Power tool

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10688644-B2
Application number	US-201715801731-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 2, 2017
Priority date	Nov 4, 2016
Publication date	Jun 23, 2020
Grant date	Jun 23, 2020

Abstract

A power tool includes a motor, a housing, a battery mounting part, and a battery protection part. The battery mounting part is provided to the housing on an opposite side from a working axis across the motor in an extending direction of a rotation axis of the motor. The battery mounting part is configured such that one end portion of at least one battery is mounted to the battery mounting part and an opposite end portion of the at least one battery in the extending direction of the rotation axis is exposed from the housing. The battery protection part is provided to an outer surface portion of the housing and configured to protect at least one corner region of the opposite end portion of the at least one battery against external force when the one end portion is mounted to the battery mounting part.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A power tool, comprising:
a motor having a rotation axis, the rotation axis extending in a direction crossing a working axis, the working axis defining a front-rear direction of the power tool;
a housing that houses the motor;
a battery mounting part provided to the housing and configured such that at least one battery can be removably mounted thereto; and
a battery protection part provided to an outer surface portion of the housing,
wherein:
the battery mounting part (1) is configured such that one end portion of the at least one battery is mounted to the battery mounting part and an opposite end portion of the at least one battery in the extending direction of the rotation axis is exposed from the battery mounting part and (2) is located on an opposite side of the motor from the working axis;
the battery protection part (1) is configured to protect at least one corner region of the opposite end portion of the at least one battery against external force when the one end portion is mounted to the battery mounting part and (2) includes a front protection part and a rear protection part;
the front protection part and the rear protection part are spaced and on opposite sides of the battery mounting part in the front-rear direction; and
the front protection part faces a front surface of the at least one battery and the rear protection part faces a rear surface of the at least one battery when the at least one battery is mounted to the battery mounting part.

2. The power tool as defined in claim 1 , wherein the battery protection part is formed by a portion of the housing.

3. The power tool as defined in claim 2 , wherein
the portion of the housing forming the battery protection part is formed of resin, and
the power tool further comprises a metal reinforcing member, at least a portion of the reinforcing member being arranged in the battery protection part.

4. The power tool as defined in claim 1 , wherein the battery protection part is formed as a separate member from the housing and mounted to the housing.

5. The power tool as defined in claim 4 , wherein the battery protection part is formed of a different material from the housing.

6. The power tool as defined in claim 1 , wherein the battery protection part includes a pair of front protection parts and a pair of rear protection parts, the pair of front protection parts being arranged on opposite sides of a front region of the battery mounting part in a direction crossing the working axis and the rotation axis, and the pair of rear protection parts being arranged on opposite sides of a rear region of the battery mounting part in the direction crossing the working axis and the rotation axis.

7. The power tool as defined in claim 1 , wherein:
when the power tool is arranged such that the working axis extends in a horizontal direction and the rotation axis extends in a vertical direction, the battery mounting part is arranged below the motor, and
the battery protection part is configured such that a lower surface of the battery protection part is generally flush with a lower surface of the battery when the battery is mounted to the battery mounting part.

8. The power tool as defined in claim 1 , wherein the battery protection part is configured to protrude from a virtual plane in a direction away from a center of gravity of the power tool having the battery mounted to the battery mounting part, the virtual plane being perpendicular to a virtual line connecting the center of gravity and the corner region of the battery, and the virtual plane also passing through the corner region.

9. The power tool as defined in claim 1 , further comprising an additional mechanism arranged in an internal space of the battery protection part and configured to have a different function from protection of the corner region.

10. The power tool as defined in claim 1 , wherein the battery mounting part is configured such that plural kinds of batteries having different lengths in the extending direction of the rotation axis can be selectively removably mounted to the battery mounting part, and the battery protection part is configured to be adjustable in length in the extending direction of the rotation axis.

11. The power tool as defined in claim 1 , wherein:
when the power tool is arranged such that the working axis extends in a horizontal direction and the rotation axis extends in a vertical direction, the battery mounting part is arranged below the motor,
the battery mounting part is configured such that an upper end portion of a battery group is mounted to the battery mounting part and a lower end portion of the battery group is exposed from the housing, the battery group including the at least one battery, and
the battery protection part is configured to protect all corner regions of the lower end portion of the battery group against the external force.

12. The power tool as defined in claim 1 , wherein:
a total weight of the power tool having the at least one battery mounted to the battery mounting part exceeds five times of a weight of the at least one battery, and
the battery protection part is configured to protrude from a virtual plane in a direction away from a center of gravity of the power tool having the at least one battery mounted to the battery mounting part, the virtual plane being perpendicular to a virtual line and passing through the corner region, the virtual line connecting the center of gravity and the corner region.

13. The power tool as defined in claim 12 , wherein:
the power tool is an impact tool to which a tool accessory is removably attachable,
the power tool is configured to linearly drive the tool accessory along the working axis via a striking element, and
the power tool includes a crank mechanism housed in the housing and configured to convert rotational motion of the motor into linear motion and transmit the linear motion to the striking element.

14. The power tool as defined in claim 1 , wherein
the battery protection part includes a rear protection part arranged on a rear side of the battery mounting part in the front-rear direction, and
the rear protection part is configured to protrude from a virtual plane in a direction away from a center of gravity of the power tool having the battery mounted to the battery mounting part, the virtual plane being perpendicular to a virtual line and passing through the corner region, the virtual line connecting the center of gravity and the corner region.

15. The power tool as defined in claim 1 , wherein the front protection part and the rear protection part protrude below the battery mounting part in a direction transverse to the front-rear direction.

16. The power tool as defined in claim 1 , further comprising a grip part (1) configured to be engaged by a hand of a user and (2) having a longitudinal axis that is substantially parallel to the rotation axis, wherein:
a front end of the front protection part is generally at the same position in the front-rear direction as a front end of a motor housing part of the housing; and
a rear end of the rear protection part is generally in the same position in the front-rear direction as a rear end of the grip portion.

17. A power tool, comprising:
a motor having a rotation axis, the rotation axis extending in a direction crossing a working axis, the working axis defining a front-rear direction of the power tool;
a housing that houses the motor;
a battery mounting part provided to the housing and configured such that a plurality of batteries can be removably mounted thereto side-by-si

Assignees

• Makita Corp

Inventors

• Iida Hitoshi
• Furusawa Masanori
• Watanabe Kei
• Kotsuji Takafumi
• Yamada Keisuke

Classifications

• H01M50/209

  adapted for prismatic or rectangular cells (H01M50/216 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M50/227

  Organic material · CPC title

• H01M50/247

  specially adapted for portable devices, e.g. mobile phones, computers, hand tools or pacemakers · CPC title

• H01M50/244

  Secondary casings; Racks; Suspension devices; Carrying devices; Holders characterised by their mounting method · CPC title

• H01M50/24

  adapted for protecting batteries from their environment, e.g. from corrosion (thermal insulation H01M10/658) · CPC title