Electronic equipment with removable battery terminal

• US 6,203,363 B1
• Filed: 06/01/1998
• Issued: 03/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yanaura, Mikio
• Primary Examiner(s): Sircus, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Prasad, Chandrika
• Application Number:
  US09/092,936
• Time in Patent Office: 1,023 Days
• Field of Search: 439/500, 439/189, 439/502, 439/504, 439/506, 439/507, 439/509, 439/511, 439/513, 439/131, 429/98, 429/99, 429/100
• US Class Current: 439/500
• 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 50/213 adapted for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic H01M50/209, H01M50/216 take 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 50/262 with fastening means, e.g. locks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/267 having means for adapting to batteries or cells of different types or different sizes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/269 Mechanical means for varying the arrangement of batteries or cells for different uses, e.g. for changing the number of batteries or for switching between series and parallel wiring methods or arrangements for servicing or maintenance H01M6/50, H01M10/42
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/296 characterised by terminals of battery packs terminals of batteries H01M50/543
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/4532 Rotating shutter
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery terminal case (16) having battery terminals is disposed at an equipment casing (12) of an electronic equipment (11) employing a battery (1) as a power supply therefor so as to be opened and closed. When the battery (1) is used, the battery terminal case (16) is opened and thus a portion (14) where the battery (1) is disposed and connected is formed on an outer portion side of the equipment casing (12). The battery (1) is connected to the battery terminals (18), (19) and thereby electrically connected to the electronic equipment (11). When the battery (1) is not used, the battery terminal case (16) is closed, thereby housing the battery terminals (18), (19) on the side of the equipment casing (12). Therefore, it is possible to employ batteries having different sizes and different capacities as long as each of them has common terminal portions.

Claims

1. An electronic equipment having a casing with an interior and an exterior and employing a battery as a power supply therefor, comprising:

a battery terminal for connection to the battery and disposed so as to be moved into and out of the interior of said equipment casing, wherein when said battery terminal is moved to the exterior of said equipment casing, said battery is connected to said battery terminal and is arranged at the exterior of said equipment casing;

a battery terminal case having said battery terminal formed thereon and being fitted to said equipment casing so as to be drawn therefrom by one of rotating and sliding movement of said battery terminal case, and wherein when said battery terminal case is drawn toward the exterior of said equipment casing, said battery is connected to said battery terminal and is arranged at the exterior of said equipment casing.

7. The electronic equipment according to claim 1, wherein in a state that said battery terminal case fitted to said equipment casing is housed in said equipment casing, said battery is connected at the exterior of said equipment casing.

8. The electronic equipment according to claim 1, wherein said battery terminal case is connected to the equipment casing by a supporting arm arranged so as to be drawn from said equipment casing, and wherein said supporting arm has a tip end having a projection portion for preventing said battery terminal case from being detached in a state that said battery terminal case is drawn from said equipment casing.

9. The electronic equipment according to claim 1, wherein said battery terminal case is mounted to be rotated in a horizontal direction relative to said equipment casing.

10. The electronic equipment according to claim 1, wherein said battery terminal case is mounted to be moved in a direction in which said battery terminal case is brought close to and away from a surface of said equipment casing where said battery terminal is provided.

11. The electronic equipment according to claim 1, wherein when the battery is housed in the interior of said equipment casing, said battery terminal case is rotated and then engaged with a lower surface side of the equipment casing.

2. An electronic equipment, having a casing with an interior and and exterior and employing a battery as a power supply therefor, comprising:

a battery terminal for connection to the battery and disposed so as to be moved into and out of the interior of said equipment casing, wherein when said battery terminal is moved to the exterior of said equipment casing, said battery is connected to said battery terminal and is arranged at the exterior of said equipment casing, whererin said battery terminal forms a first terminal and further comprising a second terminal fixed on said equipment casing and a battery terminal case having said first terminal fixed thereon and being fitted to said equipment casing so as to be drawn therefrom by rotating or sliding said battery terminal case and wherein when said battery terminal case is drawn toward the exterior of said equipment casing, said battery is connected to said first and second terminals and is arranged at the exterior of said equipment casing.

3. The electronic equipment according to claim 2, wherein when the battery is connected to said electronic equipment, said battery terminal case is moved relative to a battery holding portion of said casing, thereby defining an interval between first and second terminals corresponding to an interval between respective terminals of the battery.

4. The electronic equipment according to claim 3, wherein said battery terminal case is rotated relative to a battery holding portion formed in said casing, thereby defining an interval between said first and second terminals corresponding to an interval betweem respective terminals of the battery.

5. The electronic equipment according to claim 2, wherein said battery terminal case is slid upward relative to a battery holding portion, thereby defining an interval between said first and second terminals corresponding to an interval between respective terminals of the battery.

6. The electronic equipment according to claim 2, wherein said battery terminal case is drawn from said equipment casing in a horizontal direction relative to said casing, thereby defining an interval between said first and second terminals corresponding to an interval between respective terminals of the battery.