US20080311795A1 - Adapter for cordless power tools - Google Patents

Abstract

An electrical combination including a power tool, charger and an adapter separate from and connectable between the battery and the tool housing or battery charger to support the battery on the tool housing or the battery charger, the adapter having adapter leads for electrically coupling the battery to the power tool or the battery charger, the adapter having a mechanical lockout for allowing an electrical coupling between the adapter and the power tool while preventing an electrical coupling between the adapter and the battery charger.

Description

DOMESTIC PRIORITY INFORMATION
• This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 on U.S.provisional application 60/944,196, filed Jun. 15, 2007; the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
INTRODUCTION
• The present invention generally relates to cordless power tool systems and more particularly to a system of cordless power tools that employs one or more tools and a battery charger that are configured for a first battery platform, a battery from a second battery platform and an adapter to adapt the battery to the tools and/or to the battery charger.
• Various adapters for converting one power source to another power source are known as is shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,876,173 and 7,183,745, for example. While such adapters are suited for their intended purpose, such adapters and systems of cordless power tools are susceptible to improvement.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way.
• FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary system of tools constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;
• FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of the terminals of several of the components ofFIG. 1 wherein a first type of mechanical lockout is employed to prevent the coupling of a battery pack with a battery charger;
• FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of the terminals of several of the components ofFIG. 1 wherein a second type of mechanical lockout is employed to prevent the coupling of a battery pack with a battery charger;
• FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of the terminals of several of the components ofFIG. 1 wherein a third type of mechanical lockout is employed to prevent the coupling of a battery pack with a battery charger;
• FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of the terminals of several of the components ofFIG. 1 wherein a fourth type of mechanical lockout is employed to prevent the coupling of a battery pack with a battery charger;
• FIG. 6 is a perspective view similar to the view ofFIG. 1 but including a second adapter that facilitates the coupling of a battery pack to the battery charger;
• FIG. 7 is a schematic illustration of an adapter as coupled to a battery pack and a tool, the adapter being constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;
• FIG. 8 is a schematic illustration of an adapter as coupled to a battery pack and a tool, the adapter being constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;
• FIG. 9 is a perspective view of another adapter constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure, wherein an accessory is permanently mounted to the adapter;
• FIG. 10 is a perspective view of another adapter constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure, wherein an accessory is removably coupled to the adapter;
• FIGS. 11 through 15 are schematic illustrations of various adapters that are coupled to a battery pack and a battery charger;
• FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a portion of a cordless power tool system with a battery charger that is configured to sense that an appropriate battery has been docked in the battery charger;
• FIG. 17 is a perspective view of an adapter that includes various tools and devices to thereby provide additional functionality; and
• FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a portion of another exemplary system of tools constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIOUS EMBODIMENTS
• The present disclosure can relate to a system of power tools of the type that is generally indicated byreference numeral10 inFIG. 1. The system ofpower tools10 can include, for example, one ormore power tools12, afirst battery pack16, abattery pack charger18 that is configured to charge thebattery pack16, asecond battery pack20 having a configuration that is different than thefirst battery pack16 and anadapter22 that is configured to couple thesecond battery pack20 to thepower tools12. Each of thepower tools12 can be any type of power tool, including without limitation drills, drill/drivers, hammer drill/drivers, rotary hammers, screwdrivers, impact drivers, circular saws, jig saws, reciprocating saws, band saws, cut-off tools, cut-out tools, shears, sanders, vacuums, lights, routers, adhesive dispensers, concrete vibrators, lasers, staplers and nailers. In the particular example provided, the system ofpower tools10 includes afirst power tool12aand asecond power tool12b. For example, thefirst power tool12acan be a drill/driver similar to that which is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,431,289, while thesecond power tool12bcan be a circular saw similar to that which is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,996,909. Thefirst battery pack16 can be selectively removably coupled directly to the first andsecond power tools12aand12bto provide electrical power thereto. Thefirst battery pack16 can have a first configuration that is adapted to directly couple to the first andsecond power tools12aand12b. In the particular example provided, thefirst battery pack16 has a tower-type housing, blade terminals, a Ni-Cad battery chemistry and an 18 volt nominal voltage, such as a DC9096 battery pack that is commercially available from Black & Decker, Inc. of Towson, Md. Thefirst battery pack16 can also be selectively electrically coupled to thebattery pack charger18 to charge thefirst battery pack16. Thebattery pack charger18 can be configured in a desired manner to directly charge thefirst battery pack16. In the particular example provided, thebattery pack charger18 is a DW9116 charger that is commercially available from Black & Decker, Inc. of Towson, Md. Thesecond battery pack20 can be configured differently than thefirst battery pack16. For example, thesecond battery pack20 could employ a housing, a set of electric terminals, a battery chemistry, and/or a nominal voltage that is/are different from those of thefirst battery pack16. In the particular example provided, thesecond battery pack20 has a slide-type housing, blade terminals, a nano-phosphate lithium ion battery chemistry and a 36 volt nominal voltage, such as a DC9360 battery pack that is commercially available from Black & Decker, Inc. of Towson, Md. Theadapter22 is configured to adapt thesecond battery pack20 to thetools12 to provide electrical power thereto. It will be appreciated that it may not be desirable in some instances to charge thesecond battery pack20 on thebattery charger18 and/or to directly operate thetool12 with thesecond battery pack20.
• With additional reference toFIG. 2, thetool12, thesecond battery pack20, thebattery charger18 and theadapter22 could employ a mechanical lock-out system that permits thesecond battery pack20 to be coupled to the tool12 (via the adapter22) but not to thebattery charger18. The mechanical lock-out system could include an insulating barrier that could be disposed proximate (e.g., between) the electric terminals of the various components. In the example provided, theadapter22 includes afirst adapter terminal40, a second adapter terminal42, and abarrier member44 that is disposed between the first andsecond adapter terminals40 and42. Thebarrier member44 can be formed of an insulating plastic material and can have a first width. Thetool12 in the example provided includes afirst tool terminal46, asecond tool terminal48 that is spaced apart from thefirst tool terminal46 by a distance that permits thebarrier member44 of theadapter22 to be received therebetween. As the first andsecond adapter terminals40 and42 are configured to electrically engage the first andsecond tool terminals46 and48 and to be electrically coupled to corresponding terminals (not shown) of thesecond battery pack20, it will be appreciated that thesecond battery pack20 can be coupled to thetool12 via theadapter22.
• In contrast, thebattery charger18 in the example provided includes afirst charger terminal50, asecond charger terminal52 and ashroud54 that is disposed at least partially about the first andsecond charger terminals50 and52. Theshroud54 can define arecess56 between the first andsecond charger terminals50 and52 having a second width that is smaller than the first width. Accordingly, thebarrier member44 of theadapter22 cannot be received into therecess56, which prevents electrical connection between the first andsecond adapter terminals40 and42 and the first andsecond charger terminals50 and52 so that thesecond battery pack20 cannot be electrically coupled to thebattery charger18 via theadapter22.
• With reference toFIGS. 1 and 3, the heights of the terminals of the respective components are configured to prevent electrical coupling of thesecond battery pack20 to thebattery charger18 via theadapter22. As schematically illustrated, the top of at least one of the charger terminals (e.g., the first charger terminal50) terminates at adatum line60, while the top of the corresponding tool terminal(s) (e.g., the first tool terminal46) extends above thedatum line60. In contrast, theadapter22 is configured to present corresponding adapter terminal(s) (e.g., the first adapter terminal40) at a location relative to thedatum line60 such that it will engage the associated tool terminal(s), but not the associated charger terminal(s). It will be appreciated that the respective housings of thetool12, thesecond battery pack20 and thebattery charger18 can be configured to control the presentation of the terminals relative to thedatum line60. Such techniques are within the level of ordinary skill in the art and as such, no further discussion need be provided herein. From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that the terminal(s) of theadapter22 can be electrically coupled to the terminal(s) of thetool12, but not to the terminal(s) of thebattery charger18.
• With reference toFIGS. 1 and 4, the widths of the terminals of the several components are selected to inhibit the coupling of thesecond battery pack20 to thebattery charger18 via theadapter22. As shown, thetool12 can include ashroud70 that can extend about an associated tool terminal (e.g., the first tool terminal46) and thebattery charger18 can include ashroud72 that can extend about an associated charger terminal (e.g., the first charger terminal50). Theshroud70 can have a firstinternal width74 that can be larger than a secondinternal width76 associated with theshroud72. Theadapter22 can include an associated terminal (e.g., the first adapter terminal40) having a width that is greater than the secondinternal width76 but less than the firstinternal width74. It will be appreciated that the charger terminal(s) can be configured so as to prevent mechanical engagement with the adapter terminals in some instances. For example, theadapter22 could employ male blade terminals and thebattery charger18 could employ female terminals that would not receive the relatively wider terminals of theadapter22.
• It will also be appreciated that the terminals described with regard to the embodiments ofFIGS. 3 and 4 could be any type of terminal including power terminals and “logic” terminals (e.g., terminals that are configured to transmit data, including sensor signals, as opposed to terminals that conduct electrical power for operating the tool12). It will also be appreciated that while the structures are described as being “terminals” for conducting electricity. Non-conductive structures may be employed to similarly permit the coupling of theadapter22 to thetool12 while inhibiting coupling of theadapter22 to thebattery charger18. Such structures could be associated with the terminal blocks of the associated components and/or with the housings of the associated components. For example, the recesses into which thefirst battery pack16 is received into thetool12 and thebattery charger18 can be sized differently (e.g., the recess in thetool12 can be larger than the recess in the battery charger18) so that the housing of theadapter22 is sized to fit within the recess in thetool12, but not in the recess of thebattery charger18.
• With reference toFIGS. 1 and 5, the location and width of the various terminals can be configured to inhibit electrical coupling of theadapter22 and thebattery charger18. As schematically illustrated, thebattery charger18 includes a terminal (e.g., the first charger terminal50) having alateral side80 that defines adatum line82. Correspondingly, theadapter22 includes a terminal (e.g., the first adapter terminal40) that is offset from thedatum line82 such that when theadapter22 is coupled to thebattery charger18, the terminal(s) of theadapter22 are offset from the corresponding terminal(s) of thebattery charger18. It will be appreciated that the tool can employ a terminal (e.g., the first tool terminal46) having a width that permits coupling with an associated terminal of theadapter22.
• In the example ofFIG. 6, the system ofcordless power tools10 can further include asecond adapter90 that is configured to be received between theadapter22 and thebattery charger18. Thesecond adapter90 can be configured to receive power from thebattery charger18 and to control the transmission of power through theadapter22 to permit charging of thesecond battery pack20. It will be appreciated that thesecond adapter90 can include appropriate power devices (e.g., transformers, DC-to-DC converters, pulse-width modulation power supplies/converters, current limiters) to control the output (e.g., voltage and/or current output) from thesecond adapter90 to a desired level. Moreover, thesecond adapter90 can include appropriate “intelligence” to monitor thesecond battery pack20 during charging and to control the charging process in a manner that is consistent with a desired charging methodology. Such intelligence can include timers, temperature monitoring, and cell balancing within thesecond battery pack20, etc. It will be appreciated that thesecond adapter90 could be removably attached to thebattery charger18 in an appropriate manner (e.g., screws, VELCRO®) or could be permanently attached to thebattery charger18 via any desired means, including adhesives. It will also be appreciated that the electronics associated with thesecond adapter90 could be incorporated into the adapter22 (i.e., thereby eliminating the need for the second adapter90) or that thesecond adapter90 could, in the alternative, be configured to connect directly to thebattery charger18 and thesecond battery pack20.
• In the example ofFIGS. 7 through 10, theadapter22 includes appropriate electronics to permit the battery to provide power to thetool12. For example, theadapter22 could include a DC-to-DC converter, a current limiter, a pulse width modulation power supply/converter94,diodes95, switches96, relays, fuses97, circuit breakers, etc. Moreover, theadapter22 can include a heat sink, could be double insulated100 and/or could include a motor-poweredfan102 that provides forced air cooling of theadapter22 and/or thesecond battery pack20. In the example provided, theadapter22 has ahousing104 that defines a first set ofair vents106 that are disposed in-line with a second set ofair vents108 formed in ahousing110 of thesecond battery pack20. Accordingly, air can be moved by thefan102 to cool thesecond battery pack20.
• In another example illustrated inFIG. 8, theadapter22 includes acircuit112 that can provide additional functionality to thetool12. For example, theadapter22 can include anindicator120 that can provide the operator with an indication of the state-of-charge of thesecond battery pack20. Theindicator120 could comprise a plurality of LED's or a liquid crystal display, for example. As another example, theadapter22 could include acircuit122 for controlling the discharge of thesecond battery pack20 to “condition” thesecond battery pack20. Such conditioning could comprise a gradual discharge of thesecond battery pack20 to a predetermined level after which theadapter22 could operate alight source124 to generate a signal to the operator to indicate that thesecond battery pack20 should be re-charged. Other examples include circuitry to log and optionally report data obtained from thesecond battery pack20, thetool12 and/or thebattery charger18; circuitry and one or more sensors (e.g., accelerometers, torque sensors) to identify situations involving kickback and/or significant torque reaction and to control further operation of thetool12 to reduce or eliminate the kickback and/or torque reaction; circuitry to sense and display a temperature (e.g., ambient air temperature); and a display for displaying information about thesecond battery pack20, such as the age of the battery (e.g., hours of use; number of recharges).
• In a further example, theadapter22 is configured to provide electrical power to anaccessory130. Theaccessory130 could be permanently mounted to theadapter22, as shown inFIG. 9, or could be removably mounted to theadapter22 as shown inFIG. 10. Theaccessory130 could include alight source132 for illuminating a work piece or a level for providing an indication (e.g., audible beep) that thetool12 is being maintained in a level condition, for example. In situations where theaccessory130 is removably coupled to theadapter22, it should be appreciated that the combination of theadapter22 and thesecond battery pack20 could be employed to provide electrical power to another electric device. In the example ofFIG. 10, acable134 is employed to output electrical power from the second battery20 (FIG. 1) via theadapter22 and provide the electrical power to anotheraccessory136, such as a device that can be employed to charge athird battery pack138 that could be associated with an MP3 player, a cell phone, or a PDA, for example. Theadapter22 could be configured with a DC-to-DC converter that permits the power output to be maintained at a predetermined level, such as 3.7 volts. It will be appreciated that thesecond battery pack20 can be charged through the port P on theadapter22 by coupling theadapter22 to a charger, such as a “wall wart” charger.
• In the example ofFIG. 11, thebattery charger18 is configured to mechanically receive theadapter22 and thebattery charger18 electronically determines whether it can charge thesecond battery pack20. For example, thebattery charger18 could identify the second battery pack20 (e.g., battery chemistry, nominal voltage) via a characteristic of thesecond battery pack20 and/or a device that is employed to provide an identification signal to thebattery charger18 that can be permits the battery to be identified. For example, thebattery charger18 could employ a time-based charge differential to determine an associated set of battery characteristics. A first range of slopes of a change-in-battery voltage-over-time plot could indicate a second, different battery chemistry. Other battery characteristics, such as the amount of heat generated during the charging process, could also be employed to identify the battery chemistry.
• In addition to or in lieu of the characteristics of thesecond battery pack20, an electronic identification means can be employed to permit thebattery charger18 to identify one or more battery characteristics. InFIG. 11, acircuit140, which can consist of resistors, diodes, jumpers, etc. can be employed for purposes of identification. Thecircuit140 could employ aresistor142 having a first resistance to identify a first set of battery characteristics (e.g., a first nominal voltage and/or battery chemistry) and a different battery could employ a resistor having a second (different) resistance to identify a second (different) set of battery characteristics.
• InFIG. 12, adiode144 is employed to establish a direction of nominal current flow and optionally, to establish a breakdown voltage at which current can be driven in a direction opposite the direction of nominal current flow. Thebattery charger18 can include acontroller146 that can control the application of power across thecircuit140 to determine whether the flow of current is inhibited in one or more directions. Thediode144 can further be a Zener diode whose breakdown voltage can be associated with a set of battery characteristics. In this regard, nominal current flow in one direction could designate a first battery chemistry, for example, while nominal current flow in a second direction (in both directions or in neither direction) could designate a second battery chemistry. Where Zener diodes are employed, a first breakdown voltage can designate a first nominal battery voltage and a second breakdown voltage (or a lack thereof) can designate a second nominal battery voltage.
• In still another embodiment that is illustrated inFIG. 13,jumpers150 can be employed to control the transmission of a control signal across a set ofterminals152. The control signal could be provided by thebattery charger18 or thesecond battery pack20. For example, a set of foursuch terminals152 can provide eight or more unique combinations (depicted in the circled area) that can each represent a unique set of battery characteristics.
• In yet another embodiment, thesecond battery pack20 could transmit digital (e.g., serial) data to thebattery charger18. The digital data could include a set of characteristics in a predetermined order, or a code, such as a serial number, that could be “de-coded” by thebattery charger18 to identify the set of characteristics. It will be appreciated that the digital data could be communicated over a wire156, as shown inFIG. 14, or wirelessly (e.g., via wave energy, such as sound, light, in either or both the visible and non-visible spectrums, or radio frequency). If desirable, thebattery charger18 could be configured to not charge thesecond battery pack20 through theadapter22 or to charge thesecond battery pack20 in a different mode (e.g., a slow-charge mode that could take several hours to complete). For example, radio frequency identification (RFID) tags may be incorporated into one or both of the first and second battery packs16 and20 (or thefirst battery pack16 and the adapter22) and a RFID reader can be incorporated into one or both of thebattery charger18 and thetool12. Charging of thebattery pack20 or operation of thetool12 would be permitted upon acceptable matching of the RFID tag of a battery pack (or the adapter22) to thebattery charger18 or thetool12.
• As another example which is illustrated inFIG. 15, thetool12 and/or thebattery charger18 could include a piezo-electric buzzer160, while theadapter22 could include atransducer162 that is be configured to detect the energy emitted by the piezo-electric buzzer160. Theadapter22 could be configured to permit the transmission of electrical energy to/from thesecond battery pack20 upon the detection of energy emitted from a piezo-electric buzzer160. Similarly, thetool12 and/orbattery charger18 could include a transducer that is configured to detect energy emitted by a piezo-electric buzzer incorporated into a battery pack. In this example, theadapter22 does not employ a piezo-electric buzzer. If energy from a piezo-electric buzzer is not detected by thetool12 and/or thebattery charger18, thetool12 and/or thebattery charger18 could be configured so as not to receive/transmit electrical energy to thebattery pack20.
• InFIG. 16, a switch can be employed to identify the set of battery characteristics to permit thebattery20 to be charged on thebattery charger18 or operate thetool12. In this regard, thebattery charger18 and/or thetool12 could be configured to sense a switching member, such as a magnet, that is disposed in or on thefirst battery pack16. For example, amagnet170 could be incorporated into thefirst battery pack16 and thebattery charger18 could employ asensor172, such as a Hall-effect sensor or a reed switch, that senses the presence of themagnet170 to enable thebattery charger18 to charge thefirst battery pack16. In contrast, theadapter22 could be configured without the switching member (e.g., magnet170) so that thesecond battery pack20 could not be charged by thebattery charger18. It should be appreciated that the switch could be incorporated into the battery pack and the switching member incorporated into thebattery charger18 and/or thetool12 in the alternative. It should also be appreciated that thetool12a(FIG. 1) could be configured to cooperate with the battery pack to permit thetool12a(FIG. 1) to operate only if the battery pack and the tool are compatible. For example, thetool12acould include a sensor similar to a switching member that is coupled to the battery pack.
• With reference toFIG. 17, it will be appreciated that various mechanical devices could be incorporated into theadapter22, including aspirit level180, ananalog temperature gauge182, achalk line184, a plumbbob186, atape ruler188, abelt clip190, and/or atool bit holder192. Moreover, theadapter22 could have a configuration that permits electric and mechanical coupling of two (2) of the second battery packs20 so that the battery packs are disposed in parallel or series and provide electrical power to a single set of output terminals. Such adapters for use in “ganging” battery packs together may be suited for stationary battery powered devices, including power converters, saws, and engine starters for engine-driven devices such as generators, pressure washers and air compressors.
• While described thus far in conjunction with thebattery charger18, it will be appreciated that thetool12—may be similarly equipped with appropriate logic corresponding to that which was described in the several preceding paragraphs. In the event of a mis-match between the tool and the battery (e.g., the combination of thetool12 and the second battery pack20), or in the failure of the adapter to transmit or permit the transmission of one or more types of information between thesecond battery pack20 and thetool12, thetool12 could be configured to operate in an alternative manner. Non-limiting examples of such alternative operation include: non-variable (i.e., constant) speed operation of the motor; limiting the maximum speed of the motor; operating the motor such that it generates noise when it is activated; delaying the start of the motor after the trigger is pressed; and employing an alternative control methodology to start the motor, such as no soft-start mode or a soft-start mode that is between 10 and 10,000 times longer than the duration of the tool's standard soft-start mode.
• To facilitate the transition to a new battery platform where significant quantities of tools are in circulation that utilize an older battery platform, it may be desirable in some situations to provide a program in which theadapters22 and/or battery chargers (not shown) for thesecond battery pack20 are provided free of charge to consumers to facilitate the use of batteries from the new battery platform.
• With reference toFIG. 18, a portion of another exemplary system of cordless power tools is illustrated to include thebattery pack charger18 and a second battery pack20x. The second battery pack20xcan include acontroller1000 that can identify whether the second battery pack20xis coupled to a battery pack charger (e.g., the battery pack charger18) having a configuration (e.g., electrical, charging control methodology) that differs from the configuration of its associated battery pack charger (not shown). In the example provided, the second battery pack20xhas a lithium-ion battery chemistry and thebattery pack charger18 is configured to charge a battery pack having a Ni-Cad battery chemistry.
• Thecontroller1000 can employ any means for determining whether it is coupled or being coupled to a battery pack charger having a different configuration. For example, proximity switches and/or electronic identification circuits, such as identification resistors, can be employed to identify the particular type of battery pack charger to which the second battery pack20xis coupled. In the example provided, the second battery pack20xincludes an electric terminal that is employed to identify the particular battery pack charger that is used. Thecontroller1000 can be configured to assume that it has been coupled to its battery pack charger (i.e., to a battery pack charger that associated with the configuration of the second battery pack20x) when it receives a predetermined control signal over the electric terminal from the battery pack charger. The controller can also be configured to assume that it has been coupled to a battery pack charger having a different configuration when no control signal or a different control signal from the battery pack charger. It will be appreciated, however, that various means are known for distinguishing between different battery configurations, including the use of alternate terminals (e.g., alternate power and/or control signal terminals).
• In a first example, thecontroller1000 can be configured to monitor a state-of-charge of the second battery pack20xand when charged to a predetermined level, the controller can control a characteristic of the second battery pack20xto mimic the operation of a battery pack having a configuration that is associated with thebattery charger18. For example, thecontroller1000 can control the second battery pack20xto mimic a battery pack having a Ni-Cad battery chemistry. In this regard, thecontroller1000 can control the voltage output of the second battery pack20xto cause the second battery pack20xto provide an output whose voltage varies over time in a manner that employs two inflection points in the voltage-versus-time plot (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,392,101; 4,388,582; and 6,954,051—the “voltage slope detect method”). As another example, thecontroller1000 can control an output of a control terminal, such as a terminal that is configured to communicate a battery temperature signal to the battery pack charger, so that the output of the control terminal will be interpreted by thebattery pack charger18 as indicating that the second battery pack20xis fully charged (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,935,525; 5,896,024; 6,020,071 and 6,489,752). As still another example, thecontroller1000 can control the voltage of the output of the second battery pack20xsuch that a predetermined minus-delta voltage is found in the voltage-versus-time plot (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,896,024. U.S. Pat. No. 6,008,628—the “minus-delta-voltage method”).
• In another example, thecontroller1000 can electrically de-couple the second battery pack20xfrom thebattery pack charger18 when the second battery pack20xhas been charged to the predetermined level. For example, one or more relays (not shown) can be coupled to thecontroller1000 and the positive and/or negative power terminals (not shown) of the second battery pack20x. The relay can be normally closed to connect the power terminal(s) to the cells (not specifically shown) of the second battery pack20x, but could be opened by thecontroller1000 as appropriate (e.g., when thecontroller1000 determines that the second battery pack20xis charged to the predetermined level).
• As yet another example, thecontroller1000 can employ an alternate charging circuit to control charging when it has determined that the battery pack charger has a different configuration. Such alternate charging circuits can employ circuitry to limit the rate at which power is input to the second battery pack20xand/or to inhibit the input of power into the second battery pack20xwhen its state of charge is at or above a predetermined level.
• While specific examples have been described in the specification and illustrated in the drawings, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as defined in the claims. Furthermore, the mixing and matching of features, elements and/or functions between various examples is expressly contemplated herein so that one of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate from this disclosure that features, elements and/or functions of one example may be incorporated into another example as appropriate, unless described otherwise, above. Moreover, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the present disclosure without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the present disclosure not be limited to the particular examples illustrated by the drawings and described in the specification as the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the teachings of the present disclosure, but that the scope of the present disclosure will include any embodiments falling within the foregoing description.

Claims (23)

1. An electrical combination comprising:

a power tool having a first connecting structure, the power tool including a tool housing and an electric motor supported by the tool housing and operable to drive a tool element, the first connecting structure having tool leads;

a battery having a second connecting structure, the first connecting structure being incompatible with the second connecting structure, said battery having first battery terminals;

a battery charger having the first connecting structure, the battery charger having charger terminals; and,

an adapter separate from and connectable between the battery and the tool housing or battery charger to support the battery on the tool housing or the battery charger, the adapter having adapter leads for electrically coupling the battery to the power tool or the battery charger, the adapter having a mechanical lockout for allowing an electrical coupling between the adapter and the power tool while preventing an electrical coupling between the adapter and the battery charger.

2. The electrical combination ofclaim 1, wherein the mechanical lockout comprises a barrier disposed between the adapter leads and having a width that is comparatively greater than the width of a receiving recess disposed in the battery charger to prevent connection of the adapter with the charger.

3. The electrical combination ofclaim 2, wherein the receiving recess is positioned between the charger terminals;

4. The electrical combination ofclaim 3, wherein the receiving recess is formed in a shroud disposed at least partially about the charger terminals.

5. An electrical combination comprising:

a power tool having a first connecting structure, the power tool including a tool housing and an electric motor supported by the tool housing and operable to drive a tool element, the first connecting structure having tool terminals of a first configuration;

a battery having a second connecting structure, the first connecting structure being incompatible with the second connecting structure, said first battery having first battery terminals;

a battery charger having the first connecting structure, the battery charger having charger terminals of a second configuration that is comparatively different than the first configuration of the tool terminals;

an adapter separate from and connectable between the battery and the tool housing to support the battery on the tool housing; the adapter having adapter leads of a third configuration that allows electrically coupling of the adapter to the power tool while preventing electrically coupling of the adapter with the battery charger.

6. The electrical combination ofclaim 5, wherein the tool terminals having a first length that is adapted to electrically couple the adapter to the power tool and that is comparatively longer that a second length of the charger terminals that is insufficient to electrically couple the adapter to the battery charger.

7. An electrical combination comprising:

a power tool having a first connecting structure, the power tool including a tool housing and an electric motor supported by the tool housing and operable to drive a tool element, the first connecting structure having tool terminals of a first configuration;

a battery having a second connecting structure, the first connecting structure being incompatible with the second connecting structure, said first battery having first battery terminals;

a battery charger having the first connecting structure, the battery charger having charger terminals of a second configuration that is comparatively similar to the first configuration of the tool terminals;

an adapter separate from and connectable between the battery and the tool housing to support the battery on the tool housing; the adapter having adapter leads of a third configuration that allows electrically coupling of the adapter to the power tool while preventing electrically coupling of the adapter with the battery charger.

8. The electrical combination ofclaim 7, wherein the adapter terminals having a width length that is adapted to allow electrical coupling of the adapter to the power tool while preventing electrically coupling of the adapter to the battery charger.

9. The electrical combination ofclaim 8, wherein the battery charger further comprises a first shroud with a recess of a width that is comparatively less than the width of the adapter leads that prevents electrical coupling of the adapter to the battery charger.

10. The electrical combination ofclaim 9, wherein the power tool comprises a second shroud with a recess of a width that is comparatively greater than the width of the adapter leads that allows electrical coupling of the adapter to the power tool.

11. An electrical combination comprising:

a power tool having a first connecting structure, the power tool including a tool housing and an electric motor supported by the tool housing and operable to drive a tool element, the first connecting structure having tool leads;

a battery having a second connecting structure, the first connecting structure being incompatible with the second connecting structure, said first battery having first battery terminals;

a battery charger having the first connecting structure, the battery charger having charger terminals; and,

an adapter separate from and connectable between the battery and the tool housing or battery charger to support the battery on the tool housing or the battery charger, the adapter having adapter leads for electrically coupling the battery to the power tool, the adapter leads being offset from an engaging path for allowing an electrical coupling between the adapter and the power tool while preventing an electrical coupling between the adapter and the battery charger.

12. An electrical combination comprising:

a power tool having a first connecting structure, the power tool including a tool housing and an electric motor supported by the tool housing and operable to drive a tool element, the first connecting structure having tool leads;

a battery having a second connecting structure, the first connecting structure being incompatible with the second connecting structure, said first battery having first battery terminals;

a battery charger having the first connecting structure, the battery charger having charger terminals; and,

an adapter separate from and connectable between the battery and the tool housing or battery charger to support the battery on the tool housing or the battery charger, the adapter having adapter leads for electrically coupling the battery to the power tool or the battery charger, the adapter having a first secondary adapter for connecting to the battery and a second secondary adapter, connecting the first secondary adapter to the battery charger, and having a battery charger circuit to control the transmission of power to the battery from the battery charger.

13. An adapter for electrically coupling a battery to an electrical device, comprising:

a first connecting structure for connecting with a battery;

a second connecting structure, the first connecting structure being incompatible with the second connecting structure, for connecting with the electrical device; and,

a power management controller to manage the communication of power between the battery and the electrical device.

14. The adapter as recited inclaim 13, wherein the electrical device is a power tool and the power management controller comprises a power tool management circuit to control transmission of power from the battery to the power tool.

15. The adapter as recited inclaim 14, wherein the power tool management circuit includes a state of charge indicator that indicates the status of the battery pack.

16. The adapter as recited inclaim 15, wherein the state of charge indicator includes a display indicating the state of charge of the battery when coupled to the power tool.

17. The adapter as recited inclaim 13, wherein the power tool management circuit includes status display for visually displaying the charge status of the battery when coupled to the power tool.

18. The adapter as recited inclaim 13, wherein the electrical device is a charger and the power management controller comprises a charger management circuit to control transmission of power from the charger to battery.

19. The adapter as recited inclaim 18, wherein the charger management circuit further comprises a battery identification circuit to identify a battery type prior to any charging operations.

20. The adapter as recited inclaim 19, wherein the charger management circuit further comprises a radio frequency identification tag reader.

21. An electrical combination comprising:

a battery having a switching member indicating information about the battery;

a battery charger having a detecting device for detecting the presence of the switching member when the battery is physically connected to the battery charger and a battery charging management circuit for transmitting power to the battery from the charger upon detection of the switching member.

22. The electrical combination as recited inclaim 21 wherein the switching member is a magnet.

23. The electrical combination as recited inclaim 22 wherein the detecting device is a Hall-effect sensor.

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