Small electronic device capable of switching batteries by releasing a battery locking mechanism
First Claim
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1. An electronic device comprising:
- a main body having a plurality of mounting portions;
a plurality of batteries respectively detachably mounted on said plurality of mounting portions;
a plurality of locking means for locking said batteries on their corresponding mounting portions;
a plurality of releasing means for releasing said plurality of locking means while said batteries are mounted on said mounting portions;
first detecting means for detecting whether each of said locking means has been released by its corresponding releasing means;
a switching circuit, including a plurality of first switches, for connecting said plurality of batteries to a power supply node; and
switch control means for controlling said plurality of first switches to that one of the batteries is connected to the power supply node, and for switching from an off state to an on state the first switch corresponding to one of the other batteries when the first detecting means detects that the locking means corresponding to the battery connected to the power supply node is released.
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Abstract
A small electronic device includes first and second locking devices which releasably lock the batteries on a first and second mounting portions, first and second detectors which respectively detect that the locked conditions of first and second locking devices have been released, first and second switches for connecting the first and second batteries to a power supply node. The electronic device also includes a control unit which turns on the first switch to connect the first battery to the power supply node, and switches from an off state to an on state the second switch in response to a detection signal from the first detector.
71 Citations
19 Claims
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1. An electronic device comprising:
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a main body having a plurality of mounting portions; a plurality of batteries respectively detachably mounted on said plurality of mounting portions; a plurality of locking means for locking said batteries on their corresponding mounting portions; a plurality of releasing means for releasing said plurality of locking means while said batteries are mounted on said mounting portions; first detecting means for detecting whether each of said locking means has been released by its corresponding releasing means; a switching circuit, including a plurality of first switches, for connecting said plurality of batteries to a power supply node; and switch control means for controlling said plurality of first switches to that one of the batteries is connected to the power supply node, and for switching from an off state to an on state the first switch corresponding to one of the other batteries when the first detecting means detects that the locking means corresponding to the battery connected to the power supply node is released. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An electronic device comprising:
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a main body having first and second mounting portions; first and second batteries respectively detachably mounted on said first and second mounting portions; first and second locking means for locking said first and second batteries on their corresponding mounting portions; first and second releasing means for releasing said first and second locking means while said first and second batteries are mounted on said mounting portions; detecting means for detecting whether each of said locking means has been released by its corresponding releasing means; and a switching means for switching a power source for said electronic device from one of said first and second batteries to the other battery, when the detecting means detects that the locking means corresponding to said one of said first and second batteries has been released.
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13. A method of switching a battery to be used as a power source of a small electronic device having a plurality of batteries respectively detachably mounted on a corresponding plurality of mounting portions, a plurality of locking members for locking the batteries on the corresponding mounting portions, and a plurality of releasing members for releasing respective ones of the plurality of batteries, comprising the steps of:
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selecting one of the plurality of batteries which are respectively detachably mounted on and releasably locked by the plurality of locking members on the plurality of corresponding mounting portions of the small electronic device, and connecting the mounting portion corresponding to the selected battery to a power supply node; detecting that the respective locking member of the selected battery has been released by its corresponding releasing member while the battery is mounted on said corresponding mounting portion; and connecting the mounting portion corresponding to one of the non-selected batteries to the power supply node. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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15. A portable computer comprising:
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a first battery storing portion having a first terminal; a second battery storing portion having a second terminal; a first battery removably stored in the first battery storing portion, the first battery having a third terminal connecting to the first terminal when the first battery is stored in the first battery storing portion; a second battery removably stored in the second battery storing portion, the second battery having a fourth terminal connecting to the second terminal when the second battery is stored in the second battery storing portion; a voltage converter for converting a battery voltage of one of the first and second batteries into a specified voltage; a first line for connecting or disconnecting the first terminal and the voltage converter; a second line for connecting or disconnecting the second terminal and the voltage converter; a first latch for locking the first battery in the first battery storing portion; a second latch for locking the second battery in the second battery storing portion; a first release member for releasing the first latch; a second release member for releasing the second latch; a first detector for detecting that the first latch has been released by the first release member; a second detector for detecting that the second latch has been released by the second release member; a third detector for detecting that the third terminal of the first battery is disconnected from the first terminal of the first battery storing portion; a fourth detector for detecting that the fourth terminal of the second battery is disconnected from the second terminal of the second battery storing portion; a connection controller for controlling an electrical connection of the first and second lines, the connection controller connecting one of the first and second lines when the first and second detectors detect that both the first and second batteries are respectively locked by the first and second latches, connecting both the first and second lines when the first or the second detector detects that the latch corresponding to the connected line is released by the respective release member, and disconnecting the line corresponding to the released latch when the third or the fourth detector detects that the terminal of the battery corresponding to the released latch is removed from the terminal of the battery storing portion corresponding to the removed battery. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification