Battery holder

Details Battery holder Battery holder

2002-04-11

2003-03-11

Bradley, P. Austin (Department: 2833)

Electrical connectors

Energy cell substitution device including plural contacts or...

C439S620180, C439S680000, C439S830000, C439S867000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06530804

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a battery holder, and particularly to a battery holder mounted on a circuit board of a desktop computer.
2. Description of Related Art
Battery holders are used for holding various forms of batteries, such as back up batteries for rear time clocks in desktop computers. These batteries are typically ½AA batteries for conducting current to a circuit board of a desktop computer on which the holders are mounted. Conventional battery holders are typically disclosed in “Connector Specifier” published on January 1997 and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,211,579, 5,537,022, 5,528,460, 5,395,263 and 5,431,575. A battery holder disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,537,022 is of two-piece configuration including a seat in which a battery is received and a cover snapping over the seat to hold the battery in the seat against removal. However, assembling the cover to the seat is time-consuming. In addition, the seat and the cover are of different configuration due to their distinct functions, thereby requiring different molds to form them. Thus, the manufacturing cost is increased.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,211,579 discloses a battery holder addressing to the problem encountered by the '022 patent. The battery holder is of one-piece configuration comprising an insulating housing having a pair of opposite end walls and a pair of side walls to define a space for securely receiving a battery therein, and a positive and a negative contact respectively fixed adjacent to the end walls. The end walls are spaced from each other along a longitudinal direction of the housing to define an opening having a length which is at least about equal to that of the battery. One of the end walls defines a recess for receiving a negative end of the battery. When the battery is inserted into the space of the housing through the opening along a horizontal direction, a positive end of the battery will first bias a latch projection of the positive contact. Once the battery has been fully inserted into the housing, the positive contact will resiliently urge the battery to move toward the negative contact resulting in the negative end of the battery entering the recess and being brought to electrically abut against the negative contact. Simultaneously, the latch projection of the positive contact overlies the positive end of the battery for holding the battery against removal from the housing. However, incorrect installation of the battery resulted-from negligence will bring a malfunction of the computer. Moreover, once the battery is received and retained in the battery holder, it is difficult to remove the battery from the battery holder.
Hence, an improved battery holder is required to overcome the disadvantages of the related art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, a first object of the present invention is to provide a battery holder which can blindly receive a battery therein, thereby ensuring a correct connection between the battery and corresponding conductive contacts of the battery holder.
A second object of the present invention is to provide a battery holder having particular configuration for facilitating easy removal of a battery therefrom.
In order to achieve the objects set forth, a holder for holding a battery in accordance with the present invention comprises a dielectric housing including a base, a pair of upwardly extending end walls at opposite ends of the base and a pair of upwardly extending side beams located between the end walls, and a pair of conductive contacts retained in the end walls of the housing. One of the end walls defines a keyway in a top surface thereof to communicate with the receiving space for ensuring a blindly correct insertion of a battery. The side beams have inward hooks for holding the battery against removal from the housing. Each contact includes a body portion having spring tabs integrally formed thereon for being interferentially retained in the end wall, an upwardly extending resilient arm projecting into the receiving space for electrically connecting with the battery and a tail portion extending beneath the base for electrically connecting to a circuit board.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5980309 (1999-11-01), Frantz et al.
patent: 6087037 (2000-07-01), Rieder

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