Black Decker Inc.

Mark T Cherry

David J Smith

Tal Gottesman

Michael R Marjomaa

Dennis A Bush

Andrew M Palich

Kevin L Pulley

Scott J Eshleman

Michael Varipatis

Samuel G Woods

Timothy J Hennesy

Timothy J Seeley

Scott Eshlemann

Michael Kenneth Forster

Nathan J Osborne

Michael W Roberts

Pradeep M Pant

Daniel F Nace

Wing Lin

Alexander Manasseh

Alexander R Barton

Philip Gilde

Mark Colton

Elizabeth Wink

William Thomas Lunsford

Samuel George Woods

The present directed to a cordless power tool system including a plurality of cordless power tools, a plurality of fixed voltage and multi-voltage battery packs and a plurality of battery pack chargers. The battery packs include circuitry to indicate various parameters about the battery pack and communicate this indication to the power tools in order to enable the power tools to alter their motor output schemes to improve performance. The indication may include whether the battery pack is a fixed voltage battery pack or a multi-voltage battery pack and when the multi-voltage battery pack is in a first configuration or a second configuration.

Power tool battery pack

The present disclosure is directed to an electric power tool system with cordless power tools and removable, rechargeable battery packs that mate with the power tools to provide stored energy to the power tools. The battery packs may include a first battery pack having a basic interface and a second battery pack having an advanced interface. The power tools may include a first power tool having a basic interface and a second power tool having an advanced interface. The basic interface battery pack may mate with both the basic interface power tool and the advanced interface power tool. The advanced interface battery pack may mate with both the basic interface power tool and the advanced interface power tool.

Electric tool system with removable battery pack

Battery pack

A battery pack includes a housing, a set of battery cells, and a latch assembly mechanism. The latch assembly mechanism includes a user activation button that pivots about a first axis and an engaging portion that pivots about a second axis, where the first axis is parallel to the second axis and the user activation button actuates the engaging portion. In another aspect, a battery pack includes a housing and a set of battery cells. The housing includes a top portion, a first side portion connected to the top portion, a second side portion connected to the top portion, the second side portion opposite the first side portion, and a bottom portion connected to the first side portion and the second side portion, the bottom portion opposite the top portion. An insert is molded into at least one of the first side portion and the second side portion.

A power tool is provided including a tool housing, a brushless DC (BLDC) motor assembly disposed within the tool housing, and a power module including a printed circuit board (PCB) and power switches mounted on the PCB and electrically coupled to the motor assembly. The PCB includes a width that is greater than a diameter of the motor assembly. A mounting bracket is secured to an end of the motor assembly and includes a mating portion arranged to mate with the end of the motor assembly, mount posts extending radially-outwardly from the mating portion, and axial walls extending between outer ends of the mount posts and at least partially housing the power module to support the PCB in a substantially parallel orientation relative to the rear end of the motor assembly.

Control and power module for driving a brushless motor in a power tool

A power tool is provided including a brushless DC (BLDC) motor having a stator assembly and a rotor; a substantially-cylindrical motor housing having an open end for receiving the stator assembly, a rear end, a substantially-cylindrical bearing pocket formed in the rear end to receive the rear bearing of the motor therein, and a radially-extending slot formed at or near its rear end; and a positional sensor board radially received within the slot along a central receiving axis. The positional sensor board includes a curved inner edge shaped to be positioned around the bearing pocket and includes positional sensors mounted around the curved inner edge and facing the rotor to sense a rotational position of the rotor. The curved inner edge is disposed on a side corner of the positional sensor board such that the positional sensor board is asymmetrically-shape in a direction of the receiving axis.

Position sensor board for a brushless motor

A power tool is provided including a motor housing having a substantially-cylindrical main body having an open end and a rear end. A brushless DC motor is provided including a stator assembly received through the open end of the motor housing and secured within the main body of the motor housing. A motor control and power module disposed proximate the rear end of the motor housing includes a printed circuit board (PCB) on which power switch and a controller are mounted. A mounting bracket is secured to the motor housing at the rear end to support the module such that the PCB is substantially parallel to the rear end. The mounting bracket includes a mating portion projecting axially to come to contact with the motor housing around the rear end to structurally support the mounting bracket with respect to the motor housing.

A power tool is provided including a tool housing; at least one battery receptacle accommodated on the tool housing, the battery receptacle being adapted to receive a battery pack having a maximum voltage of at least 60 volts; and a brushless DC (BLDC) motor disposed within the tool housing, the motor including a stator assembly and a rotor assembly rotatably disposed within the stator assembly. A motor control and power module is disposed in close proximity to the motor, including a power switch circuit electrically coupled to the motor and a first controller configured to control a switching operation of the power switch circuit for supply of power from the battery pack to the motor. A battery management control module is disposed in close proximity to the battery receptacle, including a second controller distinct from the first controller, the second controller configured to manage an operation of the battery pack.

A power adapter for use with a power tool having an electric motor, and configured to supply electric power from an alternating current power supply to the power tool, is provided. The adapter includes a housing and an auxiliary capacitor circuit housed within the housing. The auxiliary capacitor circuit includes an auxiliary capacitor, a switch in series with the auxiliary capacitor, and a switch control circuit. A state of the switch creates either a charging path for the auxiliary capacitor or both the charging path and a discharging path for the auxiliary capacitor, and the switch control circuit is configured to detect voltage associated with the power supply or the power tool and to control state of the switch in accordance with magnitude of the detected voltage.

Power tool with electric motor and auxiliary switch path

A power tool is provided, including a housing; a brushless DC (BLDC) motor arranged within the housing, the motor including a stator and a rotor rotatably disposed within the stator; a power module electrically disposed between the motor and a power supply, the power module including power switches; an actuator engageable by a user; and a control module configured to control a switching operation of the power switches to begin supply power to the motor when the actuator is engaged. The control module monitors engagement and disengagement events of the actuator, and ignores a subsequent engagement of the actuator if at least one of number of actuator engagement events and/or number of actuator disengagement events exceeds a predetermined threshold value within a predetermined time.

Sensorless thermal protection for power tools

A power tool is configured to receive power from a power supply. The power tool may include a rectifier that may output a rectified signal to a DC power bus. A switching arrangement may operate to deliver electric power from the DC power bus to an electric motor. A switch path may be electrically coupled in parallel with the rectifier on the DC power bus. The switch path includes an auxiliary capacitor in series with a switch and a state of the switch controls a discharging path for the auxiliary capacitor. A switch control circuit may be configured to detect voltage associated with at least one of the AC power supply or the DC power bus and to control state of the switch in accordance with magnitude of the detected voltage.

Growing community of inventors

White Marsh, MD, United States of America

Mark T Cherry