# US 11,309,726 B2 · Adapter and power tool system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,309,726 B2 - Document ID: US11309726B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/120,148 - Filed: 2020-12-12 - Published: 2021-06-17 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2019-12-12 - Assignees: Globe (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Globe (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd - Inventors: Lei Huang; Xinzhong Guo; An Yan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11309726B2 ## CPC - H02J 7/731: {specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries (H02J7/751 takes precedence)} - B25F 1/00: Combination or multi-purpose hand tools (associations of tools for different working operations with one portable power-drive means B25F3/00; {combined stapling and punching tools B25C5/0214}) - B25F 5/00: Details or components of portable power-driven tools not particularly related to the operations performed and not otherwise provided for - H01R 31/06: Intermediate parts for linking two coupling parts, e.g. adapter (with a holder adapted for supporting apparatus to which its counterpart is attached H01R33/94) - H02J 7/855: {with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery} - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - B25F: COMBINATION OR MULTI-PURPOSE TOOLS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; DETAILS OR COMPONENTS OF PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS NOT PARTICULARLY RELATED TO THE OPERATIONS PERFORMED AND NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR {(machines or arrangements of machines for performing specified combinations of different metal-working operations not covered by a single other subclass B23P23/00 and subgroups)} - H01R: ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS ## Abstract An adapter comprises an input port being coupleable with a single-voltage output interface of a single-voltage battery pack or a multi-voltage output interface of a multi-voltage battery pack, an output port electrically connected to the input port and being coupleable with a single-voltage input interface of a first power tool or a multi-voltage input interface of a second power tool, a switching mechanism being switchable between a first state and a second state. When the switching mechanism is in the first state, the input port is coupled with the single-voltage output interface and the output port is coupled with the multi-voltage input interface of the second power tool, when the switching mechanism is in the second state, the input port is coupled with the multi-voltage output interface and the output port is coupled with the single-voltage input interface of the first power tool. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An adapter, comprising: an input port being coupleable with a single-voltage output interface of a single-voltage battery pack or a multi-voltage output interface of a multi-voltage battery pack; an output port electrically connected with the input port and being coupleable with a single-voltage input interface of a first power tool or a multi-voltage input interface of a second power tool, the single-voltage output interface of the single-voltage battery pack being coupleable to the single-voltage input interface of the first power tool and not coupleable to the multi-voltage input interface of the second power tool, the multi-voltage output interface of the multi-voltage battery pack being coupleable to the multi-voltage input interface of the second power tool and not coupleable to the single-voltage input interface of the first power tool; a switching mechanism being switchable between a first state and a second state; a housing for accommodating the input port, the output port and the switching mechanism; wherein when the input port is coupled with the single-voltage output interface of the single-voltage battery pack and the switching mechanism is in the first state, the second power tool can be coupled to the output port and powered by the single-voltage battery pack, and when the input port is coupled with the multi-voltage output interface of the multi-voltage battery pack and the switching mechanism is in the second state, the first power tool can be coupled to the output port and powered by the multi-voltage battery pack. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The adapter according to claim 1, wherein the input port comprises a first input terminal, a second input terminal, a third input terminal and a fourth input terminal which are arranged in sequence. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The adapter according to claim 2, wherein the switching mechanism comprises a base, and an elastic element engaged with the base, and a connecting terminal arranged on the base; when the elastic element is elastically deformed, the connecting terminal is electrically disconnected from the second input terminal and the third input terminal; when the elastic element resets, the connecting terminal is electrically connected with the second input terminal and the third input terminal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The adapter according to claim 2, wherein the switching mechanism comprises a base, an elastic element engaged with the base and a plurality of connecting terminals arranged on the base; the connecting terminals comprise a first connecting terminal and a second connecting terminal; when the elastic element is elastically deformed, the first connecting terminal is electrically disconnected from the first input terminal and the second input terminal, and the second connecting terminal is electrically disconnected from the third input terminal and the fourth input terminal; when the elastic element resets, the first connecting terminal is electrically connected with the first input terminal and the second input terminal, and the second connecting terminal is electrically connected with the third input terminal and the fourth input terminal. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The adapter according to claim 2, wherein the switching mechanism comprises a base, an elastic element engaged with the base, and a connecting terminal or a plurality of connecting terminals for engaging with the input port, when the elastic element is elastically deformed, the base moves along a mating direction of the input port and the single-voltage output interface or along a vertical direction. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The adapter according to claim 2, wherein the switching mechanism comprises a button partially positioned outside the housing and a switching terminal mounted on the button and engaged with the input terminal group; when the button is pressed, the switching terminal engages with the second input terminal and the third input terminal under an action of the button so that the second input terminal and the third input terminal are electrically connected. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The adapter according to claim 2, wherein the switching mechanism comprises a button partially positioned outside the housing and a plurality of switching terminal which is arranged on the button and engaged with the input terminal group; the switching terminals comprise a first switching terminal and a second switching terminal; when the button is pressed, the first switching terminal engages with the first input terminal and the second input terminal under an action of the button so that the first input terminal and the second input terminal are electrically connected, and the second switching terminal engages with the third input terminal and the fourth input terminal under an action of the button so that the third input terminal and the fourth input terminal are electrically connected. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) An adapter as claimed in claim 2, wherein the switching mechanism comprises a button partially positioned outside the housing, and a switching terminal or a plurality of switching terminals for engaging with the input terminal group, the button moves along the mating direction of the input port and the multi-voltage output interface or along a vertical direction. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The adapter according to claim 2, wherein the second input terminal is provided with a second contact terminal on an end thereof away from the single-voltage output interface or the multi-voltage output interface; the third input terminal is provided with a third contact terminal on an end thereof away from the single-voltage output interface or the multi-voltage output interface; the switching mechanism is provided with an abdicating groove; the second contact terminal elastically engages with the third contact terminal by the abdicating groove and makes the second input terminal and the third input terminal be electrically connected. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The adapter according to claim 9, wherein the switching mechanism is also provided with a first abutting portion; when the first abutting portion is located between the second contact terminal and the third contact terminal, the second contact terminal elastically contacts against the first input terminal, and the third contact terminal elastically engages with the fourth input terminal. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The adapter according to claim 9, wherein the switching mechanism is also provided with a second abutting portion; when the second abutting portion is located between the second contact terminal and the third contact terminal, the second contact terminal is electrically disconnected from the first input terminal and the third input terminal, and the third contact terminal is electrically disconnected from the second input terminal and the fourth input terminal. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) An adapter according to claim 9, wherein the switching mechanism moves along a vertical direction or a mating direction of the input port and the single-voltage output interface. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The adapter according to claim 1, wherein the input port comprises a fixedly arranged input terminal group and a movably arranged input signal terminal; when the input port mates with the single-voltage output interface, the input terminal group is inserted into the single-voltage output interface, and the input signal terminal partially enters the adapter so that the input signal terminal is electrically disconnected from the single-voltage output interface; when the input port mates with the multi-voltage output interface, the input terminal group and the input signal terminal are inserted into the multi-voltage output interface. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The adapter according to claim 13, wherein the input terminal group comprises a first input terminal, a second input terminal, a third input terminal and a fourth input terminal which are arranged in sequence, and the input signal terminal is positioned between the second input terminal and the third input terminal; the output port comprises an output terminal group and an output signal terminal; the output terminal group comprises a first output terminal, a second output terminal, a third output terminal and a fourth output terminal which are arranged in sequence, and the output signal terminal is positioned between the second output terminal and the third output terminal; the first output terminal is connected to the first input terminal, the second output terminal is connected to the input signal terminal, the fourth output terminal is connected to the fourth input terminal, and the second input terminal is connected to the output signal terminal. ### Claim 15 (depends on 5) An adapter as claimed in claim 5, wherein the input port further comprises an input signal terminal disposed on the base. ### Claim 16 A power tool system, comprising: a single-voltage battery pack having a single-voltage output interface; a first power tool having a single-voltage input interface being coupleable with the single-voltage output interface of the single-voltage battery pack; a multi-voltage battery pack having a multi-voltage output interface; a second power tool having a multi-voltage input interface being coupleable with the multi-voltage output interface of the multi-voltage battery pack, the single-voltage output interface of the single-voltage battery pack being not coupleable to the multi-voltage input interface of the second power tool and the multi-voltage output interface of the multi-voltage battery pack being not coupleable to the single-voltage input interface of the first power tool; and an adapter comprising: an input port being coupleable with the single-voltage output interface of the single-voltage battery pack or the multi-voltage output interface of the multi-voltage battery pack; an output port electrically connected with the input port and being coupleable with the single-voltage input interface of the first power tool or the multi-voltage input interface of the second power tool; a switching mechanism being switchable between a first state and a second state; a housing for accommodating the input port, the output port and the switching mechanism; wherein when the input port is coupled with the single-voltage output interface of the single-voltage battery pack and the switching mechanism is in the first state, the second power tool can be coupled to the output port and powered by the single-voltage battery pack, and when the input port is coupled with the multi-voltage output interface of the multi-voltage battery pack and the switching mechanism is in the second state, the first power tool can be coupled to the output port and powered by the multi-voltage battery pack.