BATTERY CHARGER AND CHARGING TERMINAL STRUCTURE

• US 20130328523A1
• Filed: 06/07/2013
• Published: 12/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: OTA, Toshihiro, KINOSHITA, Yoshiki, KOYABU, Akira, GODO, Hiroki
• Granted Patent: US 9,515,501 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/107
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries

Abstract

The battery charger has a socket that is tubular, has a bottom, and accepts a rechargeable battery inserted to the socket. At least one side wall of the socket is an inclined surface that is inclined to the vertical when a bottom of the battery charger is placed on a horizontal surface. A charging terminal of the battery charger is disposed on this side wall.

Claims

1. A battery charger, comprising:

a battery charger case having a top and a bottom;

a socket disposed in the battery charger case, wherein the socket is tubular and has

a bottom,

a top opening through which a rechargeable battery is insertable into the socket, and

a side wall that extends between the top opening and the bottom and is a slope inclined to the vertical when the bottom of the battery charger case is placed on a horizontal surface; and

a charging terminal disposed on the slope.

2. The battery charger of claim 1, further comprising:

a drain hole opened in the socket at a position lower than the charging terminal when the bottom of the battery charger case is placed on the horizontal surface.

3. The battery charger of claim 2, wherein:

the drain hole is disposed in the lowest part of the bottom of the socket.

4. The battery charger of claim 2, further comprising:

a receptacle disposed inside the battery charger case and below the drain hole which is formed in the bottom of the socket.

5. The battery charger of claim 4, wherein:

a further drain hole is formed in the receptacle; and

the battery charger further comprises a drain spout that communicates the further drain hole in the receptacle with the outside of the battery charger case and is disposed below the receptacle and extends through a space where wiring for charging the rechargeable battery is disposed.

6. The battery charger of claim 5, wherein the drain hole of the socket is not aligned with the drain spout.

7. The battery charger of claim 1, further comprising:

a rib disposed on a further side wall of the socket;

wherein the rib is configured to engage a channel formed in the rechargeable battery to assure contact pressure between the charging terminal of the battery charger and a corresponding charging terminal of the rechargeable battery.

8. The battery charger of claim 7, wherein the rib extends parallel to the side wall on which the charging terminal is disposed.

9. The battery charger of claim 1, wherein

the bottom of the socket is also a slope inclined to the vertical when the bottom of the battery charger case is placed on a horizontal surface, and

the slope of the bottom is less steep than the slope of the side wall on which the charging terminal is disposed.

10. The battery charger of claim 1, wherein, when the bottom of the battery charger case is placed on a horizontal surface, the top opening is completely above the charging terminal.

11. The battery charger of claim 1, further comprising:

an arm formed on a further side wall of the socket by a slit in the further side wall,

wherein the slit is disposed higher than the bottom of the socket.

12. A charging terminal structure of a battery charger, comprising:

a socket configured to be disposed in a battery charger case having a top and a bottom, wherein the socket is tubular and has

a bottom,

a top opening through which a rechargeable battery is insertable into the socket, and

a side wall that extends between the top opening and the bottom and is a slope inclined to the vertical when the bottom of the battery charger case is placed on a horizontal surface; and

a charging terminal disposed on the slope.

13. The charging terminal structure of claim 12, further comprising:

a drain hole opened in the socket at a position lower than the charging terminal when the bottom of the battery charger case is placed on the horizontal surface.

14. The charging terminal structure of claim 13, wherein:

the drain hole is disposed in the lowest part of the bottom of the socket.

15. The charging terminal structure of claim 12, further comprising:

a rib disposed on a further side wall of the socket;

wherein the rib is configured to engage a channel formed in the rechargeable battery to assure contact pressure between the charging terminal of the battery charger and a corresponding charging terminal of the rechargeable battery, and

wherein the rib extends parallel to the side wall on which the charging terminal is disposed.

16. The charging terminal structure of claim 12, wherein

the bottom of the socket is also a slope inclined to the vertical when the bottom of the battery charger case is placed on a horizontal surface, and

the slope of the bottom is less steep than the slope of the side wall on which the charging terminal is disposed.

17. The charging terminal structure of claim 12, wherein, when the bottom of the battery charger case is placed on a horizontal surface, the top opening is completely above the charging terminal.

18. A battery charger, comprising:

a battery charger case having a top and a bottom, wherein the top includes a plurality of inclined steps; and

a plurality of sockets disposed in the battery charger case, wherein each of the sockets has

a bottom,

a top opening which is formed at a corresponding one of the inclined steps and through which a rechargeable battery is insertable into the socket,

a side wall that extends between the top opening and the bottom and is a slope inclined to the vertical when the bottom of the battery charger case is placed on a horizontal surface, and

a charging terminal disposed on the slope.

19. The battery charger of claim 18, wherein each of the sockets further comprises:

a drain hole opened in the socket at a position lower than the charging terminal when the bottom of the battery charger case is placed on the horizontal surface.

20. The battery charger of claim 19, further comprising:

a plurality of receptacles corresponding to the sockets, each of the receptacles disposed inside the battery charger case and below the drain hole which is formed in the bottom of the corresponding socket,

wherein the receptacles have dividers dividing an inside of the battery charger case into separated portions to prevent liquid under one of the sockets from spreading to a space below the other sockets.