Patents by Inventor Takao Aradachi

Takao Aradachi has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10486295
    Abstract: A power tool includes a motor, a connecting unit, and a controller. The connecting unit is configured to be connected to a secondary battery. A voltage detection unit is configured to detect a voltage of the secondary battery connected to the connecting unit. The controller is configured to acquire change of the detected voltage. The controller restricts the operation of the motor when the change of the voltage is a first value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: Koki Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takao Aradachi, Tomoaki Sudo, Yukihiro Shima
  • Patent number: 10205198
    Abstract: A power tool includes a motor and control means for controlling the motor. The motor is capable of being driven by power supplied from a battery pack including a battery cell. The control means is configured to continue to rotate the motor even when a motor-halt signal is inputted from the battery pack. With this structure, the power tool can be used continuously without need to halt rotation of the motor, even when receiving a halt signal, such as an overdischarge detection signal or an overcurrent detection signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: Koki Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Kawano, Nobuhiro Takano, Toshiaki Koizumi, Kazuhiko Funabashi, Kenichirou Yoshida, Takao Aradachi
  • Publication number: 20180212283
    Abstract: In order to provide a battery pack that allows information inside the battery pack to be output via communication with an external device without being provided with a dedicated terminal, the battery pack 20 according to the present invention has: a temperature detection element 33 that monitors the temperature of battery 21; a battery type identification element 34 that identifies the type of battery; a first terminal d for transferring information of the temperature detection element to an external device 1; and a second terminal e for transferring information of the battery type identification element to the external device 1. The battery pack 20 is characterized in having blocking means 35 and 36 for blocking the transfer of the information from the temperature detection element and the battery type identification element to another external device 60.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2016
    Publication date: July 26, 2018
    Applicant: HITACHI KOKI CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Takao ARADACHI
  • Publication number: 20180143256
    Abstract: In order to enable easy determination of whether a battery pack possessed by a user is one to be guaranteed or not and clearly differentiate an old battery pack from a new battery pack not to allow the old battery pack to be used in the field, when a battery diagnosis device determines that the battery pack is one to be guaranteed, information held by the diagnosed battery pack is written into a second battery pack different from the diagnosed battery pack.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2016
    Publication date: May 24, 2018
    Applicant: HITACHI KOKI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuki HORIE, Takao ARADACHI, Kazuhiko FUNABASHI
  • Publication number: 20170194670
    Abstract: A power tool includes a motor and control means for controlling the motor. The motor is capable of being driven by power supplied from a battery pack including a battery cell. The control means is configured to continue to rotate the motor even when a motor-halt signal is inputted from the battery pack. With this structure, the power tool can be used continuously without need to halt rotation of the motor, even when receiving a halt signal, such as an overdischarge detection signal or an overcurrent detection signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2015
    Publication date: July 6, 2017
    Inventors: Yoshikazu KAWANO, Nobuhiro TAKANO, Toshiaki KOIZUMI, Kazuhiko FUNABASHI, Kenichirou YOSHIDA, Takao ARADACHI
  • Publication number: 20160297059
    Abstract: A power tool includes a motor, a connecting unit, and a controller. The connecting unit is configured to be connected to a secondary battery. A voltage detection unit is configured to detect a voltage of the secondary battery connected to the connecting unit. The controller is configured to acquire change of the detected voltage. The controller restricts the operation of the motor when the change of the voltage is a first value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2014
    Publication date: October 13, 2016
    Inventors: Takao Aradachi, Yukihiro Shima
  • Publication number: 20150318720
    Abstract: A charging device includes: a connection portion; charging means; and control means. A first type battery pack and a second type battery pack are connectable to the connection portion. The first type battery pack is configured to control charging itself to determine whether charging is feasible. The second type battery pack is configured to provide information to the charging device for determining whether charging is feasible and controlling a charging operation. The charging means supplies charging current to a secondary battery included in a battery pack connected to the connection portion. The control means is configured to control a charging condition based on a type of the battery pack connected to the connection portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2013
    Publication date: November 5, 2015
    Inventors: Takao Aradachi, Kazuhiko Funabashi
  • Publication number: 20150311730
    Abstract: In a charging device, a terminal is configured to connect a rechargeable battery. A first power feeding unit is configured to charge the rechargeable battery connected to the terminal. A controller is configured to control the first power feeding unit. A second power feeding unit is configured to feed electrical power to the controller and a monitoring unit. The monitoring unit includes a monitoring portion and a switching element. The monitoring portion is configured to monitor at least one of the rechargeable battery, the first power feeding unit, and the controller. The switching element is configured to interrupt the second power feeding unit to feed the electrical power to the monitoring portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2013
    Publication date: October 29, 2015
    Inventors: Takao Aradachi, Kazuhiko Funabashi, Kenji Shimatsu
  • Publication number: 20150236536
    Abstract: A charging device (100) having charging means (80, 90) for charging a secondary battery used in an electric tool, and control means (140) for controlling the charging means. The control means acquires rated charging voltage information indicating the rated charging voltage of battery cells (11) of the secondary battery, which is configured of a plurality of battery cells. The control means sets a target voltage of the secondary battery on the basis of the rated charging voltage information. And the control means controls the charging means so that the secondary battery reaches the target voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2013
    Publication date: August 20, 2015
    Inventors: Takao Aradachi, Yuki Horie
  • Publication number: 20150188332
    Abstract: A rechargeable system includes: a charger (4); a battery pack (1); an adapter (3) configured to be electrically connected between the charger (4) and the battery pack (1), a cable (58) configured to be electrically connected between the battery pack (1) and the adapter. A battery-side microcomputer (526) controls the shutdown circuit (523) such that the shutdown circuit (523) disconnects the at least one of the positive terminal (5a) of the battery pack and the negative terminal (5b) of the battery pack (1) from the rechargeable battery (51) when detection of the battery-side microcomputer (526) indicates occurrence of at least one of two following events: one event is such that the rechargeable battery (51) is fully charged. Another event is such that the rechargeable battery (51) has some errors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 4, 2013
    Publication date: July 2, 2015
    Inventors: Yasushi Nakano, Yuki Horie, Yukihiro Shima, Takao Aradachi, Kazuhiko Funabashi, Takuya Yoshinari, Haruhisa Fujisawa
  • Patent number: 8841880
    Abstract: A battery charger has an abnormal condition checking function for checking unintentional or accidental charging of a secondary battery. A charge circuit charges the battery when a switching element interposed between a power source and the battery is turned on. Current which may flow in the charge circuit is detected when the battery is not to be charged by turning the switching element on. When the current is detected in such a condition, an abnormality signal is produced to cause the charge circuit to be disabled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi Koki Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takao Aradachi
  • Publication number: 20140014384
    Abstract: A power tool includes a small-size lithium ion secondary battery used as its driving source, and at least one lithium ion secondary battery having a diameter of 14 mm is disposed inside a grip portion of a main body of the power tool. The lithium ion secondary battery has a sufficient output characteristic required for driving the power tool. When a switch installed in the main body of the power tool is operated by a user, electric power is supplied to a driving unit including a motor so that the power tool is activated. The lithium ion secondary battery is of a pack type, or is directly housed inside the grip portion, and the grip portion, which houses three of the lithium ion secondary batteries, is designed to have a diameter of 51.8 mm or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2013
    Publication date: January 16, 2014
    Inventors: Yuki HORIE, Tomomasa NISHIKAWA, Takao ARADACHI, Kazuhiko FUNABASHI
  • Publication number: 20140001853
    Abstract: A charger includes: a connection portion configured to connect either one of a battery pack and an electric device as an object device, the electric device being configured to generate a power supply related signal related to power supply thereto; a determination unit configured to determine which the battery pack or the electric device is the object device which is connected to the connection portion; and a control unit configured to charge the batter pack through the connection portion when the battery pack is connected to the connection portion, the control unit configured to control power supply to the electric device through the connection portion in accordance with the power supply related signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2012
    Publication date: January 2, 2014
    Applicant: Hitachi Koki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Hanawa, Shinji Watanabe, Haruhisa Fujisawa, Kazuhiko Funabashi, Takao Aradachi
  • Publication number: 20130284480
    Abstract: In a power tool including: a housing having a body portion which houses a motor and a handle portion extending downward from the body portion; an output portion driven at the front of the motor; and a trigger switch which controls power supply from a battery to the motor, the motor, the battery, and the trigger switch are arranged so as to overlap each other in an intersecting direction with respect to a front-and-rear direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2013
    Publication date: October 31, 2013
    Applicant: HITACHI KOKI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuki HORIE, Nobuhiro TAKANO, Kazuhiko FUNABASHI, Tomomasa NISHIKAWA, Yukihiro SHIMA, Takao ARADACHI
  • Patent number: 8497662
    Abstract: A charging device has a charging unit and a control unit. The charging unit charges a battery pack the battery pack being either a first type or a second type of battery pack. The first type of battery pack includes a single battery cell or a first plurality of battery cells connected in series. The second type of battery pack includes a single battery unit or a second plurality of battery units connected in series. Each battery unit includes at least two battery cells connected in parallel. The control unit controls the charging unit to control at least one of a charging current flowing through the battery pack and a charging voltage applied across the battery pack, depending on the battery pack to be charged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi Koki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takao Aradachi, Kazuhiko Funabashi, Nobuhiro Takano
  • Publication number: 20130095350
    Abstract: A battery pack, includes: a battery set including at least one battery cell; a protection IC configured to protect plural kinds of the battery sets, which produce different voltages, from overcharging and overdischarging, the protection IC including terminals for setting the different voltages of the battery sets; and a board configured to mount, on a surface of the board, circuit components including the protection IC and a connection unit which is connected to the terminals based on the produced voltage of the battery set to be connected to the protection IC.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2011
    Publication date: April 18, 2013
    Applicant: HITACHI KOKI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takao Aradachi, Hiroyuki Hanawa
  • Patent number: 8344696
    Abstract: A charging signal Vi responding to a charging current is inputted to one input terminal (?) of an operational amplifier 95 forming a comparator and a setting signal Vr corresponding to a setting current value is inputted to the other input terminal (+) of the operational amplifier 95. When the charging signal Vi is not higher than the setting signal Vr, a charging stop signal is generated from the output terminal of the operational amplifier 95 to interrupt a switch unit 4. A starting signal Vcc larger than the setting signal Vr applied to the other input terminal (+) is applied to the one input terminal (?) of the operational amplifier 95 through a condenser 94 till a prescribed time elapses from the start of a charging operation to generate a charging start signal from the output terminal of the operational amplifier 95 and electrically conduct the switch unit 4.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi Koko Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takao Aradachi, Kazuhiko Funabashi
  • Patent number: 8294425
    Abstract: A charging apparatus able to safely and reliably secure capacity is provided. The charging apparatus comprises: a charging current configuration unit that configures a set value for the charging current flowing to the battery; a charging current controller that controls the charging current on the basis of the set value configured by the charging current configuration unit; a cell voltage detector that detects the cell voltages applied to each cell; and a voltage determining unit that determines whether or not at least one of the cell voltages detected by the cell voltage detector has exceeded a threshold voltage. If it is determined by the voltage determining unit that at least one of the cell voltages has exceeded the threshold voltage, then the charging current configuration unit switches the set value to a smaller value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi Koki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takao Aradachi, Kazuhiko Funabashi
  • Patent number: 8231992
    Abstract: For a lithium battery pack including battery cells the number of which is larger than the number of battery cells 111 that can be monitored by a voltage detect portion 115, there is disposed a temperature detect element 113 for detecting the temperatures of the battery cell 112 not monitored by the voltage detect portion 115, and, when the temperatures of the battery cell 112 detected by the temperature detect element 113 rise beyond a given value, there is issued a signal to stop the charging of the battery pack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi Koki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Funabashi, Nobuhiro Takano, Takao Aradachi
  • Patent number: 8093859
    Abstract: A charging system has a battery pack and a charging device. The battery pack has a battery cell and a plurality of identifiers that identify a configuration of the battery cell. The charging device has a charging unit, a signal transmission unit, a reading unit, and a control unit. The charging unit charges the battery pack. The signal transmission unit transmits a first signal and a second signal to the battery pack separately to read the plurality of identifiers when the battery pack is attached to the charging unit. The reading unit reads the plurality of identifiers according to the first and second signals to determine the configuration of the battery cell. The control unit controls the charging unit according to the configuration of the battery cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi Koki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takao Aradachi, Kazuhiko Funabashi, Shigeru Takahashi