Electricity: battery or capacitor charging or discharging – Means to identify cell or battery type
Patent
1998-04-24
1999-10-05
Tso, Edward H.
Electricity: battery or capacitor charging or discharging
Means to identify cell or battery type
320110, H01M 1046
Patent
active
059630116
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a system consisting of an interchangeable battery for a battery-operated electric tool and two chargers for the interchangeable battery.
Hereinafter, a charger provided with exposed counter-contacts will be called, by way of example, a transformer charger, and a charger provided with shielded counter-contacts will be called, by way of example, a condenser charger.
The charging of interchangeable batteries by means of transformer chargers has the advantage that no substantial precautions are necessary against the unintentional touching of the charger's contacts, since the voltage is reduced to a low level that is not dangerous to humans, i.e. about that of the battery's cell voltage or sum of the cell voltages. On the other hand, the charging circuit of condenser chargers operates at line voltage, which means that according to safety regulations, the contacts of such a charger must be protected against unintentional touching. Due to the large size of condensers, condenser chargers used to require much effort to manufacture and were very expensive. However, in recent times, the development of condensers has progressed so far that there is now an economically feasible interest in using condenser technology when recharging interchangeable batteries.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to create an interchangeable battery of the type described above, which can be charged either by means of a charger with shielded counter-contacts or by means of a charger with exposed counter-contacts, which the user may already own, and which can be manufactured economically. It is also an object of the present invention to provide for this interchangeable battery an energy charging and storing device consisting of a charger and the above mentioned interchangeable battery, which can also be manufactured economically but meets the applicable safety regulations with regard to shielding the contact surfaces.
According to the present invention, these objects are achieved in an interchangeable battery of the type described above in that the contacts of the battery can be inserted into a screened contact region of the charger, by means of contact reeds, arbors or pins which are shielded except for a closely restricted plug-in aperture, or in that the contacts of the battery are provided with a region defined by a wall which is so thin that the contacts can be plugged-in with the wall into the shielded contact region of the charger named last.
An interchangeable battery designed in such a way can be charged either by means of a transformer charger with exposed counter-contacts or by means of a condenser charger with shielded counter-contacts. In the first case, the freely accessible contact surface of the contacts of the interchangeable battery adjoins the exposed counter-contacts of the transformer charger. In the second case, the contact arrangement of the interchangeable battery is plugged into the plug-in apertures of the shielded contact area of the condenser charger. Since the contacts of a condenser charger are under Hue voltage, i.e. for example 230 Volts, the contact region must be shielded in such a way that the unintentional touching of the contacts, in particular by children, is not possible. According to the security regulation presently in effect, the plug-in apertures for the contacts of the interchangeable battery must have a clear cross-section of no more than 3 mm. If the contacts of the interchangeable battery according to the present invention are designed in the form of contact reeds, arbors or pins protruding from a surface, they can be plugged into the plug-in apertures into the shielded contact region of a condenser charger and brought into contact with the counter contacts of the charger. If the contacts of the interchangeable battery are provided with a region adjoining a wall or shielded by this wall by which they may, for example, be held as is the case with interchangeable batteries meant to be used wit
REFERENCES:
patent: 5229701 (1993-07-01), Leman et al.
patent: 5391972 (1995-02-01), Gardner et al.
Patent Abstract of Japan, E-1489, Jan. 13, 1994, vol. 18/No. 20, Rechargeable Battery, 5-258776 (A).
Eberle Robert
Haller Ulrich
Metabowerke GmbH & Co.
Tso Edward H.
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