Battery pack

• US 5,350,317 A
• Filed: 07/06/1993
• Issued: 09/27/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Physio-Control Incorporated (Stryker Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Physio-Control Incorporated (Stryker Corporation)
• Inventors: Basta, Joseph C., Daynes, John C., Weaver, Robert J., Brittingham, Dennis C.
• Primary Examiner(s): PIRLOT, DAVID
• Application Number:
  US08/088,202
• Time in Patent Office: 448 Days
• Field of Search: 439/152, 439/153, 439/157, 439/160, 439/500, 429/96-100
• US Class Current: 439/500
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/332 Portable devices specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/204 Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery pack (10) is disclosed for use with a medical instrument (12). The battery pack includes a housing (14), defined by a case (16) and cover(18). The housing includes a storage section (22), for receiving batteries (78 and 80), and a connector section (24) on one side of the storage section for cooperating with a latch assembly (110), ejection spring (142), and electrical connectors (108) provided adjacent a battery tray (98) on the instrument. Specifically, the connector section includes an aligned latch surface (64), ejection surface (62), and electrical connectors (86) that cooperatively engage the latch assembly, ejection spring, and connectors on the instrument. As a result, the battery pack can be quickly, easily, and effectively attached to the instrument, in spite of the side-mounted nature of the connector section. Further, the relative weight and alignment of the battery pack and instrument are such that the center of mass of the instrument, with a battery pack inserted into the tray, is aligned with the instrument'"'"'s handle (96).

Claims

1. A battery pack for use with a medical instrument including a latch, an ejector, and an electrical connector, said battery pack comprising:

a housing including a battery storage section and a connector section, the connector section being disposed at a side of the battery storage section;

energy storage means , disposed in the battery storage section, for storing electrical energy;

connector engagement means, disposed on the connector section proximate to a front face of the housing;

latch engagement means, disposed on the connector section, for engaging said latch;

ejector engagement means, disposed on the connector section, for engaging said ejector; and

wherein said latch engagement means, ejector engagement means, and connector engagement means are substantially aligned such that the latch engagement means is disposed between the connector engagement means and the ejector engagement means.

2. A battery pack, for use with a medical instrument having a handle and a battery tray constructed for receiving said battery pack, said instrument further including latch means, positioned adjacent one side of the battery tray, for releasably engaging said battery pack when introduced into the battery tray and ejection means, positioned adjacent the one side of the battery tray, for applying a resistive force to said battery pack when introduced into said battery tray, said battery pack comprising:

a housing including a battery storage section and a connector section, said battery storage section including a front surface, back surface, first side, and second side, said connector section being positioned adjacent said first side of said battery storage section and including a recess formed, in part, by a latch surface and an ejection surface, said housing being receivable in the battery tray, said latch surface being for cooperatively engaging the latch means, said recess being for at least partially receiving the ejection means when said battery pack is introduced into the tray, and said ejection surface being for cooperatively engaging the ejection means when said battery pack is introduced into the battery tray;

at least one battery, received within said battery storage compartment; and

one or more connectors disposed on the connector section and aligned parallel to the front face of the housing for allowing said battery to be electrically connected to the instrument.

3. A method of connecting a battery pack to a medical instrument comprising the steps of:

introducing the battery pack into a battery tray provided on the medical instrument;

electrically coupling a connector provided at a side of the battery pack with a mating connector provided at a side of the battery tray;

mechanically engaging a latch surface provided on the battery pack with a latch provided on the medical instrument; and

contacting an ejection surface provided on the battery pack with an ejector provided on the instrument, said steps of electrically coupling, mechanically engaging, and contacting being performed in substantial alignment to allow the battery pack to be easily connected to the instrument.

4. A medical instrument, for use with a battery pack, said medical instrument comprising:

a housing;

handle means, coupled to said housing, for allowing said medical instrument to be carried by a user;

battery storage means, provided in said housing of said instrument, for receiving the battery pack, said battery storage means being positioned so that the center of gravity of said medical instrument is substantially aligned with said handle of said instrument when a battery pack is received by said battery storage means;

a latch arm, coupled to said housing adjacent said battery storage means, for releasably engaging a battery pack when the battery pack is received by the battery storage means, the latch arm having a latch projection that engages a corresponding latch surface disposed on the battery pack;

an ejection spring, disposed in line with the latch arm and coupled to said housing adjacent said battery storage means, for applying a force to a battery pack such that the latch projection of the latch arm is forced against the latch projection of the battery pack when the battery pack is received by said battery storage means; and

a plurality of electrical connectors coupled to said housing adjacent said battery storage means, the connectors being positioned about a common centerline and aligned with the ejection spring for electrically connecting the battery pack to said instrument.