Transport system for battery pack
AssigneeBlack & Decker Inc.
InventorsMatthew J. Velderman, Daniel J. White, Daniel Fitzgerald, Ryan Klee
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A battery pack and transport coupler for enabling the battery pack to reduce the pack power capacity. The battery pack include at least two strings of battery cells and a coupler provided at least partially inside the housing. The coupler is moveable between a first position, which causes the string of battery cells to be electrically connected inside the housing, and a second position, which causes the strings of battery cells to be electrically disconnected inside the housing
Claims11
A method of transporting a removable, secondary battery pack that provides electrical power to an electrical device, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a battery pack comprising (a) a primary housing configured with a mechanical interface to mechanically couple the battery pack to each of a plurality of electrical devices within a system of electrical devices, wherein each of the plurality of electrical devices within the system of electrical devices includes a housing configured with a mechanical interface to mechanically couple the electrical device with the battery pack, (b) sets of electrically connected battery cells housed within the primary housing, (c) a switching network housed within the primary housing having a first state in which the sets of battery cells are electrically connected to each other and a second state in which the sets of battery cells are electrically disconnected from each other, and (d) a converter element;
- providing a cap;
- the battery pack being decoupled from the electrical device, attaching the cap to the battery pack whereby the cap engages the converter element;
- the converter element connecting contacts of the switching network thereby causing the switching network to convert between the first state and the second state.
A method of transporting a removable battery pack, the battery pack comprising a housing configured to mechanically mate with an electrical device;
- a plurality of sets of electrically connected battery cells housed within the housing;
- and a switching network housed within the housing and configured to electrically connect the sets of battery cells to each other in a first state and electrically disconnect the sets of battery cells from each other in a second state;
- the method including the steps of:
- providing a mechanical coupler,
- the battery pack being unmated from the electrical device, the mechanical coupler causing the switching network to convert from the first state to the second state and to maintain the switching network in the second state during transportation of the battery pack.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.