Patent Publication Number: US-2023134286-A1

Title: Battery charger

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/943,768, filed Apr. 3, 2018, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/484,178, filed Apr. 11, 2017, the entire content of each of which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to battery chargers and, more particularly, to a battery charger with a USB power input and one or more power outputs. 
     SUMMARY 
     In one independent aspect, an electrical combination may generally include a battery connector including a housing with a support portion for a battery pack, and a circuit supported by the housing, the circuit including a universal serial bus (USB) input terminal connectable to a USB cable for receiving power, a charging terminal connectable to a pack terminal of the battery pack, and a battery charging portion operable to receive power from the USB input terminal and to output a charging current to the charging terminal to charge the battery pack. 
     In another independent aspect, a method of charging a battery pack may be provided. The method may generally include providing a battery connector including a housing with a support portion for the battery pack and a circuit with a universal serial bus (USB) input terminal and a battery charging portion; supporting the battery pack on the support portion; electrically connecting the battery pack to the circuit of the battery connector; electrically connecting a USB cable between a power source and the USB input terminal of the battery connector; receiving, by the battery charging portion of the circuit, power from the USB input terminal; and outputting a charging current from the battery charging portion to the battery pack to charge the battery pack. 
     In yet another independent aspect, an electrical combination may generally include a battery connector separate from a powered device and including a housing with a support portion for a battery pack, and a circuit supported by the housing, the circuit including an input terminal connectable to a power source, a charging terminal connectable to a pack terminal of the battery pack, an output terminal electrically connectable to the powered device and operable to output power from the battery pack to the powered device, and a battery charging portion operable to receive power from the input terminal and to output a charging current to the charging terminal to charge the battery pack. 
     In a further independent aspect, a method of operating a powered device may be provided. The method may generally include providing a battery connector separate from the powered device and including a housing with a support portion for the battery pack and a circuit with an input terminal and a battery charging portion; supporting the battery pack on the support portion; electrically connecting the battery pack to the circuit of the battery connector; electrically connecting a power source to the input terminal of the battery connector; receiving, by the battery charging portion of the circuit, power from the input terminal; and outputting a charging current from the battery charging portion to the battery pack to charge the battery pack; electrically connecting an output terminal of the battery connector to the powered device; and outputting power to the powered device via the output terminal. 
     In another independent aspect, a battery connector may generally include a housing with a support portion for a power tool battery pack, the power tool battery pack being removably coupled to the housing, and a circuit supported by the housing, the circuit including a universal serial bus (USB) input terminal connectable to a USB cable for receiving power, a charging terminal connectable to a pack terminal of the power tool battery pack, and a battery charging portion operable to receive power from the USB input terminal and to output a charging current to the charging terminal to charge the power tool battery pack. 
     In yet another independent aspect, a battery connector may generally include a housing with a support portion for a battery pack; and a circuit supported by the housing, the circuit including a USB input terminal connectable to a USB cable for receiving power, a terminal connectable to a pack terminal of the battery pack, and a battery charging portion operable to receive power from the USB input terminal and to output a charging current to the terminal to charge the battery pack when connected. 
     In some constructions, the circuit may include an output terminal operable to output power (e.g., from a connected battery pack) to a powered device electrically connected to the output terminal. The battery connector may include an electronic controller operable to determine when power is being received at the USB input terminal and, when power is being received at the USB input terminal, to prevent power output to the output terminal. In other constructions, the circuit may be operable to allow power output to the output terminal when power is being received at the USB input terminal. 
     In some constructions, the controller may be operable to determine a power input and to control the battery charging portion to operate at a first charging rate based on a first power input (e.g., a low voltage DC input) and to operate at a second charging rate based on a second power input (e.g., an AC input), the first charging rate being different (e.g., lower) than the second charging rate. 
     In a further independent aspect, an electrical combination may generally include a garment; and a battery connector separate from the garment and operable to receive a battery pack and to supply power from the battery pack to the garment to adjust a temperature of the garment. The battery connector may include a housing with a support portion for the battery pack; and a circuit supported by the housing, the circuit including an input terminal connectable to a power source, a connector terminal connectable to a pack terminal of the battery pack, an output terminal operable to output power (e.g., from a connected battery pack) to the garment electrically connected to the output terminal, and a battery charging portion operable to receive power from the input terminal and to output a charging current to the terminal to charge the battery pack when connected. 
     In another independent aspect, a method of charging a battery pack may be provided. The method may generally include electrically connecting a USB cable between a power source and a USB input terminal of a battery connector; supporting a battery pack on the battery connector; electrically connecting the battery pack to a circuit of the battery connector; supplying power from the power source to the circuit; and outputting a charging current from a battery charging portion of the circuit to the battery pack to charge the battery pack. 
     In some embodiments, the method may further include determining a power input; and, with an electronic controller, controlling the battery charging portion to operate at a first charging rate based on a first power input (e.g., a low voltage DC input) and to operate at a second charging rate based on a second power input (e.g., an AC input), the first charging rate being different (e.g., lower) than the second charging rate. 
     In yet another independent aspect, a method of operating a temperature-controlled garment is provided. The method may generally include electrically connecting an input terminal of a battery connector to a power source; supporting a battery pack on the battery connector; electrically connecting the battery pack to a circuit of the battery connector; supplying power from the power source to the circuit; outputting a charging current from a battery charging portion of the circuit to the battery pack to charge the battery pack; electrically connecting an output terminal of the battery connector to the garment; and outputting power to the garment to adjust a temperature of the garment. 
     In some embodiments, the method may include determining when power is being received at the input terminal and, when power is being received at the input terminal, preventing power output to the output terminal. In other embodiments, the method may include simultaneously outputting a charging current to the battery pack to charge the battery pack and outputting power to the garment to adjust the temperature of the garment. 
     Other independent features and independent aspects of the invention may become apparent by consideration of the following detailed description, claims and accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a perspective view of a battery connector and a battery pack. 
         FIG.  2    is another perspective view of the battery connector and the battery pack shown in  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  3    is a side view of the battery connector and the battery pack shown in  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  4    is another side view of the battery connector and the battery pack shown in  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  5    is another side view of the battery connector and the battery pack shown in  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  6    is another side view of the battery connector and the battery pack shown in  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  7    is an end view of the battery connector and the battery pack shown in  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  8    is another end view of the battery connector and the battery pack shown in  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  9    is a cross-sectional view of the battery connector and the battery pack shown in  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  10    is another cross-sectional view of the battery connector and the battery pack shown in  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  11    is a perspective view of the battery connector shown in  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  12    is another perspective view of the battery connector shown in  FIG.  11   . 
         FIG.  13    is another perspective view of the battery connector shown in  FIG.  11   . 
         FIG.  14    is a side view of the battery connector shown in  FIG.  11   . 
         FIG.  15    is another side view of the battery connector shown in  FIG.  11   . 
         FIG.  16    is another side view of the battery connector shown in  FIG.  11   . 
         FIG.  17    is another side view of the battery connector shown in  FIG.  11   . 
         FIG.  18    is an end view of the battery connector shown in  FIG.  11   . 
         FIG.  19    is an end view of the battery connector as shown in  FIG.  18   , illustrated with the USB input cover removed. 
         FIG.  20    is another end view of the battery connector shown in  FIG.  11   . 
         FIG.  21    is a cross-sectional view of the battery connector shown in  FIG.  11   . 
         FIG.  22    is another cross-sectional view of the battery connector shown in  FIG.  11   . 
         FIG.  23    is a partially exploded view of the battery connector shown in  FIG.  11   . 
         FIG.  24    is a perspective view of the battery pack shown in  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  25    is another perspective view of the battery pack shown in  FIG.  24   . 
         FIG.  26    is a side view of the battery pack shown in  FIG.  24   . 
         FIG.  27    is another side view of the battery pack shown in  FIG.  24   . 
         FIG.  28    is an end view of the battery pack shown in  FIG.  24   . 
         FIG.  29 A  is a block diagram illustrating the circuit of the battery connector shown in  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  29 B  is a block diagram further illustrating the circuit of the battery connector shown in  FIG.  1    including control inputs received by a microcontroller and control outputs provided by the microcontroller. 
         FIG.  30    is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling power output performed by the connector shown in  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  31    is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling charging of a battery pack performed by the connector shown in  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  32    is a perspective view of tools and devices usable with the battery pack shown in  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  33    is a front view of a heated garment usable with the battery connector and the battery pack shown in  FIG.  1   . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Before any independent embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other independent embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
     In addition, it should be understood that embodiments of the invention may include hardware, software, and electronic components or modules that, for purposes of discussion, may be illustrated and described as if the majority of the components were implemented solely in hardware. However, based on a reading of the detailed description, it should be recognized that, in at least one embodiment, electronic-based aspects of the invention may be implemented in software (e.g., instructions stored on non-transitory computer-readable medium) executable by one or more processing units, such as a microprocessor and/or application specific integrated circuits (“ASICs”). As such, it should be noted that a plurality of hardware and software based devices, as well as a plurality of different structural components may be utilized to implement the invention. For example, “servers” and “computing devices” described in the specification can include one or more processing units, one or more computer-readable medium modules, one or more input/output interfaces, and various connections (e.g., a system bus) connecting the components. 
       FIGS.  1 - 10    illustrate a battery connector  10  operable to charge a battery pack  14  and/or for use with a battery pack  14  as a DC power source/supply. As described below in more detail, the illustrated connector  10  has a USB input, in addition to one or more output ports, to provide charging of the battery pack  14  through a USB cable using either a connection to a USB power output (e.g., a laptop) or to an AC adapter. The illustrated battery connector  10  allows for charging a power tool battery pack  14  using a USB input/low voltage DC input. 
     The illustrated connector  10  provides a battery charger that can also be used to power a temperature-controlled garment. The illustrated battery connector  10  along with the battery pack  14 , such as a power tool battery pack, can be used as a power source to power other devices (e.g., heated jackets) through one output or to charge or operate a device on a USB output using the power from the connected battery pack  14 . 
     The connector  10  is shown in more detail in  FIGS.  11 - 23    without the battery pack  14 . The connector  10  includes a housing  18  formed of housing halves  22 . The housing  18  provides a support portion  26  for the battery pack  14 . In the illustrated construction, the support portion  26  includes a receptacle  30  for receiving a portion of the battery pack  14 . A latching mechanism is provided between the connector  10  and the battery pack  14 . The connector  10  provides a latching portion (e.g., one or more recesses  34  shown in  FIGS.  10  and  22   ) cooperating with a latching portion on the battery pack  14 . 
     The connector  10  includes (see  FIGS.  29 A and  29 B ) an electrical circuit  38  connectable and operable to transfer power between the battery pack  14 , a power source (not shown) and one or more connected powered devices (see  FIGS.  32 - 33   ). Connector terminals (e.g., male blade power terminals  42 , flat communication terminals  44 ) are operable to electrically connect the circuit  38  to terminals of the battery pack  14 . 
     A power input port  46  is operable to electrically connect the circuit  38  to a power source (not shown) to receive power. In the illustrated construction, the input port  46  is a USB input port connectable to a USB cable (not shown). The USB cable is connectable to a USB output port to receive power from a DC power source (e.g., a low voltage DC power source, such as a computer, a laptop, etc.) or to an AC adapter to receive power from an AC power source. A cover  50  selectively covers and seals the input port  46  when the input port  46  is not connected to a cable. 
     The connector  10  includes one or more power output ports (e.g., two illustrated) to provide power to one or more separate powered devices through the circuit  38 . One port is a USB power output port  54  connectable to a USB cable (not shown). Another port is a DC output port  58  connectable to a DC plug (not shown). 
     The circuit  38  includes a battery charging portion  60 . The battery charging portion  60  is operable to receive power from the USB input port  46  and to output charging current to the connector power terminals  42  to charge the battery pack  14 . In the illustrated construction, a different charge rate will be used based on the detected amount of power available. 
     A connector electronic controller  62  (i.e., MCU  62 ) is operable to control operation of the connector  10 . As shown in  FIG.  30   , in some embodiments, the controller  62  executes a method  300  to determine whether input power is being received by the input port  46  (at block  305 ). In some embodiments, when input power is being received, the controller  62  is operable to prevent power output to the output ports  54 ,  58  (at block  310 ). As indicated by  FIG.  30   , the controller  62  continues to monitor whether input power is being received. When input power is no longer being received, the controller  62  is operable to allow the output ports  54 ,  58  to provide power to a device coupled to the battery pack  14  (at block  312 ). 
     In other embodiments (not shown), rather than periodically monitoring whether input power is being received, the controller  62  may only determine this condition in response to an input (e.g., a plug being received in an output port  54 ,  58 , the connector  10  being turned “ON” (by power switch  74 ), etc.). In other embodiments (not shown), the controller  62  may allow simultaneous charging of the battery pack  14  and power output to the output port(s)  54 ,  58 . 
     As shown in  FIG.  31   , in some embodiments, the controller  62  executes a method  315  to determine a power input voltage and to control the battery charging portion  60  to operate at a first, lower charging rate based on a low voltage DC input and to operate at a second, higher charging rate based on an AC input. With reference to  FIG.  31   , at block  320 , the controller  62  determines whether the connector  10  is receiving power from a power source. When the connector  10  is not receiving power from a power source, the method  315  remains at block  320  to continue to monitor for a power source being coupled to the connector  10 . 
     When the connector  10  is receiving power from a power source, at block  325 , the controller  62  determines a power input voltage being provided by the power source. At block  330 , the controller  62  determines whether the power source is a low voltage DC source (e.g., a device, such as a laptop computer, coupled to the connector  10  via a USB cable). When the power source is a low voltage DC source, at block  335 , the controller  62  controls the battery charging portion  60  to operate at a first, lower charging rate. 
     On the other hand, when the charger is not a low voltage DC source, the controller  62  determines that the power source is higher voltage AC source. In such situations, at block  340 , the controller  62  controls the battery charging portion to operate at a second, higher charging rate. Although block  330  of  FIG.  31    is shown as determining whether the charger is a low voltage DC source, in some embodiments, at block  330 , the controller  62  additionally or alternatively determines whether the power source is a higher voltage AC source. Accordingly, by executing the method  315 , the controller  62  determines the power input voltage of the charger coupled to the connector  10  and controls the battery charging portion  60  to operate at a predetermined charging rate based on the power input voltage to the connector  10 . 
     Components of the circuit  38  are provided on one or more (two illustrated) printed circuit boards (PCBs)  66 ,  70 . A power switch  74  is operable to control power transfer in the connector  10 . In the illustrated construction, the switch  74  is operable to control power output to the output port(s)  54 ,  58 . A push button  76  operates the switch  74 . 
     The connector  10  includes an indicator (e.g., one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs)) to indicate a condition of the connector  10 , the battery pack  14  and/or a powered device. The illustrated indicator includes a LED assembly  78  with a number of (e.g., two) LEDs providing a charging indication. The charging LED assembly  78  has a number of modes (e.g., unlit, lit, blinking/speed, color, etc.) to indicate different charging conditions. For example, a solid green light indicates charging is complete, a solid red light indicates charging, and blinking LEDs indicate a fault. 
     Another LED assembly  80  includes a number of (e.g., four) LEDs providing a fuel gauge for the battery pack  14 . In the illustrated construction, when the switch  74  is “ON” and power is being output to the port(s)  54 ,  58 , the fuel gauge LED assembly  80  is illuminated. In other constructions (not shown), the push button  76  may be illuminated to indicate such operations of the connector  10 . 
     The battery pack  14  is illustrated in more detail in  FIGS.  24 - 28   . The battery pack  14  includes a housing  82  supporting a number of (e.g., three illustrated (see  FIGS.  9 - 10   )) rechargeable battery cells  86 . In the illustrated construction, the cells  86  are lithium-ion battery cells, each having a nominal voltage of approximately 3.6 V to 4.4 V and, in one specific embodiment, 4.2 V, connected in series to provide a nominal voltage of approximately 12 V for the battery pack  14 . In other constructions (not shown), the battery pack  14  may include fewer or more battery cells  14  connected in series, parallel or combination series-parallel, to provide a desired nominal voltage, capacity, etc., of the battery pack  14  to meet the requirement of specific applications. In other constructions (not shown), the battery cell(s)  86  may have a different chemistry (e.g., NiCd, NiMH, etc.), nominal voltage, etc. 
     Terminals are electrically connected to the cells  86  and are operable to electrically connect the battery pack  14  to the connector  10  and to the devices (see  FIGS.  32 - 33   ). The pack terminals include power terminals (e.g., female terminals  90 ) and communication terminals (e.g., plate terminals  94 ). As shown in  FIG.  10   , the female power terminals  90  are configured to receive the male power terminals  42  of the connector  10  (or of the device) so that power is transferrable between the connector  10  and the battery pack  14  (or the device). As shown in  FIG.  9   , the pack communication terminals  94  are configured to be engaged by the communication terminals  44  of the connector  10  (or of the device) so that data (e.g., information, instructions, etc.) is transferrable between the connector  10  and the battery pack  14  (or the device). 
     The illustrated battery pack  14  does not include a battery controller. The battery pack  14  includes a temperature sensor (e.g., a thermistor) sensing and providing a signal representative of a temperature of the battery pack  14  (e.g., of the battery pack  14  as a whole, of one or more cells, etc.). 
     In other constructions (not shown), the battery pack  14  may include a battery electronic controller (not shown) configured to determine characteristics of the battery pack  14  (e.g., pack temperature, cell temperature, pack voltage, cell voltage, etc.), to communicate pack characteristics, to control operation of the battery pack  14 , etc. 
     The pack housing  82  provides a support portion  98  engageable with the support portion  26  of the connector  10  (or of the device). In the illustrated construction, the support portion  98  includes a tower  102  receivable in the receptacle  30  of the connector  10  (or of the device). In other constructions (not shown), the battery pack  14  and the connector  10  (and the device) may include a different support arrangement, such as, for example, a slide-on arrangement including inter-engaging rails and grooves. 
     The battery pack  14  includes a latching portion cooperating with the latching portion of the connector  10  (or of the device). In the illustrated construction, the pack latching portion includes a number of (e.g., two) projections  106  corresponding to the number of (e.g., two) recesses  34  on the connector  10  (and the device). An actuator  110  is operable to adjust the latching mechanism between a latching condition, in which each projection  106  engages a recess  34  to connect the battery pack  14  to the connector  10  (or the device), and a release position, in which the projection(s)  106  and recess(es)  34  are disengaged to allow relative movement (e.g., removal or insertion) of the battery pack  14  and the connector  10  (or the device). 
       FIG.  29 A  includes a block diagram of circuitry of the battery connector  10 .  FIG.  29 B  is a block diagram further illustrating circuitry of the battery connector  10  including control inputs received by the connector controller  62  (i.e., MCU  62 ) from various components and control outputs provided by the connector controller  62  to various components. 
     As mentioned above, the circuit  38  includes the battery charging portion  60 , having a charging controller (not shown), and the connector controller  62 . The circuit  38  includes a power supply portion  114  for the controller  62 . A battery monitor portion  118  is configured to monitor the battery pack  14  (e.g., the connection status, characteristics of the battery pack  14  and the cells  86 , etc.) and provide an input related to one or more monitored battery pack characteristics to the connector controller  62 . The connector controller  62  is configured to control the charger LEDs  78  to indicate a charging condition of the battery connector  10 . For example, as mentioned above, a solid green light indicates charging is complete, a solid red light indicates charging, and blinking LEDs indicate a fault. 
     The input port  46  is coupled to the connector controller  62  to allow the connector controller  62  to determine whether power is being received at the input port  46 . The connector controller  62  is also operable to detect the type of input device connected to the input port  46 . The connector controller  62  receives an input from a USB temperature sensor  130  that monitors a temperature of the USB output port  54 . Additionally, the connector controller  62  receives an input from the push button  76  and controls other components of the circuit  38  based on the received input from the push button  76 . For example, in response to receiving a signal from the push button  76  indicating that the push button  76  has been pressed, the connector controller  62  controls the battery charging portion  60  to begin providing power through the USB power output port  54  (e.g., a two-hour charge) and displays the voltage of the battery pack  14  on the battery pack FUEL gauge LEDs  80 . 
     In some embodiments, the connector controller  62  controls the battery charging portion  60  to output power from the battery pack  14  via the DC output port  58 . The DC output port  58  (i.e., a low-voltage power supply connector) is electrically connected to a corresponding connector of a heated jacket to provide DC power to the heated jacket; however, other powered devices (not shown) having a similar input plug may be connected to the DC output port  58  to receive power therefrom. 
     The battery pack  14  may be usable with (see  FIGS.  32 - 33   ) various motorized and non-motorized devices (referred to as a “device”). The battery pack  14  may be used to power tools such as a drill  202 , a pipe cutter  204 , an impact driver  206 , a saw (e.g., a reciprocating saw  208 , a circular saw), a vacuum (not shown), etc. The battery pack  14  may also be usable with non-motorized devices, such as sensing devices (e.g., a visual inspection camera  212 , an infrared sensor  214  (such as a thermometer or thermal imaging camera), a clamp-type multimeter  216 , a wall scanner  218  (a “stud finder”), etc.), lighting devices (not shown; e.g., a flashlight, a floodlight, etc.), audio devices (e.g., a radio, a speaker, etc.), a temperature-controlled (e.g., heated and/or cooled) garment  220 , etc. 
     Each device generally includes a device housing  224  providing a support portion  228  operable to support the battery pack  14  on the device. Each device also includes a latching portion (not shown but similar to the latching portion (the recesses  34 ) of the battery connector  10 ) to releasably connect the battery pack  14  to the device housing  224 . 
     Each device includes an electric circuit (not shown) with device terminals (not shown; similar to the connector terminals  42 ) to electrically connect to the battery terminals for power transfer and, if provided, communication. Based on the type of device, the device includes a load (e.g., a motor, sensing circuitry, a lighting component, audio circuitry, a heating/cooling device, etc.). 
     Each device may also include a device electronic controller (not shown) operable to control operation of the device and/or of the battery pack. The device controller may communicate and cooperate with the battery controller. 
     The battery connector  10  and the battery pack  14  may be similar to those described and illustrated in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. U.S. 2011/0108538 A1, published May 12, 2011, or in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. U.S. 2015/0271873 A1, published Sep. 24, 2015, the entire contents of both of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
     Although the invention has been described in detail with reference to certain embodiments, variations and modifications exist within the scope and spirit of one or more independent aspects of the invention as described. 
     One or more independent features and/or independent advantages of the invention may be set forth in the claims.