Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation

Briggs & Stratton, LLC

Todd W Johnson

Jay J Rosenbecker

Gary D Meyer

Kevin L Glasgow

Jeffrey Michael Zeiler

Karl Frederick Scheucher

Mark Alan Kubale

Dennis J Grzybowski

Jonathan A Zick

Jeffrey M Brozek

Kyle Michael Harvey

Nicholas Zeidler

Mark Noller

Christopher Krajewski

Scott D Bublitz

Ryan S Jaskowiak

Jacob Schmalz

Karl F Schuecher

Abhijeet A Khangar

Joseph M DeBaker

Scott H Micoley

Scott Robert Fischer

David J Rozwadowski

Ryan T Hahn

Daniel H Schneider

Troy Charles Thorson

Jeffrey Charles Hessenberger

Thomas Richard Bednar

David Brian Griep

Jonathan Paul Lobert

David Paul Serdynski

Nancy Uehlein-Proctor

Boyd J Miller

Jeffrey Scott Holly

Peter D Shears

Bryan Keith Dandridge

Matthew S Zurawski

Robert Pjevach

Jeff Zeiler

Kevin L Glasglow

Robert J Koenen

Wade F Burch

Andrew J Weber

George L Santana, Jr

Jacob Zuehl

Michael W Phillips

Scott A Funke

Nick Joseph Zeidler

James Michael Busse

Dieter Hirt

Nicholas Joseph Ziedler

Volker Siegle

Jeffery S Holly

Gary L Durian

Joshua Feldman

Joseph M Debaker

A battery pack includes a housing, rechargeable lithium-ion battery cells, a positive terminal, a negative terminal, a data terminal, a battery management system, and an Internet of Things (IoT) module. The data terminal includes at least one data pin that is configured to receive operational information from a piece of equipment coupled with the battery pack. The IoT module is in communication with the data terminal and the battery management system, and is configured to receive operational information about the piece of equipment from the data terminal, receive operational information about the rechargeable lithium-ion battery cells from the battery management system, and transmit the operational information about the piece of equipment and the operational information from the lithium-ion battery cells via a network interface. The network interface is configured to communicate the operational information about the piece of equipment and the operational information about the rechargeable lithium-ion battery cells to a mesh network, and is configured to communicate over at least two frequencies.

Equipment management via mesh network

A battery charging system includes a charging rack comprising multiple receptacle, multiple battery assemblies. Each of the battery assemblies includes a housing having a handle, rechargeable battery cells disposed within the housing, and a mating feature protruding away from the housing, wherein the mating feature is configured to selectively connect the battery assembly with the receptacle of the charging rack and includes multiple ports electrically connected to the battery cells and configured receive power from the charging rack to charge the battery cells, and wherein the handle comprises a release button configured to selectively disengage the battery assembly from the receptacle of the charging rack.

Battery assembly for battery powered equipment

A battery system includes a battery assembly and an equipment interface. The battery assembly includes a battery pack, a battery housing enclosing the battery pack, a communication gateway, and a first electrical connector. The battery pack includes rechargeable battery cells. The communication gateway is configured to communicate using a first communication protocol and a second communication protocol different from the first communication protocol. The first electrical connector includes a plurality of first terminals. The equipment interface is configured to be coupled to a piece of equipment, and includes a second electrical connector including a plurality of second terminals. The second electrical connector is configured to mate with the first electrical connector to electrically coupled the plurality of first terminals with the plurality of second terminals to electrically couple the battery assembly to the equipment interface.

Battery system and related management system

An outdoor power equipment device, such as a lawn mower, includes a main chassis having first and second pivot joints, a first rocker arm having a caster wheel on a first end portion and a drive wheel on a second end portion, and a second rocker arm having a caster wheel on a first end portion and a drive wheel on a second end portion, wherein the first rocker arm and the second rocker arm are independently pivotally coupled to the respective first and second pivot joints of the main chassis at a location between the caster wheels and the drive wheels.

Lawn mower with pivotal rocker arm assembly

A battery pack includes a housing defining an upper portion and a lower portion, a first protector portion coupled to a first corner of the housing, a second protector portion coupled to a second corner of the housing, a plurality of battery cells disposed within the housing, and a mating feature including a plurality of ports electrically connected to the plurality of battery cells and structured to supply power from the plurality of battery cells through the ports.

Modular battery assembly for battery powered equipment

An electrical combination including a power tool and a battery pack. The power tool includes power tool terminals. The battery pack is configured to be interfaced with the power tool. The battery pack includes a battery pack housing, at least three terminals, and a plurality of battery cells. The battery pack terminals include a positive terminal, a negative terminal, and a sense terminal. The at least three terminals are configured to be interfaced with the power tool terminals. The plurality of battery cells are arranged within and supported by the battery pack housing. Each of the battery cells has a lithium-based chemistry and a respective state of charge, and power is transferable between the battery cells and the power tool. A circuit is configured to monitor the battery cells, detect a charge imbalance among the battery cells, and prevent the battery pack from operating when the charge imbalance is detected.

Lithium-based battery pack

A battery assembly includes a housing having a handle, rechargeable battery cells disposed within the housing, and a mating feature configured to selectively connect the battery assembly with a receptacle of at least one of a power equipment and a charging station. The mating feature includes a connector having at least two electrical ports electrically connected to the battery cells, and a data port configured to provide data communication between the battery assembly and at least one of a power equipment and a charging station. The mating feature also protrudes away from a side portion of the housing.

A transportation vehicle including a plurality of battery packs, a plurality of power equipment, and a controller. The controller is configured to identify at least one of the plurality of power equipment or at least one of the plurality of battery packs that requires charging and direct power through a bus to distribute power to at least one of the plurality of power equipment or at least one of the plurality of battery packs. The plurality of battery packs are configured to recharge the plurality of power equipment.

Vehicle for transporting and charging outdoor power equipment

An autonomous lawn mower includes removable batteries, one or more electric motors, a cutting blade, one or more wheels, an angle sensor, and a controller. The cutting blade is driven by one of the electric motors. The wheels are driven by one of the electric motors. The controller is configured to allow the lawn mower to perform a grass cutting function at a jobsite without human interaction. The controller is configured to determine whether a roll angle is greater than a first predefined amount using data from the angle sensor. In response to determining the roll angle is greater than the first predefined amount, the controller is configured to stop operation of one of the one or more electric motors configured to provide rotational drive power to the cutting blade.

Systems and devices for lawn care

A method for conducting an operation including a power tool battery pack. The battery pack can include a housing, a first cell supported by the housing and having a voltage, and a second cell supported by the housing and having a voltage. The battery pack also can be connectable to a power tool and be operable to supply power to operate the power tool. The method can include discharging one of the first cell and the second cell until the voltage of the one of the first cell and the second cell is substantially equal to the voltage of the other of the first cell and the second cell.

Method of operating a lithium-based battery pack for a hand held power tool

A ride-on vehicle, such as a zero turn radius lawnmower, includes a main chassis having first and second pivot joints, a first rocker arm having a caster wheel on a first end portion and a drive wheel on a second end portion, and a second rocker arm having a caster wheel on a first end portion and a drive wheel on a second end portion, wherein the first rocker arm and the second rocker arm are independently pivotally coupled to the respective first and second pivot joints of the main chassis at a location between the caster wheels and the drive wheels. The ride-on vehicle may also include a modular mower deck assembly with a plurality of mower deck modules having a blade assembly, an electric blade motor configured to provide rotation to the blade assembly, and an attachment assembly configured to enable attachment between adjacent mower deck modules.

Modular mower deck for use with a lawnmower

A battery assembly including a battery pack having a battery pack housing, an upper modular housing portion coupled to the battery pack housing positioned at a first end of the battery pack housing, a lower modular housing portion coupled to the battery pack housing positioned at a second end of the battery pack housing, and a handle formed as part of the upper modular housing portion. The battery assembly further includes multiple battery cells disposed within the battery pack housing, a mating feature including multiple ports electrically connected to the multiple battery cells and structured to supply power from the multiple battery cells through the ports and is structured to selectively connect the battery assembly with a receptacle of at least one of a piece of power equipment and a charging station. The mating feature is located on the first modular housing portion.

An electrical combination. The electrical combination comprises a battery pack configured to be interfaced with a hand held power tool, a control component, and a semiconducting switch. The transfer of power from the battery pack to the hand held power tool is controlled by the control component and the switch based on one of a battery pack state of charge and a respective state of charge of one of a plurality of battery cells. A discharge current of the battery pack is regulated based on the switch being controlled into one of a first state and a second state by the control component to selectively enable the transfer power from the plurality of battery cells to the hand held power tool.

Lithium-based battery pack for a hand held power tool

A portable lighting tower includes a frame, an adjustable mast, multiple legs, a controller, and a battery pack. The adjustable mast is coupled to the frame and includes a light. The multiple legs each include an actuator operable to deploy and retract the respective leg. The controller is operatively coupled to the light and the actuators and configured to control operation of the light and the actuators. The battery pack is electrically coupled to the controller, the light, and the actuators. The light is dimmable between a maximum setting and a minimum setting, and the controller operates each of the linear actuators to deploy or retract the respective leg response to a user input.

Electronically-controlled portable lighting tower

A system for providing autonomous lawn care services. The system includes a number of autonomous outdoor power devices, and one or more service vehicles. The one or more service vehicles are configured to selectively load and unload one or more of the autonomous outdoor power devices at a jobsite based on instructions received by a controller of the one or more service vehicles.

Systems and devices for autonomous lawn care

Growing community of inventors

Wauwatosa, WI, United States of America

Todd W Johnson