Battery case

• US 6,395,980 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2001
• Issued: 05/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vertex Standard LMR, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Vertex Standard LMR, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Iitsuka, Yoshitune
• Primary Examiner(s): Reichard, Dean A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Estrada, Angel R.
• Application Number:
  US09/764,537
• Publication Number:
  US 20010009193A1
• Time in Patent Office: 497 Days
• Field of Search: 174/66,50,17 R,58 220/33,241,38 361/814 429/164,165 455/90,127,343,99,100,123,573,575 379/433,433.08
• US Class Current: 174/50
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/081 Bases, casings or covers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0262 for a battery compartment

Abstract

In a battery case mounted on electronic equipment, the thickness of the battery case is reduced as obtaining the holding force of batteries with respect to vibration and impact by use of a case main body with a simple structure and a case cover.

A depth of a battery containing portion of the case main body 1 is structured such that a side face of each battery is protruded outwardly than an end face of a frame portion in a state that the batteries 2 are contained. On the other hand, the case cover 10 is formed of plate material covering the side face of each of the respective contained batteries 2, and plate-like magnets 14 and 15 are adhered onto faces opposite to the respective batteries 2.

The case cover 10 is attached to the respective dry batteries by an absorbing force of the plate-like magnets 14 and 15 to share a holding force between the dry batteries, thereby preventing the dry batteries from being detached even if vibration and impact act. Since there is no need to provide an attaching mechanism for the case cover 10 to the case main body 1, a reduction in the battery case can be improved.

Claims

1. A battery case for mounting on electronic equipment and holding at least one battery having opposing side faces, said battery case comprising:

a case main body including a frame defining a battery containing portion having a depth less than a height of said side faces of said battery such that said side faces of said battery, when installed in said battery containing portion, protrude beyond said frame;

a case cover formed of a metallic plate including a face portion covering a portion of said battery, when installed; and

plate-like magnets adhered onto said face portion opposite to said battery when said cover is installed on said main body.

2. A battery case for mounting on electronic equipment and holding at least one battery having opposing side faces, said case comprising:

a case main body including a frame having an end face defining a battery containing portion having a depth less than the height of said side faces of said battery such that said side faces of each battery, when installed, protrude beyond said frame;

a case cover formed of a metallic plate including a face portion covering a portion of said battery, said case cover being formed with angled peripheral portions, said peripheral portions being positioned opposite to said end face of said frame when said cover is installed on said main body; and

plate-like magnets adhered onto said face portion, said magnets being positioned opposite to said battery, when said cover is installed.

3. A battery case for mounting on electronic equipment and holding at least one battery having opposing side faces, said case comprising:

a case main body including a frame defining a battery containing portion having a depth less than the height of said side faces such that side faces of said battery, when installed, protrude beyond said frame;

a case cover formed of a metallic plate including a face portion covering a portion of said battery, when installed, said case cover being formed as a corrugated plate corresponding to the protruded side face of said battery, when installed; and

plate-like magnets contoured to match said corrugated plate and adhered along said face portion of said corrugated plate opposite to said battery when said cover is installed on said main body.

4. A battery case for mounting to electronic equipment and housing a plurality of batteries having a predetermined height and opposing side faces, said battery case comprising:

a main body portion defining a battery receiving compartment with a depth less than said predetermined height for receiving a portion of said batteries;

a case cover having a face portion having a predetermined configuration and including a magnetic element having a configuration complementary to said predetermined configuration for overlying and magnetically retaining said cover to said batteries; and

whereby, upon installation of said cover on said main body portion, said side faces of said batteries protrude beyond said main body compartment and said batteries rest against said magnetic element.

5. The battery case as set forth in claim 4 wherein:

said predetermined configuration is planar.

6. The battery case as set forth in claim 4 wherein:

said predetermined configuration is corrugated.

7. The battery case as set forth in claim 4 wherein:

said magnetic element is adhered to said case cover.

8. The battery case as set forth in claim 4 wherein:

said magnetic element is in the form of a pair of spaced apart magnetic strips.

9. The battery case as set forth in claim 4 wherein:

said main body includes a peripheral frame around said battery receiving compartment; and

said case cover includes outwardly extending peripheral flanges for covering a portion of said side faces of said batteries and abutting said frame to inhibit shifting of said batteries when positioned in said battery receiving compartment.

10. A relatively thin case for housing at least one battery for mounting to electronic equipment and comprising:

a case main body having a frame defining a shallow battery receiving recess with a depth less than a height of said battery;

a case cover including a face portion having a first surface for abutting said electronic equipment and a second surface for positioning over said battery, when installed, said case cover including angled peripheral extremities for partially enclosing said batteries;

a magnetic element conforming to at least a portion of said second surface to present a relatively low profile; and

whereby said first surface of said case cover may be positioned against said electronic equipment and said battery may be nested in said battery receiving recess and placed against said magnetic element to magnetically retain said cover to said main body to position said battery in electrical communication with said electronic equipment.

11. The battery case as set forth in claim 10 wherein:

said face portion is planar.

12. The battery case as set forth in claim 10 wherein:

said face portion is corrugated.

13. The battery case as set forth in claim 10 wherein:

said magnetic element is in the form of a pair of spaced apart magnetic strips.