Patent Publication Number: US-9419363-B2

Title: Device for electrically connecting an electric power supply source to an electric appliance, corresponding electric appliance and electric connection method

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a device for electrically connecting a power supply source to an electric appliance. 
     In particular, the present invention relates to a device for electrically connecting a battery to a linear actuator intended to receive a removable tool. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Conventionally, this type of device comprises connectors intended for electrically connecting the power supply source to the electric appliance. In order to maintain a good connection of the electric power supply source to the electric appliance, it is necessary that these connectors be rigidly attached to the electric appliance, and that the electric wires be brazed on these connectors. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the invention is to propose a device for electrically connecting an electric power supply source such as a battery to an electric appliance, wherein the connectors are rigidly attached to the electric appliance, without requiring additional components, and which allows convenient brazing of the wires on the connectors. 
     For this purpose, the object of the invention is a device for electrically connecting a battery to an electric appliance, characterized in that it comprises: 
     at least two conductive elements intended for electrically connecting the power supply source to the electric appliance, each conductive element defining an aperture; 
     a shell capable of receiving the conductive elements, the shell comprising a first half-shell and a second half-shell, the shell defining at least two slots capable of receiving the conductive elements and of maintaining said conductive elements substantially parallel to each other, the shell further comprising at least one locking member capable of engaging into the apertures of the conductive elements and of maintaining said conductive elements engaged in said slots of the shell. 
     The device according to the invention may comprise one or more of the following features, taken individually or according to any technically possible combination: 
     each conductive element comprises a conductive plate extending along a longitudinal direction; 
     each conductive element comprises an electric connection area with the electric appliance, each electric connection area comprising a connecting wire intended for electrically connecting the conductive element to the electric appliance; 
     the shell comprises at least one plate for supporting the conductive elements, the slots being defined by said or each supporting plate; 
     said or each supporting plate comprises at least one vertical rib connecting the supporting plate to the shell; 
     le said or each locking member comprises a locking platelet extending along a transverse direction; and 
     the slots are defined in the first half shell, the locking member being borne by the second half-shell. 
     The object of the invention is also an electric appliance comprising an electric connection device as described above. 
     The object of the invention is also a method for electrically connecting an electric power supply source invention to an electric appliance, comprising the following steps: 
     providing a device for electrically connecting the electric power supply source invention to the electric appliance, the electric appliance comprising:
         at least two conductive elements intended for electrically connecting the electric power supply source invention to the electric appliance, each conductive element defining an aperture, each conductive element comprising an area for electric connection with the electric appliance, each electric connection area comprising a connecting wire intended for electrically connecting the conductive element to the electric appliance; and   a shell capable of receiving the conductive elements, the shell comprising a first half shell and a second half shell, the shell defining at least two slots capable of receiving the conductive elements and of maintaining said conductive elements substantially parallel to each other, the shell further comprising at least one locking member capable of engaging into the apertures of the conductive elements;       

     connecting the connecting wires to the electric connection areas; 
     inserting the conductive elements into the slots of the shell; 
     inserting said or each locking member into the apertures of the conductive elements for maintaining said conductive elements engaged into said slots; and 
     connecting the electric power supply source to the conductive elements. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention will be better understood upon reading the description which follows only given as an example and made with reference to the appended drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an electric appliance according to the invention; 
         FIGS. 2 and 3  are exploded perspective views of an electric connection device according to the invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a view of the front of the electric connection device of  FIGS. 2 and 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a sectional view taken along the plane V of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a sectional view taken along the plane VI of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a sectional view taken along the plane VII of  FIG. 5 ; et 
         FIG. 8  is a sectional view taken along the plane VIII of  FIG. 5 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     In all the following, the orientation terms are meant with respect to the orthogonal reference system taken as a reference in the sense of normal use of the electric appliance, illustrated in  FIGS. 1 to 3 , and wherein are distinguished: 
     a horizontal, longitudinal axis X, extending from the rear to the front of the electric appliance; 
     a horizontal, transverse axis Y, extending from right to left; and 
     a vertical axis Z, extending from bottom to top. 
     The term of “horizontal” is defined with respect to the XY plane, the term of “vertical” is defined with respect to the XZ or YZ plane. 
     An electric appliance  2  comprising an electric connection device  4  according to the invention is illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
     The electric appliance  2  is for example a portable machine tool, such as a linear actuator, intended for receiving a removable tool  5 . 
     The electric appliance  2  according to the invention comprises a functional portion  6 , an electric power supply source  8  such as a battery, and the device  4  for electrically connecting the battery  8  to the actuator  2 . 
     As the functional portion  6  of the actuator  2  is not the object of the invention, the latter will not be described in more detail subsequently. 
     As visible in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the electric connection device  4  comprises a shell  10  consisting of a first half-shell  12  and of a second half-shell  14 , and a pair of conductive elements  16 ,  18  intended for electrically connecting the battery  8  and the actuator  2 . 
     The first half-shell  12  and the second half-shell  14  are capable of being attached to one another. When they are attached to each other, the first and second half-shells  12 ,  14  define an inner space  20  for receiving the conductive elements  16 ,  18 . The inner space  20  is open towards the front and towards the bottom so that the battery  8  may be inserted therein. 
     The first half-shell  12  and the second half-shell  14  are removably attached to each other, via removable attachment means such as, for example, screws (not shown), intended to be screwed into holes  22  of the half shell  12 . 
     The first half-shell  12  comprises a first sidewall  24  substantially extending vertically, and a first substantially horizontal upper wall  26  positioned between the first sidewall  24  and the functional portion  6  of the actuator  2 . It also comprises a reinforced rear wall  27 . 
     Also, the second half-shell  14  comprises a second substantially vertical sidewall  28 , a second substantially horizontal upper wall  30  between the second sidewall  28  and the functional portion  6  of the actuator  2 , and a reinforced rear wall  29 . 
     The first half-shell  12  comprises a plate  32  for supporting the conductive elements  16 ,  18 . The supporting plate  32  extends horizontally in the inner space  20 . 
     As visible in  FIG. 7  for example, the supporting plate  32  comprises a first end  34  connected to the first half-shell  12  and a second free end  36  transversely opposite to the first end  34 . 
     The first end  34  of the supporting plate  32  is a rigidly connected to the first sidewall  24 . The supporting plate  32  is for example made together with the first sidewall  24  out of the same material. 
     As visible in  FIG. 7 , the second free end  36  is capable of bearing upon a horizontal protruding portion  38  of the second half-shell  14 . 
     The supporting plate  32  is further rigidly connected to the first upper wall  26 , via vertical maintaining ribs  40 , visible in  FIGS. 2 and 5  for example. The maintaining ribs  40  are preferably positioned parallel to each other. In the example illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 5 , the supporting plate  32  comprises three maintaining ribs  40 . The maintaining ribs  40  allow reinforcement of the attachment of the supporting plate  32  on the first half-shell  12 . 
     The supporting plate  32  defines two horizontal slots  42 ,  44  positioned parallel to each other. The slots  42 ,  44  extend substantially perpendicularly to the vertical ribs  40 . 
     The slots  42 ,  44  are capable of receiving the conductive elements  16 ,  18  and of maintaining them substantially parallel to each other, as visible in  FIG. 4  for example. The slots  42 ,  44  are adjusted with respect to the conductive elements  16 ,  18  which they receive, i.e. their width is substantially equal to or slightly greater than the width of the conductive elements  16 ,  18 , as visible in  FIG. 7 . Thus, the insertion of the conductive elements  16 ,  18  into the slots  42 ,  44  gives the possibility of ensuring that the conductive elements  16 ,  18  are held vertically in the shell  10 . 
     As visible in  FIGS. 2, 3 and 8  for example, the second half-shell  14  comprises a locking member, such as a locking platelet  46 , transversely extending along the axis Y. As this will be described in more detail subsequently, the locking platelet  46  is capable of maintaining the conductive elements  16 ,  18  engaged in the slots  42 ,  44  of the first half-shell  12 . 
     The locking platelet  46  comprises a first end  48  connected to the second half-shell  14  and a second free end  50  transversely opposite to the first end  48 . 
     The first end  48  of the locking platelet  46  is rigidly connected to the second sidewall  28 . The locking platelet  46  is for example made with the second sidewall  28  in the same material. 
     As visible in  FIG. 8 , the second free end  50  of the locking platelet  46  is capable of bearing upon a horizontal protruding portion  52  of the first half-shell  12 . 
     As visible in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , each conductive element  16 ,  18  comprises a conductive plate  54 ,  56  extending vertically in the inner space  20 . 
     Each conductive plate  54 ,  56  defines a transverse slot  58 ,  60  for receiving the locking platelet  46 . 
     The locking platelet  46  is capable of engaging into the slots  58 ,  60  of the conductive elements  16 ,  18 . As visible in  FIG. 6 , the slots  58 ,  60  are adjusted with respect to the locking platelet  46  which they receive, i.e. their vertical dimension is substantially equal to or slightly greater than the vertical dimension of the locking platelet  46 . 
     Further, each conductive plate  54 ,  56  comprises at its upper portion a tab folded back horizontally towards the other plate  54 ,  56 , which defines an area  62 ,  64  for electric connection with the actuator  2 . Each electric connection area  62 ,  64  comprises a connecting wire  66 ,  68  intended for electrically connecting the conductive plate  54 ,  56  and the actuator  2 . 
     Each connecting wire  66 ,  68  comprises a first end  70  intended to be attached to an electric connection area  62 ,  64 , and a second end  72  opposite to the first end and intended to be attached to the actuator  2 . 
     For electrically connecting the battery  8  to the actuator  2 , the first ends  70  of the connecting wires  66 ,  68  are attached to the connection areas  62 ,  64  of the conductive plates  54 ,  56 , for example by welding. The second ends  72  of the connecting wires  66 ,  68  are attached beforehand to the actuator  2 . 
     Next, both conductive plates  54 ,  56  are inserted into the slots  42 ,  44  of the supporting plate  32  of the first half-shell  12 . The conductive plates  54 ,  56  are then positioned and maintain vertically, parallel to each other. 
     Next, the locking platelet  46  is inserted into the slots  58 ,  60  of the conductive plates  54 ,  56 , by bringing the second half-shell  14  closer to the first half-shell  12 , until the first half-shell  12  and the second half-shell  14  join up and form the inner space  20 . 
     In this configuration, the locking platelet  46  is inserted into the slots  58 ,  60  of the conductive plates  54 ,  56 , and the free end  50  of the locking platelet  46  rests on the horizontal protruding portion  52  of the first half-shell  12 . Further, the free end  36  of the supporting plate  32  rests on the horizontal protruding portion  38  of the second half-shell  14 . The conductive plates  54 ,  56  are then maintained engaged in the slots  42 ,  44  of the supporting plate  32 , via the locking platelet  46 . The conductive plates  54 ,  56  are in this way rigidly attached and maintained in position in the shell  10 . 
     The first and second half-shells  12 ,  14  are then attached together, by inserting the screws into the holes  22 . 
     Finally, the battery  8  is connected to the conductive plates  54 ,  56 , for example by a movement of the battery  8  from the front to the rear of the actuator  2 . 
     Alternatively, the device  4  comprises more than two conductive elements  16 ,  18 , the additional conductive element(s) for example playing the role of a temperature or voltage sensor.