Rechargeable battery pack
Patent No. US8673487 (titled "Rechargeable battery pack") on Dec 10, 2012. The application was issued on Mar 18, 2014.
What is this patent about?
’487 is related to the field of rechargeable battery packs for portable appliances, specifically handheld vacuum cleaners. Traditionally, these devices require either a specialized docking station for the entire appliance or a separate charging cradle for the battery once it is removed. This often necessitates multiple charging ports or complex mechanical interfaces to accommodate both on-tool and off-tool charging scenarios, increasing manufacturing costs and user complexity.
The underlying idea behind ’487 is the consolidation of the charging interface into a single charger input terminal that remains accessible regardless of the battery's physical state. By strategically positioning this port on a mounting protrusion that docks into the appliance, the inventor ensures that a standard charger plug can reach the battery cells directly. This eliminates the need for redundant internal wiring or secondary charging docks, allowing the user to plug the charger into the battery while it is still attached to the vacuum or after it has been swapped out for a fresh pack.
The claims of ’487 focus on a battery pack design featuring an upstanding protrusion that serves as both the mechanical and electrical bridge to the appliance. This protrusion houses the power interface for driving the motor and, crucially, the single charging port. The independent claims specifically protect the arrangement where the appliance’s docking portion includes an alignment aperture, which allows a charger's output terminal to pass through the appliance housing and seat directly into the battery’s recessed port.
In practice, the invention functions as a mechanical interlock system. When the battery is docked, the charging port is hidden within the appliance's handle, but the alignment aperture provides a clear path for the charger plug. A significant functional detail is that the inserted charger plug acts as a physical pin that prevents the battery from being detached while charging is in progress. This ensures electrical stability and prevents accidental disconnection during high-current charging cycles.
This approach differs from prior solutions by removing the requirement for a dedicated charging base or multiple input ports. By utilizing a recessed circular terminal located on the mounting stalk of the battery, the design achieves a streamlined form factor that supports continuous operation via spare batteries. The integration of a control PCB that generates a battery ID signal further differentiates the system, as it can electronically disable the appliance's motor while the charger is plugged in, ensuring user safety and battery longevity.
How does this patent fit in bigger picture?
Technical Landscape
In the late 2000s and early 2010s when ’487 was filed, rechargeable battery systems for portable appliances were typically implemented using distinct mechanical and electrical interfaces for different charging states. At a time when systems commonly relied on specialized charging docks for standalone battery packs or separate, dedicated ports for in-situ charging, the integration of power delivery and charging logic was often bifurcated. Hardware constraints related to terminal routing and casing design made the consolidation of charging paths non-trivial, as engineers generally utilized multiple input points to manage the different physical clearances required when a battery was either isolated or mated with its host appliance.
Prosecution Position
The disclosed invention represents a technical advancement through the architectural integration of a single charger input terminal that remains accessible and functional regardless of the battery pack's connection state to an appliance. By utilizing a specific structural arrangement—where a connecting protrusion houses both the appliance power interface and a recessed charging port—the system overcomes the constraint of requiring redundant terminals or external docking hardware. This configuration enables a dual-mode charging capability through a unified electrical path, while an internal control mechanism provides a technical effect of safety interlocking by generating a battery ID signal that selectively disables appliance operation during the charging cycle.
Claims
The patent contains 16 claims in total, with claims 1, 4, and 11 serving as the independent claims. These independent claims focus on a rechargeable battery pack, a handheld vacuum cleaner, and a kit that utilize a specific charging configuration where a single input terminal located on an upstanding protrusion allows for charging both when the battery is attached to or removed from the device, including a mechanical lockout feature that prevents battery removal while the charger is plugged in. The dependent claims serve to further define specific structural components and operational constraints, such as the inclusion of logic terminals, the shape and placement of the docking aperture within a handle, the presence of locking mechanisms, and circuitry that disables the vacuum cleaner during the charging process.
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US8673487
- Application Number
- US13709487A
- Filing Date
- Dec 10, 2012
- Publication Date
- Mar 18, 2014
- External Links
- Slate, USPTO , Google Patents