Universal battery charger

• US 5,357,185 A
• Filed: 03/17/1993
• Issued: 10/18/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: E Lead Electronic Company Limited
• Original Assignee: E Lead Electronic Company Limited
• Inventors: Chen, Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): HICKEY, ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US08/032,257
• Time in Patent Office: 580 Days
• Field of Search: 320/2, 320/15
• US Class Current: 320/110
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/244 Secondary casings; Racks; Suspension devices; Carrying devices; Holders characterised by their mounting method
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/264 for cells or batteries, e.g. straps, tie rods or peripheral frames
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/267 having means for adapting to batteries or cells of different types or different sizes
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A universal charger adapted for rechargeable battery packs of various size is equipped with a battery pack mounting seat having a stop flange disposed at one side thereof which is inserted in a receiving cavity of the charger case. The neighboring side of the stop flange of the mounting seat is provided with a guide track onto which is disposed an adjustment slide member having a mono-track projection disposed thereon and being able to be vertically adjusted so that a pair of sliding terminal seats each equipped with a horizontal and a vertical probe pin can be horizontally adjusted to vary the positions thereof along with the vertical adjustment of the slide member in conformance to battery of different size and structure. An abutment plate having a vertical abutment member is slidably located in a slide passage and is provided with a one end free retaining piece having a locking projection disposed thereunder which is in selective engagement with one tooth of a consecutive tooth-like restraint unit for locking the abutment plate in place whereby located battery packs of any dimension can be held in place and is electrically charged accordingly.

Claims

1. A universal battery pack charger adapted for rechargeable battery packs of different type, comprising:

a charger case;

a receiving cavity disposed on said charger case;

a battery pack mounting seat removably located within said receiving cavity;

a slidable abutment plate having a vertical abutment member disposed at one side thereof;

a locking means disposed under said abutment plate;

a slide passage disposed adjacent to said receiving cavity;

a restraint means disposed in said passage being in engagement with said locking means so as to selectively retain said abutment plate in place which is slidably moved in said slide passage;

an adjustment slide means movably associated with said battery pack mounting seat being vertically adjusted in its position;

a pair of sliding terminal seats horizontally slidably associated with said adjustment slide means being provided with a vertical and a horizontal probe pin thereon;

a recessed plug-in cavity disposed on said charger case;

2. A universal battery pack charger as claimed in claim 1 wherein a set of independent charging means having a pair of attachment blocks each of which is provided with a number of sockets thereon and can be randomly attached to the surface of a battery pack by way of magnet or sucking disks with ease so that a probe pin plug having a probe pin disposed thereon can selectively engaged with one of said sockets, permitting said probe pin to adaptedly engage with vertically or horizontally located insertion holes of different kinds of battery charger;

and each said probe pin plug is electrically connected to a plug which is plugged into said recessed plug-in cavity of said charger case whereby any special battery packs can be charged accordingly.

3. A universal battery pack charger as claimed in claim 1 wherein said battery pack mounting seat is provided with a magnet or electrically operated magnet thereon so as to securedly retain a mounted battery pack in place.

4. A universal battery pack charger as claimed in claim 1 wherein said battery pack mounting seat is provided with a buckle belt for retaining a mounted battery pack in place.

5. A universal battery pack charger as claimed in claim 1 wherein said battery pack mounting seat is provided with a plurality of sucking disks disposed on the surface thereof for retaining a mounted battery pack in place.

6. A universal battery pack charger as claimed in claim 1 wherein said battery pack mounting seat is provided with a retaining means having a vertically adjustable spring biased holding unit and slidably mounted to a vertical adjusting trough disposed at one side of said mounting seat;

and consecutive engagement teeth disposed on said retaining block can be in selective engagement with stop projections on said vertical adjusting trough for retaining said retaining block in place.

7. A universal battery pack charger as claimed in claim 1 wherein said receiving cavity of said charger case is provided with a downward extended through opening at the bottom thereof so as to permit of easy adjustment of the position of said probe pins of said sliding terminal seats from the underside of said charger case.

8. A universal battery pack charger as claimed in claim 1 wherein said receiving cavity is provided with a restraint groove at each side thereof so that said battery pack mounting seat having an engagement protrusion disposed at each side thereof in correspondence to said restraint groove whereby said mounting seat can be readily removed from said receiving cavity of said charger case for adjustment of said sliding terminal seats and then relocated in said receiving cavity.

9. A universal battery pack charger as claimed in claim 1 wherein said battery pack mounting seat is provided with a raised stop flange at one side thereof in proximity to one of said engagement protrusions and a guide track is disposed at one of the neighboring sides of said opposite sides of said engagement protrusions so that said slide member can be located thereon and vertically adjustable;

and a mono-track projection is disposed on one side of said slide member on which said said terminal seats each having a retaining trough and a horizontal and a vertical probe pin disposed thereon can be slidably engaged with said mono-track projection.

10. A universal battery pack charger as claimed in claim 1 wherein said restraint means is comprised of a number of consecutively disposed tooth-like units and said locking means is a downward extended projection disposed under a one end free retaining piece and in selective engagement with one of said tooth-like units so as to help said abutment plate in place after the same is positioned at a proper place.

11. A universal battery pack charger as claimed in claim 9 wherein said slide member and said side of said battery pack mounting seat having a guide track defined thereat are provided with a through slot respectively thereon so as to permit electrical cords to be led therethrough.

12. A universal battery pack charger as claimed in claim 2 wherein said attachment blocks of said set of independent charging means are slidably mounted to a fixing bracket.