Battery attachable/detachable electronic equipment

• US 9,118,059 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2011
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kawada, Yoshihiro, Furujiku, Masaru
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn, Drew A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chung, Steve T
• Application Number:
  US13/016,049
• Publication Number:
  US 20110211325A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,670 Days
• Field of Search: 320/138, 361/807, 361/683
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/209 adapted for prismatic or rectangular cells H01M50/216 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

The electronic equipment disclosed in the present application realizes a battery attachment/detachment mechanism with the reduced number of components, by biasing a slide lever 11 to a protrusion position by a biasing force of a switch lever 13a of a switch 13. More specifically, in the electronic equipment disclosed in the present application, it is unnecessary to provide biasing means for biasing the slide lever 11 to the protrusion position in addition to the switch 13, the number of components is reduced as compared with the configuration provided with biasing means in addition to the switch. By reducing the number of components, the cost is reduced and the assembly time in assembling notebook computers is reduced, thereby improving workability in the assembly.

Claims

1. An electronic equipment, comprising:

a housing that has an opening through which an entire battery unit can pass;

a battery attachment portion that receives the battery unit inserted through the opening, wherein the battery attachment portion includes a first battery attachment portion to which a first battery unit is attached and a second battery attachment portion to which a second battery unit is attached;

a battery operation portion configured to be displaceable in a direction perpendicular to a direction of detachment from the battery attachment portion that locks the battery unit received in the battery attachment portion and that unlocks the battery unit by an operation of a user so as to allow the battery unit to be displaced in the direction of detachment from the battery attachment portion; and

a battery holding portion that is arranged to engage a surface of the battery unit between the battery operation portion and the opening in the housing and that is formed as a separate member from the battery operation portion, the battery holding portion being configured to hold the battery unit such that the battery unit is prevented from being detached from the battery attachment portion unless an external force exceeding a threshold force is exerted on the battery unit when the battery unit is unlocked by the operation of the user to the battery operation portion, wherein the battery holding portion is arranged between the first battery attachment portion and the second battery attachment portion, and

a first portion of the battery holding portion is fitted in a concave portion formed in a side face of the first battery unit on a side of the second battery attachment portion, and a second portion of the battery holding portion is fitted in a concave portion formed in a side face of the second battery unit on a side of the first battery attachment portion, thereby holding the first battery unit and the second battery unit, respectively.

2. The electronic equipment according to claim 1, wherein the battery holding portion is formed of a resilient member and configured to hold the battery unit by being fitted in a concave portion formed in one side of the battery unit.

3. The electronic equipment according to claim 1, wherein the battery operation portion is biased by a switch lever of a switch in a direction of maintaining a locked state of the battery unit, and

when a user slides the battery operation portion to unlock the locked state, the switch lever is turned and the switch is shifted to an ON state.

4. The electronic equipment according to claim 3, further comprising:

a light-emitting element that emits light when the switch is shifted to the ON state; and

remaining capacity detection means that detects a remaining capacity of the battery unit,

wherein, when detecting the shift of the switch to the ON state, the remaining capacity detection means causes the light-emitting element to emit light.

5. The electronic equipment according to claim 1, wherein the battery holding portion includes a resilient member that projects in a direction generally perpendicular to the detachment direction, and the resilient member is elastically deformable in the direction generally perpendicular to the detachment direction to hold the battery unit when the battery unit is unlocked by the operation of the user.

6. The electronic equipment according to claim 1, wherein the battery holding portion is configured to hold the battery unit such that the battery unit is prevented from being detached from the battery attachment portion when the external force exerted on the battery unit in the detachment direction is equal to or less than the weight of the battery unit.

7. An electronic equipment, comprising:

a housing that has an opening through which an entire battery unit can pass;

a battery attachment portion that receives the battery unit inserted through the opening, wherein the battery attachment portion includes a first battery attachment portion to which a first battery unit is attached and a second battery attachment portion to which a second battery unit is attached;

a battery operation portion arranged on a principal face of the housing, the battery operation portion configured to be displaceable in a direction perpendicular to a direction of detachment from the battery attachment portion and configured to lock the battery unit in a locked state;

a switch having a switch lever displaceable to an ON state and an OFF state;

a light-emitting element that is configured to emit light when the switch is in the ON state; and

a remaining capacity detection means for detecting a remaining capacity of the battery unit,

wherein the switch lever biases the battery operation portion in a direction in which the locked state of the battery unit is maintained, and when the battery operation portion is operated in a direction in which the locked state of the battery unit is displaced to an unlocked state, the switch is shifted to the ON state,

wherein, when detecting the shift of the switch to the ON state, the remaining capacity detection means causes the light-emitting element to emit light based on the remaining capacity of the battery unit regardless of an ON/OFF state of the electronic equipment, and

a first portion of the battery holding portion is fitted in a concave portion formed in a side face of the first battery unit on a side of the second battery attachment portion, and a second portion of the battery holding portion is fitted in a concave portion formed in a side face of the second battery unit on a side of the first battery attachment portion, thereby holding the first battery unit and the second battery unit, respectively.

8. The electronic equipment according to claim 7, further comprising:

a battery holding portion that is arranged to engage a surface of the battery unit between the battery operation portion and the opening in the housing and that is formed as a separate member from the battery operation portion, the battery holding portion being configured to hold the battery unit such that the battery unit is prevented from being detached from the battery attachment portion unless an external force exceeding a threshold force is exerted on the battery unit when the battery unit is unlocked by the operation of the user to the battery operation portion.

9. The electronic equipment according to claim 8, wherein the battery holding portion is formed of a resilient member and configured to hold the battery unit by being fitted in a concave portion formed in one side of the battery unit.

10. The electronic equipment according to claim 8, wherein the battery attachment portion includes a first battery attachment portion to which a first battery unit is attached and a second battery attachment portion to which a second battery unit is attached,

the battery holding portion is arranged between the first battery attachment portion and the second battery attachment portion, and

a first portion of the battery holding portion is fitted in a concave portion formed in a side face of the first battery unit on a side of the second battery attachment portion, and a second portion of the battery holding portion is fitted in a concave portion formed in a side face of the second battery unit on a side of the first battery attachment portion, thereby holding the first battery unit and the second battery unit, respectively.

11. The electronic equipment according to claim 8, wherein the battery holding portion includes a resilient member that projects in a direction generally perpendicular to the detachment direction, and the resilient member is elastically deformable in the direction generally perpendicular to the detachment direction to hold the battery unit when the battery unit is unlocked by the operation of the user.

12. The electronic equipment according to claim 8, wherein the battery holding portion is configured to hold the battery unit such that the battery unit is prevented from being detached from the battery attachment portion when the external force exerted on the battery unit in the detachment direction is equal to or less than the weight of the battery unit.