Battery with side terminal

• US 20060275656A1
• Filed: 06/03/2005
• Published: 12/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Energizer Brands, LLC (Energizer Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Eveready Battery Company Incorporated (Energizer Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Feddrix, Frank H., Belle, Kelvin B., Uren, Wayne E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,491,466 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/179
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/209 adapted for prismatic or rectangular cells H01M50/216 takes precedence
• 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 50/548 on opposite sides of the cell
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

The invention is a battery with power output terminals on opposite ends of a battery and a power output terminal on the side wall of the battery that has the same polarity as one of the end power output terminals. The presence of the side terminal is indicative of a battery characteristic and allow a battery operated device requiring that characteristic to selectively use the battery when designed to use the side terminal and opposite polarity end terminal to provide energy to operate the device. Because the battery also has opposite polarity end terminals, the battery can be used in devices designed to use batteries of the same dimensions and having the same nominal voltage, whether or not they possess the characteristic associated with the presence the side terminal. The location of the side terminal can also be indicative of additional battery characteristics, allowing the selective use of batteries in devices based on various device requirements.

Claims

1. A primary battery comprising at least one primary electrochemical cell and at least two power output terminals, wherein:

the battery has a first end, a second end and a side wall disposed between the first and second ends, a height, and a width that is smaller than the height;

an electrically nonconductive covering is disposed on at least a portion of the side wall of the battery;

a first end power output terminal having a polarity is disposed on the first end of the battery and comprises a longitudinal projection beyond the battery side wall;

a second end power output terminal having a polarity opposite that of the first end terminal is disposed on the second end of the battery, the second end terminal optionally having a longitudinal projection beyond the battery side wall, the optional second end terminal projection having a minimum width beyond the side wall that is larger than a maximum width of the first end terminal projection beyond the side wall; and

an exposed side power output terminal, having a polarity the same as that of the second end terminal, is disposed on the side wall of the battery, with portions of the electrically conductive covering disposed between the side terminal and both ends of the battery.

2. The battery as defined in claim 1, wherein the side terminal is recessed.

3. The battery as defined in claim 1, wherein a portion of an electrically conductive container of the primary electrochemical cell serves as the side terminal.

4. The battery as defined in claim 3, wherein the side terminal comprises a continuous band around the perimeter of the battery.

5. The battery as defined in claim 3, wherein the side terminal is initially covered and subsequently exposed upon removal of a portion of the nonconductive covering from the battery side wall.

6. The battery as defined in claim 1, wherein the polarity of the side terminal is negative.

7. The battery as defined in claim 1, wherein the battery comprises a plurality of side terminals, all having the same polarity.

8. The battery as defined in claim 1, wherein the battery comprises a plurality of cells, and each cell has a nominal voltage of 1.5 volts.

9. The battery as defined in claim 1, wherein the battery has a nominal voltage of 1.5 volts.

10. The battery as defined in claim 1, wherein the battery is a cylindrical battery.

11. The battery as defined in claim 1, wherein the battery is a noncylindrical battery.

12. The battery as defined in claim 11, wherein the battery is a prismatic battery having a side wall comprising a plurality of planar external surfaces.

13. The battery as defined in claim 1, wherein the side wall is substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the battery.

14. A rechargeable battery comprising at least one rechargeable electrochemical cell and at least three power output terminals, wherein:

the battery has a first end, a second end, a side wall disposed between the first and second ends, a height, and a width that is smaller than the height;

an electrically nonconductive covering is disposed on at least a portion of the side wall of the battery and on a peripheral portion of the first end;

a first end power output terminal having a polarity is disposed on the first end of the battery and comprises a longitudinal projection beyond the battery side wall;

a second end power output terminal having a polarity opposite that of the first end terminal is disposed on the second end of the battery, the second end terminal optionally having a longitudinal projection beyond the battery side wall, the optional projection having a minimum width beyond the side wall that is larger than a minimum width of the first end terminal projection beyond the side wall; and

an exposed, recessed first side power output terminal having a polarity the same as that of the second end terminal is disposed on the side wall of the battery.

15. The battery as defined in claim 14, wherein the first side terminal comprises a continuous band around a battery perimeter.

16. The battery as defined in claim 14, wherein a portion of the first side terminal is disposed equidistant between longitudinally distal edges of the battery side wall.

17. The battery as defined in claim 14, wherein the first side terminal is offset from a point midway between uppermost and lowermost edges of the battery side wall.

18. The battery as defined in claim 17, wherein the first side terminal is offset toward the second end, and no nonconductive covering is present between the second end and side terminals.

19. The battery as defined in claim 14, wherein the first side terminal is a sole side terminal.

20. The battery as defined in claim 14, wherein the battery has a second side power output terminal having the same polarity as the first side terminal disposed on the side wall of the battery and separated from the first side terminal by a portion of the nonconductive covering, the side wall has a first longitudinally distal edge in proximity to the first end of the battery and a second longitudinally distal edge in proximity to the second end of the battery, and a longitudinal distance from the first distal edge to the first side terminal is equal to a longitudinal distance from the second distal edge to the second side terminal.

21. The battery as defined in claim 14, wherein each cell in the battery has a nominal voltage of 1.2 to 1.5 volts.

22. The battery as defined in claim 21, wherein the battery has a nominal voltage of 1.2 to 1.5 volts.

23. A battery operated system comprising a battery and a device operated by the battery, wherein:

(a) the battery is a primary battery comprising;

a first end, a second end and a side wall disposed between the first and second ends, a height, and a width that is smaller than the height;

an electrically nonconductive covering disposed on at least a portion of the side wall of the battery;

a first end power output terminal having a polarity disposed on the first end of the battery and comprising a longitudinal projection beyond the battery side wall;

a second end power output terminal having a polarity opposite that of the first end terminal disposed on the second end of the battery, the second end terminal optionally having a longitudinal projection beyond the battery side wall, the optional second end terminal projection having a minimum width beyond the side wall that is larger than a maximum width of the first end terminal projection beyond the side wall; and

an exposed side power output terminal having a polarity opposite that of the first end terminal disposed on the battery side wall; and

(b) a device comprising a first contact member capable of electrical contact with the first end terminal and a second contact member capable of electrical contact with the battery side terminal, wherein the battery is able to supply energy for operation of the device through the device first and second contact members, and a charging current cannot be applied to the battery between the device first and second contact members.

24. The battery operated system as defined by claim 23, wherein the device further comprises a compartment for the battery, the compartment capable of holding the battery in either of two orientations, and a third contact member, capable of electrical contact with the battery first end terminal, wherein:

when the battery is held in a first orientation, the battery first end terminal is in electrical contact with the device first contact member; and

when the battery is held in a second orientation, the battery first end terminal is in electrical contact with the device third contact member.

25. The battery operated system as defined by claim 24, wherein the battery first end terminal faces in opposite directions when the battery is held in the first and second orientations, respectively, and the battery second end terminal is unable to electrically contact the device first and third contact members when the battery is held in either of the two orientations.

26. The battery operated system as defined by claim 25, wherein the second contact member is in electrical contact with the battery side terminal when the battery is held in either of the two orientations.

27. A battery operated system comprising a battery and a device operated by the battery, wherein:

(a) the battery is a rechargeable battery comprising;

a first end, a second end, a side wall disposed between the first and second ends, a height, and a width that is smaller than the height;

an electrically nonconductive covering disposed on at least a portion of the side wall of the battery;

a first end power output terminal having a polarity disposed on the first end of the battery and comprising a longitudinal projection beyond the battery side wall;

a second end power output terminal having a polarity opposite that of the first terminal and disposed on the second end of the battery, the second end terminal optionally having a longitudinal projection beyond the battery side wall, the optional projection having a minimum width beyond the side wall that is larger than a minimum width of the first end terminal projection beyond the side wall; and

an exposed, recessed side power output terminal having a polarity the same as that of the second end terminal disposed on the side wall of the battery; and

(b) a device comprising a first contact member capable of electrical contact with the first end terminal and a second contact member in electrical contact with the battery side terminal.

28. The battery operated system as defined by claim 27, wherein the device further comprises a compartment for the battery, the compartment capable of holding the battery in either of two orientations, and a third contact member, capable of electrical contact with the first end battery terminal, wherein:

when the battery is held in a first orientation, the battery first end terminal is in electrical contact with the device first contact member; and

when the battery is held in a second orientation, the battery first end terminal is in electrical contact with the device third contact member.

29. The battery operated system as defined by claim 28, wherein the battery first end terminal faces in opposite directions when the battery is held in the first and second orientations, respectively, and the battery second end terminal is incapable of electrical contact with either of the device first and third contact members when the battery is held in either of the two orientations.

30. The battery operated system as defined by claim 29, wherein the device second contact member makes electrical contact with the battery side terminal when the battery is held in either of the two orientations.

31. The battery operated system as defined by claim 27, wherein the battery further comprises a side charging contact member, and the device further comprises a charging contact member, wherein the battery is capable of being charged by the application of a charging current to the battery between the device first contact member and the device charging contact member.

32. The battery operated system as defined by claim 31, wherein the battery charging contact member is separated from the battery side terminal by a portion of the electrically nonconductive coating.

33. The battery operated system as defined by claim 31, wherein the device charging contact member is offset from the device second contact member toward one of the battery ends.