Battery pack support portion configured to accommodate multiple different device interfaces

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12469915-B2
Application number	US-202418409455-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 10, 2024
Priority date	Aug 9, 2019
Publication date	Nov 11, 2025
Grant date	Nov 11, 2025

Abstract

A system may include a first device including a first electrical interface and a second device including a second electrical interface. The system may include a battery pack including a battery pack support portion. The system may include a first removable battery pack interface configured to electrically and mechanically connect to the battery pack support portion, the first removable battery pack interface further configured to electrically connect to the first electrical interface of the first device. The system may include a second removable battery pack interface configured to electrically and mechanically connect to the battery pack support portion, the second removable battery pack interface further configured to electrically connect to the second electrical interface of the second device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system of battery pack powered devices, the system comprising:
a first device including a first electrical interface; a second device including a second electrical interface; a battery pack including a battery pack support portion and an interface body, the interface body having a first removable lateral portion and a second removable lateral portion; a first removable battery pack interface configured to electrically and mechanically connect to the battery pack support portion, the first removable battery pack interface further configured to electrically connect to the first electrical interface of the first device; and a second removable battery pack interface configured to electrically and mechanically connect to the battery pack support portion, the second removable battery pack interface further configured to electrically connect to the second electrical interface of the second device, wherein the interface body is configured to be operable in a first terminal configuration and a second terminal configuration.

2 . The system of claim 1 ,
wherein the first terminal configuration requires the first removable lateral portion and the second removable lateral portion, and wherein the second terminal configuration does not require the first removable lateral portion and the second removable lateral portion.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first removable battery pack interface
further includes a first plurality of terminals, wherein the second removable battery pack interface further includes a second plurality of terminals, and wherein the first plurality of terminals includes a greater number of terminals than the second plurality of terminals.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first removable battery pack interface includes an interface body length that is approximately equal to a battery pack support portion length.

5 . The system of claim 1 , the battery pack support portion further including a central recess, the central recess including a central recess length,
wherein the first removable battery pack interface includes a central portion including a central portion length, and wherein the central portion length is approximately equal to the central recess length.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first device is a battery charger.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the second device is a low power device that includes communication capability.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the second device is a low power device that does not include communication capability.

9 . The system of claim 3 , wherein a shape of a body portion of the first removable battery pack interface and a shape of a body portion of the second removable battery pack interface are approximately equal in shape.

10 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the battery pack support portion length is between approximately 43 mm and approximately 46 mm.

11 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the battery pack support portion length is 44.48 mm.

12 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the central recess length is between approximately 17 mm and 20 mm.

13 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the central recess length is 18.75 mm.

14 . A system of battery pack powered devices, the system comprising:
a first device including a first electrical interface; a second device including a second electrical interface; a battery pack including a battery pack support portion; a removable battery pack interface configured to electrically and mechanically connect to the battery pack support portion, the removable battery pack interface comprising: a first terminal configured to electrically connect the battery pack to the first electrical interface of the first device; a second terminal configured to electrically connect the battery pack to the second electrical interface of the second device; and a third terminal configured as a bypass terminal configured to bypass a current sensing circuit; wherein, in response to connecting the removable battery pack interface to the first electrical interface, the removable battery pack interface is configured to electrically connect the first terminal to the first electrical interface and not connect the second terminal to the first device; and wherein, in response to connecting the removable battery pack interface to the second electrical interface, the removable battery pack interface is configured to electrically connect the second terminal to the second electrical interface and not connect the first terminal.

15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the removable battery pack interface further includes a first configuration of a plurality of terminals and a second configuration of the plurality of terminals, and
wherein the first configuration of the plurality of terminals includes a greater number of terminals than the second configuration of the plurality of terminals.

16 . The system of claim 14 , the battery pack support portion further including a central recess, the central recess including a central recess length,
wherein the removable battery pack interface includes a central portion including a central portion length, and wherein the central portion length and the central portion length are both between approximately 17 mm and 20 mm.

17 . The system of claim 14 , wherein a shape of a body portion of the removable battery pack interface and a shape of a body portion of the battery pack support portion are approximately equal in shape.

18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the shape body portion of the removable battery pack interface is configured to mechanically secure the removable battery pack interface to the battery pack support portion in an absence of any of the first terminal, the second terminal, or the third terminal.

19 . An interface configured to electrically and mechanically connect to a battery pack, the interface comprising:
a first terminal configured to electrically connect the battery pack to a first electrical interface of a first device; a second terminal configured to electrically connect the battery pack to a second electrical interface of a second device; and a third terminal configured as a bypass terminal configured to bypass a current sensing circuit; wherein in response to mechanically connecting to the first device, electrically connecting the first terminal and the third terminal of the interface to the battery pack, and wherein in response to mechanically connecting to the second device, electrically connecting the second terminal and the third terminal of the interface to the battery pack.

20 . The interface of claim 19 , the interface further comprising:
a fourth terminal configured to electrically connect the battery pack to the first electrical interface of the first device and to the second electrical interface of the second device, wherein the fourth terminal includes an electric polarity that is opposite than an electric polarity of the first terminal, wherein response to mechanically connecting to the first device, electrically connecting the first terminal and the third terminal and the fourth terminal of the interface to the battery pack, and wherein response to mechanically connecting to the second device, electrically connecting the second terminal and the third terminal and the fourth terminal of the interface to the battery pack.

Assignees

• Techtronic Cordless Gp

Inventors

• Huggins Mark

Classifications

• H02J7/731

  specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries (H02J7/751 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M50/543

  Terminals · CPC title

• H01M50/296

  characterised by terminals of battery packs (terminals of batteries H01M50/543) · CPC title

• H01M10/488

  Cells or batteries combined with indicating means for external visualization of the condition, e.g. by change of colour or of light density · CPC title

• H01M2220/30

  Batteries in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop · CPC title