Battery holder and dispensing package

• US 9,022,218 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2012
• Issued: 05/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tools Aviation, LLC
• Original Assignee: Tools Aviation, LLC
• Inventors: Foreman, Richard, Foreman, Kathleen, Moreau, Timothy, Cherkas, Brad
• Primary Examiner(s): Yu, Mickey
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHEUNG, CHUN HOI
• Application Number:
  US13/461,563
• Publication Number:
  US 20130062247A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,099 Days
• Field of Search: 206703-705, 206/461, 206/462, 206/471, 206/477, 206/485
• US Class Current: 206/703
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 21/0204 and joined together by interconnecting formations forming part of the container, e.g. dove-tail, snap connections, hook elements
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2203/12 Audible, olfactory or visual signalling means B65D51/248, B65D55/028, B65D79/02 and B65D81/24 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2585/88 Batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 71/50 comprising a plurality of articles held together only partially by packaging elements formed otherwise than by folding a blank
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/02 for dispensing rod-shaped articles, e.g. needles packages for cigarettes provided with dispensing means B65D85/1009; dispensers for drinking straws A47G21/184
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4207 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• 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 50/227 Organic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/267 having means for adapting to batteries or cells of different types or different sizes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/271 Lids or covers for the racks or secondary casings
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/291 characterised by their shape
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery holding and dispensing device can hold a plurality of batteries, in an assortment of battery sizes. The battery holding and dispensing device includes a frame having a plurality of compartments sized and shaped to each receive a battery of a particular battery size and each having a detent for releasably retaining the battery in the compartment. Each compartment has at least one opening in the bottom and lower side to expose a corner of the battery to allow finger ejection of the battery from the compartment past the detent, and to allow the user to touch the batteries to ascertain battery size by feel. The assortment of batteries held in the frame is preferably pre-selected to correspond to the batteries needed by a particular profession. An arrangement for illuminating the frame is provided.

Claims

1. A battery holding and dispensing apparatus, comprising:

a first frame including a plurality of compartments, each compartment sized and configured to closely conform to the shape and size of the outside perimeter of a standard battery selected from at least one of standard battery sizes AAA, AA, C and 9V, in order to hold the standard battery snugly within the compartment, and having an open end for dispensing the standard battery out of the compartment, said first frame composed of rigid molded plastic;

each compartment configured for releasably retaining the standard battery within the compartment; and

wherein said compartments each comprise a retaining element, a bottom wall and an open area adjacent to the bottom wall exposing a bottom wall portion of the standard battery within said compartment wherein a user can touch with a finger the bottom wall portion of the standard battery held in the compartment through the open area, and wherein a user can move the standard battery away from said bottom wall of the compartment by a finger pushing against the bottom wall portion of the standard battery within the open area, wherein the standard battery is retained between said bottom wall and said retaining element, said retaining element located adjacent to said open end and wherein movement of the standard battery by force from the user'"'"'s finger on the bottom wall portion of the standard battery allows removal of a portion of the standard battery from said compartment through said open end when said retaining element is disengaged from the standard battery by force from the standard battery;

wherein each compartment has a longest axial dimension extending between the bottom wall and the open end corresponding to a length of the battery held therein;

wherein said retaining element in each compartment comprises a detent protruding into an end opening defined by the open end of each said compartment, said detent resiliently displaceable from said end opening to allow removal of the standard battery from each of said compartments through said open end.

2. The battery containing and dispensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said compartments are arranged to contain said standard batteries oriented side-by-side in parallel.

3. The battery containing and dispensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said frame is composed of a luminescent plastic.

4. The battery containing and dispensing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a container having a lid, said container sized to fit within one of said compartments.

5. The battery containing and dispensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said compartments include at least one opening through a sidewall thereof.

6. The battery containing and dispensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said frame is elongated and sized to be held in a user'"'"'s hand.

7. The battery containing and dispensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said compartments comprises a lid.

8. The battery containing and dispensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said compartments are of varying sizes to accommodate a collection of standard batteries of various battery sizes selected from the group.

9. The battery containing and dispensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said each compartment comprises a bottom opening to accommodate a protruding terminal of the standard battery fit within said compartment.

10. The battery containing and dispensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each said compartment comprises an external rounded sidewall having a contour substantially parallel to an outside contour of the standard battery held therein.

11. The battery containing and dispensing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said external rounded sidewall includes an opening, wherein a user'"'"'s finger can contact the standard battery within said compartment through said opening.

12. The battery containing and dispensing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second frame, said second frame including a plurality of compartments, each compartment sized and configured to contain a battery, each compartment including a means for releasably containing a battery within the compartment;

wherein said first frame and said second frame are releasably interconnected together.

15. The battery containing and dispensing apparatus according to claim 1, comprising at least one lamp carried by said first frame, and a conductor pair connecting said lamp to one of the standard batteries carried by said first frame.

16. The battery containing and dispensing apparatus according to claim 1, said detent comprises a metal detent molded into said first frame.

13. A battery containing and dispensing apparatus for containing and dispensing elongated batteries, comprising:

a first frame, said first frame including a plurality of compartments, the compartments having sidewalls to contain standard batteries selected from at least one of standard battery sizes AAA, AA, C and 9V with longitudinal axes of the batteries in an upright orientation, each sidewall having an opening wherein a user can touch with a finger the battery held in the compartment through the opening to ascertain a battery size, and each compartment comprises a retaining element, a bottom wall and an open end defining an end opening for dispensing the standard battery from each compartment;

wherein the standard battery is retained between said bottom wall and said retaining element, said retaining element located adjacent to said open end and wherein movement of the standard battery by force from the user'"'"'s finger on the standard battery allows removal of a portion of the standard battery from said compartment through said open end when said retaining element is disengaged from the standard battery by force from the standard battery;

wherein each compartment has a longest axial dimension extending between the bottom wall and the open end corresponding to a length of the battery held therein;

wherein said retaining element in each compartment comprises a detent protruding into an end opening defined by the open end of each said compartment, said detent resiliently displaceable from said end opening to allow removal of the standard battery from each of said compartments through said open end.

14. The battery containing and dispensing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said compartments are arranged to contain the standard batteries oriented side-by-side in parallel.

17. A battery holding and dispensing apparatus, comprising:

a first frame including a plurality of compartments, each compartment sized and configured to closely conform to the shape and size of the outside perimeter of a standard battery selected from at least one of standard battery sizes AAA, AA, C and 9V, in order to hold the standard battery snugly within the compartment, and having an open end for dispensing the standard battery out of the compartment, said first frame composed of rigid molded plastic;

each compartment configured for releasably retaining the standard battery within the compartment; and

wherein said compartments each comprise a retaining element, a bottom wall and an open area adjacent to the bottom wall exposing a bottom wall portion of the standard battery within said compartment wherein a user can touch with a finger the bottom wall portion of the standard battery held in the compartment through the open area, and wherein a user can move the standard battery away from said bottom wall of the compartment by a finger pushing against the bottom wall portion of the standard battery within the open area, wherein the standard battery is contained between said bottom wall and said retaining element, said retaining element located adjacent to said open end and wherein movement of the standard battery by force from the user'"'"'s finger on the bottom wall portion of the standard battery allows removal of a portion of the standard battery from said compartment through said open end when said retaining element is disengaged from the standard battery by force from the standard battery;

wherein the retaining element comprises;

a first membrane covering said open end, said first membrane having a thickness that allows said first membrane to tear, or the connection between the first membrane and the first frame has a strength to allow the first membrane to break away from said frame, when sufficient force by the user'"'"'s finger pushes the standard battery through or past the first membrane.

18. The battery containing and dispensing apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising a second membrane covering said open area, said second membrane having a thickness that allows the user'"'"'s finger to push the standard battery through the first membrane.