Tool Case Charging Station Dynamic Battery Management

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Tool cases often fail to ensure that hand tools are available with the desired battery charge level, impairing their use.

Innovation Solution

The tool case's charging station adjusts charging time based on movement, allowing for rapid, standard, or gentle charging, prioritizing batteries with low charge or frequent use, and enabling user intervention for specific charging processes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of time

If rapid charging is used to reduce charging time, then the charging speed is improved, but the risk of accumulator overheating and damage increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecharging timeVSAvoidoverheating risk
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The charging current is dynamically adjusted based on the accumulator's temperature and charge state. The control unit monitors parameters in real-time and adapts the charging process, transitioning from rapid to gentle charging when thresholds are exceeded, thus resolving the contradiction between charging speed and safety

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes charging parameters (current intensity, pulse duration) based on the accumulator's state. By varying these parameters according to temperature and charge level, the system achieves both rapid charging when safe and prevents overheating, directly addressing the technical contradiction

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If standard charging time is used to ensure safe charging, then the safety is improved, but the charging speed decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecharging safetyVSAvoidcharging speed
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically selects between standard and rapid charging modes based on real-time monitoring of accumulator parameters. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to achieve high productivity when safe and maintain reliability when needed, resolving the contradiction between safety and charging speed

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Ease of operation

If the charging station prioritizes charging based on movement detection, then the usability is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser-friendly chargingVSAvoidcharging control system
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The charging station automatically detects tool case movement and autonomously determines charging priority without user intervention. The system serves itself by monitoring its own state and making charging decisions, improving ease of operation while the added complexity is justified by the automated intelligence

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses feedback from movement sensors and accumulator state monitors to automatically adjust charging priority. This feedback mechanism enables the charging station to respond intelligently to user needs, improving usability while managing complexity through automated control logic

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP3271991B1Tool case comprising case bottom and case lid
Publication Date: 2019.05.08 VORWERK & CO INTERHOLDING GMBH
  • EP3271991B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3271991B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

The invention relates to a tool case (1) comprising a case bottom (3) and a case lid (2), wherein the case bottom (3) and/or the case lid (2) has at least one holding receptacle (7) for at least one hand-held tool (8), wherein the tool case (1) has at least one charging station for charging at least one accumulator of a hand-held tool (8). According to the invention, in order to optimise the charging state of the accumulators, the charging station is designed to vary the duration of the charging process (charging time) of the accumulator in accordance with a detected frequency of use of the accumulator and/or a movement of the tool case (1) or at least parts of the tool case (1).