JP2022127873A - battery pack - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a technique capable of suppressing the outer shape of a battery pack from becoming bulky even if a terminal cover is attached to a casing.SOLUTION: A battery pack includes a casing, a battery side terminal housed in the casing, and a terminal cover that can be attached to and detached from the casing. The casing includes a first casing surface and a first recessed surface recessed inward from the first casing surface. There is formed, on the first recessed surface, a terminal opening through which a terminal connected to the battery side terminal passes. The terminal cover includes a first cover part covering the first recessed surface. In the state where the terminal cover is attached to the casing, the outer surface of the first cover part is located inside the first casing surface when viewed from a first direction along the first casing surface. In the state where the terminal cover is attached to the casing, the outer surface of the first cover part is located inside the first casing surface when viewed from a second direction along the first casing surface and orthogonal to the first direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

The technology disclosed in this specification relates to battery packs.

Patent Document 1 discloses a battery pack. The battery pack includes a casing, battery-side terminals housed in the casing, and a terminal cover detachable from the casing. The casing has a first casing surface and a first recessed surface recessed inwardly of the first casing surface. A terminal opening through which a terminal connected to the battery-side terminal passes is formed in the first recessed surface. The terminal cover has a first cover portion covering the first recessed surface. With the terminal cover attached to the casing, the outer surface of the first cover portion is located inside the first casing surface when viewed from the first direction along the first casing surface. With the terminal cover attached to the casing, when viewed from a second direction along the first casing surface and orthogonal to the first direction, the outer surface of the first cover portion is aligned with the first casing surface. not located inside the

JP 2019-021603 A

In the above battery pack, when the terminal cover is attached to the casing, when viewed from the first direction, the first cover portion does not protrude beyond the casing, but when viewed from the second direction, the terminal cover is attached to the casing. 1 cover part protrudes outside the casing. Therefore, when the terminal cover is attached to the casing, the outer shape of the battery pack becomes bulky. The present specification provides a technology capable of suppressing bulkiness of the battery pack even when the terminal cover is attached to the casing.

A battery pack disclosed in the present specification may include a casing, battery-side terminals housed in the casing, and a terminal cover that is attachable to and detachable from the casing. The casing may comprise a first casing surface and a first recessed surface recessed inwardly of the first casing surface. A terminal opening through which a terminal connected to the battery-side terminal passes may be formed in the first recessed surface. The terminal cover may include a first cover portion covering the first recessed surface. With the terminal cover attached to the casing, the outer surface of the first cover portion may be positioned inside the first casing surface when viewed from the first direction along the first casing surface. . With the terminal cover attached to the casing, when viewed from a second direction along the first casing surface and orthogonal to the first direction, the outer surface of the first cover portion is aligned with the first casing surface. may be located inside the

In the above battery pack, when the terminal cover is attached to the casing, when viewed from the first direction, the first cover portion does not protrude beyond the casing, and when viewed from the second direction, the second cover portion does not project outward. 1. The cover part does not protrude outside the casing. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the battery pack from becoming bulky when the terminal cover is attached to the casing.

1 is a diagram schematically showing configurations of a battery pack 2, a charger 100, and an electric device 200 according to an embodiment; FIG. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the battery pack 2 according to the embodiment as seen from the front right upper side; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the battery pack 2 according to the embodiment as seen from the front left lower side; Fig. 3 is a perspective cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the right engaging portion 24 of the battery pack 2 according to the embodiment, viewed from the front left lower side; Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the terminal cover 28 being attached to and detached from the battery pack 2 according to the embodiment, as seen from the front left lower side; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the terminal cover 28 of the battery pack 2 according to the embodiment, viewed from the front right and lower side; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the terminal cover 28 of the battery pack 2 according to the embodiment as seen from the rear left upper side; 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the vicinity of the right engaging portion 24 in a state where the terminal cover 28 is attached to the battery pack 2 according to the embodiment; FIG. FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the vicinity of the terminal IF section 20 viewed from below in a state where the terminal cover 28 is attached to the battery pack 2 according to the embodiment. 4 is a front view of the vicinity of the terminal IF section 20 viewed from the front in a state where the terminal cover 28 is attached to the battery pack 2 according to the embodiment; FIG. Fig. 2 is a side view of the battery pack 2 according to the embodiment as viewed from the right; 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the first right guide groove 34 of the battery pack 2 according to the embodiment; FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a battery charger 100 to which a battery pack 2 can be attached and detached according to an embodiment, viewed from the upper front left. FIG. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the battery charger 100 to which the battery pack 2 can be attached and detached according to the embodiment, as seen from the rear right upper side; 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the vicinity of a first right guide groove 34 and a second right guide groove 36 when the battery pack 2 according to the embodiment is attached to the charger 100. FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the right engaging portion 24 when the battery pack 2 according to the embodiment is attached to the charger 100. FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the state in which the battery pack 2 according to the embodiment is attached to the charger 100 as viewed from the upper front left. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a battery pack mounting portion 202 to which a battery pack 2 according to the embodiment can be attached and detached, viewed from the upper front left. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a battery pack mounting portion 202 to which a battery pack 2 according to the embodiment can be attached and detached, viewed from the rear right upper side; In the battery pack 2 according to the embodiment, when the upper guide portion 210b of the right guide rib 210 of the battery pack attachment portion 202 enters the lower guide portion 34a of the first right guide groove 34, the first right guide groove 34 and the second 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the right guide groove 36. FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the vicinity of a first right guide groove 34 and a second right guide groove 36 when the battery pack 2 according to the embodiment is attached to the battery pack attachment portion 202; FIG. In the battery pack 2 according to the embodiment, the terminal IF portion 20, the hook sliding groove 32, and the hook engaging groove in a state where the engaging portion 208a of the hook 208 of the battery pack mounting portion 202 passes through the terminal IF portion 20. 30 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the vicinity of 30. FIG. In the battery pack 2 according to the embodiment, the terminal IF portion 20, the hook sliding groove 32, and the hook engagement when the engaging portion 208a of the hook 208 of the battery pack mounting portion 202 passes through the hook sliding groove 32. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the vicinity of a groove 30; FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the vicinity of terminal IF portion 20, hook sliding groove 32, and hook engaging groove 30 in a state where battery pack 2 according to the embodiment is attached to battery pack attachment portion 202. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a state in which a battery pack 2 according to an embodiment is attached to a battery pack attachment portion 202, viewed from the front left upper side; FIG.

A representative and non-limiting embodiment of the invention is described in detail below with reference to the drawings. This detailed description is merely intended to provide those skilled in the art with details for implementing a preferred embodiment of the invention, and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Also, the additional features and inventions disclosed can be used separately or in conjunction with other features and inventions to provide still improved battery packs.

Moreover, any combination of features and steps disclosed in the following detailed description are not required to practice the invention in its broadest sense, but are specifically intended to illustrate representative embodiments of the invention only. is described. Moreover, various features of the representative embodiments below, as well as those that are claimed, are described herein in providing additional and useful embodiments of the invention. They do not have to be combined in the exact order of the examples or in the order listed.

All features set forth in the specification and/or claims, apart from the configuration of the features set forth in the examples and/or claims, are set forth in the disclosure and claims as originally filed. They are intended to be disclosed individually and independently of each other as limitations on the particulars identified. Further, all statements of numerical ranges and groups or populations are intended to disclose intermediate configurations thereof as limitations on the specific subject matter recited in the original disclosure as well as the claims.

In one or more embodiments, the battery pack may include a casing, battery-side terminals accommodated in the casing, and a terminal cover that is attachable to and detachable from the casing. The casing may comprise a first casing surface and a first recessed surface recessed inwardly of the first casing surface. A terminal opening through which a terminal connected to the battery-side terminal passes may be formed in the first recessed surface. The terminal cover may include a first cover portion covering the first recessed surface. With the terminal cover attached to the casing, the outer surface of the first cover portion may be positioned inside the first casing surface when viewed from the first direction along the first casing surface. . With the terminal cover attached to the casing, when viewed from a second direction along the first casing surface and orthogonal to the first direction, the outer surface of the first cover portion is aligned with the first casing surface. may be located inside the

In the above battery pack, when the terminal cover is attached to the casing, when viewed from the first direction, the first cover portion does not protrude beyond the casing, and when viewed from the second direction, the second cover portion does not project outward. 1. The cover part does not protrude outside the casing. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the battery pack from becoming bulky when the terminal cover is attached to the casing.

In one or more embodiments, the outer surface of the first cover portion may be formed with a first finger hook portion for a user to put a finger on when removing the terminal cover from the casing.

According to the above configuration, the user can attach and detach the terminal cover more easily.

In one or more embodiments, the first finger hook portion may include a finger hook projection projecting outward from the outer surface of the first cover portion. With the terminal cover attached to the casing, a tip of the finger hook protrusion may be located inside the first casing surface when viewed from the first direction. When viewed from the second direction with the terminal cover attached to the casing, the tip of the finger hook projection may be located inside the first casing surface.

According to the above configuration, when the terminal cover is attached to the casing, when viewed from the first direction, the finger hook protrusion does not protrude outward from the casing, and when viewed from the second direction, The finger hook projection does not protrude outside the casing. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the battery pack from becoming bulky when the terminal cover is attached to the casing.

In one or more embodiments, the casing may be formed with a second finger hook for a user to put a finger on when removing the terminal cover from the casing.

According to the above configuration, the user can attach and detach the terminal cover more easily.

In one or more embodiments, the terminal cover may be attachable to the casing by sliding in the first direction and by sliding in a direction opposite to the first direction to attach the terminal cover to the casing. It may be removable from the casing.

According to the above configuration, the user can attach or remove the terminal cover to or from the casing by sliding the terminal cover. The user can attach and detach the terminal cover without performing complicated operations.

In one or more embodiments, the casing further comprises a second casing surface slanted with respect to the first casing surface and a second recessed surface recessed inwardly of the second casing surface. may The terminal cover may further include a second cover portion covering the second recessed surface. With the terminal cover attached to the casing, the outer surface of the second cover portion may be located inside the second casing surface when viewed from a third direction along the second casing surface. . With the terminal cover attached to the casing, when viewed from a fourth direction along the second casing surface and perpendicular to the third direction, the outer surface of the second cover portion is aligned with the second casing surface. may be located inside the

According to the above configuration, when the terminal cover is attached to the casing, when viewed from the third direction, the second cover portion does not protrude outside the casing, and when viewed from the fourth direction, The second cover part does not protrude outside the casing. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the battery pack from becoming bulky when the terminal cover is attached to the casing.

In one or more embodiments, the casing may include a casing-side engagement portion. The terminal cover may include a cover-side engaging portion engageable with the casing-side engaging portion.

According to the above configuration, the terminal cover can be fixed while being attached to the casing, so that it is possible to prevent the terminal cover from unexpectedly coming off the casing.

In one or more embodiments, the cover side engaging portion may be arranged between two slits.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to facilitate elastic deformation of the cover-side engaging portion. When the user attaches and detaches the terminal cover, it is possible to more easily engage and disengage the cover-side engaging portion and the casing-side engaging portion.

In one or more embodiments, movement of the terminal cover relative to the casing may be restricted in at least two mutually orthogonal directions when the terminal cover is attached to the casing.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to suppress rattling of the terminal cover with respect to the casing when the terminal cover is attached to the casing.

(Example)
As shown in FIG. 1 , the battery pack 2 of this embodiment can be attached to and detached from a battery pack attachment portion 101 of a charger 100 . Charger 100 can charge battery pack 2 attached to battery pack attachment portion 101 . Also, the battery pack 2 can be attached to and detached from the battery pack attachment portion 202 of the electrical device 200 . The electric device 200 may be, for example, a power tool using a motor as a power source, such as a screwdriver or a drill, or may be an electric work machine using a motor as a power source, such as a mower or a blower. Alternatively, the electrical device 200 may be a non-motorized electrical device such as a light, radio, speaker, or the like. The electric device 200 can operate using power supplied from the battery pack 2 attached to the battery pack attachment portion 202 .

As shown in FIG. 2 , the battery pack 2 includes a body portion 4 , a right support portion 6 , a left support portion 8 and a grip portion 10 . The body portion 4 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The body portion 4 includes a front surface 4a, a rear surface 4b, a right surface 4c, a left surface 4d, an upper surface 4e, and a lower surface 4f. The vertical dimension of the body portion 4 is larger than the longitudinal dimension of the body portion 4 . The horizontal dimension of the body portion 4 is larger than the vertical dimension of the body portion 4 . The vertical dimension of the body portion 4 is, for example, within the range of 150.0 mm to 250.0 mm, more specifically 171.5 mm. The dimension of the body portion 4 in the front-rear direction is, for example, within the range of 70.0 mm to 120.0 mm, more specifically 90.0 mm. The horizontal dimension of the body portion 4 is, for example, within the range of 170.0 mm to 210.0 mm, more specifically 190.0 mm. The right support portion 6 protrudes upward from the vicinity of the right end of the upper surface 4 e of the body portion 4 . The left support portion 8 protrudes upward from the vicinity of the left end of the upper surface 4 e of the body portion 4 . The grip portion 10 extends in the left-right direction, and connects the vicinity of the upper end of the left surface of the right support portion 6 and the vicinity of the upper end of the right surface of the left support portion 8 . The weight of the battery pack 2 is, for example, within the range of 1.0 kg to 4.0 kg, more specifically 2.2 kg. The rated voltage of the battery pack 2 is, for example, within the range of 36V-108V, more specifically 57.6V. The rated capacity of the battery pack 2 is, for example, within the range of 3.0Ah-12.0Ah, more specifically 4.0Ah.

The battery pack 2 includes a casing 12 and a plurality of battery cells 14 (see FIG. 12) housed inside the casing 12 . The casing 12 has a front casing 12a and a rear casing 12b. The front casing 12 a defines the outer shape of the front half of the main body 4 , the right support 6 , the left support 8 , and the grip 10 . The rear casing 12 b defines the outer shape of the rear half of the body portion 4 , the right support portion 6 , the left support portion 8 , and the grip portion 10 .

A remaining amount display indicator 16 and a remaining amount display button 18 are provided in the vicinity of the front end of the upper surface 4 e of the body portion 4 . A remaining amount display indicator 16 displays the remaining battery amount of the battery pack 2 . The remaining amount display button 18 is a button for the user to turn on the display of the remaining battery amount by the remaining amount display indicator 16 . The remaining amount display indicator 16 lights up when the remaining amount display button 18 is turned on, and automatically turns off after a predetermined time elapses. Regarding the front-rear direction, the remaining amount display indicator 16 and the remaining amount display button 18 are arranged in front of the grip part 10 . Regarding the horizontal direction, the remaining amount display indicator 16 and the remaining amount display button 18 are arranged to the left of the right support portion 6 and to the right of the left support portion 8 .

A terminal interface (hereinafter also referred to as IF) section 20 is formed in the lower front portion near the center in the left-right direction of the main body section 4 . As shown in FIG. 3, the terminal IF section 20 includes an IF upper surface 20a, an IF rear surface 20b, an IF right surface 20c, and an IF left surface 20d (see FIG. 2). The IF upper surface 20 a extends in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction, faces downward, and is offset upward from the lower surface 4 f of the main body 4 . The IF rear surface 20 b extends in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction, faces forward, and is offset rearward from the front surface 4 a of the main body 4 . The IF right surface 20c extends in the front-rear direction and the up-down direction and faces left. The IF left surface 20d (see FIG. 2) extends in the front-rear direction and the up-down direction and faces rightward. Further, the terminal IF section 20 includes a plurality of terminal accommodating sections 22 arranged side by side in the horizontal direction between the IF right surface 20c and the IF left surface 20d. Each terminal accommodating portion 22 has a lower surface 22a along the front-rear direction and the left-right direction, a front surface 22b along the left-right direction and the up-down direction, a right surface 22c (see FIG. 2) along the front-rear direction and the up-down direction, It has a left surface 22d along the direction and the vertical direction. The lower surface 22a of each terminal accommodating portion 22 has a front end connected to the lower end of the front surface 22b and a rear end connected to the IF rear surface 20b. The front surface 22b of each terminal accommodating portion 22 is connected at its upper end to the IF upper surface 20a. The right surface 22c and the left surface 22d of each terminal accommodating portion 22 have a front end connected to the front surface 22b, a rear end connected to the IF rear surface 20b, a top end connected to the IF top surface 20a, and a bottom end connected to the bottom surface. 22a. The lower surface 22a of each terminal accommodating portion 22 is arranged above the lower surface 4f of the main body portion 4 and substantially on the same plane. The front surface 22b of each terminal accommodating portion 22 is arranged rearward of the front surface 4a of the main body portion 4 and substantially on the same plane. A terminal opening 22e is formed in the lower surface 22a of each terminal accommodating portion 22. As shown in FIG. The terminal opening 22e is a slit-shaped through hole having a longitudinal direction in the front-rear direction. Each terminal accommodating portion 22 accommodates a battery-side terminal (not shown).

As shown in FIG. 3 , a right engaging portion 24 that protrudes leftward is formed on the IF right surface 20 c of the terminal IF portion 20 . As shown in FIG. 2, the IF left surface 20d of the terminal IF portion 20 is formed with a left engaging portion 26 projecting rightward. The right engaging portion 24 and the left engaging portion 26 have symmetrical positions and shapes. As shown in FIG. 4, the right engaging portion 24 includes a base portion 24a having an upper end connected to the IF upper surface 20a and a rear end connected to the IF rear surface 20b, and a base portion 24a extending forward from the lower front end of the base portion 24a. It has an extending rail portion 24b and a tip portion 24c extending downward from the front end of the rail portion 24b. Similarly, the left engaging portion 26 has a base portion 26a whose upper end is connected to the IF upper surface 20a and whose rear end is connected to the IF rear surface 20b, and a rail portion 26b extending forward from the lower front end of the base portion 26a. and a tip portion 26c extending downward from the front end of the rail portion 26b.

As shown in FIG. 5 , a terminal cover 28 can be attached to and detached from the terminal IF section 20 . The terminal cover 28 can be attached to the terminal IF section 20 by sliding it backward with respect to the terminal IF section 20 . Further, the terminal cover 28 can be removed from the terminal IF section 20 by sliding it forward with respect to the terminal IF section 20 . That is, the terminal cover 28 can be attached and detached by sliding it with respect to the terminal IF section 20 with the front-rear direction as the sliding direction.

As shown in FIG. 6, the terminal cover 28 includes a lower plate portion 28a, a front plate portion 28b, a right plate portion 28c, and a left plate portion 28d (see FIG. 7). The terminal cover 28 is a member made of resin, for example, and a lower plate portion 28a, a front plate portion 28b, a right plate portion 28c, and a left plate portion 28d are integrally formed. The lower plate portion 28a has a substantially flat plate shape along the front-rear direction and the left-right direction. The lower plate portion 28a has a substantially rectangular shape with a longitudinal direction along the left-right direction and a short side direction along the front-rear direction. The lower surface of the lower plate portion 28a is formed with a finger hook projection 28e that protrudes downward and extends in the left-right direction. The finger hook projection 28e is arranged rearward of the center of the lower plate portion 28a in the front-rear direction. The front plate portion 28b extends upward from the front end of the lower plate portion 28a. The front plate portion 28b has a flat plate shape along the vertical direction and the horizontal direction. The front plate portion 28b has a substantially rectangular shape with the longitudinal direction along the horizontal direction and the lateral direction along the vertical direction.

As shown in FIG. 7, the right plate portion 28c and the left plate portion 28d have flat plate shapes extending in the front-rear direction and the up-down direction. The right plate portion 28c and the left plate portion 28d have a rectangular shape with the longitudinal direction along the front-rear direction and the short side along the vertical direction, with the rear upper portion obliquely cut away. The right plate portion 28c is arranged to the left of the right end of the front plate portion 28b and the right end of the lower plate portion 28a. The front end of the right plate portion 28c is connected to the vicinity of the right end of the rear surface of the front plate portion 28b. The lower end of the right plate portion 28c is connected to the vicinity of the right end of the upper surface of the lower plate portion 28a. As shown in FIG. 6, the right surface of the right plate portion 28c is formed with an outer reinforcing rib 28f projecting rightward. As shown in FIG. 7, an inner reinforcing rib 28g that protrudes leftward is formed on the left surface of the right plate portion 28c. The outer reinforcing rib 28f and the inner reinforcing rib 28g extend vertically. The lower end of the outer reinforcing rib 28f and the lower end of the inner reinforcing rib 28g are connected to the upper surface of the lower plate portion 28a. The left plate portion 28d is arranged to the right of the left end of the front plate portion 28b and the left end of the lower plate portion 28a. The front end of the left plate portion 28d is connected to the vicinity of the left end of the rear surface of the front plate portion 28b. The lower end of the left plate portion 28d is connected to the vicinity of the left end of the upper surface of the lower plate portion 28a. An outer reinforcing rib 28h that protrudes leftward is formed on the left surface of the left plate portion 28d. An inner reinforcing rib 28i that protrudes rightward is formed on the right surface of the left plate portion 28d. The outer reinforcing rib 28h and the inner reinforcing rib 28i extend vertically. The lower end of the outer reinforcing rib 28h and the lower end of the inner reinforcing rib 28i are connected to the upper surface of the lower plate portion 28a.

As shown in FIG. 6, the right surface of the right plate portion 28c is further formed with a right rail 28j projecting rightward and a right engagement projection 28k projecting rightward. The right rail 28j extends along the front-rear direction. The right plate portion 28c is formed with an upper slit 28l extending in the front-rear direction above the right engagement projection 28k and a lower slit 28m extending in the front-rear direction below the right engagement projection 28k. Since the upper slit 28l and the lower slit 28m are formed in the right plate portion 28c, the right engaging convex portion 28k is easily elastically deformed in the left-right direction. Similarly, as shown in FIG. 7, a left rail 28n projecting leftward and a left engaging projection 28o projecting leftward are further formed on the left surface of the left plate portion 28d. . The left rail 28n extends along the front-rear direction. The left plate portion 28d is formed with an upper slit 28p extending longitudinally above the left engaging protrusion 28o and a lower slit 28q extending longitudinally below the left engaging protrusion 28o. Since the upper slit 28p and the lower slit 28q are formed in the left plate portion 28d, the left engagement convex portion 28o is easily elastically deformed in the left-right direction.

As shown in FIG. 8, when the terminal cover 28 is attached to the terminal IF portion 20, the lower surface of the right rail 28j of the terminal cover 28 slides against the upper surface of the rail portion 24b of the right engaging portion 24. The lower surface of the left rail 28n of the terminal cover 28 slides on the upper surface of the rail portion 26b of the left engaging portion 26. As shown in FIG. Then, the right engaging projection 28k of the terminal cover 28 engages with the tip 24c of the right engaging portion 24, and the left engaging projection 28o of the terminal cover 28 engages with the tip 26c of the left engaging portion 26. The terminal cover 28 is fixed to the terminal IF section 20 by mating.

When the terminal cover 28 is attached to the terminal IF portion 20, the lower surface of the right rail 28j faces the upper surface of the rail portion 24b of the right engaging portion 24, and the lower surface of the left rail 28n faces the rail of the left engaging portion 26. The downward movement of the terminal cover 28 with respect to the terminal IF section 20 is restricted by facing the upper surface of the portion 26b. Further, when the terminal cover 28 is attached to the terminal IF section 20, the upper surface of the lower plate section 28a of the terminal cover 28 faces the lower surface 22a (see FIG. 5) of the terminal housing section 22. The upward movement of the terminal cover 28 with respect to the portion 20 is restricted.

When the terminal cover 28 is attached to the terminal IF portion 20 , the right surface of the right plate portion 28 c (see FIG. 6 ) faces the left surface of the base portion 24 a of the right engaging portion 24 . Rightward movement of the cover 28 is restricted. When the terminal cover 28 is attached to the terminal IF portion 20, the left surface of the left plate portion 28d (see FIG. 7) faces the right surface of the base portion 26a of the left engaging portion 26, so that the terminal IF portion 20 is The leftward movement of the terminal cover 28 with respect to is restricted.

When the terminal cover 28 is attached to the terminal IF section 20 , the rear surface of the front plate section 28 b faces the front surface 22 b (see FIG. 3 ) of the terminal accommodating section 22 , so that the terminal cover 28 is positioned against the terminal IF section 20 . Backward movement is restricted. In addition, when the terminal cover 28 is attached to the terminal IF section 20, the right engaging protrusion 28k of the terminal cover 28 is engaged with the tip 24c of the right engaging section 24, and the terminal cover 28 is left engaged. The forward movement of the terminal cover 28 with respect to the terminal IF portion 20 is restricted by the protrusion 28 o being engaged with the tip portion 26 c of the left engaging portion 26 .

As shown in FIG. 9, when the terminal cover 28 is attached to the terminal IF section 20, the lower surface 22a of each terminal accommodating section 22 is covered by the lower plate section 28a of the terminal cover 28, and the respective terminal accommodating sections are accommodated. The terminal opening 22e of the portion 22 is covered. As shown in FIG. 10 , when the terminal cover 28 is attached to the terminal IF section 20 , the front surface 22 b of each terminal accommodating section 22 is covered with the front plate section 28 b of the terminal cover 28 .

When the terminal cover 28 is attached to the terminal IF section 20, the lower surface of the lower plate portion 28a of the terminal cover 28 is arranged above the lower surface 4f of the main body portion 4, and the lower end of the finger hook projection 28e It is arranged above the lower surface 4 f of the main body portion 4 . That is, when the terminal cover 28 is attached to the terminal IF section 20 and the terminal IF section 20 is viewed from the right or left direction, the lower surface of the lower plate portion 28a of the terminal cover 28 and the lower end of the finger hook protrusion 28e are , inside the lower surface 4f of the main body 4, and when viewed from the front or rear direction, the lower surface of the lower plate portion 28a of the terminal cover 28 and the lower ends of the finger hook projections 28e are aligned with the lower surface of the main body 4. Located inside 4f. Therefore, when the terminal cover 28 is attached to the terminal IF portion 20 , it is possible to prevent the battery pack 2 from becoming bulky in the vertical direction. 9, when the terminal cover 28 is attached to the terminal IF portion 20, the front surface of the front plate portion 28b of the terminal cover 28 is arranged behind the front surface 4a of the main body portion 4. As shown in FIG. That is, when the terminal cover 28 is attached to the terminal IF section 20 and the terminal IF section 20 is viewed from the right or left direction, the front surface of the front plate portion 28b of the terminal cover 28 is the same as the front surface 4a of the main body portion 4. The front surface of the front plate portion 28b of the terminal cover 28 is positioned inside the front surface 4a of the main body portion 4 when viewed from above or below. Therefore, when the terminal cover 28 is attached to the terminal IF portion 20, it is possible to prevent the battery pack 2 from becoming bulky in the front-rear direction.

As shown in FIG. 5 , when removing the terminal cover 28 from the terminal IF section 20 , the user puts his or her finger on the finger hook projection 28 e to turn the terminal cover 28 forward with respect to the terminal IF section 20 . slide. As a result, the right engagement protrusion 28k (see FIG. 8) of the terminal cover 28 is disengaged from the tip 24c of the right engagement section 24, and the left engagement protrusion 28o (see FIG. 8) of the terminal cover 28 is disengaged. is disengaged from the tip portion 26 c of the left engaging portion 26 , the terminal cover 28 is removed from the terminal IF portion 20 . At this time, the user may use a hook engagement groove 30 (see FIG. 3), which will be described later, as a finger hook recess. That is, the user puts the thumb of one hand on the hook engaging groove 30 and puts the index finger, middle finger, ring finger and little finger of the same hand on the finger hook projection 28e, and moves the terminal cover 28 forward with respect to the terminal IF section 20. You can slide towards

As shown in FIG. 2, a hook engaging groove 30 and a hook sliding groove 32 are formed on the front surface 4a of the main body 4. As shown in FIG. The hook engaging groove 30 is provided with an engaging surface 30a which is slanted from the front to the rear as it goes from the bottom to the top, and faces upward. The hook engagement groove 30 is arranged near the center in the vertical direction of the front surface 4a and near the center in the horizontal direction of the front surface 4a. The width of the hook engaging groove 30 in the left-right direction is smaller than the width of the terminal IF portion 20 in the left-right direction. The depth of the hook engaging groove 30 from the front surface 4a of the main body 4 in the front-rear direction is smaller than the depth of the front surface 22b of the terminal accommodating portion 22 from the front surface 4a of the main body 4 in the front-rear direction. That is, the rear end of the hook engaging groove 30 is positioned forward of the front surface 22b of the terminal accommodating portion 22 of the terminal IF portion 20 in the front-rear direction.

The hook sliding groove 32 is arranged between the terminal IF portion 20 and the hook engaging groove 30 on the front surface 4a. The hook sliding groove 32 has a right sliding surface 32a, a left sliding surface 32b, and a central surface 32c. The right sliding surface 32a and the left sliding surface 32b are arranged along the vertical direction and the horizontal direction, behind the front surface 4a of the main body 4, and substantially on the same plane. The right sliding surface 32 a extends vertically between the terminal IF portion 20 and the hook engaging groove 30 at the right end of the hook engaging groove 30 . The left sliding surface 32 b extends vertically between the terminal IF portion 20 and the hook engaging groove 30 at the left end of the hook engaging groove 30 . The central surface 32c extends in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction, and is arranged behind the right sliding surface 32a and the left sliding surface 32b. The center surface 32c extends vertically between the terminal IF portion 20 and the hook engaging groove 30, to the left of the right sliding surface 32a and to the right of the left sliding surface 32b.

The depth of the center surface 32c from the front surface 4a of the main body 4 in the front-rear direction is smaller than the depth of the hook engagement groove 30 from the front surface 4a of the main body 4 in the front-rear direction. That is, the central surface 32c is positioned forward of the rear end of the hook engaging groove 30 in the front-rear direction. Further, the longitudinal depth of the right sliding surface 32a and the left sliding surface 32b from the front surface 4a of the main body 4 is smaller than the longitudinal depth of the central surface 32c from the front surface 4a of the main body 4. As shown in FIG. That is, in the front-rear direction, the right sliding surface 32a and the left sliding surface 32b are located forward of the central surface 32c.

As shown in FIG. 2, the right surface 4c of the main body 4 is formed with a first right guide groove 34 extending in the vertical direction and a second right guide groove 36 extending in the vertical direction. The first right guide groove 34 is arranged near the rear end of the right surface 4c between the center in the front-rear direction of the right surface 4c and the rear end of the right surface 4c. The second right guide groove 36 is arranged near the front end of the right surface 4c between the front-rear center of the right surface 4c and the front end of the right surface 4c. As shown in FIG. 3, the left surface 4d of the body portion 4 is formed with a first left guide groove 38 extending in the vertical direction and a second left guide groove 40 extending in the vertical direction. The first left guide groove 38 is arranged near the rear end of the left surface 4d, between the front-rear center of the left surface 4d and the rear end of the left surface 4d. The second left guide groove 40 is arranged near the front end of the left surface 4d, between the front-rear center of the left surface 4d and the front end of the left surface 4d. The first right guide groove 34 and the first left guide groove 38 have symmetrical positions and shapes. The second right guide groove 36 and the second left guide groove 40 have symmetrical positions and shapes.

As shown in FIG. 11, the first right guide groove 34 includes a lower guide portion 34a, an upper guide portion 34b, and an intermediate guide portion 34c. The lower guide portion 34a is a groove having a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape and extends upward from the lower end of the right surface 4c. The width in the front-rear direction and the depth in the left-right direction of the lower guide portion 34a are substantially constant. The width of the lower guide portion 34a in the front-rear direction is, for example, within the range of 8.0 mm to 15.0 mm, specifically 12.0 mm. The depth of the lower guide portion 34a in the horizontal direction is, for example, within the range of 3.0 mm to 8.0 mm, specifically 5.0 mm. The upper guide portion 34b is a groove having a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape and extends vertically above the lower guide portion 34a. The upper guide portion 34b has substantially constant width in the front-rear direction and depth in the left-right direction. The width of the upper guide portion 34b in the front-rear direction is, for example, within the range of 5.0 mm to 12.0 mm, specifically 10.0 mm. The depth in the left-right direction of the upper guide portion 34b is, for example, within the range of 1.5 mm to 6.0 mm, specifically 4.0 mm. The width of the upper guide portion 34b in the front-rear direction is smaller than the width of the lower guide portion 34a in the front-rear direction. Further, as shown in FIG. 12, the depth in the left-right direction of the upper guide portion 34b is smaller than the depth in the left-right direction of the lower guide portion 34a. The intermediate guide portion 34c is a groove having a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape, and connects between the upper end of the lower guide portion 34a and the lower end of the upper guide portion 34b. As shown in FIG. 11, the upper guide portion 34b and the intermediate guide portion 34c are arranged above the center in the vertical direction of the right surface 4c. The front side surface of the lower guide portion 34a, the front side surface of the intermediate guide portion 34c, and the front side surface of the upper guide portion 34b are arranged substantially on the same plane. The vertical length of the first right guide groove 34 is, for example, within the range of 50.0 mm to 110.0 mm, specifically 95.0 mm. The first left guide groove 38 has the same configuration as the first right guide groove 34 . The first left guide groove 38 includes a lower guide portion 38a, an upper guide portion 38b, and an intermediate guide portion 38c.

The second right guide groove 36 is a groove having a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape and extends upward from the lower end of the right surface 4c. The second right guide groove 36 has substantially constant width in the front-rear direction and depth in the left-right direction. The width of the second right guide groove 36 in the front-rear direction is, for example, within the range of 1.5 mm to 10.0 mm, specifically 5.0 mm. The depth in the left-right direction of the second right guide groove 36 is, for example, within the range of 1.5 mm to 5.0 mm, specifically 3.0 mm. The vertical length of the second right guide groove 36 is, for example, within the range of 15.0 mm to 50.0 mm, specifically 29.0 mm. The width of the second right guide groove 36 in the front-rear direction is smaller than the widths of the lower guide portion 34a, the upper guide portion 34b, and the intermediate guide portion 34c of the first right guide groove 34 in the front-rear direction. The depth of the second right guide groove 36 in the left-right direction is smaller than the depths of the lower guide portion 34a, the upper guide portion 34b, and the intermediate guide portion 34c of the first right guide groove 34 in the left-right direction. The upper end of the second right guide groove 36 is arranged below the vertical center of the right surface 4c. The second left guide groove 40 has the same configuration as the second right guide groove 36 .

(Attachment to charger 100)
As shown in FIG. 13 , charger 100 includes housing 102 , terminal unit 104 , hook 106 and power cord 108 . The housing 102 has a mounting portion 102a on which the battery pack 2 is mounted, and a right end of the mounting portion 102a. The left wall portion 102c along the front-rear direction and the vertical direction, and the right rear wall portion 102d and the left rear wall portion 102d along the left-right direction and the vertical direction are arranged at the rear end of the mounting portion 102a. A portion 102e is provided. The right end of the right rear wall portion 102d is connected to the rear end of the right wall portion 102b. The left end of the left rear wall portion 102e is connected to the rear end of the left wall portion 102c. The mounting portion 102a of the housing 102, the right wall portion 102b, the left wall portion 102c, the right rear wall portion 102d, the left rear wall portion 102e, the terminal unit 104, and the hook 106 form the battery pack of the charger 100. It constitutes the mounting portion 101 .

A first right guide rib 110 and a second right guide rib 112 are formed on the left surface of the right wall portion 102b. First right guide rib 110 and second right guide rib 112 are arranged corresponding to first right guide groove 34 and second right guide groove 36 (see FIG. 2) of battery pack 2 . As shown in FIG. 14, a first left guide rib 114 and a second left guide rib 116 are formed on the right surface of the left wall portion 102c. First left guide rib 114 and second left guide rib 116 are arranged corresponding to first left guide groove 38 and second left guide groove 40 (see FIG. 3) of battery pack 2 . The first right guide rib 110 and the first left guide rib 114 have symmetrical positions and shapes. The second right guide rib 112 and the second left guide rib 116 have symmetrical positions and shapes.

As shown in FIG. 13, the first right guide rib 110 and the second right guide rib 112 protrude leftward from the left surface of the right wall portion 102b. The first right guide rib 110 and the second right guide rib 112 have a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape. The first right guide rib 110 extends vertically from the upper surface of the mounting portion 102a to the upper end of the right wall portion 102b. The width in the front-rear direction and the height in the left-right direction of the first right guide rib 110 are greater than the width in the front-rear direction and the depth in the left-right direction of the lower guide portion 34 a (see FIG. 2 ) of the first right guide groove 34 of the battery pack 2 . is also slightly smaller. The second right guide rib 112 extends vertically from the upper surface of the mounting portion 102a. The width in the front-rear direction, the height in the left-right direction, and the length in the up-down direction of the second right guide rib 112 are equal to the width in the front-rear direction and the length in the left-right direction of the second right guide groove 36 (see FIG. 2 ) of the battery pack 2 . Depth, and slightly less than vertical length. The first left guide rib 114 and the second left guide rib 116 (see FIG. 14) have the same configuration as the first right guide rib 110 and the second right guide rib 112 .

Terminal unit 104 is arranged corresponding to terminal IF section 20 (see FIG. 3 ) of battery pack 2 . As shown in FIG. 14 , the terminal unit 104 includes a plurality of charger-side terminals 118 and terminal holders 120 . The charger-side terminals 118 are arranged corresponding to the battery-side terminals of the battery pack 2 . The terminal holder 120 includes a base portion 120a that holds the charger-side terminals 118, a plurality of side wall portions 120b along the front-rear direction and the vertical direction, and a front wall portion 120c along the left-right direction and the vertical direction.

As shown in FIG. 13, hook 106 is attached to the front of terminal unit 104 . The hook 106 is supported by the terminal unit 104 so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis extending in the left-right direction. The width of hook 106 in the left-right direction is slightly smaller than the width of hook engaging groove 30 of battery pack 2 in the left-right direction. A right engaging portion 106 a is formed at the upper right end of the hook 106 . A left engaging portion 106 b is formed at the upper left end of the hook 106 . An operation portion 106c that can be pushed by the user is formed at the lower front portion of the hook 106 . The hook 106 is urged by a torsion spring (not shown) so that the right engaging portion 106a and the left engaging portion 106b are urged from the front to the rear.

As shown in FIG. 15, when attaching the battery pack 2 to the battery pack attachment portion 101, the first right guide groove 34, second right guide groove 36, first left guide groove 38, second left guide groove 38, and second left guide groove 34 of the battery pack 2 are mounted. With the guide grooves 40 aligned with the first right guide rib 110, the second right guide rib 112, the first left guide rib 114, and the second left guide rib 116 of the battery pack mounting portion 101, respectively, the battery pack 2 is installed. is moved downward from above the battery pack mounting portion 101 to place the battery pack 2 on the upper surface of the placing portion 102a. At this time, the terminal accommodating portion 22 (see FIG. 3) of the terminal IF portion 20 of the battery pack 2 enters the space (see FIG. 14) defined by the side wall portion 120b and the front wall portion 120c of the battery pack mounting portion 101. , the charger-side terminal 118 of the battery pack mounting portion 101 passes through the terminal opening 22 e (see FIG. 3 ) of the terminal IF portion 20 of the battery pack 2 and enters the terminal accommodating portion 22 . As a result, the charger-side terminals 118 of the battery pack attachment portion 101 are electrically connected to the battery-side terminals of the battery pack 2 . 16, the right engaging portion 106a and the left engaging portion 106b of the hook 106 are engaged with the right engaging portion 24 and the left engaging portion 26 of the terminal IF portion 20 of the battery pack 2. , the battery pack 2 is fixed to the battery pack mounting portion 101 . As a result, battery pack 2 is attached to battery pack attachment portion 101 as shown in FIG. 17 . The charger 100 can charge the battery pack 2 using power supplied from the power cord 108 when the battery pack 2 is attached to the battery pack attachment portion 101 .

In the battery pack mounting portion 101, the vertical height from the placement portion 102a to the upper ends of the right wall portion 102b and the left wall portion 102c is more than half the vertical height of the main body portion 4 of the battery pack 2. small. Therefore, the vertical lengths of first right guide rib 110 and first left guide rib 114 of battery pack mounting portion 101 are equal to the vertical lengths of first right guide groove 34 and first left guide groove 38 of battery pack 2 . significantly smaller than length. Therefore, if the battery pack 2 does not have the second right guide groove 36 and the second left guide groove 40, and the battery pack mounting portion 101 has the second right guide rib 112 and the second left guide rib 116, If the battery pack 2 is not provided, there is a risk that the battery pack 2 will be attached to the battery pack attachment portion 101 while being inclined in the front-rear direction. In this case, since the battery-side terminals of battery pack 2 and charger-side terminals 118 of battery pack attachment portion 101 are not electrically connected, charger 100 may not be able to charge battery pack 2 . On the other hand, in this embodiment, the battery pack 2 is provided with the second right guide groove 36 and the second left guide groove 40, and the battery pack mounting portion 101 is provided with the second right guide rib 112 and the second left guide rib. 116 is provided, it is possible to prevent the battery pack 2 from being attached to the battery pack attachment portion 101 while being inclined in the front-rear direction. It is possible to prevent the charger 100 from being unable to charge the battery pack 2 .

(Attachment to electrical equipment 200)
As shown in FIG. 18, the battery pack mounting portion 202 of the electrical device 200 (see FIG. 1) includes a battery box 204, a terminal unit 206, and a hook 208. As shown in FIG. The battery box 204 has a box shape with an open top. The battery box 204 includes a lower plate portion 204a, a front plate portion 204b, a rear plate portion 204c, a right plate portion 204d, and a left plate portion 204e.

A right guide rib 210 projecting leftward is formed on the left surface of the right plate portion 204d. Right guide rib 210 is arranged corresponding to first right guide groove 34 (see FIG. 2 ) of battery pack 2 . As shown in FIG. 19, a left guide rib 212 projecting rightward is formed on the right surface of the left plate portion 204e. Left guide rib 212 is arranged corresponding to first left guide groove 38 (see FIG. 3 ) of battery pack 2 . The right guide rib 210 and the left guide rib 212 have symmetrical positions and shapes. As shown in FIG. 18, the right guide rib 210 includes a lower guide portion 210a, an upper guide portion 210b, and an intermediate guide portion 210c. The lower guide portion 210a is a rib having a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape and extends upward from the upper surface of the lower plate portion 204a. The width in the front-rear direction and the height in the left-right direction of the lower guide portion 210a are substantially constant. The width in the front-rear direction and the height in the left-right direction of the lower guide portion 210a are respectively greater than the width in the front-rear direction and the depth in the left-right direction of the lower guide portion 34a (see FIG. 2) of the first right guide groove 34 of the battery pack 2. is also slightly smaller. The upper guide portion 210b is a rib having a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape and extends vertically above the lower guide portion 210a. The upper guide portion 210b has substantially constant width in the front-rear direction and depth in the left-right direction. The width in the front-rear direction and the height in the left-right direction of the upper guide portion 210b are respectively greater than the width in the front-rear direction and the depth in the left-right direction of the upper guide portion 34b (see FIG. 2) of the first right guide groove 34 of the battery pack 2. is also slightly smaller. The intermediate guide portion 210c is a rib having a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape, and connects between the upper end of the lower guide portion 210a and the lower end of the upper guide portion 210b. The width in the front-rear direction and the height in the left-right direction of the intermediate guide portion 210c are respectively greater than the width in the front-rear direction and the depth in the left-right direction of the intermediate guide portion 34c (see FIG. 2) of the first right guide groove 34 of the battery pack 2. is also slightly smaller. The front surface of the lower guide portion 210a, the front surface of the intermediate guide portion 210c, and the front surface of the upper guide portion 210b are arranged substantially on the same plane. As shown in FIG. 19, the left guide rib 212 has the same configuration as the right guide rib 210. As shown in FIG. The left guide rib 212 has a lower guide portion 212a, an upper guide portion 212b, and an intermediate guide portion 212c.

A right mounting rib 214 and a left mounting rib 216 projecting upward are formed on the upper surface of the lower plate portion 204a. The right mounting rib 214 and the left mounting rib 216 extend in the front-rear direction from the rear surface of the front plate portion 204b to the front surface of the rear plate portion 204c. When the battery pack 2 is attached to the battery pack attachment portion 202, the upper surface of the right mounting rib 214 and the upper surface of the left mounting rib 216 come into contact with the lower surface 4f of the main body portion 4 of the battery pack 2 (see FIG. 3). touch. The right mounting rib 214 is arranged near the right end of the lower plate portion 204a, between the right end of the lower plate portion 204a and the center of the lower plate portion 204a in the left-right direction. The left placement rib 216 is arranged near the left end of the lower plate portion 204a, between the left end of the lower plate portion 204a and the center of the lower plate portion 204a in the left-right direction.

Terminal unit 206 is arranged corresponding to terminal IF section 20 (see FIG. 3 ) of battery pack 2 . The terminal unit 206 includes a plurality of device-side terminals 218 and terminal holders 220 . The device-side terminals 218 are arranged corresponding to the battery-side terminals of the battery pack 2 . The terminal holder 220 includes a base portion 220a that holds the device-side terminals 218, a plurality of side wall portions 220b along the front-rear direction and the vertical direction, and a front wall portion 220c along the left-right direction and the vertical direction.

As shown in FIG. 18, the hook 208 is attached near the center of the front plate portion 204b in the left-right direction near the upper end of the front plate portion 204b. The hook 208 is supported by the front plate portion 204b so as to be rotatable about a rotation shaft extending in the left-right direction. The width of hook 208 in the left-right direction is slightly smaller than the width of hook engaging groove 30 of battery pack 2 in the left-right direction. As shown in FIG. 19, the lower end of the hook 208 is formed with an engaging portion 208a. An upper end of the hook 208 is formed with an operation portion 208b that can be pushed by the user. The hook 208 is urged by a torsion spring 222 in a direction in which the engaging portion 208a is directed from the front to the rear.

When attaching the battery pack 2 to the battery pack attachment portion 202, the first right guide groove 34 (see FIG. 2) and the first left guide groove 38 (see FIG. 3) of the battery pack 2 are aligned with the battery pack attachment portion. Battery pack 2 is moved downward from above battery pack mounting portion 202 while aligned with right guide rib 210 and left guide rib 212 of 202 , and battery pack 2 is placed between right mounting rib 214 and left mounting rib 202 . 216 is placed on the upper surface. As shown in FIG. 20, when the upper guide portions 210b and 212b of the right guide rib 210 and the left guide rib 212 enter the lower guide portions 34a and 38a of the first right guide groove 34 and the first left guide groove 38, Since the battery pack 2 is slightly movable in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction with respect to the battery pack mounting portion 202, when the user moves the battery pack 2 in the vertical direction with respect to the battery pack mounting portion 202, the battery The pack 2 can be moved smoothly. 21, the upper guide portions 210b and 212b of the right guide rib 210 and the left guide rib 212 enter the upper guide portions 34b and 38b of the first right guide groove 34 and the first left guide groove 38, When the lower guide portions 210a and 212a of the right guide rib 210 and the left guide rib 212 are in the lower guide portions 34a and 38a of the first right guide groove 34 and the first left guide groove 38, the battery pack 2 is Since movement in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction is restricted with respect to the mounting portion 202, the battery pack 2 can be firmly fixed in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction. 20 and 21, when the battery pack mounting portion 202 is inclined with respect to the direction of gravity so that the direction of gravity faces downward and rearward, the right guide rib 210 and the left guide rib 212 The front surface slides in contact with the front side surfaces of the first right guide groove 34 and the first left guide groove 38 . The front surfaces of the right guide rib 210 and the left guide rib 212 are substantially planar, and the front side surfaces of the first right guide groove 34 and the first left guide groove 38 are also substantially planar. When moving vertically with respect to the mounting portion 202, the battery pack 2 can be moved smoothly. The vertical length of right guide rib 210 and left guide rib 212 of battery pack attachment portion 202 is greater than half the vertical length of main body portion 4 of battery pack 2 . Therefore, even if the second right guide rib 112 and the second left guide rib 116 as in the charger 100 are not provided, the battery pack 2 can be attached to the battery pack attachment portion 202 while being inclined in the front-rear direction. can be suppressed.

When attaching the battery pack 2 to the battery pack attachment portion 202, the engaging portion 208a of the hook 208 first passes through the terminal IF portion 20 of the battery pack 2 as shown in FIG. 24, after passing through the hook sliding groove 32 of the battery pack 2, it engages with the hook engaging groove 30 of the battery pack 2. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 22 , when the engaging portion 208 a passes through the terminal IF portion 20 , the engaging portion 208 a does not contact the front surface 22 b of the terminal accommodating portion 22 of the terminal IF portion 20 . Therefore, when battery pack 2 is moved in the vertical direction with respect to battery pack attachment portion 202 , it is possible to prevent battery pack 2 from receiving sliding resistance from hook 208 . In addition, it is possible to suppress wear of the front surface 22b of the terminal accommodating portion 22 due to sliding. As shown in FIG. 23, when the engaging portion 208a passes through the hook sliding groove 32, the engaging portion 208a comes into contact with the right sliding surface 32a and the left sliding surface 32b, and the central surface 32c. don't touch Therefore, when the battery pack 2 is vertically moved with respect to the battery pack mounting portion 202, the sliding resistance that the battery pack 2 receives from the hooks 208 can be reduced. In addition, it is possible to suppress wear of the center surface 32c of the hook sliding groove 32 due to sliding.

When the battery pack 2 is placed on the upper surfaces of the right placement rib 214 and the left placement rib 216 , the terminal accommodating portions 22 (see FIG. 3) of the terminal IF portion 20 of the battery pack 2 are aligned with the battery pack mounting portion 202 . It enters the space (see FIG. 19) partitioned by the side wall portion 220b and the front wall portion 220c, and the device-side terminals 218 of the battery pack attachment portion 202 are connected to the terminal openings 22e (see FIG. 3) of the terminal IF portion 20 of the battery pack 2. ) and enter the terminal accommodating portion 22 . As a result, the device-side terminals 218 of the battery pack attachment portion 202 are electrically connected to the battery-side terminals of the battery pack 2 . 24, the engaging portion 208a of the hook 208 engages the hook engaging groove 30 of the battery pack 2 to fix the battery pack 2 to the battery pack mounting portion 202. As shown in FIG. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 25, battery pack 2 is attached to battery pack attachment portion 202 . Electric device 200 (see FIG. 1) can operate using power supplied from battery pack 2 when battery pack 2 is attached to battery pack attachment portion 202 .

(Modification)
In the embodiment described above, the terminal cover 28 may not have the finger hook projection 28e. Alternatively, the terminal cover 28 may have a finger hook recess (not shown) instead of the finger hook protrusion 28e. The terminal cover 28 may be detachable from the terminal IF section 20 by a method other than sliding in the front-rear direction. The terminal cover 28 may not include the upper slits 28l, 28p and the lower slits 28m, 28q, and may not include the right engaging protrusion 28k and the left engaging protrusion 28o. The terminal cover 28 may not include the front plate portion 28b, the right plate portion 28c, and the left plate portion 28d.

In the above embodiment, the first right guide groove 34 and the first left guide groove 38 may have substantially constant width in the front-rear direction and/or depth in the left-right direction from the lower end to the upper end. The second right guide groove 36 and the second left guide groove 40 have a length in the vertical direction, a width in the front-rear direction and/or a depth in the left-right direction larger than those of the first right guide groove 34 and the first left guide groove 38. It can be big. The first right guide groove 34 and the second right guide groove 36 may be arranged on the right surface 4c of the main body 4 at positions different from those in the above-described embodiment. The first left guide groove 38 and the second left guide groove 40 may be arranged on the left surface 4d of the main body 4 at positions different from those in the above embodiment. The battery pack 2 does not have to include the right support portion 6 , the left support portion 8 and the grip portion 10 .

In the above embodiment, the right sliding surface 32a and the left sliding surface 32b of the hook sliding groove 32 may be arranged substantially on the same plane as the front surface 4a of the main body 4, or may be inclined with respect to the vertical direction. may be placed as The hook sliding groove 32 may have a sliding surface with a different shape and/or arrangement from the right sliding surface 32a and the left sliding surface 32b, and a non-slip surface with a different shape and/or arrangement from the central surface 32c. A sliding surface may be provided. The depth of the hook engaging groove 30 in the front-rear direction may be greater than the depth in the front-rear direction of the front surface 22 b of the terminal accommodating portion 22 .

As described above, in one or more embodiments, the battery pack 2 includes the casing 12 , the battery-side terminals housed in the casing 12 , and the terminal cover 28 detachable from the casing 12 . The casing 12 includes a lower surface 4f (an example of a first casing surface) of the main body 4 and a lower surface 22a (an example of a first recessed surface) of the terminal accommodating portion 22 recessed inwardly of the lower surface 4f. A terminal opening 22e through which a terminal connected to a battery-side terminal passes is formed in the lower surface 22a. The terminal cover 28 includes a lower plate portion 28a (an example of a first cover portion) that covers the lower surface 22a. With the terminal cover 28 attached to the casing 12, the outer surface of the lower plate portion 28a is positioned inside the lower surface 4f when viewed from the front or rear (example of the first direction along the first casing surface). ing. With the terminal cover 28 attached to the casing 12, the outer surface of the lower plate portion 28a when viewed from the right or left direction (example of the second direction along the first casing surface and orthogonal to the first direction) is located inside the lower surface 4f.

In the battery pack 2 described above, when the terminal cover 28 is attached to the casing 12, when viewed from the front or rear, the lower plate portion 28a does not protrude outward from the casing 12, The lower plate portion 28a does not protrude beyond the casing 12 when viewed from the direction. Therefore, when the terminal cover 28 is attached to the casing 12, it is possible to prevent the external shape of the battery pack 2 from becoming bulky.

In one or more embodiments, the outer surface of the lower plate portion 28a is formed with a finger hook protrusion 28e (an example of a first finger hook portion) for the user to put a finger on when removing the terminal cover 28 from the casing 12. ing.

According to the above configuration, the user can attach and detach the terminal cover 28 more easily.

In one or more embodiments, when the terminal cover 28 is attached to the casing 12 and viewed from the front or rear, the tip of the finger hook projection 28e is located inside the lower surface 4f. When the terminal cover 28 is attached to the casing 12 and viewed from the right or left, the tip of the finger hook projection 28e is located inside the lower surface 4f.

According to the above configuration, when the terminal cover 28 is attached to the casing 12, the finger hook projection 28e does not protrude outward from the casing 12 when viewed from the front or rear direction, Even when viewed from the left, the finger hook projection 28e does not protrude outside the casing 12. - 特許庁Therefore, when the terminal cover 28 is attached to the casing 12, it is possible to prevent the external shape of the battery pack 2 from becoming bulky.

In one or more embodiments, the casing 12 is formed with a hook engaging groove 30 (an example of a second finger rest) for the user to put his finger on when removing the terminal cover 28 from the casing 12 .

According to the above configuration, the user can attach and detach the terminal cover 28 more easily.

In one or more embodiments, the terminal cover 28 can be attached to the casing 12 by sliding in a rearward direction and removed from the casing 12 by sliding in a forward direction.

According to the above configuration, the user can attach to or remove from the casing 12 by sliding the terminal cover 28 . The user can attach and detach the terminal cover 28 without performing complicated operations.

In one or more embodiments, the casing 12 has a front surface 4a (an example of a second casing surface) of the main body 4 that is inclined with respect to the bottom surface 4f, and terminal accommodating portions 22 that are recessed inwardly of the front surface 4a. front surface 22b (an example of a second recessed surface). The terminal cover 28 further includes a front plate portion 28b (an example of a second cover portion) that covers the front surface 22b. With the terminal cover 28 attached to the casing 12, when viewed from above or below (example of the third direction along the second casing surface), the outer surface of the front plate portion 28b is located inside the front surface 4a. ing. With the terminal cover 28 attached to the casing 12, the outer surface of the front plate portion 28b when viewed from the right or left direction (example of the fourth direction along the second casing surface and orthogonal to the third direction) is located inside the front surface 4a.

According to the above configuration, when the terminal cover 28 is attached to the casing 12, the front plate portion 28b does not protrude outward from the casing 12 when viewed from above or below, and is The front plate portion 28b does not protrude beyond the casing 12 when viewed from the direction. Therefore, when the terminal cover 28 is attached to the casing 12, it is possible to prevent the external shape of the battery pack 2 from becoming bulky.

In one or more embodiments, the casing 12 includes a right engaging portion 24 and a left engaging portion 26 (examples of casing side engaging portions). The terminal cover 28 includes a right engaging protrusion 28k and a left engaging protrusion 28o (examples of cover-side engaging portions) that can be engaged with the right engaging portion 24 and the left engaging portion 26, respectively.

According to the above configuration, the terminal cover 28 can be fixed while being attached to the casing 12 , so that the terminal cover 28 can be prevented from coming off the casing 12 unexpectedly.

In one or more embodiments, right engaging projection 28k, left engaging projection 28o are positioned between upper slits 28l, 28p and lower slits 28m, 28q.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to easily elastically deform the right engaging convex portion 28k and the left engaging convex portion 28o. When the user attaches and detaches the terminal cover 28, the right engaging protrusion 28k, the left engaging protrusion 28o and the right engaging part 24, the left engaging part 26 are more easily engaged and disengaged. be able to.

In one or more embodiments, when the terminal cover 28 is attached to the casing 12 , movement of the terminal cover 28 relative to the casing 12 is restricted in the fore-aft, left-right, and up-down directions.

According to the above configuration, when the terminal cover 28 is attached to the casing 12 , it is possible to suppress the terminal cover 28 from rattling with respect to the casing 12 .

2: Battery pack 4 : Main body 4a : Front 4b : Rear 4c : Right 4d : Left 4e : Top 4f : Bottom 6 : Right support 8 : Left support 10 : Grip 12 : Casing 12a : Front casing 12b : Rear Casing 14 : Battery cell 16 : Remaining capacity display indicator 18 : Remaining capacity display button 20 : Terminal IF part 20a : IF upper surface 20b : IF rear surface 20c : IF right surface 20d : IF left surface 22 : Terminal accommodating part 22a : Lower surface 22b : Front surface 22c : Right surface 22d : Left surface 22e : Terminal opening 24 : Right engaging portion 24a : Base portion 24b : Rail portion 24c : Tip portion 26 : Left engaging portion 26a : Base portion 26b : Rail portion 26c : Tip portion 28 : Terminal cover 28a : Lower plate portion 28b: Front plate portion 28c: Right plate portion 28d: Left plate portion 28e: Finger hook projection 28f: Outer reinforcing rib 28g: Inner reinforcing rib 28h: Outer reinforcing rib 28i: Inner reinforcing rib 28j: Right rail 28k: Right engaging projection 28l: Upper slit 28m: Lower slit 28n: Left rail 28o: Left engaging projection 28p: Upper slit 28q: Lower slit 30: Hook engaging groove 30a: Engaging surface 32: Hook sliding groove 32a : Right sliding surface 32b : Left sliding surface 32c : Center surface 34 : First right guide groove 34a : Lower guide portion 34b : Upper guide portion 34c : Intermediate guide portion 36 : Second right guide groove 38 : First left guide Groove 38a: Lower guide portion 38b: Upper guide portion 38c: Intermediate guide portion 40: Second left guide groove 100: Charger 101: Battery pack mounting portion 102: Housing 102a: Mounting portion 102b: Right wall portion 102c: Left wall Portion 102d: Right rear wall portion 102e: Left rear wall portion 104: Terminal unit 106: Hook 106a: Right engagement portion 106b: Left engagement portion 106c: Operation portion 108: Power cord 110: First right guide rib 112: Second 2 Right guide rib 114 : First left guide rib 116 : Second left guide rib 118 : Charger side terminal 120 : Terminal holder 120a : Base 120b : Side wall 120c : Front wall 200 : Electric device 202 : Battery pack attachment 204: battery box 204a: lower plate portion 204b: front plate portion 204c: rear plate portion 204d: right plate portion 204e: left plate portion 206: terminal unit 208: hook 208a: engaging portion 208b: operation portion 210: right guide rib 210a: lower guide portion 210b: upper guide portion 210c: intermediate guide Portion 212: Left guide rib 212a: Lower guide portion 212b: Upper guide portion 212c: Intermediate guide portion 214: Right placement rib 216: Left placement rib 218: Device-side terminal 220: Terminal holder 220a: Base portion 220b: Side wall portion 220c : Front wall portion 222 : Torsion spring

Claims (9)

a battery pack,
a casing;
a battery-side terminal accommodated in the casing;
A terminal cover detachable from the casing is provided,
The casing comprises a first casing surface and a first recessed surface recessed inwardly of the first casing surface,
A terminal opening through which a terminal connected to the battery-side terminal passes is formed in the first recessed surface,
The terminal cover includes a first cover portion covering the first recessed surface,
With the terminal cover attached to the casing, an outer surface of the first cover portion is positioned inside the first casing surface when viewed from a first direction along the first casing surface, and
With the terminal cover attached to the casing, when viewed from a second direction along the first casing surface and orthogonal to the first direction, the outer surface of the first cover portion is aligned with the first casing surface. A battery pack located inside the 2. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the outer surface of said first cover portion is formed with a first finger hook portion on which a user puts a finger when removing said terminal cover from said casing. wherein the first finger hooking portion has a finger hooking projection projecting outward from the outer surface of the first cover portion,
When viewed from the first direction with the terminal cover attached to the casing, a tip of the finger hook projection is positioned inside the first casing surface, and
3. The battery pack according to claim 2, wherein, with said terminal cover attached to said casing, a tip of said finger hook projection is located inside said first casing surface when viewed from said second direction. 4. The battery pack according to claim 2 or 3, wherein said casing is formed with a second finger hook for a user to put a finger on when removing said terminal cover from said casing. 5. The terminal cover can be attached to the casing by sliding in the first direction, and can be removed from the casing by sliding in a direction opposite to the first direction. The battery pack of any one of The casing further comprises a second casing surface inclined with respect to the first casing surface and a second recessed surface recessed inwardly of the second casing surface,
The terminal cover further comprises a second cover portion covering the second recessed surface,
With the terminal cover attached to the casing, the outer surface of the second cover portion is positioned inside the second casing surface when viewed from a third direction along the second casing surface, and
With the terminal cover attached to the casing, when viewed from a fourth direction along the second casing surface and perpendicular to the third direction, the outer surface of the second cover portion is aligned with the second casing surface. 6. The battery pack according to any one of claims 1 to 5, located inside the . The casing further includes a casing-side engaging portion,
7. The battery pack according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein said terminal cover further includes a cover-side engaging portion engageable with said casing-side engaging portion. 8. The battery pack according to claim 7, wherein said cover-side engaging portion is arranged between two slits. 9. The battery pack according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein when said terminal cover is attached to said casing, movement of said terminal cover relative to said casing is restricted in at least two mutually orthogonal directions.

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