WO2013077176A1 - Battery pack - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To improve viewability of a display unit of residual quantity, etc., without sacrificing ease of attachment and detachment operations of a battery pack. [Solution] Provided is a battery pack which is detachably mounted on a battery-powered apparatus and supplies power which drives the battery-powered apparatus, and with which charging is possible by detachable attachment to a battery pack charging apparatus. The battery pack comprises: one or more secondary batteries (1) which are capable of being charged; a battery case (31) which houses the secondary batteries (1); a mounting mechanism for mounting the battery case (31) upon either the battery-powered apparatus or the battery pack charging apparatus; an attachment/detachment manipulation part (52) for switching the mounting mechanism between a lock state and a disengage state; and a display part (56) for displaying the state of the secondary battery (1). The display part (56) is disposed upon the attachment/detachment manipulation part (52).

Description

Battery pack

The present invention relates to a battery pack that is detachably attached to a battery-driven device such as an electric tool, an electric lawn mower, or an electric blower and supplies electric power.

Battery-powered devices such as electric tools can be conveniently used in construction sites as cordless systems by detachably attaching battery packs that contain rechargeable batteries. Moreover, it can be repeatedly used by charging the removed battery pack by making the battery pack removable from the battery-driven device. A battery pack with a small remaining battery capacity can be charged by setting it in a battery pack charger.

An example of such a battery pack is shown in FIGS. In these drawings, FIG. 31 is a perspective view showing a state in which the conventional battery pack 30X is attached to the battery pack charger, and FIG. 32 is a perspective view showing a state in which the conventional battery pack 30X is attached to the electric tool PT. Reference numeral 33 denotes a perspective view showing the battery pack 30X of FIG. For example, the battery pack 30X having a small remaining capacity is charged by being attached to the battery pack charger 100 as shown in FIG. 31, and is removed from the battery pack charger 100 after charging, as shown in FIG. It is charged by attaching it to an electric tool PT. Thus, to detachably attach the battery pack 30X charger 100 or power tool PT battery pack, the battery pack 30X, as shown in the perspective view of FIG. 33, the locking hook 54X and removable operating unit 52X Provided. The locking hook 54X prevents the battery pack 30X from falling off when the battery pack 30X is mounted on the battery pack charger or the electric tool PT. The battery pack charger 100 shown in FIG. 31 and the electric tool PT shown in FIG. 32 each have a locking recess engaged with the locking hook 54X at a position corresponding to the locking hook 54X with the battery pack 30X mounted. 17X is formed. In the example of FIG. 33, the locking hook 54X is urged so as to protrude downward from the battery pack 30X. Thereby, the battery pack 30X set in the battery pack charger 100 of FIG. 31 and the electric tool PT of FIG. 32 is fixed by engaging the locking hook 54X with the locking recess 17X.

The locking hook 54X is interlocked with detachable operating unit 52X, the user by pushing upward manually detachable operating unit 52X, is retracted in a direction to house the detachable operating unit 52X to the battery pack 30X side. The detachable operation part 52X is provided with a recess so that the user can easily operate it. When the user releases his / her hand from the attaching / detaching operation portion 52X, the biased hook 54X is pushed out again in a direction protruding from the battery pack 30X. Accordingly, the locking hook 54X prevents the battery pack 30X from dropping off in a state where the battery pack 30X is mounted on the battery pack charger 100 or the electric tool PT.

JP 2008-236882 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-236450

On the other hand, the battery pack 30X is provided with a remaining amount display portion 56X so that the user can grasp the remaining capacity of the battery pack 30X. The user is able to see the remaining amount display unit 56X, can figure out what is at the time of use of the power tool can be used how much time is remaining, also at the time of charging, or take how much time is remaining until the full charge of the battery pack 30X I can grasp it.

Such a remaining amount display portion 56X needs to be provided in a portion that can be visually recognized by the user. However, depending on the shape of the electric power tool or the charger, the battery pack 30X may be mounted in a state where the outside hardly appears. Further, as described above, an attaching / detaching operation unit for attaching / detaching the battery pack 30X is provided at the exposed portion. For example, in the example of FIG. 33, the remaining amount display unit 56X is provided above the attachment / detachment operation unit 52X. However, if the remaining amount display unit 56X is to be enlarged, the outer shape of the battery pack 30X increases, and the battery pack 30X is maximized. The result is contrary to the required specification of the battery pack that is required to be downsized. On the contrary, if the remaining amount display portion is provided while maintaining the size of the outer shape of the battery pack, it is necessary to reduce the size of the attaching / detaching operation portion, and the operability when the user operates by hand is poor. Become. Further, if the remaining amount display portion is provided while maintaining the size of the attaching / detaching operation portion, the remaining amount display portion must be reduced in size, and the visibility is deteriorated. Thus, the operability of the attaching / detaching operation unit and the arrangement of the remaining amount display unit are contradictory, and it is difficult to achieve both.

The present invention has been made in view of such conventional problems. A main object of the present invention is to provide a battery pack in which the visibility of a display unit such as a remaining amount is improved without sacrificing ease of operation of attaching and detaching the battery pack.

Means for Solving the Problems and Effects of the Invention

In order to achieve the above object, according to the battery pack of the first aspect of the present invention, the battery pack is detachably attached to the battery drive device to supply electric power for driving the battery drive device, and the battery pack. A battery pack that is removably attached to a battery charger, wherein the battery pack includes at least one rechargeable secondary battery 1, a battery case 31 that houses the secondary battery 1, and the battery case 31. A mounting mechanism for mounting on a battery-driven device or a battery pack charger, a latch unit 50, 50B for switching the mounting mechanism to a locked state and a released state, and a state for displaying the state of the secondary battery 1 Display unit 56, and the display unit 56 can be provided in the latch units 50 and 50B. As a result, in the state where the battery case is mounted on the battery drive device or the battery pack charger, the display unit is provided in the latch unit that is always exposed in order to attach or detach the battery case. There is no need to prepare, and the display unit can be provided at a position where it can be easily seen without increasing the outer shape of the battery pack.

Moreover, according to the battery pack which concerns on a 2nd side surface, the semiconductor light emitting element which can be further lighted and can display light on the exterior of the said battery case 31 is provided, The said display part 56 is made to light the said semiconductor light emitting element. Thus, the state of the secondary battery 1 can be displayed. Thereby, a display unit with low power consumption and excellent visibility can be configured.

Further, according to the battery pack of the third aspect, the latch portion 50B can switch between the locked state and the released state in a sliding manner, and the semiconductor light emitting element is immovable separately from the latch portion 50B. Can be provided in position. Thereby, by fixing the semiconductor light emitting element without sliding, it is possible to eliminate the need to provide a sub-board or the like in the latch portion to be slid.

Furthermore, the battery pack according to the fourth aspect further comprises a lamp reader 62 for guiding the light emitted from the semiconductor light emitting element to the display unit 56, and the light output end of the lamp reader 62 is The display unit 56 is disposed so as to face the back surface side, and the light incident surface of the lamp reader 62 can be disposed in a posture capable of being optically coupled to the semiconductor light emitting element. As a result, the light emission can be guided to the display unit that slides while fixing the semiconductor light emitting element.

Furthermore, according to the battery pack of the fifth aspect, the pack substrate 74B further mounted with electronic components, and the operation switch 59B mounted on the pack substrate 74B and operating the light emission of the semiconductor light emitting element, The operation switch 59B can also be operated in conjunction with this by sliding the latch portion 50B from the locked state to the released state. Accordingly, the operation switch can be operated simultaneously by operating the latch unit, and the state of the secondary battery can be confirmed by lighting the semiconductor light emitting element at the same time when the operation is switched from the locked state to the released state.

Furthermore, according to the battery pack of the sixth aspect, the latch unit 50 can be switched between a locked state and a released state in a sliding manner, and the semiconductor light emitting element is fixed to the latch unit 50. Can do. Thereby, the semiconductor light emitting element can be directly fixed to the latch portion to emit light, and a lamp reader or the like for guiding the light from the semiconductor light emitting element to the latch portion as compared with the configuration in which the semiconductor light emitting element is provided in the stationary portion. Can be eliminated.

Furthermore, according to the battery pack of the seventh aspect, the latch unit 50 can be further provided with a switch for operating the battery pack. As a result, in addition to the display unit, a switch is provided in the latch unit, and similarly, there is no need to separately provide a space for providing the switch in the exposed portion of the battery pack. Can be improved.

It is a perspective view which shows a battery pack. It is a perspective view which shows the figure which looked at the battery pack of FIG. 1 from the back. It is a disassembled perspective view of the battery pack in the attitude | position of FIG. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the battery pack in the posture of FIG. 2. FIG. 5A is a perspective view showing a state in which the side cover is attached to the lower casing, and FIG. 5B is a perspective view showing a state in which the side cover is attached to the lower casing from the state of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the structure which used the side member as another member in the conventional battery case. FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the side cover is to be inserted in the reverse direction in the battery case of FIG. 5. It is the perspective view seen from diagonally downward which shows a mode that a side cover is mounted | worn with an upper casing. It is a disassembled perspective view of a battery holder. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows a mode that a pack board | substrate is clamped with an upper casing and a battery holder. It is the disassembled perspective view which looked at the upper casing etc. of FIG. 10 from diagonally downward. It is a vertical sectional view of FIG. It is a principal part expanded sectional view of the state which clamped the pack board | substrate with the upper casing and battery holder of FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a structure for fixing a pack substrate according to Embodiment 2. FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the state which mounted | wore the battery pack charger with the battery pack. FIG. 16 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along line XVI-XVI in FIG. 15. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the state which removed the battery pack from the battery pack charger of FIG. FIG. 16 is a transverse sectional view taken along line XVIII-XVIII in FIG. 15. 19A is a cross-sectional view of a battery pack according to a modification, and FIG. 19B is an enlarged cross-sectional view of FIG. 19A. It is a perspective view which shows the state which fixed the external connection terminal on the pack board | substrate. It is a horizontal sectional view which shows the state which hold | maintains the upper end of an external connection terminal with a terminal positioning rib. It is a circuit diagram which shows the state which connected the battery pack to the battery pack charger. It is a perspective view of the latch part of FIG. FIG. 24 is a perspective view showing a state in which the battery pack is set in the electric tool. It is a front view of the latch part of FIG. FIG. 26 is a vertical sectional view taken along line XXV-XXV in FIG. 25. FIG. 26 is a vertical sectional view taken along line XXVI-XXVI in FIG. 25. 6 is an external perspective view showing a battery pack according to Example 3. FIG. FIG. 29 is a front view of the battery pack of FIG. 28. FIG. 30 is a vertical sectional view taken along line XXIX-XXIX in FIG. 29. It is a perspective view which shows the state which mounts the conventional battery pack in a charger. It is a perspective view which shows the state which mounted | wore the electric tool with the conventional battery pack. FIG. 32 is a perspective view showing the battery pack of FIG. 31.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the embodiment described below exemplifies a battery pack for embodying the technical idea of the present invention, and the present invention does not specify the battery pack as follows. In addition, the member shown by the claim is not what specifies the member of embodiment. In particular, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, and the like of the constituent members described in the embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention only to the description unless otherwise specified. It's just an example. Note that the size, positional relationship, and the like of the members shown in each drawing may be exaggerated for clarity of explanation. Furthermore, in the following description, the same name and symbol indicate the same or the same members, and detailed description thereof will be omitted as appropriate. Furthermore, each element constituting the present invention may be configured such that a plurality of elements are constituted by the same member and the plurality of elements are shared by one member, and conversely, the function of one member is constituted by a plurality of members. It can also be realized by sharing. In addition, the contents described in some examples and embodiments may be used in other examples and embodiments.
Example 1

1 to 4 show a battery pack for an electric tool as the battery pack according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In these drawings, FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the battery pack 30, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a view of the battery pack 30 of FIG. 1 from the back, and FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the battery pack 30 in the posture of FIG. 4 and 4 show exploded perspective views of the battery pack 30 in the posture of FIG. In addition, although the battery pack for electric tools is demonstrated below, the battery pack of this invention is not limited to the battery pack for electric tools, but it can be used suitably also for another battery drive apparatus. Not too long.

The battery pack 30 shown in these drawings has a box-shaped outer shape, and the secondary battery 1 is built inside. Specifically, the battery pack 30 includes a battery holder 70 that holds a plurality of rechargeable secondary batteries 1, a battery lead plate 80 that connects the secondary batteries 1 to each other at an end face, and a protection circuit for the secondary battery 1. , A battery drive device and an electric connection part connected to the battery pack charger 100, and a battery case 31 for storing the battery holder 70 and the pack board 74.
(Battery case 31)

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the battery case 31 is formed in a box shape and has a chamfered corner portion, and a power tool PT, which is a battery driving device, and a battery pack charger 100 on the surface. The electrical connection part for connecting with a connection terminal (not shown) is exposed. In the example of FIGS. 2 and 4, an exposing window 12 for exposing the electrical connection portion is opened in a part of the upper casing 31 </ b> A constituting the battery case 31. The battery connection portion exposes a connection portion to be connected to a battery pack charger or a connection terminal of a battery drive device through the exposure window 12. Further, the battery pack 30 is provided with a latch portion 50 for holding the mounting state when the battery pack 30 is mounted on the electric tool PT or the battery pack charger 100. The battery case 31 is molded from a resin having excellent insulating properties and strength.

The battery case 31 is divided into a first casing and a second casing. In the example shown in the exploded perspective views of FIGS. 3 to 4, the battery case 31 is divided into two parts, an upper casing 31A and a lower casing 31B. A storage space is formed inside the battery case 31, and the battery holder 70, the pack substrate 74, and the latch unit 50 are stored therein.
(Side cover 31C)

Furthermore, the side surface of the battery case 31 is covered with a side surface cover 31C. FIG. 5A is a perspective view showing a state where the side cover 31C is attached to the lower casing 31B, and FIG. 5B is a perspective view showing a state where the side cover 31C is attached to the lower casing 31B from the state of FIG. Each figure is shown. As shown in these drawings, the side cover 31C is composed of a separate member from the upper casing 31A and the lower casing 31B. The side cover 31C is sandwiched and fixed between the upper casing 31A and the lower casing 31B by inserting an end edge into a groove provided in each of the upper casing 31A and the lower casing 31B.
(Warpage prevention rib 31a)

In addition, the lower casing 31B is provided with a warp preventing rib 31a. In the configuration in which the side surface is a separate member in the conventional battery case, a shape in which a portion to which the side surface cover is attached is opened to reduce the necessary resin molding member as in the lower casing 31X shown in FIG. However, with this structure, warping may occur when the battery case is molded with resin. Also, the mechanical strength becomes weak with respect to the twisting direction. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5A, the portion covered with the side cover 31C is not completely opened, and a warp preventing rib 31a is provided. Thereby, the curvature of a battery case can be suppressed. Further, the double structure of the side surface, the warp preventing rib 31a and the side surface cover 31C provides an advantage that the mechanical strength can be improved. Particularly, in outdoor use applications such as a battery pack for electric power tool, since the envisioned somewhat rough handling of dropping or impact or the like, improving the reliability of the battery pack by increasing such mechanical strength Can be made.

Incidentally, in this example, is provided with the warp preventing rib 31a only under the casing 31B, it may be provided a warp preventing rib on the casing side, or may be a warp preventing rib provided in both the upper casing and the lower casing Needless to say.

Furthermore, the side cover 31C can be easily changed by configuring the side cover 31C as a separate member. As a result, the side cover 31C can be used as a decorative plate, the side design of the battery case 31 can be easily changed, and the design can be enhanced. In the example of FIG. 5B, the upper surface of the side cover 31C is formed in a frame shape, and the lower half is formed in a hexagonal dimple shape.
(Incorrect insertion prevention rib 31b)

On the other hand, when the design of the side cover 31C is asymmetric, it can be considered that the side cover 31C is inserted upside down during assembly. In this case, the reversely inserted side cover 31C has a defective product different from the intended one. Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 5A, 5B, 7 and 8, the side cover 31C is provided with an erroneous insertion preventing rib 31b. The erroneous insertion prevention rib 31b is provided at the edge on the back surface side of the side cover 31C. In the example of Fig.5 (a), it is provided in the approximate center of the upper end edge of the side cover 31C. After this, the insertion preventing rib slightly protrudes from the back surface of the side cover 31C. As a result, an attempt to insert the side cover 31C in the opposite direction with respect to the lower casing 31B as shown in FIG. 7, the erroneous insertion preventing ribs 31b are in conflict with the upper edge of the warp preventing rib 31a, prevents its insertion. As a result, it is possible to physically prevent the side cover 31C from being inserted in an incorrect posture, and to avoid an error during assembly. Also as shown in the exploded perspective view of FIG. 8, the upper casing 31A side, at positions corresponding to the insertion preventing rib 31b erroneous when inserting the side cover 31C, is provided with a rib guide 31c for guiding the mis-insertion preventing rib 31b . Thus, the side cover 31C can be positioned in a correct posture and inserted into the upper casing 31A.

In this example, as described above, the warp preventing rib is not provided on the upper casing 31A side, so that the situation where the erroneous insertion preventing rib 31b conflicts with the warp preventing rib can be avoided. However, when the upper casing is provided with a warp prevention rib, the shape of the erroneous insertion prevention rib is changed so that the upper casing can be correctly inserted. For example, the warp prevention rib of the upper casing is provided with a slit capable of guiding the erroneous insertion prevention rib at the center portion thereof. In addition, the shape, position, number, etc. of the erroneous insertion prevention ribs can be changed as appropriate, and any shape or structure that prevents insertion in the wrong posture while allowing the battery case to be inserted in the correct direction can be used. it can.
(Battery holder 70)

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 4, the battery holder 70 includes the secondary battery 1, a pack substrate 74, a battery lead plate 80, and various lead wires. Further, as shown in an exploded perspective view of FIG. 9 described later, the battery holder 70 is provided with a battery storage space for storing the secondary battery 1 on the lower surface and a substrate fixing portion 75 for fixing the pack substrate 74 on the upper surface. Yes. In the secondary batteries 1, the end faces of the secondary batteries 1 exposed from the exposed portion opened in the end face of the battery holder 70 are electrically connected by the battery lead plate 80, and the secondary battery 1 is further connected to the battery holder 70. The output of the battery core that houses the battery is connected to the pack substrate 74 by output lead wires. The pack substrate 74 includes a charge / discharge terminal for connecting the output of the battery core to the electric tool PT or the battery pack charger 100. A lead plate fixing frame 86 for fixing each battery lead plate 80 is provided on the side surface of the battery lead plate 80.

A protection circuit for the secondary battery 1 is mounted on the pack substrate 74. The protection circuit is connected to each battery lead plate 80 via the signal lead wire 84 and detects, for example, the battery voltage of each secondary battery 1. Furthermore, the pack substrate 74 fixes the connector 13 to one end as an electrical connection portion. The connector 13 includes a signal terminal for outputting the output of the protection circuit, battery information, and the like, in addition to the charge / discharge terminal connected to the output of the secondary battery 1 built in the battery pack. As shown in FIG. 2 and the like, the connection portion of the connector 13 is exposed to the outside through the exposure window 12 opened in the battery case 31. The battery driving device and the battery pack charger that are electrically connected to the battery pack are electrically connected by inserting the connection terminal into the connector 13 exposed through the exposed window 12.
(Secondary battery 1)

The battery case 31 is formed in a shape that can incorporate the secondary battery 1 therein. Here, as the secondary battery 1, a cylindrical secondary battery in which the outer can is formed in a cylindrical shape extended in the longitudinal direction is used. In the battery case 31, as shown in FIG. 4 and the like, a plurality of secondary batteries 1 are arranged in a substantially parallel posture in the battery case 31 so as to be adjacent side by side on the same plane. Secondary battery 1 which is built in the battery pack 30 is a lithium ion battery. However, the secondary battery may be any other battery that can be charged, such as a nickel metal hydride battery, a nickel cadmium battery, or a polymer battery. A plurality of secondary batteries can be connected in series to increase the output voltage, and can be connected in parallel to increase the output current. In this example, the secondary battery 1 is a lithium ion battery, two are connected in parallel and five sets are connected in series, and the output voltage is 18V. However, the battery pack does not specify the number of built-in secondary batteries or the connection state. In the battery pack, the number of secondary batteries incorporated and the output voltage can be designed in various ways according to the type and application of the battery driving device to be used.
(Battery storage space)

As shown in the exploded perspective view of FIG. 9, the battery storage space of the battery holder 70 is divided into a first sub holder 71A and a second sub holder 71B, and a secondary space is provided between the first sub holder 71A and the second sub holder 71B. Battery 1 is sandwiched. In this example, the battery holder 70 houses ten secondary batteries 1. The battery holder 70 connects the end surfaces exposed from the exposed portion with the battery lead plate 80 in a state where the secondary battery 1 is stored in the battery storage space.
(Battery lead plate 80)

As shown in the exploded perspective view of FIG. 9 and the like, the battery lead plate 80 is a flat metal plate excellent in conductivity, and is formed in a size that can be stored in the battery storage space. The battery lead plate 80 has a welding slit for spot welding, and is fixed to the end surfaces of the adjacent secondary batteries 1 in a state of being accommodated in the battery accommodating space.
(Board fixing part 75)

A substrate fixing portion 75 for fixing the pack substrate 74 is provided on the upper surface of the battery holder 70. 10 to 13 show how the pack substrate 74 is attached to the substrate fixing portion 75. FIG. In these figures, FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view showing the state of clamping the pack board 74 between the upper casing 31A and the battery holder 70, FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of the casing 31A and the like obliquely from below the top in FIG. 10, FIG. 12 is a vertical cross-sectional view of FIG. 10, and FIG. 13 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part in a state where the pack substrate 74 is sandwiched between the upper casing 31A and the battery holder 70 of FIG. The battery holder 70 shown in these drawings is provided with a boss 72 that supports the pack substrate 74. The boss 72 is provided with a stepped portion 73 as a pin coupling portion at the tip edge. Further, a step having a diameter slightly smaller than the outer shape of the boss 72 is formed on the inner side of the stepped portion 73 so as to be recessed from the opening end, and a hollow cylindrical shape is formed. Further, a thread groove is cut in the cylindrical inner surface.

On the other hand, the pack substrate 74 has a boss hole 76 at a position corresponding to the boss 72. The boss hole 76 inserts the tip of the boss 72 from the back side of the pack substrate 74, and supports the pack substrate 74 at the stepped portion 73 of the boss 72.

Further, the upper casing 31A is provided with an insertion pin 36a at a position corresponding to the boss 72. The insertion pin 36a is provided on the distal end surface of the columnar portion 36 that protrudes downward from the inner surface of the upper casing 31A. Columnar portion 36 forms the outer shape into a cylindrical shape, and also its interior insert pins 36a, formed in a cylindrical shape communicating with the columnar portion 36, screw holes 37 on the upper surface of the upper casing 31A is opened The Thus, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the insertion pin 36a of the upper casing 31A is inserted into the opening portion of the battery holder 70 inserted into the boss hole 76 of the pack substrate 74, so that the boss hole of the pack substrate 74 is obtained. The pack substrate 74 can be fixed by screwing the screw 38 from the upper casing 31 </ b> A in a state where the periphery of 76 is sandwiched between the tip surface of the columnar portion 36 and the stepped portion 73. According to this structure, the pack substrate 74 can be fixed simultaneously with the fixing operation of the upper casing 31 </ b> A and the battery holder 70. In particular, the screw used for fixing the pack substrate 74 and the screw used for fixing the upper casing 31A can be made common, and the labor cost can be reduced by reducing the member cost and the number of locations to be screwed together.

Further, the boss holes 76 are provided diagonally on the pack substrate 74. Thus, the pack substrate 74 can be positioned and fixed in the XY directions at the substrate fixing portion 75 on the battery holder 70. In addition, as described above, the pack substrate 74 is sandwiched between the tip surface of the columnar portion 36 of the upper casing 31A and the stepped portion 73 of the battery holder 70 and fixed with screws, thereby positioning the pack substrate 74 in the height direction. Can also be done. As described above, the fixing structure of the pack substrate 74 using the boss 72 and the insertion pin 36a also has an advantage that the pack substrate 74 can be positioned in the XYZ directions at the same time.
(Example 2)

In the above-described structure, the example in which the pack substrate 74 is fixed with screws has been described. A battery pack 30B according to such an example is shown in FIG. In this example, without forming a thread groove in the boss 72B, also without providing the threaded holes in insert pins 36a, by inserting the insertion pins 36a in the boss 72B, distal end surface of the columnar portion 36 of the upper casing 31A and the battery holder The pack substrate 74 is sandwiched between the step portions 73 of 70. In this state, the pack substrate 74 can also be fixed by fixing the upper casing 31A and the lower casing 31B by screwing or the like. In this example, the boss 72B is a stepped portion 73 provided at the leading edge, which protrudes to form a cylindrical projection 72a of smaller diameter slightly larger than the outer shape of the boss 72B on the inner side of the step portion 73. The boss hole 76, insert the tip of the boss 72B from the back side of the pack the substrate 74, while supporting the packs substrate 74 in the step portion 73 of the boss 72, to arrange the cylindrical projections 72a in the boss hole 76. Here, the cylindrical protrusion 72 a is shorter than the thickness of the pack substrate 74 and has a diameter smaller than that of the boss hole 76. Moreover, it is good also as a structure which press-fits an insertion pin in the front-end | tip of a boss | hub.

Conventionally, fixing the pack substrate has been performed by screwing a screw into a hole opened in the pack substrate and fixing the pack substrate on the pack substrate. However, this work is troublesome. In particular, when there are many screw holes, the number of work steps increases, and the manufacturing cost also increases. On the other hand, according to the battery pack according to the second embodiment, such a screwing operation is not required to fix the pack substrate 74 on the battery holder 70, and the assembly operation can be easily performed. Since there is no need to separately prepare a fixing member such as the above, the necessary members can be reduced and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.
(Mounting mechanism)

The battery pack also includes an attachment mechanism for mechanically attaching the battery case 31 to a battery driving device or a battery pack charger. Here, a latch portion 50 is provided as a mounting mechanism. The latch portion includes a locking hook 54 and an attachment / detachment operation portion 52, and the protrusion and storage of the engagement hook 54 can be switched by a sliding operation of the attachment / detachment operation portion 52. On the other hand, a holding recess 17 for locking the locking hook 54 is formed on the battery drive device side, and the locking hook 54 protrudes from the upper casing 31 </ b> A of the battery case 31 and is locked to the holding recess 17. Therefore, it can be mounted on a battery-driven device. Further, the attachment / detachment operation unit 52 is slid to move from the locked position where the locking hook 54 protrudes to the release position housed in the battery case 31 to release the locked state and detach the battery pack. Can be easily performed (details will be described later). Here, such a mounting mechanism is provided on the upper casing 31A side.
(Electrical connection)

On the other hand, as described above, the battery pack 30 includes an electrical connection unit for connecting to the battery driving device and the battery pack charger 100. The electrical connection unit is electrically connected to a battery-driven device or a battery pack charger to exchange power. For example, as shown in FIGS. 15 to 18, when the battery pack 30 is attached to the battery pack charger 100, a plurality of connection terminals 3 arranged in the attachment portion 2 of the battery pack charger 100, and the electrical connection portion Are respectively connected to the connector 13. The connector 13 is fixed on the pack substrate 74, and in addition to the output of the secondary battery 1, a signal terminal for exchanging signals with the battery pack charger 100 and the electric tool PT outside the connection destination. Etc. can be provided.

As described above, in the structure in which the battery pack is attached to and detached from the battery-driven device, a mounting mechanism that is a mechanical connection structure and an electrical connection portion that is an electrical connection structure are individually provided. With this configuration, it is possible to improve the stability and reliability of the electrical connection while increasing the mechanical connection strength. However, in such a configuration, it is necessary to accurately position the relative positional relationship between the mechanical connection and the electrical connection. That is, if the position of the electrical connection is inaccurate with the mechanical connection being made, a connection failure may occur at the contact point of the electrical connection, and reliability may be impaired. On the other hand, if the mechanical connection becomes insufficient because the electrical connection is performed accurately, it is possible that the battery pack is detached from the battery-driven device during use. In particular, in the conventional configuration, the mechanical connection is provided on the upper casing side, while the electrical connection portion that performs electrical connection is fixed on the pack substrate that is fixed to the lower casing side via the battery holder. For this reason, the number of connected parts increases, and errors in each part accumulate, and the relative positional relationship between the electrical connection and the mechanical connection within the range of normal manufacturing costs, combined with the manufacturing tolerance of each member. It has been difficult to accurately position in the assembly process performed in (1).

On the other hand, in this embodiment, in addition to partially exposing the mounting mechanism from the surface of the upper casing 31A, the pack substrate 74 is fixed to the upper casing 31A side as shown in FIG. Yes. Here, the columnar portion 36 protruding in a substantially vertical posture from the inner surface of the upper casing 31A and the insertion pin 36a protruding from the end edge of the columnar portion 36 are inserted into the boss holes 76 opened in the pack substrate 74. Thus, the relative positional relationship between the upper casing 31A and the pack substrate 74 is defined. On the other hand, the latch portion, which is a mounting mechanism, opens a hook projecting window 15 for projecting the locking hook 54 in the upper casing 31A. By adopting such a configuration, both the mounting mechanism and the electrical connection portion are positioned with reference to the upper casing 31A. Therefore, compared to the conventional method of dividing the upper casing and the lower casing, each positioning accuracy is improved. it is possible to improve the stage. In particular, when the battery pack is electrically connected to the battery driving device via the connector 13, the connector 13 fixed on the pack substrate 74 can be positioned at a predetermined position by the upper casing 31A. On the other hand, the mechanical connection between the battery pack and the battery driving device is performed by a mounting mechanism provided on the upper casing 31A side. Thus, since the relative position of the electrical connection part and the mechanical connection part is defined with respect to the upper casing 31A, the accumulation of errors in each connection part can be minimized, and the electrical connection and the mechanical connection can be performed with an inexpensive configuration. The advantage in accuracy between positioning is obtained.
(Electrical connection holding part 14)

Furthermore, the electrical connection holding part 14 for holding an electrical connection part can also be provided in the upper casing 31A. In the example of FIG. 11, as the electrical connection holding portion 14, a clamping rib that clamps the connector 13 from both sides is provided on the inner surface of the upper casing 31 </ b> A. With this configuration, since the electrical connection portion can be directly positioned by the upper casing 31A without using the pack substrate, there is an advantage that the electrical connection portion can be positioned more accurately with reference to the upper casing 31A.
(External connection terminal 33)

In addition, an electrical connection part is not restricted to a connector, Another member can also be utilized. For example, a metal plate as shown in FIGS. 19 to 21 may be used. Here, the electrical connection portion is configured by using a plurality of external connection terminals 33 formed by bending a metal plate. As shown in FIGS. 20 to 21 and the like, each external connection terminal 33 has a rear end edge bent in a U-shape when viewed from above, and is connected to an external connection device such as a battery pack charger 100 or an electric tool PT. On the tip side electrically connected to the terminal, the U-shaped opening end is bent in a taper shape so that it gradually narrows. The connection terminal of the external connection device is inserted between the two metal plates bent in this manner, and the electric connection is established by being sandwiched between the metal plates.
(Terminal positioning rib 39)

Also in the example using the external connection terminal 33, the terminal positioning rib 39 for holding the upper end edge of the external connection terminal 33 can be provided as the electrical connection holding portion 14 on the inner surface of the upper casing 31A. By doing in this way, the reliability of the electrical connection of the external connection terminal 33 can be improved. Such an example is shown as a modification in FIGS. 19A to 19B. In these drawings, FIG. 19 (a) shows a cross-sectional view of a battery pack according to a modification, and FIG. 19 (b) shows an enlarged cross-sectional view of FIG. 19 (a).

Generally, the external connection terminal 33 is formed by bending a metal plate. However, in addition to the manufacturing tolerances of the external connection terminal 33 itself, as a result of mounting tolerances when fixing the external connection terminal 33 to the pack substrate 74, various tolerances, such as the mounting tolerance of the pack substrate 74 and the lower casing 31B is accumulated , Variation in position becomes large. For this reason, when the external connection terminal 33, the battery pack charger 100, and the terminal of the electric power tool PT are fitted to each other, it is conceivable that a problem such as a biased contact position occurs.

Even if the external connection terminal 33 can be fixed at an accurate position, the external connection terminal 33 is fixed in an upright position on the pack substrate 74 as shown in FIG. It is also conceivable that the external connection terminal 33 is distorted and the elasticity is gradually lost while the terminal 100 is attached to and detached from the tool 100 and the electric tool PT and the insertion and removal of the terminal is repeated.
(Modification)

Therefore, in this embodiment, a mechanism for holding not only the lower end of the external connection terminal 33 on the pack substrate 74 but also the upper end thereof is provided. In the example shown in the sectional view of FIG. 19, the terminal positioning rib 39 is provided on the inner surface of the upper casing 31A. The terminal positioning rib 39 is provided with a plurality of slits at positions corresponding to the external connection terminals 33. As shown in the horizontal sectional view of FIG. 21, the upper end of the external connection terminal 33 is inserted into the slit. By sandwiching both upper end surfaces of the external connection terminal 33, the external connection terminal 33 is held not only at the lower end edge but also at the upper end edge, so that the external connection terminal 33 is positioned at an accurate position and is held so as not to be displaced. Is done. This can also suppress a situation in which distortion occurs during repeated insertion and removal of the terminal. Accordingly, accurate positioning of the external connection terminal 33 can be easily achieved, and the reliability of electrical connection can be enhanced when the external connection terminal 33 is attached to the external battery pack charger 100 or the electric power tool PT.

The slit of the terminal positioning rib 39 is preferably formed to be approximately the same as or slightly narrower than the thickness of the external connection terminal 33 so that the upper end of the external connection terminal 33 can be held. As a result, the external connection terminal 33 is press-fitted into the slit of the terminal positioning rib 39, and the upper end of the external connection terminal 33 can be securely held.

Further, as shown in the perspective view of FIG. 20, the external connection terminal 33 can be provided with a slit-like notch at the rear end. Accordingly, when the upper end of the external connection terminal 33 is press-fitted into the terminal positioning rib 39, the external connection terminal 33 can be easily deformed at the notch portion, and some errors and tolerances are absorbed by the deformation, so that the external connection terminal 33 is It can be held by the terminal positioning rib 39.

As described above, the position accuracy of the external connection terminal 33 can be improved by the structure in which the external connection terminal 33 is positioned directly inside the battery case 31.
(Latch part 50)

On the other hand, the latch portion 50 provided in the battery pack 30 is movably accommodated in the battery case 31 so as to be partially exposed from the battery case 31 as shown in FIGS. The latch unit 50 forms an attachment / detachment operation unit 52 for a user to operate by hand, and in the upper part in the figure, an inclined surface inclined to face the traveling direction when the battery pack 30 is mounted, A locking hook 54 having a vertical surface continuously formed from the inclined surface is provided. This locking hook 54 is integrally formed with the attaching / detaching operation portion 52. The mounting portion 2 is formed with a holding recess 17 at a position corresponding to the locking hook 54. The holding recess 17 also has a recess inclined surface that matches the inclined surface and a recess vertical surface that matches the water surface.

15 to 18 show how the battery pack 30 is attached to the dedicated battery pack charger 100. FIG. In these drawings, FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing a state in which the battery pack is mounted on the battery pack charger 100, FIG. 16 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along line XVI-XVI in FIG. 15, and FIG. FIG. 18 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a state where the battery pack 30 is removed from the charger 100, and FIG. 18 is a transverse sectional view taken along line XVIII-XVIII in FIG. As shown in these drawings, the locking hook 54 is biased so as to protrude downward by an elastic member 57 such as a coil spring. When the battery pack 30 is attached to the attachment portion 2, the inclined portion is pressed and contracted along the advancing direction in which the battery pack 30 is slid to allow the battery pack 30 to advance. When the battery pack 30 is advanced to a predetermined position, the locking hook 54 is accommodated in the holding recess 17 formed corresponding to this position, and the locking hook 54 is pressed by the elastic member 57 so that the vertical surface is It comes into contact with the vertical surface of the recess and is locked. In this state, even if a force is applied in the direction of pulling out the battery pack 30 from the mounting portion 2, the locked state is maintained by the vertical surface coming into contact with the concave vertical surface, and the battery pack 30 is prevented from sliding. When the user removes the battery pack 30 from the battery pack charger 100, the user can push the attachment / detachment operation portion 52 of the latch portion 50 by hand so that the locking hook 54 and the holding recess 17 are locked. The state is released, the battery pack 30 is allowed to slide, and becomes removable. The battery pack 30 is inserted into the pack guide provided on the side surface and slid, and the battery pack 30 is pushed to the back of the mounting portion 2 so that the connector 13 of the battery pack 30 is connected to the connection terminal 3 of the battery pack charger 100. Further, the latch portion 50 is engaged with the holding recess 17 and attached to the battery pack charger 100.

As shown in FIG. 15, when the battery pack 30 is set in the battery pack charger 100, the external terminal 33 of the battery pack 30 is connected to the connection terminal 3 provided in the battery pack charger 100. Thus, the battery pack 30 can receive power from the battery pack charger 100 to charge the secondary battery 1 housed therein. In addition to power supply, various signals are exchanged through signal terminals. FIG. 22 shows a circuit diagram in a state where the battery pack 30 is connected to the battery pack charger 100.

The mounting portion 2 of the battery pack charger 100 is provided with a plurality of connection terminals 3 that are located at the center of the bottom surface 2A and project from the bottom surface 2A. The plurality of connection terminals 3 are arranged side by side in a line. The connection terminals 3 of the battery pack charger 100 are plate-like metal plates 10 and are arranged in parallel postures with substantially the same outer shape. The plate-like connection terminals 3 are arranged in a posture perpendicular to the bottom surface 2 </ b> A of the mounting portion 2 and along the insertion direction of the battery pack 30. The connection terminals 3 that are fixed on the terminal holder 8 in a plurality of lines, especially in a vertical orientation, by holding the posture is extended in the mounting direction of the battery pack 30, the mounting operation of the battery pack 30, a plurality of connection terminals 3 can be connected to the external terminals 33 of the battery pack 30 so as to be in smooth contact with each other, which is preferable.

The connection terminal 3 that is the metal plate 10 is made of a metal having excellent conductivity, such as a nickel plate, a copper plate, or a copper alloy plate. However, the connection terminal is not necessarily specified as a plate shape. The connection terminal can be formed in various shapes that are exposed to the inside of the mounting portion and connected to the external terminal of the battery pack mounted therein.

In the plurality of connection terminals 3, positive and negative charging terminals 4 are arranged on both sides, and a non-charging terminal 5 is arranged between the charging terminals 4. The charging terminal 4 is a positive / negative high voltage terminal for charging the secondary battery 1 built in the battery pack 30. The non-charging terminal 5 is a signal terminal that transmits battery information to and from the battery pack 30. Further, the plurality of connection terminals 3 may be arranged such that the non-charging terminals 5 arranged between the charging terminals 4 protrude from the charging terminals 4 on both sides. With this structure, in a state where metal foreign objects are in contact with the upper surfaces of the plurality of connection terminals 3, the non-charging terminal 5 preferentially contacts the central part of the metal foreign object, and both end parts thereof contact the charging terminals 4 on both sides. Can be prevented.
(Charging circuit 20)

The battery pack charger 100 has a built-in charging circuit 20 for charging the battery pack 30 mounted on the mounting portion 2. The positive and negative charging terminals 4 arranged on both sides of the battery pack charger 100 are connected to the positive and negative charging / discharging terminals 34 of the battery pack 30 set in the mounting portion 2 to supply charging power to the battery pack 30. . As shown in the circuit diagram of FIG. 22, the charging terminal 4 on the positive electrode side is connected to the charging circuit 20 and supplies power to the battery pack 30 to charge the built-in secondary battery 1. The battery pack charger 100 shown in the figure converts AC power supplied from a commercial power supply (not shown) into DC by the rectifier circuit 22 and converts the DC voltage into charging voltage by the charging circuit 20. Output from the charging terminal 4. For example, the charging circuit 20 changes the duty for controlling ON / OFF of a switching element (not shown) connected between the output side of the rectifier circuit 22 and the charging terminal 4 on the positive electrode side, thereby changing the battery The charging voltage and charging current are optimally adjusted for charging the pack 30.

The non-charging terminal 5 disposed between the pair of charging terminals 4 is a signal terminal. The connection terminal 3 shown in the figure has two signal terminals. These signal terminals are an abnormality signal terminal to which an abnormality signal of the secondary battery 1 incorporated in the battery pack 30 is input, and a temperature signal terminal to which a temperature signal of the secondary battery 1 incorporated in the battery pack 30 is input. And an identification signal terminal to which an identification signal of the secondary battery 1 incorporated in the battery pack 30 is input. However, the signal terminal can also be a signal terminal that transmits signals other than these, for example, the state of charge of the battery and various information of the battery.

When the abnormality signal is input to the abnormality signal terminal, the control circuit 21 determines that the battery pack 30 is abnormal, and switches the charging circuit 20 off to stop charging. Further, the control circuit 21 detects the temperature of the secondary battery 1 built in the battery pack 30 from the temperature signal input to the temperature signal terminal. When the battery temperature becomes higher than the maximum temperature, the control circuit 21 interrupts charging by interrupting the charging current, or reduces the charging current to reduce the battery temperature. When the battery temperature becomes lower than the set temperature, the battery is charged with a normal charging current.

Further, the control circuit 21 determines the optimum voltage and current value for charging the battery pack 30 from the battery identification signal input from the identification signal terminal, and changes the charging voltage and charging current output from the charging terminal 4. In the battery pack charger 100, when the battery pack 30 is mounted, the control circuit 21 receives the battery identification signal output from the control unit 40 of the battery pack 30, and the control circuit 21 receives the input battery. The type of the battery pack 30 is discriminated from the identification signal, and the charging circuit 20 is controlled so as to obtain the optimum voltage and current value for charging the battery pack 30. The battery pack charger 100 determines the charging voltage and charging current for charging the battery pack 30 from the battery identification signal input from the battery pack 30 and switches to the optimum voltage for charging. Multiple types of battery packs with different output voltages can be charged with the pack charger. However, the battery pack charger does not necessarily need to switch the output voltage, and can charge the battery pack with a constant output voltage.
(Mounting mechanism)

The battery pack 30 includes a latch portion 50 as an attachment mechanism for attaching the battery case 31 to the battery driving device or the battery pack charger 100. The latch unit 50 includes an attachment / detachment operation unit 52 for switching the locked state to the released state.
(Removal operation unit 52)

As shown in the perspective view of FIG. 23, the latch unit 50 has an attaching / detaching operation unit 52 on the upper surface, an inclined surface inclined on the lower surface facing the traveling direction when the battery pack 30 is mounted, and an inclined surface. A locking hook 54 having a continuously formed vertical surface is provided. This locking hook 54 is integrally formed with the attaching / detaching operation portion 52. The mounting portion 2 is formed with a holding recess 17 at a position corresponding to the locking hook 54. The holding recess 17 also has a recess inclined surface that matches the inclined surface and a recess vertical surface that matches the water surface.

As shown in the sectional views of FIGS. 16 to 17, the locking hooks 54 are urged so as to protrude downward by an elastic member such as a coil spring. When the battery pack 30 is attached to the attachment portion 2, the inclined portion is pressed and contracted along the advancing direction in which the battery pack 30 is slid to allow the battery pack 30 to advance. When the battery pack 30 is advanced to a predetermined position, the locking hook 54 is accommodated in the holding recess 17 formed corresponding to this position, and the locking hook 54 is pressed by the elastic member, so that the vertical surface is recessed. It comes into contact with the vertical surface and becomes locked. In this state, even if a force is applied in the direction of pulling out the battery pack 30 from the mounting portion 2, the locked state is maintained by the vertical surface coming into contact with the concave vertical surface, and the battery pack 30 is prevented from sliding. When the user removes the battery pack 30 from the battery pack charger 100, the user can push the attachment / detachment operation portion 52 of the latch portion 50 by hand to lock the locking hook 54 and the holding recess 17. The state is released, the battery pack 30 is allowed to slide, and becomes removable. The battery pack 30 is inserted and inserted into a pack guide provided on the side surface and slid to the back of the mounting portion 2, and the external terminal 33 of the battery pack 30 is connected to the connection terminal 3 of the battery pack charger 100. The latch portion 50 is further locked to the holding recess 17 and attached to the battery pack charger 100.
(Installation guide)

In order to slide the battery pack 30 in the correct posture along the bottom surface 2A of the mounting portion 2, a guide convex portion protruding from the inner surface is projected on the opposite side wall of the case 1 as a mounting guide. Further, on both side surfaces of the battery case 31 of the battery pack 30, guide grooves for guiding the guide convex portions are provided as pack guides. As shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 18, the guide groove is formed in a concave shape into which the guide convex portion can be inserted. When the battery pack 30 is mounted on the mounting portion 2, the guide convex portion can guide the battery pack 30 to the mounting portion 2 in a correct posture by guiding it to guide grooves provided on both side surfaces of the battery pack 30. The guide convex portion is located on the side where the battery pack 30 is inserted and can be integrally formed on the side wall. The guide convex portion is provided so as to extend in the mounting direction of the battery pack 30, and the battery pack 30 mounted on the mounting portion 2 is slid along the guide convex portion so that the external terminal 33 of the battery pack 30 is mounted on the mounting portion 2. It is possible to contact the connection terminal 3 in the correct posture.

In the above-described example, the guide convex portion is provided on the mounting portion 2 side and the guide groove is provided on the battery pack 30 side. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the guide convex portion is provided on the battery pack side. A guide groove may be provided on the mounting portion side.
(Display unit 56)

Furthermore, the battery pack 30 includes a display unit 56 for displaying the state of the secondary battery 1. Here, as shown in FIGS. 1, 23, etc., a display unit 56 is provided in the attachment / detachment operation unit 52 of the latch unit 50. By doing in this way, the visibility of the display part 56 can be improved. That is, when the battery case 31 is attached to the electric tool PT or the battery pack charger 100, the entire surface of the battery case 31 is not necessarily exposed, and most of the battery case 31 is buried in the electric tool PT as shown in FIG. There is also. In consideration of such a case, it is necessary to provide a display unit for displaying the state of the secondary battery 1 on a surface that is necessarily exposed if the display unit is to be disposed at a position where the user can visually recognize the display unit. In view of this, any surface provided with the attaching / detaching operation portion 52 that requires operation when attaching / detaching the battery pack 30 is necessarily displayed, and therefore it is conceivable to dispose the display portion here. However, it is desirable to make the attachment / detachment operation unit 52 as large as possible in consideration of operability, and it is desirable that the display unit be made the same size in consideration of visibility, so that these are provided on the same surface. There is a problem that it is necessary to reduce one of the sizes, and convenience is deteriorated.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the display unit 56 is provided in the attachment / detachment operation unit 52. As a result, while the attachment / detachment operation unit 52 is enlarged, the display unit 56 can also be enlarged without sacrificing the visibility, and both the operability of the attachment / detachment operation unit 52 and the visibility of the display unit 56 are achieved. It became possible.

As the light source of the display unit 56, a semiconductor light emitting element such as an LED or LD, or a liquid crystal or an organic EL can be used. In this example, the remaining capacity of the secondary battery 1 is displayed by the lighting pattern of the LED 61. As shown in the perspective view of FIG. 24, a label 55 is affixed to the display unit to diffuse light from the light source for easy viewing. In the example shown in the front view of FIG. 25, four rectangular LED lighting windows 57 are provided as a display unit, and the remaining capacity is displayed by the number of the number. Each LED lighting window 57 is provided with an LED 61, and the remaining battery capacity can be displayed by an individual lighting pattern.

As shown in the cross-sectional views of FIGS. 26 and 27, a sub board 78 is provided on the back surface of the latch unit 50. An LED 61 and an operation switch 59 are mounted on the sub board 78. The latch unit 50 is slid up and down to switch between the locked state and the released state. For this reason, since the sub board 78 is also moved together with the latch portion 50, a bendable lead wire 79 for supplying power to the moved sub board 78 is provided. The lead wire 79 is connected to the pack substrate 74 and supplies power to the LED 61. According to this configuration, by directly providing the LED 61 to the latch unit 50 that slides, the light emission of the LED 61 can be directly transmitted to the display unit 56, which is advantageous in terms of brightness and visibility.
(Operation buttons 58)

In the attachment / detachment operation unit 52, an operation button 58 is provided next to the LED lighting window 57. As shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 27, the operation button 58 is coupled to the operation button 59 so as to press the operation switch 59 mounted on the sub board 78. That is, the operation button 58 functions as a switch cover connected to the operation switch 59. As described above, the operation button 58 is also provided in the attachment / detachment operation unit 52 in the same manner as the display unit 56, so that the switch can be arranged in an appropriate size at a position where the battery case 31 is easily maintained while maintaining the size of the battery case 31. In this example, when the operation switch 59 is pressed via the operation button 58, the remaining battery capacity is displayed for several seconds.
(Example 3)

In the above example, the configuration in which the LED 61 is directly provided in the attachment / detachment operation unit 52 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and the light source is not necessarily provided in the detachable operation unit while the display unit is provided in the detachable operation unit. As an example of such a configuration, FIGS. 28 to 30 show a battery pack 30C according to the third embodiment. In these drawings, FIG. 28 is an external perspective view of the battery pack 30C according to Example 3, FIG. 29 is a front view of the battery pack 30C of FIG. 28, and FIG. 30 is a vertical sectional view taken along line XXX-XXX in FIG. Each is shown.

In this example, the LED 61B is provided on the inner surface of the battery case 31 which is a fixed position separate from the attachment / detachment operation unit 52. The light emission of the LED 61B is guided to the attachment / detachment operation unit 52 via the lamp reader 62. Thus, the lighting window 57B that is the display unit 56B and the LED 61B that is the light source do not necessarily have to be disposed at the same position, and both may be separated and guided through the light guide means such as the lamp reader 62. Good.

As shown in the perspective view of FIG. 28 and the front view of FIG. 29, the battery pack 30C according to the third embodiment exposes the latch portion 50B provided with the display portion 56B. In addition, as shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 30, a battery holder 70 for storing one secondary battery, a pack substrate 74B fixed to the upper surface of the battery holder 70, and an upper surface of the pack substrate 74B are mounted therein. The operation switch 59B, the LED 61B mounted on the lower surface of the pack substrate 74B, and the lamp reader 62 that guides light emitted from the LED 61B to the back surface side of the display unit 56B.
(Lamp reader 62)

The lamp reader 62 is arranged such that its light incident surface can be optically coupled with the LED 61B which is a semiconductor light emitting element. Thereby, it is possible to guide the light emission to the display unit 56B that slides while fixing the LED 61B. The lamp reader 62 can be made of a translucent resin or the like. The lamp reader 62 has the light emitting surface opposed to the light emitting surface of the LED 61B so as to cover the periphery of the LED 61B. The exit surface of the lamp reader 62 is arranged so that illumination light can be irradiated to the display unit 56B in a state where the latch unit 50B is pushed down. Incidentally, as shown in the front view of FIG. 29, since the four lighting windows 57B in the display unit 56B is provided, LED 61b corresponding to each lighting windows 57B and be implemented respectively, a total of four LED 61b It is mounted on the bottom surface of the pack substrate 74B. Further, the lamp reader 62 constitutes a light guide path so as to guide the lighting of the respective LEDs 61B to the respective lighting windows 57B. In the example of FIG. 29, it is intuitive to the user that each lighting window 57B indicates the remaining battery capacity by drawing the outline of one secondary battery around the four lighting windows 57B on the display unit 56B. I understand it.

Further, the latch portion 50B is provided with the attaching / detaching operation portion 52 in a concave shape on the surface side, and a lighting window 57B on the concave bottom surface. Furthermore, the back side of the lighting window 57B is opposed to the emission surface of the lamp reader 62. The latch portion 50B can also be switched between a locked state and a released state in a sliding manner, and FIG. 30 shows a position where the latch portion 50B is in the locked state. The latch portion 50B is pushed up by an elastic member 67 such as a spring so that the latch portion 50B is locked in a state where there is no external force. Further, when the user puts his / her finger on the attaching / detaching operation part 52 and pushes the latch part 50B downward in a direction against the elastic member 67, the locking hook 54B is drawn from the surface of the battery pack to be released.

Since this latch portion 50B is not provided with an LED or a sub-board for driving it, there is no need to consider the flexibility of wiring required by providing such a circuit on the moving member. Since the LED 61B is provided on the pack substrate 74B which is the stationary position, circuit mounting for light emission can be simplified, and the reliability can be improved. In the example of FIG. 29, the lamp reader 62 is also fixed at the non-moving position, so that the latch portion 50B can be greatly simplified and the mechanical reliability can be improved.
(Operation switch 59B)

The battery pack 30C combines the operation of the operation switch 59B with the operation of the latch portion 50B, thereby combining the operation switch of the LED and the attachment / detachment of the battery pack. That is, the operation switch 59B is not exposed on the outer surface of the battery pack 30C, but is arranged inside the battery pack 30C, and the operation switch 59B is operated by operating the latch portion 50B. When the latch unit 50B is operated when the battery pack 30C is attached / detached, the operation switch 59B is automatically pressed in response to this, and the remaining capacity of the battery pack 30C is displayed. With this configuration, the user can always check the remaining capacity of the battery pack 30C when the battery pack 30C is attached / detached. For example, when removing the battery pack 30C from the electric tool, it is necessary to charge the battery pack 30C. The battery pack 30C is urged to be set in the battery pack charger 100, and the battery pack 30C is always charged so that the remaining capacity remains. Further, the remaining capacity can be confirmed by pushing down the latch portion 50B, not only at the time of detachment but also at the normal time.

The battery pack 30C, as shown in the sectional view of FIG. 30, the operation switch 59B on the back side of the locking hooks 54B are arrangement, the locking hook 54B is lowered push button of the operation switch 59B pressed Configured to be. Accordingly, when the user manually pushes down the latch portion 50B against the urging force of the elastic member 67, the operation switch 59B is pressed on the back side of the locking hook 54B. As a result, in response to the ON operation of the operation switch 59B, the remaining battery capacity is displayed by the lighting pattern of the LED 61B on the display unit 56B shown in FIG. Thereafter, when the user releases the hand, the latch portion 50B is pushed up by the urging force of the elastic member 67, the operation switch 59B is turned off, the LED 61B is turned off, and the display on the display portion 56B is terminated.

The battery pack according to the present invention can be suitably used as a battery pack for battery-driven devices such as electric tools, and a battery pack for driving portable devices such as assist bicycles, electric motorcycles, and mobile phones.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Secondary battery 2 ... Mounting part; 2A ... Bottom surface 3 ... Connection terminal 4 ... Charging terminal 5 ... Non-charging terminal 12 ... Exposure window 13 ... Connector 14 ... Electrical connection holding part 15 ... Hook protrusion window 17 ... Holding recessed part; 17X ... Locking recess 20 ... Charging circuit 21 ... Control circuit 22 ... Rectification circuit 30, 30B, 30C, 30X ... Battery pack 31 ... Battery case; 31A ... Upper casing 31B, 31X ... Lower casing; 31C ... Side cover 31a ... Warpage prevention 31b ... rib insertion prevention rib; 31c ... rib guide 32 ... set surface 33 ... external connection terminal 34 ... charge / discharge terminal 35 ... signal terminal 36 ... columnar part; 36a ... insertion pin 37 ... screw hole 38 ... screw 39 ... terminal positioning Rib 40 ... Control unit 42 ... Temperature sensor 43 ... Current detection resistors 50, 50B ... Latch units 52, 52X ... Removal operation units 54, 54B, 54X ... Lock hook 55 ... Bell 56,56B ... the display unit; 56X ... remaining amount display unit 57 ... LED lighting window; 57B ... lighting window 58 ... operation button 59,59B ... operation switch 61,61B ... LED
62 ... Lamp reader 67 ... Elastic member 70 ... Battery holder; 71A, 71B ... Sub-holder 72, 72B ... Boss; 72a ... Cylindrical projection 73 ... Stepped portion 74, 74B ... Pack substrate 75 ... Substrate fixing portion 76 ... Boss hole 78 ... Sub board 79 ... Lead wire 80 ... Battery lead plate 86 ... Lead plate fixing frame 100 ... Battery pack charger PT ... Electric tool

Claims (7)

1. Attached to the battery drive device in a detachable manner to supply power for driving the battery drive device,
   A battery pack that is detachably attached to the battery pack charger (100) and can be charged,
   One or more rechargeable batteries (1),
   A battery case (31) for housing the secondary battery (1);
   An attachment mechanism for attaching the battery case (31) to a battery-driven device or a battery pack charger (100);
   A latch portion (50, 50B) for switching the mounting mechanism to a locked state and a released state;
   A display unit (56) for displaying the state of the secondary battery (1);
   With
   The battery pack, wherein the display section (56) is provided in the latch section (50, 50B).
2. The battery pack according to claim 1, further comprising:
   It comprises a semiconductor light emitting element that can be lit and display light outside the battery case (31),
   The battery pack, wherein the display unit (56) is configured to display a state of the secondary battery (1) by turning on the semiconductor light emitting element.
3. The battery pack according to claim 2,
   The latch portion (50B) is capable of switching between a locked state and a released state in a sliding manner,
   The battery pack, wherein the semiconductor light emitting element is provided at a fixed position separate from the latch portion (50B).
4. The battery pack according to claim 3, further comprising:
   A lamp reader (62) for guiding the light emitted from the semiconductor light emitting element to the display unit (56),
   The light output end of the lamp reader (62) is arranged facing the back side of the display unit (56), and the light incident surface of the lamp reader (62) is capable of optically coupling with the semiconductor light emitting element. A battery pack characterized by being arranged in a battery pack.
5. A battery pack according to claim 3 or 4, further
   Pack board (74B) with electronic components mounted,
   An operation switch (59B) that is mounted on the pack substrate (74B) and operates to emit light from the semiconductor light emitting element,
   With
   The battery pack is configured so that the operation switch (59B) is operated in conjunction with the sliding of the latch portion (50B) from the locked state to the released state.
6. A battery pack according to claim 2,
   The latch part (50) is capable of switching between a locked state and a released state in a sliding manner,
   The battery pack, wherein the semiconductor light emitting element is fixed to the latch portion (50).
7. The battery pack according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising:
   A battery pack comprising a switch for operating the battery pack in the latch portion (50).
   

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