Black Decker Inc.

Joshua M Lewis

Madhur M Purohit

Marcell E Coates

Michael D Grove

Timothy J Seeley

James E Goble

Victor A Dorado

David J Smith

Joseph Patrick Kelleher

William F Gallagher

Seth M Robinson

Mark R Poetzl

Bryce A Wells

Sean R Templeton

Christopher Wade Shook

Alastair Valentine

Timothy A Smith

An electronic module for controlling a motor includes a module housing including a bottom surface, walls, and an open face, a printed circuit board (PCB) arranged along a plane within the module housing; a plurality of power terminals; and a plurality of power switches mounted on the PCB to switchably connect a supply of electric power from a power source to the plurality of power terminals. The plurality of power terminals includes first portions projecting outside the module housing through one of the walls along a direction substantially parallel to the plane for coupling to a plurality of wires couplable to the motor, and second portions extending substantially perpendicularly to the plane and electrically contacting the PCB.

Electronic power module

An electronic module is provided including a circuit board defining a longitudinal axis and having a first surface and a second surface. A module housing is provided having a bottom surface and side walls extending from the bottom surface to form an open face through which the circuit board is received. Power switches configured as an inverter circuit to drive an electric motor are mounted on the second surface of the circuit board facing the bottom surface of the module housing, and a series of heat sinks are discretely mounted on the first surface of the circuit board facing the open face opposite the power switches. Potting material is disposed in the distance between the circuit board and the bottom surface of the module housing to cover the power switches. Thermal vias are disposed through the circuit board between corresponding ones of the heat sinks and the power switches.

Electronic switch module with oppositely-arranged power switches and discrete heat sinks

A power tool is provided including a gear case having a spindle, a motor case connected to a rear end of the gear case along a longitudinal axis; a handle portion extending from a rear end of the motor case along the longitudinal axis; a motor housed inside the motor case; a fan in rotational connection with the motor; at least one air intake arranged at least one of the motor case or the handle portion near the rear end of the motor case; and a power module including power switches for driving the motor and a heat sink. The power module is housed in at least one of the motor case or the handle portion near the rear end of the motor case such that rotation of the fan causes air flow to enter through the air intake and flow near the heat sink and through the motor.

Brushless motor system for power tools

A power tool including an electric motor is provided. The tool includes a substantially disc-shaped printed circuit board (PCB), power switches mounted on the PCB; magnetic sensors mounted on the PCB facing the motor; a heat sink in thermal communication with the power switches disposed between the PCB and the electric motor; and a molded casing structurally securing the heat sink relative to the PCB. The molded casing includes a center opening, at least one first opening provided at a first radial distance from the center opening arranged to receive the magnetic sensors therein, and at least one second opening provided at a second radial distance from the center opening arranged to securely receive the heat sink therein.

Control and power module for brushless motor

A brushless DC motor includes a stator, a rotor, and motor terminals mounted on the stator. Each motor terminal includes a planar portion extending circumferentially from the end insulator, a wire-receiving member extending from a first end of the planar portion and folded over an outer surface of the planar portion away from the center axis of the stator at an angle of less than 90 degrees, and a tab portion extending from a second end of the planar portion parallel to the center axis of the stator. A circuit board is disposed adjacent the motor including power switches mounted thereon for energizing the stator windings. Slots are formed in the circuit board to align with and securely receive the tab portions of the motor terminals, thus electrically connecting the motor terminals to the power switches.

An electronic module is provided including power switches mounted on a circuit board and configured as an inverter circuit for an electric motor. A sliding member is coupled to an actuator. A power contact switch is provided including a first conductive body, a second conductive body, and a contact switch. The first and second conductive bodies are mounted on a first surface of the circuit board and include pins received through through-holes of the circuit board to make electrical contact with two conductive tracks on a second surface of the circuit board. The contact switch pivotably is secured to the first conductive body and pivotably moveable by the sliding member to make contact with the second conductive body with movement of the actuator. A flyback diode is electrically connected between the first and second conductive track on the second surface of the circuit board parallel to the power contact switch.

Electronic switch module with an integrated flyback diode

An electronic module is provided for a power tool having an electric motor. The module includes a module housing having a radial portion and a cylindrical portion extending from the radial portion away from the electric motor and defining an open end, a printed circuit board (PCB) received within the module housing through the open end thereof, power switches mounted on the PCB, and magnetic sensors mounted on the PCB facing the motor substantially equidistantly from a center of the PCB. The module housing includes openings disposed in the radial portion angularly around a center of the module housing to receive the magnetic sensors therein to allow the magnetic sensors to magnetically interface with the electric motor.

A power tool is provided including a housing, an electric motor disposed within the housing, a power switch circuit disposed between a power supply and the electric motor, a main controller, and a secondary controller. The main controller is arranged to control a switching operation of the power switch circuit to regulate a speed of the motor, and is configured to monitor at least one of a speed or a rotational direction of the electric motor and deactivate the power switch circuit upon detection of fault condition associated the speed or the rotational direction of the electric motor. The secondary controller is configured to monitor at least one of the speed or the rotational direction of the electric motor independently from the main controller and deactivate the power switch circuit upon detection of fault condition associated the speed or the rotational direction of the electric motor.

Control scheme for power tool having a brushless motor

A power tool is provided including an electric motor, a power terminal receiving electric power form a power supply, an actuator, a power switch circuit disposed between the power terminal and the electric motor, and a controller controlling a switching operation of the power switch circuit. A power contact switch is coupled to the actuator and disposed on a first current path to selectively connect the power switch circuit to the power supply. A solid-state load switch disposed on a second current path from the power terminal to the controller is controllable via output of the power contact switch or a self-activating feedback signal from the controller. A solid-state override switch is provided controllable via a self-deactivating feedback signal from the controller and having an output commonly coupled to the output of the power contact switch to turn off the load switch even when the power contact switch is closed.

Self-deactivating shut-down switch for a power tool

An electronic module is provided for a power tool having an electric motor. The module includes a printed circuit board (PCB) having a first surface and a second surface; first set of power switches mounted on the first surface of the PCB; second set of power switches mounted on the PCB and electrically coupled to the first power switches forming an inverter bridge circuit for driving the electric motor; a first heat sink surface-mounted on the first surface of the PCB and having a planar main body disposed over the first power switches; a module housing arranged to receive the PCB therein; and a second heat sink secured to the module housing in thermal communication with the first heat sink to transfer heat from the first power switches.

An electronic module is provided for a power tool having an electric motor. The electronic module includes a printed circuit board (PCB) being substantially disc-shaped; power switches mounted on the PCB forming an inverter bridge circuit for driving the electric motor; a controller mounted on the PCB and configured to control a switching operation of the power switches; positional sensors mounted on the PCB substantially equidistantly from a center of the PCB within the control portion and in communication with the controller to provide positional signals related to a rotational position of the electric motor to the controller; and a module housing arranged to receive the PCB therein. The module housing includes a planar portion in parallel to the PCB and openings disposed in the planar portion angularly around a center of the module housing to receive the positional sensors therein.

A power tool is provided including a tool housing and a brushless DC (BLDC) motor disposed within the tool housing. The motor includes a stator assembly and a rotor assembly having a rotor lamination stack mounted on a rotor shaft to rotate therewith. The power tool also includes a power module for driving the motor, which includes: a printed circuit board, power switches operatively connected to the motor disposed on a first surface of the printed circuit board, positional sensors disposed on a second surface of the printed circuit board around a periphery of a center portion of the printed circuit board, and a heat sink having a substantially planar surface facing the second surface of the printed circuit board and disposed between the motor and the printed circuit board. The heat sink includes a through-hole therein sized to axially expose the positional sensors in the direction of the motor.

A power tool is provided including a housing, an electric motor disposed within the housing, a power switch circuit disposed between a power supply and the electric motor, a main controller, and a redundant controller. The main controller is arranged to control a switching operation of the power switch circuit to regulate a speed of the motor, and is configured to monitor at least one of a speed or a rotational direction of the electric motor and deactivate the power switch circuit upon detection of fault condition associated the speed or the rotational direction of the electric motor. The redundant controller is configured to monitor at least one of the speed or the rotational direction of the electric motor independently from the main controller and deactivate the power switch circuit upon detection of fault condition associated the speed or the rotational direction of the electric motor.

A power tool is provided including a housing; an electric motor disposed within the housing; a power terminal that receives electric power from a battery pack; a power switch circuit disposed between the power terminal and the electric motor; and a controller configured to control a switching operation of the power switch circuit to regulate power being supplied from the power terminal to the electric motor. The controller is configured to receive a temperature signal indicative of a temperature of the battery pack, determine if the temperature of the battery pack is below a lower temperature threshold, and operate the switching operation of the power switch circuit in a normal mode of operation if the temperature of the battery pack is greater than or equal to the low temperature threshold and in a cold mode of operation if the temperature of the battery pack is below the low temperature threshold.

Control scheme for operating cordless power tool based on battery temperature

A power tool is provided including a gear case having a spindle, a motor case connected to a rear end of the gear case, a handle portion attached to a rear end of the motor case, and a motor housed inside the motor case. The motor includes a stator, a rotor rotationally arranged inside the stator, and a fan in rotational connection with the rotor. At least one air intake is arranged at least one of the motor case or the handle portion near the rear end of the motor case. A power module including power switches and a heat sink is housed in at least one of the motor case or the handle portion near the rear end of the motor case such that rotation of the fan causes air flow to enter through the air intake and flow near the heat sink and through the motor.

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Baltimore, MD, United States of America

Joshua M Lewis