Battery adapter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9160125-B2
Application number	US-201213676688-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 14, 2012
Priority date	Nov 18, 2011
Publication date	Oct 13, 2015
Grant date	Oct 13, 2015

Abstract

A battery adapter can include a plurality of machine-side-connecting sections capable of being connected to a plurality of battery-connecting ports provided on an electric machine, and a battery-side-connecting section(s) to which a battery or batteries can be connected. The number of the machine-side-connecting sections is preferably configured to be larger than the number of the battery-side-connecting section(s). Further, the electric machine is preferably connected to the machine-side-connecting sections of the battery adapter through its battery-connecting ports. The electric machine can be driven by the battery or batteries connected to the battery-side-connecting section(s) of the battery adapter.

First claim

We claim:

1. A battery adapter, comprising a plurality of machine-side-connecting sections that can be connected to a plurality of battery-connecting ports provided on an electric machine and also comprising a battery-side-connecting section that can be connected to a battery such that the electric machine is drivable by the battery when the electric machine is connected to the machine-side-connecting sections of the battery adapter via the battery-connecting ports of the electric machine and the battery is connected to the battery-side-connecting section of the battery adapter, wherein;
each of the machine-side-connecting sections comprises a positive terminal and a negative terminal and the battery-side-connecting section comprises a positive terminal and a negative terminal.

2. The battery adapter according to claim 1 , wherein there are a plurality of battery-side-connecting sections and further that the number of the machine-side-connecting sections is configured to be larger than the number of the battery-side-connecting sections and further wherein each of the plurality of battery-side-connecting sections comprises a positive terminal and a negative terminal.

3. The battery adapter according to claim 1 , wherein the electric machine connected to the machine-side-connecting sections of the battery adapter via the battery-connecting ports of the electric machine can be driven by a battery the nominal voltage of which is substantially equal to the rated voltage of a motor of the electric machine, the battery being connected to the battery-side-connecting section of the battery adapter.

4. The battery adapter according to claim 3 , wherein the sum of the voltages applied to the machine-side-connecting sections of the battery adapter is equal to the rated voltage of the motor of the electric machine.

5. The battery adapter according to claim 1 , wherein the battery adapter includes a step-down section that is configured to reduce the battery voltage applied to the battery-side-connecting section; and
the output voltage of the step-down section is configured to be equal to the rated voltage of the motor of the electric machine.

6. The battery adapter according to claim 2 , wherein the battery adapter includes a step-down section that is configured to reduce the battery voltage applied to the battery-side-connecting sections; and
the output voltage of the step-down section is configured to be equal to the rated voltage of the motor of the electric machine.

7. The battery adapter according to claim 5 , wherein the output voltage of the step-down section is equal to the voltage applied to one of the machine-side-connecting sections.

8. The battery adapter according to claim 5 , wherein the output voltage of the step-down section is applied between positive and negative terminals of different sets of the plurality of machine-side-connecting sections.

9. The battery adapter according to claim 1 , wherein the battery includes a step-up section configured to increase the battery voltage applied to the battery-side-connecting section; and
the output voltage of the step-up section is configured to be equal to the rated voltage of the motor of the electric machine.

10. The battery adapter according to claim 2 , wherein the battery includes a step-up section configured to increase the battery voltage applied to the battery-side-connecting sections; and
the output voltage of the step-up section is configured to be equal to the rated voltage of the motor of the electric machine.

11. The battery adapter according to claim 9 , wherein the output voltage of the step-up section is configured to be equal to the sum of the voltages applied to the machine-side-connecting sections.

12. The battery adapter according to claim 9 , wherein the output voltage of the step-up section is equal to the voltage applied to one of the machine-side-connecting sections.

13. The battery adapter according to claim 9 , wherein the output voltage of the step-up section is applied between positive and negative terminals of different sets of the plurality of machine-side-connecting sections.

14. A battery adapter for use with an electric machine, comprising:
a battery-side-connection section configured to receive a battery voltage from one or more batteries; and
a plurality of machine-side-connecting sections configured to transmit an output voltage from the battery adapter to the electric machine,
wherein the number of machine-side-connections is greater than the number of battery-side-connections; and
wherein the battery adapter has a step-up and step-down function configured to adjust the battery voltage such that the output voltage from the machine-side-connecting sections is sufficient to power the electric machine.

15. A battery adapter comprising a plurality of machine-side-connecting sections configured to be connected to a plurality of battery-connecting ports provided on an electric machine and also comprising a battery-side-connecting section configured to be connected to a battery such that the electric machine is drivable by the battery when the electric machine is connected to the machine-side-connecting sections of the battery adapter via the battery-connecting ports of the electric machine and the battery is connected to the battery-side-connecting section of the battery adapter, wherein:
the number of machine-side-connections is greater than the number of battery-side-connections;
a battery-side-signal terminal that is connected to a signal terminal of the battery is provided in the battery-side-connecting section;
a machine-side-signal terminal that is connected to a signal terminal of the battery-connecting port on the electric machine is provided in the machine-side-connecting section;
a signal is transmitted between the signal terminal of the battery and the signal terminal of the battery-connecting port on the electric machine via the battery-side-signal terminal and the machine-side-signal terminal of the battery adapter; and
the number of machine-side-signal terminals is greater than the number of battery-side-signal terminals.

16. The battery adapter according to claim 15 , wherein:
a plurality of machine-side-signal terminals are provided in the battery-side-connecting sections; and
at least one of the machine-side-signal terminals transmits a discharge enable signal that permits discharge of the battery.

17. The battery adapter according to claim 16 , wherein the discharge enable signal is transmitted when the battery is connected to the battery-side-connecting section.

18. The battery adapter according to claim 17 , wherein a machine-side-signal terminal other than the machine-side-signal terminal that transmits the discharge enable signal transmits a discharge enable signal that permits discharge of the battery or a discharge inhibit signal that inhibits discharge of the battery.

19. The battery adapter according to claim 15 , wherein a discharge enable signal that permits discharge of the battery or an overload signal of the electric machine is transmitted between the battery and the electric machine via the battery-side-signal terminal and the machine-side-signal terminal of the battery adapter.

Assignees

• Ota Tomoyuki
• Suzuki Hitoshi
• Kobayashi Yukio
• Umemura Shingo
• Makita Corp

Inventors

• Ota Tomoyuki
• Suzuki Hitoshi
• Kobayashi Yukio
• Umemura Shingo

Classifications

• H02J7/933

  the cycle being controlled or terminated in response to electric parameters · CPC title

• H02J7/855

  with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery · CPC title

• H02J7/731

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

• H01M2220/30

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

• H01M2200/30

  Preventing polarity reversal · CPC title