Patent ID: 7492125

Claim:
A combination comprising: a power tool having a body, a motor, a drive mechanism, and an on/off switch, the body housing the motor, the motor electrically connectable to the battery pack to receive a discharge current from the battery pack, the drive mechanism driven by the motor, and the on/off switch operable to control a discharge current from the battery pack when the battery pack is electrically connected to the motor, the drive mechanism being operably connected to a tool element; and a battery pack having at least one battery cell and an electronic circuit, the electronic circuit including a discharge control switch and an active clamp device positioned in parallel with the discharge control switch, the discharge control switch including a field effect transistor with a source terminal, a gate terminal, and a drain terminal, the active clamp device including a zener diode, a second diode, a resistive element, and a voltage tap connected to the gate terminal of the field effect transistor.