Battery charger, battery case, and electronic equipment

• US 5,525,888 A
• Filed: 04/29/1994
• Issued: 06/11/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Toya, Shoichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Peter S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Law, Patrick B.
• Application Number:
  US08/235,658
• Time in Patent Office: 774 Days
• Field of Search: 320/2, 429/96, 429/97, 429/98, 429/99, 429/100, 455/89, 455/90
• US Class Current: 320/111
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/202 Casings or frames around the primary casing of a single cell or a single battery
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/209 adapted for prismatic or rectangular cells H01M50/216 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/247 specially adapted for portable devices, e.g. mobile phones, computers, hand tools or pacemakers
• 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 6/5044 Cells or batteries structurally combined with cell condition indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3883 Arrangements for mounting batteries or battery chargers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An integrated system of battery charger, battery case, and electronic equipment allows convenient options to carrying bulky charging equipment when traveling with portable electronic equipment. The battery charger contains both a battery pack and charging circuitry, the battery case contains multiple battery packs for extended operation time with intelligent switching to consecutively charge or discharge battery packs, and the electronic equipment operates with either the nearly identically shaped battery charger or battery case attached. Battery packs mount in a detachable fashion in compartments on either the battery charger or the battery case. Power is supplied to the electronic equipment from the battery packs through a completely compatible system of terminals and contacts on all units.

Claims

1. A battery case comprising;

(a) a casing having a plurality of compartments and an attachment plane;

(b) a plurality of battery packs detachably mounted in the compartments of said casing;

(c) discharge terminals, disposed on the attachment plane of said casing, for supplying power discharged from said battery packs to electronic equipment to which said casing is attached;

(d) a switching means disposed between said battery packs and said discharge terminals for sequentially discharging said battery packs; and

(e) charging terminals for charging said battery packs.

2. A battery case as recited in claim 1, further comprising charging switches provided between said battery packs and said charging terminals to sequentially charge said battery packs.

3. A battery case as recited in claim 1, wherein an external shape of said casing is essentially the same as a battery charger.

4. An apparatus comprising a battery charger and battery case,

said battery charger comprising,

(a) a first battery pack for supplying power to electronic equipment to which the battery charger is attached;

(b) a first casing having an attachment plane and a compartment in which said first battery pack is detachably mounted;

(c) a charging circuit including first charging terminals for charging said first battery pack;

(d) first discharge terminals, disposed on the attachment plane of said first casing, for supplying power discharged from first battery pack to the electronic equipment;

said battery case comprising,

(a) a second casing having an attachment plane and a plurality of compartments;

(b) a plurality of second battery packs detachably mounted in the compartments of said second casing;

(c) second discharge terminals, disposed on the attachment plane of said second casing, for supplying power discharged from said second battery packs to electronic equipment to which the battery case is attached;

(d) a switching means disposed between said second battery packs and said second discharge terminals of said battery case for sequentially discharging said second battery packs; and

(e) second charging terminals for charging said second battery packs.

5. An apparatus as recited in claim 4, further comprising third charging terminals connected to said first battery pack for charging said first battery pack separately from said first charging terminals of said charging circuit.

6. An apparatus as recited in claim 4, further comprising electrical outlet plug blades connected to said charging circuit of said battery charger and extractably mounted on said first casing of said battery charger.

7. An apparatus as recited in claim 4, further comprising charging switches provided between said second battery packs and said charging terminals of said battery case to sequentially charge said second battery packs.

8. An apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein said battery charger and said battery case have essentially the same external shape.

9. An apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein said discharge terminals of each of said battery charger and said battery case are provided in essentially coincident locations.

10. An apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein said charging terminals of said battery charger and said battery case are provided in essentially coincident locations.

11. An apparatus comprising a battery charger, battery case, and charging stand,

said battery charger comprising,

(a) a first battery pack;

(b) a first casing having an attachment plane and a compartment in which said first battery pack is detachably mounted;

(c) a charging circuit for charging said first battery pack;

(d) discharge terminals, disposed on the attachment plane of said first casing, for supplying power discharged from said first battery pack to electronic equipment;

(e) charging terminals for charging said first battery pack;

said battery case comprising,

(a) a second casing having an attachment plane and a plurality of compartments;

(b) a plurality of second battery packs detachably mounted in the compartments of said second casing;

(c) discharge terminals, disposed on the attachment plane of said second casing, for supplying power discharged from said second battery packs to the electronic equipment;

(d) a switching means disposed between said second battery packs and said discharge terminals of said battery case for sequential discharging said second battery packs; and

(e) charging terminals for charging said second battery packs;

said charging stand comprising,

(a) an insertion slot for inserting either one of said battery charger and said battery case;

(b) output terminals, which connect with said charging terminals of said either one of said battery charger and said battery case inserted in said insertion slot, for supplying a charging current to said charging terminals; and

(c) a power supply circuit for converting an input power into the charging current output from said output terminals.

12. An apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein the power supply circuit is an AC/DC converter which converts commercial power into the charging current output from said output terminals.

13. An apparatus as recited in claim 11, further comprising electrical outlet plug blades connected to the charging circuit of said battery charger and mounted on said first casing in an extractable manner.

14. An apparatus as recited in claim 11, further comprising charging switches provided between said second battery packs and said charging terminals of said battery case to sequentially charge said second battery packs.

15. An apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein said battery charger and said battery case have essentially the same external shape.

16. An apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein said discharge terminals of each of said battery charger and said battery case are provided in essentially coincident locations.

17. An apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein said charging terminals of each of said battery charger and said battery case are provided in essentially coincident locations.

18. An apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein said charging stand includes another insertion slot for inserting the electronic equipment having either one of said battery charger and said battery case attached thereto.