WO2003077400A1

WO2003077400A1 - External battery pack

Info

Publication number: WO2003077400A1
Application number: PCT/KR2003/000468
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jong-Yun You
Original assignee: Reigncom
Priority date: 2002-03-12
Filing date: 2003-03-11
Publication date: 2003-09-18
Also published as: AU2003213440A1; KR100445596B1; KR20030073630A

Abstract

Disclosed is an external battery pack for supplying a slim-designed portable electronic equipment with an external power. The external battery pack includes a case receiving a battery therein, a terminal member electrically contacted with a battery, a power supply line supplying a power outside the case, and a plug member including connection and support plugs. The case is indirectly connected to the case through the power supply line so that the external battery pack can be electrically connected to the player regardless of a shape of the player. The external power is applied to the player through the support plug and simultaneously the external battery pack is supplied with the power for charging the battery through the connection plug.

Description

External Battery Pack

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an external battery pack for portable electronic equipments, and more particularly, to an external battery pack receiving a battery therein as well as connected to a portable audio system or an image-display player to supply a power thereto.

BACKGROUND ART

Generally, portable electronic equipments such as a CD player, cassette tape player, MD player, and PDA use batteries or electricity-charged devices to improve their portability. Yet, available time for use of the portable electronic equipment is limitative since the battery or electricity-charged device has a limited electricity capacity for supply. In order to settle such a problem, some portable electronic equipments use an external battery pack to complement the battery or electricity-charged device. For instance, the CD player includes the external battery pack as a basic option for sale.

FIG. 1 illustrates a disassembled bird's-eye view of an external battery pack and a player according to a related art for explaining assembly of the external battery pack and player.

Referring to FIG. 1, an external battery pack according to a related art includes a case providing a space for receiving a dry cell 16 therein and a sliding door 15 loaded on the case. A user pushes the sliding door 15 upward to open a dry cell receiving space, loads the dry cell 16 thereon, and pushes the sliding door 15 downward to close the dry cell receiving space. Thus, the dry cell 16 is installed in the external battery pack 10. Moreover, the external battery pack 10 includes a coupling screw 13 for the coupling with a player 20. The coupling screw 13 is coupled with or separated from a coupling recess 23 of a body 20 by turning a coupling screw control wheel 14. And, the external battery pack 10 includes a pair of plugs 11 and 12, and is electrically connected to the player 20 through the plugs 11 and 12. The plugs 11 and 12 are connected to connection terminals 21 and 22 of the layer 20 on screw coupling, respectively.

Such an external battery pack includes a battery case having positive and negative terminals and connection plugs for transferring electricity to a player body from the terminals. The external battery pack applied to a portable audio or image-display player according to the related art has the structure of being directly connected to the player body, thereby failing to facilitate installation to variously shaped players. Specifically, a shape of a recent CD player body has a trend of being slim and round, thereby failing to have the related art external battery pack installed at the CD player.

Moreover, most of the conventional external battery packs include sliding or rotating type opening/closing doors. The user should apply a physical force there to open the sliding or rotating type doors, whereby the doors are easy to be broken by the physical force.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the present invention is directed to an external battery pack that substantially obviates one or more of the problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.

An object of the present invention is to provide an external battery pack having a structure enabling to be stably coupled with variously shaped portable electronic equipments.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an external battery pack having a structure enabling to charge a battery received therein on operating by an external power adapter as well as being assembled with a portable electronic equipment to supply power thereto.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an external battery pack having a structure enabling to install an external power adapter therein as well as the external battery pack itself.

Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims thereof as well as the appended drawings .

To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, an external battery pack according to the present invention includes a case, a terminal member, a power supply line, and a plug member. The case receives a battery therein, and the terminal member electrically contacted with the battery to apply a power from the battery is installed inside the case. Different from a conventional external battery pack having a case contacted directly with an electronic equipment, the external battery pack according to the present invention includes the plug member, the power supply line connecting the plug member and the case to each other, whereby the case is indirectly connected to a body of the electronic equipment. Hence, it is able to minimize a part of a portable electronic equipment for being coupled with the external pack as well as develop variously-shaped portable electronic equipments.

The plug member is formed at an end portion of the power supply line and is electrically coupled with the electronic equipment so as to transfer a power between the electronic equipment and the battery. Specifically, the plug member includes a connection plug connecting wires included in the power supply line to the electronic equipment electrically and a support plug arranged near the connection plug and coupled with the electronic equipment to restrict rotation and separation of the connection plug.

The case includes a case body and a door. The case body may include an external cylinder and an internal cylinder inserted in the external cylinder to arrange batteries in series. At least one battery is arranged inside the internal cylinder to construct a battery group.

The terminal member includes a first terminal connected to a first electrode of the battery group and a second terminal connected to a second electrode of the battery group. Preferably, the first terminal is a negative (-) terminal arranged inside the case body, and the second terminal is a positive (+) terminal arranged in the door. Moreover, the second terminal includes a door terminal mounted on an inner surface of the door to be electrically with the second electrode of the battery group and a connection terminal wired along the case body. The door terminal and the connection terminal are separated from each other when the door is opened, and are connected to each other when the door is closed.

In this case, the first terminal may be a spring terminal contacted with the first electrode of the battery group electrically, and the spring terminal is one of a coil spring terminal, a plate spring terminal, and the like. The support plug includes an adapter hole penetrating along an axis line thereof, and a power plug of the external power adapter is electrically connected to the electronic equipment through the adapter hole. The adapter hole has a shape corresponding to that of the power plug of the external power adapter to be stably coupled with the power plug.

The external battery pack according to the present invention can be stably connected to the body of the electronic equipment regardless of the shape of the electronic equipment. On the contrary, the electronic equipment using the external battery pack according to the present invention requires no additional installation surface for installing the external battery pack, thereby enabling to be designed as various forms or shapes.

Specifically, the plug member built in one body of the connection plug enables to connect the external power adapter to the provided support plug. The external battery pack can be connected to the electronic equipment to supply a power thereto, and the external power adapter is connected through the support plug to operate the electronic equipment and simultaneously to charge a rechargeable battery received in the external battery pack with electricity. Hence, a connection hole for connecting an external power source is not necessary to be installed on the player body additionally using the external battery pack, which enables to simplify a power connection structure .

In aspect of the structure of the external battery pack according to the present invention, the door for receiving the battery can be located at a later side or an upper side of the case body.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 illustrates a disassembled bird's-eye view of an external battery pack and a player according to a related art for explaining assembly of the external battery pack and player;

FIG. 2 illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of an external battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the external battery pack in FIG. 2 in part;

FIG. 4 illustrates a bird's-eye view of a disassembly of the external battery pack including a case body, a door, and a push-knob in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 illustrates a cross-sectional view of an assembly of a plug member of the external battery pack in FIG. 2 and a power plug of an external power adapter in part; and

FIG. 6 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a plug member of an external battery pack according to another embodiment of the present invention in part.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings .

FIG. 2 illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of an external battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the external battery pack in FIG. 2 in part, FIG. 4 illustrates a bird' s-eye view of a disassembly of the external battery pack including a case body, a door, and a push-knob in FIG. 2, and FIG. 5 illustrates a cross- sectional view of an assembly of a plug member of the external battery pack in FIG. 2 and a power plug of an external power adapter in part.

Referring to FIGs . 2 to 5, an external battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a case 110, a terminal member 140, a power supply line 150, and a plug member 160.

The case 110 includes a case body 120 and a door 130 installed at an upper end of the case body 120, and a battery B such as a dry cell or a charging battery is installed at or separated from the case body 110 through the door 130.

The case body 120 includes an external cylinder 122 and an internal cylinder 124. The internal cylinder 124 has an inner diameter corresponding to an outer diameter of the battery B, and a pair of cylindrical batteries B are arranged in series in the internal cylinder 124. A connection terminal of a second terminal is wired between the external and internal cylinders 122 and 124 along the case body 120. Even though the case body 120 of the embodiment of the present invention includes the internal and external cylinders, the case body according to the present invention can include at least one or three elements .

The door 130 for covering an opening of the case body 120 is mounted on the upper end of the case body 120. The door 130 includes a door body 132 receiving the upper end of the case body 120 therein in part, a rotating bar 136 protruding from the door body 132, and a latch bar 134 protruding from the door body 132 to confront the rotating bar 136. The latch bar 134 includes a catching sill or hook facing outward.

On an upper portion of the case body 120 formed are a first protrusion 128 protruding from the case body 120 to correspond to the rotating bar 136 and a second protrusion 126 protruding from the case body 120 to correspond to the latch bar 134. A recess is formed at the first protrusion 128 to receive an end portion of the rotating bar 136 in part, and a first hole 129 penetrating both walls of the recess and the end portion of the rotating bar 136 is formed in the first protrusion 128. Hence, a pin 13βa is inserted in the first hole 129 to be a rotating shaft. Thus, the door 130 installed at the first protrusion 128 to operate by the pin coupling is turned around the pin 136a as the shaft to close/open an entrance of the case body 120.

A push knob 125 is loaded on the second protrusion

126. The push knob 125 is loaded on the second protrusion

126 using a pin 127a penetrating a second hole 127 as a rotating shaft. A hook portion 125a corresponding to the hook of the latch bar 134 is formed at an - end portion of the push knob 125. A twist coil spring 125b for pressurizing the hook portion 125a to the case body 120 is inserted between the push knob 125 and the second protrusion 126 to press the push knob 125. The hook portion the latch bar 134 to maintain a locking status of the door. If a user presses a lower end of the push knob 125, the hook portion 125a and the hook of the latch bar 134 are released to open the door 130 simply. Moreover, after the battery is loaded or replaced, just an operation of closing the door 130 facilitates to be locked into the push knob 125. Hence, it is easy to open/close the door 130.

A first terminal corresponding to a first electrode, i.e. a negative (-) electrode, of a battery group is installed on an inner bottom of the case body 120, and the first terminal includes a coil spring terminal 148. The coil spring terminal 148 is electrically contacted with the first electrode of the battery group, and provides the battery group with continuous pressurization to maintain the contact between the batteries. Moreover, when the door 130 is opened, the coil spring terminal 148 pushes the batteries B upward to facilitate to open the door 130. And, the coil spring terminal 148 can be replaced by another spring terminal such as a plate spring terminal and the like.

A second terminal corresponding to a second electrode, i.e. a positive (+) electrode, of the battery group is loaded to confront the first electrode. Specifically, the second terminal includes a door terminal 142 loaded on an inner surface of the door body 132 to be electrically contacted with the second electrode of the battery group and the connection terminal wired along the case body 120. The connection terminal 146 is connected to wires of the power supply line 150, and is inserted between the internal and external cylinders 122 and 124 to be loaded on the case body 120. When the door is closed 130, a connection portion 144 of the door terminal 142 is electrically contacted with the connection terminal 146. When the door 130 is opened, the connection portion 144 of the door terminal 142 is separated from the connection terminal 146.

Meanwhile, pole ribs 138 made of a protruding insulator are formed adjacent to the door terminal 142. The pole ribs 138 are inserted in holes formed at the door terminal 142 to fix/align the door terminal 145 to/with a correct position. And, the pole ribs 138 prevent the negative (-) electrode of the battery from co ing close, thereby enabling to prevent the battery from being loaded wrong.

In order to close the door 130 which is at the open status, the door 130 is revolved to push downward. Then, the hook of the latch bar 134 becomes contacted with the hook portion 125a of the push knob 125, the hook and the hook portion 125 are pushed against each other by two inclined surfaces, which confront each other, of both the hook of the latch bar 134 and the hook portion 125, the latch bar 134 further comes forward to form the hook locking. Hence, the external battery pack according to the present invention enables to open/close the door 130 by the operation of pressing the push knob 125 for opening the door 130 and the other operation of pushing the door 130 downward for closing the door 130. Moreover, the external battery pack 30 includes the plug member 160 at the end portion of the power supply line 150. The plug member 160 includes a connection plug 162 and a support plug 164, and the connection and support plugs 162 and 164 are built in one body of molding. The connection plug 162 is electrically connected to the first and second terminals through the power supply line 150 connected to the lower portion of the case body 120. The connection plug 162 is connected to correspond to a first jack (not shown in the drawing) formed at a player body, and supplies a power between the battery B and a player. Once the plug member 160 is connected to the first jack of the player through the connection plug 67 only, the plug member 160 may be separated from the player with ease by the relative revolution against the player. In order to prevent such separation, the support plug 164 is arranged adjacent to the connection plug 162 is inserted in a second jack (not shown in the drawing) of the player. The second jack is connected to a power plug AP of an external power adapter to supply a power.

Different from the related art external battery pack maintaining a mechanical coupling and forming an electrical connection by being contacted with a later side of the player body, the external battery pack according to the present invention separates the plug member 160 and the case 110 receiving the batteries from each other and connects the plug member 160 and the case 110 to each other through the power supply line 150. And, the plug member 160 is stably coupled with the player body using the connection plug 162 achieving both of the electrical connection and mechanical coupling and the support plug 164 supporting the coupling of the connection plug 162.

Referring to FIG. 5, the support plug 164 includes an adapter hole 164a penetrating along an axis line. A power plug AP of an external power adapter is connected to the second jack through the adapter hole 164a. Namely, the support plug 164 enables to play a role as a plug connector of the external power adapter.

The external battery pack 100 enables to apply an external power thereto using the support plug 164 without installing an additional connector, and freely enables to charge/discharge the batteries received in the external battery pack. In other words, the player can be driven by supplying the player with the power using the battery or batteries received in the external battery pack after the external battery pack has been coupled with the player body. Meanwhile, if it is unable to supply the power anymore since the battery received in the external battery pack is discharged, it is able to supply the external power to drive the player by connecting the power plug of the external power adapter through the support plug of the plug member while the external battery pack is coupled with the player body. Namely, the external battery pack according to the present invention enables to carry out both of operating the player and charging the battery inside simultaneously.

In order to achieve the above-explained operations, i.e. the simultaneous performances of discharging the auxiliary battery, operating the player body, and charging the auxiliary battery, the player body should be equipped with a proper circuit constitution. For instance, the player body should be provided with a circuit constitution for checking whether the external power is applied and a circuit constitution for operating the player by the external power if the external power is applied and simultaneously charging the auxiliary battery. The circuit constitutions, which should be provided inside the player body, can be easily provided using the general technology, have no concern with the elements of the present invention, and fail to characterize the present invention.

In order to charge the auxiliary battery by applying the general external battery pack to the player body having the above-explained circuit constitution of charging/discharging the battery, the player body should be equipped with an additional external power adapter connector to supply the external power. Hence, the advantage of the external battery pack according to the present invention can be fully understood.

FIG. 6 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a plug member of an external battery pack according to another embodiment of the present invention in part. The constitutions and functions of other elements except the support plug 164 can refer to the description of the foregoing embodiment of the present invention, and the corresponding elements use the same names and numerals. Hence, the repetition of the embodiment will be skipped in the following description.

Referring to FIG. 6, a support plug 260 can include a power plug receiving portion coupled with a power plug of an external power adapter and an auxiliary power plug 266 corresponding to a second jack of a player.

The foregoing support plug 164 shown in FIG. 5 has the power plug AP penetrate the adapter hole 164a to be connected to the second jack. Yet, the support plugs 264 and 266 shown in FIG. 6 can adopt the structure of the conventional power plug using the auxiliary power plug 266 and enable to form a sufficient connection even if the power plug of the adapter fails to be long enough to penetrate a plug member 260. And, the power plug receiving portion 264 can have the structure of the conventional second jack.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The external battery pack for the portable electronic equipments according to the present invention can be stably coupled with each of the electronic equipments having various shapes. Specifically, the external battery pack according to the present invention facilitates to be coupled with such an electronic equipment having a circular appearance and a small thickness as a CD player. Moreover, the external battery pack according to the present invention enables to be connected to the external power adapter through the support plug supporting the connection plug, thereby enabling to facilitate the supply of the external power and the charge/discharge of the battery without the installation of the additional connector for applying the external power to the player.

While the present invention has been described and illustrated herein with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers the modifications and variations of this invention that come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. An external battery pack for receiving at least one or more batteries therein and supplying a portable electronic equipment with a power, the external battery pack comprising: a case for receiving the battery; a terminal member loaded inside the case to be electrically contacted with electrodes of the battery; a power supply line including wires connected electrically to the terminal member and a covering material covering the wires; and a plug member at an end portion of the power supply line, the plug member coupled with a player to transfer the power between the player and the battery, the plug member comprising : a connection plug electrically connected to the wires, the connection plug electrically coupled with the player; and a support plug arranged adjacent to the connection plug, the support plug coupled with the player to restrict rotation and separation of the connection plug.

2. The external battery pack of claim 1, the case comprising: a case body for receiving the battery; and a door closing/opening an opening of the case body.

3. The external battery pack of claim 2, the terminal member comprising: a first terminal connected to a first electrode of a battery group consisting of the batteries connected in series, the first terminal electrically connected to one of the wires; and a second terminal connected to a second electrode of the battery group, the second terminal electrically connected to the other one of the wires, wherein the second terminal comprises a door terminal loaded on an inner surface of the door to be electrically contacted with the second terminal of the battery group and a connection terminal wired along the case body to connect the door terminal electrically to the other one of the wires, wherein the door terminal and the connection terminal are separated from each other when the door is opened, and wherein the door terminal and the connection terminal are contacted with each other when the door is closed.

4. The external battery pack of claim 3, the case body comprising: an external cylinder; and an internal cylinder inserted inside the external cylinder to arrange the batteries in series, wherein the connection terminal of the second terminal is wired between the external and internal cylinders along the case body.

5. The external battery pack of claim 3, wherein the first terminal includes a spring terminal loaded on an inner bottom of the case body to be electrically contacted with the first electrode of the battery group and wherein the spring terminal is selected from the group consisting of a coil spring terminal and a plate spring terminal.

6. The external battery pack of claim 1, wherein the support plug includes an adapter hole penetrating along an axis line thereof and wherein a power plug of an external power adapter is electrically connected to the player through the adapter hole.

7. The external battery pack of claim 6, wherein the adapter hole has a shape corresponding to that of the power plug of the external power adapter.