US 11,839,066 B2
Battery charger
Donald J. Truettner, Waukesha, WI (US); Jeffrey M. Brozek, Mequon, WI (US); Steven T. Sommerfeld, Mukwonago, WI (US); and Cameron R. Schulz, Milwaukee, WI (US)
Assigned to Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation, Brookfield, WI (US)
Filed by MILWAUKEE ELECTRIC TOOL CORPORATION, Brookfield, WI (US)
Filed on Oct. 2, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/061,733.
Application 17/061,733 is a continuation of application No. 16/018,533, filed on Jun. 26, 2018, granted, now 10,827,655.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/524,827, filed on Jun. 26, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2021/0022272 A1, Jan. 21, 2021
Int. Cl. H05K 7/20 (2006.01); H02J 7/00 (2006.01); G01K 1/14 (2021.01); H01M 10/48 (2006.01)
CPC H05K 7/20909 (2013.01) [G01K 1/14 (2013.01); H02J 7/0042 (2013.01); H05K 7/209 (2013.01); H05K 7/20172 (2013.01); H05K 7/20945 (2013.01); H01M 10/486 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A battery charger comprising:
a housing;
a charging circuit positioned within the housing and operable to output a charging current to charge a battery pack couplable to the battery charger, the battery pack including a battery pack housing and battery cells supported by the battery housing;
a fan operable to cause air flow through the housing, the fan being a multi-speed fan operable at a plurality of speeds intermediate a deactivated state of the fan and a maximum speed state of the fan;
a charger temperature sensor positioned within the housing and for sensing a temperature of the battery charger; and
a controller operable to receive a signal indicative of the temperature of the battery charger from the charger temperature sensor and receive a signal indicative of a temperature of the battery pack,
wherein the charging current or a fan speed is adjusted based on at least one of the temperature of the battery charger or a temperature of the battery pack,
wherein the fan speed is increased or decreased to one of the plurality of speeds intermediate the deactivated state and the maximum speed state based on the at least one of the temperature of the battery charger or the temperature of the battery pack, and
wherein, if the fan speed reaches the maximum speed state, the charging current is configured to be adjusted based on the at least one of the temperature of the battery charger or the temperature of the battery pack, wherein the charging current is only adjusted based on the at least one of the temperature of the battery charger or the temperature of the battery pack after the fan speed reaches the maximum speed state.