Battery holder and dispensing package

• US 8,267,252 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2007
• Issued: 09/18/2012
• 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
• Application Number:
  US11/974,513
• Publication Number:
  US 20080099370A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,803 Days
• Field of Search: 206/703, 206/704, 206/705, 206/461, 206/462, 206/471, 206/477, 206/485, 206/338, 361/151, 224/902, 211/89.01
• 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. In combination, a battery holding and dispensing apparatus for holding and dispensing household batteries, and a plurality of batteries each having a first end, an opposite, second end and a lengthwise body between the first and second ends with an electrical terminal provided on the first end or both ends, with the body being free of electrical terminals, the battery having a lengthwise centerline oriented to intersect centers of the first and second ends, the battery holding and dispensing apparatus comprising:

a first frame including a plurality of compartments, each compartment sized and configured to hold one of said plurality of batteries and having a bottom wall, an open end, and a surrounding sidewall defining a space within the compartment between the open end and the bottom wall and a compartment centerline oriented to intersect a center of the open end and centered in the space defined by the surrounding sidewall, the compartment centerline being collinear with the lengthwise centerline of the battery when inserted into the compartment through the open end, each said surrounding sidewall sized to have a length along said respective compartment centerline that is equal to or greater than a length of a corresponding battery along said battery centerline such that the battery fits in the compartment, said first frame composed of molded plastic; and

a plurality of detents, one detent protruding into a respective open end of each said compartment in order to retain a battery in said compartment, each detent resiliently displaceable from the respective open end to allow removal of the battery from the respective compartment through the respective open end, each detent being composed of molded plastic and formed in unitary fashion with the first frame.

2. The combination according to claim 1, wherein said compartments are arranged to hold said batteries oriented side-by-side in parallel.

3. The combination according to claim 1, wherein said frame is composed of a luminescent plastic.

4. The combination according to claim 1, further comprising a container having a lid, said container sized to fit within one of said compartments.

5. The combination according to claim 1, wherein each of said compartments comprise a bottom wall having an opening exposing a bottom portion of a battery within said compartment.

6. The combination according to claim 1, wherein said compartments include at least one opening through a sidewall thereof.

7. The combination according to claim 1, wherein said frame is elongated and sized to be held in a user'"'"'s hand.

8. The combination according to claim 1, wherein opposite ends of each compartment are open and sized to pass a battery therethrough, and said plurality of detents comprises a detent adjacent each end protruding into said compartment, said battery retained in said compartment by said detents.

9. The combination according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said compartments comprises a lid.

10. The combination according to claim 1, wherein said compartments are of varying sizes to accommodate a collection of batteries a various battery sizes.

11. The combination according to claim 1, wherein said each compartment comprises a bottom with an opening to accommodate a protruding terminal of a battery fit within said compartment.

12. The combination according to claim 1, wherein each said compartment comprises an external rounded sidewall having a contour substantially parallel to an outside contour of a battery held therein.

13. The combination according to claim 12, wherein said external rounded sidewall includes an opening, wherein a user'"'"'s finger can contact a battery within said compartment through said opening.

14. The combination according to claim 1, further comprising a second frame, said second frame including a plurality of compartments, each compartment sized and configured to hold a battery, each compartment including a means for releasably holding a battery within the compartment;

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

15. The combination according to claim 14, comprising a first engagement means on said first frame and a second engaging means on said second frame, said first and second engagement means for mutual engagement to releasably connect said first frame to said second frame.

16. The combination according to claim 1, comprising at least one lamp carried by said first frame, and a conductor pair connecting said lamp to a battery carried by said first frame.

17. The combination according to claim 16, comprising a switch connected in series to one of said conductors.

18. The combination according to claim 17, wherein said conductor pair are embedded into a bottom wall of said first frame.

19. The combination according to claim 17, wherein said lamp comprises an LED and is located within a void between compartments.

20. The combination according to claim 16 wherein said lamp and said conductor pair are carried on a sub frame that is sized to be removably carried by said frame.

21. The combination according to claim 20, comprising a switch connected in series to one of said conductors.

22. The combination according to claim 20, wherein said conductor pair are embedded into a bottom wall of said sub frame.

23. The combination according to claim 22, wherein said lamp comprises an LED.

24. In combination, a battery holding and dispensing apparatus for holding and dispensing household batteries, a plurality of batteries, each having a first end, an opposite second end and a lengthwise body between the first and second ends with an electrical terminal provided on the first end or both ends with the body being free of electrical terminals, the battery having a lengthwise centerline oriented to intersect centers of the first and second ends, the battery holding and dispensing apparatus comprising:

a first frame including a plurality of compartments, each compartment sized to contain one battery of said plurality of batteries therein and having a sidewall to hold said one battery with longitudinal centerline of the one battery in the compartment held in an upright orientation, each sidewall having an opening wherein a user can touch with a finger the one battery held in the compartment through the opening to ascertain a battery size, and the compartment having a top opening for dispensing of the one battery in a direction parallel to the lengthwise centerline of the one battery,

the first frame being composed of a unitary injection molded plastic and having a protrusion into each compartment to retain a battery therein.

25. The combination according to claim 24, wherein said compartments are arranged to hold said batteries oriented side-by-side in parallel.

26. The combination according to claim 24, wherein each protrusion comprises a detent protruding into the top opening of said compartment, said detent resiliently displaceable from said top opening to allow removal of said battery from said compartments through said top opening.

27. The combination according to claim 24, wherein said frame is composed of a luminescent plastic.

28. The combination according to claim 24, further comprising a container having a lid, said container sized to fit within one of said compartments.

29. The combination according to claim 24, wherein said compartments comprise a bottom wall having an open area exposing a bottom portion of a battery within said compartment.

30. The combination according to claim 29, wherein said compartments each include at least one opening through a sidewall thereof that is contiguous with said open area.

31. The combination according to claim 24, wherein said frame is elongated and sized to be held in a user'"'"'s hand.

32. In combination, a battery holding and dispensing apparatus for holding and dispensing household batteries, a plurality of batteries, each having a first end, an opposite second end and a lengthwise body between the first and second ends with an electrical terminal provided on the first end or both ends with the body being free of electrical terminals, the battery having a lengthwise centerline oriented to intersect centers of the first and second ends, the battery holding and dispensing apparatus comprising:

a first rigid plastic frame, said first rigid frame including a plurality of compartments, each compartment having a first wall thickness and sized and configured to hold a single battery of said plurality of batteries completely therein and separated from the respective other compartments, each compartment including a top opening and a bottom opening, said bottom opening allowing a user to push said single battery with a finger toward said top opening, the compartments each having a compartment vertical centerline intersecting a center of the top opening, the compartment vertical centerline is aligned with the single battery lengthwise centerline such that the single battery is pushed through the compartment in a direction parallel to the battery lengthwise centerline, the compartment vertical centerlines in the rigid plastic frame all being parallel; and

a first membrane covering said top opening, said first membrane having a second wall 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 single battery through or past the first membrane, said first wall thickness being thicker than said second wall thickness.

33. The combination according to claim 32, wherein said compartments are arranged to hold said batteries oriented side-by-side in parallel.

34. The combination according to claim 32, further comprising a second membrane covering said bottom opening, said second membrane having a thickness that allows the user'"'"'s finger to push the battery through the first membrane.

35. The combination according to claim 34, wherein said second membrane is selected to be able to stretch for a user to press against said battery through a thickness of said second membrane.

36. The combination according to claim 34, wherein said second membrane is selected to be able to break or break away from said frame for a user to press against said battery through the broken said second membrane.

37. The combination according to claim 34, wherein said first membrane comprises a foil material.

38. The combination according to claim 34, wherein said first and second membranes comprise foil material.

39. The combination according to claim 34, wherein said first and second membranes comprise polymer film material.

40. The combination according to claim 36, wherein said first membrane comprises a foil or film material that is breakable and said and second membranes comprises an elastic material.