Patent Application
20200254601
The present invention relates generally to housings that are used for power tools, such as chainsaws, trimmers, hedge trimmers and the like. Especially, the present invention relates to a battery compartment provided in the housing for power tools.
During the last decades, battery-driven power tools such as chainsaws, trimmers, hedge trimmers, etc. have become more and more popular due to the development of more efficient batteries. However, the more powerful batteries are bulkier, which may cause problems when designing the housing of the power tools, and especially the battery compartment provided in the housing.
The bulkiness of the battery may lead to a bulkiness of the housing, which in turn may lead to power tools that are more difficult to maneuver. Maneuverability in turn is a safety aspect, since many power tools may cause severe injuries if handled in a wrong way.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,286,359 discloses a battery-operated chainsaw, wherein the battery is located at one side of a frame of the chainsaw. The purpose of the placement of the battery is to provide a center of gravity for the chainsaw that is located at least partially beneath or in front of a front handle. The front handle is formed by the frame that also forms a rear handle. In U.S. Pat. No. 8,286,359, the chainsaw is of the type were the battery is attached direct towards a frame and not into a battery compartment. Such battery compartments in prior art may be placed at different positions of the housing.
Thus, there is a need for a battery compartment that does not build bulkiness to the housing of power tools in order to increase the maneuverability and thereby the safety of the power tool.
An object of the present invention is to accomplish a housing for power tools with a battery compartment that does not contribute to the bulkiness of the housing and that makes the power tool easier to maneuver. A further object with the present invention is to provide a battery compartment into which it is easy to insert and release a battery.
According to one aspect of the present invention this is accomplished by a housing for a power tool, having a front end, at which front end a tool of the power tool is attached, a rear end and a top side. A battery compartment is provided at the top side of the housing, the battery compartment extending inside the housing and having a shape adapted to receive a battery. The shape is essentially cuboidal and has a rectangular cross section when looking at the top side of the housing and the short sides of the rectangular cross section are substantially parallel with the rear end and the front end of the housing.
In one embodiment, the battery compartment is skewed backwards towards the rear end with an angle of between 5 to 30 degrees in relation to an axis that is perpendicular to the top side of the housing, preferably the angle is between 7 and 15 degrees.
In another embodiment, the housing further comprises a release button arranged to eject the battery from the battery compartment during removal of the battery.
Furthermore, a gasket may be provided between the battery compartment and the battery, such that the battery compartment is sealed.
Providing the battery compartment such that the short sides of the rectangular cross section of the battery compartment are substantially parallel with the rear end and the front end of the housing makes it possible to reduce the width of the housing and thereby design a slimmer power tool. The advantage with a slimmer power tool is that it is possible to have the power tool closer to the body during operation thereof. This makes the power tool easier to manoeuvre and thus increases the safety of the power tool.
Another advantage according to embodiments of the present invention is that the battery compartment is skewed backwards towards the rear end with an angle in relation to an axis that is perpendicular to the top side of the housing. This makes it easy for an operator of the power tool to insert and release the battery from the battery compartment.
The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
In the following, a detailed description of a housing for power tools according to embodiments of the present invention will be presented.
With reference to
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In
As is evident from
In another embodiment, the housing 2 may also be provided with a gasket 24 that is provided between the battery compartment 14 and the battery 6 when the battery 6 is inserted in the battery compartment 14, such that the battery compartment 14 is sealed.
Although, the present invention has been described above with reference to specific embodiments, it is not intended to be limited to the specific form set forth herein. Rather, the invention is limited only by the accompanying claims.
In the claims, the term “comprises/comprising” does not exclude the presence of other elements or steps. Furthermore, although individually listed, a plurality of means or elements may be implemented by e.g. a single unit or processor. Additionally, although individual features may be included in different claims, these may possibly advantageously be combined, and the inclusion in different claims does not imply that a combination of features is not feasible and/or advantageous. In addition, singular references do not exclude a plurality. The terms “a”, “an”, “first”, “second” etc do not preclude a plurality. Reference signs in the claims are provided merely as a clarifying example and shall not be construed as limiting the scope of the claims in any way.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/CN2017/103737 | 9/27/2017 | WO | 00 |
