Battery pack

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9786878-B2
Application number	US-201615134782-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 21, 2016
Priority date	Nov 4, 2010
Publication date	Oct 10, 2017
Grant date	Oct 10, 2017

Abstract

A battery pack may include a drainage device provided at a bottom portion of the housing case. The drainage device may include a drain hole communicating between the inside and the outside of the housing case, so that water introduced into the housing case is discharged to the outside of the housing case. The drainage device may be disposed between two of the terminal members that are connected to electrodes of the battery cells.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A battery pack configured to be able to be mounted on a tool body of an electric tool as a power source of the electric tool, the battery pack comprising:
a housing case configured to house therein a plurality of battery cells, wherein:
a drain hole formed in a bottom wall of the housing case and communicating between an inside and an outside of the housing case; and
a groove formed in the bottom wall of the housing case and configured such that water introduced into the housing case is guided to the drain hole via the groove.

2. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the groove has a passage bottom inclined downward toward the drain hole.

3. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the groove is thrilled around the drain hole.

4. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the housing case includes a foreign material-introduction restricting rib extending across the drain hole without completely closing the drain hole.

5. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein:
the housing case further includes a first side wall and a second side wall, the second side wall extending substantially in parallel with the first side wall, so that the plurality of battery cells housed in the housing case are arranged such that longitudinal axes of the plurality of battery cells extend substantially parallel to each other from a side of the first side wall toward a side of the second side wall;
the battery pack further comprises a first terminal member and a second terminal member each connected to at least one of electrodes of the plurality of battery cells, both the first terminal member and the second terminal member being disposed adjacent to the first side wall and along the first side wall, so that the first terminal member and the second terminal member face the first side wall; and
the drain hole is disposed at least between the first terminal member and the second terminal member.

6. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein:
the housing case further includes a side wall having an upper and a lower end, and a joint portion connecting the lower end of the side wall and an outer circumferential edge of the bottom wall; and
the drain hole is located at the joint portion or proximal to the joint portion.

7. The battery pack according to claim 6 , wherein the drain hole comprises a plurality of drain holes arranged in a direction along the side wall.

8. A battery pack configured to be able to be mounted on a tool body of an electric tool as a power source of the electric tool, the battery pack comprising:
a housing case configured to house therein a plurality of battery cells, wherein:
a drain hole formed in the housing case and communicating between an inside and an outside of the housing case; and
a flow guide device disposed at the inside of the housing case;
wherein the fluid guide device comprises a groove formed in a bottom wall of the housing case, and
wherein at least a part of the flow guide device is arranged around the drain hole so that water introduced into the housing case is guided to the drain hole via the flow guide device.

9. The battery pack according to claim 8 , wherein the groove has a passage bottom inclined downward toward the drain hole.

10. The battery pack according to claim 8 , wherein the groove includes a first portion located proximal to the drain hole and a second portion located away from the drain hole.

11. The battery pack according to claim 8 , wherein the housing case includes a foreign material-introduction restricting rib extending across the drain hole without completely closing the drain hole.

12. The battery pack according to claim 8 , wherein:
the housing case further includes a first side wall and a second side wall, the second side wall extending substantially in parallel with the first side wall, so that the plurality of battery cells housed in the housing case are arranged such that longitudinal axes of the plurality of battery cells extend substantially parallel to each other from a side of the first side wall toward a side of the second side wall;
the battery pack further comprises a first terminal member and a second terminal member each connected to at least one of electrodes of the plurality of battery cells, both the first terminal member and the second terminal member being disposed adjacent to the first side wall and along the first side wall, so that the first terminal member and the second terminal member face the first side wall; and
the drain hole is disposed at least between the first terminal member and the second terminal member.

13. The battery pack according to claim 8 , wherein:
the housing case further includes the bottom wall, a side wall having an upper and a lower end, and a joint portion connecting the lower end of the side wall and an outer circumferential edge of the bottom wall; and
the drain hole is located at the joint portion or proximal to the joint portion.

14. The battery pack according to claim 8 , wherein the drain hole comprises a plurality of drain holes arranged in a direction along the side wall.

15. A battery pack configured to be able to be mounted on a tool body of an electric tool as a power source of the electric tool, the battery pack comprising:
a housing case configured to house therein a plurality of battery cells, wherein:
a drain hole is formed in a bottom wall of the housing case and communicating between an inside and an outside of the housing case; and
a groove is formed in the bottom wall around the drain hole so that water introduced into the housing case is guided to the drain hole via the groove.

16. The battery pack according to claim 15 , wherein at least a part of the groove extends along a circumference of the drain hole.

17. The battery pack according to claim 15 , wherein the housing case includes a foreign material-introduction restricting rib extending across the drain hole without completely closing the drain hole.

18. The battery pack according to claim 15 , wherein:
the housing case further includes a first side wall and a second side wall, the second side wall extending substantially in parallel with the first side wall, so that the plurality of battery cells housed in the housing case are arranged such that longitudinal axes of the plurality of battery cells extend substantially parallel to each other from a side of the first side wall toward a side of the second side wall;
the battery pack further comprises a first terminal member and a second terminal member each connected to at least one of electrodes of the plurality of battery cells, both the first terminal member and the second terminal member being disposed adjacent to the first side wall and along the first side wall, so that the first terminal member and the second terminal member face the first side wall; and
the drain hole is disposed at least between the first terminal member and the second terminal member.

19. The battery pack according to claim 15 , wherein:
the housing case further includes a side wall having an upper and a lower end, and a joint portion connecting the lower end of the side wall and an outer circumferential edge of the bottom wall; and
the drain hole is located at the joint portion or proximal to the joint portion.

20. The battery pack according to claim 15 , wherein the drain hole comprises a plurality of drain holes arranged in a direction along the side wall.

21. The battery pack according to claim 8 , wherein
the housing

Assignees

• Makita Corp

Inventors

• Hayashi Hidekazu
• Kondo Eiji
• Ogura Hironori
• Taga Hideyuki
• Ogino Kazutoshi

Classifications

• H01M50/60 Primary

  Arrangements or processes for filling or topping-up with liquids; Arrangements or processes for draining liquids from casings · CPC title

• H01M50/296

  characterised by terminals of battery packs (terminals of batteries H01M50/543) · CPC title

• H01M50/244

  Secondary casings; Racks; Suspension devices; Carrying devices; Holders characterised by their mounting method · 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

• H01M2/1094

  Electricity · mapped topic