Battery pack having a plurality of battery slots

• US 6,507,170 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2001
• Issued: 01/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Quartex Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Quartex Incorporated
• Inventors: OʼNeill, Terrence J., Koermer, Fred
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward H.
• Application Number:
  US09/955,927
• Publication Number:
  US 20020036480A1
• Time in Patent Office: 482 Days
• Field of Search: 320/107, 320/110, 320/112, 429/99, 429/100
• US Class Current: 320/107
• 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 50/267 having means for adapting to batteries or cells of different types or different sizes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/503 characterised by the shape of the interconnectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/522 Inorganic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/548 on opposite sides of the cell
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/559 Terminals adapted for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round, elliptic or button cells H01M50/553 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/588 outside the batteries, e.g. incorrect connections of terminals or busbars
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery pack includes a case and an adapter contoured to mate with a battery socket of a power-consuming device. The battery socket is formed to receive an intended, standard-sized battery. The battery pack includes positive and negative leads electrically connecting the adapter to the case and two battery slots formed to receive intended, standard-sized batteries in parallel electrical communication with the positive and the negative leads.

Claims

1. A battery pack for use with battery operated devices having a battery socket for receiving a AA battery, the battery socket having a socket length, a socket width, and spaced-apart positive and negative contacts to engage the positive and negative terminals of the AA battery, the battery pack comprising:

a case formed to include a first battery slot and a second battery slot, each battery slot having a positive and a negative end and being formed to receive the AA battery between the positive and negative end of each slot;

a connector coupled to the case and including spaced-apart positive and negative terminals, the connector having a connector length and a connector width, the connector width and the connector length being substantially similar to the socket length and socket width, respectively, the connector formed to be received by the battery socket with the positive terminal of the connector contacting the positive contact of the battery socket and the negative terminal of the connector contacting the negative contact of the battery socket;

a positive lead electrically connecting the positive end of the first battery slot, the positive end of the second battery slot, and the positive terminal of the connector; and

a negative lead electrically connecting the negative end of the first battery slot, the negative end of the second battery slot, and the negative terminal of the connector.

2. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the case and the connector define a gap extending between the connector and the case and the positive and negative leads span the gap.

3. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the connector is fixedly coupled to the case.

4. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the case includes a third battery slot having a positive and a negative end and being formed to receive a AA battery between the positive and negative ends, and wherein the positive lead is electrically connected to the positive end of the third battery slot and the negative lead is electrically connected to the negative end of the third battery slot.

5. The battery pack of claim 4, wherein the battery socket, the connector, and each of the first, second, and third battery slots includes a longitudinal axis and all of the longitudinal axes are substantially parallel and lie substantially in a single plane.

6. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the battery socket, the connector, and each of the first and second battery slots include a longitudinal axis and all of the longitudinal axes are substantially parallel and lie substantially in a single plane.

7. A battery pack for supplying power to a battery powered device, the battery powered device having a battery socket, the battery socket formed to receive a particular sized battery, the battery pack comprising:

a connector having substantially the same dimensions as the particular sized battery, the connector having a first end and a second end, and being formed to be received in the battery socket;

a battery case coupled to the connector and having a plurality of battery slots, each of the plurality of battery slots having a first slot end and a second slot end and each of the plurality of battery slots being adapted to receive the particular sized battery;

a negative terminal coupled to the first end of the connector and adapted to electrically engage the battery socket;

a positive terminal coupled to the second end of the connector and adapted to electrically engage the battery socket;

a negative lead coupled to the negative terminal and extending into the battery case, the negative lead electrically connecting the first slot end of each of the plurality of battery slots with the negative terminal; and

a positive lead coupled to the positive terminal and extending into the battery case, the positive lead electrically connecting the second slot end of each of the plurality of battery slots with the positive terminal.

8. The battery pack of claim 7, wherein the particular sized battery is a AA battery.

9. The battery pack of claim 7, wherein the battery case is fixedly coupled to the connector.

10. The battery pack of claim 7, wherein the battery socket, the connector, and each of the plurality of battery slots includes a longitudinal axis and all of the longitudinal axes are substantially parallel and lie substantially in a single plane.

11. A battery pack for supplying power to a battery powered device, the battery powered device having a battery socket formed to receive a battery of a first length and a first width, the battery socket including a negative contact to electrically engage the negative end of the battery and a positive contact to electrically engage the positive end of the battery, the positive contact spaced the first length from the negative contact, the battery pack comprising:

a connector having a second width and a positive terminal and a negative terminal spaced the first length apart, the positive terminal adapted to electrically engage the positive contact of the battery socket, and the negative terminal adapted to electrically engage the negative contact of the battery socket, the first and second widths being substantially equal; and

a battery case coupled to the connector and having a plurality of battery slots, each of the plurality of battery slots having a first end and a second end and each of the plurality of battery slots being adapted to receive the battery of the first length, the first ends of the slots electrically connected to the positive terminal, the second ends of the slots electrically connected to the negative terminal.

12. The battery pack of claim 11, wherein the connector is fixedly coupled to the case.

13. The battery pack of claim 11, wherein the battery of the first length is a AA battery.

14. The battery pack of claim 11, wherein the battery socket, the connector, and each of the plurality of battery slots includes a longitudinal axis and all of the longitudinal axes are substantially parallel and lie substantially in a single plane.

15. The battery pack of claim 11, wherein the case and the connector define a gap extending between the connector and the case and the positive and negative leads span the gap.

16. A method of powering a battery powered device with a battery pack, the battery powered device having a battery socket having a positive and a negative contact, the battery socket formed to receive a particular sized battery, the method comprising:

electrically connecting in parallel a plurality of the particular sized battery;

electrically coupling the plurality of the particular sized battery to a connector having a positive and a negative terminal, the positive terminal being electrically coupled to a positive terminal of each of the plurality of the particular sized battery, the negative terminal being electrically coupled to a negative terminal of each of the plurality of the particular sized battery, the connector being formed for insertion into the battery socket; and

inserting the connector into the battery socket with the positive terminal electrically contacting the positive contact and the negative terminal electrically contacting the negative contact.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein each of the plurality of the particular sized battery, the connector, and the battery socket include a longitudinal axis and each is positioned so that the axes are substantially parallel and lie substantially in a single plane.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the particular sized battery is a AA sized battery.