Battery packs for electric tools

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9577228-B2
Application number	US-201414230628-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 31, 2014
Priority date	Apr 4, 2013
Publication date	Feb 21, 2017
Grant date	Feb 21, 2017

Abstract

A battery pack includes a battery side terminal electrically connectible with a device side terminal of a device body that may be a tool body of an electric tool or a charger body of a charger. The battery side terminal includes a first contact portion and a second contact portion. The first contact portion configured to form an electric contact through contact with a first side surface of the device side terminal. The second contact portion configured to form an electric contact through contact with a second side surface opposite to the first side surface of the device side terminal. The first contact portion configured to contact the first side surface in a first contact range having a first length. The second contact portion configured to contact the second side surface in a second contact range having a second length that may be different from the first length.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A battery pack for detachably mounting to a device body of an electric tool or a charger, comprising:
a battery side terminal electrically connectible with a device side terminal of the device body, the device side terminal being configured to have a shape of a flat plate and having a first side surface and a second side surface opposite to each other; wherein:
the battery side terminal comprises a first contact portion and a second contact portion arranged to be opposed to each other, and a third contact portion and a fourth contact portion arranged to be opposed to each other, the first contact portion and the third contact portion being configured to form an electric contact through contact with the first side surface of the device side terminal, and the second contact portion and the fourth contact portion being configured to form an electric contact through contact with the second side surface of the device side terminal;
the first contact portion is configured to contact the first side surface in a first contact range having a first length;
the second contact portion is configured to contact the second side surface in a second contact range having a second length that is less than the first length;
the first contact portion and the second contact portion extend in a first direction, and the first length and the second length extend in a second direction that is substantially perpendicular to the first direction;
the third contact portion is configured to contact the first side surface in a third contact range having a third length;
the fourth contact portion is configured to contact the second side surface in a fourth contact range having a fourth length that is less than the third length;
the third contact portion and the fourth contact portion extend in the first direction, and the third length and the fourth length extend in the second direction; and
the first contact range and the second contact range at least partly overlap with one another along the second direction, and the third contact range and the fourth contact range at least partly overlap one another along the second direction.

2. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the third length is the same as the first length.

3. The battery pack according to claim 2 , wherein the fourth length is the same as the second length.

4. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein
the fourth length is the same as the second length.

5. The battery pack according to claim 1 , comprising a plurality of battery side terminals each connectible with a corresponding device side terminal.

6. The battery pack according to claim 5 , further comprising a circuit board, wherein the plurality of battery side terminals extend from the circuit board in a direction substantially perpendicular to a surface of the circuit board such that the plurality of battery side terminals extend parallel to each other and are arranged along a third direction that is substantially parallel to a surface of the circuit board.

7. The battery pack according to claim 6 , wherein the plurality of battery side terminals extend in the second direction, and wherein the third direction is perpendicular to both the first direction and the second direction.

8. The battery pack according to claim 6 , wherein at least one of the plurality of battery side terminals is directly connected to the circuit board.

9. The battery pack according to claim 5 , further comprising at least one battery cell, wherein at least one of the plurality of battery side terminals is connected to a circuit board, and the at least one of the plurality of battery side terminals comprises a signal terminal configured to output a signal to the device body via the corresponding device side terminal.

10. The battery pack according to claim 1 , further comprising a circuit board, wherein the battery side terminal is directly connected to the circuit board.

11. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the battery side terminal is a power terminal configured to transmit an electric power to the device body via the device side terminal.

12. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the first contact portion and the second portion are directly opposed to one another.

13. A battery pack for detachably mounting to a device body of an electric tool or a charger, comprising:
a battery side terminal electrically connectible with a device side terminal of the device body, the device side terminal being configured to have a shape of a flat plate and having a first side surface and a second side surface opposite to each other; wherein:
the battery side terminal comprises a first contact portion and a second contact portion arranged to be opposed to each other, and a third contact portion and a fourth contact portion arranged to be opposed to each other, the first contact portion and the third contact portion being configured to form an electric contact through contact with the first side surface of the device side terminal, and the second contact portion and the fourth contact portion being configured to form an electric contact through contact with the second side surface of the device side terminal;
the first contact portion is configured to contact the first side surface in a first contact range having a first length;
the second contact portion is configured to contact the second side surface in a second contact range having a second length, the second length being different from the first length;
the first contact portion and the second contact portion extend in a first direction, and the first length and the second length extend in a second direction that is substantially perpendicular to the first direction;
the third contact portion is configured to contact the first side surface in a third contact range having a third length;
the fourth contact portion is configured to contact the second side surface in a fourth contact range having a fourth length, the fourth length being different from the third length;
the third contact portion and the fourth contact portion extend in the first direction, and the third length and the fourth length extend in the second direction; and
the first contact range and the second contact range at least partly overlap with one another along the second direction, and the third contact range and the fourth contact range at least partly overlap one another along the second direction.

14. The battery pack according to claim 13 , wherein:
the first contact portion and the fourth contact portion are arranged diagonally to each other; and
the fourth length is the same as the first length.

15. The battery pack according to claim 14 , wherein:
the second contact portion and the third contact portion are arranged diagonally to each other; and
the third length is the same as the second length.

16. The battery pack according to claim 13 , wherein the fourth length is different from the second length.

17. The battery pack according to claim 13 , wherein:
the second contact portion and the third contact portion are arranged diagonally to each other; and
the second length is the same as the third length.

18. The battery pack according to claim 13 , comprising a plurality of battery side terminals each connectible with a corresponding device side terminal.

19. The battery pack according to claim 18 , further comprising a circuit board, wherein the plurality of battery side terminals extend from the circuit board in a direction substantially perpendicular to a surface of the c

Assignees

• Makita Corp

Inventors

• Naito Akira

Classifications

• H01M2220/30

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

• H01M10/425

  Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing (printed circuits H05K1/00) · CPC title

• H01M50/569

  Constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals (battery terminal connectors with integrated measuring arrangements G01R31/364) · CPC title

• H01M50/516

  by welding, soldering or brazing · CPC title

• H01M50/548

  on opposite sides of the cell · CPC title