FR2872969A1 - PORTABLE TOOL STORAGE DEVICE WITH ELECTRIC POWER SUPPLY SYSTEM - Google Patents

Abstract

Portable tool storage device (100) having a power supply system that includes a rechargeable battery, electrical connector means (20) with which the rechargeable battery can be connected to an external power source for charging the rechargeable battery, a charging circuit for controlling charging of said rechargeable battery when the power supply system is connected to said power source, and female output electrical outlet means (24,26) electrically connected to the rechargeable battery so that an external device can draw electricity from the rechargeable battery.

Description

PORTABLE TOOL STORAGE DEVICE WITH SYSTEM

  The present invention relates to a portable power tool storage device 5.

  Until now, electric power tools such as drills, electric jigsaws and others have been used as corded devices whose power supply required them to be plugged into the mains. Such tools are not convenient to use if the work undertaken is carried out at a distance from a mains power supply.

  Although corded power tools still exist (and are certainly preferable for some applications), advances in battery technology have resulted in cordless power tools in which a rechargeable battery pack (often called a battery pack) can be built-in. 'food). Black & Decker, among others, manufactures and markets a range of cordless power tools that each use a particular power supply, as well as a range of power tools with a common power supply. The product Black & Decker HP188F2K (marketed under the trademark "Firestorm") is an example illustrating the first type, and the product "Cordless Quattro (registered trademark) Multi-Tool" is an example illustrating the second type.

  The arrival of cordless power tools has generally been beneficial because users no longer have to depend on an appropriate power source close to the work in progress. This is particularly advantageous in the building industry, for example in circumstances where work is being done on a new building that has not yet been connected to the electricity grid.

  Cordless power tool power supplies usually provide enough energy for the passionate do-it-yourselfer, who occasionally has to carry out one or more relatively modest jobs.

  However, they do not provide enough energy for a professional or a regular user such as a building craftsman, to work a whole day with a single power supply.

  To avoid this problem, it is not uncommon for business or regular users to each carry a number of power supplies. It is also not uncommon in circumstances where a number of professional users work together, for example on a construction site, to have a generator rented for the purpose of recharging the power supplies for electric tools of professionals working on the site.

  Carrying a number of power supplies is not convenient, in the absence of a generator on the job site, because it forces the user to remember to recharge his power supplies at the end of each day. This can be a problem because users with a number of power supplies tend to have only one charger (mainly because replacement power supplies are sold without chargers). It also happens that 1 o users tend to recharge all their power supplies (whether they are fully discharged or not) and we know that it is not recommended (to ensure maximum life of the blocks power supply) to recharge power supplies that are only partially discharged.

  Rental of a generator is not desirable, it can be relatively expensive. The use of a generator also has health and safety implications, and may even be impossible if the job site is of a type where fumes or noise generated by a generator may be problematic.

  The invention provides a portable tool storage device having a power supply system comprising rechargeable battery means, electrical connector means with which the rechargeable battery means can be connected to an external source of power. electricity for charging the rechargeable battery means, power socket means electrically connected to the rechargeable battery means for supplying power to an external device from the rechargeable battery means, and DC conversion means for alternating current connected between the rechargeable battery means and the power take-off means, the AC direct current converting means for converting the DC power supplied by the AC rechargeable battery means to the AC power supply means; 'food.

  The invention will be better understood on studying the detailed description of an embodiment taken by way of nonlimiting example and illustrated by the appended drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of the elements constituting a portable power supply system; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a tool box including the portable power supply system of FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a perspective view of another tool box including the portable power supply system of FIG. 1; and FIG. 4 is a perspective view of yet another toolbox including the portable power supply system of FIG. 1.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic representation (and not a circuit diagram) of the elements constituting a portable power supply system 10 to be integrated in a tool storage device, such as the tool boxes shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 .

  The portable power supply system 10 includes a rechargeable battery 12 which is coupled to a battery charger 14 and a DC direct current converter 16.

  Rechargeable battery 12 is a total discharge lead battery with gel electrolyte. However, in principle, any type of rechargeable battery can be used. For example, the battery could be constituted by a nickel-cadmium battery (NiCad) of high power. The rechargeable battery could also be constituted by a number of batteries connected to each other to form a set of batteries (it being understood that the generic term "battery" has a meaning which covers both a set of individual batteries and the individual battery ).

  The battery 12 is connected to a ventilation pipe 18 which, as described below, serves to evacuate into the atmosphere the gases or liquids possibly released by the battery. In the case of a car battery, it is expected that a power of the order of 750 watt hours can be provided (which is sufficient to load multiple power supplies or even directly power tools).

  The battery charger 14 is electrically connected to a plug 20 (eg, a 13 amp three-pin plug) via a suitable electrical cable. The plug 20 can be plugged into a socket (not shown) of a mains power supply to recharge the rechargeable battery 12.

  The battery charger 14 controls the charging of the battery, for example to avoid overcharging the battery. A charge indicator 22 is mounted across the rechargeable battery 12 to provide users with a visual indication of the status of the battery. Any suitable battery charger can be used and, as those skilled in the art will be aware of many different types of battery chargers, the operation of such devices will not be described here in detail.

  The system 10 is provided with a reset button 25, which serves as a current limiter and is adapted to jump and open a contact within the system for disconnecting the battery 12 in the case where the battery current exceeds a current. given limit (as might happen if the battery were to be short-circuited or if one of the system components suffered a catastrophic failure). Once the battery 12 is charged or recharged, the electricity stored in the battery can be used to recharge power supplies for cordless power tools.

  The cordless power supplies can be recharged by plugging a power supply charger (usually marketed with the cordless power tool concerned) into a 3-hole 24-socket, which is electrically connected to the DC converter 16. alternating current using a suitable electric cable. The AC direct current converter 16 converts the direct current of the battery 12 into alternating current for supplying the power supply charger.

  This arrangement is particularly advantageous because power supply chargers tend to be designed for use with the particular type of power supply unit with which they are sold. For commercial reasons and safety reasons, the power supplies and their corresponding chargers also tend to be designed so that only one power supply for use with a particular charger can be mechanically installed on this charger.

  The fact that the portable power supply system 10 is provided with an outlet socket in the form of a 3-hole socket 24 allows the particular power supply charger for any power supply unit to be connected to the power supply. to be connected to the battery 1, so that the use of the portable power supply system is not limited. Another advantage of this arrangement is that the portable power supply does not have to be provided with control circuits necessary to control the load of the power supplies (these circuits being present in the chargers which can be connected to the system. ). This reduces the manufacturing cost and increases the flexibility of the system. Another advantage of this arrangement is that the power supply system 10 can be used to supply electrical power directly to corded power tools, or in any other equipment requiring an AC power supply. According to another possibility, or in addition from the 24-hole 3-socket, the portable power supply system 10 may be provided with one or more power-jack sockets into which compatible power supplies may be connected. In this case, it becomes necessary to have appropriate conditioning circuits 28 between the battery 12 and the power supply socket (s) 26. Normally, the conditioning circuit 28 must comprise an AC direct current converter. If two female sockets 26 are present, they may be of the same model or of different models (for respectively receiving two power supplies of the same type or two blocks. supply of different types).

  The receptacles 26 for power supplies and the conditioning circuit 28 may be designed to receive and recharge only one type of power supply unit or, in a very preferable arrangement, the conditioning circuit 28 may serve detecting the type of power supply connected to the socket (s) 26 and accordingly controlling the charging of this power supply. The circuit providing this functionality is well known in the art, so it will not be described in detail here.

  The female receptacle (s) 26 for power supplies could be designed to receive power supplies of different brands, all of which have almost the same external shape. For example, a universal socket for power supplies could easily be designed to receive power supplies marketed by Dewalt, Ryobi, Hitachi and Bosch, since all these power supplies have a similar shape.

  According to another possibility, or even more preferably in addition to the presence of a conditioning circuit 28 for detecting the type of power supply unit connected to the socket (s) 26, a selector 30 that can be operated by the user can be provided. to allow the user to select different settings for different types of power supplies. If such a selector 30 is present, it is preferable that the conditioning circuit 28 is configured to take over a user-chosen setting in the event that the user inadvertently selects the selector to an unsuitable setting position. power supply (s) connected to the system. The system could also be designed to prevent a power supply from recharging in case a mismatch between the chosen power supply on selector 30 and the power supply is detected by the system and allows the user to be informed of what has happened, for example using an alert light or an audible signal.

  The system 10 may be provided with means 82 for visually presenting the user with an indication of the status (e.g. the amount of energy stored) of the or each power supply connected thereto. The system 10 may be provided with means for calculating an indication of the stage of reconditioning a given power supply by determining, for example, the ratio between the theoretical maximum load that the block could accept and the load that the block will actually accept, and thereby provide the user in good time with an indication of a possible failure of a power supply.

  This functionality could for example be ensured by providing a capacity indicator 34 coupled to the conditioning circuit 28, and a selector 36 which can be tilted by a user to cause the capacity indicator 34 to display an indication of the energy stored in the battery 12, or the state of the power supply or each block plugged into the system. It will be noted that if the capacity indicator 34 is present, witnesses 22 and 32 can be dispensed with.

  The portable power supply system 10 has been described as having many different elements, some of which duplicate. This is only intended to simplify the description and illustration of the organs that can be integrated into the system. For example, in a system having an electrical outlet in the form of a receptacle 23 and one or more power supplies 26, two separate ac DC converters have been described. However, as a specialist will be able to easily develop the most suitable circuit to implement the possibilities illustrated in FIG. 1, this circuit will not be described in detail.

  Fig. 2 shows a tool box 50 comprising the portable power supply system 10. The tool box comprises a housing 52 having three drawers 54. The housing 52 is provided with a pair of wheels 56 mounted at the rear and a handle 58 for easily moving the tool box by rolling it from one place to another.

  The power supply system 10 can be installed in one of the drawers 54 so that it can be removed for maintenance. Alternatively, it can be installed in the housing so that a user can not normally access the organs of the power system. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the power supply system 10 is installed in the housing 12 under the bottom drawer 54. The output socket 24 of the system 10 is mounted in a front panel 58 of the tool box, along the control 22. An air hole 60 is connected to the vent pipe 18. The plug and the cable extend from one side of the housing 52. When not using the cable, it can be wound around a cable. pair of fittings 62 present on the side of the housing 52.

  In the present embodiment, the power supply system 10 does not have female sockets 26 for power supplies or corresponding conditioning circuits. The tool box 50 is intended to allow power supply units to be recharged via a charging device supplied with power via the socket 24. According to another possibility, power tools and other devices requiring AC power can be directly supplied from the power supply system 10.

  Fig. 3 shows another tool box 100 comprising a portable power supply system 10 as shown in FIG. 1. The tool box 100 is similar to the tool box 50, too, to avoid unnecessary repetition of description, the identical elements are designated by the same references.

  In the present embodiment, the battery 12 and other larger elements such as the battery charger 14 and the AC DC converter 16 are mounted in the lower part of the toolbox. The parts of the system mounted in the bottom of the tool box are preferably accessible via hatches 102 and can be mounted on a rack that can slide out of the tool box on telescopic rails to improve 'accessibility. Alternatively, the parts of the system 10 mounted in the bottom of the tool box can be housed in a drawer installed in place of the hatches 102.

  The plug 20 is shown in place in a false 3-hole socket installed on the side of the housing 52. This allows to cleanly tidy the plug when not in use. The cable 104 for the plug 20 is wound on a spring winding drum housed in the toolbox 100, so that it is stored in the toolbox when not in use.

  In the present embodiment, the three-hole socket 24, reset button 25, power pack sockets 26, battery capacity indicator 34, and selector 36 are all disposed on an upper panel 106. of the housing 52. Users will find this arrangement more convenient than the arrangement shown in FIG. 2. In addition, it is preferable that there are no battery packs protruding from the side panels of the case while they are charging.

  Fig. 4 shows another possible embodiment in which the tool box 150 is designed to be carried rather than moved on wheels. The battery 12 housed in the tool box 150 may be smaller than that housed in the wheeled version so as to reduce the weight of the entire toolbox.

  The tool box 150 comprises a housing 152 with a cover 154 supported by hinges (not shown) on its upper edge. The lid 154 has a carrying handle 156 mounted on its upper face. A drawer 158 is present in the lower portion of the housing 152 and has a handle 160 so that it can be pulled out of the housing by pulling to find the socket 24 of a portable power supply system 10 installed in the drawer. There is also shown a plug 20 and a flexible cable that can be used to connect the power supply system 10 to the mains to recharge the battery 12. The plug 20 is shown in the stowed position, in the absence of use in the same way as the plug 20 shown in FIG. 3. The upper part of the housing 152 defines above the drawer cavity a volume in which can be stored tools.

  It appears from the foregoing that the embodiments described herein constitute a toolbox provided with a convenient portable power supply system to be used, relatively inexpensive to build. Another advantage of at least some of the embodiments described is that the power supply system is easily transportable, which means that it could be carried at the top of a ladder by someone working on a roof or, in any case, transported to a relatively inaccessible place of work, for example in a mine shaft. It is understood that under such circumstances, it would be totally unthinkable to use a generator.

  It is to be understood that although some preferred embodiments have been described, the scope of the invention is not limited to these embodiments, but also covers all variants and embodiments that fall within the scope of the claims. . For example, the disclosed embodiments use a three-hole socket 7, but it appears that any other type of electrical connector (e.g., a two-hole socket) could also be used. It will also appear that the voltage delivered by the system can be modified at will. For example. the system could supply 240 volts alternating current, or could be designed to supply 115 volts alternating current, the latter being commonly used on construction sites.

  Note that the rechargeable battery 12 could be replaced by any other type of rechargeable energy storage device, for example a hydrogen battery.

  In another alternative to the plug 20 and the battery charger 14, the portable power supply system 10 may be provided with an input socket connected directly to the rechargeable battery means. This socket would allow connection to an external battery charger.

  Alternatively, or in addition, the input socket would allow the rechargeable battery means to be electrically connected to the "cigarette lighter" socket of a vehicle so that the battery can be recharged in a vehicle, for example, during a trip to or from a construction site. The input socket is preferably of the "cigarette lighter" type. The system 10 could be provided with the battery charger 14 and the plug 20 and a cigar lighter input socket. The advantage of not having the battery charger 14 is that it lightens the toolbox.

  It will be appreciated that the various elements of the portable power supply system 10 described can be installed in various ways in the tool storage devices shown and that the invention is not limited to the specific configurations shown.

  It is understood that the portable power supply system can easily be constructed to meet any needs imposed by a workplace. For example, the system can be built to IP65 for dust and water penetration, or meet the ATEX directive for explosive atmospheres.

Claims (20)

  A portable tool storage device, characterized in that it comprises a power supply system (10) which comprises a rechargeable battery means (12), an electrical connector means (20) by means of which the rechargeable battery means (12) is connectable to an external source of electricity for charging the rechargeable battery means (12), output electrical outlet means (24) electrically connected to the rechargeable battery means (12) for an external device can draw electricity from the rechargeable battery means (12), and AC direct current conversion means (16) connected between the rechargeable battery means (12) and the means forming electrical output socket (24), the AC direct current converting means (16) for converting the direct current of the rechargeable battery means (12) into a alternative for the outlet electrical outlet means (24).   Device according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises load circuit means connected between said electrical connector means (20) and the rechargeable battery means (12), said charge circuit means charging the rechargeable battery means (12).   3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the outlet electrical outlet means (24) is constituted by a female socket with three holes.   4. Device according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the outlet electrical outlet means (24) is constituted by at least one socket (26) for power supply unit in which can be connected a block of power supply of a cordless power tool.   5. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that the power supply system (10) further comprises a conditioning circuit (28) for controlling the charge of a power supply connected in the or each said socket (26) for power supply.   6. Device according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that a said socket (26) for power supply unit is constituted by a universal socket into which can be connected power supplies of different shapes.   Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the power supply system (10) comprises a capacity indicator (22) for indicating the energy stored in said rechargeable battery means (12).   8. Device according to claim 7, characterized in that said capacity indicator (22) is connected to the terminals of said battery.   9. Device according to claim 7, dependent on claim 5, characterized in that the capacity indicator (22) is connected to the conditioning circuit (28) and serves to provide a visual indication of the energy stored in the means rechargeable battery (12) as determined by said conditioning circuit (28).   Apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that the power supply system (10) further comprises a user-operable selector (36) coupled to said conditioning circuit (28) and operable to control the battery circuit. conditioning (28) so that said capacity indicator (22) displays information regarding a power supply connected in the or each of said power supply sockets (26).   11. Device according to claim 10, characterized in that said information is constituted by an indication of the energy stored in said power supply unit.   12. Device according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that said information is constituted by an indication of the state of a said power supply unit.   Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the electrical connector means (20) comprises an electric cable wound on a winding drum inside the tool storage device.   14. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said electrical connector means (20) is constituted by a plug and the device further comprises a false socket for said plug (20), wherein the plug (20) can be depressed when not in use.   15. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said rechargeable battery means (12) is constituted by a lead battery.   16. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that said rechargeable battery means (12) is constituted by a nickel-cadmium battery (NiCad) Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it further comprises a second output electrical outlet means electrically connected to the rechargeable battery means (12) so that electricity can be drawn from the rechargeable battery means (12), said second output electrical plug means providing a direct current.   18. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said power supply system (10) is installed in a drawer of the device.   19. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises wheels (56).   20. A portable tool storage device substantially as previously described with reference to the drawings.