Battery pack

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021043891-A1
Application number	US-201916536418-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 9, 2019
Priority date	Aug 9, 2019
Publication date	Feb 11, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A battery pack including a housing having a first end, a second end, and a longitudinal axis that extends between the first end and the second end, electrical terminals positioned within the housing and configured to engage and electrically couple with electrical terminals of a power tool, and a latch mechanism including an actuator and a latch member that is spaced apart from the actuator. The actuator has a distal end that is positioned adjacent the first end of the housing, a proximal end that is spaced apart from the distal end, and an actuating surface that extends between the distal end and the proximal end. The actuating surface has a gradually decreasing slope between the distal end and the proximal end.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A battery pack comprising:
a housing having a first end, a second end, and a longitudinal axis that extends between the first end and the second end; electrical terminals positioned within the housing and configured to engage and electrically couple with electrical terminals of a power tool; and a latch mechanism including an actuator and a latch member that is spaced apart from the actuator, the actuator having a distal end that is positioned adjacent the first end of the housing, a proximal end that is spaced apart from the distal end, and an actuating surface that extends between the distal end and the proximal end, the actuating surface having a gradually decreasing slope between the distal end and the proximal end.

2 . The battery pack of claim 1 , further comprising a biasing mechanism positioned adjacent to the actuator, wherein the biasing mechanism biases the latch member into a latch position in which the latch member extends from the housing.

3 . The battery pack of claim 2 , wherein depressing the actuator overcomes the bias of the biasing mechanism to move the latch member from the latch position to a release position in which the latch member is positioned within the housing.

4 . The battery pack of claim 1 , wherein the distal end of the actuator is positioned above the proximal end of the actuator.

5 . The battery pack of claim 1 , wherein the actuating surface has ribs.

6 . The battery pack of claim 1 , wherein the actuating surface is not parallel to the longitudinal axis of the housing.

7 . A power tool comprising:
a housing having a handle configured to be grasped by a user and a battery receiving portion having electrical terminals, the battery receiving portion having a longitudinal axis; a motor supported by the housing; a tool element coupled to the motor; a battery pack coupleable to the battery receiving portion of the housing of the power tool, the battery pack including
a housing having a first end, a second end, and a longitudinal axis that extends between the first end and the second end;
electrical terminals positioned within the housing and configured to engage and electrically couple with electrical terminals of a power tool; and
a latch mechanism including an actuator and a latch member that is spaced apart from the actuator and receivable within a recess in the battery receiving portion, the actuator having a distal end that is positioned adjacent the first end of the housing, a proximal end that is spaced apart from the distal end, and an actuating surface that extends between the distal end and the proximal end, the actuating surface having a gradually decreasing slope between the distal end and the proximal end.

8 . The power tool of claim 7 , wherein the distal end of the actuator is positioned above the proximal end of the actuator.

9 . The power tool of claim 7 , wherein the actuating surface includes ribs.

10 . The power tool of claim 7 , wherein the actuating surface is not parallel to the longitudinal axis of the battery receiving portion or the longitudinal axis of the housing of the battery pack.

11 . The power tool of claim 7 , wherein the latch mechanism is movable between a latch position in which the latch member extends from the housing and a release position in which the latch member is positioned within the housing.

12 . The power tool of claim 11 , wherein the actuator is actuatable to move the latch member from the latch position to the release position.

13 . The power tool of claim 12 , wherein the latch member is retained in the latch position by a biasing mechanism.

14 . A battery pack comprising:
a housing having a longitudinal axis, a first surface, and a second surface; electrical terminals positioned within the housing and configured to engage and electrically couple with electrical terminals of a power tool; and a latch mechanism including an actuator that is movable within an aperture in the first surface and a latch member movable within an aperture in the second surface, the actuator including an actuating surface that slopes inwardly and downwardly relative to the housing of the battery pack.

15 . The battery pack of claim 14 , wherein the latch mechanism is movable between a latch position in which the latch member extends from the housing and a release position in which the latch member is positioned within the housing.

16 . The battery pack of claim 14 , wherein the latch mechanism includes an actuator that is actuatable to move the latch member from the latch position to the release position.

17 . The battery pack of claim 14 , wherein the latch member is retained in the latch position by a biasing mechanism.

18 . The battery pack of claim 14 , wherein the actuator includes a distal end that is positioned adjacent a first end of the housing and a proximal end that is spaced apart from the distal end, the distal end being positioned above the proximal end, the actuating surface extending between the distal end and the proximal end.

19 . The battery pack of claim 18 , wherein the actuating surface has a slope that decreases from the distal end to the proximal end.

20 . The battery pack of claim 14 , wherein the actuating surface is not parallel to the longitudinal axis of the housing.

Assignees

• Techtronic Cordless Gp

Inventors

• Altenburger Ryan

Classifications

• H02J7/731

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

• Y02E60/10

  Energy storage using batteries · CPC title

• H01M50/213 Primary

  adapted for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic (H01M50/209, H01M50/216 take precedence) · CPC title

• B25F5/02 Primary

  Construction of casings, bodies or handles {(B25F5/006, B25F5/008 take precedence)} · CPC title

• H01M2220/30

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