Transport system for convertible battery pack

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11289783-B2
Application number	US-201916700270-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 2, 2019
Priority date	Nov 30, 2018
Publication date	Mar 29, 2022
Grant date	Mar 29, 2022

Abstract

A battery pack transport system includes a battery pack and a protective member assembled on the battery pack for preventing the battery pack from damage during shipping. The battery pack includes two battery cell groups each having a positive electrode and a negative electrode and a female connector electrically connected to two battery cell groups to connect two battery cell groups in parallel. The protective member engages with the female connector to change two battery cell groups from parallel connected state to isolated state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A battery pack transport system comprising:
a battery pack for providing electrical power to a power tool, the battery pack including a first cover; a second cover mounted to the first cover; a battery module received in a receiving space formed between the first and second covers and a female connector connected to the battery module, wherein the female connector has a converter slidably received therein, and wherein the converter includes a plurality of inner contacts, the battery module having two battery cell groups, each battery cell group configured with a plurality of cells and having a positive electrode and a negative electrode; the female connector having four conductive terminals respectively and electrically connected to positive and negative electrodes of two battery cell groups, and each of the four conductive terminals having respective first and second ends wherein the first end of each of the four conductive terminals is couplable to the power tool and the second end of each of the four conductive terminals is couplable to the inner contacts of the converter, and each inner contact is simultaneously connected to two conductive terminals with same polarity, and the two battery cell groups are connected with each other in parallel, and the female connector having a guiding rail and a pair of ribs, the ribs located at two opposite sides of the guiding rail; and
a protective member mechanically coupled to the battery pack to change the electrical connection of two conductive terminals with same polarity from parallel connected state to isolated state.

2. The battery pack transport system according to claim 1 , wherein two battery cell groups are isolated with each other when the protective member is coupled to the battery pack.

3. The battery pack transport system according to claim 2 , wherein the protective member has a plurality of inserting portions corresponding to the conductive terminals of the battery pack, and wherein the inserting portions each is connected to corresponding conductive terminal.

4. The battery pack transport system according to claim 1 , wherein the converter includes a protruding portion forwardly extending therefrom, and the protective member defines a protrusion corresponding to the protruding portion, and wherein the protrusion abuts against the protruding portion to drive the converter move away from the conductive terminals.

5. The battery pack transport system according to claim 4 , wherein the guiding rail receives the protruding portion of the converter, and wherein the protruding portion slides along the guiding rail when abutted by the protrusion of the protective member.

6. The battery pack transport system according to claim 5 , wherein the converter has a plurality of posts opposite to the protruding portion and a plurality of elastic members respectively assembled to the corresponding post, and wherein the elastic members are sandwiched between the sidewall of the female connector and the converter.

7. The battery pack transport system according to claim 6 , wherein the elastic members are compressed when the converter moves away from the conductive terminals under the pushing of the protective member, and wherein the elastic members recover from deformation to drive the converter mover towards the conductive terminals when the protective member is separate with the battery pack.

8. The battery pack transport system according to claim 7 , wherein the battery pack has a locking portion protruding above the top of the upper cover, and wherein the protective member has a groove upwardly depressed from the bottom thereof for receiving the locking portion of the battery pack.

9. The battery pack transport system according to claim 3 , wherein the battery pack has a locking portion protruding above the top of the upper cover, and wherein the protective member has a groove upwardly depressed from the bottom thereof for receiving the locking portion of the battery pack.

10. A battery pack for providing electrical power to a power tool, the battery pack comprising:
a first and second cover forming a receiving space together;
a battery module received in the receiving space and having two battery cell groups each including a plurality of cells connected in series, a positive electrode and a negative electrode;
a female connector electrically connected to the battery module and having four conductive terminals respectively and electrically connected to positive and negative electrodes, a converter electrically connecting two of the four conductive terminals with same polarity to make two battery cell groups connected in parallel, and each of the four conductive terminals having respective first and second ends wherein the first end of each of the four conductive terminals is couplable to the power tool and the second end of each of the four conductive terminals is couplable to inner contacts of the converter; and
a couple coupled to the female connector to make two battery cell groups isolated with each other through separating two connected conductive terminals with same polarity, the couple including a protrusion extending therefrom, the converter having a protruding portion corresponding to the protrusion, the female connector having a pair of ribs located at two opposite sides of the protruding portion.

11. A battery pack according to claim 10 , wherein the female connector has a guiding rail for receiving the protrusion and the protruding portion.

12. A battery pack according to claim 10 , wherein the converter has a plurality of inner contacts received therein, and wherein each inner contact is simultaneously connected to two adjacent conductive terminals with same polarity before the couple mounted to the female connector.

13. A battery pack according to claim 10 , wherein the couple is removably assembled to the female connector, and wherein the couple has a plurality of inserting portion corresponding to the conductive terminals.

14. A battery pack according to claim 11 ,
wherein the converter has at least one post located at opposite side of the protruding portion, and wherein the female connector has at least one positioning column corresponding to the post, and at least one elastic member is sandwiched between the positioning column and the post.

15. A battery pack according to claim 11 , wherein the converter is slidably received in the female connector and moves in a front-to-rear direction along the guiding rail.

16. A battery pack according to claim 12 , wherein the inner contacts are separate with corresponding two conductive terminals with same polarity when the couple mounted to the female connector.

17. A battery pack according to claim 10 , wherein further includes a locking assembly sandwiched between the upper cover and the battery module.

18. A battery pack for providing electrical power to a power tool, the battery pack comprising:
a battery module having two battery cell groups each configured with a plurality of cells connected in series and having a positive electrode and a negative electrode;
a female connector connected to the battery module and having four conductive terminals connected to the positive and negative electrodes of the battery module to connect two battery cell groups in parallel through connecting two of the four conductive terminals with same polarity, wherein the female connector has a converter slidably received therein, and wherein the converter includes a plurality of inner contacts and each of the four conductive terminals having respective first and

Assignees

• Globe Jiangsu Co Ltd

Inventors

• Mao Wei
• Liu Chuanjun
• Guo Xinzhong
• Wang Doushi

Classifications

• H01M10/0445 Primary

  Multimode batteries, e.g. containing auxiliary cells or electrodes switchable in parallel or series connections · CPC title

• H01M50/244

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

• H01M50/284

  with incorporated circuit boards, e.g. printed circuit boards [PCB] · CPC title

• H01M50/522

  Inorganic material · CPC title

• H01M50/247

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