Black Decker Inc.

Erik A Ekstrom

Alpay Hizal

Alexandros T Theos

Daniele C Brotto

Nathan J Cruise

Andrew E Seman

Shailesh P Waikar

William D Spencer

Eric W Wachter

Mehdi T Abolhassani

Rouse Roby Bailey, Jr

Ren H Wang

Michael D Grove

Matthew J Velderman

Craig Alan Schell

David J Smith

Paul Gerard Gross

David A Carrier

Gregg L Sheddy

Scott J Eshleman

Jason R Melvin

Pradeep M Pant

Redeat Girma Alemu

Kevin S Agan

Junyi Xie

Daniel Joseph White

John E Buck

Andrew E Seman, Jr

Paul K Trautner

Philip T Miller

Jongsoo Lim

Yaping Yang

Michael Kenneth Forster

Earl M Ortt

Steven J Phillips

Christopher Ryan Yahnker

Stuart E Garber

Danh Thanh Trinh

Lee Michael Brendel

Michael P Baron

Eric E Hatfield

Madhur M Purohit

Daniel F Nace

Charles L Bradenbaugh

Michael C Doyle

Marcell E Coates

Jeffrey Francis

Seth M Robinson

William G Kalbfleisch

Eric L Bernstein

Joseph B Narbut

Zachary S Olmsted

Sefa Hazir

Eric Watcher

William M Spencer

Rouse Roby Bailey

Jr Andrew E Seman

Jr Rouse Roby Bailey

William Kalbfleisch

Jeffrey J Francis

David E Chreene

An electronic module for a powered apparatus includes a circuit board comprising conductive pads coupled to a power source and a sense portion including a first output pad and a second output pad; and a variable-speed actuator assembly including an actuator and a conductive wiper moveable in sliding contact with the circuit board. The wiper includes a first leg arranged to slidably engage the sense portion and a second leg arranged to slidably engage at least one of the conductive pads. The first output pad and the second output pad are longitudinally aligned with the conductive pads. The first output pad outputs a first voltage signal indicative of an ON state of the powered apparatus and the second output pad and the second output pad outputs a second voltage signal indicative of a desired operational speed of the powered apparatus.

Variable-speed switch module having a discrete on/off detection pad

An electronic switch module includes a circuit board having conductive pads coupled to a power source and a sense pad coupled to an output signal; and a variable-speed actuator assembly having an actuator positioned adjacent a side edge of the circuit board and moveable along a movement axis, a plunger coupled to the actuator, and a conductive wiper secured to the plunger in contact with the circuit board. The wiper includes a first leg arranged to slidably engage the sense pad and a second leg arranged to slidably engage at least one of the conductive pads. The sense pad is longitudinally aligned with the conductive pads. The first leg of the wiper is located between the actuator and the second leg, and the sense pad is located between the side edge of the circuit board and the conductive pads.

Switch module for a power tool

An electronic module for a power tool having an electric motor is provided including a printed circuit board (PCB), an inverter bridge circuit, a first conductive track disposed on the PCB and coupled to the power source, a second conductive track disposed on the PCB and coupled to the inverter bridge circuit, and a fuse strap provided between the first conductive track and the second conductive track. The fuse strap includes a main body spaced apart from the PCB, a first mounting portion mounted on the first conductive track via a first solder joint, and a second mounting portion mounted on the second conductive track via a second solder joint.

Electronic module having a fuse in a power tool

A power adaptor is provided including a housing receiving a first power cord couplable to a power source through a and a second power cord couplable to a load through a second axial end, a protective capacitor mounted on a circuit board within the housing, a first set of terminals mounted on a first side of the circuit board adjacent the protective capacitor and configured to electrically couple line and neutral wires of the first power cord to the protective capacitor, and a second set of terminals mounted on a second side of the circuit board adjacent the protective capacitor and configured to electrically couple line and neutral wires of the second power cord to the protective capacitor. The protective capacitor is configured to discharge when current draw by the load exceeds a current threshold.

Line conditioning accessory and protective circuit for power tool

An electronic switch module for a power tool having an electric motor is provided, including a printed circuit board (PCB), power switches mounted on the PCB and configured to switchably supply electric power from a power source to the electric motor, a series of primary heat sinks mounted on the PCB in association with the power switches, and a secondary heat sink mounted on the primary heat sinks. Output wires attached to the PCB to facilitate electrical connection between the power switches and the electric motor are passed through a slot of the secondary heat sink.

Electronic power module for a power tool having an integrated heat sink

An electronic module is provided including: a circuit board including conductive pads and a sense pad coupled to an output signal; an actuator having a wiper member accommodating a conductive wiper, the wiper having a first end arranged to slidably engage the sense pad and a second end arranged to slidably engage at least one of the conductive pads; and at least one gap disposed to partition the sense pad into segments along an axial movement path of the conductive wiper, the segments being electrically connected to each other to have the same electric potential.

Variable-speed input unit having segmented pads for a power tool

An electronic switch module for a power tool having an electric motor is provided, including a printed circuit board (PCB), power switches mounted on the PCB and configured to switchably supply electric power from a power source to the electric motor, a series of primary heat sinks mounted on the PCB in association with the power switches, and a secondary heat sink mounted on the primary heat sinks and securely fastened to at least one of the primary heat sinks via a fastener, the secondary heat sink being electrically insulated from at least one of the primary heat sinks.

An electronic switch and control module for a power tool having an electric motor is provided. The module includes a printed circuit board (PCB), an encapsulation member forming an enclosed compartment enclosing a portion of a surface of the PCB, and power switches mounted on the surface of the PCB outside the enclosed compartment, where the power switches are electrically configured to switchably connect a supply of electric power from a power source to the electric motor. The module further includes an input unit having at least one electro-mechanical element at least partially disposed within the enclosed component and generating a signal for controlling a switching operation of the plurality of power switches.

Integrated electronic switch and control module for a power tool

A mode selector switch for a power tool that can have a source of a magnetic field and use a magnetoresistive component to produce an output signal that changes when the strength of the magnetic field changes. The power tool can have a microprocessor that changes an operational mode of the power tool based on a change of the output signal from the magnetoresistive component. The magnetoresistive component can be a Hall effect sensor and the power tool can be a nailer. The power tool can have a switching means which changes an operational mode based upon a change in the strength of the magnetic field upon a magnetoresistive component. A method of controlling a power tool, having a step of changing an operational mode of a power tool based upon identifying a change in output from a magnetoresistor.

Power tool hall effect mode selector switch

A directional input unit is provided for a power tool having an electric motor is provided, where the input unit is configured to output a signal indicative of a rotational direction of the electric motor. The input unit includes a forward/reverse actuator having a lever extending from an engagement member and pivotable around a pivot member, the lever having a contact tip, and a biasing member. The biasing member including a lever engaging member engaging the contact tip and having an upper portion and a lower portion with a groove formed at an end common point of the upper and lower portions. A first leg of the biasing member extend downwardly from the upper portion and arranged to be securely received inside an opening of a holder, and a second leg extends upwardly from the lower portion outside the opening between the lever engaging member and the first leg.

Biasing member for a power tool forward/reverse actuator

An electronic switch and control module for a power tool having an electric motor is provided. The module includes a module housing including a bottom surface, side walls, and an open face, a printed circuit board (PCB) received from the open face of the module housing and securely disposed within the module housing at a distance from the bottom surface of the module housing; power switches mounted on a top surface of the PCB, and heat sinks discretely arranged and each mounted over a respective one of the plurality of power switches and secured to the top surface of the PCB to transfer heat away from the power switch through the open face of the module housing. The module further includes an input unit having conductive tracks disposed on the PCB and an electro-mechanical element engaging the plurality of conductive tracks, the input unit generating a signal for controlling a switching operation of the plurality of power switches, and a controller mounted on the PCB configured to control the switching operation of the power switches based on the signal from the input unit.

A battery powered tool includes a housing containing a motor assembly. A fan positioned in the housing is rotated by the motor assembly. The fan has a circular ring/body and further has multiple fan blades directly connected to the circular ring body. The circular ring/body defines a concave shaped surface having the fan blades directly connected to the concave shaped surface. A housing cover includes: first and second extending walls; a slot created between the first and second extending walls; and multiple air intake vents all positioned in a lower housing zone separated from an upper housing zone by the slot. An electronics module is positioned in the housing proximate to the housing cover lower housing zone such that air entering the intake vents passes only through the lower housing zone and past the electronics module to cool the electronics module before entering the fan.

Motor and electronics cooling system for a high power cordless nailer

A fastening power tool such as a nailer is provided including a tool housing, an input unit actuated in response to an operator input, and a motor assembly including a motor housed within the tool housing. A control unit is provided including a controller programmable to control an operation of the motor and a decoder circuit configured to control a supply of power from a power source to the controller based on a status of the power source and a status of the input unit. The decoder circuit is configured to connect supply of power from the power source to the controller when the power tool is coupled to the power source prior to an engagement of the input unit, but disconnect the supply of power when the power tool is coupled to the power source after the engagement of the input unit.

Control system for a fastening power tool

A portable power supply apparatus is provided having reduced impedance losses. The portable power supply apparatus is comprised of: a portable housing; a battery system residing in the housing; and an inverter circuit residing in the housing. The battery system generates a direct current (DC) voltage having a magnitude greater than or equal to a peak value of a desired alternating current (AC) voltage. The inverter circuit receives the DC voltage directly from the battery system, converts the DC voltage to an AC output voltage and outputs the AC output voltage to one or more outlets exposed on an exterior surface of the portable housing.

Portable alternating current inverter having reduced impedance losses

A power tool includes a brushless DC motor housed inside an upper body of the tool housing and a control unit housed inside a handle of the housing, the control unit including a micro-controller mounted on a control circuit board, a power unit electronically coupled to the micro-controller and mounted on a power circuit board arranged substantially parallel the control circuit board inside the handle, and a heat sink in thermal contact with the power unit. An input unit may be mounted directly on the control circuit board. An upper portion of the heat sink extending towards the upper body of the housing may include a tab protruding underneath a fan assembly of the motor to transfer heat from the power unit to the airflow created by the fan.

Control unit for a power tool

Growing community of inventors

Woodstock, MD, United States of America

Erik A Ekstrom