Battery integrated into a mobile device

• US 6,820,812 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2002
• Issued: 11/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, LLC (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Bhatia, Sudhir, Hamilton, Alistair
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thien M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Labaze, Edwyn
• Application Number:
  US10/287,855
• Publication Number:
  US 20040084534A1
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• Field of Search: 235/472.01, 235/462.45, 235/462.46, 235/472.02, 296/231, 297/30, 296/232, 296/23, 429/94-96, 429/210
• US Class Current: 235/472.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10881 constructional details of hand-held scanners
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49108 Electric battery cell making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53135 Storage cell or battery

Abstract

Described is a battery holding portion integrated into a mobile device and a method for its manufacturing. In particular, the battery holding portion may include a battery having an anode and/or a cathode formed in a shape corresponding to a shape of an outer surface of the battery holding portion and a connector connecting the battery to the circuitry of the mobile unit. In addition, the battery holding portion may include a protective material coating a portion of the anode and/or the cathode and a covering material coating the protective material to form an outer surface of the battery holding portion.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a battery for a mobile unit, comprising the steps of:

forming a first one of an anode and a cathode in a shape substantially conforming to an outer shape of a storage portion of the mobile unit within which the battery is to be stored;

coupling a connector to the battery for connecting the battery to circuitry of the mobile unit;

coating the first one of the anode and the cathode with a protective material to create a battery pack;

suspending the battery pack into a mold having a shape substantially corresponding to a first one of the anode and the cathode;

injecting a liquid covering material into the mold to cover at least a portion of the battery pack; and

cooling the covering material to form an outer surface of the storage portion of the mobile units, while preventing the covering material and the protective material from covering the connector.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mobile unit is a handheld bar code scanner.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the protective material is a heat-resistant shrink-wrap material.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

covering the connector with a removable, protective material to protect the connector from the protective and covering materials.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the shape of the mold is such that the connector is protected from coming into contact with at least one of the protective and preventive materials.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the protective material is a metal.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the covering material is plastic.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the storage portion of the mobile unit is an ergonomically formed handle and wherein the first one of the anode and the cathode is formed in a shape substantially following the ergonomic shape of the handle.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the storage portion is a back portion of the mobile unit on which a keypad is mounted.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

before the coating step, attaching a further device to the battery so that when the battery is mounted to the mobile unit, the further device is also coupled thereto.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the further device is at least one of a credit card reader, a smart card reader, a G.P.S. and a fingerprint reader.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the connector carries at least one of power and data signals.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

determining the storage portion of the mobile device as a function of a space utilization of by the mobile device.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mobile device is a mobile handleless device.

15. A battery holding portion of a mobile unit, comprising:

a battery having one of an anode and a cathode formed in a shape corresponding to a shape of an outer surface of the battery holding portion;

a connector connecting the battery to the circuitry of the mobile unit;

a protective material coating a portion of the first one of the anode and the cathode; and

a covering material coating the protective material to form at least a partial outer surface of the battery holding portion.

16. The battery portion of claim 15, wherein the battery holding portion is an ergonomically shaped handle.

17. The battery holding portion of claim 15, further comprising:

a second connector for coupling a peripheral device to the mobile unit.

18. The battery holding portion of claim 17, further comprising:

a peripheral integrally formed with the battery.

19. The battery holding portion of claim 15, wherein the connector carries at least one of power and data signals.

20. The battery holding portion of claim 15, wherein the battery holding portion is at least partially underutilized portion of the mobile device.