JP7383459B2 - adapter - Google Patents

Description

The technology disclosed herein relates to an adapter.

Patent Document 1 discloses an adapter. The adapter connects the battery and the electric device. The adapter includes a control board, a battery side terminal, and a device side terminal. The battery side terminal is mounted on the control board and can be electrically connected to the battery. The device side terminal is connected to the control board via a lead wire, and can be electrically connected to the electric device.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-300867

In the above adapter, the device side terminal is connected to the control board via the lead wire. Therefore, it is necessary to secure a space for arranging the lead wires, which increases the size of the adapter. This specification discloses a technique that can suppress the adapter from increasing in size.

This specification discloses an adapter. The adapter connects the battery and electrical equipment. The adapter includes a control board, a battery side terminal, and a device side terminal. The battery side terminal is mounted on the first surface of the control board and can be electrically connected to the battery. The device side terminal is mounted on the second surface of the control board opposite to the first surface, and can be electrically connected to an electric device.

In the above configuration, both the battery side terminal and the device side terminal are mounted on the control board, so the battery side terminal and the device side terminal can be connected to the control board without using other parts such as lead wires. Placed. Therefore, since there is no need to secure a space for arranging the lead wires, it is possible to suppress the adapter from increasing in size.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which a battery 4 and a battery checker 6 are connected using the adapter 2 of the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the adapter 2 according to the first embodiment, with the terminal cover 14 in a protected position. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the adapter 2 according to the first embodiment, with the terminal cover 14 in an exposed position. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the upper housing 28 of the first embodiment when viewed from below. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the control board 16 on which the device-side terminals 74 and the battery-side terminals 76 are mounted, attached to the upper housing 28 of the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the adapter 2 of the first embodiment taken orthogonally to the front-rear direction. FIG. 3 is a view of the upper housing 28 to which the biasing springs 26a, 26b and the terminal cover 14 of the first embodiment are attached, viewed from below. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the upper housing 28 of the first embodiment when viewed from below. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the adapter 2 of the first embodiment taken perpendicularly to the left-right direction. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the adapter 2 according to a modification of the first embodiment, with the terminal cover 14 in the protected position.

In one or more embodiments, an adapter may connect a battery and an electrical device. The adapter may include a control board, a battery side terminal, and a device side terminal. The battery side terminal may be mounted on the first surface of the control board and may be electrically connectable to the battery. The device side terminal may be mounted on a second surface of the control board opposite to the first surface, and may be electrically connectable to an electric device.

In the above configuration, both the battery side terminal and the device side terminal are mounted on the control board, so the battery side terminal and the device side terminal can be connected to the control board without using other parts such as lead wires. Placed. Therefore, since there is no need to secure a space for arranging the lead wires, it is possible to suppress the adapter from increasing in size.

In one or more embodiments, the adapter may further include a battery attachment portion to which the battery side attachment portion of the battery is removable, and an equipment attachment portion to which the device side attachment portion of the electrical device is removable. good. The battery-side mounting portion of the battery may be non-removable from the device-side mounting portion of the electrical device.

In the above configuration, it is possible to connect the battery and the electric device, which cannot be directly connected, via the adapter.

In one or more embodiments, the electrical device may be removable from the adapter by sliding it in a sliding direction relative to the adapter. The battery side terminal may be arranged at a position offset in the sliding direction with respect to the device side terminal.

When battery-side terminals are mounted on the first surface of the control board and device-side terminals are mounted on the second surface of the control board, it is necessary to arrange the battery-side terminals at positions offset from the device-side terminals. However, if the battery side terminal is arranged at a position offset from the device side terminal, the adapter may become larger. In the above configuration, the battery side terminal is arranged at a position offset in the sliding direction with respect to the device side terminal. Normally, in a configuration where an electrical device is attached or detached by sliding it relative to an adapter, the adapter has a certain size in the sliding direction, so the battery side terminal is offset in the sliding direction with respect to the device side terminal. Even when the adapter is placed in a certain position, the adapter does not need to be further enlarged in the sliding direction.

In one or more embodiments, the adapter may further include a housing containing a control board and a waterproof wall disposed within the housing. The housing may have an opening that faces the battery when the battery is attached to the adapter. The waterproof wall may be arranged to block the gap between the opening and the control board.

In the above configuration, the waterproof wall prevents water that has entered the housing through the opening from flowing toward the control board. Therefore, it is possible to prevent water from reaching the control board.

In one or more embodiments, the housing may have a watertight groove that receives water that enters the interior of the housing through the opening and flows along the watertight wall. The tip of the waterproof wall may be disposed within the waterproof groove.

In the above configuration, the waterproof groove functions as a water receptacle for receiving water that has entered the inside of the housing from the opening. Thereby, it is possible to suppress water from reaching the control board.

In one or more embodiments, the housing may further include an outlet that drains water that has entered the interior of the housing through the opening to the exterior of the housing. The outlet may be formed in a waterproof groove.

In the above configuration, water accumulated in the waterproof groove is discharged to the outside of the housing from the discharge port. Thereby, it is possible to suppress water from accumulating inside the housing.

In one or more embodiments, an adapter may connect a battery and an electrical device. The adapter may include a housing, a control board, and a terminal. The control board may be housed in the housing. The terminal may be mounted on the control board. The housing may have a battery mounting surface and a device mounting surface. A battery may be attached to the battery attachment surface. The device mounting surface is disposed on the opposite side of the battery facing surface, and an electrical device may be attached to the device mounting surface. The battery mounting surface may be inclined with respect to the device mounting surface.

In the above configuration, since the battery mounting surface is inclined with respect to the device mounting surface, even if a member such as a hook is provided, the height of the housing is required near the member such as a hook. The housing can be made lower in other areas while ensuring the same height. This allows the adapter to be made more compact.

In one or more embodiments, the battery mounting surface may be angled relative to the device mounting surface at an angle greater than 0 degrees and less than or equal to 10 degrees.

With the above configuration, the battery mounting surface can be prevented from being excessively inclined with respect to the device mounting surface. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the adapter from increasing in size.

In one or more embodiments, the battery may be removable from the adapter by sliding it relative to the adapter. The terminal may include a protruding portion that protrudes from the battery mounting surface. The protruding portion may have a distal end surface located at a position farthest from the battery mounting surface. The tip surface may be parallel to the battery mounting surface.

With the above configuration, when the battery is slid along the battery mounting surface of the adapter, it is possible to prevent the tip end surface of the terminal from getting caught on the battery. This allows the battery to be easily attached to the adapter.

In one or more embodiments, the protruding portion may have a rear surface when the battery is slid in the forward direction when attached to the adapter. The rear surface may be perpendicular to the battery mounting surface.

With the above configuration, when the battery is slid along the battery mounting surface of the adapter, it is possible to prevent the rear surface of the terminal from getting caught on the battery. This allows the battery to be easily attached to the adapter.

In one or more embodiments, the electrical device may be removable from the adapter by sliding it relative to the adapter. The terminal may include a protruding portion that protrudes from the device mounting surface. The protruding portion may have a distal end surface located furthest from the device mounting surface. The tip surface may be parallel to the device mounting surface.

With the above configuration, when the electrical device is slid along the device mounting surface of the adapter, it is possible to prevent the tip end surface of the terminal from getting caught on the electrical device. This allows the adapter to be easily attached to electrical equipment.

In one or more embodiments, the protruding portion may have a rear surface when the direction in which the adapter slides when attached to an electrical device is the forward direction. The rear surface may be perpendicular to the device mounting surface.

With the above configuration, when sliding the electrical device along the device mounting surface of the adapter, it is possible to prevent the rear surface of the terminal from getting caught on the electrical device. This allows the adapter to be easily attached to electrical equipment.

In one or more embodiments, the adapter may further include a display disposed on the battery mounting surface and capable of displaying information about the electrical device.

In the above configuration, when the device mounting surface is placed horizontally with respect to the mounting surface, the battery mounting surface is inclined with respect to the mounting surface. Therefore, the display section is inclined with respect to the mounting surface. This allows the operator to easily see the display compared to the case where the display is horizontal to the mounting surface.

(First example)
The adapter 2 of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9. Adapter 2 is used to connect battery 4 and battery checker 6. The battery 4 is, for example, a battery that is attached to and used in a power tool such as a screwdriver or drill, or an electric working machine such as a brush cutter or blower. The battery 4 is, for example, a lithium ion battery. The battery checker 6 is an electrical device that corresponds to the battery 4. The battery checker 6 is an electrical device that displays, for example, the remaining amount of the battery 4, the cumulative number of charging times, and if the battery 4 is malfunctioning, the location of the malfunction. For example, when the old battery 4 and the old battery checker 6 are configured so that they can be connected to each other, and the new battery 4 and the old battery checker 6 are configured so that they cannot be connected to each other, the adapter 2 can be used to connect the new battery 4 and the old battery checker 6 to each other. In order to connect the battery 4 to the old battery checker 6, the new battery 4 and the old battery checker 6 are prepared in correspondence with each other. The adapter 2 also connects the old battery 4 and the new battery checker 6 to the new battery checker 6 in order to connect the old battery 4 to the new battery checker 6 when the old battery 4 and the new battery checker 6 are configured so that they cannot be connected to each other. The battery checker 6 may be prepared in accordance with the battery checker 6 of FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, a battery side attachment portion 4a is provided on the lower surface of the battery 4. A checker-side mounting portion 6a is provided on the upper surface of the battery checker 6. The checker side attachment part 6a of the battery checker 6 does not correspond to the battery side attachment part 4a of the battery 4. Therefore, the battery-side attachment portion 4a of the battery 4 cannot be attached to or detached from the checker-side attachment portion 6a of the battery checker 6. The lower surface of the adapter 2 is provided with a checker mounting portion 8 (see FIG. 8) that corresponds to the checker side mounting portion 6a of the battery checker 6, and the upper surface of the adapter 2 is provided with a checker mounting portion 8 (see FIG. 8) that corresponds to the checker side mounting portion 4a of the battery checker 6. A corresponding battery mounting portion 10 (see FIG. 2) is provided. The adapter 2 can be attached to and detached from the battery checker 6 by sliding the checker attachment portion 8 of the adapter 2 onto the checker side attachment portion 6a of the battery checker 6. The battery 4 can be attached to and removed from the adapter 2 by sliding the battery-side attachment portion 4a of the battery 4 onto the battery attachment portion 10 of the adapter 2. By attaching the adapter 2 to the battery checker 6 and attaching the battery 4 to the adapter 2, the battery 4 is connected to the battery checker 6 via the adapter 2. Hereinafter, the direction in which the adapter 2 is slid relative to the battery checker 6 will be referred to as the front-rear direction, the direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction will be referred to as the left-right direction, and the direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction and the left-right direction will be referred to as the up-down direction.

As shown in FIG. 2, the adapter 2 includes a housing 12 and a terminal cover 14. The housing 12 includes an upper housing 28 and a lower housing 30. The upper housing 28 defines the outer shape of the upper part of the adapter 2. A battery mounting portion 10 is provided on the upper surface 28a of the upper housing 28. The lower housing 30 defines the outer shape of the lower portion of the adapter 2 . As shown in FIG. 8, a checker mounting portion 8 is provided on the lower surface 30a of the lower housing 30. As shown in FIG. Upper housing 28 and lower housing 30 are fixed to each other by screws 31.

As shown in FIG. 2, the upper housing 28 is formed with rails 34, 36, openings 38, 40 (see FIGS. 4 to 7 for the opening 40), and a terminal mounting portion 42 (see FIG. 4). There is. The rails 34 and 36 have a longitudinal direction in the sliding direction in which the battery 4 is slid relative to the adapter 2. The rail 34 is arranged at the right end of the upper surface 28a of the upper housing 28. The rail 36 is arranged at the left end of the upper surface 28a of the upper housing 28. When attaching the battery-side attachment portion 4a of the battery 4 to the battery attachment portion 10 of the adapter 2, the rails 34 and 36 guide the battery-side attachment portion 4a in the front-rear direction.

Aperture 38 is located proximate rail 34. The opening 38 has a longitudinal direction in the sliding direction. As shown in FIG. 6, opening 40 is located adjacent rail 36. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the opening 40 has a longitudinal direction in the sliding direction. When the battery 4 is attached to the adapter 2, the openings 38, 40 face the battery 4. The terminal mounting portion 42 is arranged between the rails 34 and 36.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the right end of the terminal cover 14 is slidably attached to the left edge of the opening 38 of the upper housing 28. As shown in FIGS. The left end of the terminal cover 14 is slidably attached to the right edge of the opening 40 of the upper housing 28. The terminal cover 14 is held by the upper housing 28 so as to be slidable in the front-back direction. The terminal cover 14 is slidable between a protective position (see FIG. 2) that covers a battery-side terminal 76 (described later) and an exposed position (see FIG. 3) that exposes the battery-side terminal 76. The terminal cover 14 is urged by urging springs 26a and 26b (see FIG. 7) in a direction from the exposed position to the protected position. Therefore, when the battery 4 is not attached to the adapter 2, the terminal cover 14 is held in the protected position, as shown in FIG. When the battery 4 is attached to the adapter 2, the terminal cover 14 is pressed by the battery 4, thereby moving the terminal cover 14 from the protected position to the exposed position.

As shown in FIG. 6, the adapter 2 further includes a control board 16 and waterproof walls 18 and 20. The control board 16 and the waterproof walls 18 and 20 are housed inside the upper housing 28 and the lower housing 30. As shown in FIG. 5, the control board 16 is positioned with respect to the upper housing 28 at two diagonal corners out of four corners by the positioning pins 44 of the upper housing 28. Further, the control board 16 is fixed to the upper housing 28 by screws 46 at two diagonally opposite corners of the four corners.

The waterproof walls 18, 20 extend downwardly from the upper inner surface of the upper housing 28 (see FIG. 4). As shown in FIG. 6, the waterproof wall 18 extends in the sliding direction along the left edge of the opening 38. The waterproof wall 18 is arranged to block the gap between the opening 38 and the control board 16. The lower end of the waterproof wall 18 is located below the control board 16. The waterproof wall 20 extends in the sliding direction along the right edge of the opening 40. The waterproof wall 20 is arranged to block the gap between the opening 40 and the control board 16. The lower end of the waterproof wall 20 is arranged below the control board 16. The control board 16 is arranged between the waterproof walls 18 and 20 in the left-right direction. When water enters the inside of the housing 12 through the openings 38 and 40, each of the waterproof walls 18 and 20 guides the entered water downward.

As shown in FIG. 7, on the upper inner surface of the upper housing 28, pins 32a and 32b extend downward. In the left-right direction, the pin 32a is arranged between the waterproof wall 18 and the right edge of the opening 38. In the left-right direction, the width W1 between the pin 32a and the waterproof wall 18 is approximately the same as the width W2 between the pin 32a and the right edge of the opening 38. Further, in the left-right direction, the pin 32b is arranged between the waterproof wall 20 and the left edge of the opening 40. In the left-right direction, the width W1 between the pin 32b and the waterproof wall 20 is approximately the same as the width W2 between the pin 32b and the left edge of the opening 40.

One end of the biasing spring 26a is attached to the pin 32a. Note that the other end of the biasing spring 26a is attached to the right end of the terminal cover 14. The biasing spring 26a is inclined away from the waterproof wall 18 as it goes from the front side to the rear side. If the position of the pin 32a is closer to the waterproof wall 18 than the pin 32a of this embodiment and the biasing spring 26a is arranged parallel to the front-rear direction, the biasing spring 26a will interfere with the waterproof wall 18. , the ease of attaching the biasing spring 26a deteriorates. In this embodiment, the biasing spring 26a is inclined away from the waterproof wall 18 as it goes from the front side to the rear side, so the biasing spring 26a interferes with the waterproof wall 18, making it difficult to attach the biasing spring 26a. can be prevented from deteriorating. Further, one end portion of the biasing spring 26b is attached to the pin 32b. Note that the other end of the biasing spring 26b is attached to the left end of the terminal cover 14. The biasing spring 26b is inclined away from the waterproof wall 20 as it goes from the front side to the rear side. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the biasing spring 26b from interfering with the waterproof wall 20 and deteriorating the ease of attaching the biasing spring 26b.

As shown in FIG. 8, the lower housing 30 is formed with rails 50, 52 and a terminal attachment portion 54. The rails 50 and 52 have a longitudinal direction in the front-rear direction. The rail 50 is located at the right end of the lower surface 30a of the lower housing 30, which is located on the opposite side of the upper surface 28a of the upper housing 28. The rail 52 is arranged at the left end of the lower surface 30a of the lower housing 30. The rails 50 and 52 are longer than the rails (not shown) of the battery side attachment portion 4a of the battery 4. This prevents the adapter 2 from being erroneously attached to an electrical device other than the battery checker 6, such as a power tool or an electric working machine. Furthermore, the rail 52 extends further forward than the front end of the rail 50. As a result, the adapter 2 can be attached to and detached from the old model battery checker 6, but cannot be attached to and detached from the new model battery checker 6. When attaching the checker side attachment part 6a of the battery checker 6 to the checker attachment part 8 of the adapter 2, the rails 50 and 52 guide the checker side attachment part 6a in the sliding direction. The terminal attachment portion 54 is arranged between the rails 50 and 52.

Further, the adapter 2 further includes a hook 130. The hook 130 is arranged at the rear end of the adapter 2. The hook 130 is biased by a biasing spring 132 (see FIG. 9), so that the hook 130 normally protrudes below the lower surface 30a of the lower housing 30. The hook 130 has a longitudinal direction in the up-down direction. The adapter 2 is held by the battery checker 6 by the hook 130 engaging with an engagement groove (not shown) formed on the upper surface of the battery checker 6 .

As shown in FIG. 6, the adapter 2 further includes inner walls 22 and 24. Inner walls 22, 24 are housed within upper housing 28 and lower housing 30. Inner walls 22, 24 extend upwardly from the lower inner surface of lower housing 30. The inner walls 22 and 24 have a longitudinal direction in the front-rear direction. The inner wall 22 is disposed on the left side of the waterproof wall 18 and on the right side of the control board 16. Further, the upper end of the inner wall 22 is disposed above the lower end of the waterproof wall 18 and the control board 16. The inner wall 24 is disposed on the right side of the waterproof wall 20 and on the left side of the control board 16. Further, the upper end of the inner wall 24 is disposed above the lower end of the waterproof wall 20 and the control board 16. The control board 16 is disposed between the inner walls 22 and 24 in the left-right direction. Moreover, the inner walls 22 and 24 are arranged between the waterproof walls 18 and 20 in the left-right direction. In the left-right direction, the inner wall 22 overlaps the waterproof wall 18, and the inner wall 24 overlaps the waterproof wall 20, so that the inner walls 22, 24 and the waterproof walls 18, 20 form a labyrinth structure. As a result, compared to a case where the adapter 2 includes only one of the waterproof walls 18 and 20 and the inner walls 22 and 24, water that has entered the inside of the housing 12 through the openings 38 and 40 is controlled. Reaching the substrate 16 can be further suppressed.

Step portions 58 and 60 are formed on the inner surface of the lower housing 30. The step portion 58 is arranged on the right side of the inner wall 22 and the waterproof wall 18. The lower inner surface of the lower housing 30 on the right side of the stepped portion 58 is located above the lower inner surface between the stepped portion 58 and the inner wall 22. A waterproof groove 64 is formed between the stepped portion 58 and the inner wall 22. The step portion 60 is arranged on the left side of the inner wall 24 and the waterproof wall 20. The lower inner surface of the lower housing 30 on the left side of the stepped portion 60 is located above the lower inner surface between the stepped portion 60 and the inner wall 24. A waterproof groove 66 is formed between the stepped portion 60 and the inner wall 24. A waterproof groove 66 is formed. The waterproof grooves 64 and 66 have a longitudinal direction in the front-rear direction. The lower end of the waterproof wall 18 is placed within the waterproof groove 64. Further, the lower end portion of the waterproof wall 20 is arranged within the waterproof groove 66. Watertight grooves 64, 66 receive water guided by watertight walls 18, 20, respectively.

The lower housing 30 has discharge ports 68 and 70 formed therein. The outlet 68 is arranged at the front end of the waterproof groove 64. Further, the discharge port 70 is arranged at the front end of the waterproof groove 66.

When the adapter 2 is attached to the battery checker 6 placed on a horizontal surface, the lower surface 30a of the lower housing 30 is inclined with respect to the horizontal surface from the upper side to the lower side as it goes from the rear side to the front side. . For this reason, the waterproof grooves 64 and 66 are inclined from the upper side to the lower side as they go from the rear side to the front side with respect to the horizontal plane. As a result, water dripping from the waterproof walls 18, 20 into the waterproof grooves 64, 66 flows toward the front and is discharged to the outside of the housing 12 from the discharge ports 68, 70. The water discharged from the discharge ports 68 and 70 flows along the outer surface of the battery checker 6 and drips onto the lower side of the battery checker 6.

Further, even when the adapter 2 is placed on a horizontal surface, the lower surface 30a of the lower housing 30 is inclined with respect to the horizontal surface from the upper side to the lower side as it goes from the rear side to the front side. Therefore, the waterproof grooves 64 and 66 are inclined from the upper side to the lower side as they go from the rear side to the front side with respect to the horizontal plane. As a result, water that has moved from the waterproof walls 18 and 20 to the waterproof grooves 64 and 66 flows toward the front and is discharged to the outside of the housing 12 from the discharge ports 68 and 70.

As described above, the adapter 2 includes the control board 16. As shown in FIG. 9, the control board 16 is arranged parallel to the lower surface 30a of the lower housing 30. The control board 16 is inclined with respect to the upper surface 28a of the upper housing 28. In this embodiment, the upper surface 28a of the upper housing 28 is inclined at an angle of 5 degrees with respect to the lower surface 30a of the lower housing 30. The upper surface 28a of the upper housing 28 may be inclined with respect to the lower surface 30a of the lower housing 30 at an angle greater than 0 degrees and less than 10 degrees, and may be inclined at an angle greater than 0 degrees and less than 15 degrees. It may be inclined at an angle of

A device side terminal 74 is mounted on the lower surface 16a of the control board 16. The device-side terminal 74 extends downward from the lower surface 16a of the control board 16, and then bends and extends forward. The device-side terminal 74 projects to the outside of the lower housing 30 via the terminal attachment portion 54 of the lower housing 30. When the adapter 2 is attached to the battery checker 6, the device-side terminal 74 is electrically connected to a terminal (not shown) of the battery checker 6.

Six battery-side terminals 76 are mounted on the upper surface 16b of the control board 16 opposite to the lower surface 16a. The six battery side terminals 76 protrude to the outside of the upper housing 28 via the terminal attachment portions 42 of the upper housing 28 . When the adapter 2 is attached to the battery 4, the six battery-side terminals 76 are electrically connected to terminals of the battery 4 (not shown). The positions of the six battery-side terminals 76 mounted on the control board 16 in the front-rear direction are further forward than the positions of the device-side terminals 74 mounted on the control board 16 in the front-rear direction. In other words, the six battery-side terminals 76 are offset in the front-back direction with respect to the device-side terminal 74.

As shown in FIG. 3, the six battery side terminals 76 are connected to two first battery side terminals 78, two second battery side terminals 80, and two third battery side terminals 82. being classified. The two first battery-side terminals 78 are lined up with each other in the left-right direction, and the two third battery-side terminals 82 are lined up with each other in the left-right direction. In the left-right direction, one second battery-side terminal 80 is located on the right side of the first battery-side terminal 78 and the third battery-side terminal 82, and the other second battery-side terminal 80 is located on the right side of the first battery-side terminal 78 and the third battery-side terminal 82. It is arranged on the left side of the terminal 78 and the third battery side terminal 82. As shown in FIG. 9, the first battery-side terminal 78, the second battery-side terminal 80, and the third battery-side terminal 82 are lined up in order from the rear side toward the front side in the front-back direction. The first battery side terminal 78, the second battery side terminal 80, and the third battery side terminal 82 have the same shape. Therefore, the detailed structure of the battery-side terminal 76 will be described below, taking the first battery-side terminal 78 as an example.

As shown in FIG. 9, the first battery side terminal 78 includes a root portion 86, a fixed portion 88, and a protruding portion 90. The lower part of the root portion 86 is inserted into the mounting hole 92 of the control board 16. The root portion 86 extends in a direction perpendicular to the upper surface 16b of the control board 16. The root portion 86 is fixed to the control board 16 using, for example, solder. Fixed portion 88 is located above root portion 86 . The fixed portion 88 is fixed to the upper housing 28 via the terminal attachment portion 42. The protruding portion 90 is located above the fixed portion 88. The protruding portion 90 protrudes to the outside of the upper housing 28. Projecting portion 90 has a front surface 94, a rear surface 96, and a distal end surface 98. In the front-back direction, the front surface 94 of the protruding portion 90 is the front surface of the protruding portion 90, and the rear surface 96 of the protruding portion 90 is the rear surface of the protruding portion 90. The front surface 94 is perpendicular to the upper surface 16b of the control board 16 and is inclined with respect to the direction perpendicular to the upper surface 28a of the upper housing 28. The rear surface 96 is perpendicular to the upper surface 28a of the upper housing 28 and is inclined with respect to the direction perpendicular to the upper surface 16b of the control board 16. The rear surface 96 is perpendicular to the sliding direction in which the battery 4 is slid with respect to the adapter 2 . The distal end surface 98 is the surface located farthest from the upper surface 28a of the upper housing 28. The distal end surface 98 is parallel to the upper surface 28a of the upper housing 28 and is inclined with respect to the direction perpendicular to the upper surface 16b of the control board 16. The tip surface 98 is parallel to the sliding direction in which the battery 4 is slid with respect to the adapter 2.

The height from the top surface 28a of the upper housing 28 to the tip surface 98 of the first battery side terminal 78 is the same as the height from the top surface 28a of the upper housing 28 to the tip surface 112 of the second battery side terminal 80. The upper surface 28a of the upper housing 28 is inclined with respect to the upper surface 16b of the control board 16, and approaches the upper surface 16b of the control board 16 toward the front side. Therefore, the root portion 102 of the second battery side terminal 80 is inserted deeper into the mounting hole 92 of the control board 16 than the root portion 86 of the first battery side terminal 78 . The height from the top surface 28a of the upper housing 28 to the tip surface 124 of the third battery side terminal 82 is higher by a predetermined amount than the height from the top surface 28a of the upper housing 28 to the tip surface 98 of the first battery side terminal 78. The predetermined amount is, for example, 1 mm or less. Since the predetermined amount is set to 1 mm or less, when attaching the battery 4 to the adapter 2, it is possible to suppress the battery 4 from being caught on the third battery side terminal 82. Further, when the height from the top surface 28a of the upper housing 28 to the tip surface 124 of the third battery side terminal 82 is the same as the height from the top surface 28a of the upper housing 28 to the tip surface 98 of the first battery side terminal 78. Compared to this, the amount of downward protrusion of the root portion 114 of the third battery side terminal 82 from the lower surface 16a of the control board 16 can be reduced. Thereby, the adapter 2 can be downsized in the vertical direction.

Next, a method for mounting the battery side terminals 76 on the upper surface 16b of the control board 16 will be explained. First, six battery side terminals 76 are integrally molded with the upper housing 28 by insert molding. Next, two diagonally opposite corners of the four corners of the control board 16 are inserted into the positioning pins 44 of the upper housing 28 . As a result, the control board 16 is positioned with respect to the upper housing 28, and the base portions of the six battery side terminals 76 are inserted into the mounting holes 92 of the control board 16 and are inserted downward from the lower surface 16a of the control board 16. stand out. Next, the other two diagonal corners of the four corners of the control board 16 are fixed with screws 46. Thereafter, the base portions of the six battery side terminals 76 are soldered to the control board 16.

The adapter 2 of this embodiment connects the battery 4 and the battery checker 6. The adapter 2 includes a control board 16, a battery side terminal 76, and a device side terminal 74. As shown in FIG. 8, the battery side terminal 76 is mounted on the upper surface 16b of the control board 16 and can be electrically connected to the battery 4. The device side terminal 74 is mounted on the lower surface 16a of the control board 16 opposite to the upper surface 16b, and can be electrically connected to the battery checker 6. In this configuration, since both the battery side terminal 76 and the device side terminal 74 are mounted on the control board 16, the battery side terminal 76 and the device side terminal 74 can be connected to each other without using other members such as lead wires. is arranged on the control board 16. Therefore, since there is no need to secure a space for arranging the lead wires, it is possible to suppress the adapter 2 from increasing in size.

The adapter 2 further includes a battery attachment part 10 to which the battery side attachment part 4a of the battery 4 can be attached, and a checker attachment part 8 to which the checker side attachment part 6a of the battery checker 6 can be attached and detached. The battery side attachment part 4a of the battery 4 cannot be attached to or detached from the checker side attachment part 6a of the battery checker 6. With this configuration, the battery 4 and battery checker 6, which cannot be directly connected, can be connected via the adapter 2.

Further, the battery checker 6 can be attached to and detached from the adapter 2 by sliding it in the front and back directions with respect to the adapter 2. The battery side terminal 76 is arranged at a position offset from the device side terminal 74 in the front-rear direction. When the battery side terminals 76 are mounted on the top surface 16b of the control board 16 and the device side terminals 74 are mounted on the bottom surface 16a of the control board 16, the battery side terminals 76 are arranged at positions offset from the device side terminals 74. There is a need. However, if the battery side terminal 76 is arranged at a position offset from the device side terminal 74, the adapter 2 may become larger. In the above configuration, the battery side terminal 76 is arranged at a position offset in the front-rear direction with respect to the device side terminal 74. Normally, in a configuration in which the battery checker 6 is attached and detached by sliding it with respect to the adapter 2, the adapter 2 has a certain size in the front and back direction, so the battery side terminal 76 is attached and detached from the device side terminal 74. Even when the adapter 2 is arranged at a position offset in the direction, the adapter 2 does not need to be further enlarged in the front-rear direction.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the adapter 2 further includes a housing 12 that accommodates the control board 16, and waterproof walls 18 and 20 arranged inside the housing 12. The housing 12 has openings 38, 40 facing the battery 4 when the battery 4 is attached to the adapter 2. The waterproof walls 18 and 20 are arranged to block the space between the openings 38 and 40 and the control board 16. In this configuration, the waterproof walls 18 and 20 prevent water that has entered the housing 12 through the openings 38 and 40 from flowing toward the control board 16. Therefore, water can be prevented from reaching the control board 16.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the housing 12 has waterproof grooves 64 and 66 for receiving water that has entered the housing 12 through the openings 38 and 40 and flowed along the waterproof walls 18 and 20. The tips of the waterproof walls 18 and 20 are arranged within the waterproof grooves 64 and 66. In this configuration, the waterproof grooves 64, 66 function as water receptacles for receiving water that has entered the interior of the housing 12 through the openings 38, 40. Thereby, it is possible to suppress water from reaching the control board 16.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the housing 12 further includes discharge ports 68 and 70 for discharging water that has entered the housing 12 through the openings 38 and 40 to the outside of the housing 12. The discharge ports 68, 70 are formed in the waterproof grooves 64, 66. With this configuration, water accumulated in the waterproof grooves 64 and 66 is discharged to the outside of the housing 12 through the discharge ports 68 and 70. Thereby, water can be prevented from accumulating inside the housing 12.

The adapter 2 of this embodiment connects the battery 4 and the battery checker 6. The adapter 2 includes a housing 12, a control board 16, and terminals 74 and 76. Control board 16 is housed in housing 12 . Terminals 74 and 76 are mounted on control board 16. Housing 12 has an upper surface 28a and a lower surface 30a. The battery 4 is attached to the upper surface 28a. The lower surface 30a is arranged on the opposite side of the upper surface 28a, and the battery checker 6 is attached to the lower surface 30a. As shown in FIG. 8, the upper surface 28a is inclined with respect to the lower surface 30a. In this configuration, since the upper surface 28a is inclined with respect to the lower surface 30a, even when a member such as the hook 130 is provided, the height of the housing 12 is required near the member such as the hook 130. The housing 12 can be made lower in other parts while ensuring the same height. Thereby, the adapter 2 can be made more compact.

Further, the upper surface 28a is inclined with respect to the lower surface 30a at an angle greater than 0° and smaller than 10°. With this configuration, the upper surface 28a can be prevented from being excessively inclined with respect to the lower surface 30a. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the adapter 2 from increasing in size.

Further, the battery 4 can be attached to and detached from the adapter 2 by sliding it relative to the adapter 2. The terminal 76 includes a projecting portion 90 projecting from the upper surface 28a of the upper housing 28. The protruding portion 90 has a distal end surface 98 disposed at the farthest position from the upper surface 28a. The tip surface 98 is parallel to the upper surface 28a. With this configuration, when the battery 4 is slid along the upper surface 28a, it is possible to prevent the tip end surface 98 of the terminal 76 from getting caught on the battery 4. Thereby, the battery 4 can be easily attached to the adapter 2.

Further, when the direction in which the battery 4 is slid when attached to the adapter 2 is the front direction, the protruding portion 90 has a rear surface 96. The rear surface 96 is perpendicular to the upper surface 28a. With this configuration, when the battery 4 is slid along the upper surface 28a, it is possible to prevent the rear surface 96 of the terminal 76 from getting caught on the battery 4. Thereby, the battery 4 can be easily attached to the adapter 2.

(correspondence)
The upper surface 16b of the control board 16 is an example of the "first surface of the control board", and the lower surface 16a of the control board 16 is an example of the "second surface of the control board". The upper surface 28a of the upper housing 28 is an example of a "battery mounting surface," and the lower surface 30a of the lower housing 30 is an example of a "device side mounting surface."

(Modification of the first embodiment)
A modification of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In the modification of the first embodiment, points different from the first embodiment will be explained, and points similar to the first embodiment will be given the same reference numerals and explanations will be omitted. In a modification of the first embodiment, the adapter 2 further includes a display section 15. The display section 15 is arranged on the upper surface 28a of the upper housing 28. The display section 15 is, for example, an LED panel. Under the control of the control board 16, the display section 15 displays, for example, connection information between the adapter 2 and the battery checker 6. The operator determines whether or not the adapter 2 is correctly connected to the battery checker 6 by viewing the connection information displayed on the display unit 15.

The adapter 2 further includes a display section 15 that is disposed on the top surface 28a and can display information about the battery checker 6. In this configuration, when the lower surface 30a is placed parallel to the mounting surface, the upper surface 28a is inclined with respect to the mounting surface. Therefore, the display section 15 is inclined with respect to the mounting surface. Thereby, the operator can easily see the display section 15 compared to the case where the display section 15 is horizontal to the mounting surface.

(Second example)
In the second embodiment, points different from the first embodiment will be explained, and points similar to the first embodiment will be given the same reference numerals and explanations will be omitted. In the second embodiment, the control board 16 is arranged parallel to the upper surface 28a of the upper housing 28 and is inclined with respect to the lower surface 30a of the lower housing 30. Further, the terminal 74 of the first embodiment is mounted on the upper surface 16b of the control board 16. Terminal 74 is electrically connectable to battery 4 . Further, the terminal 76 of the first embodiment is mounted on the lower surface 16a of the control board 16. The terminal 76 can be electrically connected to the battery checker 6. In the following, the structure of the terminal 76 will be described using the first terminal 78 of the terminals 76 as an example.

The base portion 86 of the first terminal 78 is fixed to the control board 16 using, for example, solder. A fixed portion 88 of the first terminal 78 is fixed to the lower housing 30. The protruding portion 90 of the first terminal 78 protrudes to the outside of the lower housing 30. The front surface 94 of the protruding portion 90 is perpendicular to the lower surface 16a of the control board 16, and is inclined with respect to the direction perpendicular to the lower surface 30a of the lower housing 30. The rear surface 96 of the protruding portion 90 is perpendicular to the lower surface 30a of the lower housing 30 and is inclined with respect to the direction perpendicular to the lower surface 16a of the control board 16. The distal end surface 98 of the protruding portion 90 is parallel to the lower surface 30a of the lower housing 30, and parallel to the front-rear direction in which the battery checker 6 is slid with respect to the adapter 2.

In this embodiment, the battery checker 6 can be attached to and detached from the adapter 2 by sliding it relative to the adapter 2. The terminal 76 includes a projecting portion 90 projecting from the lower surface 30a of the lower housing 30. The protruding portion 90 has a distal end surface 98 disposed at the farthest position from the lower surface 30a. The tip surface 98 is parallel to the lower surface 30a. With this configuration, when the battery checker 6 is slid along the lower surface 30a, it is possible to prevent the tip end surface 98 of the terminal 76 from getting caught on the battery checker 6. Thereby, the adapter 2 can be attached to the battery checker 6.

Further, when the direction in which the adapter 2 is slid when it is attached to the battery checker 6 is the front direction, the protruding portion 90 has a rear surface 96. The rear surface 96 is perpendicular to the lower surface 30a. With this configuration, when the battery checker 6 is slid along the lower surface 30a, it is possible to suppress the rear surface 96 of the terminal 76 from being caught on the battery checker 6. Thereby, the adapter 2 can be attached to the battery checker 6.

Although specific examples of the present invention have been described in detail above, these are merely illustrative and do not limit the scope of the claims. The techniques described in the claims include various modifications and changes to the specific examples illustrated above.

The adapter 2 according to one embodiment may connect the battery 4 to other electrical equipment other than the battery checker 6. The other electrical equipment may be, for example, an electric tool such as a screwdriver or a drill, or an electric working machine such as a brush cutter or blower.

In the adapter 2 according to one embodiment, the front surface 94 of the first battery side terminal 78 may be orthogonal to the upper surface 28a of the upper housing 28. The front surface of the second battery side terminal 80 and the front surface of the third battery side terminal 82 may also be perpendicular to the upper surface 28a of the upper housing 28.

The adapter 2 according to one embodiment may not include the waterproof walls 18 and 20. Moreover, the adapter 2 does not need to be provided with the inner walls 22 and 24. Further, the adapter 2 does not need to include both the waterproof walls 18 and 20 and the inner walls 22 and 24.

In the adapter 2 according to one embodiment, the rear surface 96 of the first battery side terminal 78 may be inclined with respect to the upper surface 28a of the upper housing 28. The rear surface of the second battery side terminal 80 and the rear surface of the third battery side terminal 82 may also be inclined with respect to the direction perpendicular to the upper surface 28a of the upper housing 28.

In the adapter 2 according to the embodiment, the six battery-side terminals 76 mounted on the control board 16 are positioned laterally than the device-side terminals 74 mounted on the control board 16 in the front-rear direction. It can be on the side.

The technical elements described in this specification or the drawings exhibit technical utility alone or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the claims as filed. Furthermore, the techniques illustrated in this specification or the drawings can achieve multiple objectives simultaneously, and achieving one of the objectives has technical utility in itself.

2: Adapter 4: Battery 4a: Battery side mounting section 6: Battery checker 6a: Checker side mounting section 8: Checker mounting section 10: Battery mounting section 12: Housing 15: Display section 16: Control board 16a, 30a: Bottom surface 16b, 28a: Upper surface 18, 20: Waterproof wall 22, 24: Inner wall 28: Upper housing 30: Lower housing 38, 40: Opening 42, 54: Terminal mounting portion 64, 66: Waterproof groove 68, 70: Outlet 74: Equipment Side terminal 76: Battery side terminal 78: First battery side terminal 80: Second battery side terminal 82: Third battery side terminal 86, 102, 114: Root portion 88: Fixed portion 90: Projecting portion 94: Front surface 96: Rear surface 98, 112, 124: Tip surface

Claims (6)

An adapter for connecting a battery and an electrical device,
a control board;
a battery side terminal mounted on the first surface of the control board and electrically connectable to the battery;
a device-side terminal mounted on a second surface opposite to the first surface of the control board and electrically connectable to the electric device;
a battery mounting surface on which a rail is formed to guide the battery when the battery is attached to the adapter;
A rail is formed for guiding the electrical device when the electrical device is attached to the adapter, and includes an equipment mounting surface disposed on the opposite side to the battery mounting surface ,
The control board is disposed between the battery mounting surface and the device mounting surface, and at least partially overlaps the battery when the adapter is viewed in a direction perpendicular to the battery mounting surface. adapter. a battery mounting part to which the battery side mounting part of the battery is detachable;
further comprising a device mounting portion to which the device side mounting portion of the electrical device is detachable;
The adapter according to claim 1, wherein the battery-side attachment portion of the battery is not removable from the device-side attachment portion of the electrical device. The electrical device can be attached to and detached from the adapter by sliding it in a sliding direction with respect to the adapter,
The adapter according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the battery side terminal is arranged at a position offset in the sliding direction with respect to the device side terminal. a housing that accommodates the control board;
further comprising: a waterproof wall disposed inside the housing;
The housing has an opening that faces the battery when the battery is attached to the adapter,
The adapter according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the waterproof wall is arranged to block a gap between the opening and the control board. The housing has a waterproof groove that receives water that has entered the housing through the opening and flowed along the waterproof wall,
5. The adapter according to claim 4, wherein a tip of the waterproof wall is disposed within the waterproof groove. The housing further includes an outlet for discharging water that has entered the housing through the opening to the outside of the housing,
The adapter according to claim 5, wherein the outlet is formed in the waterproof groove.

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