Keyed self-latching battery pack for a portable defibrillator

• US 5,741,305 A
• Filed: 05/06/1996
• Issued: 04/21/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Physio-Control Incorporated (Stryker Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Physio-Control Incorporated (Stryker Corporation)
• Inventors: Vincent, Stephen T., Cardin, Richard J., Bertagnole, Shawn R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kamm, William E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Getzow, Scott M.
• Application Number:
  US08/643,467
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• Field of Search: 439/500, 439/928.1, 607/5
• US Class Current: 607/5
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00734 battery operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3904 External heart defibrillators [EHD]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3975 Power supply A61N1/378 takes precedence
• 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 50/264 for cells or batteries, e.g. straps, tie rods or peripheral frames
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/23 The load being a medical device, a medical implant, or a life supporting device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery pack (28) for a portable defibrillator (30). The battery pack has a latch (34) that is biased in an extended position. When the battery pack is inserted into a battery well (30) in the portable defibrillator, the latch automatically latches into a slot (124) to secure the battery pack in the battery well. Ridges (112) are provided on the floor (108) of the battery well to reduce the friction between the battery pack and the floor of the well as the battery pack is inserted into the defibrillator. A ridge (38) is also provided around the periphery of the top (36) of the battery pack to reduce the friction between the battery pack and the ceiling of the battery well. A right wall (44) of the battery pack is inclined from vertical so that a cross section of the battery pack is trapezoid in shape. The asymmetric cross-section prevents the battery pack from being incorrectly inserted into the battery well. The disclosed battery pack construction simplifies the replacement of the battery pack in the portable defibrillator.

Claims

1. A battery pack for use in a portable defibrillator having a battery well, the battery pack comprising:

(a) a parallelepiped body having a front and a back;

(b) a cell having a positive terminal and a negative terminal contained within the body;

(c) a pair of conductive contacts located on the back of the body, one of the pair of conductive contacts coupled to the positive terminal of the cell and the other of the pair of conductive contacts coupled to the negative terminal of the cell;

(d) a latch located on the front of the body, the latch having a latch member that is movable between an extended position wherein the latch member protrudes from the body, and a retracted position wherein the latch member does not protrude from the body; and

(e) biasing means to bias the latch member in the extended position, wherein partial insertion of the battery pack into the battery well causes the latch member to move to the retracted position, the biasing means returning the latch member to the extended position after the battery pack is fully inserted in the battery well in order to secure the battery pack in the battery well of the defibrillator.

2. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the latch member has an angled leading face oriented in a direction of battery pack insertion, and a trailing face oriented away from the direction of battery pack insertion.

3. The battery pack of claim 2, wherein the leading face of the latch member contacts a wall of the battery well and moves the latch member to the retracted position when the battery pack is partially inserted into the battery well.

4. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the latch includes a latch handle that is graspable by a user to manually move the latch member to the retracted position.