Black Decker Inc.

Stanley Black Decker, Inc.

Bhanuprasad V Gorti

Robert P Welsh

Daniel Joseph White

Michael Kenneth Forster

John Charles Vanko

Matthew J Velderman

Andrew E Seman, Jr

Geoffrey Stephen Howard

Michael Varipatis

John D Cox

Shailesh P Waikar

Regina G C Cunanan

David A Carrier

Nathan J Cruise

Nathan J Osborne

Uday S Deshpande

Daniele C Brotto

Craig Alan Schell

Danh Thanh Trinh

Brian E Friedman

Tal Gottesman

Samuel G Woods

Michael W Roberts

Abhisheka Moturu

Christopher R Held

Richard Thomas Walter

Hung T Du

Andrew E Seman

Jason K Leh

David Beers

William Rigdon

Garrett Patrick McCormick

Brian K Wohltmann

Ryan Klee

Christopher Ryan Yahnker

David L Wikle

Scott J Eshleman

Fred S Watts

Rouse Roby Bailey, Jr

Aris C Cleanthous

Jason R Melvin

Charles L Bradenbaugh

Fugen Qin

Edward Allen Harrison

Allen K Brelsford

Jeffrey Francis

Snehal S Choksi

Brian C Sterling

Nicholas J Garibaldi

Frank J Delose

Aziz Iqbal

William F Hilsher

Paul J Wisniewski

Ralphy A Louis

Dustin Jeffries

Michael Muilwyk

Hussein M Nosair

Sam Woods

Lisa M King

Corey Redmond

Michelle Lynn Bowers

Regina Gracia C Cunanan

Joshua D West

Shelby K Starks

R Roby Bailey, Jr

Daniel Fitzgerald

Larry T Albert

Gregory A Rice

Philip Gilde

Mark T Maybury

Garrett P Mccormick

Matt J Velderman

J Michael Weaver

Larrry T Albert

Alfred M Irungu

Jeffrey Norris

Regina Cunanan

Govind W Vanjani

Sky R Van Iderstine

Adan Ayala

Elizabeth G Wink

Tai Gottesman

Daniel P Fitzgerald

Michael Roberts

Uday Deshpande

Frank J Delrose

Shailesh P Waiker

A power tool is provided including a power supply interface receiving a removable battery pack, a brushless direct current (BLDC) motor including a rotor and a stator, and a multi-phase inverter bridge circuit. A controller is provided to output drive signals to the inverter bridge circuit to control flow of current from to the motor, where each drive signal is activated within each corresponding phase of the motor within a conduction band. The controller is configured to control a length of the conduction band at a variable value within a first torque range below a torque threshold and at a substantially constant value within a second torque range above the torque threshold. The torque threshold is greater than approximately 1 Newton-meters and the motor produces a maximum power output of at least approximately 1250 watts at the torque of approximately 1 Newton-meters.

High-power battery-operated power tool

The present disclosure is directed to charging a battery pack by determining a battery pack identification (ID) value from a battery pack identification (ID) component of the battery pack, applying a sinusoidal AC excitation signal to a set of battery cells of the battery pack, calculating an impedance value of the battery pack based on the sinusoidal AC excitation signal, comparing the impedance value of the battery pack to a set of reference impedance values associated with the battery pack ID value, and selecting a charging scheme based on a comparison of the impedance value of the battery pack to the set of reference impedance values associated with the battery pack ID value. The battery pack is charged using the charging scheme.

System and method for charging a battery pack

The present disclosure is directed to a battery charger for charging a connected battery pack. The battery charger is capable of determining an impedance characteristic value of the battery pack and adjusting a charging scheme, including an initial and/or subsequent charging rates for the battery pack based on the determined impedance characteristic value. The present disclosure is also directed to a method of charging a battery pack. The method includes determining an impedance characteristic value of the battery pack and adjusting a charging scheme, including an initial and/or subsequent charging rates for the battery pack based on the determined impedance characteristic value.

Battery charger

A battery pack comprises a battery pack housing operably connectable to a power tool, at least five battery cells disposed in the housing, and battery pack terminals electrically connectable to power tool terminals of the power tool and electrically connected to the battery cells. An inductance characteristic of the battery pack is greater than 0 and less than 0.20 micro Henries. A ratio of inverse impedance and inductance characteristic of the battery pack is greater than 5&#xd7;10&#x3a9;H.

Battery pack for a cordless power tool

A power tool is provided including a power supply interface receiving a medium-voltage-rated removable battery pack having a maximum rated voltage in the range of 40 to 80 volts, and a brushless direct current (BLDC) motor. The motor includes a rotor and a stator having at least three stator windings corresponding to at least three phases of the motor, the rotor being moveable by the stator when the stator windings are appropriately energized within the corresponding phases. A multi-phase inverter bridge circuit is disposed between the power supply interface and the motor, and a controller is configured to output drive signals to the inverter bridge circuit to control flow of current from the battery pack to the motor such that the motor produces a maximum power output of at least approximately 1750 watts at a torque of approximately 1.5 to 2 Newton-meters.

A battery pack includes a battery cell holder, where the battery cell holder includes multiple frames with each of the frames defining a cavity and adjacent frames connected to each other. The battery pack includes at least one pouch battery cell disposed in the cavity of each of the frames, where pouch battery cells disposed in adjacent frames are electrically connected to each other. The multiple frames are arranged in a stacked configuration.

An adaptor for connecting a power source to a power tool includes a housing having a first end that is configured to connect to a power source and a second end that is configured to connect to a power tool. The adaptor includes a control circuit disposed within the housing. The control circuit is configured to detect a type of the power tool, to detect an overstress condition in the power tool and to control the power tool responsive to detecting the overstress condition based on the detected type of power tool.

Battery pack adaptor with overstress detection circuit

A power tool is provided with a multi-phase brushless motor including a rotor and a stator having stator windings corresponding to at least three phases of the motor. A power switch circuit is provided including high-side and low-side power switches. A power supply interface receives alternating-current (AC) power from an AC power supply or battery direct-current (DC) power from one or more battery packs. A rectifier converts the AC power to a rectified DC voltage on a bus line. A capacitor is disposed across the bus line such that, within each half cycle of the AC power voltage waveform, the power switch circuit draws current from the AC power supply within a first time period and from the capacitor within a second time period, the capacitor having a capacitance value such that the first time period is greater than the second time period.

AC/DC power tool

A power tool is provided including a power supply interface receiving a medium-voltage-rated removable battery pack having a maximum rated voltage in the range of 40 to 80 volts, and a brushless direct current (BLDC) motor. The motor includes a rotor and a stator having at least three stator windings corresponding to at least three phases of the motor, the rotor being moveable by the stator when the stator windings are appropriately energized within the corresponding phases, each phase being characterized by a corresponding voltage waveform energizing the corresponding stator winding. A multi-phase inverter bridge circuit is disposed between the power supply interface and the motor, and a controller is configured to output drive signals to the inverter bridge circuit to control flow of current from the battery pack to the motor such that the motor produces a maximum power output of at least 2500 watts.

A device includes a first interface configured to connect to a battery charger, a second interface configured to connect to a battery pack and one or more accessory components that define the device. For example, the device may be a fan, a radio, a power adapter, a speaker, a light or other type of device.

Accessories with battery charger interface and battery pack interface

A method is provided for identifying a battery pack that is operably coupled to a battery charger. The method comprises: measuring voltage at a plurality of designated terminals of a first battery pack while the battery pack is coupled to the battery charger; determining how many of the designated terminals are connected to a reference voltage, such as battery positive; and identifying an attribute of the battery pack based on how many of the designated terminals are connected to the reference voltage.

Battery pack

A power tool is provided including a brushless electric motor, a switching arrangement having motor switches and interposed between the electric motor and a power supply, and a controller configured to control a switching operation of the motor switches for driving the electric motor and enforce a current limit on the current delivered to the electric motor. The controller receives a measure of current passing from the power supply to the switching arrangement and takes corrective action to reduce current delivered to the electric motor if the measured current exceeds the current limit. The controller further receives a signal corresponding to at least one of a type and/or a nominal voltage of the power supply and sets the current limit based on the received signal.

Current limit for a power tool powered by different power supplies

A power tool is provided including a brushless motor. A power supply interface is arranged to receive at least one of AC power from an AC power supply having a first nominal voltage or DC power from a DC power supply having a second nominal voltage, where the first and second nominal voltages both fall approximately within the operating voltage range of the motor. A motor control circuit is provided including a rectifier circuit converting the AC power to a rectified voltage signal, a power switch circuit having power switches to supply electric power from at least one of the DC power or the rectified voltage signal to the motor, and a controller controlling a switching operation of the power switches to regulate the supply of electric power to the motor at a level corresponding to the operating voltage range of the motor.

Power tool having a brushless motor capable of being powered by AC or DC power supplies

A first battery pack that is switchable between a first configuration having a first rated output voltage that corresponds to a first power tool rated operating voltage such that the first battery pack enables operation of the first power tool, and a second configuration having a second rated output voltage that corresponds to a second power tool rated operating voltage such that the first battery pack enables operation of the second power tool.

Convertible battery pack

An adaptor for connecting a power source to a power tool includes a housing having a first end that is configured to connect to a power source and a second end that is configured to connect to a power tool. The adaptor includes a control circuit disposed within the housing. The control circuit is configured to detect an overstress condition in the power tool and to control the power tool responsive to detecting the overstress condition.

Growing community of inventors

Perry Hall, MD, United States of America

Bhanuprasad V Gorti