following features.

2. A charging device according to Claim 1, The first rail section and the second rail section are substantially perpendicular to each other. A charging device characterized by the following features.

3. A charging device according to claim 1 or 2, It includes a display unit that displays the charging status of the plurality of battery packs, When the housing is divided into two sections in a predetermined direction intersecting the vertical direction, the plurality of battery pack mounting sections are arranged in one of the divided sections, and the display section is arranged in the other divided section. A charging device characterized by the following features.

4. A charging device according to claim 3, When the housing is viewed from above, the upper surface has a front-to-back direction which is perpendicular to the vertical direction and is the shorter direction, and a left-to-right direction which is perpendicular to the vertical direction and the front-to-back direction and is larger than the dimension of the front-to-back direction. The housing has a substantially cubic shape, consisting of a side surface extending in the vertical direction, and an upper and lower surface extending in the front-rear and left-right directions. The predetermined direction is the left-right direction. A charging device characterized by the following features.

5. A charging device according to claim 4, The ratio of one region to the other region in the predetermined direction is approximately equal. A charging device characterized by the following features.

6. A charging device according to claim 1 or 2, The first rail portion is provided on the upper surface, and the second rail portion is provided on the side surface. A charging device characterized by the following features.

7. A charging device according to claim 6, When the housing is viewed from above, the upper surface has a front-to-back direction which is perpendicular to the vertical direction and is the shorter direction, and a left-to-right direction which is perpendicular to the vertical direction and the front-to-back direction and is larger than the dimension of the front-to-back direction. The first rail portion extends in the front-rear direction, A charging device characterized by the following features.

8. A charging device according to claim 1 or 2, The housing is equipped with a single fan, Each of the aforementioned battery pack mounting sections is provided with a through-hole for exhausting the air generated by the rotation of the fan to the outside of the housing or drawing air into the inside of the housing. A charging device characterized by the following features.

9. A charging device according to claim 8, The plurality of battery pack mounting sections include a first battery pack mounting section having the first rail section and a second battery pack mounting section having the second rail section. The through-hole comprises a first through-hole provided in the first battery pack mounting portion and a second through-hole provided in the second battery pack mounting portion. The first through-hole draws the air into the housing, The aforementioned second through-hole is for exhausting the air to the outside of the housing. A charging device characterized by the following features.

10. A charging device according to claim 9, In a state in which the first battery pack is installed in the first battery pack mounting section and the second battery pack is installed in the second battery pack mounting section, The first through-hole communicates with the cooling air vent of the first battery pack, and draws the air used to cool the first battery pack into the housing. The second through-hole is configured to cool the second battery pack by exhausting air drawn into the housing to the outside of the housing. A charging device characterized by the following features.

11. A charging device according to claim 8, The plurality of battery pack mounting sections include a first battery pack mounting section having the first rail section and a second battery pack mounting section having the second rail section. The through-hole comprises a first through-hole provided in the first battery pack mounting portion and a second through-hole provided in the second battery pack mounting portion. In a state in which the first battery pack is installed in the first battery pack mounting section and the second battery pack is installed in the second battery pack mounting section, The second through-hole draws in the air that has cooled the second battery pack into the housing. The first through-hole communicates with a cooling vent for the first battery pack and is configured to cool the first battery pack by exhausting air drawn into the housing to the outside of the housing. A charging device characterized by the following features.

12. A charging device according to claim 1 or 2, In at least one of the plurality of battery pack mounting portions, a recess is provided on the surface that faces the battery pack when the battery pack is mounted. A charging device characterized by the following features.

13. A charging device according to claim 12, A battery pack without cooling vents can be mounted in the battery pack mounting section provided with the recess. A charging device characterized by the following features.

14. A charging device according to claim 12, The housing is equipped with a cooling fan, The battery pack mounting portion, which has the aforementioned recess, is provided with a through-hole for exhausting the air generated by the rotation of the cooling fan to the outside of the housing or drawing air into the inside of the housing. A charging device characterized by the following features.

15. A charging device according to claim 1 or 2, The aforementioned plurality of battery pack mounting sections can simultaneously mount battery packs with different rated voltages. A charging device characterized by the following features.