Device for locking a rechargeable battery pack

A device for locking a rechargeable battery pack on a housing of a hand-held power tool, having a contact plate, which is connectable to the housing and comprises at least one contact, for producing a contact between the rechargeable battery pack and the hand-held power tool and having a locking device, which engages in at least one recess in the rechargeable battery pack. The locking device is mounted on the contact plate so as to be rotatable and the locking device is supported on the contact plate by means of at least one spring element.

The invention relates to a device for locking a rechargeable battery pack on a housing of a hand-held power tool, having a contact plate for producing a contact between the rechargeable battery pack and the hand-held power tool and having a locking device which engages in at least one recess in the rechargeable battery pack. In addition, the invention relates to a hand-held power tool having a housing and a rechargeable battery pack.

Such devices and corresponding hand-held power tools are disclosed in the general prior art. The locking devices are mostly mounted in the housing, which makes the mounting thereof considerably more difficult.

DE 10 2005 050 781 A1 describes a device for locking a rechargeable battery pack on a power tool, where a locking device is mounted at a foot end of a gripping part of the power tool. The locking device comprises a bar which is mounted on the foot end so as to be rotatable and on which a spring element acts in order to press a locking lug into a recess of the rechargeable battery pack.

EP 2 875 910 A1 describes a further device for locking a rechargeable battery pack on a power tool. In order to realize the locking, a tooth, which is acted upon with force by a spiral spring, engages in a recess of the housing of the rechargeable battery pack.

DE 10 2014 217 992 A1 discloses a further rechargeable battery pack for a hand-held power tool where locking elements are situated on the rechargeable battery pack itself.

Finally, WO 2016/083555 A1 discloses a further locking device for a rechargeable battery pack on a hand-held power tool.

It is the object of the present invention to create a device for locking a rechargeable battery pack on a housing of a hand-held power tool which is simple to mount.

Said object is achieved according to the invention by features named in Claim1.

The rotatable bearing arrangement according to the invention of the locking device on the contact plate, which comprises at least one contact, enables considerably simpler assembly than up to now as, when assembling the hand-held power tool, it is not necessary to mount individual components. Rather, the contact plate can be mounted together with the locking device in the housing of the hand-held power tool, in particular as a pre-assembled unit.

It is particularly advantageous in this connection for the locking device to be supported on the contact plate by means of the at least one spring element, as in this way all the components used for locking the rechargeable battery pack in relation to the housing are accommodated in the contact plate and the assembly of the hand-held power tool is simplified even further as a result.

A further advantage of the solution according to the invention consists in the compactness of the same, as a result of which there is sufficient installation space present on the contact plate in order to be able to integrate all the electronics in the housing of the hand-held power tool. As a result, the contacts of the contact plate can directly use the electronics used for the operation of the hand-held power tool and there is no need for electric lines between the contacts of the rechargeable battery pack and a separate electronic unit, which would otherwise be used.

In a very advantageous further development of the invention, it can be provided that the locking device comprises a spindle and two locking elements which are attached on both ends of the spindle. This results in a very functional realization of the locking device, which can be mounted so as to be rotatable about the spindle and which, on account of the two locking elements, ensures reliable locking of the rechargeable battery pack on the housing.

If, in a further advantageous design of the invention, the contact plate comprises an elongated recess in which the spindle of the locking device is rotatably mounted, the locking device can be received very simply in the contact plate and mounted in a particularly simple manner. In addition, in this way the locking device is accommodated in a reliable manner in the contact plate and a simple design of the rotatable bearing arrangement of the same is ensured.

A very reliable method of operation of the device according to the invention is produced when the two locking elements are supported on the contact plate by means of respective spring elements.

In addition, it can be provided that the two locking elements each comprise a pin which engages in the respective spring element. In this way, it is ensured that in every state of the locking device, the locking elements are connected reliably to the spring elements, by means of which they are supported on the contact plate.

A further advantageous design of the invention can consist in that the spindle is realized from a metal material and the two locking elements are realized from a plastic material. In this way, the long-term durability of the locking device is increased and, in addition, simple producibility of the same is provided

In order to increase the functionality of a hand-held power tool which is provided with the device according to the invention, it can be provided, in addition, that at least one spacer is arranged on the contact plate to generate a distance between at least one of the locking elements and the contact plate. This prevents any dust, which occurs when working with a hand-held power tool which is provided with a device according to the invention, from settling in the region between the locking device and the contact plate, as said dust is able to drop down through the gap generated by means of the at least one spacer.

Simple integration of the rechargeable battery pack in the housing and simple and reliable assembly of the same is produced when the rechargeable battery pack and/or the housing comprises guide elements for guiding the rechargeable battery pack in the housing.

When, in addition, an unlocking element, which acts on the locking device, is movably mounted in the housing, simple unlocking of the locking device and consequently simple releasing of the rechargeable battery pack from the housing is possible.

A hand-held power tool having a housing, having a rechargeable battery pack which is attachable on the housing and having a device according to the invention for locking the rechargeable battery pack on the housing.

Such a hand-held power tool comprises all the above-named advantages which are produced by the use of the device according to the invention.

An exemplary embodiment is shown schematically below by way of the drawing, in which:

DETAILED WRITTEN DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1shows part of a hand-held power tool1, namely a housing2and a rechargeable battery pack3which is attached on the housing2. The rechargeable battery pack3serves in a manner known per se for supplying power to the hand-held power tool1. As the design and the method of operation of the rechargeable battery pack3are known per se, they will not be discussed in any more detail herein.

A device4, which is described below, serves for locking the rechargeable battery pack3in relation to the housing2. The device4comprises a contact plate5which serves, in principle, for the purpose of creating an electric contact between the rechargeable battery pack3and the hand-held power tool1. To this end, the contact plate5generally comprises at least one contact6, in the present case respective contacts6both on the top side and on the bottom side which can be seen inFIGS. 3 and 4. Since the method of electric contacting between the rechargeable battery pack3and the hand-held power tool1by means of the contact plate5and the contacts6thereof is also known per se, they will not be discussed in any more detail either herein.

As shown inFIGS. 4 and 6, the contact plate5is a separate component of the invention and is releasably attachable to both the hand-held power tool housing2and to the rechargeable battery pack3. The releasably attachable contact plate5that has a top side and a bottom side and opposing lateral side portions, and each of the top side and the bottom side of the releasably attachable contact plate5have at least one electrical contact6.

The device4comprises, in addition, a locking device7which is provided for the purpose of engaging in at least one recess8in the rechargeable battery pack3and consequently for producing a locking of the rechargeable battery pack3on the housing2. In the state inFIG. 1, the locking device7is not situated in the recess8, i.e. the rechargeable battery pack3is not locked to the housing2in this state, whereas in the state inFIG. 2, the locking device7engages in the recess8and consequently locks the rechargeable battery pack3on the housing2.

The locking device7is mounted on the contact plate5so as to be rotatable and is supported on the contact plate5by means of at least one, in the present case by means of two, spring elements9. The spring elements9, in this case, are received in a recess in the contact plate5. WhereasFIGS. 1, 2 and 3each show only one of the spring elements9,FIG. 4shows the two spring element9on both sides of the contact plate5.

As can be seen fromFIG. 5, the locking device7comprises a spindle10and two locking elements11which are attached on both ends of the spindle10. For example, the spindle10can be realized from a metal material, such as, for example, steel, whereas the two locking elements11which are attached to the spindle10can be realized from a suitable plastic material. The connection between the locking elements11and the spindle10can be effected, for example, as a result of the locking elements11being injected onto the spindle10. However, it is obviously also possible to glue the locking elements11to the spindle10.

It can be seen, in particular from the side view ofFIG. 6, that the contact plate5comprises an elongated recess12which extends over the entire width of the contact plate5and in which the spindle10of the locking device7is rotatably mounted. The recess12is realized with an undercut so that it is necessary to press the spindle10into the same with a certain force, the spindle10, as a result, however, having a good hold in the recess12.

The manner of the arrangement of the spindle10in the recess12of the contact plate5can also be seen inFIG. 3. Furthermore,FIG. 3shows that the spindle10of the locking device7shows the rotational axis thereof in the contact plate5.

In order to ensure a reliable connection between the locking elements11and consequently the locking device7, on the one hand, and the spring elements9on the other hand, the two locking elements11each comprise a pin13which engages in the respective spring element9. The two pins13can be seen inFIG. 5and it is very easy to deduce fromFIG. 4how the pins13engage in the spring elements9. The spring elements9are held securely in this way by the pins13. As a result, the spring elements9are able to exert a force onto the locking elements11without slipping off.

To mount the rechargeable battery pack3on the housing2of the hand-held power tool1, the rechargeable battery pack3is simply pushed into the housing2, to which end the rechargeable battery pack3and/or the housing2can comprise corresponding guide elements which are not designated in any more detail. In this case, the locking elements11slide, as can be seen inFIG. 1, along a shoulder14, which is provided on both sides of the rechargeable battery pack3, is able to form such a guide element and in which the recess8is situated. When the locking elements11reach the recess8in the shoulder14, they are pressed into the recess8by the force of the spring elements9acting in the locking direction, as can be seen inFIG. 2. The rechargeable battery pack3is locked in relation to the housing2in this way

For unlocking the rechargeable battery pack3, an unlocking element15is provided, which acts on the locking device7and is displaceably mounted in the housing2and which, when it is pressed, presses the locking elements11out of the recess8against the force of the spring elements9. Whereupon, the rechargeable battery pack3is able to be removed out of the housing2. It is simply necessary to rotate the locking elements11approximately 20° C. about the spindle10for unlocking purposes. Said angle specification can obviously also be changed correspondingly in the case of different geometrical relationships between the housing2and the rechargeable battery pack3.

FIG. 6also shows two spacers16, on which the locking elements11are supported and which ensure that a certain distance is created between the contact plate5and the locking elements11. As a result of said distance or said gap, dust and similar, which is created when working with the hand-held power tool1, is able to drop down thereby preventing the locking device7from being blocked by dust or similar.