Patent · US Expired

Power tool charging system having a charge level indicator and charge control functions

US6229280A · kind A · utility

96Cited by
11References
24Claims
0Family size

Assignees

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 18, 1999
Grant dateMay 8, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 18, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH02J7/007194
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A charging system includes an electric power tool (2) and a charger (1) having internal rechargeable batteries (6) and a controller (9) for monitoring the charge/discharge level of the batteries (6). The electric power tool (2) additionally includes a pair of charge terminals (13a, 14a) for carrying current to charge the batteries (6), a temperature terminal (15a) for outputting to the charger (1) data on the temperature of the batteries, and a data terminal (16a) for outputting to the charger data on the battery charge/discharge level from the controller (9). The charger (1) includes a pair of charge terminals (13b, 14b), a temperature terminal (15b), and a data terminal (16b) that are electrically connected to the corresponding tool terminals when the tool (2) is set on the charger for a charge. The charging system indicates the remaining charge level on an indicator unit (4) based on the received data on the battery charge/discharge level and changes the amount of the charging current based on the data on the battery charge/discharge level and the battery temperature data received from the tool (2).

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.