Black Decker Inc.

Zollie W Privett, Jr

Matthew J Velderman

David J Smith

Craig A Oktavec

Daniel F Nace

Pradeep M Pant

Floyd E Moreland

James H Stiles, Iii

Kyle J Christophersen

Colin C Crosby

Samuel G Woods

Michael Kenneth Forster

John Charles Vanko

Robert Alan Usselman

Jason K Leh

William F Gallagher

Brian R Crowell

William G Kalbfleisch

David A Carrier

Colin M Crosby

David Beers

Robert J Opsitos, Jr

Daniel R Beers

George Kononenko

Chris Yahnker

A power tool is provided including a housing defining a cavity therein, where the housing includes a motor case and a handle portion extending along a longitudinal axis of the housing from the motor case; an electric motor having a drive shaft and mounted within the motor case; a partitioning wall extending radially and separating the motor case portion from the non-motor case portion of the housing; and a bearing pocket with an open end facing the motor case portion formed in the partitioning wall and a main body extending away from the electric motor for receiving a rotor bearing. The handle portion includes two elongate walls extending from the partitioning wall, a circuit board supported by the two elongate walls and including a motor drive circuit, and two covers secured to the two elongate walls to cover the circuit board.

Handheld power tool with brushless electric motor

A power tool is provided including a motor case and a handle portion. An electric motor having a drive shaft is mounted within the motor case. A circuit board is disposed in the handle portion to accommodate a motor drive circuit. The motor drive circuit includes a rectifier configured to receive an alternating current from an alternating current (AC) power source and convert it to a direct current supplied to a DC power bus, and a bridge circuit having motor switches connected between the rectifier and the electric motor. A bus capacitor is mounted on the circuit board and coupled across the DC power bus. An auxiliary capacitor having higher capacitance than the bus capacitor is switchably coupled across the DC power bus. The handle portion includes a support member protruding radially outwardly to accommodate the auxiliary capacitor.

Handheld grinder with brushless electric motor

A handheld grinder includes an elongated housing, an electric motor, an output shaft, a wall, a planar circuit board, and a motor drive circuit. The elongated housing defines a cavity therein and includes a motor case disposed at a front end and a handle portion to a rear end. The electric motor has a drive shaft that is mounted within the motor case. The output shaft is drivably coupled to the drive shaft of the electric motor. The wall separates the cavity between the motor case and the handle portion of the housing. The planar circuit board disposed in the handle portion of the housing. The motor drive circuit is accommodated entirely within the handle portion of the housing on the planar circuit board.

Power tool with separate motor case compartment

A power tool is provided including an elongated housing. The housing includes a motor case disposed at a front end thereof and a handle portion extending along a longitudinal axis of the housing from the motor case to a rear end of the housing. The handle portion includes two elongated walls extending from the motor case along the longitudinal axis of the housing to form a planar opening within the handle portion. A partition wall is arranged along an axis substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the housing, separating the handle portion from the motor case. An electric motor having a drive shaft is mounted within the motor case, and a module casing supporting a planar circuit board is received within the planar opening and supported by the elongated walls within the handle portion of the housing axially along the longitudinal axis of the housing.

Power tool having an elongated housing supporting a power module

A handheld grinder includes an elongated housing, an electric motor, an output shaft, a wall, a planar circuit board, and a motor drive circuit. The elongated housing defines a cavity therein and includes a motor case disposed at a front end and a handle portion to a rear end. The electric motor has a drive shaft that is mounted within the motor case. The output shaft is drivably coupled to the drive shaft of the electric motor. The wall separates the cavity between the motor case and the handle portion of the housing. The planar circuit board is disposed in the handle portion of the housing. The motor drive circuit is accommodated entirely within the handle portion of the housing on the planar circuit board.

The universal control module is designed for controlling the operation of a plurality of motors and/or configured for a plurality of different motor applications. In an example, the control module is configurable within a housing of a power tool. The control module includes a top cover, a bottom cover and a printed circuit board (PCB) with control components thereon. The control module includes a spacer configured between the top and bottom covers and attached to the PCB for providing tolerances for the control components during a soldering process to fixedly attach the control components to the PCB.

Universal control module

A motor control module designed to control operation of a plurality of different motors in a plurality of different tools a power tool uses an electronic clutch in the module in conjunction with a mechanical clutch in the tool to protect the tool against an overload event. The module is adapted to implement methods to provide aural and/or tactile feedback to a tool user as a warning of an impending or current fault condition in the tool. The module can prevent power from inadvertently turning on either after an overload event has cleared with the tool plugged in and its power switch on, or after plugging in the tool within the power switch on. The control module is adapted to provide torque control for the power tool, to estimate tool motor temperature and to inform a tool user when a servicing need in the tool is required.

Control and protection methodologies for a motor control module

An electronic control module provides dual insulation layers between an internal line voltage and a separate tool housing that serves as a heat sink, thereby allowing versatility in mounting the electronic control module within the tool housing interior, and thereby also eliminating the risk of electrical shock to a user making contact with an exterior tool housing surface. The control module includes a power device, connected to a line voltage, and a thermal pad. The power device provides a first layer of electrical insulation between the line voltage and an external tab of the power device while the thermal pad provides a second layer of electrical insulation. The combined first and second layers provide a minimum amount of electrical insulation between the line voltage and the tool housing thereby preventing electrical shock. Alternatively, the thermal pad is provided between the control module and the tool housing.

Electrically isolated module

A thermal control circuit (,) for inexpensively protecting the power interface of cordless and dual-mode powered devices (,), such as hand-held power tools and appliances. The powered device includes a motor (,) that is operable in a preselected voltage range. A switch assembly (,) controls the flow of electrical energy to the motor (,). A power module (,) is configured to supply electric power and to mate with the low-voltage DC power tool (,). The power module (,) is adapted to provide a DC voltage in the preselected voltage range suitable for powering the low-voltage DC power tool (,). A case (,) for the power tool (,) has a pre-defined envelope for electrically and mechanically mating with the power module (,). A power interface that includes at least two terminals, electrically couples the power module (,) to the motor (,). The thermal control circuit (,) protects the power interface from damage caused by an overtemperature level. The thermal control circuit (,), in response to detecting an operating temperature that exceeds the overtemperature level, permanently interrupts the flow of electricity from the power module (,) to the motor (,).

Growing community of inventors

Baltimore, MD, United States of America

Zollie W Privett, Jr