Charger contact

Details Charger contact Charger contact

2002-08-16

2003-12-09

Tso, Edward H. (Department: 2838)

Electricity: battery or capacitor charging or discharging

Cell or battery charger structure

Reexamination Certificate

active

06661196

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND
1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to battery chargers, and more specifically to an electrically-conductive metal contact for delivering power from a power source to a rechargeable battery.
2. Background Art
Battery chargers deliver power from a power source to a rechargeable battery cell. The popular way to connect the charger to the battery is by way of an electrically-conductive metal contact. Referring now to
FIG. 1
, illustrated therein is a typical prior art charger
100
, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. D432,983. The charger
100
, shown here in a top, plan view, includes a pocket
101
that has a set of spring-loaded electrical contacts
102
. The contacts
102
project upward from the bottom of the pocket
101
. When a portable electronic device or rechargeable battery is placed in the pocket, gravity pulls the device or battery against the contacts, thereby ensuring a proper electrical connection.
While this system works well for some portable electronic devices, it does not work well for all of them. For example, the large, industrial radios used by policemen and firemen generally do not have electrical contacts on their bases. The contacts are located on the side of the battery instead. Additionally, these batteries are often too large to lay on their sides to take advantage of the gravity-based system shown in FIG.
1
.
To complicate matters further, these batteries often have recessed contacts, i.e. the contacts are sunken below the outer surface of the battery. The amount of recess varies from battery to battery. As a result of these issues, it is desirable to have a charger capable of charging a battery in a vertical position while accommodating battery contacts of varying recess depths.
One such solution is shown in FIG.
2
. In
FIG. 2
, a battery charger
200
is shown with an electrical contact
202
disposed on the side of the pocket
206
. To accommodate battery contacts of varying recess depths, the contact
202
has been spring loaded by way of a coiled spring
203
placed between the contact
202
and a mechanical stop
204
. In this manner, the contact
202
is capable of protruding through the pocket wall
206
in varying amounts.
The problem with this prior art solution is that if the contact
202
protrudes far enough through the pocket wall
206
to make a sufficient electrical connection with a deeply recessed contact on a battery, the contact
202
may cause interference with a battery
201
when it is inserted into the charger
202
. As shown in
FIG. 2
, the contact
202
interferes with battery insertion at point
205
. Repeated interference with the contact
202
may cause the contact, and thus the charger, to fail.
There is thus a need for an improved contact system that accommodates sidewall connection to battery contacts of varying recess depths.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5506488 (1996-04-01), Leiserson
patent: 5831414 (1998-11-01), Yokota et al.
patent: 5939859 (1999-08-01), Morita
patent: 5999102 (1999-12-01), Mitsul et al.
patent: 6204631 (2001-03-01), Kaiwa et al.

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