Structure with color-changing housing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12481195-B2
Application number	US-202117497424-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 8, 2021
Priority date	Oct 9, 2020
Publication date	Nov 25, 2025
Grant date	Nov 25, 2025

Abstract

An electrical device capable of emitting or absorbs energy relative a surrounding environment. The electrical device includes a housing, an interior volume defined in the housing, an energy sensor at least partially exposed to the surrounding environment, a first material having a first absorptivity, and a second material having a second absorptivity lower than the first absorptivity. The first material is nearer to the surrounding environment than the second material is at an energy sensor reading below a threshold energy range, and the first material is farther from the surrounding environment than the second material is at an energy sensor reading above the threshold energy range.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electrical device capable of emitting or absorbing energy relative a surrounding environment, the electrical device comprising:
including
a housing having at least one surface exposed to the surrounding environment;
an interior volume defined in the housing;
one or more cells at least partially positioned within the interior volume;
an energy sensor at least partially exposed to the surrounding environment;
a first material having a first absorptivity; and
a second material having a second absorptivity lower than the first absorptivity, wherein
at an energy sensor reading below a threshold energy range, the first material is nearer to the surrounding environment than the second material is,
at an energy sensor reading above the threshold energy range, the first material is farther from the surrounding environment than the second material is, and
an amount of heat energy retained by the one or more cells increases with the first material nearer to the surrounding environment than the second material is.

2 . The electrical device of claim 1 , wherein the first material and the second material are selectively displayed on the at least one surface exposed to the surrounding environment.

3 . The electrical device of claim 1 , wherein the first material is darker than the second material.

4 . The electrical device of claim 3 , wherein the first material is configured to retain heat energy in the interior volume to increase an amount of heat energy therein.

5 . The electrical device of claim 4 , wherein the second material is configured to emit heat energy from the interior volume to decrease an amount of heat energy therein.

6 . The electrical device of claim 1 , wherein the amount of heat energy emitted by the one or more cells increases with the second material nearer to the surrounding environment than the first material is.

7 . The electrical device of claim 1 , wherein the first material is darker than the second material, wherein the first material is configured to emit energy from the interior volume to increase an amount of heat energy dissipated from the interior volume, and wherein the second material is configured to retain energy in the interior volume to decrease an amount of heat energy dissipated from the interior volume.

8 . The electrical device of claim 1 , further comprising terminals exposed to an exterior of the housing and electrically connected to the one or more cells, the electrical device configured to supply power from the one or more cells to another device electrically coupled to the terminals.

9 . An electrical device capable of emitting or absorbing energy relative a surrounding environment, the electrical device comprising:
including
a housing having at least one surface exposed to the surrounding environment;
an interior volume defined in the housing;
a motor at least partially positioned within the interior volume;
an energy sensor at least partially exposed to the surrounding environment;
a first material having a first absorptivity; and
a second material having a second absorptivity lower than the first absorptivity, wherein
at an energy sensor reading below a threshold energy range, the first material is nearer to the surrounding environment than the second material is,
at an energy sensor reading above the threshold energy range, the first material is farther from the surrounding environment than the second material is, and
an amount of heat energy retained by the motor increases with the first material nearer to the surrounding environment than the second material is.

10 . The electrical device of claim 9 , wherein the amount of heat energy emitted by the motor increases with the second material nearer to the surrounding environment than the first material is.

11 . The electrical device of claim 9 , wherein the first material is darker than the second material, wherein the first material is configured to retain heat energy in the interior volume to increase an amount of heat energy therein, and wherein the second material is configured to emit heat energy from the interior volume to decrease an amount of heat energy therein.

12 . The electrical device of claim 9 , wherein the first material is darker than the second material, wherein the first material is configured to emit energy from the interior volume to increase an amount of heat energy dissipated from the interior volume, and wherein the second material is configured to retain energy in the interior volume to decrease an amount of heat energy dissipated from the interior volume.

13 . An electrical device capable of emitting or absorbing energy relative a surrounding environment, the electrical device comprising:
including
a housing having at least one surface exposed to the surrounding environment;
an interior volume defined in the housing;
charging circuitry at least partially positioned within the interior volume;
an energy sensor at least partially exposed to the surrounding environment;
a first material having a first absorptivity; and
a second material having a second absorptivity lower than the first absorptivity, wherein
at an energy sensor reading below a threshold energy range, the first material is nearer to the surrounding environment than the second material is,
at an energy sensor reading above the threshold energy range, the first material is farther from the surrounding environment than the second material is, and
an amount of heat energy retained by the charging circuitry increases with the first material nearer to the surrounding environment than the second material is.

14 . The electrical device of claim 13 , wherein the amount of heat energy emitted by the charging circuitry increases with the second material nearer to the surrounding environment than the first material is.

15 . The electrical device of claim 13 , wherein the first material is darker than the second material, wherein the first material is configured to retain heat energy in the interior volume to increase an amount of heat energy therein, and wherein the second material is configured to emit heat energy from the interior volume to decrease an amount of heat energy therein.

16 . The electrical device of claim 13 , wherein the first material is darker than the second material, wherein the first material is configured to emit energy from the interior volume to increase an amount of heat energy dissipated from the interior volume, and wherein the second material is configured to retain energy in the interior volume to decrease an amount of heat energy dissipated from the interior volume.

Assignees

• Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp

Inventors

• Rathod Swapnil Suresh
• Fassbender Kyle C
• Polakowski Matthew R
• Elfering James P
• Barrowclift Michael A
• Krutikova Maria
• Karbin Max

Classifications

• H05K7/20427

  having radiation enhancing surface treatment, e.g. black coating · CPC title

• H05K5/02

  Details · CPC title

• G02F1/1685 Primary

  Operation of cells; Circuit arrangements affecting the entire cell · CPC title

• G02F1/167 Primary

  by electrophoresis · CPC title