Battery cartridge having a recess for detecting misuse and/or recessed terminals

• US 5,415,947 A
• Filed: 05/24/1993
• Issued: 05/16/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hiratsuka, Masaru, Takei, Toshitaka, Mitsui, Hidero
• Primary Examiner(s): KALAFUT, STEPHEN J
• Application Number:
  US08/065,368
• Time in Patent Office: 722 Days
• Field of Search: 429/1, 429/90, 429/96, 429/99, 429/100, 429/123
• US Class Current: 429/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/345 Gastight metal hydride accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2200/00 Safety devices for primary or secondary batteries
• 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 50/262 with fastening means, e.g. locks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/296 characterised by terminals of battery packs terminals of batteries H01M50/543
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/50 Current conducting connections for cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/597 Protection against reversal of polarity
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery pack having a detection recess formed along a center line of a bottom surface arranged such that the detection recess is engaged with a convexed portion of a battery charger. Therefore, whether or not the battery pack is properly attached to the battery charger can easily be detected by the inclination of the battery pack about the center line. Further, a battery pack is arranged such that an aperture is formed on an outer surface of the battery pack and an output terminal is inwardly disposed on the aperture. Therefore, damage to the batteries in the battery pack caused by a short-circuit resulting from products made of conductive metal material such as a key ring, necklace, or chain contacting both of the output terminals, as occurs when terminals are disposed on the outer surface of the battery pack, can be prevented. Furthermore, the battery pack includes apertures with output terminals disposed therein for discharging dust or the like away from the terminals into the interior of the casing or out of the casing through a hole. Therefore, the accumulation of dust or the like within the apertures and upon the output terminals is prevented.

Claims

1. A battery pack comprising:

a casing for housing batteries, said casing having an upper portion and a bottom portion;

a plurality of electrodes formed in said bottom portion of said casing for electrical connection with said batteries, said electrodes functioning as charging electrodes when said battery pack is connected to a battery charger and said electrodes functioning as power supply electrodes when said battery pack is connected to an electrical apparatus; and

a detection recess formed along a center line on a bottom surface of said bottom portion of said casing for detecting when said pack is positioned correctly in an appropriate battery charger or electrical apparatus, wherein columnar batteries are accommodated in said casing in two rows extending along opposite sides of said center line of said bottom surface and wherein said detection recess is formed along said center line in between said two rows.

2. The battery pack according to claim 1, further comprising a locking aperture formed substantially adjacent to said detection recess wherein said detection recess is smaller in width in the direction perpendicular to said center line than said locking aperture.

3. The battery pack according to claim 1, further comprising information elements disposed along said center line.

4. The battery pack according to claim 3, wherein said information elements include a temperature detector and a voltage detector for detecting the remaining capacity of said battery pack.

5. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein, said detection recess is formed at a central point along said center line.

6. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein said detection recess is a first detection recess formed at a center point equidistant from first and second ends of said center line and further comprising:

a second detection recess formed on said center line between said first end of said center line and said first detection recess, and

at least one locking aperture disposed on said center line between said first detection recess and said second end of said center line.

7. The battery pack according to claim 6, further comprising a third detection recess disposed on said center line between said first detection recess and said at least one locking aperture, said third detection recess being smaller in width in the direction perpendicular to said center line than a locking aperture of said at least one of said locking apertures substantially adjacent to said third detection recess.

8. The battery pack according to claim 7, further comprising another detection recess disposed on said bottom surface on the other side of one of said columnar batteries from said center line.

9. A battery pack comprising:

a casing having an outer surface and at least two rows for accommodating batteries therein, said outer surface of said casing having a bottom surface and a detection recess formed along a center line of said bottom surface of said casing, and

wherein columnar batteries are accommodated in two rows in said casing and said detection recess is disposed between said two rows of batteries along said center line of said bottom surface; and

an identification marker disposed along said center line of the bottom surface for indicating that the battery pack was finished in use or that the battery pack was already charged.

10. The battery pack according to claim 9, wherein said identification marker includes a slidable slider and said slider has a protruded portion.

11. A battery pack according to claim 9, comprising:

an output terminal formed on the inside of a hole bored through said outer surface of said casing.

12. A battery pack according to claim 9, further comprising an output terminal disposed within an aperture at a concave portion of said outer surface of said casing, and

said aperture extending from said concave portion of said outer surface of said casing to within said casing.

13. The battery pack according to claim 12, wherein said aperture extends from a bottom portion of said concave portion at a side of said casing to the outer surface of said casing at said bottom surface.

14. The battery pack according to claim 12, wherein said aperture extends from the bottom portion of said concave portion and terminates inside said casing.

15. The battery pack according to claim 9, wherein, said detection recess is formed at a central point along said center line.

16. The battery pack according to claim 9, wherein said detection recess is a first detection recess formed at a central point along said center line and said identification marker is formed between said columnar batteries at one end of said center line, and further comprising:

a second detection recess formed on said center line between said identification marker and said first detection recess, and

at least one locking aperture disposed on said center line between said first detection recess and the other end of said center line opposite the end with the identification marker.

17. The battery pack according to claim 9, further comprising another detection recess disposed on said bottom surface on the other side of one of said columnar batteries from said center line.

18. The battery pack according to claim 16, further comprising a third detection recess disposed on said center line between said first detection recess and said at least one locking aperture, said third detection recess being smaller in width in the direction perpendicular to said center line than a locking aperture of said at least one of said locking apertures substantially adjacent to said third detection recess.

19. A battery pack having a battery accommodated therein comprising:

a casing for housing said battery, said casing having an upper portion and a bottom portion, a bottom surface of said bottom portion having a concave portion at one end thereof;

a plurality of electrodes formed in said bottom portion of said casing for electrical connection with said battery, said electrodes functioning as charging electrodes when said battery pack is connected to a battery charger and said electrodes functioning as power supply electrodes when said battery pack is connected to an electrical apparatus;

a marker slidably disposed on said concave portion of said bottom surface, said marker forming a sliding plate and said marker having an enlarged protruding section at one end thereof;

a hole formed in said concave portion for receiving the sliding plate of said marker opposite the protruding section; and

an aperture formed adjacent to said concave portion in said bottom portion for viewing the position of said sliding plate;

whereby said sliding marker slides into said hole when said pack is connected to an electrical apparatus and said aperture visually showing such position thereby indicating that the battery has been used, and said sliding marker is moved in the opposite direction to an opposite position by said protruding section when said pack is removed from a battery charger and said aperture visually showing such position thereby indicating that the battery has been charged.

20. A battery pack according to claim 19, wherein sliding plate is marked in different colors, whereby one color will be visible through said aperture when said sliding plate is in said position showing said battery has been used and another color will be visible through said aperture when said sliding plate is in said position showing said battery has been charged.

21. A battery pack according to claim 19 further comprising a detection aperture formed along a center line of a bottom surface of said bottom portion of said casing for detecting when said pack is properly positioned in a battery charger.

22. A battery pack according to claim 21, wherein a plurality of columnar batteries is accommodated in said casing in two rows, one row each along one side of said center line of said bottom surface of said bottom portion of said casing and wherein said detection aperture formed along said center line is in between said two rows.

23. A battery pack having a battery means accommodated therein comprising:

a casing for housing said battery means inside, said casing having an upper portion and a bottom portion;

a plurality of electrodes formed in a plurality of corresponding apertures, said apertures being disposed within said casing at a side of said bottom portion of said casing for electrical connection with said battery means, said electrodes functioning as charging electrodes when said battery pack is connected to a battery charger and said electrodes functioning as power supply electrodes when said battery pack is connected to an electrical apparatus, wherein each of said plurality of apertures extends from said side of said bottom portion of said casing to the inside of said casing, whereby any dust accumulating on said electrodes may be discharged through each of said apertures into said casing.

24. A battery pack according to claim 23, wherein each of said plurality of apertures extends further from inside said casing to a bottom surface of said bottom portion of said casing, whereby any dust accumulating on said electrodes may be discharged from said battery pack through said aperture.

25. A battery pack according to claim 23, said side portion has concave portions with bottom surfaces;

each of said apertures has one end which comprises a hole in a respective bottom surface of a concave portion of said side portion.

26. A battery pack according to claim 24, said side portion has concave portions with bottom surfaces;

each of said apertures comprising a hole in a respective bottom surface of a concave portion of said side portion.