1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a battery pack housing batteries (or a single battery) that can be charged, having the capability to charge those internal batteries via magnetic induction, and provided with output connectors (or a single connector) for optimal use as a portable power source to supply power to externally connected electronic equipment.
2. Description of the Related Art
A battery pack and charging pad (charging stand, charging plate, charging cradle) have been developed to charge batteries housed in the battery pack by transmitting power via magnetic induction from a transmitting coil (power supply coil, primary coil) to a receiving coil (induction coil, secondary coil).
Refer to Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication 2010-98,861.
In the charging apparatus cited in JP 2010-98,861, the charging pad houses a transmitting coil driven by an alternating current (AC) power source, and the battery pack houses a receiving coil that magnetically couples with the transmitting coil. The battery pack also houses circuitry to rectify the AC power induced in the receiving coil and supply that power to the batteries for charging. With this arrangement, the battery pack can be placed on the charging pad to charge the batteries in a contactless (wireless) manner.
A charging system that uses magnetic induction to charge rechargeable batteries in a contactless manner can conveniently charge a battery pack placed on the charging pad without having to make contact connections. Since rechargeable batteries can be charged by wireless power transmission without requiring standardized contact terminals, the system is particularly adaptable for applications such as a coin-operated system available to the general public to charge batteries for a time period set by coin insertion.
The present invention was developed with the object of correcting these types of drawbacks. Thus, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a battery pack with output connectors (or a single connector) that can be connected to, and used to charge portable electronic equipment such as a mobile phone (mobile telephone, cell-phone, cellular telephone), that can charge the internal batteries by wireless power transmission via magnetic induction for reliable charging with no contact resistance problems, and that can rapidly charge the internal rechargeable batteries while limiting battery temperature rise.
The battery pack with output connectors of the present invention is provided with a receiving coil 5 that receives power from a transmitting coil 105 when placed on a charging pad 110 having a transmitting coil 105 that transmits charging power via magnetic induction, internal batteries 1 that are charged by power induced in the receiving coil 5, output connectors 8 for use as a power source to output internal battery 1 power to the outside, a circuit board 4 carrying a charging circuit 50 to charge the internal batteries 1 with power induced in the receiving coil 5, and a casing 2, 62 to house the circuit board 4, the receiving coil 5, and the internal batteries 1. The casing 2, 62 has a planar bottom plate 22, 82 for placement on the charging pad 110, a top plate 21, 81 disposed opposite and separated from the bottom plate 22, 82, and perimeter walls 23, 83 made up of side-walls 23A, 83A and end-panels 23B, 83B along the sides and ends of the bottom plate 22, 82 and top plate 21, 81. Storage space 25, 85 is established in the region enclosed by the bottom plate 22, 82, the top plate 21, 81, and the perimeter walls 23, 83; and the internal batteries 1, the receiving coil 5, and the circuit board 4 are disposed in the storage space 25, 85. The internal batteries 1 are circular cylindrical batteries 1A disposed inside the storage space 25, 85 lying parallel to the bottom plate 22, 82 along the inside surfaces of the side-walls 23A, 83A. The receiving coil 5 is a flat (planar) coil disposed on the inside surface of the bottom plate 22, 82, which is the bottom of the storage space 25, 85. The circuit board 4 is disposed inside the top plate 21, 81 separated from the receiving coil 5, and a heat dissipating region 26, 86 is established inside the battery pack surrounded by the circuit board 4, the receiving coil 5, and the internal batteries 1.
The output connectors of the battery pack described above can be connected to portable electronic equipment such as a mobile phone to charge that device. Further, the internal batteries of the battery pack can be charged by wireless power transmission via magnetic induction for reliable charging with no contact resistance concerns. This is because the receiving coil housed in the battery pack magnetically couples with the transmitting coil in the charging pad to transmit power and charge the internal batteries in a contactless manner. This battery pack has the characteristic that the internal rechargeable batteries can be rapidly charged while limiting battery temperature rise. This is because the internal batteries are circular cylindrical batteries disposed in the storage space parallel to the bottom plate on the inside surfaces of the side-walls, the planar receiving coil is disposed at the bottom of the storage space on the inside surface of the bottom plate, and the circuit board is disposed inside the top plate separated from the receiving coil. This arrangement establishes a heat dissipating region that is surrounded by the circuit board, the receiving coil, and the internal batteries. In a battery pack with this structure, heat radiated by the receiving coil and circuit board can be dissipated in the heat dissipating region, thermal coupling between the circular cylindrical internal batteries and the receiving coil can be minimized, and internal battery temperature rise due to heat emitted by the receiving coil and circuit board can be effectively prevented. Reducing internal battery temperature rise achieves the characteristic that temperature-related battery degradation is suppressed allowing rapid charging with high currents to fully-charge the batteries in a short time period.
In the battery pack with output connectors of the present invention, cushion material 7 can be disposed between the receiving coil 5 and the circular cylindrical batteries 1A. In this battery pack, the cushion material can put the receiving coil in close contact with the bottom plate. As a result, when the battery pack is placed on the charging pad, the receiving coil can be put in even closer proximity with the transmitting coil to allow efficient charging of the internal batteries. In addition, since the cushion material blocks heat transfer between the receiving coil and the internal batteries, internal battery temperature rise due to receiving coil heat emission can be prevented in an ideal manner.
In the battery pack with output connectors of the present invention, the circuit board 4 can be disposed below the tops of the internal batteries 1, which is below the level of a line tangent to the tops of the circular cylindrical batteries 1A. In this battery pack, the circuit board can be disposed in the storage space with elements such as a push-button switch and electronic components mounted on its upper surface.
In the battery pack with output connectors of the present invention, the planar receiving coil 5 can be disposed outside the bottoms of the internal batteries 1, which is below the level of a line tangent to the bottoms of the circular cylindrical batteries 1A. In this battery pack, the receiving coil is separated from the circular cylindrical internal batteries to allow further reduction in battery temperature increase due to receiving coil heating.
In the battery pack with output connectors of the present invention, a pair of internal batteries 1 can be disposed in the storage space 25 of the casing 2, and each battery 1 can be disposed in a side of the storage space 25 to establish the heat dissipating region 26 between the pair of internal batteries 1. In this battery pack, since the heat dissipating region is established between two internal batteries, charge capacity can be increased via the two batteries while keeping the casing outline compact.
In the battery pack with output connectors of the present invention, a pair of internal batteries 1 can be disposed in the sides of the casing 2 storage space 25, and the receiving coil 5 can be disposed between peaks at the bottom of the internal batteries 1. In this battery pack, since the receiving coil is disposed between the bottom peaks of the two internal batteries, the receiving coil can be housed at the bottom of the storage space without increasing casing size in the vertical direction (depth).
In the battery pack with output connectors of the present invention, a single internal battery 1 can be disposed in one side of the casing 62 storage space 85, and the heat dissipating region 86 can be established at the side of the internal battery 1. In this battery pack, since the heat dissipating region is surrounded by the receiving coil, the circuit board, the internal battery, and one casing side-wall, the heat dissipating region can dissipate heat even more efficiently. This is because part of the heat dissipating region is coincident with a casing side-wall that can radiate heat to the outside.
In the battery pack with output connectors of the present invention, a push-button switch 16 can be mounted on the upper surface of the circuit board 4, and an operating section 12 to turn the push-button switch 16
ON and OFF can be provided in the top plate 21, 81 of the casing 2, 62 above the push-button switch 16. Since a push-button switch operating section is provided in the top plate of this battery pack, the operator can conveniently activate the push-button switch. The above and further objects of the present invention as well as the features thereof will become more apparent from the following detailed description to be made in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
The following describes embodiments of the present invention based on the figures. However, the following embodiments are merely specific examples of a battery pack with output connectors representative of the technology associated with the present invention, and the battery pack with output connectors of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below. Further, components cited in the claims are in no way limited to the components in the embodiments.
As shown in
(Charging Pad)
As shown in
The charging pad 110 shown in
For an external case 102 with the transmitting coil 105 mounted on the bottom of the upper plate 106, the location of the transmitting coil 105, which is the battery pack 10 placement position, is marked for efficient power transmission from the transmitting coil 105 to the receiving coil 5 via magnetic induction. The upper plate 106 in
Although not illustrated, a charging pad, which moves the transmitting coil along the bottom of the upper plate, detects the position of the receiving coil of a battery pack placed on the upper plate, and moves the transmitting coil in close proximity to the receiving coil. The battery pack does not need to be placed in a specific position on this type of charging pad. This is because the transmitting coil can be moved close to the receiving coil of a battery pack placed in any position on the upper plate to efficiently transmit power via magnetic induction.
To dispose the transmitting coil 105 in horizontal orientation on the bottom of the upper plate 106, a spirally wound planar coil is used. The transmitting coil can be insertion molded to embed it in the upper plate. A charging pad with the transmitting coil insertion molded into the upper plate can be made with an overall thin outline. Further, insertion molding firmly attaches the transmitting coil to the external case, and disposing the transmitting coil close to the top surface of the upper plate reduces the gap between the receiving coil to allow efficient transmission of AC power to the receiving coil. The inductance of the transmitting coil is set to an optimum value depending on the frequency of the AC power. For example, the inductance of a transmitting coil supplied with AC power having a frequency between 100 kHz and 500 kHz is set between tens of μH to several mH. However, the AC power supplied to the transmitting coil is not limited to frequencies in the above range. This is because power can be transmitted to the battery pack via magnetic induction when the transmitting coil is supplied with AC power having frequencies below 100 kHz and above 500 kHz as well. Power can be transmitted efficiently to the receiving coil by magnetic induction using a transmitting coil that has low inductance for high frequency AC power and high inductance for low frequency AC power.
The AC power source 101 converts input power to AC power having the proper frequency for output to the transmitting coil 105. DC power is input to the AC power source 101 from an AC adapter 109, or from a connector such as a USB connector. In addition, commercial AC power can be input to the AC power source, converted to the transmitting coil frequency, and output to the transmitting coil. The AC power source 101 converts input DC or AC power to AC power having the prescribed frequency and voltage for output to the transmitting coil 105. An AC power source 101 that inputs DC power from an AC adapter 109 or connector converts the DC to AC with a DC/AC inverter. An AC power source that inputs commercial AC power converts the input AC to DC with a rectifying circuit, converts the DC output from the rectifying circuit to AC with a DC/AC inverter, and outputs the converted AC to the transmitting coil 105.
The AC power source 101 detects placement of a battery pack 10 on the charging pad 110 or the operator turns ON a power switch (not illustrated) to output AC power to the transmitting coil 105. An AC power source 101 that detects battery pack 10 placement on the charging pad 110 is provided with circuitry (not illustrated) to detect the receiving coil 5 in the battery pack 10. In addition, the AC power source 101 detects full-charge of the batteries 1 housed in the battery pack 10 and stops outputting AC power to the transmitting coil 105. The AC power source 101 detects the change in transmitting coil 105 current to determine full-charge of the internal batteries 1. When the batteries 1 housed in the battery pack 10 reach full-charge, the receiving coil 5 switches to a no-load condition and receiving coil 5 current is essentially cut-off. When receiving coil 5 current cuts-off, transmitting coil 105 current also decreases. Consequently, full-charge of the internal batteries 1 in the battery pack 10 can be determined by detecting a drop in transmitting coil 105 current below a set value.
As shown in
(Casing)
The casing 2 is made up of a plastic upper case 2A and lower case 2B that join to establish storage space 25 inside. The casing 2 of
The bottom plate 22 is formed as a single-piece with the lower case 2B, and the top plate 21 is formed as a single-piece with the upper case 2A. Further, the upper case 2A is formed as a single-piece with the upper halves of the perimeter walls 23, and the lower case 2B is formed as a single-piece with the lower halves of the perimeter walls 23. The upper case 2A and lower case 2B are joined along the boundaries of the upper and lower halves of the perimeter walls 23 establishing the storage space 25 inside. The internal batteries 1, receiving coil 5, and circuit board 4 are disposed inside the storage space 25.
The internal batteries 1, which are circular cylindrical batteries 1A, the planar receiving coil 5, and the circuit board 4 are disposed in the storage space 25 of the casing 2 in a manner that establishes a heat dissipating region 26 within the storage space 25. To establish the heat dissipating region 26, the circular cylindrical batteries 1A are disposed along the inside surfaces of the side-walls 23A lying parallel to the bottom plate 22, the planar receiving coil 5 is disposed at the bottom of the storage space 25 on the inside surface of the bottom plate 22, and the circuit board 4 is disposed separated from the receiving coil 5 inside the top plate 21. Specifically, the receiving coil 5 is disposed at the bottom, the circuit board 4 is disposed at the top, and the circular cylindrical batteries 1A are disposed at the sides of the storage space 25 to form a heat dissipating region 26 that is surrounded by the receiving coil 5, circuit board 4, and internal batteries 1.
(Internal Batteries)
The internal batteries 1 are lithium ion circular cylindrical batteries 1A. The lithium ion batteries can be 18650 circular cylindrical batteries 1A, which are batteries widely adopted in various applications such as the power source for laptop computers. However, the battery pack of the present invention is not limited to use of this type of battery. A battery pack 10 with lithium ion internal batteries 1 can be made with a large charging capacity in a compact outline. The internal batteries can also be any type of rechargeable circular cylindrical batteries other than lithium ion batteries such as nickel-hydride batteries.
(Receiving Coil)
The receiving coil 5 is a planar coil with wire wound in a spiral configuration. The planar receiving coil 5 is wound as a spiral with one or a plurality of layers having an overall disc-shape with a circular outline. The surface of the receiving coil 5 facing the circuit board 4 is covered with a shielding plate 6. The shielding plate 6 shields the circuit board 4 and internal batteries 1 from the AC magnetic field of the receiving coil 5.
(Cushion Material)
The battery pack 10 in
(Circuit Board)
As shown in
(Output Connectors, Input Connector)
As shown in
As shown in
(Charging Circuit)
The charging circuit 50 is provided with a rectifying circuit 51 that rectifies AC induced in the receiving coil 5 converting it to DC, a smoothing capacitor 52A that makes up a smoothing circuit 52 to smooth ripple current in the DC rectified by the rectifying circuit 51, and a charging control circuit 53 that charges the internal batteries 1 with DC smoothed by the smoothing circuit 52.
The charging circuit 50 charges the internal batteries 1 with appropriate voltage and current. The charging circuit 50 in a battery pack 10 with lithium ion internal batteries 1 has a charging control circuit 53 that is a constant voltage-constant current circuit for charging the internal batteries 1 with a constant voltage and a constant current. The charging control circuit in a battery pack with internal batteries such as nickel hydride batteries or alkaline batteries is a constant current circuit.
(Sub-Charging Circuit)
The sub-charging circuit 57 charges the internal batteries 1 with power input from an external power source 120. In a battery pack with lithium ion internal batteries 1, the sub-charging circuit 57 charges the internal batteries 1 via constant voltage-constant current charging. In a battery pack with internal batteries that are nickel hydride or nickel cadmium batteries, the sub-charging circuit charges the internal batteries with constant current charging. Further, when the sub-charging circuit 57 detects full-charge of the internal batteries 1, it halts charging. The battery pack 10 of the figures is provided with an input connector 18 to input power from an external power source 120 to the sub-charging circuit 57. The input connector 18 shown in the figures is a mini- or micro-USB connector 18A. However, any input connector that can input power from an external power source, other than a mini- or micro-USB connector, can also be used. For example, a connector such as the power receptacle for an adapter jack connected to an AC adapter can also be used.
When an external power source 120 is connected to the input connector 18, the sub-charging circuit 57 can detect that connection from input current or voltage. This is because power is supplied from the external power source 120 to the battery pack 10 when the external power source 120 is connected. When power is input from the external power source 120, the sub-charging circuit 57 charges the internal batteries 1 with power from the external power source 120. However, instead of providing a special-purpose input connector dedicated to battery charging, the output connectors can serve both to input external power and to output power to the outside. For example, this type of battery pack can connect the output connectors to the sub-charging circuit or the DC/DC converter via switching, and the output connectors can be connected to either the sub-charging circuit or the DC/DC converter by switch control.
When an external power source 120 is connected to the input connector 18 and the battery pack is placed on the charging pad 110, the battery pack is configured to charge the internal batteries 1 by either the external power source 120 or the charging pad 110. The control circuit 40 in
When the battery pack 10 is placed on the charging pad 110 and an external power source 120 is also connected, the control circuit 40 via the charging selection section 43 controls internal battery 1 charging with either the charging pad 110 or the external power source 120. In the case where the battery pack 10 is placed on the charging pad 110 and the external power source 120 is connected, namely, when the internal batteries 1 can be charged by either the charging pad 110 or the external power source 120, the control circuit 40 preferably charges the internal batteries 1 only with power supplied from the external power source 120 and not with power transmitted from the charging pad 110. However, when the battery pack 10 is placed on the charging pad 110 and the external power source 120 is connected, the internal batteries 1 can also be charged only with power transmitted from the charging pad 110 and not with power supplied from the external power source 120. In that case, the switch 44 is controlled OFF to cut-off power from the sub-charging circuit 57.
The control circuit 40 charging pad detection section 41 detects placement of the battery pack 10 on the charging pad 110, or charging by the charging pad 110. As its power supply voltage, the control circuit 40 operates by power output from the rectifying circuit 51, which converts receiving coil 5 output to DC, and does not operate by power supplied from the internal batteries 1. Specifically, the control circuit 40 does not consume operating power from the internal batteries 1, but rather operates on power supplied by magnetic induction from the charging pad 110. Accordingly, when the battery pack 10 is placed on the charging pad 110, the control circuit 40 is activated and becomes operational. The charging pad detection section 41 detects placement of the battery pack 10 on the charging pad 110 by detecting control circuit 40 activation. This charging pad detection section 41 can detect placement on the charging pad 110 with a simple circuit structure. However, the charging pad detection section could also detect placement on the charging pad by receiving a signal sent from charging pad.
The external power source detection section 42 detects external power source 120 connection or internal battery 1 charging by the external power source 120. The external power source detection section 42 detects external power source 120 connection or charging while contactless charging is in a halted state. Contactless charging is halted by switching OFF the switch 45 connected between the charging circuit 50 and the internal batteries 1. The control circuit 40 holds the switch 45 OFF to halt contactless charging during the time period when external power source 120 connection or charging is being detected.
When the control circuit 40 charging pad detection section 41 detects placement on the charging pad 110 and the external power source detection section 42 detects external power source 120 connection or charging, the charging selection section 43 sends a halt-charging-signal to the charging pad 110 to halt charging by the charging pad 110, and charges the internal batteries 1 with the external power source 120. When the battery pack 10 is not placed on the charging pad 110 and the external power source 120 is connected, the internal batteries 1 are charged by the external power source 120. When the battery pack 10 is not placed on the charging pad 110, there is no need to detect external power source 120 connection or charging with the external power source detection section 42. This is because the internal batteries 1 can be charged under ideal conditions by the external power source 120. Since the external power source detection section 42 only detects external power source 120 connection or charging when the battery pack 10 is placed on the charging pad 110, it is not necessary for the external power source detection section 42 to detect external power source 120 connection or charging when the battery pack 10 is not placed on the charging pad 110. Accordingly, a battery pack 10 that operates the control circuit 40 with power transmitted from the charging pad 110 only activates the control circuit 40 to detect external power source 120 connection and charging. However, the control circuit 40 charging pad detection section 41 and external power source detection section 42 could also be continuously operated to detect placement on the charging pad 110 and external power source 120 connection and charging. When this battery pack 10 is placed on the charging pad 110 and the external power source 120 is not connected, the control circuit 40 charges the internal batteries 1 from the charging pad 110, and when the battery pack 10 is not placed on the charging pad 110 and the external power source 120 is connected, the control circuit 40 charges the internal batteries 1 from the external power source 120.
The control circuit 40 in
The rectifying circuit 51 rectifies AC power induced in the receiving coil 5 and outputs the rectified power to the control circuit 40. The battery pack 10 of
(DC/DC converter)
The DC/DC converter 58 stabilizes and outputs a constant voltage from the charged internal batteries 1. The circuit board 4 shown in the circuit diagram of
As shown in
Further, the protection circuit 47 controls charging and discharging by detecting the voltage of the internal batteries 1. The protection circuit 47 stops charging when battery voltage rises to a maximum voltage, and stops discharging when battery voltage drops to a minimum voltage. If the protection circuit 47 shown in
In the battery pack of
The battery pack shown in
Further, the charging circuit detects full-charge of the internal batteries 1 to halt charging. When the charging circuit 50 detects full-charge of the internal batteries 1, it sends a full-charge-signal to the charging pad 110. The charging pad 110 detects the full-charge-signal and halts charging.
The battery pack shown in
The battery pack 10 shown in
(Casing)
The casing 2 holds the battery assembly 9 inside. The casing 2 in
The upper case 2A and lower case 2B join along the edges of the perimeter walls 23 to form an enclosed structure. The casing 2 of the figures has the upper case 2A and lower case 2B held together with a set screw 13. To enable the set screw 13 to be screwed into and hold the casing 2 together, the lower case 2B is provided with an insertion boss 22a that accepts insertion of the set screw 13 and is formed in single-piece construction protruding from the inside of the bottom plate 22. The upper case 2A is provided with an connection boss 21a that allows the set screw 13 to be screwed in and is formed in single-piece construction protruding from the inside of the top plate 21. The set screw 13 is inserted into the insertion boss 22a from an insertion recess 22b established in the outer surface of the lower case 2B, passed through the lower case 2B, and screwed into the connection boss 21 a to join the upper case 2A and lower case 2B. The perimeter walls 23 of the upper case 2A and lower case 2B can be positively joined at boundary edges by ultrasonic welding, bonding, or by a snap-together structure. Finally, a label 14 is adhered to the surface of the lower case 2B to externally hide the insertion recess 22b where the set screw 13 is inserted.
Further, the lower case 2B in
The casing 2 has two connector windows 28 opened through the end-panel 23B at one end to externally expose a stack of two USB connectors 8A, and a single connector window 28 opened through the end-panel 23B at the other end to expose a single mini- or micro-USB connector 18A. In addition, the upper case 2A has a push-button window 21c opened through the top plate 21 to expose the operating section 12 that activates the push-button switch 16.
(Insulating Holder)
The insulating holder 3 disposes the circuit board 4 towards the top of the pair of circular cylindrical batteries 1A where the gap between the batteries 1 becomes wider, and disposes the output connectors 8 and input connector 18 in the heat dissipating region 26 between the circular cylindrical batteries 1A. As shown in
The circuit board 4 is disposed in a fixed position on the inside of the insulating holder 3, and the two internal batteries 1 are disposed on each side of the insulating holder 3. The insulating holder 3 in
Each opposing side-wall 31 has a planar section 31A near the bottom plate 22 and a curved section 31B near the top plate 21, and one end of the planar section 31A is connected to the connecting plate 32. Specifically, the opposing side-walls 31 in
The circuit board 4 is connected on the inside of the pair of opposing side-walls 31 in an orientation parallel to the connecting plate 32. To hold the circuit board 4 in a fixed position, the pair of opposing side-walls 31 is provided with a pair of retaining ribs 34 positioned on both sides of the circuit board 4 protruding outward beyond the upper surface of the circuit board 4, and with steps 35 and latching hooks 36 on the inside surfaces of the retaining ribs 34. The latching hooks 36 are molded as a single-piece with the insulating holder 3. The edges on both sides of the circuit board 4 are inserted in the steps 35 to hold the circuit board 4 in a fixed position.
Further, as shown in
The temperature sensor 19 openings 39 are established on both sides of the connecting plate 32 in corner regions with the opposing side-walls 31. The temperature sensor 19 leads 19B that pass through the openings 39 are flexible and can bend resiliently. Temperature sensor 19 leads 19B are mounted perpendicular to the circuit board 4, extend vertically along the inside surfaces of the planar sections 31A of opposing side-walls 31, and pass through the openings 39. The temperature sensor 19 leads 19B pass outside the insulating holder 3 openings 39 and are bent towards the surfaces of the internal batteries 1 to put the temperature detection sections 19A in close proximity with the surfaces of the internal batteries 1. Further, the temperature sensor 19 temperature detection sections 19A are pressed by the cushion material 7 disposed between the receiving coil 5 and the circular cylindrical batteries 1A to hold the temperature detection sections 19A in fixed positions thermally coupled with the internal batteries 1. Consequently, temperature detection sections 19A at the ends of the leads 19B, which pass through the openings 39, can be reliably put in contact with, and thermally coupled to the surfaces of the internal batteries 1. However, it is not always necessary to press the temperature detection sections against the internal battery surfaces with cushion material, and the temperature detection sections can also be put in close contact with the internal battery surfaces and thermally coupled to the battery surfaces via thermal paste (such as heat sink paste).
Further, to connect the insulating holder 3 in a fixed position inside the casing 2, the casing 2 and the opposing side-walls 31 are configured to fit together. The top plate 21 of the casing 2 is configured with positioning rails 21b and the opposing side-walls 31 of the insulating holder 3 are configured with positioning grooves 31b. The positioning rails 21b insert into the positioning grooves 31b to dispose the insulating holder 3 in a fixed position inside the casing 2. The positioning grooves 31 b are established in the edges at the ends of the curved sections 31B of the insulating holder 3 opposing side-walls 31 that contact the top plate 21. The insulating holder 3 shown in
In addition, an alignment hole 32a is established in the insulating holder 3 to hold it in a fixed position in the casing 2. The alignment hole 32a is established in the connecting plate 32 of the insulating holder 3. The connecting plate 32 is also provided with an alignment boss 32b formed in single-piece construction protruding from the inside surface of the connecting plate 32, and the alignment hole 32a is established at the center of that alignment boss 32b. The alignment hole 32a disposes the insulating holder 3 in a fixed position inside the casing 2 and is established in a location where the casing 2 insertion boss 22a can pass through it. The casing 2 insertion boss 22a inserts through the alignment hole 32a opened at the center of the alignment boss 32b to dispose the insulating holder 3 in a fixed position inside the casing 2. Accordingly, the inside diameter of the alignment hole 32a is made approximately equal to the outside diameter of the insertion boss 22a to form a structure that can hold the insulating holder 3 in a fixed position inside the casing 2 by inserting the insertion boss 22a through the alignment hole 32a.
As shown in
The push-button switch 16 can also switch the operating state of the DC/DC converter 58. In a battery pack 10 that displays remaining battery capacity and also switches the operating state of the DC/DC converter 58 with ON and OFF signals from the push-button switch 16, remaining capacity can be displayed by quickly pressing the push-button switch 16, and the operating state of the DC/DC converter 58 can be switched by pressing the push-button switch 16 for a longer period. When an ON signal is input from the push-button switch 16 for a period judged to be longer than a set time, the operating state of the DC/DC converter 58 is switched. Since this battery pack 10 can maintain the DC/DC converter 58 in an OFF state when the push-button switch 16 is not held pressed for long period, unnecessary battery consumption can be prevented when portable electronic equipment 130 is not connected to an output connector 8. This is because the DC/DC converter 58 consumes power in the operating state even when portable electronic equipment 130 is not connected as a load.
The insulating holder 3 of the figures is provided with a supporting boss 32c molded in single-piece construction on the connecting plate 32 and located under the push-button switch 16 mounted on the circuit board 4 to support the underside of the circuit board 4. Since this supporting boss 32c configuration supports the circuit board 4 under the push-button switch 16, the push-button switch 16 can be reliably activated by lightly pressing the operating section 12.
The circuit board 4 shown in
(Lead-Plates)
As shown in
Each lead-plate 11 of the figures is configured with a connecting section that joins contact sections that contact the electrode terminals. The first lead-pate 11A is connected to the electrode terminals at the end where the stack of two USB connectors 8A is disposed. To avoid contact with the stack of USB connectors 8A, the connecting section of the first lead-pate 11A bends at the base, has a U-shape that runs around the perimeter of the bottom of the USB connectors 8A, and is disposed on the outside of insulating holder 3 connecting plate 32. Further, a connecting tab 11a on the connecting section of the first lead-pate 11A passes through a slit 38 opened through the insulating holder 3 and is connected to the circuit board 4. The second lead-pate 11B is connected to the electrode terminals at the opposite end from the stack of two USB connectors 8A. To avoid contact with the single mini- or micro-USB connector 18A, the connecting section of the second lead-pate 11B is disposed on the lower part of the end of the insulating holder 3. Further, the connecting section of the second lead-pate 11B has a connecting tab 11a disposed on the bottom surface of the insulating holder 3 connecting plate 32 that bends to pass through another slit 38 established in the insulating holder 3 and connect to the circuit board 4.
(Output Connector, Input Connector)
The output connectors 8 and input connector 18 are mounted on the circuit board 4 and disposed in the heat dissipating region 26 established between the internal batteries 1.
The battery pack 10 of the embodiment described above houses a pair of circular cylindrical batteries 1A inside a casing 2. However, the battery pack of the present invention can also house a single circular cylindrical battery inside a casing. The following describes in detail an embodiment of a battery pack housing a single circular cylindrical battery. In the following embodiment, structural elements that are the same as the previous embodiment have the same label and their detailed description is abbreviated.
The battery pack 60 shown in
The battery pack 60 shown in
(Casing)
The casing 62 is configured with a top plate 81 and bottom plate 82 surrounded by perimeter walls 83 that hold the battery assembly 69 inside. The casing 62 in
The casing 62 of the figures has the upper case 62A and lower case 62B held together with a set screw 13. To enable the set screw 13 to be screwed into and hold the casing 62 together, the lower case 62B is provided with an insertion boss 82a that accepts insertion of the set screw 13 and is formed in single-piece construction protruding from the inside of the bottom plate 82. The upper case 62A is provided with an connection boss 81a that allows the set screw 13 to be screwed in and is formed in single-piece construction protruding from the inside of the top plate 81. The set screw 13 is inserted into the insertion boss 82a from an insertion recess 82b established in the outer surface of the lower case 62B, passed through the lower case 62B, and screwed into the connection boss 81a to join the upper case 62A and lower case 62B. A label 14 is adhered to the surface of the lower case 62B to externally hide the insertion recess 82b where the set screw 13 is inserted.
Further, the lower case 62B in
The casing 62 has a connector window 28 opened through the end-panel 83B at one end to externally expose a USB connector 8A, which is an output connector 8, and a connector window 28 opened through the end-panel 83B at the other end to externally expose a mini- or micro-USB connector 18A, which is an input connector 18. In addition, the upper case 62A has a push-button window 81 c opened through the top plate 81 to expose the push-button switch 16 operating section 12.
(Insulating Holder)
The insulating holder 63 is disposed in one side of the casing 62 between the circular cylindrical battery 1A and the vertical side-wall 83b of the side-walls 83. The insulating holder 63 disposes the circuit board 4 in the outer region where gap between the internal battery 1 and the vertical side-wall 83b becomes wider, and disposes the output connector 8 and input connector 18 in the heat dissipating region 86 inward from the circuit board 4. As shown in
The circuit board 4 is disposed in a fixed position on the inside of the insulating holder 63, and the internal battery 1 is disposed on one side of the insulating holder 63. The insulating holder 63 in
The battery side-wall 91 has a planar section 91A near the bottom plate 82 and a curved section 91B near the top plate 81, and one end of the planar section 91A is connected to the connecting plate 92. Specifically, the battery side-wall 91 shown in
The casing side-wall 90 is an inclined surface that inclines from the bottom plate 82 towards the top plate 81 in a manner that narrows the gap between the insulating holder 63 casing side-wall 90 and the vertical side-wall 83b, which is a side-wall 83A of the casing 62. The bottom plate 81 side of the casing side-wall 90 is connected to the connecting plate 92. Specifically, the casing side-wall 90 shown in
The circuit board 4 is connected on the inside surfaces of the battery side-wall 91 and casing side-wall 90 in an orientation parallel to the connecting plate 92. As shown in
(Lead-Plates)
As shown in
(Output Connector, Input Connector)
The output connector 8 and input connector 18 are mounted on the circuit board 4 and disposed in the heat dissipating region 86 established between the internal battery 1 and the vertical side-wall 83b.
Further, the USB connector 8A shown in
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
2011-88617 | Apr 2011 | JP | national |