EP4264765A1

EP4264765A1 - Adapter for an exchangeable rechargeable battery pack

Info

Publication number: EP4264765A1
Application number: EP21836148.3A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Bernhard Hegemann
Original assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
Current assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
Priority date: 2020-12-18
Filing date: 2021-12-13
Publication date: 2023-10-25
Also published as: WO2022128874A1; US20240022096A1; CN116615312A; DE102020216263A1

Abstract

The invention relates to an adapter (38) for an exchangeable rechargeable battery pack (10) of an electric device (18) or for a charging device (16) which is suitable for charging the exchangeable rechargeable battery pack (10). In order to transmit energy, the adapter (38) has an electromechanical interface (40) with electric contacts (12), via which the adapter (38) can be releasably connected to an electromechanical interface (14, 20) of the exchangeable rechargeable battery pack (10) or of the charging device (16). According to the invention, the adapter (38) has a wireless interface (52) for transmitting energy provided by the exchangeable rechargeable battery pack (10) or by the charging device (16) to a wireless energy receiver (48).

Description

description

title

Adapter for a removable battery pack

description

The invention relates to an adapter for an exchangeable battery pack of a battery-operated electrical device or for a charger suitable for charging the exchangeable battery pack, according to the preamble of independent claim 1.

State of the art

From US 2014/0117922 A1 it is known to use an exchangeable battery pack for a battery-powered hand tool by means of an attachable adapter for charging the battery of a mobile phone. To do this, the mobile device is connected to the adapter attached to the exchangeable battery pack using a USB cable.

It is also known to wirelessly charge battery-operated hand-held devices such as toothbrushes, mobile radio devices, electrically operated hand-held tools or the like. For this purpose, an electromagnetic field is used for inductive energy transmission from a primary coil, for example a charger, to a secondary coil, for example a smartphone, which are positioned at a small distance from one another and which together essentially form a transformer in this way. In a similar way, replaceable battery packs for power tools or other battery-operated electrical devices can also be inductively charged.

Based on the prior art, the object of the invention is to use a commercially available exchangeable battery pack for a battery-operated electrical device as an energy source for convenient, wireless charging of an energy receiver, in particular a mobile phone or a wearable.

Advantages of the Invention The invention relates to an adapter for an exchangeable battery pack of a battery-operated electrical device or for a charger suitable for charging the exchangeable battery pack. For energy transmission, the adapter has an electromechanical interface with electrical contacts, via which it can be releasably connected to an electromechanical interface of the exchangeable battery pack or the charger. In order to solve the task, it is proposed that the adapter has a wireless interface for transmitting the energy provided by the replaceable battery pack or the charger to an energy receiver. A commercially available exchangeable battery pack can be used with particular advantage for the wireless charging of a smartphone or a wearable, for example. This is particularly helpful in situations where no other energy sources are available for charging a discharging energy receiver designed as a smartphone, wearable or the like.

A battery-operated electrical device in the context of the invention is to be understood in particular as a power tool. The power tool can be designed both as a hand-held power tool and as a stationary power tool. Typical power tools in this context are handheld or stationary drills, screwdrivers, percussion drills, hammer drills, planers, angle grinders, orbital sanders, polishing machines, circular saws, table saws, chop saws and jigsaws or the like. However, measuring devices such as range finders, laser leveling aids, etc. or garden tools such as lawn mowers, grass trimmers, pruning saws or the like can also be used as battery-operated electrical devices. Furthermore, the invention can also be used in connection with exchangeable battery packs for battery-operated household appliances, such as vacuum cleaners, mixers, etc. or for e-bikes, e-scooters, etc.

A wireless energy receiver in the context of the invention is to be understood in particular as a wirelessly chargeable mobile radio device or a correspondingly chargeable wearable, such as a smart watch, a fitness band, smart glasses or other battery-powered devices that can be worn on an operator's body. Typical electrical devices that can be operated with exchangeable battery packs are offered in very different performance classes depending on their intended use. For example, there are handheld power tools as well as garden and household appliances in the lower power classes that are operated with 10.8 V (often nominally also referred to as 12 V) or 14.4 V, while in the medium to higher power classes electrical appliances in voltage classes from 18 V, 36 V, 54 V or even 72V can be used. The voltage values result from the wiring (in parallel or in series) of the battery cells used in the exchangeable battery packs. The battery cells are preferably designed as lithium-based battery cells, e.g. Li-Ion, Li-Po, Li-Metal or the like, with a cell voltage of 3.6 V, with a battery cell usually being a cylindrical round cell whose cell poles are at the ends of the Are arranged in a cylindrical shape. However, the following invention does not depend on the type, design and number of battery cells, but can be used for any exchangeable battery pack.

The exchangeable battery pack can be detachably connected to the battery-operated electrical device or the adapter according to the invention via correspondingly designed electromechanical interfaces, each with a plurality of electrical contacts. A “releasable connection” is to be understood in particular as meaning a connection that can be released and produced without tools, i.e. by hand. It should also be noted that the design of the electromechanical interfaces of the adapter according to the invention, the replaceable battery pack, the battery-operated electrical device and the charger as well as the associated receptacles for the non-positive and/or positively detachable connection for the different voltage classes are not intended to be the subject of this invention. As a rule, the electromechanical interfaces of a removable battery pack of one voltage class are designed in such a way that they are only compatible with the corresponding interfaces of a battery-operated electrical device of the same voltage or power class.

This also applies correspondingly to the adapter according to the invention. A person skilled in the art will select a suitable embodiment for the interfaces depending on the performance or voltage class of the battery-operated electrical device, the exchangeable battery pack and/or the adapter according to the invention. The embodiments shown in the exemplary embodiments are therefore only examples to understand.

The wireless interface particularly advantageously has a primary coil in order to inductively transmit energy to a secondary coil of the energy receiver. Since inductive energy transmission is used most frequently alongside other wireless forms of energy transmission, e.g. optically or by movement, the adapter according to the invention is as compatible as possible with appropriately equipped energy receivers, especially if the wireless interface is based on the widespread Qi standard for transmission capacities of up to up to 5 watts (Baseline Power Profile) or 15 watts (Extended Power Profile) with transmission frequencies between 87 and 205 kHz and data rates of up to 2 kBit/s.

For the simplest possible connection of the energy receiver to the adapter, the wireless interface is arranged on a side of the adapter that is essentially opposite the electromechanical interface. In other words, if the electromechanical interface is on the bottom of the adapter, the wireless interface is on the top. The top and bottom do not necessarily have to run parallel to one another, but can also have an angle of up to 30°. This is particularly advantageous when the electromechanical interface of the removable battery pack or the charger is not normal to gravity. It is also conceivable that the wireless interface of the adapter can be adjusted by the operator in terms of its angle to the electromechanical interface.

In order to be able to charge an exchangeable battery pack connected to the mechanical interface of the adapter via the wireless interface, energy can also be transmitted in the opposite direction from the wireless interface to the electromechanical interface. In this case, instead of a wireless energy receiver, a wireless charger is used as the energy source.

So that the adapter is securely connected to the exchangeable battery pack, the electromechanical interface of the adapter has a receptacle for locking with a locking device of the exchangeable battery pack. It is particularly advantageous for the height of the adapter to be less than twice the height of the electromechanical interface. In this way, a particularly compact adapter can be provided that can be easily stowed away.

In a further embodiment of the invention it is provided that the adapter has a display for signaling the energy transport and/or a direction of the energy transport. An operator can thus immediately see whether energy is being transmitted and, if so, which of the two charging partners is acting as the energy source and which as the energy receiver.

In addition to the electromechanical interface for the exchangeable battery pack or for a charger suitable for charging the exchangeable battery pack and the wireless interface, the adapter can have a further electromechanical interface, in particular a USB socket, for discharging and/or charging the exchangeable battery pack connected to it.

exemplary embodiments

drawing

The invention is explained below by way of example with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, with the same reference symbols in the figures indicating the same components with the same function.

Show it

Fig. 1: a schematic representation of a system consisting of a removable battery pack for various battery-powered electrical devices and a charger for charging the removable battery pack and

2: a schematic representation of the adapter according to the invention for the exchangeable battery pack. Description of the exemplary embodiments

FIG. 1 shows an exchangeable battery pack 10 with an electromechanical interface 14 having a plurality of electrical contacts 12. The exchangeable battery pack 10 can be charged by means of a charging device 16 and discharged by various battery-operated electronic devices 18. For this purpose, the charging device 16 and the battery-powered electrical devices 18 each have a further electromechanical interface 20 having a plurality of electrical contacts 12 . FIG. 1 is intended to illustrate that the replaceable battery pack 10 is suitable for various battery-operated electrical devices 18. A battery-powered vacuum cleaner 22, a battery-powered impact wrench 24 and a battery-powered lawn trimmer 26 are shown as examples. In the context of the invention, however, the type of battery-powered electrical device 18 is irrelevant. A wide variety of power tools, gardening tools, household appliances and vehicles can therefore be considered as battery-operated electrical devices 18 .

The exchangeable battery pack 10 comprises a housing 28 which has the electromechanical interface 14 on a side wall or on its upper side 30 for the detachable connection to the further electromechanical interface 20 of the charging device 16 or the battery-operated electrical devices 18 . In conjunction with the battery-powered electrical device 18, the electromechanical interfaces 14, 20 are primarily used to discharge the removable battery pack 10, while they are used in conjunction with the charger 16 to charge the removable battery pack 10. The exact design of the electromechanical interfaces 14, 20 depends on various factors, such as the voltage class of the removable battery pack 10 or the battery-operated electrical device 18 and various manufacturer specifications. For example, three or more electrical contacts 12 can be provided for energy and/or data transmission between the replaceable battery pack 10 and the charger 16 or the battery-operated electrical device 18 . Mechanical coding is also conceivable, so that the replaceable battery pack 10 can only be operated on certain battery-operated electrical devices 18 . Since the mechanical design of the electromechanical interface 14 of the removable battery pack 10 and the other electromechanical interface 20 of the charger 16 or the battery-powered electric device räts 18 is irrelevant to the invention, will not be discussed in detail. Both a person skilled in the art and an operator of the replaceable battery pack 10 and the charging device 16 or the battery-operated electrical device 18 will make the appropriate selection in this regard.

The interchangeable battery pack 10 has a mechanical locking device 32 for locking the positively and/or non-positively releasable connection of the electromechanical interface 14 of the interchangeable battery pack 10 to the corresponding mating interface 20 (not shown in detail) of the battery-powered electrical device 18. The locking device 32 is a spring-loaded pusher 34 is formed, which is operatively connected to a locking member 36 of the exchangeable battery pack 10 . Due to the springiness of the pusher 34 and/or the locking member 36, the locking device 32 automatically snaps into a corresponding receptacle when the replaceable battery pack 10 is pushed into the mating interface 20 of the battery-operated electrical device 18. If an operator presses the push button 34 in the insertion direction, the lock is released and the operator can remove or push out the replaceable battery pack 10 from the battery-operated electrical device 18 in the opposite direction to the insertion direction. Usually, the charger 16 does not have a corresponding receptacle in the electromechanical interface 20 for locking the replaceable battery pack 10 in order to enable the replaceable battery pack 10 to be pushed in and out quickly. Nevertheless, a corresponding locking option for the replaceable battery pack (for example for safe charging while driving a car or the like) can also be provided in the charging device 16 .

As already mentioned at the outset, the rechargeable battery voltage of the exchangeable rechargeable battery pack 10 generally results from a multiple of the individual voltages of the energy storage cells (not shown), depending on their wiring (in parallel or in series). The energy storage cells are preferably in the form of lithium-based energy storage cells, e.g. Li-Ion, Li-Po, Li-Metal or the like. However, the invention can also be used for exchangeable battery packs with Ni-Cd, Ni-MH cells or other suitable cell types.

FIG. 2 shows the adapter 38 according to the invention for use with the exchangeable battery pack 10 according to FIG Connection of the adapter 38 to the electrical contacts 12 having electromechanical interface 14 of the rechargeable battery pack 10, the adapter has a corresponding electromechanical interface 40, which essentially corresponds to the electromechanical interfaces 20 of the charger 16 and the battery-operated electrical device 18. Thus, the electromechanical interface 40 of the adapter 38 also has a plurality of electrical contacts 12 for energy transport and, if applicable, data transmission from and/or to the replaceable battery pack 10 . In addition, guide grooves 42 are provided on the electromechanical interface 40 of the adapter 38 in the pushing-in and pushing-out direction, into which corresponding guide projections 44 of the electromechanical interface 14 of the replaceable battery pack 10 engage. In order to be able to lock the adapter 38 on the replaceable battery pack 10, a receptacle 44 is provided in the electromechanical interface 40 of the adapter 38, in which the locking member 36 of the locking device 32 of the replaceable battery pack 10 can engage when the adapter 38 is in the inserted state. If the operator presses the push button 34 of the exchangeable battery pack 10 in the opposite direction to the insertion direction of the adapter 38, the lock is released and the operator can remove or slide out the adapter 38 from the exchangeable battery pack 10.

In order to be able to wirelessly charge an energy receiver 48 , for example a smartphone 50 , with the adapter 38 , the adapter has a wireless interface 52 for transmitting the energy provided by the replaceable battery pack 10 or by the charger 16 to the energy receiver 48 . For this purpose, the adapter 38 must be connected to the electromechanical interface 20 of the replaceable battery pack 10 via its electromechanical interface 40 in the manner described above, so that energy can be transported via the electrical contacts 12 .

For the inductive transmission of energy, the wireless interface 52 has a primary coil 54 (indicated by an inductive charging symbol in FIG. 2), which interacts with a secondary coil 56 of the energy receiver 48 in a known manner. Since inductive energy transmission, in particular according to the Qi standard, is known to a person skilled in the art, it will not be discussed in any further detail. In addition to inductive energy transmission, there are also other wireless forms of energy transmission, e.g. optically or by movement. tion, in question. However, the Qi standard is currently the most common form of wireless energy transmission for mobile battery-powered devices such as smartphones or wearables. This means transmission powers of up to 5 watts (baseline power profile) or 15 watts (extended power profile) with transmission frequencies between 87 and 205 kHz and data rates of up to 2 kBit/s are possible.

For the simplest possible connection of the energy receiver 48 to the adapter 38 , the wireless interface 52 is arranged on a side of the adapter 38 that is essentially opposite the electromechanical interface 40 . In the exemplary embodiment shown, the electromechanical interface 40 is located on an underside of the adapter 38, while the wireless interface 52 is arranged on its upper side. The operator can thus simply place the energy receiver 48 on the adapter 38 inserted into the replaceable battery pack 10 for charging. The bottom and top of the adapter 10 do not necessarily have to run parallel to one another, but can also have an angle of up to 30°. This is particularly advantageous when the electromechanical interfaces 14, 20 of the replaceable battery pack 10 or the charger 16 are not normal to gravity, so that when the wireless interface 52 is arranged parallel to the electromechanical interface 40 of the adapter 38, there is a risk of the attached one slipping off Energy receiver 48 would exist. It is also conceivable that the wireless interface 52 of the adapter 38 can be adjusted by the operator in terms of its angle to the electromechanical interface 40, for example by means of a hinge (not shown). In that case, at least the primary coil 54 must be part of the foldable wireless interface 52 .

In order to be able to charge a replaceable battery pack 10 connected to the mechanical interface 40 by means of the adapter 38 via its wireless interface 52 , energy can alternatively also be transmitted in the opposite direction from the wireless interface 52 to the electromechanical interface 40 . In this case, instead of the wireless energy receiver 48, a wireless charging device (not shown) is used as the energy source. The adapter 38 has a very compact design. Thus its height extension 58 can be less than twice the height extension 60 of the electromechanical interface 40 in order to enable particularly simple stowage.

The adapter 38 has a display 62 for signaling the energy transport and/or a direction of the energy transport. A simple LED is sufficient for signaling the energy transport, while either one multicolored LED or two LEDs can be used to indicate the direction. Alternatively, an energy-saving LCD is also conceivable, which may supply additional information about the level of the transmitted power, the duration of the energy transport, the voltage and/or the current. Thus, an operator can immediately see whether energy is being transmitted and, if so, which of the two charging partners is acting as the energy source and which as the energy receiver.

In addition to the electromechanical interface 40 for the replaceable battery pack 10 or for a charger 16 suitable for charging the replaceable battery pack 10 and to the wireless interface 52, the adapter 38 can have a further electromechanical interface 64, in particular a USB socket 66, for discharging and/or charging the have exchangeable battery packs 10 connected to it.

Finally, it should also be pointed out that the invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiment shown according to FIG. In particular, the electromechanical interfaces 14, 20, 40 are to be understood as examples. The same applies to the stated voltage and power values.

Claims

Expectations

1. Adapter (38) for an exchangeable battery pack (10) of an electrical electrical device (18) or for charging the exchangeable battery pack (10) suitable charger (16), wherein the adapter (38) for energy transmission has an electromechanical interface (40) with electrical Has contacts (12) via which the adapter (38) can be detachably connected to an electromechanical interface (14, 20) of the replaceable battery pack (10) or the charger (16), characterized in that the adapter (38) has a wireless interface ( 52) for transferring the energy provided by the exchangeable battery pack (10) or by the charging device (16) to a wireless energy receiver (48).

2. Adapter (38) according to claim 1, characterized in that the wireless interface (52) has a primary coil (54).

3. Adapter (38) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the wireless interface (52) works according to the Qi standard.

4. Adapter (38) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the wireless interface (52) is arranged on one of the electromechanical interface (40) substantially opposite side of the adapter (38).

5. Adapter (38) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an angle between the wireless interface (52) and the electromechanical interface (40) can be changed by an operator.

6. Adapter (38) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that energy can also be transmitted in the opposite direction from the wireless interface (54) to the electromechanical interface (40).

7. Adapter (38) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the electromechanical interface (40) of the adapter (38) has a receptacle (46) for locking with a locking device (32) of the exchangeable battery pack (10).

8. Adapter (38) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized

5 indicates that a height extension (58) of the adapter (38) is less than twice a height extension (60) of the electromechanical interface (40).

9. Adapter (38) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the adapter (38) has a display (62) for signaling the energy transport and/or a direction of the energy transport.

10. Adapter (38) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized

15 indicates that the adapter (38) is another electromechanical

Has an interface (64), in particular a USB socket (66), for discharging and/or charging the exchangeable battery pack (10) connected to it.