Latching arrangement for battery pack

• US 5,213,913 A
• Filed: 02/21/1992
• Issued: 05/25/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Snap-On Technologies Incorporated (Snap-On Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Snap-On Tools Company LLC (Snap-On Incorporated)
• Inventors: Anthony, Philip M. III, Wahoski, Edward S., Norris, Michael A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Maples, John S.
• Application Number:
  US07/838,901
• Time in Patent Office: 459 Days
• Field of Search: 429/97, 429/96, 429/98, 429/100, 429/151, 429/123, 30/500, 30/DIG. 1, 292/253, 292/254, 292/341.15, 292/341.17, 292/DIG. 38, 292/244, 292/87, 292/80
• US Class Current: 429/97
• CPC Class Codes: B25F 5/02 Construction of casings, bodies or handles B25F5/006, B25F5/008 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 19/06 in which the securing part if formed or carried by a spring and moves only by distortion of the spring, e.g. snaps
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/262 with fastening means, e.g. locks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 292/38 Plastic latch parts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 30/01 Rechargeable battery operated
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/0902 Rigid
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1097 Reversible

Abstract

A cordless electric device has a main body portion extending along an axis and a handle portion extending at an obtuse angle with respect to the axis, the handle portion receiving therein along a second axis a battery pack. The device has a two-part housing, with the parts respectively defining the front and rear of the body and handle portions. The front housing part has latching shoulders respectively disposed on the opposite sides thereof, with each defining a first latching surface disposed substantially parallel to the first axis, while the battery pack has two identical latching members respectively disposed on opposite sides thereof and each resiliently displaceable between latching and release positions, each latching member having two second latching surfaces thereon in a V-shaped configuration, so that one of said second latching surfaces on each of said latching members is disposed substantially parallel to the first axis for engagement with the first latching surface of the corresponding latching shoulder to latch the battery back in place on the device. The latching members are interchangeable and molding of the forward housing part is facilitated.

Claims

1. A latching arrangement for latching a battery pack in an operating position on an electric device having a body portion extending along an axis and a handle portion inclined with respect to the axis, said handle portion including forward and rearward housing parts interconnected along opposite sides thereof, said latching arrangement comprising:

plural latching shoulders on the sides of the housing parts each having a first latching surface disposed substantially parallel to the axis, and plural latching members on the battery pack each displaceable between latching and release positions and resiliently biased to the latching position, each latching member having a second latching surface thereon engageable with said first latching surface of a corresponding one of said latching shoulders when said latching member is in its latching position and the battery pack is in its operating position securely to latch the battery pack to the device.

2. The latching arrangement of claim 1, wherein the handle portion has two of said latching shoulders thereon and the battery pack has two of said latching members thereon respectively engageable with said latching shoulders.

3. The latching arrangement of claim 2, wherein said latching shoulders are respectively disposed on opposite sides of the handle portion and said latching members are respectively disposed on opposite sides of the battery pack.

4. The latching arrangement of claim 1, wherein said latching shoulders are disposed on the forward one of said housing parts.

5. The latching arrangement of claim 1, wherein said latching members are manually displaceable to their release positions.

6. The latching arrangement of claim 1, wherein the handle portion is disposed at an obtuse angle with respect to the axis.

7. A latching arrangement for latching a battery pack to an electric device wherein the battery pack is insertable into the device along an axis to an operating position, said latching arrangement comprising:

two latching shoulders respectively disposed on opposite sides of the device, each of said shoulders having a first latching surface inclined with respect to the axis at a predetermined angle, and a latching member disposed on one side of the battery pack and adapted for cooperation with the latching shoulder on the corresponding side of the device, said latching member being displaceable between latching and release positions and resiliently biased to the latching position, said latching member having two second latching surfaces thereon respectively inclined with respect to the axis on opposite sides thereof at said predetermined angle, whereby when the battery pack is in its operating position one of said second latching surfaces is engageable with said first latching surface of the one of said shoulders on the corresponding side of the device irrespective of the side of the battery pack on which said latching member is disposed.

8. The latching arrangement of claim 7, wherein said two second latching surfaces are disposed in a substantially V-shaped configuration.

9. The latching arrangement of claim 7, wherein the battery pack includes two of said latching members respectively engageable with said latching shoulders.

10. The latching arrangement of claim 9, wherein said two latching members are substantially identical in construction.

11. The latching arrangement of claim 9, wherein said latching member extends from the battery pack substantially parallel to the axis when the battery pack is disposed in its operating position.

12. A latching arrangement for latching a battery pack on an electric device having a body portion extending along a first axis and a handle portion inclined with respect to the first axis, wherein the battery pack is insertable into the handle portion of the device along a second axis to an operating position, said latching arrangement comprising:

two latching shoulders respectively disposed on opposite sides of the device, each of said shoulders having a first latching surface disposed substantially parallel to the first axis, and a latching member disposed on one side of the battery pack and adapted for cooperation with the latching shoulder on the corresponding side of the device, said latching member being displaceable between latching and release positions and resiliently biased to the latching position, said latching member having two second latching surfaces thereon respectively inclined with respect to the second axis on opposite sides thereof at a predetermined angle, said predetermined angle being such that when the battery pack is in its operating position one of said second latching surfaces is substantially parallel to and engageable with said first latching surface on the one of said shoulders on the corresponding side of the device irrespective of the side of the battery pack on which said latching member is disposed.

13. The latching arrangement of claim 12, wherein the device includes a housing having two interconnected parts.

14. The latching arrangement of claim 13, wherein said two housing parts respectively form forward and rearward portions of the device.

15. The latching arrangement of claim 14, wherein said latching shoulder is disposed on the forward one of said housing parts.

16. The latching arrangement of claim 12, wherein the battery pack includes two of said latching members respectively engageable with said latching shoulders.

17. The latching arrangement of claim 12, wherein said two second latching surfaces are disposed in a substantially V-shaped configuration.

18. The latching arrangement of claim 12, wherein the second axis is disposed at an obtuse angle with respect to the first axis.