# US 8,786,254 B2 · Battery charger

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- Number: US 8,786,254 B2
- Document ID: US8786254B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/279,638
- Filed: 2011-10-24
- Published: 2012-04-26
- Granted: 2014-07-22
- Earliest claimed: 2010-10-26
- Assignees: Makita Corporation
- Applicants: Hironori Ogura; Mamoru Sakai
- Inventors: Hironori Ogura; Mamoru Sakai
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8786254B2

## CPC

- H02J 7/751: {concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries}
- H01M 10/46: Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus (circuits for charging H02J7/00)
- Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries
- H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
- H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

Female guide portions for slidingly attaching a battery pack are formed by integral molding of a case main body. Exposed step portions are formed on the female guide portions, which includes protruding portions as thin-walled portions by application from the outer side (the upper side) of a mold so as to reduce the thickness of a thick-walled resin portion. An opening communicating with the inner and outer side of the case is not provided, while the protruding portions are formed as thin-walled portions. Bottom surfaces of the exposed step portions are formed so as to be sloped with respect to the horizontal direction when the battery charger is placed on a horizontal base, and water dropped on the bottom surfaces can flow outside of the case due to the slope without remaining thereon.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A battery charger for charging a battery pack, comprising:
a case serving as a casing of the battery charger, wherein the case comprises a guide portion for guiding and slidingly attaching the battery pack,
wherein the guide portion is formed as a part of the case by integral resin molding and comprises a protruding portion protruding inwardly from a right side and left side of an attachment portion of the case for attaching the battery pack;
wherein an exposed step portion is formed in the protruding portion, the exposed step portion being exposed upwardly away from an upper surface of the case and having a stepped configuration with a recessed portion; and
wherein a bottom surface of the recessed portion is formed to be sloped with respect to the horizontal direction along an attaching direction of the battery pack.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The battery charger according to claim 1, wherein the protruding portion is formed in a concave configuration.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The battery charger according to claim 1, wherein the protruding portion is formed as a thin-walled portion so as to prevent producing of sink marks at the time of resin molding.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The battery charger according to claim 1, wherein a drain port serving as a drainage path that leads outside of the exposed step portion is formed at a lower end of the slope of the recessed portion of the exposed step portion.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The battery charger according to claim 4, wherein the drainage path is formed in a slit-like configuration.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The battery charger according to claim 1, wherein the upper surface of the case is formed so as to be sloped with respect to the horizontal direction so that water drained from the exposed step portion is caused to flow in the attaching direction of the battery pack.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The battery charger according to claim 1, wherein a water passage is formed in a side surface of the case in the form of a recessed groove, so that the water flowing in the upper surface of the case is caused to flow toward a surface on which the battery charger is placed.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The battery charger according to claim 6, wherein the slope angle of the bottom surface of the recessed portion is formed to be the same as that of the upper surface of the case.