One-handed power-tool battery ejection apparatus
OwnerMichael H Panosian, Joshua M Keelerinventors
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Abstract
Devices and mechanisms are disclosed for a simple ejection of the battery-pack from a power-tool with one hand only. The disclosed lock and release mechanisms primarily use one finger while the same hand of the user holds the power-tool. The claimed devices and mechanisms accept and eject two categories of batteries that either slideably attach to the bottom of the power-tool or are inserted into the handle of the power-tool.
Claims20
1- A battery lock-and-release mechanism for a power-tool having a handle, wherein the battery lock-and-release mechanism comprises:
- a first latch for locking and unlocking a first type of battery useable with the power-tool;
- a second latch for locking and unlocking a second type of battery useable with the power-tool;
- and
- a single battery release switch or actuator to simultaneously release the first latch and the second latch.
2- The battery lock-and-release mechanism of claim 1, wherein the first battery type is a battery-pack that is slidably attached to the handle's bottom.
3- The battery lock-and-release mechanism of claim 1, wherein the second battery type is a magazine-battery that is slidably inserted inside the handle.
4- The battery lock-and-release mechanism of claim 1, wherein the battery release switch and actuator are linear or rotary.
5- The battery lock-and-release mechanism of claim 1, wherein the first latch-bolt is hinged to an inside wall of the handle and is biased by a spring toward the magazine-battery.
6- The battery lock-and-release mechanism of claim 5, wherein the magazine-battery includes a sloped protrusion that pushes away the first latch-bolt while traveling inside the handle and is locked in place by the first latch-bolt after the magazine-battery is inside the handle and the first latch-bolt is engaged with a non-sloped surface of the protrusion.
7- The battery lock-and-release mechanism of claim 6, wherein the battery release switch, upon activation, moves a wedge that pushes back the first latch-bolt toward the handle wall and disengages the first latch-bolt from the magazine-battery protrusion and releases the magazine-battery.
8- The battery lock-and-release mechanism of claim 7, wherein the battery release switch, upon activation, moves the wedge by a linkage or a cable or a combination thereof.
9- The battery lock-and-release mechanism of claim 8, wherein the second latch-bolt is spring-loaded and falls into a cavity of the battery-pack upon slidably attaching the battery-pack to the power-tool handle, and locks the battery-pack to the handle, and wherein the second latch-bolt retracts and releases the battery-pack from the handle upon activation of the battery release switch and the linkage.
10- The battery lock-and-release mechanism of claim 1, wherein the handle is held by one hand, and wherein the hand's index-finger squeezes a power-tool trigger to turn the power-tool On and OFF and to control a speed of the power-tool, and wherein the hand's thumb activates the battery release switch to release the battery unit.
11- A power-tool having a handle that accepts two types of battery units and is operated by a single hand of a user, wherein the power-tool comprises:
- a first latch, with a rotational movement, for automatically locking and manually unlocking a magazine-battery;
- a second latch, with a linear movement, for automatically locking and manually unlocking a battery-pack;
- and
- a single battery release switch for activating battery release mechanisms.
12- The power-tool of claim 11, wherein the battery-pack slidably attaches to a free end of the handle on two rails.
13- The power-tool of claim 11, wherein the magazine-battery slidably travels inside the handle.
14- The power-tool of claim 11, wherein the handle is held by one hand of the user, and wherein index-finger of the user squeezes a power-tool trigger to turn the power-tool On and OFF and to control a speed of the power-tool, and wherein the user's thumb activates the battery release switch to release the battery unit.
15- The power-tool of claim 11, wherein the magazine-battery is locked to an inside wall of the handle by the first latch-bolt that is pushed away by a spring from the handle wall toward the magazine-battery.
16- The power-tool of claim 15, wherein the magazine-battery includes an inclined protrusion that pushes away the first latch-bolt while being inserted inside the handle and is locked in place by the first latch-bolt after the magazine-battery is almost completely inside the handle and the first latch-bolt is positively engaged by a non-inclined surface of the protrusion.
17- The power-tool of claim 16, wherein the battery release lever, upon activation, moves a wedge that pushes back the first latch-bolt toward the handle wall and disengages the first latch-bolt from the magazine-battery protrusion and releases the magazine-battery.
18- The power-tool of claim 17, wherein the battery release lever, upon activation, moves the wedge by a linkage.
19- The power-tool of claim 18, wherein the linkage also includes a second latch-bolt that is spring-loaded falls into a cavity of the battery-pack upon slidably and almost completely attaching the battery-pack to the power-tool handle and locks the battery-pack to the handle, and wherein the second latch-bolt retracts and releases the battery-pack from the handle upon activation of the battery release switch and the linkage.
20- The power-tool of claim 11, wherein the handle includes multi-directional connectors that are designed to mechanically engage with and electrically connect to magazine-battery connectors that approach the multi-directional connectors in a longitudinal direction of the handle or to battery-pack connectors that approach the multi-directional connectors in a latitudinal direction of the handle.