Electric tool system with removable battery pack

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022013842-A1
Application number	US-202117305495-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 8, 2021
Priority date	Jul 8, 2020
Publication date	Jan 13, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to an electric power tool system with cordless power tools and removable, rechargeable battery packs that mate with the power tools to provide stored energy to the power tools. The battery packs may include a first battery pack having a basic interface and a second battery pack having an advanced interface. The power tools may include a first power tool having a basic interface and a second power tool having an advanced interface. The basic interface battery pack may mate with both the basic interface power tool and the advanced interface power tool. The advanced interface battery pack may mate with both the basic interface power tool and the advanced interface power tool.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A removable battery pack for providing electrical energy to a cordless electric tool, the battery pack comprising:
a housing having a forward side and a rearward side, the forward side including a plurality of terminal slots; and an interface including a first set of rails and a second set of rails, the first set of rails positioned closer to the forward side than the second set of rails.

2 . The battery pack, as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first set of rails are generally in a same plane as the second set of rails.

3 . The battery pack, as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first set of rails are not in a same plane as the second set of rails.

4 . The battery pack, as recited in claim 1 , wherein the battery pack housing includes a datum plane and the first set of rails are offset from the datum plane by a first distance and the second set of rails are offset from the datum plane by a second distance.

5 . The battery pack, as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first set of rails includes two rails in a first plane and the second set of rails includes two rails in a second plane, each of the two rails of the first set of rails includes a side wall, the side walls of the two rails of the first set of rails being generally perpendicular to each other and separated by a first distance and each of the two rails of the second set of rails includes a side wall, the side walls of the two rails of the second set of rails being generally perpendicular to each other and separated by a second distance.

6 . The battery pack, as recited in claim 5 , wherein the first distance is generally less than the second distance.

7 . The battery pack, as recited in claim 4 , wherein the battery pack housing is configured to mate with the cordless electric tool in a mating direction and wherein the datum plane is generally parallel to the mating direction and wherein the first distance is offset from the datum plane in a direction generally perpendicular to the datum plane and wherein the second distance is offset from the datum plane in a direction generally perpendicular to the datum plane.

8 . The battery pack, as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a first set of grooves associated with the first set of rails and a second set of grooves associated with the second set of rails.

9 . The battery pack, as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first set of rails includes two rails in a first plane and the second set of rails includes two rails in a second plane, wherein the battery pack housing includes a datum plane and the first plane is offset from the datum plane by a first distance and the second plane is offset from the datum plane by a second distance.

10 . The battery pack, as recited in claim 9 , wherein the first distance is greater than the second distance. An interface of a removable battery pack for mating with an interface of a cordless electric power tool, the interface comprising:
a first set of battery pack rails and a first set of battery pack grooves associated with the first set of battery pack rails and a second set of battery pack rails and a second set of battery pack grooves associated with the second set of battery pack rails, the first set of battery pack rails and the first set of battery pack grooves positioned closer to the forward side than the second set of battery pack rails and the second set of battery pack grooves.

12 . The interface, as recited in claim 11 , wherein the first set of battery pack rails are generally in a same plane as the second set of battery pack rails.

13 . The interface, as recited in claim 11 wherein the first set of battery pack rails are not in a same plane as the second set of battery pack rails.

14 . The interface, as recited in claim 11 , further comprising a datum plane and wherein the first set of battery pack rails are offset from the datum plane by a first distance and the second set of battery pack rails are offset from the datum plane by a second distance.

15 . The interface, as recited in claim 11 , wherein the first set of battery pack rails includes two rails in a first plane and the second set of battery pack rails includes two rails in a second plane, each of the two rails of the first set of battery pack rails includes a side wall, the side walls of the two rails of the first set of battery pack rails being generally perpendicular to each other and separated by a first distance and each of the two rails of the second set of battery pack rails includes a side wall, the side walls of the two rails of the second set of battery pack rails being generally perpendicular to each other and separated by a second distance.

16 . The interface, as recited in claim 15 , wherein the first distance is generally less than the second distance.

17 . The interface, as recited in claim 14 , wherein the interface is configured to mate with an interface of a cordless electric tool in a mating direction and wherein the datum plane is generally parallel to the mating direction and wherein the first distance is offset from the datum plane in a direction generally perpendicular to the datum plane and wherein the second distance is offset from the datum plane in a direction generally perpendicular to the datum plane.

18 . A cordless electric power tool for receiving electrical energy from a removable battery pack, the power tool comprising:
a housing having a forward side and a rearward side, the forward side including a plurality of terminal slots; and an interface including a first set of power tool rails and a second set of power tool rails, the first set of power tool rails positioned closer to the forward side than the second set of power tool rails.

19 . The power tool, as recited in claim 18 , wherein the first set of power tool rails are generally in a same plane as the second set of power tool rails.

20 . The power tool, as recited in claim 18 , wherein the first set of power tool rails are not in a same plane as the second set of power tool rails.

21 . The power tool, as recited in claim 18 , wherein the power tool housing includes a datum plane and the first set of power tool rails are offset from the datum plane by a first distance and the second set of power tool rails are offset from the datum plane by a second distance.

22 . The power tool, as recited in claim 18 , wherein the first set of power tool rails includes two rails in a first plane and the second set of power tool rails includes two rails in a second plane, each of the two rails of the first set of power tool rails includes a side wall, the side walls of the two rails of the first set of power tool rails being generally perpendicular to each other and separated by a first distance and each of the two rails of the second set of power tool rails includes a side wall, the side walls of the two rails of the second set of power tool rails being generally perpendicular to each other and separated by a second distance.

23 . The power tool, as recited in claim 22 , wherein the first distance is generally less than the second distance.

24 . The power tool, as recited in claim 21 , wherein the power tool housing is configured to mate with the battery pack in a mating direction and wherein the datum plane is generally parallel to the mating direction and wherein the first distance is offset from the datum plane in a direction generally perpendicular to the datum plane and wherein the second distance is offset from t

Assignees

• Black & Decker Inc

Inventors

• Hennesy Timothy J
• Varipatis Michael
• Cherry Mark
• Osborne Nathan J

Classifications

• Y02E60/10

  Energy storage using batteries · CPC title

• H01M50/204

  Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells · CPC title

• H01M50/247 Primary

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

• H01M2220/30

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

• B25F5/02 Primary

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