JP2008103144A - Locking mechanism of battery pack - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a battery pack which is easy to handle and can be attached and detached certainly to a subject equipment. <P>SOLUTION: The locking mechanism of the battery pack A is provided with a locking hook 7 and a locking release button 8 interlocked with the locking hook 7 in a case 5 housing batteries, and when the upper part of the case 5 is installed on an installation part B at the lower part of the subject equipment such as an electric tool by sliding in front and rear direction, the locking hook 7 is locked to the installation part B. The locking hook 7 is arranged capable of moving upward and downward at the upper part of the case 5, and energized so as to be locked to a locking part 4 at the lower part of the installation part B of the subject equipment when moving upward. The locking release buttons 8 are provided at both side parts of the case 5, and when the locking release buttons 8 are pressed toward the inside of the case 5, the locking hook 7 is interlocked so as to be moved in locking release direction. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a battery pack locking mechanism that is detachably provided on a target device such as a power tool or a charger as a power source for the power tool or the like.

  In general, this type of battery pack can be attached to and detached from a grip portion or a charger of an electric tool, and the positive and negative terminals of the battery pack are provided in the target device such as the electric tool and the charger by the attachment. It is configured to come into contact with the terminal.

  By the way, as shown in Patent Document 1, as a conventional battery pack mounting structure, a locking hook is provided at the rear part of the battery pack, and a locking means that engages and disengages the locking hook and a receiving part of the electric tool; It is known to be linked. When mounting the battery pack, the battery pack is slid forward and pushed toward a predetermined position of the target device, and the locking means is locked to the receiving portion of the target device. Conversely, when the battery pack is taken out, it is possible to take out the battery pack by pulling it backward after releasing the locking state of the locking means by placing a finger on the locking hook on the rear surface and pushing it downward.

In addition, as shown in Patent Document 2, it is a method of sliding and engaging in the same manner, but a pair of operation units are arranged on both sides of the battery pack, and these operation units are connected to the thumb and index finger of one hand. In this case, the battery pack and the target device such as an electric tool are released by being pressed while being sandwiched from below, and can be taken out by being pulled out.
JP 2001-229895 A JP 2004-39638 A

  However, in Patent Document 1, when the battery pack is taken out, the direction of the force applied to release the locking hook (downward) and the direction of pulling out the battery pack (backward) are different. It is difficult to insert and remove the battery pack, and since the downward force is maintained for releasing the lock immediately after the lock is released, there is a problem that the battery pack cannot be held and dropped when it is detached from the target device. there were.

  Since what is shown in Patent Document 2 is a structure in which a dent is formed vertically on the both sides of the battery pack below the operation portion, and the thumb and index finger are inserted into the dent from below. Because the thumb and index finger are drawn horizontally with the finger up and down, the force cannot be used efficiently. In addition, there is a risk that the finger may come out of the recess by the pulling force and drop the battery pack.

  It is an object of the present invention to provide a battery pack that solves the above-described problems, is easy to handle, and can be reliably attached to and detached from a target device such as a power tool or a charger.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention according to claim 1 is provided with a case in which a battery is accommodated, and a lock hook and a lock release button that interlocks with the lock hook, and the upper part of the case is connected to an electric tool or the like In a battery pack locking mechanism that locks the locking hook to the mounting portion when the mounting device is slid in the front-rear direction with respect to the lower mounting portion of the target device, the locking hook is placed on the upper portion of the case. Is arranged so that it can be moved up and down, and is urged so as to be locked to a locking portion at a lower portion of the mounting portion of the target device when it is moved upward, and the locking release buttons are provided on both sides of the case. The lock hook is interlocked so that the lock hook moves in the lock release direction when the lock release button is pushed into the case.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the lock release button protrudes from the case even after being pushed.

  The invention according to claim 3 is characterized in that, in claim 1, the lock release button is formed within a range that can be operated with one hand from the front side and the lower side of the battery pack.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, instead of providing the locking hook on the case, the mounting hook is provided on the mounting portion of the target device, and the locking portion is formed on the mounting portion. It is formed in a case.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the locking hook is formed so as to protrude in an opposite direction from the upper surface of the convex portion protruding from the central portion of the upper surface of the case, and the mounting portion of the target device A recess is formed on the lower surface of the recess to fit the locking hook, and the locking hook can be locked to the inner wall of the recess that is different from the side on which the locking hook is fitted. Instead of slidably mounting the upper portion of the case on the lower mounting portion of the target device such as a power tool, the locking hook of the case is connected to the target device. The engaging hook is engaged with the recessed portion of the mounting portion, and the battery hook is rotated so that the engaging hook is engaged with and attached to the engaging portion.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the battery pack is mounted on the target device, the locking hook is locked to the locking portion of the mounting portion of the target device and fixed by sliding with respect to the mounting portion. Is done. Since the locking hook is arranged on the upper part of the case so as to be movable up and down, the locking strength is high, and even when the target device is accidentally dropped, it is possible to effectively prevent the case from coming off.

  When removing the battery pack, the locking release button may be pushed from both sides to release the locking hook, and then slid forward. As described above, when the battery pack is removed, the case is strongly sandwiched with one hand, and this is an act of strongly holding the case in one hand at the same time. As described above, since the unlocking of the locking hook and the strong gripping for pulling out are the same action, the battery pack can be pulled out from the target device without difficulty. Therefore, handling is very easy.

  According to the invention of claim 2, since the lock release button protrudes from the case even after the pushing operation, when the lock release button is grasped from the front of the battery pack, the edge on the front side of the case The lock release button can be pushed in sufficiently without being interfered with.

  According to the invention of claim 3, since the unlocking button is formed within a range that can be operated with one hand from the front side and the lower side of the battery pack, it depends on the size and holding method of the operator's hand. The operation of the stop release button can be freely selected.

  According to the invention of claim 4, instead of providing the locking hook on the case, the locking hook is provided on the mounting portion of the target device, and the locking portion is formed on the mounting portion. Since a strong spring that urges the hook is provided in the mounting portion, the case only needs to have a spring that is strong enough to urge the lock release button in place, and there is no need to attach a strong spring. , It is possible to take an extra space in the case by that amount, and that amount can be used for storing the battery.

  According to the fifth aspect of the invention, since the battery case is attached to the mounting portion of the target device by rotating it in a screwed manner, it is easy to ensure the drop strength and the output terminal on the battery side at the rotating end. Since the output terminal of the battery case can be provided at a position that cannot be directly seen from the outside, the output terminal can be well protected.

[Embodiment 1]
1 is a perspective view of a main part showing a state where a battery pack is mounted on an electric tool, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the battery pack, FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the battery pack, and FIGS. It is sectional drawing which shows the operation state of the latching hook of a pack.

  In the above figure, symbol A indicates a battery pack, and symbol B indicates a mounting portion provided at the lower part of a grip of an electric tool (electric driver).

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the mounting portion B is composed of a base 1 and side piece portions 2 formed on the lower sides of the base 1 so as to have a shorter front-rear width than the base 1 and to be shifted rearward. A slide groove 3 for guiding the slide of the battery pack A is formed on the inner surface of the side piece 2. Further, a locking wall (locking portion) 4 is formed at the front end of the base 1 so as to protrude downward.

  Next, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the battery pack A is a case in which a battery body 6 is housed in a case 5. The case 5 has a box-shaped case body 5a with an open upper end and the open end. The front end portion is provided with a locking hook 7 and a locking release button 8 that can be locked to the locking wall 4.

  That is, the lid member 5b is provided with a base portion 10 on the front side, and a slide rail portion 11 is provided so as to extend rearward from both left and right sides thereof. An opening 12 that penetrates upward and downward is formed in the center of the base 10. Further, guide grooves 13 for the unlocking button 8 are formed on both sides of the base portion 10. The upper part of the groove wall 14 on the front side of the guide groove 13 is formed to be shorter than the entire width of the lid member 5b.

  Bearing grooves 15 are formed on both sides of the front portion of the case body 5a.

  Next, the battery main body 6 includes a substrate, a charging terminal, an output terminal, and the like in addition to the battery (cell). A hook portion 7 a composed of a front plate 17 and a side plate 18 is formed on the upper portion of the locking hook 7. The rear upper part of the side plate 18 is formed to be inclined. Further, on both sides of the hook portion 7a, a receiving portion 20 having an arcuate curved surface is formed, and a leg portion 21 is formed below the receiving portion 20. A spring 22 is engaged with the leg portion 21, and the locking hook 7 is always urged upward by the spring 22.

  On both sides of the front part of the case 5, locking release buttons 8 are arranged. The lock release button 8 has an inverted triangular cross section, and the inner side surface 27 is inclined. A rotation shaft 26 is formed at the lower end of the lock release button 8.

  The battery body 6 is housed inside the case 5 and is closed by a lid member 5b. The battery body 6 is integrally coupled by screwing a screw 24 from above the lid member 5b to a screw receiving portion 25 formed in the case 5. is doing. At this time, the rotation shaft 26 of the locking release button 8 is rotatably engaged with the bearing groove 15 of the case 5. Further, the inner side surface 27 of the locking release button 8 is engaged with the receiving portion 20 of the locking hook 7. Further, the hook portion 7 a of the locking hook 7 penetrates the opening 12 of the lid member 5 b by the spring 22 and protrudes above the battery pack A. Further, the lock release button 8 engages with the lock hook 7 biased by the spring 22 and moves outward by receiving a force, but engages with the guide groove 13 on the way, and the further is outward. Cannot be moved to.

  Since the upper portion of the groove wall 14 on the front side of the guide groove 13 for the lock release button 8 is formed to be shorter than the entire width of the lid member 5b, the lock release button 8 is formed on the groove wall 14 of the lid member 5b. Protrudes from the side.

  According to the above configuration, when the lock release button 8 is pushed inward, the lock release button 8 rotates downward about the rotary shaft 26, and the inner side surface 27 of the lock hook 7 is received on both sides of the lock hook 7. Push down while moving along section 20. For this reason, the locking hook 7 moves downward against the spring 22 and is immersed in the opening 12 as shown in FIG.

  The battery pack A is formed to a size that can be grasped with one hand, and the lock release buttons 8 on both sides are formed within a range that can be grasped with one hand from both sides of the front surface.

  Next, when the battery pack A is attached to the mounting portion B of the electric tool, as shown in FIG. 5, the slide rail portion 11 of the battery pack A is slid into the slide groove 3 of the mounting portion B and is moved to the arrow. Slide backwards as shown. At this time, the locking hook 7 of the battery pack A is engaged with the locking wall 4 of the mounting portion B. Further, when pushed, the lower end of the locking wall 4 slides along the inclined rear surface of the rear portion of the side plate 18 of the locking hook 7, so that the locking hook 7 resists the spring (22). It sinks from the bottom. As a result, the battery pack A slides to the end of the slide groove 3, and when the locking hook 7 exceeds the locking wall 4, the battery pack A is again moved upward by the spring (22). For this reason, the battery pack A cannot be extracted due to the locking between the locking wall 4 and the locking hook 7 and is firmly locked in the mounted state.

  On the other hand, when taking out the battery pack A attached to the mounting portion B, the fingers are extended forward so as to be pinched with one hand from the front side of the battery pack A, and the lock release buttons 8 on both sides with the thumb and the finger fingers. Is pressed so that it is pinched inside from both sides. As a result, as shown in FIG. 4 (b), the lock release button 8 of the battery pack A rotates inwardly about the rotation shaft 26 at the lower end, and its inner side surface 27 is on both sides of the lock hook 7. The locking hook 7 moves downward along the receiving portion 20 and moves downward against the spring 22 in conjunction with the locking release button 8 so as to be immersed in the opening 12. For this reason, after the locking state of the locking wall 4 and the locking hook 7 is released, the battery pack A can be pulled out and removed from the electric tool.

  As described above, when the battery pack A is attached to the electric tool, the battery pack A may be slid to the mounting portion B. When the battery pack A is removed, the locking release button 8 is sandwiched from both sides inward with one hand. Just press it down and slide it out.

  When attaching / detaching the battery pack A, the battery pack A may be pinched with one hand from the front side of the battery pack A, but may be pinched with the thumb of one hand and another finger from below.

  According to the above-described battery pack locking mechanism, when the battery pack is mounted on the power tool, the locking hook 7 is slid with respect to the mounting portion B so that the locking hook 7 is locked to the locking wall 4 of the power tool mounting portion B. It is locked and fixed to. Since the locking hook 7 is arranged on the upper part of the case 5 so as to be movable up and down, the locking strength is high, and even when the electric tool is accidentally dropped, the case 5 can be effectively prevented from coming off.

  The battery pack A is formed in a size that can be grasped with one hand, and the lock release buttons 8 on both sides are formed within a range that can be grasped with one hand from both sides of the back surface. The lock release button 8 may be pushed from both sides to release the lock hook 7 and then slide forward to be pulled out. Holding the case 5 firmly with one hand at the time of detachment is an act of strongly holding the case 5 in one hand at the same time. In addition, when the lock release button 8 is pushed in, the battery pack A is strongly squeezed. As described above, since the unlocking of the locking hook 7 and the strong gripping for pulling out are the same actions, the battery pack A can be pulled out from the electric tool easily and smoothly, and the workability is improved.

  Moreover, since the lock release button 8 protrudes from the side surface of the groove wall 14 of the lock release button guide groove 13, the lock release button 8 protrudes from the case even after the pushing operation. When the lock release button 8 is gripped from the front of the battery pack A, the lock release button 8 can be sufficiently pushed in without being interfered with the front edge (the groove wall 14) of the case 5.

[Embodiment 2]
6 and 7 show an embodiment in which the locking hook 7 is provided in the mounting portion B of the electric tool and the locking portion (locking groove 31) is formed in the case 5. FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 6 (a), the locking hook 7 is provided so as to be able to protrude downward from the lower surface of the base 1 constituting the mounting portion B, and is formed so as to always protrude downward by a spring 30. .

  As shown in FIG. 7A, the locking groove 31 is formed in a V groove shape whose rear side is vertical at the upper part of the front portion of the case 5. A lock release button 8 is provided at the front of the battery pack A so as to be movable up and down. Further, through holes 32 are formed on both sides of the groove bottom of the locking groove 31, and as shown in FIG. 7B, the push-up portion 33 formed integrally with the lock release button 8 from the through hole 32 The engaging hook 7 is configured to be pushed up to be engageable. The lock release button 8 is urged upward by a spring 34 as shown in FIG. The spring 34 only needs to be strong enough to bias the lock release button 8 to a predetermined position below.

  A slide rail portion 11 is formed on both sides of the front portion of the battery pack A, and the guide projection 11 can be engaged with a slide groove 3 formed on the base 1 of the electric tool as shown in FIG. Is formed.

  According to the above configuration, when the battery pack A is mounted on the mounting portion B of the electric tool, the slide rail portion 11 of the battery pack A is engaged with the slide groove 3 of the mounting portion B in the same manner as in the above example. Slide to. At this time, the locking hook 7 projecting downward from the attachment portion B hits the upper surface of the battery pack A. When the locking hook 7 is further pushed, the locking hook 7 is pushed against the spring 30. As a result, the battery pack A slides to the end of the slide groove 3, and the locking groove 31 moves to a position where the locking hook 7 is located as shown in FIG. For this reason, the latching groove 31 and the latching hook 7 are latched and locked, and it will be in a mounting state.

  On the other hand, when the battery pack A attached to the mounting portion B is taken out, the push-up portion 33 is pushed up together with the lock release button 8 as shown in FIG. Accordingly, the locking hook 7 is pushed upward, so that the locking state of the locking groove 31 and the locking hook 7 is released, and the battery pack A can be pulled out and removed from the electric tool.

  According to the above configuration, workability similar to that of the first embodiment can be ensured, and in particular, the strong spring 30 that urges the locking hook 7 is provided in the mounting portion B. It is sufficient if there is a spring 34 strong enough to urge 8 to a predetermined position, and it is not necessary to attach a strong spring. Can be stored.

[Embodiment 3]
8 to 11 show an embodiment in which the battery pack A is mounted on the mounting portion B of the electric tool by rotating the battery pack A in a screwed manner.

  As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 (a) to 9 (c), the locking hook 7 is formed so as to protrude in the opposite direction from the upper surface of the convex portion 35 protruding at the center of the upper surface of the case 5. ing. The convex portion 35 has a shape that is obtained by cutting both sides of a short cylinder, and its side surface includes an arcuate curved surface and a flat surface. The locking hook 7 projects from the arcuate curved surface side.

  An annular groove 36 is formed at the center of the convex portion 35, and an output terminal 37 is disposed inside the annular groove 36. An upper portion of the output terminal 37 is covered with a cover portion 38. Therefore, the output terminal 37 cannot be seen from the outside.

  On the other hand, a recess 40 into which the locking hook 7 can be fitted is formed on the lower surface of the mounting portion B of the electric tool. And the locking groove 41 (locking part) which can be locked to the said locking hook 7 is formed in the inner wall different from the side which the said locking hook 7 fits among the inner walls of the recessed part 40. As shown in FIG. .

  An annular edge 42 is formed at the center of the recess 40, and an L-shaped input terminal 43 is formed inside thereof.

  When the battery pack A is mounted on the mounting portion B of the electric tool, first, the locking hook 7 of the battery pack A is fitted into the recess 40 of the mounting portion B (at the same time, the annular edge 42 is also fitted into the annular groove 36). Further, the battery pack A is rotated 90 degrees in a screwed manner. Thus, as shown in FIG. 11, the locking hook 7 is locked in the locking groove 41, and the battery pack A is mounted on the attachment portion B. At the same time, the output terminal 37 on the battery pack A side is joined to the input terminal 43 of the mounting portion B.

  According to the above configuration, the battery case 5 is mounted on the mounting portion B of the electric tool by rotating the battery case 5 in a screwed manner, so that the workability is good and the drop strength is easily secured, and the battery case 5 is rotated in a screwed manner. Since the output terminal 37 of the battery and the input terminal of the target device are in contact with each other at the rotating end, the output terminal 37 of the case 5 can be provided at a position that cannot be directly seen from the outside by the cover portion 38. Thus, the output terminal 37 can be well protected.

  The present invention is not limited to a power tool. A charger or the like for charging the battery pack can be applied as the target device.

It is a perspective view of the principal part which shows the state which attached the battery pack to the electric tool. It is a perspective view of a battery pack. It is a disassembled perspective view of a battery pack. (A) (b) is sectional drawing for demonstrating the operation | movement aspect of the latching hook of a battery pack. The perspective view which notched and showed in part in order to represent the attachment aspect of a battery pack (A) (b) is sectional drawing which shows the state in which the battery pack was mounted | worn to the attachment part of the electric tool (A) is a perspective view of a battery pack, (b) is a perspective view of a state in which a protruding portion is pushed out. A perspective view of the mounting part and battery pack as seen from above (A) is a plan view of the battery pack, (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX of (a), and (c) is a cross-sectional view taken along line YY of (b). A perspective view of the mounting part and battery pack as seen from above Longitudinal cross-sectional view with battery pack attached to power tool

Explanation of symbols

A Battery pack B Mounting part 4, 31, 41 Locking part 7 Locking hook 8 Locking release button

Claims (5)

The case containing the battery is provided with a locking hook and a locking release button that interlocks with the locking hook, and the upper part of the case is slid in the front-rear direction with respect to the lower mounting part of the target device such as a power tool. In the battery pack locking mechanism that locks the locking hook to the mounting portion when mounted.
The locking hook is arranged on the upper part of the case so as to be movable up and down, and is energized so as to be locked to the locking part at the lower part of the mounting part of the target device when moving upward, and the locking release button is Locking the battery pack, provided on both sides of the case, interlocked so that the locking hook moves in the unlocking direction when the locking release button is pushed into the case. mechanism.   2. The battery pack locking mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the lock release button protrudes from the case even after being pushed. 3.   2. The battery pack locking mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the lock release button is formed within a range that can be operated with one hand from a front side and a lower side of the battery pack.   2. The locking hook according to claim 1, wherein the locking hook is provided at a mounting portion of the target device, and the locking portion is formed at the mounting portion instead of being formed at the mounting portion. The battery pack locking mechanism according to claim 1. The locking hook is formed so as to protrude in the opposite direction from the upper surface of the convex portion protruding from the central portion of the upper surface of the case,
A recess capable of fitting the locking hook is formed on the lower surface of the mounting portion of the target device, and the engagement is formed on the inner wall of the recess that is different from the side on which the locking hook is fitted. While forming a locking part that can be locked to the locking hook,
Instead of sliding the upper part of the case in the front-rear direction with respect to the lower mounting part of the target device such as a power tool, the locking hook of the case is fitted into the concave part of the mounting part of the target device. 2. The battery pack locking mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the locking hook is locked to the locking portion by rotating the battery pack.

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