Battery housing and cap

• US 5,264,303 A
• Filed: 06/01/1992
• Issued: 11/23/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army (Government of the United States of America)
• Original Assignee: The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army
• Inventors: McCaffery, Timothy J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Maples, John S.
• Application Number:
  US07/891,260
• Time in Patent Office: 540 Days
• Field of Search: 429/9, 429/96, 429/99, 429/186, 429/100, 429/178
• US Class Current: 429/99
• 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 50/267 having means for adapting to batteries or cells of different types or different sizes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery holder with a housing with common terminals on a closed end and ng elements on an open end to releasably connect a cap to the housing. A support element and electrical connecting elements allow for the adaptive support of different sized batteries.

Claims

1. A battery housing for holding and providing common electrical connections for different battery sizes comprising:

a container having closed and open ends perpendicular to a side wall, said closed end and side wall having inside and outside surfaces, and with said container including anode and cathode terminals extending through said closed end;

a cap having top, bottom, and side walls which is releasably and electrically connectable to said container side wall at the top edge of said open end;

a shelf with a top and bottom surface inside said container parallel to said closed end for supporting a battery and having at least two alignment holes therein to alternatively align at least two batteries extending through said alignment holes, wherein said shelf further includes a firs electrical coupling means mounted on said shelf and electrically connected to the cathode terminal of said container for coupling the cathode of the battery supported on said shelf, and, alternatively, the cathode terminals of the batteries extending through the alignment holes of said shelf to the anode terminal extending through the closed end of said container;

a second electrical coupling means on said bottom of said cap which electrically couples said battery supported on said shelf, or said alternative batteries, to an electrically conductive plate on said bottom of said cap;

a third electrical coupling means on a top end of said side wall of said container at said open end, whereby electrical connection is achieved to said anode terminals through said plate when said cap is coupled to said container, thereby effecting an electric circuit from the anode terminal, extending through said bottom of said container, through said third electrical coupling means between the container and cap, thence through said second electrical coupling means to said anode of said battery through said battery and then through said first electrical coupling means to said cathode terminal extending through said bottom of said container.