GB2609937A

GB2609937A - A battery safety device

Info

Publication number: GB2609937A
Application number: GB2111786.6A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Warwick Howell Stephen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2021-08-17
Filing date: 2021-08-17
Publication date: 2023-02-22
Anticipated expiration: 2041-08-17
Also published as: GB2609937B; GB202111786D0

Abstract

A battery safety device for securing a battery from falling out due to vibrations from an electric power tool. The device comprises a tool catch 1 that wraps around the tool and a battery tether 2 and which extends around the battery from the catch. The tether pulls against an anchor 4 on the tool and has a tensioning member 3 which tensions the tether against the anchor. The anchor may be attached to the catch, and the catch may be a flexible loop. The tensioning member may have a lever 32 and a screw thread 33. The battery tether may be a fabric webbing strap 21 and may be connected to the catch via a hoop 24. The tool may be a power tool such as an electric driver. The tensioning member may have an over-centre mechanism. The catch may have a wire with wire grips.

Description

A BATTERY SAFETY DEVICE

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a battery safety device, in particular a device for ensuring that a battery remains securely attached to a tool; more particularly but not exclusively rechargeable batteries for electric drivers.

Background

Many users in increasing numbers of societies rely on electric drivers, typically having displaceable and rechargeable batteries, for example lithium-ion batteries, which are recharged on a dedicated charging station and replaced on the tool after.

Consequently such batteries have reversible connection mechanisms to the tools.

Such tools are liable to create a large amount of vibration, which may tend to dislodge the battery from the tool which can be inconvenient and/or dangerous.

Prior Art

US 2020 0 227 695 (JONES et al) discloses a battery tether system for tethering a power tool battery is provided. The battery may include a tether receiver as an integral component of the battery or the battery may be retrofit with a sleeve or bumper including a tether receiver. The sleeve may include a clasp to overlay the retrofit battery and ensure that the tether receptacle remains coupled to the battery. The tether receiver may connect to the tool receiver and provide an electrical connection to the tool and a tether receiver for the battery. The battery system may include tether keys configured to be inserted into a slot and slide into a locking pocket of the sleeve or bumper.

GB 2011 12 742 (STYTH et al) discloses a power tool and battery pack safety device 100 includes a flexible body or bag adapted to, in use, at least partially encase a power tool and a battery pack. The flexible body includes a safety tether. The device assists in preventing separation of the battery pack from the power tool. At least one strap arrangement may be used for fixing the body around the power tool and/or the battery pack. The safety tether may be a fall arrest tether including a bundle of wires formed into a loop.

EP 2 332 697 (NAGASAKA et al) discloses a hook for electric power tools used with 5 an electric power tool comprising a handle and a battery pack detachably mounted to a lower end portion of the handle, the hook being designed to be attached to the electric power tool in the proximity of the lower end portion of the handle and comprising: a ring-shaped slip-off preventing portion having an opening into which the handle can be inserted when the battery pack is not attached to the handle, and when the battery 10 pack is attached to the handle, the slip-off preventing portion can be prevented from being pulled out from the handle by the battery pack attached to the handle.

The present invention arose in order to overcome problems suffered by existing devices.

Summary of the Invention

According to the present invention there is provided a battery safety device comprises: a tool catch, a battery tether, and a tensioning member; wherein the catch is arranged to loop around a tool, and the tether is arranged to extend from the catch and pass around a battery which is connected to the tool; the tether is adapted to pull against an anchor on the tool and the tensioning member has a tensioning means which enables a user to tension the tether against the anchor.

In this way an elongate tether may be passed around the battery and connected at both ends to the catch, thereby ensuring that the battery is pulled against the tool by the tensioning means provided by the tensioning member.

In this way it may be envisaged that the device may provide a means of securing a 30 battery onto a tool, such as a power driver or electric screwdriver, so as to enable the battery to be held in place, even during significant vibration, thereby limiting movement of the battery with respect to the tool.

In some embodiments the catch comprises the anchor.

In this way it may be envisaged that the device may be attached to any tool in use, wherein the device may comprise a temporary or semi-permanent addition to any independently provided tool in use. In other embodiments the anchor may be provided by or secured onto the tool in a more permanent manner.

In some embodiments the catch comprises a flexible loop. In this way the length adjustment means may be envisaged to be a means of tensioning the loop. In other embodiments the loop may be a rigid or substantially rigid loop, and in still further embodiments the loop may be elastic.

In some embodiments the device comprises a loop length adjustment means. For example this may be provided by elasticity in other embodiments or may be envisaged to comprise a ratchet, buckle or grip means.

It may be envisaged that the catch may be adjusted for the tool size in such embodiments.

It may be envisaged that the loop length adjustment means may be reversible, whereas in other embodiments it may be envisaged to be used solely on installation 20 of the device on the tool.

In some embodiments the tensioning member comprises a lever. Such lever may comprise a simple means to exert tension, for example using a cam or ratchet means.

In some embodiments the tensioning member comprises an over-centre mechanism. In this way for example the mechanism may allow the tether, for example a hook thereon, to be attached onto or over the anchor, and the mechanism operated to pull the tether against the anchor, thereby pulling against the battery.

In some embodiments the catch comprises a wire. For example this may be a braided steel wire or similar rigid, robust wire.

In some embodiments the catch comprises a wire and a wire grip. For example such wire grip may be provided by a body having more than one hole or passage 35 therethrough, wherein the grip is secured onto and over the wire so as to permanently grip the wire against itself.

In some embodiments the tether comprises a fabric strap. Such may enable the tether to have some give and allow for greater flexibility as well as strength, for example in a Nylon (RIM) webbing or similar.

In some embodiments the tether comprises a length adjustment means and in some embodiments the length adjustment means comprises a screw thread means.

This length adjustment means may be envisaged as in reference to overall length, and/or for example may relate to length of the anchor.

For example the length adjustment means may be in relation to the strap length. In other embodiments the anchor may comprise a discrete part, which part may include a connector to the tether, and wherein the connector or anchor may include length adjustment means so as to adjust the distance of the anchor's end from the tether.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the Figures in which:

Brief Description of Figures

Figure 1 shows an isometric view of an embodiment of the device according to the present invention; Figure 2 shows a reverse isometric view of the embodiment shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 shows an exploded isometric view of the embodiment shown in Figure 1; Figure 4 shows a reverse isometric exploded view of the embodiment shown in Figure 1; And Figure 5 shows a sketch of a detail isometric view of a second embodiment of the 35 device according to the present invention.

Detailed Description of Figures

With reference to the figures there is shown an embodiment of a battery safety device 99, generally comprising a tool catch 1 and a battery tether 2, wherein the catch is arranged to loop around a tool (not shown), and the tether is arranged to extend from the catch around a battery (not shown), wherein the tether is adapted to pull against an anchor 4 on the tool, further comprising a tensioning member 3, which member is arranged to enable a user to tension the tether against the anchor.

In particular reference to the first embodiment shown in the figures the embodiment comprises a wire loop 1 of fixed length. The wire loop is threaded through a hook 4. On an opposing circumferential point the loop passes through a hoop 24 in the tether 2. The wire is a stainless steel wire.

The tether is a fabric webbing strap 21. The distal end of the strap includes a plate 22, which provides a base for a lever 32, which lever pivots on two pivots 23 in the plate 22.

The lever includes a lateral bar 34, into which an eye 31 which an elongate stem 33 is 20 screwed, wherein the stem includes a thread, and the bar includes a female thread hole. The lever has a rubber or silicone covered handgrip end.

The eye 31 is arranged to be hooked over the anchor 4, and can be screwed into and out of the bar so as to adjust the length to the tether.

The bar is offset from the pivots 23, so as to allow the lever, and eye provide an over-centre mechanism.

With reference to the second embodiment as shown in Figure 5 the embodiment comprises a length adjustment means for the catch wire 1. The adjustment means comprises a substantially cuboid gip 5 which is located on the wire, having two through passages, wherein with either end of the wire passes longitudinally through these passages and the passages grip the wire. It may be envisaged that the grip may be deformed to grip the wire or may have a bipartite housing for closure over the wire so as to form the grip.

The second embodiment further comprises a length adjustment means for the tether strap 21, which adjustment means comprises a buckle 25, through which the strap 21 is passed.

The wire 1 is covered with a plastic sheath to avoid damage to the tool.

The invention has been described by way of examples only and it will be appreciated that variation may be made to the above-mentioned embodiments without departing from the scope of invention as defined by the claims, in particular but not solely 10 combination of features of described embodiments.

Claims

Claims 1. A battery safety device comprises: a tool catch, a battery tether, and a tensioning member; wherein the catch is arranged to loop around a tool, and the tether is arranged to extend from the catch and pass around a battery which is connected to the tool; the tether is adapted to pull against an anchor on the tool and the tensioning member has a tensioning means which enables a user to tension the tether against the anchor.
2. A device according to claim 1 wherein the catch comprises the anchor.
3. A device according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the catch comprises a flexible loop.
4. A device according to any preceding claim comprises a loop length adjustment means.
5. A device according to any preceding claim wherein the tensioning member comprises a lever.
6. A device according to any preceding claim wherein the tensioning member comprises an over-centre mechanism.
7. A device according to any preceding claim wherein the catch comprises a wire.
8. A device according to claim 7 wherein the catch comprises a wire grip.
9. A device according to any preceding claim wherein the tether comprises a fabric strap.
10. A device according to any preceding claim wherein the tether comprises a length adjustment means.
11. A device according to claim 10 wherein the length adjustment means comprises a screw thread means.