Rechargeable battery pack and battery pack charger with safety mechanisms

• US 6,646,414 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2001
• Issued: 11/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Shoot The Moon Products II LLC
• Original Assignee: Shoot The Moon Products II LLC
• Inventors: Small, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward H.
• Application Number:
  US09/915,463
• Publication Number:
  US 20020030467A1
• Time in Patent Office: 838 Days
• Field of Search: 320/106, 320/107, 320/112, 320/114, 320/110
• US Class Current: 320/106
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2200/10 Temperature sensitive devices
• 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 6/5066 Type recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

Rechargeable battery packs include one or more key slots along a rear edge in order to distinguish it from other battery pack types and rectangular guide tabs to be backward compatible with former battery pack chargers and former battery operated devices. Battery pack chargers include one or more key tabs in a door and rectangular guide tabs to differentiate rechargeable battery packs that can be safely charged. Door closure switches on a safety switch to activate safe charging of a rechargeable battery pack with matching one or more key slots. The one or more key tabs and the one or more key slots provide a safety mechanism to distinguish rechargeable battery packs which can be safely charged. Rectangular guide tabs on sidewalls of an inner housing allow rectangular guide tabs of the rechargeable battery packs to slide under and further differentiates those that can be safely charged.

Claims

1. A method of differentiating rechargeable battery packs by a battery pack charger, the method comprising:

providing the battery pack charger with an inner housing for accepting a rechargeable battery pack, a door to enclose an opening into the inner housing and a safety switch mechanism responsive to operation of the door, and one or more key tabs;

providing a rechargeable battery pack, the rechargeable battery pack having one or more key slots;

inserting the rechargeable battery pack into the battery pack charger; and

closing the door of the battery pack charger on the rechargeable battery pack and determining if the one or more key tabs mate and engage with the one or more key slots in the rechargeable battery pack to further determine if the safety switch mechanism should switch on in response to the door being closed and cause the battery pack charger to charge the rechargeable battery pack.

2. The method of claim 1 of differentiating rechargeable battery packs in a battery pack charger wherein,

the one or more key tabs do not mate and engage with the one or more key slots in the rechargeable battery pack so that the door does not close,

and in response, the safety switch mechanism does not switch on to charge the rechargeable battery pack.

3. The method of claim 1 of differentiating rechargeable battery packs in a battery pack charger wherein,

the one or more key tabs do mate and engage with the one or more key slots in the rechargeable battery pack so that the door closes,

and in response, the safety switch mechanism switches on to charge the rechargeable battery packs.

4. The method of claim 1 of differentiating rechargeable battery packs in a battery pack charger wherein,

the inner housing of the battery pack charger has left and right rectangular guide tabs on left and right side walls;

and

the inserting of the rechargeable battery pack into the battery pack charger determines if the rechargeable battery pack being inserted has left and right rectangular guide tabs on left and right sides respectively nearest a front side to slide under the left and right rectangular guide tabs on the left and right side walls of the battery pack charger to be safely charged therein.

5. The method of claim 1 of differentiating rechargeable battery packs in a battery pack charger wherein,

the rechargeable battery pack does not have left and right rectangular guide tabs on left and right sides respectively nearest a front side and can not slide under the left and right rectangular guide tabs on the left and right side walls of the battery pack charger and can not be safely charged therein.

6. The method of claim 1 of differentiating rechargeable battery packs in a battery pack charger wherein,

the rechargeable battery pack does have left and right rectangular guide tabs on left and right sides respectively nearest a front side and slides under the left and right rectangular guide tabs on the left and right side walls of the battery pack charger to be safely charged therein.

7. A battery pack charger for distinguishing rechargeable battery packs, the battery pack charger comprising:

a charger housing having an opening to receive a rechargeable battery pack into an inner housing; and

a first rectangular guide tab on a first sidewall of the inner housing of the battery pack charger to guide a rechargeable battery pack into the inner housing of the battery pack charger and to distinguish rechargeable battery packs.

8. The battery pack charger of claim 7 wherein,

the first rectangular guide tab catches a first L shaped tab to differentiate rechargeable battery packs that can be safely charged from those that can not be safely charged.

9. The battery pack charger of claim 7 wherein,

the first rectangular guide tab is positioned on the sidewall of the inner housing to allow a rectangular tab on a first rechargeable battery pack to slide under for complete insertion and to catch an L shaped tab on a second rechargeable battery pack to prevent further insertion of it into the inner housing of the battery pack charger.

10. The battery pack charger of claim 7 wherein,

the first rectangular guide tab is positioned on the sidewall of the inner housing to allow a rectangular tab on a first rechargeable battery pack to slide under for complete insertion and to catch a mirrored-L shaped tab on a second rechargeable battery pack to prevent further insertion of it into the inner housing of the battery pack charger.

11. The battery pack charger of claim 7 wherein,

a second rectangular guide tab on a second sidewall of the inner housing opposite the first rectangular guide tab, the second rectangular guide tab to guide a rechargeable battery pack into the inner housing of the battery pack charger.

12. The battery pack charger of claim 11 wherein,

the first and second rectangular guide tabs are positioned on the sidewalls of the inner housing to allow a pair of rectangular tabs of a first rechargeable battery pack to slide under for complete insertion and to catch an L shaped tab and a mirrored-L shaped tab of a second rechargeable battery pack to prevent further insertion of it into the inner housing of the battery pack charger.

13. The battery pack charger of claim 11 wherein,

the first and second rectangular guide tabs catch a first L shaped tab and a first mirrored-L shaped tab to differentiate rechargeable battery packs that can be safely charged from those that can not be safely charged.

14. The battery pack charger of claim 7 further comprising:

a door configured to cover the opening of the charger housing when closed an to prohibit charging of a rechargeable battery pack when open, the door having one or more key tabs on an inside surface.

15. The battery pack charger of claim 7 further comprising:

one or more key tabs to distinguish rechargeable battery packs by mating with one or more key slots of a rechargeable battery pack to allow it to be fully inserted and the door to close into a closed position for it to be charged.

16. The battery pack charger of claim 14 wherein,

the one or more key tabs is an elongated key tab.

17. A battery pack charger comprising:

a charger housing having an opening to receive a rechargeable battery pack into an inner housing;

a door to cover the opening of the charger housing when closed and to prohibit charging of a rechargeable battery pack when open, the door having one or more key tabs on an inside surface; and

electronics to charge a rechargeable battery pack responsive to the opening and closing of the door.

18. The battery pack charger of claim 17, further comprising;

a rectangular guide tab positioned on a sidewall of the inner housing to allow a rectangular tab on a first rechargeable battery pack to slide under for complete insertion and to catch an L shaped tab on a second rechargeable battery pack to prevent further insertion of it into the inner housing of the battery pack charger.

19. The battery pack charger of claim 18 wherein,

the one or more key tabs further distinguish rechargeable battery packs by mating with one or more key slots of a rechargeable battery pack which allows the door to close into a closed position for the rechargeable battery pack to be charged.

20. The battery pack charger of claim 17 wherein,

the one or more key tabs to distinguish rechargeable battery packs by mating with one or more key slots of a rechargeable battery pack to allow it to be fully inserted and the door to close into a closed position for it to be charged.

21. The battery pack charger of claim 17 wherein,

the one or more key tabs distinguish rechargeable battery packs that can be safely charged with at least one fast charge rate by the electronics.

22. The battery pack charger of claim 17 wherein,

the one or more key tabs are coupled to the inner surface of the door near a corner.