Battery pack

• US 20090267560A1
• Filed: 04/21/2009
• Published: 10/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Toya, Shoichi, Nakasho, Toshiki
• Granted Patent: US 8,436,576 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/345 Gastight metal hydride accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/425 Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing printed circuits H05K1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/213 adapted for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic H01M50/209, H01M50/216 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/244 Secondary casings; Racks; Suspension devices; Carrying devices; Holders characterised by their mounting method
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/247 specially adapted for portable devices, e.g. mobile phones, computers, hand tools or pacemakers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/253 adapted for specific cells, e.g. electrochemical cells operating at high temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/262 with fastening means, e.g. locks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/284 with incorporated circuit boards, e.g. printed circuit boards [PCB]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/005 Mechanical details of housing or structure aiming to accommodate the power transfer means, e.g. mechanical integration of coils, antennas or transducers into emitting or receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/40 using two or more transmitting or receiving devices H02J50/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/70 involving the reduction of electric, magnetic or electromagnetic leakage fields
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

The battery pack instead of the size AA battery is loaded in a battery storage of an electronic device. The battery pack includes a battery casing, a plurality of size AAA batteries, a battery holder, a circuit board, and an induction coil electromagnetically connected to a primary coil of a battery charger cradle. The size AAA batteries are accommodated in the battery casing in a spaced-apart manner where a distance between longitudinal axes of the size AAA batteries is larger than a distance between longitudinal axes of the size AA batteries loaded in the battery storage, and a storage space is defined between the adjacent size AAA batteries. With an electronic component, mounted on the circuit board, being disposed in the storage space, the battery pack accommodates the size AAA batteries, the battery holder, the circuit board, and the induction coil in a mutually layered state in the battery casing.

Claims

1. A battery pack to be loaded in a battery storage of an electronic device, the battery storage having been so designed as to accommodate a plurality of size AA batteries in a mutually parallel relationship, the battery pack comprising:

a battery casing profiled to be detachably mounted to the battery storage of the electronic device;

a plurality of size AAA batteries incorporated in the battery casing, the size AAA batteries being diametrically narrower than the size AA battery;

a battery holder holding the plurality of size AA batteries in place in a mutually parallel relationship;

a circuit board stacked with the battery holder and connected to the size AAA batteries as well as receiving a supply of electric power from an external battery charger cradle; and

an electronic component mounted on the circuit board, wherein the plurality of size AAA batteries are accommodated in the battery casing in a spaced-apart manner where a distance (d) between longitudinal axes of the size AAA batteries is larger than a distance (D) between longitudinal axes of the size AA batteries when loaded in the battery storage of the electronic device;

a storage space is defined between the adjacent size AAA batteries to allow for disposition of the electronic component mounted on a circuit board; and

the plurality of size AAA batteries, the battery holder, and the circuit board are accommodated in a mutually layered state in the battery casing while the electronic component mounted on the circuit board is disposed in the storage space.

2. The battery pack as recited in claim 1, further comprising an induction coil being electromagnetically coupled to a primary coil of the battery charger cradle to induce electric power for recharging the size AAA battery.

3. The battery pack as recited in claim 2, wherein the induction coil is disposed in a layered state on the circuit board.

4. The battery pack as recited in claim 1, wherein the size AA battery is a nickel-hydrogen battery.

5. The battery pack as recited in claim 1 which, instead of two pieces of size AA batteries, is loaded in the electronic device having the battery storage for accommodating the two pieces of size AA batteries in a mutually parallel relationship, wherein two pieces of size AAA batteries are accommodated in a mutually parallel relationship in the battery casing.

6. The battery pack as recited in claim 1, further comprising a rear surface plate for closing an opening of the battery storage in a state of being mounted to the electronic device.

7. The battery pack as recited in claim 6, wherein the rear surface plate is formed in a curved surface matching with a curved rear surface of the electronic device.

8. The battery pack as recited in claim 6, wherein the rear surface plate has an engagement hook and an elastic hook integrally formed to be attachable to and detachable from the opening of the battery storage.

9. The battery pack as recited in claim 6, wherein the induction coil is incorporated inside the rear surface plate.

10. The battery pack as recited in claim 9, wherein the induction coil is wound in a shape of matching with the curved surface of the rear surface plate and formed in a loop elongated in a longitudinal direction of the incorporated size AAA battery.

11. The battery pack as recited in claim 1, further comprising a bracket disposed in a layered state on the circuit board, the bracket being made of an insulating material.

12. The battery pack as recited in claim 11, wherein the induction coil is disposed in place by means of the bracket.

13. The battery pack as recited in claim 11, wherein the induction coil is disposed between the bracket and the rear surface plate.

14. The battery pack as recited in claim 2, further comprising a shield layer disposed on a rear surface of the induction coil.

15. The battery pack as recited in claim 11, wherein the shield layer is disposed between the bracket and the induction coil.

16. The battery pack as recited in claim 11, wherein the bracket has, on a surface thereof, a positioning protrusion for disposing the induction coil in place, and the positioning protrusion is guided into an inner hole of the induction coil 51 to dispose the induction coil 51 in place.

17. The battery pack as recited in claim 11, wherein when a set screw extending through the battery casing is screw-threaded into the bracket, the battery casing is fixed to the bracket.

18. The battery pack as recited in claim 1, wherein the battery holder has a fitting-in recess for disposing the size AAA battery in place on a battery-side surface facing the size AAA battery.

19. The battery pack as recited in claim 1 wherein the battery holder fixedly fits the circuit board in place on a board-side surface facing the circuit board.

20. The battery pack as recited in claim 19, wherein the battery holder has a peripheral wall 72b for fitting-in the circuit board in place on a board-side surface facing the circuit board and the circuit board is disposed inside the peripheral wall.

21. The battery pack as recited in claim 1, wherein the battery holder has a recess defined on the board-side surface to guide an electronic component fixed to the circuit board;

the recess is defined between the adjacent batteries; and

the electronic component is disposed in the storage space defined between the batteries.