Lantern battery substitute

• US 4,806,440 A
• Filed: 02/05/1987
• Issued: 02/21/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Creative Necessities International Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CNI Incorporated
• Inventors: Zaderej, Victor V., Hahs, Charles A. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hearn, Brian E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kalafut, Stephen J.
• Application Number:
  US07/011,149
• Time in Patent Office: 747 Days
• Field of Search: 429/121, 429/96-100, 429/1, 429/158, 429/159, 429/178, 339/28, 339/29 R, 339/29 B, 339/152, 339/250, 339/256 S, 339/258 F, 439/529, 439/731, 439/733, 439/751
• US Class Current: 429/100
• 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 50/503 characterised by the shape of the interconnectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/51 Connection only in series
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/522 Inorganic material
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A lantern battery substitute, comprises an upper assembly including an approximately square upper plate with rounded corners and four edges and having a resilient snap latch situated at approximately the center of the upper plate projecting downward normal to the plane of the upper plate. Four battery retaining legs project downward, one at approximately a center of each of the four edges. The legs are wide enough and situated at a suitable distance from one another so that a standard D-sized battery cell will not readily pass between any two legs situated on adjacent edges. A lower assembly includes a lower plate which is parallel to the upper plate and a base for supporting the lower plate. The base has depth adequate to cause the battery pack to have an overall height approximating that of a lantern size battery. A latch receiving aperture is situated on the lower plate, for receiving and engaging the snap latch for securing the upper and lower assemblies together. Leg engaging pegs receive and engage a portion of legs near the lower plate to resist flexing. Electrical bridges, connect four D size batteries in a series electrical circuit having positive and negative electrodes which are connected to terminals situated on the upper plate.

Claims

1. An improved lantern battery pack, comprising in combination:

an upper assembly including an approximately square upper plate with rounded corners and four edges and having a resilient snap latch means situated at approximately the center of said upper plate projecting downward normal to the plane of said upper plate;

four battery retaining legs projecting downward normal to said plane of said upper plate, one at approximately a center of each of said four edges, said legs being wide enough and situated at a suitable distance from one another so that a standard D-sized battery cell will not readily pass between any two legs situated on adjacent edges;

a lower assembly including a lower plate which is parallel to said upper plate when coupled to said upper assembly, and also including a base for supporting said lower plate, said base having depth adequate to cause the battery pack to have an overall height approximating that of a lantern size battery;

latch receiving means, situated on said lower plate, for receiving and engaging said latch means for securing said upper and lower assemblies together;

leg engaging means for releasably receiving and engaging a portion of said leg near said lower plate to resist outward movement of said legs;

bridging means, situated at said upper and lower plates, for connecting four D size batteries in a series electrical circuit having positive and negative electrodes; and

terminal means, situated on said upper plate, for providing access to said positive and negative electrodes at said upper plate.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said terminal means includes a first spring terminal coupled to said positive electrode and a second spring terminal coupled to said negative electrode.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said base includes a wall running along the periphery of said lower plate and extending downward therefrom to produce an inverted cup-like structure.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said upper plate includes a stacking guide means on an upper surface thereof, said stacking guide means for engaging said base to permit stacking of two such battery packs in a space less than two times the space of one such battery pack to effect compact storage thereof.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said upper plate includes a stacking guide means on an upper surface thereof, said stacking guide means for engaging said wall from the inside to permit stacking of two such battery packs in a space less than two times the space of one such battery pack to effect compact storage thereof.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said legs include inner surfaces which substantially conform to the curved surface of a portion of D-size battery cells.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said legs include approximately V-shaped grooves at a lower portion thereof, and wherein said leg engaging means includes a plurality of pegs having approximately triangular cross-section for engaging said V-shaped grooves.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said bridging means includes a thin rectangular metal spring with two ends and having two bends symmetrically placed in said rectangle for biasing said two ends of said spring away from one of said upper and lower plates;

and

means for securing said spring to said one of said upper and lower plates.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said bridging means further includes:

an aperture in said one plate;

a finger covering a portion of said aperture;

a pair of protuberancies adjacent said apertures; and

wherein said spring includes a pair of holes mating with said protuberancies with the center of said spring approximately situated between said finger and said aperture.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further including carrying means for carrying an alternative set of battery terminals which may be physically substituted for the terminal means to provide a different terminal configuration.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said base includes a wall running along the periphery of said lower plate and extending downward therefrom to produce an inverted cup-like structure and further including carrying means situated within said cup-like structure for carrying an alternative set of battery terminals.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said terminal means includes a spring terminal and wherein said alternative set of battery terminals includes a screw terminal.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said upper assembly, said battery retaining legs and said snap latch means are all molded together as a single integral part.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said lower assembly, said leg engaging means and said latch receiving means are all molded together as a single integral part.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said spacer includes a wall extending downward from the periphery of said lower surface to form a cup-like structure, and wherein said assembly means includes a snap fastener which extends through said lower surface and is releasable by access to the snap fastener provided within said cup-like structure.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, further including carrying means for carrying an alternative set of battery terminals which may be physically substituted for the terminal means to provide a different terminal configuration.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising stacking guide means for facilitating stacking of two of said lantern battery replacements in a space less than twice that required for a single lantern battery replacement.

15. A lantern battery replacement, comprising:

an upper battery holder surface having a positive and a negative spring contact;

means, coupled to and situated below said upper surface for holding four D-size battery cells so that said D-size battery cells extend radially about a center line so that an outer surface of each of said cells is approximately 41.2 mm from said center line, the outer surface of said cells forming an outer boundary of said lantern battery replacement so that the lantern battery replacement fits within a cylinder of 41.2 mm radius, said means restraining said battery cells from radial movement;

a lower battery holder surface situated below said battery cell holding means;

assembly means for releasably coupling said upper and lower battery holder surfaces together and thereby captivating said battery cells in between, and for allowing disassembly of said upper and lower battery holder surfaces for replacement of said battery cells; and

a spacer coupled to said lower battery holder surface for extending the length of said lantern battery replacement to the length of a standard lantern battery.

19. A battery holder for substitution of four cylindrical D-cell batteries having battery cell terminals on the ends of said cylinders in place of a lantern battery, the housing comprising in combination:

an upper housing member;

a positive and a negative of battery terminal attached to said upper assembly;

a lower housing member;

latching means for releasably attaching said upper and lower housing members together providing space for said four D-cell batteries arranged in a side by side close packed configuration between said upper and lower housing members with each battery having two adjacent batteries;

said upper housing member and said lower housing member inhibiting vertical movement of said batteries when attached together by said latching means;

four retaining members, situated between said upper and lower housing members, for preventing said batteries from exiting said holder in a horizontal direction when said upper and lower housing members are attached together by said latching means, each of said retaining members situated between two adjacent batteries and each adjacent pair of retaining members defining an aperture less than the diameter of the D-cell batteries so that the batteries are prevented from exiting the battery holder in a horizontal direction; and

electrical connecting means for connecting said four D-cell batteries in series and for connecting said series connected batteries to said positive and said negative battery terminals.

20. An electrical bridge for making a connection between a pair of battery terminals, comprising in combination:

an elongated strip of metal having spring characteristics, said strip having ends forming battery contacts and having two bends in said strip so that said ends are bent upward at an angle, said elongated strip further including a pair of apertures adjacent said bends on the central side of said bends;

a supporting surface situated below said elongated strip having means defining a hole under a central area of said strip, said hole extending outward from the central area along the length of said strip to a point short of said bends so that the length of said hole is less than the distance between said bends;

said hole being wide enough to pass the width of said strip;

a restraining finger extending over said strip near said central portion of said strip to cover an area of the strip over a portion of said aperture; and

a pair of protuberancies extending upward through said apertures in said strip from said supporting surface below said strip to prevent movement of said strip;

whereby

said strip is installed by threading said strip through a space defined by said hole and said restraining finger and is fixed in place by said protuberancies.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said angle is approximately 30 degrees.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said strip is made of stainless steel.