JP2005079074A - Battery storing device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a space-saving battery storing device capable of storing either a square-shaped battery or a cylinder-shaped battery selectively. <P>SOLUTION: A concave part T1 for common use in which a square-shaped lithium ion battery BA1 is stored; a battery storing space S composed of an end part fitting concave part T2 formed at a side face T1b of the concave part T1 for common use for enabling an AA type dry battery BA2 to fit into the concave part T1 for common use, into which, one side part of the AA type dry battery BA2 is fitted, and an adjusting member retraction space T3 formed at a part of a bottom face T1c of the concave part T1 for common use; and the adjusting member 24 arranged between the AA type dry battery BA2 stored in the concave part T1 for common use and a side face T1a, which can be moved and stored in the adjusting member retraction space T3; are formed at a battery storing part 22D capable of storing either the square-shaped lithium ion battery BA1 or the AA type dry battery BA2 selectively. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a battery storage device that selectively stores two types of batteries.

  In recent years, a wide variety of small devices that operate on batteries have been commercialized, and the batteries used in these small devices vary depending on the power consumption of the device and the purpose of use.

  For example, electrical appliance remote control devices or alarm clocks, etc., consume very little power, so standardized cylindrical (columnar) dry batteries such as AA and AAA are widely used. It is done.

  On the other hand, in the case of a device with high power consumption, a rechargeable secondary battery (rechargeable battery) is often used. In the case of a device that is required to be small and thin, such as a mobile phone terminal, a rectangular rechargeable battery as described in Patent Document 1 is often used. In addition, in the case of a device that is required to selectively use a commercially available cylindrical dry battery and a rechargeable battery such as a headphone stereo, the rechargeable battery having the same shape and size as the dry battery is used. In particular, AA type dry batteries and rechargeable batteries are often used.

  However, when a cylindrical rechargeable battery can be used and the function for charging is provided in the apparatus, the apparatus becomes large and heavy. This is because it is necessary to incorporate a safety protection circuit for preventing danger such as overcharge in the device.

Therefore, the rechargeable battery is not a cylindrical battery, but a rectangular battery with a built-in safety protection circuit is used so that the rechargeable battery and the cylindrical dry battery can be used selectively. In this case, a dedicated battery storage holder for absorbing the difference in shape between the two is necessary. Since such a battery holder is large in size, the size of the entire apparatus also becomes large.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-177871

  In view of the above problems, the present invention has an object to provide a space-saving battery storage device that can alternatively store and use a rectangular battery and a cylindrical battery. To do.

  The battery storage device according to the present invention includes one or a plurality of cylindrical second batteries and a rectangular parallelepiped first battery having a width dimension larger than a diameter dimension of the second battery. A battery storage device capable of selectively storing any one of the first recess in which the first battery is mounted and the second battery so that the second battery can be disposed in the first recess. A second recess formed on one side surface of the one recess and into which one end of the second battery is fitted; a third recess formed on a part of the bottom surface of the first recess; A battery housing space, and the second battery disposed in the first recess and the side surface facing the side surface of the first recess in which the second recess is formed, and the And an adjustment member that can be moved and stored in the third recess. .

  Preferably, the adjustment member is attached to both side surfaces of the third recess by a shaft rod, and rotates between the first recess and the third recess with the shaft rod as an axis.

  Alternatively, the first battery has both positive and negative terminals on one end face, and the second battery has a positive terminal on one end face and a negative terminal on the other end face. A terminal for contacting one electrode of the second battery is provided on the bottom surface of the second recess, and the second recess of the first recess is formed. A terminal for contacting the other electrode of the second battery is provided on the side surface opposite to the side surface, and the second member of the adjustment member is disposed in the first recess. Terminals for contacting the terminals of both electrodes of the first battery are provided on the side surface facing the bottom surface of the recess.

  Alternatively, the outer dimension in the diameter direction of the second battery is larger than the outer dimension in the thickness direction of the first battery, and the second battery is fitted into the bottom surface of the first recess. A cross-sectional arc-shaped groove is provided.

  According to the present invention, a square battery and a cylindrical battery can be alternatively stored in a small space and used without using a conventional dedicated battery storage holder. .

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of the hand scanner 1, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a comparison between a prismatic lithium ion battery BA1 and an AA dry battery BA2, and FIG. 3 is a battery housing portion 22D of the hand scanner 1. FIG. 4 is a bottom cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the battery storage portion 22D of the hand scanner 1, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the main portion of the hand scanner 1 near the battery storage portion 22D with the battery cover 23 removed. FIG. 6 is a view showing a state in which the prismatic lithium ion battery BA1 is stored in the hand scanner 1, and FIG. 7 is a view showing a state in which the AA dry battery BA2 is stored in the hand scanner 1.

  1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D are a front view, a right side cross-sectional view, a rear view and a bottom view of the hand scanner 1 with the battery lid 23 removed, respectively. The internal structure of the hand scanner 1 is well shown in FIG.

  The hand scanner 1 is a portable type, that is, a handy type scanner device, and is used for reading bar codes or characters, for example. As shown in FIG. 1, the hand scanner 1 includes a casing 2, a main board 3, a power auxiliary circuit 4, a terminal group 5, a sensor 6, a display device 7, and the like.

  The sensor 6 irradiates infrared rays etc. with respect to a reading object, and detects the barcode or character etc. which are drawn on the reading object by receiving the reflected light. The display device 7 displays a bar code or characters that have been read, a message to the operator such as “Standby OK” or “Reading complete”, or an operation screen for setting or confirming an operation mode.

  The main board 3 has a CPU, RAM, ROM for executing control processing of the sensor 6, display device 7, power auxiliary circuit 4, etc., and processing for recognizing barcodes or characters detected by the sensor 6. And a processing circuit are provided.

  The power auxiliary circuit 4 supplies power obtained from the battery stored (set) in the battery storage unit 22D to the main board 3, the sensor 6, the display device 7, and the like. The power auxiliary circuit 4 includes a part of the main board 3 and the like. Further, by connecting to an external power supply line via an AC adapter (not shown), it is possible to charge the rechargeable battery set in the battery housing portion 22D by the power supply auxiliary circuit 4. The hand scanner 1 according to the present embodiment selectively stores either one rechargeable prismatic lithium ion battery BA1 or a pair of AA batteries BA2 connected in series as shown in FIG. Can be used. The voltage of the prismatic lithium ion battery BA1 is approximately 3.7V. The voltage of the AA type dry battery BA2 is 1.5V per one, but since the two are connected in series, a voltage of about 3.0V can be obtained.

  2A shows a comparison of the shape and size of the back surface BA1b of the prismatic lithium ion battery BA1 and the side surface BA2b of the AA dry battery BA2, and FIG. 2B shows the top surface of the prismatic lithium ion battery BA1. A comparison of the shapes and sizes of the end faces BA2a and BA2c with the electrodes of BA1a and AA type dry cell BA2 is shown.

  The rectangular lithium ion battery BA1 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and the edges where the four sides in the length L1 direction are located are rounded. On the upper surface BA1a of the prismatic lithium ion battery BA1, a positive terminal t11, a negative terminal t12, and a thermistor terminal t13 for detecting the internal temperature are provided.

  The width W1 of the prismatic lithium ion battery BA1 is more than twice as large as the width (diameter D2) of the AA battery BA2, and when the two AA batteries BA2 are stored in the battery storage part 22D (see FIG. 7). ) Is slightly larger than the width W2. The thickness H1 of the prismatic lithium ion battery BA1 is smaller than the thickness (diameter D2) of the AA type dry battery BA2. The length L1 of the prismatic lithium ion battery BA1 and the length L2 of the AA dry battery BA2 are substantially the same, or one of them is slightly longer.

  Returning to FIG. 1, the casing 2 includes an upper case 21, a lower case 22, and a battery lid 23. The upper case 21, the lower case 22, and the battery cover 23 are manufactured by injection molding an appropriate synthetic resin, for example, an ABS resin. The upper case 21 and the lower case 22 are fixed by being joined to each other by screws or the like (not shown) after the main board 3 or the like is assembled and the respective edges thereof are brought together.

  The lower case 22 is provided with a battery storage portion 22D having a battery storage space S for selectively storing (setting) one of the two types of batteries. The battery lid 23 is detachably provided so as to close the opening of the battery storage portion 22D. In addition, when setting it as a drip-proof structure, the packing for sealing between the battery cover 23 is provided in the periphery of the opening part of battery storage part 22D in the surface of the lower case 22 as needed.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, two types of battery lids 23 </ b> A and 23 </ b> B are prepared as the battery lid 23. When the prismatic lithium ion battery BA1 is set, the battery cover 23A is used, and when the AA dry battery BA2 is set, the battery cover 23B is used. Auxiliary members 231 are provided at several locations on the back side of the battery lid 23B. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, each auxiliary member 231 is provided with two battery holding portions 231a having arc-shaped edges whose radius is slightly larger than the radius of the AA type dry cell BA2. Thus, the two AA batteries BA2 set in the battery storage unit 22D are held so as not to rattle.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the terminal group 5 is electrically connected to the power auxiliary circuit 4 or the circuit of the main board 3 by contacting the electrodes of the prismatic lithium ion battery BA1 or the AA dry battery BA2. Is. The terminal group 5 includes terminals 51a to 51c for a square lithium ion battery BA1 and terminals 52a to 52d for an AA type dry battery BA2.

  The terminals 51a to 51c are directly soldered and fixed to a printed circuit on the surface of the main board 3, as well shown in FIG. The terminals 52a to 52b are connected to the power auxiliary circuit 4 or the like by appropriate flexible wires, and the terminals 52c to 52d are connected to the power auxiliary circuit 4 or the like by appropriate electric wires or directly. Since the terminal group 5 is connected to the power supply auxiliary circuit 4 or the like in this way, electric power can be obtained from the prismatic lithium ion battery BA1 or the AA dry battery BA2, or the prismatic lithium ion battery BA1 can be charged. It is like that.

  Next, the battery storage unit 22D will be described.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the battery housing portion 22 </ b> D has a battery housing space S surrounded by a part of the lower case 22 and the battery lid 23. The battery housing space S is constituted by four spaces including a common recess T1, an end fitting recess T2, an adjustment member retracting recess T3, and an arc-shaped battery groove T4.

  The shared recess T1 is a space in which the square lithium ion battery BA1 is mounted. The end fitting recess T2 is a space formed in the lower side surface T1b of the common recess T1 so that the AA dry cell BA2 can be disposed in the shared recess T1. That is, one end of the AA type dry battery BA2 is fitted into the end fitting recess T2. The adjusting member retracting recess T3 is a space formed in a part of the bottom surface T1c of the common recess T1 on the upper side of the drawing. The adjusting member retracting recess T3 is a space for storing the adjusting member 24 described later when it is retracted. The arc type battery groove T4 is a space formed by a groove having an arc cross section for mounting about half of the AA type dry battery BA2. That is, the AA type dry battery BA2 is mounted in a space formed by the shared recess T1 and the arc type battery groove T4.

  The battery storage space S will be described in more detail.

  The common recess T1 has a shape and a size that can fit the square lithium ion battery BA1 exactly and is provided in the vicinity of the battery lid 23. As described above, not only the prismatic lithium ion battery BA1 but also a part of the AA dry battery BA2 is accommodated in the common recess T1. That is, it can be said that the shared recess T1 is a shared space (shared space) for the prismatic lithium ion battery BA1 and the AA dry battery BA2.

  On the side surface T1a above the common recess T1, the three terminals 51a described above for making contact with the positive electrode terminal t11, the negative electrode terminal t12, and the thermistor terminal t13 (see FIG. 2) of the prismatic lithium ion battery BA1, respectively. , 51b, 51c are provided.

  The end fitting recess T2 has a width dimension equal to or larger than the width W2 shown in FIG. 2 so that the ends of the two AA batteries BA2 can be fitted. Moreover, it has a width dimension smaller than the width W1 shown in FIG. 2 so that the prismatic lithium ion battery BA1 cannot be fitted into the end fitting recess T2. Therefore, when the prismatic lithium ion battery BA1 is mounted in the shared recess T1, the lower surface of the prismatic lithium ion battery BA1 comes into contact with both sides of the side surface T1b of the shared recess T1, thereby positioning.

  The depth of the end fitting recess T2, that is, the length in the vertical direction in FIG. 3, is the distance from the side surface 24a of the adjustment member 24 to the end fitting recess T2 in FIG. It is determined based on the length L1 of the dry battery BA2. That is, the distance between the side surface 24a of the adjustment member 24 and the bottom surface T2c of the end fitting recess T2 is set to be substantially the same as the length L2 (see FIG. 2) of the AA type dry battery BA2.

  The above-described terminals 52c and 52d for contacting the bottom surface T2c of the end fitting recess T2 with the negative electrode terminal t22 of one AA-type dry battery BA2 and the positive electrode terminal t21 of the other AA-type dry battery BA2, respectively. Is provided.

  Note that the side surface T2b of the end fitting recess T2 on the battery lid 23 side is open.

  The recess T3 for retracting the adjustment member is provided on the side of the bottom surface T1c of the common recess T1 where the adjustment member 24 is disposed. When the prismatic lithium ion battery BA1 is set, FIG. 3A and FIG. As shown to 4 (a), it is the space for retracting the adjustment member 24 from the shared recessed part T1. The bottom surface T3b of the adjustment member retracting recess T3 is provided with a hole T31 for accommodating the terminal 52b described above, which is a spring member.

  The arc-shaped battery groove T4 is provided on the bottom surface T1c of the common recess T1 so as to extend along the direction of the top surface of the hand scanner 1 from the bottom surface T2c of the end fitting recess T2, and a direction perpendicular to that direction. There are two places side by side.

  As shown in FIG. 3 (b), the adjustment member 24 described above is attached at a position close to the upper side surface T1a in the drawing in the common recess T1 so as to be rotatable about the shaft rod 24J protruding on both sides. It has been. In FIG. 3, the adjusting member 24 is not sectioned for easy understanding of its shape.

  The adjustment member 24 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole by molding synthetic resin. As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 5A, thin plate-like spring plate portions 24 b and 24 c are formed on the side surfaces on both sides in the longitudinal direction of the adjustment member 24. The spring plate portions 24b and 24c are connected to the main body portion of the adjustment member 24 at one end and are elastically flexible. The shaft rod 24J described above is formed on the outer surface of the tip of the spring plate portions 24b and 24c so as to protrude. The spring plate portions 24b and 24c are in a state of spreading outward from the side surface of the adjustment member 24 in a free state, and the spring plate portions 24b and 24c are pressed inward by two fingers, and the adjustment member retracting recess T3. The shaft rod 24J is inserted into the hole provided between the both side surfaces. Thereby, the adjustment member 24 is rotatably attached.

  As described above, on the side surface 24a of the adjustment member 24, there are two terminals 52a for making contact with the positive electrode terminal t21 of one AA type dry cell BA2 and the negative electrode terminal t22 of the other AA type dry cell BA2. , 52b are provided.

  In the state shown in FIG. 3 (b), when the AA battery BA2 is set in the battery housing portion 22D, the adjusting member 24 is disposed between the AA battery BA2 and the side surface T1a of the common recess T1. The Rukoto. When the prismatic lithium ion battery BA1 is set, as shown in FIG. 3A, the adjusting member 24 is rotated and retracted in the adjusting member retracting recess T3.

  Next, a procedure for setting the square lithium ion battery BA1 or the AA dry battery BA2 to the hand scanner 1 will be described.

  6A is a rear view showing a state in which the prismatic lithium ion battery BA1 is housed in the hand scanner 1, FIG. 6B is a right side sectional view at that time, and FIG. 6C is a bottom sectional view at that time. FIG. FIG. 7A is a rear view showing a state in which the AA dry battery BA2 is stored in the hand scanner 1, FIG. 7B is a right side cross-sectional view at that time, and FIG. 7C is a bottom cross-sectional view at that time. is there. 6A and 7A show a state in which the battery lid 23 is removed.

  When the prismatic lithium ion battery BA1 is set, the battery lid 23 is removed, and the adjustment member 24 is rotated to retract the adjustment member from the common recess T1 as shown in FIGS. 3 (a) and 4 (a). Retreat to the recess T3. As shown in FIG. 6, the prismatic lithium ion battery BA1 is fitted into the battery housing portion 22D so that the positive terminal t11, the negative terminal t12, and the thermistor terminal t13 are in contact with the terminals 51a, 51b, and 51c, respectively. Store. And battery storage part 22D is closed by battery cover 23A.

  When setting the AA dry battery BA2, remove the battery cover 23 and rotate the adjustment member 24 to the position where the side surface 24a faces the terminals 52c and 52d as shown in FIGS. 3 (b) and 4 (b). Move. The polarity of the AA type dry battery BA2 is confirmed, and the battery is inserted into the battery storage portion 22D and stored as shown in FIG. And battery storage part 22D is closed by battery cover 23B.

  According to the present embodiment, the common part of the space for storing the rectangular battery and the space for storing the cylindrical battery is provided, and the adjustment member 24 can be rotated between the use position and the retracted position. With this configuration, two types of batteries can be selectively and reliably stored and used in a small space. Therefore, the hand scanner 1 can be reduced in size.

  In addition, since the terminals 52a and 52b are retracted from the common recess T1 as the battery storage portion 22D rotates, the prismatic lithium ion battery BA1 and the like are prevented from unexpectedly contacting these terminals.

  Further, since the adjustment member 24 is rotatably attached to the battery housing portion 22D, that is, the main body of the apparatus, it is not necessary to remove the adjustment member 24 even when the square lithium ion battery BA1 is used. There is no risk of losing 24.

  In the present embodiment, the battery lid 23 is properly used depending on the battery to be stored, but one battery lid 23 may be shared. For example, an auxiliary member (for example, sponge) that can be bent or shrunk may be provided on the back surface of the battery lid 23, and the battery may be held by the elastic force or restoring force of the auxiliary member.

  In the present embodiment, the adjustment member 24 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole, but various structures can be adopted. For example, various structures such as a flat surface having a hollow portion, a surface exposed with ribs, a frame shape, or a combination thereof can be employed. Moreover, it can take not only a rectangular parallelepiped shape but also various shapes such as a polygonal column shape and a trapezoidal shape. In addition, various structures, shapes, dimensions, manufacturing methods, and the like other than those described above can be employed for the spring plate portions 24b and 24c and the shaft rod 24J.

  In addition, the configuration of the whole or each part of the hand scanner 1 or the battery storage unit 22D, the shape, size, number, and position of the battery to be stored, the position of the electrode, the position of the battery storage unit 22D in the hand scanner 1, and the like are within the meaning of the present invention. Can be changed accordingly.

  The battery storage unit 22D of the present embodiment can also be applied to devices other than the hand scanner 1. For example, the present invention can be applied to various devices such as a headphone stereo, a telephone or its child device, a radio controlled car, a wireless device, or a video camera.

  The present invention is particularly useful for reducing the size of a device that uses both a rated dry battery and a manufacturer-standard square rechargeable battery.

It is a figure which shows the example of the whole structure of a hand scanner. It is a figure which compares and shows a square lithium ion battery and an AA type dry battery. It is right side sectional drawing which shows the principal part of the battery storage part vicinity of a hand scanner. It is bottom sectional drawing in the battery storage part vicinity of a hand scanner. It is a rear view which shows the principal part of the battery accommodating part vicinity of the state which removed the battery cover. It is a figure which shows the state which accommodated the square-type lithium ion battery. It is a figure which shows the state which accommodated the AA type dry battery.

Explanation of symbols

22D Battery storage (battery storage device)
24J shaft 51a, 51b, 51c terminal 52a, 52b, 52c, 52d terminal BA1 prismatic lithium ion battery (first battery)
BA2 AA size dry cell (second battery)
S Battery storage space T1 Common recess (first recess)
T2 End fitting recess (second recess)
T3 recess for retracting adjustment member (third recess)
T4 Arc type battery groove (groove)

Claims (4)

Either one or a plurality of cylindrical second batteries and a rectangular parallelepiped first battery having a width dimension larger than the diametrical outer dimension of the second battery can be selectively accommodated. A battery storage device,
A first recess in which the first battery is mounted; and a second battery formed on one side of the first recess so that the second battery can be disposed in the first recess. A battery housing space comprising: a second recess into which one end of the first recess is fitted; and a third recess formed in a part of the bottom surface of the first recess.
The second battery disposed in the first recess and the side facing the side of the first recess in which the second recess is formed and moved to the third recess; An adjustment member that can be stored
A battery storage device comprising: The adjustment member is attached to both side surfaces of the third recess by a shaft rod, and rotates between the first recess and the third recess with the shaft rod as an axis.
The battery storage device according to claim 1. The first battery has both positive and negative terminals on one end face, and the second battery has a positive terminal on one end face and a negative terminal on the other end face. ,
The bottom surface of the second recess is provided with a terminal for contacting one electrode of the second battery,
A terminal for contacting the other electrode of the second battery is provided on the side of the first recess opposite to the side where the second recess is formed,
Terminals for contacting the terminals of both electrodes of the first battery are provided on the side surface of the adjustment member that faces the bottom surface of the second recess in the state of being disposed in the first recess. ,
The battery storage device according to claim 1 or 2. The outer dimension in the diameter direction of the second battery is larger than the outer dimension in the thickness direction of the first battery,
The bottom surface of the first recess is provided with an arc-shaped groove for fitting the second battery.
The battery storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

Images