Method and structure for attaching a battery to an electrical device

• US 5,569,549 A
• Filed: 03/17/1995
• Issued: 10/29/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TV Interactive Data Corporation
• Original Assignee: TV Interactive Data Corporation
• Inventors: Redford, Peter M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Skapars, Anthony
• Application Number:
  US08/405,645
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• Field of Search: 429/1, 429/10, 429/121, 429/123, 429/122, 429/96, 429/178, 439/371, 439/500, 439/38-40, 439/180, 29/623.1
• US Class Current: 429/1
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 9/02 Electrically-conducting adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0436 Small-sized flat cells or batteries for portable equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/216 adapted for button or coin cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/50 Current conducting connections for cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/598 Guarantee labels
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49108 Electric battery cell making

Abstract

In accordance with this invention, a novel stick-on peel-off fastener, comprising one or more conductive sticky elements, sandwiched between one or more terminals of a first object such as an electrical device and one or more terminals of a second object such as battery, can keep the battery affixed to the electrical device while the battery supplies power to the electrical device. One embodiment of a conductive sticky element includes a layer of conductive adhesive, such as a polymer resin that has a number of microscopic silver filings. Another embodiment of a conductive sticky element includes a number of hooks, such as those in Velcro™ elements. Yet another embodiment of a conductive sticky element includes a magnet that when used with another magnet, prevents improper coupling of the two objects due to magnetic repulsion.

Claims

1. An electrical apparatus comprising:

a battery having a first terminal and a second terminal;

an electrical device having a first terminal corresponding to said first terminal of said battery and a second terminal corresponding to said second terminal of said battery; and

a stick-on peel-off fastener comprising;

a first conductive sticky element sandwiched between said first terminals, said first conductive sticky element being permanently attached to one terminal of said first terminals, said first conductive sticky element electrically coupling said first terminals.

2. The electrical apparatus of claim 1 wherein said stick-on peel-off fastener further comprises a second conductive sticky element sandwiched between said second terminals, said second conductive sticky element being permanently attached to one of said second terminals, said second conductive sticky element being detachably attached to the other of said second terminals.

3. The electrical apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first conductive sticky element comprises a layer of conductive adhesive.

4. The electrical apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first conductive sticky element comprises a plurality of hooks.

5. The electrical apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first conductive sticky element comprises a magnet.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first terminal and said second terminal of said electrical device are located on an exterior surface of said electrical device, said exterior surface being accessible from a region exterior to said electrical device.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said electrical device is hermetically sealed.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said electrical device is substantially flat and devoid of a battery enclosure.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said electrical device is a device selected from the group comprising a wrist watch, a CD-ROM case and an interactive magazine.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a second conductive sticky element sandwiched between said first terminals, said second conductive sticky element being permanently attached to the other terminal of said first terminals, said second conductive sticky element being detachably attached to said first conductive sticky element.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said first conductive sticky element and said second conductive sticky element are magnetized such that said battery and said electrical device repel each other when a first terminal is adjacent to a second terminal.

12. A battery comprising:

a battery cell comprising a first terminal and a second terminal, one of said first terminal and said second terminal being capable of supplying electrons; and

a conductive sticky element permanently supported by said first terminal.

13. The battery of claim 12 wherein said conductive sticky element comprises a layer of conductive adhesive.

14. The battery of claim 13 further comprising a backing detachably attached to said conductive sticky element, wherein said backing is peeled-off from said conductive sticky element prior to detachable attachment between an electrical device and said battery.

15. The battery of claim 12 wherein said first terminal comprises a conductive housing of said battery.

16. The battery of claim 12 wherein said first terminal and said second terminal are located adjacent each other in a planar region of said battery.

17. The battery of claim 12 wherein said conductive sticky element comprises a plurality of hooks.

18. The battery of claim 12 wherein at least a portion of said conductive sticky element is resident on said first device terminal.

19. The battery of claim 12 wherein said conductive sticky element comprises a plurality of loops.

20. A method comprising:

permanently attaching a conductive sticky element on a terminal of a battery; and

detachably attaching said conductive sticky element to a terminal of an electrical device, said detachable attaching forming an electrical coupling between said terminals.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein said battery cell supplies an electric current to said electrical device through said conductive sticky element.

22. The method of claim 20 further comprising detaching said battery from said electrical device and detachably attaching said electrical device to another battery.

23. An electrical apparatus comprising:

a first object having a first electrical terminal and a second electrical terminal;

a second object having a first electrical terminal corresponding to said first electrical terminal of said first object and a second electrical terminal corresponding to said second electrical terminal of said first object; and

a first conductive sticky element sandwiched between said first terminals, said first conductive sticky element being permanently attached to one of said first terminals, said first conductive sticky element being detachably attached to the other of said first terminals.

24. The electrical apparatus of claim 23 further comprising a second conductive sticky element sandwiched between said second electrical terminals, said second conductive sticky element being permanently attached to one of said second electrical terminals, said second conductive sticky element being detachably attached to the other of said second electrical terminals.

25. The electrical apparatus of claim 23 wherein said first conductive sticky element directly connects said first terminals to each other.