Chemistry: electrical current producing apparatus – product – and – Having diverse cells or diverse removable cells in a support...
Patent
1987-09-28
1989-09-05
Kalafut, Stephen J.
Chemistry: electrical current producing apparatus, product, and
Having diverse cells or diverse removable cells in a support...
429 97, 429 99, 429100, H01M 210, H01M 1200
Patent
active
048638129
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention generally relates to battery receptacles and more specifically to an improved battery receptacle which is adapted to be used in a camera, and which is capable of selectively receiving long and short batteries, respectively.
BACKGROUND ART
Recently, lithium batteries which can be quickly charged within a relatively short period of time and which have a relatively long discharge period have been widely employed as power sources, e.g., in electronic cameras.
Lithium batteries have not, however, been used to the exclusion of conventional alkaline-manganese batteries, which are still widely used in a variety of applications including use in electronic cameras. Under these circumstances, in which different types of batteries are now being employed, it has become desirable to provide electronic cameras with a battery receptacle which is adapted to utilize either lithium batteries or alkaline-manganese batteries in a simple and efficient matter.
It is not believed, however, that a battery receptacle which is adapted for such dual usage in cameras has yet been developed. The basic reason for this failure to develop such a battery receptacle is that a lithium battery is generally shorter in height than an alkaline-manganese battery, and has both positive and negative terminals on a single end face; whereas, conventional alkaline-manganese batteries each have a positive terminal on one end face and a negative terminal located along an opposite end face thereof.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide a battery receptacle which is adapted to selectively receive different types of batteries having different heights and different arrangements of positive and negative terminals.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a battery receptacle in which different batteries can be easily and quickly loaded and unloaded from the receptacle, and in which the batteries will be prevented from falling down and/or moving within the receptacle.
In order to achieve these and other objects, in accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, a battery receptacle is provided in which relatively long batteries having positive and negative terminals along opposite end faces, and relatively short batteries having both positive and negative terminals along a single end face, can be selectively and interchangably housed. The receptacle is provided so that it has a housing with a stationary wall for supporting one end face of either a long or a short battery, and a spacer which is provided along a portion of the receptacle housing which is adjacent to the opposite end face of the long or short battery in order to selectively occupy a closed position in which the spacer is located above or around whichever of the batteries is positioned within the receptacle housing, and an open position in which the spacer is retracted from the receptacle housing. The spacer is provided with at least one guide opening through which at least one of the long batteries can be inserted within the receptacle housing, and with an outer lid which is located to the exterior of the spacer in order to open and close the receptacle housing. The stationary wall and the lid are both provided with electrode contacts which are adapted to be brought into contact with respective associated positive and negative terminals on the opposite end faces of the long battery; and at least one of the stationary wall and the spacer are provided with electrical contacts which are adapted to be brought into contact with the positive and negative terminals located at only one end of the short battery.
In a second aspect thereof, the present invention provides for a battery receptacle adapted to selectively receive at least one long battery having positive and negaative terminals on opposite first and second end faces thereof, or at least one short battery having positive and negative terminals on a single end face thereof. The battery receptacle comprises a receptacle ho
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Nomura Katsuhiko
Takaoka Yukio
Ueda Toshiaki
Asahi Kogaku Kogyo K.K.
Kalafut Stephen J.
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