Patent Application
20080095525
A preferred embodiment of the invention is now described in detail. Referring to the drawings, like numbers indicate like parts throughout the views. As used in the description herein and throughout the claims, the following terms take the meanings explicitly associated herein, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise: the meaning of “a,” “an,” and “the” includes plural reference, the meaning of “in” includes “in” and “on.”
Referring now to
In some embodiments, a fuel gauge display 205 is provided. The fuel gauge display may include an optical output. For example, a bank of light emitting diodes (LEDs) 206 may be provided. The LEDs 206 may be actuated by way of a button 207 coupled to a switch 208 disposed on the circuit board 227. The bottom housing 201 may additionally contain vertical walls 209 for holding the cells 202 in place. It may also include screw bosses 210 to hold the battery pack 200 together.
An upper housing 212 is provided. The upper housing 212 includes at least one substantially flat surface for supporting the rotary wheel 214. The upper housing 212 includes screw holes 213 that mate with the screw bosses 210 in the lower housing 201.
The adjustable coupling mechanism comprises two components: a rotary wheel 214 and a rotary wheel guide 216. The rotary wheel 214 is generally a flat disc, preferably having finger grips 217 disposed about the circumference. A protrusion 218 is provided to ensure that the rotary wheel 214 stays within the confines of the rotary wheel guide 216. A threaded screw 222 for mating to a camera tripod mount is disposed in the center of the rotary wheel 214.
The rotary wheel guide 216 includes an aperture 223 into which the protrusion 218 and threaded screw 222 are inserted. The rectangular shape of the aperture 223 allows the rotary wheel to move both side to side and forward to back, so as to accommodate a wide array of camera tripod mount placements. The rotary wheel guide 216 includes slots that allow the edges of the rotary wheel 214 to pass through.
The diameter 219 of the rotary wheel 214 is greater than the width 215 of the upper housing 212. The diameter of the rotary wheel 214 is preferably greater than twice the distance from the edge of the aperture to the opposite edge of the rotary wheel guide 220,221. This ensures that the outer edges of the rotary wheel 214 are always exposed through the slots 224 no matter where the protrusion 218 is within the aperture 223. The result is that a user may twist the rotary wheel 214 from both sides of the pack simultaneously to screw the threaded screw 222 into the tripod mount on a camera.
The rotary wheel guide 216 is preferably coupled to the pack by way of screws 225. Other attachment means could equally be used, including ultrasonic welds, glue, snaps and the like. The housings and guide 201,212,216 are preferably manufactured from injection molded plastic. A suitable material would be ABS plastic or a polycarbonate plastic.
Referring now to
Referring now to
Referring to
The adjustable coupling mechanism includes the rotary wheel 214 supported by the rotary wheel guide 216. The threaded screw 222 is disposed on, and extended upward from, the rotary wheel 214, through the aperture 223 of the rotary wheel guide 216, for mating to a camera tripod mount of the electronic device 502. Thus, the rotary wheel guide 216 positions an upper surface 211 of the rotary wheel guide adjacent to a bottom surface 504 of the electronic device 502. For example, the electrical device may be a digital camera including a camera tripod mount having a threaded cylindrical bore. The threaded screw 222 may couple to the threaded cylindrical bore to support the upper surface 211 of the battery pack 200 to the bottom surface 504 of the digital camera.
In addition to the mechanical coupling between the battery pack 200 and the electronic device 502, an electrical coupling is provided between these components. The electronic device 502, such as a digital camera, may have a power connector 506 so that power sources external to the electric device may provide electrical power to the device. Optionally, the power connector 506 may also be used to supply power to devices external to the electronic device 502.
The battery pack 200 also includes a header 203 for coupling various electronic components of the battery pack, such as the rechargeable cell(s) 202 and/or circuit board 227, to devices external to the battery pack. For example, as shown in
It is desirable to position the header 203 of the battery pack 200 away or remote from the portion of the battery pack 200 that is adjacent to the electronic device 502, such as, the upper surface 211 of the rotary wheel guide 216, when the battery pack and the electronic device are mechanically coupled to each other. For example, as shown in
While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it is clear that the invention is not so limited. Numerous modifications, changes, variations, substitutions, and equivalents will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims. For example, while an exemplary application for the battery pack is for use with digital cameras, it will be clear that the uses are not so limited. For example, the battery pack could equally be used with a video camera, audio recorder, MP3 player and the like.
