Power supply unit for electronic devices

• US 6,994,576 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2004
• Issued: 02/07/2006
• 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 N
• Application Number:
  US10/979,827
• Publication Number:
  US 20050062478A1
• Time in Patent Office: 463 Days
• Field of Search: 439/188, 439/500, 439/929, 200/51.1, 320110-115
• 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 comprising:

a holder with a hollow portion;

a plurality of resilient connector contacts disposed inside the 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 resilient switch contact disposed inside the holder, the resilient switch contact moving in coordination with the switch connector contact such that the switch connector contact and the switch contact are in contact when the switch connector contact protrudes into the hollow portion by at least a predetermined distance and are otherwise disengaged from each other.

2. 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 such that part of the switch connector contact retractably protrudes out of the housing through the opening.

3. A power supply unit according to claim 2, wherein the switch contact and the connector contacts are disposed side by side in the housing.

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

5. A power supply unit according to claim 2, wherein the insulating housing is retained in the holder.

6. A power supply unit according to claim 5, wherein the insulating housing is planar with a surface of the holder such that does not protrude into the hollow portion.

7. A power supply unit according to claim 2, wherein the switch connector contact is disposed in an opposite side of the holder as the remaining connector contacts.

8. A power supply unit according to claim 7, wherein the switch connector contact and the remaining connector contacts are disposed in the holder at different distances from an opening of the hollow portion.

9. A power supply unit according to claim 8, wherein the switch connector contact is disposed closer to an opening of the hollow portion than the remaining connector contacts.

10. A power supply unit according to claim 8, 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.

11. A power supply unit comprising:

a holder with a hollow portion;

resilient parts that detect that a battery pack, which has electrode terminals, in the hollow portion is almost removed from the hollow portion and that switch to a backup power source before the battery pack is completely removed; and

resilient pieces positioned correspondingly to the electrode terminals of the battery pack,

wherein the resilient pieces are disposed in a different portion of the holder as the resilient parts, and

wherein at least one of the resilient parts comprise a switch connector contact and a switch contact, the switch contact moving in coordination with the switch connector contact such that the switch connector contact and the switch contact are in contact when the switch connector contact protrudes into the hollow portion by at least a predetermined distance and are otherwise disengaged from each other.

12. A power supply unit according to claim 11, wherein the resilient pieces are disposed closer to an opening of the hollow portion than the resilient parts.

13. A power supply unit according to claim 11, wherein the resilient parts have different shapes and are disposed adjacent to each other.

14. A power supply unit according to claim 13, wherein the resilient pieces are disposed side by side and have the same shape.