Power supply unit for electronic devices

• US 6,869,299 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2003
• Issued: 03/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Toshihiro, Myochin, Katsumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Gushi, Ross
• Application Number:
  US10/700,742
• Publication Number:
  US 20040097115A1
• Time in Patent Office: 504 Days
• Field of Search: 439/188, 439/500, 439/929, 429 96-100, 320/110, 320/107, 320/112, 320/113, 320/114, 320/115
• US Class Current: 439/188
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/05 Resilient pins or blades carrying separate resilient parts H01R13/15
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/24 resilient; resiliently-mounted
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/26 Pin or blade contacts for sliding co-operation on one side only for modular jack type connectors H01R24/62

Abstract

A power supply unit for electronic devices has an insulating battery pack holder with a hollow portion to accommodate a battery pack detachably; a plurality of connector contacts and a switch contact formed of conductive metal and disposed inside the battery pack holder, part of each connector contact protruding toward the hollow portion, the switch contact capable of detaching from or attaching to a predetermined one of the connector contacts with a moving contact portion. When the battery pack is accommodated in the hollow portion, its electrode terminals elastically touch corresponding connector contacts to be conductively connected to a driver circuit. In removal of the battery pack from the hollow portion, when the predetermined connector contact protrudes into the hollow portion by a predetermined distance according to a reduction in urging force of the electrode terminal, the predetermined connector contact touches the switch contact to output a detection signal.

Claims

1. A power supply unit that accommodates a battery pack with a plurality of electrode terminals and supplies power to a driver circuit of an electronic device, the power supply unit comprising:

an insulating battery pack holder with a hollow portion to accommodate the battery pack detachably;

a plurality of connector contacts formed of conductive metal and disposed inside the battery pack holder, part of each connector contact protruding toward the hollow portion, at least one of the connector contacts being a switch connector contact; and

a switch contact which is resilient, formed of conductive metal, and disposed inside the battery pack holder, the switch contact capable of detaching from or attaching to the switch connector contacts;

wherein when the battery pack is accommodated in the hollow portion, the plurality of electrode terminals elastically come into contact with corresponding connector contacts to be conductively connected to the driver circuit, and the switch connector contact is elastically deformed by the corresponding electrode terminal to separate from the switch contact; and

wherein when the switch connector contact protrudes into the hollow portion by a predetermined distance according to a reduction in urging force of the electrode terminal, the switch connector contact comes into contact with the switch contact to output a detection signal.

2. A power supply unit according to claim 1, wherein the connector contacts have the same shape.

3. A power supply unit according to claim 1, wherein the switch connector contact keeps contact with the corresponding electrode terminal when the switch connector contact comes into contact with the switch contact, and power supply from a backup power source to the driver circuit starts according to the detection signal.

4. A power supply unit according to claim 3, further comprising a connector that functions as a detector switch configured by accommodating the switch connector contact and the switch contact in an insulating housing with an opening and making part of the switch connector contact retractably protrude out of the housing through the opening, and then built into the battery pack holder.

5. A power supply unit according to claim 4, wherein the switch contact and the plurality of connector contacts are disposed side by side in the housing.

6. A power supply unit according to claim 1, further comprising a connector that functions as a detector switch configured by accommodating the switch connector contact and the switch contact in an insulating housing with an opening and making part of the switch connector contact retractably protrude out of the housing through the opening, and then built into the battery pack holder.

7. A power supply unit according to claim 6, wherein the switch contact and the plurality of connector contacts are disposed side by side in the housing.

8. A power supply unit according to claim 1, wherein the switch connector contact is disposed in an opposite side of the battery pack holder as the remaining connector contacts.

9. A power supply unit according to claim 8, wherein the switch connector contact and the remaining connector contacts are disposed in the battery pack holder at different distances from an opening of the hollow portion.

10. A power supply unit according to claim 9, wherein the switch connector contact is disposed closer to an opening of the hollow portion than the remaining connector contacts.

11. A power supply unit according to claim 9, wherein the part of the switch connector contact that protrudes into the hollow portion is disposed closer to an opening of the hollow portion than the parts of the remaining connector contacts that protrude into the hollow portion.

12. A power supply unit according to claim 1, wherein the connector contacts are retained within insulating housings, each of which contain a plurality of pieces.

13. A power supply unit according to claim 12, wherein the insulating housings are retained within the battery pack holder.