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EP-4736291-A1 - LANDSCAPING TOOL PROVIDED WITH AN ELECTRIC BATTERY AND ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR FOR SAID TOOL

EP4736291A1EP 4736291 A1EP4736291 A1EP 4736291A1EP-4736291-A1

Abstract

A battery-operated electric landscaping tool (1) is described, comprising: an electric motor (M), a power supply battery (20) of the electric motor, which power supply battery is provided with an electronic board (21) configured to allow the monitoring of at least one value of an operating parameter of the power supply battery and/or in which a value of an operating parameter of the power supply battery is stored and/or an identification code of the battery is stored, said electronic board being configured to communicate said value, or said values, and/or said identification code, according to a first communication protocol, an electronic control and command unit (55) of the electric motor (M) operatively connected to the electric motor and the battery, and configured to regulate the electric power supply of the electric motor also based on the value of the operating parameter of the power supply battery and/or the identification code, said electronic control and command unit of the motor being configured according to a second communication protocol which is different from the first communication protocol, and an electrical connector (60,60') galvanically interposed between the electronic control and command unit of the motor and the power supply battery, and to which a battery connection interface is connected. The connector comprises an electronic control and command unit (65), which is galvanically connected to the electronic control and command unit (55) of the motor, and an electronic memory (70), which is galvanically connected to the electronic control and command unit (65) of the connector. Where a computer code is stored in the electronic memory, which when executed by the electronic control and command unit translates signals in the first communication protocol received from the electronic board of the battery, into signals in the second communication protocol and sends them to the electronic control and command unit of the motor.

Inventors

  • BARBOLINI, Gianluca

Assignees

  • Emak S.p.A.

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20240419

Claims (8)

  1. 1. A battery-powered electric landscaping tool (1 ), comprising: - an electric motor (M), - a power supply battery (20) of the electric motor, which power supply battery is provided with an electronic board (21 ) configured to allow the monitoring of at least one value of an operating parameter of the power supply battery and/or in which a value of an operating parameter of the power supply battery is stored and/or a preset identification code of the battery is stored, said electronic board being configured to communicate said value, or said values, and/or said preset identification code, according to a first communication protocol, - an electronic control and command unit (55) of the electric motor (M) operatively connected to the electric motor and the battery, and configured to regulate the electric motor's power supply also based on the value of the operating parameter of the supply battery, or based on the value of the monitored operating parameter and the value of the stored operating parameter, and/or the preset identification code, said electronic control and command unit of the motor being configured according to a second communication protocol different from the first communication protocol, and - an electrical connector (60,60') galvanically interposed between the electronic control and command unit of the motor and the power supply battery, and to which a connection interface of the battery is connected, wherein the connector comprises an electronic control and command unit (65), which is galvanically connected to the electronic control and command unit (55) of the motor, and an electronic memory (70), which is galvanically connected to the electronic control and command unit (65) of the connector itself, wherein a computer code is stored in the electronic memory, which, when executed by the electronic control and command unit, translates signals in the first communication protocol received from the electronic board of the battery, into signals in the second communication protocol and sends them to the electronic control and command unit of the motor.
  2. 2. Tool (1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the connector (60,60') comprises a wireless transceiver (85).
  3. 3. Tool (1 ) according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising means for coupling the battery to the tool, and wherein the connector (60,60') is positioned at said means, such that when the battery is coupled by means of the coupling means, the connector (60,60') is connected to the battery (20).
  4. 4. Tool (1 ) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the stored operating parameter of the battery is the maximum power deliverable, i.e., the maximum discharge value, and wherein the electronic control and command unit of the motor is configured to limit the maximum power of the motor based on the stored value of said operating parameter.
  5. 5. Tool (1 ) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the connector comprises a connection interface by means of which it is galvanically connected to the battery, wherein the connection interface comprises at least one electrical contact galvanically connected to the electronic board of the battery.
  6. 6. Tool (1 ) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the electronic control and command unit of the motor is configured not to electrically power the motor if the preset identification code stored in the battery is different from a preset identification code, or a preset group of identification codes, stored in the electronic control and command unit of the motor.
  7. 7. An electrical connector (60,60') for a battery-powered landscaping tool (1 ), said electrical connector comprising: - a first connection interface (75) adapted to allow a removable galvanic connection with an electric battery (20) to power the landscaping tool, - an electrical cable (56), or a second connection interface (80), adapted to allow a galvanic connection to an electronic control and command unit (55) of the landscaping tool - an electronic control and command unit (65) galvanically connected to the first interface and to the second interface or to the electrical cable, and - an electronic memory (70), which is galvanically connected to the electronic control and command unit of the connector itself, wherein a computer code is stored in the electronic memory, which, when executed by the electronic control and command unit (65), translates signals received by means of the first communication interface and encoded according to a first communication protocol, into corresponding signals encoded in a second, different communication protocol and sends them to the electronic control and command unit of the motor after such a translation.
  8. 8. Electrical connector (60,60') according to any preceding claim, comprising a boxOlike body provided with the first connection interface and the second connection interface, positioned so as to be accessible from outside the box-like body itself, and wherein the electronic control and command unit (65) is positioned inside the box-like body.

Description

LANDSCAPING TOOL PROVIDED WITH AN ELECTRIC BATTERY AND ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR FOR SAID TOOL TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a landscaping apparatus provided with a landscaping tool, such as chainsaws, brush cutters, hedge trimmers, blowers, lawn mowers, etc. PRIOR ART Landscaping tools with batteries, i.e., powered by means of an electric battery, generally comprise an electric motor, adapted to drive a working element, and an electronic control and command unit operationally connected to the electric motor and configured to regulate the electrical power supply of the motor. In particular, the electronic control and command unit is configured to regulate the frequency and intensity of a power supply current which has the battery as its source. The battery and the electronic control and command unit communicate with each other by means of the same communication protocol, in particular the battery communicates to the electronic control and command unit the values of parameters measured by a control unit in the battery itself and based on which the electronic control and command unit can vary the regulation of the electrical power supply of the motor. The standardisation of batteries is an aspect which is becoming increasingly important, both in the light of the convenience for the customer of having one type of battery for use on several tools, and in the light of battery price reductions due to economies of scale. One problem posed by such a market trend lies in the fact that, as described above, manufacturers generally make tools with an electronic control and command unit which communicates by means of a communication protocol shared with the battery and which is specific from manufacturer to manufacturer, or even from model to model. Therefore, a tool remains limited to the use of the battery for which it was designed, not only in consideration of size, or connection, but precisely because of the impossibility of communication between a possible new battery and the pre-existing control unit which had been configured to communicate with a different type of battery, i.e., with a different communication protocol. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to overcome the constraints of the prior art in the context of a rational and efficient solution with limited costs. This and other objects are reached thanks to the characteristics of the invention as reported in the independent claims. The dependent claims outline preferred and/or particularly advantageous aspects of the invention which however are not strictly required for the implementation thereof. In particular, the invention provides a battery-powered electric landscaping (gardening) tool, comprising: - an electric motor, - a power supply battery (20) of the electric motor, which power supply battery is provided with an electronic board (21 ) configured to allow the monitoring of at least one value of an operating parameter of the power supply battery and/or in which a value of an operating parameter of the power supply battery is stored and/or a preset identification code of the battery is stored, said electronic board being configured to communicate said value, or said values, and/or said preset identification code, according to a first communication protocol, - an electronic control and command unit (55) of the electric motor (M) operatively connected to the electric motor and to the battery, and configured to regulate the electrical power supply of the electric motor also based on the value of the operating parameter of the power supply battery, or based on the value of the monitored operating parameter and the value of the stored operating parameter, and/or the preset identification code, said electronic control and command unit of the motor being configured according to a second communication protocol which is different from the first communication protocol, - an electrical connector galvanically interposed between the electronic control and command unit of the motor and the power supply battery, and to which a connection interface of the battery is connected in which the connector comprises an electronic control and command unit, which is galvanically connected to the electronic control and command unit of the motor, and an electronic memory, which is galvanically connected to the electronic control and command unit of the connector itself, in which a computer code is stored in the electronic memory, which, when executed by the electronic control and command unit, translates signals in the first communication protocol received from the electronic board of the battery, into signals in the second communication protocol and sends them to the electronic control and command unit of the motor. Thanks to such a solution, it is possible to make a tool that was designed for a different battery, thus designed to communicate according to a different communication protocol, compatible with a predefined type of bat