Charger

A charger comprising:

• a plurality of connecting parts configured such that at least two slide-type batteries having differing mounting parts are respectively mountable on the plurality of connecting parts;
• one power supply circuit that generates charging power from input electric power;
• a plurality of charging paths that respectively connect the power supply circuit to the plurality of connecting parts;
• a plurality of open/close parts respectively provided in the plurality of charging paths, each open/close part being configured such that, in a closed state, the respective charging path is set to a connected state, and in an open state, the respective charging path is set to a disconnected state;
• and
• a charging-control part configured such that:
• a battery connected to one of the plurality of connecting parts serves as the charging target,
• the open/close part, from among the plurality of open/close parts, provided in the charging path, which is connected to the charging target via the connecting part, is set to the closed state, and
• the charging target is charged to a predetermined voltage by a charging current that is suited for the charging target,
• wherein the charging-control part is configured such that:
• if at least two of the batteries are respectively connected to at least two of the connecting parts and the battery temperature of one of the connected batteries exceeds a predetermined temperature threshold for that battery, then the battery whose battery temperature exceeds its temperature threshold is set to a standby state, and the other battery is charged first.

A charger comprising:

• a first charging port configured to physically and electrically connect to a first mounting part of a first slide-mountable battery pack;
• a second charging port configured to physically and electrically connect to a second mounting part of a second slide-mountable battery pack, the second charging port differing from the first charging port such that the first slide-mountable battery pack is not mountable on the second charging port and the second slide-mountable battery pack is not mountable on the first charging port;
• a single power supply circuit configured to be electrically connected to an external power supply;
• a first charging path connecting the power supply circuit to the first charging port;
• a second charging path connecting the power supply circuit to the second charging port;
• a first switch provided in the first charging path and being configured to selectively connect and disconnect the power supply circuit to/from the first charging port;
• a second switch provided in the second charging path and being configured to selectively connect and disconnect the power supply circuit to/from the second charging port;
• and
• a controller comprising a non-transitory computer readable memory medium that stores instructions and a processor configured to read the instructions stored in the non-transitory computer readable memory medium and to execute the instructions in order to control operation of the charger, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to:
• select one of the first battery pack and the second battery pack as a first charging target when the first mounting part is physically and electrically connected to the first charging port, and the second mounting part is physically and electrically connected to the second charging port,
• close the one of the first switch and the second switch in the first charging path or the second charging path that connects the power supply circuit to the first charging port or the second charging port that is connected to the first charging target,
• open the other of the first switch and the second switch in the first charging path or the second charging path that connects the power supply circuit to the first charging port or the second charging port that is not connected to the first charging target,
• supply a charging current, which is generated by the single power source circuit and is suited for charging the first charging target, to the first charging target until the first charging target is charged to a first predetermined voltage,
• terminate the charging of the first charging target when the first charging target has been charged to the first predetermined voltage,
• select the other of the first battery pack and the second battery pack, which was not charged to the predetermined voltage, as a second charging target,
• close one of the first switch and the second switch in the first charging path or the second charging path that connects the power supply circuit to the first charging port or the second charging port that is connected to the second charging target,
• open the other of the first switch and the second switch in the first charging path or the second charging path that connects the power supply circuit to the first charging port or the second charging port that is connected to the first charging target,
• supply the charging current, which is generated by the single power source circuit and is suited for charging the second charging target, to the second charging target until the second charging target is charged to a second predetermined voltage that differs from the first predetermined voltage, and
• terminate the charging of the second charging target when the second charging target has been charged to the second predetermined voltage.

A method for charging two battery packs having differing mounting parts using a single charger, comprising:

• physically and electrically connecting a first mounting part of a first slide-mountable battery pack to a first charging port of the charger;
• physically and electrically connecting a second mounting part of a second slide-mountable battery pack to a second charging port of the charger, the second charging port differing from the first charging port such that the first slide-mountable battery pack is not mountable on the second charging port and the second slide-mountable battery pack is not mountable on the first charging port;
• selecting one of the first battery pack and the second battery pack as a first charging target,
• closing a first switch in a first charging path that connects a power supply circuit to the one of the first charging port or the second charging port that is connected to the first charging target,
• opening a second switch in a second charging path that connects the power supply circuit to the other of the first charging port or the second charging port that is not connected to the first charging target,
• using the power supply circuit, generating a charging current that is suited for charging the first charging target,
• supplying the charging current to the first charging target to charge the first charging target,
• terminating the charging of the first charging target when the first charging target has been charged to a first predetermined voltage,
• selecting the other of the first battery pack and the second battery pack, which was not charged to the predetermined voltage, as a second charging target,
• closing the second switch in the second charging path that connects the power supply circuit to the one of the first charging port or the second charging port that is connected to the second charging target,
• opening the first switch in the first charging path that connects the power supply circuit to the other of the first charging port or the second charging port that is connected to the first charging target,
• using the power supply circuit, generating a charging current that is suited for charging the second charging target,
• supplying the charging current to the second charging target to charge the second charging target, and
• terminating the charging of the second charging target when the second charging target has been charged to a second predetermined voltage that differs from the first predetermined voltage.