Electricity: battery or capacitor charging or discharging – Cell or battery charger structure
Reexamination Certificate
2001-09-19
2003-01-14
Tso, Edward H. (Department: 2838)
Electricity: battery or capacitor charging or discharging
Cell or battery charger structure
Reexamination Certificate
active
06507170
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to containers that hold and electrically connect batteries with power consuming devices, and particularly to battery packs that hold more than one battery.
Typical electrical devices such as clocks, children's toys, flashlights, radios, and the like are powered by one or more batteries. Generally, these devices are powered by conventional, commercially-available, sized/typed batteries, including but not limited to A, AA, AAA, D-cell, 9 volt, and C-cell batteries. These batteries are generally inserted into specially adapted slots/sockets/receptacles within the electrical device. The receptacles themselves are generally designed to accommodate only the specific size/type and number of batteries required to power the particular device. In this manner, the shape and size of the battery receptacle prevents the user from unwittingly using too many, too few, or the wrong size/type of batteries.
Battery receptacles are generally located on the back of or underneath the power consuming device. Replacing the batteries in these receptacles can be a relatively difficult and time-consuming process. In addition, many power-consuming devices such as radios, timepieces, and the like may “lose their memories” or reset when the batteries are removed and must be reprogrammed after the batteries are removed or replaced. It is therefore desirable to avoid having to change batteries or to limit the frequency of battery replacement. Those who use power-consuming devices would therefore welcome a battery pack, which allows for less frequent changing of batteries in a conventional electrical device.
According to the present invention, a battery pack includes a container or case, which contains two or more batteries. The battery pack is formed to be electrically coupled in a parallel circuit to an existing battery receptacle formed to receive fewer batteries than contained in the container of the battery pack. The battery pack includes an adapter, which electrically engages the existing battery receptacle and thereby electrically couples the battery receptacle to the container housing the two or more batteries.
In preferred embodiments, the container is formed to include two or more battery slots for holding the two or more batteries. The batteries are arranged in a parallel circuit, which is in electrical communication with the adapter. A negative and a positive lead extend through the case and the adapter, and engage negative and positive terminals in the battery receptacle, thereby electrically coupling the batteries in a parallel circuit to the power-consuming electrical device.
In this way, the power-consuming device draws power from two or more batteries at the same time. Therefore, the battery pack supplies the electrical device with power for a longer time than a single battery of the same voltage. Therefore, the time between battery replacement is increased. In addition, the battery pack preferably includes a lid, which encloses the batteries within the container.
Additional features and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4818928 (1989-04-01), Schosser
patent: 5204608 (1993-04-01), Koenck
patent: 5260636 (1993-11-01), Leiserson et al.
patent: 5395263 (1995-03-01), Sandell
patent: 5506488 (1996-04-01), Leiserson
patent: 6071639 (2000-06-01), Bryant et al.
patent: 6271644 (2001-08-01), Okada et al.
Koermer Fred
O'Neill Terrence J.
Michael & Best & Friedrich LLP
Quartex
Tso Edward H.
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