IP Library Granted Patent US 9,614,387
Granted Patent B2
US 9,614,387 · App. 13/721,191 · Granted Apr 4, 2017

Battery pack for cordless devices

Inventors: Nathan J. Cruise (Phoenix, MD); Daniel J. White (Baltimore, MD); Robert J. Marcinkowski (Cockeysville, MD); Geoffrey S. Howard (Columbia, MD); Alexis W. Johnson (Warren, PA); Nathan J. Osborne (Baltimore, MD); Michael W. Roberts (Red Lion, PA); Steven J. Phillips (Ellicott City, MD); Michelle L. Bowers (Westminster, MD)
Assignee: Black & Decker Inc.
H02J7/0052H01M2/1022H01M2/30H01M2/34H01M10/425H01M10/613H01M10/6235H01M10/6554H05K1/026H01M2010/4271H01M2200/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,614,387
App. No.
13/721,191
Granted
Apr 4, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

A battery pack including a housing, a terminal block, a printed circuit board electrically connected to the terminal block, at least one battery cell, and a spark gap device on the printed circuit board to provide electrostatic discharge protection and disposed between the printed circuit board and the terminal block.

Claims (14)

1. An electrical combination, comprising:

a power tool having a motor and a tool terminal block and a plurality of tool terminals;

a battery charger having a power supply and a charger terminal block and a plurality of charger terminals;

a first battery pack including a housing, a terminal block with a plurality of battery terminals, the first battery terminal block and the first battery plurality of terminals configured to electrically and mechanically mate with (1) the tool terminal block and the plurality of tool terminals to provide a discharge current to the motor and (2) the charger terminal block and the plurality of charger terminals to receive a charge current from the power supply;

a second battery pack including a housing, a terminal block with a plurality of battery terminals, said second battery pack terminal block and the second battery plurality of terminals including a mechanical lock out, the mechanical lock out configured to allow the second battery pack to electrically and mechanically mate with the tool terminal block and the plurality of tool terminals to provide a discharge current to the motor and prevent the second battery pack from electrically and mechanically mating with the charger terminal block and the plurality of charger terminals and receiving a charge current from the power supply.

2. The electrical combination as recited in claim 1 , wherein the mechanical lock out includes a wall supporting each of the plurality of battery terminals.

3. The electrical combination as recited in claim 2 , wherein each of the terminal supporting walls has an identifying portion at one end for allowing engagement with the power tool while preventing engagement with the battery charger.

4. The electrical combination as recited in claim 2 , wherein at least one of the plurality of battery terminals define a plane and the mechanical lockout extends from the defined plane.

5. The electrical combination as recited in claim 4 , wherein the mechanical lock out extends at an angle from the defined plane.

6. The electrical combination as recited in claim 4 , wherein the mechanical lock out extends substantially perpendicularly from the defined plane.

7. The electrical combination as recited in claim 2 , wherein the battery terminal is made of a metal material and the supporting wall is made of a plastic material.

8. The electrical combination as recited in claim 1 , wherein the mechanical lock out includes a first wall portion supporting a first of the plurality of battery terminals and a second wall portion extending from the first wall portion.

9. The electrical combination as recited in claim 8 , wherein the first wall portion and the second wall portion form an L-shape.

10. The electrical combination as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first battery pack comprises Li-Ion chemistry cells and the second battery pack comprises NiCad chemistry cells.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 17, 2015
From: CRUISE, NATHAN J.; WHITE, DANIEL J.; MARCINKOWSKI, ROBERT J.; HOWARD, GEOFFREY S.; JOHNSON, ALEXIS W.; PHILLIPS, STEVEN J.; OSBORNE, NATHAN J.; ROBERT, MICHAEL W., JR.; BOWERS, MICHELLE L.
To: BLACK & DECKER INC.
Reel/Frame 037058/0194 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 12213159 · Jun 16, 2008
Provisional Application 60945003 · Jun 19, 2007
Related Publication 20130106343A1 · May 2, 2013