Battery pack charging device

• US 5,256,954 A
• Filed: 07/09/1992
• Issued: 10/26/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jeff Chen
• Original Assignee: Jeff Chen
• Inventors: Chen, Jeff
• Primary Examiner(s): HICKEY, ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US07/911,210
• Time in Patent Office: 474 Days
• Field of Search: 320/2, 320/15
• US Class Current: 320/110
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries

Abstract

A battery pack charging device includes a housing with a base plate, a first upright wall which extends upwardly from the base plate and a second upright wall which similarly extends upwardly from the base plate and which is disposed opposite to the first upright wall. The first and second upright walls and the base plate define a receiving space to receive a battery pack. A movable wall assembly is provided in the receiving space adjacent to the first upright wall. The movable wall assembly includes a positioning wall member which faces the second upright wall and which is spaced from the second upright wall. The positioning wall member is movable towards or away from the first upright wall so as to vary the space between the positioning wall member and the second upright wall in order to correspond with the width of the battery pack. A frame of a movable electrical contact assembly is mounted on at least one of the second upright wall and the base plate. An elongated carriage is movably mounted along the frame. A pair of terminal seats are movably mounted on the carriage and have a respective electrical contact provided thereon. The terminal seats are movable along the carriage, and the carriage is movable along the frame so as to align the electrical contacts with corresponding contact terminals of the battery pack.

Claims

1. A battery pack charging device, comprising:

a housing having a base plate, a first upright wall extending upwardly from said base plate and a second upright wall similarly extending upwardly from said base plate and being disposed opposite to said first upright wall, said first and second upright walls and said base plate defining a receiving space to receive a battery pack;

a movable wall assembly provided in said receiving space adjacent to said first upright wall, said movable wall assembly including a positioning wall member facing said second upright wall and being spaced from said second upright wall, said positioning wall member being movable towards or away from said first upright wall so as to vary the space between said positioning wall member and said second upright wall in order to correspond with the width of the battery pack, said movable wall assembly further including a retaining means for releasably retaining said positioning wall member at a desired position relative to said first upright wall; and

a movable electrical contact assembly including;

a frame mounted on at least one of said second upright wall and said base plate;

an elongated carriage movably mounted along a respective said frame;

a positioning means for releasably retaining said carriage at a desired position relative to the respective said frame; and

a pair of terminal seats movably mounted on said carriage and having a respective electrical contact provided thereon, said terminal seats being movable along said carriage and said carriage being movable along the respective said frame so as to align said electrical contacts with corresponding contact terminals of the battery pack.

2. The battery pack charging device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said retaining means comprises:

a locking shaft extending rearwardly from said positioning wall member toward said first upright wall and having a bottom side that is formed with a longitudinal toothed section;

a mounting seat secured to said base plate and having a spaced pair of upright plate parts which are provided with aligned through holes, said toothed section of said locking shaft passing through said through holes of said upright plate parts;

a shaft engaging unit provided between said upright plate parts and having one side which is formed with a toothed portion;

a biasing means for biasing said shaft engaging unit so that said toothed portion of said shaft engaging unit engages said toothed section of said locking shaft so as to arrest movement of said positioning wall member relative to said first upright wall; and

a release means which is operable so as to move said shaft engaging unit away from said locking shaft in order to disengage said toothed portion from said toothed section and permit movement of said positioning wall member relative to said first upright wall.

3. The battery pack charging device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said retaining means further comprises a helical compression spring provided around said locking shaft and disposed between said positioning wall member and said mounting seat.

4. The battery pack charging device as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said frame has at least one side which is formed with a series of teeth and an outwardly and longitudinally extending flange;

said carriage has a rear side which is provided with at least one engaging arm, said engaging arm including a first part which projects from said rear side of said carriage and a second part which projects transversely and inwardly from a distal end of said first part, said first and second parts and said rear side of said carriage cooperatively forming an engaging groove which receives said flange of the respective said frame, said second part having a distal end which is formed with a blind bore; and

said positioning means comprises a spring-loaded ball unit received in said blind bore and releasably engaging one of said teeth of said frame so as to retain said carriage at a desired position relative to the respective said frame.

5. The battery pack charging device as claimed in claim 4, wherein:

said carriage has a front side with a first edge, an opposite second edge, a longitudinal hook portion provided adjacent to said first edge, a longitudinal through slit disposed adjacent to said second edge and a longitudinal shoulder which is disposed in said through slit;

each of said terminal seats having a frontwardly extending positioning flange which extends into said longitudinal hook portion, a rearwardly extending flange which rests on said longitudinal shoulder and a downwardly extending intermediate part which is formed with a pair of receiving holes and which extends into said through slit of said carriage, said electrical contact being disposed in one of said receiving holes, each of said terminal seats further having a locking means disposed in the other one of said receiving holes so as to retain the respective one of said terminal seats at a desired position on said carriage.

6. The battery pack charging device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said locking means comprises:

a resilient hook body having an annular part and a plurality of angularly spaced hook units which project downwardly from said annular part and which extend through said slit of said carriage;

a washer which is in tight contact with said rear side of said carriage and which is retained thereat by said hook units; and

a pin which extends fittingly into said hook body so as to prevent the untimely disengagement of said hook body from said washer.

7. The battery pack charging device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said electrical contact is spring-loaded.

8. The battery pack charging device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said frame is detachably mounted to said housing.

9. The battery pack charging device as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said housing further comprises a pair or spaced side walls extending upwardly from said base plate and disposed between said first and second upright walls, each of said side walls being provided with a horizontal slot; and

said movable electrical contact assembly further comprises a pair of adjustable spring units, each of said adjustable spring units including;

a slide piece which has a front side that is provided with a spring retaining pocket and a rear side which is provided with a rearwardly extending stub that is aligned with said horizontal slot;

a locking member having a rear end which is formed with a blind bore to receive said stub, said locking member further having a radial threaded hole and a screw received in said threaded hole and extending into said blind bore to retain said stub at a desired degree of insertion within said blind bore, said locking member further having a threaded front end which extends into said horizontal slot;

a nut engaging said front end of said locking member so as to retain said slide piece at a desired position on a respective one of said side walls; and

a positioning spring provided in said retaining pocket of said slide piece, said positioning springs of said adjustable spring units clamping two sides of the battery pack so as to position the battery pack properly in said receiving space.