CA1194102A - Adapter permitting smaller size battery cell to function in large size applications - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT
Adapter for permitting a smaller standard size battery to be used in application requiring dimensionally larger standard size battery cells, The adapter can be economically formed of plastic and is intended to permit an AA size cell to be used in C and D
cell applications or a C size battery to be used in D cell applications and a specially arranged matallic contact is pro-vided at one end in conjunction with a stop member which prevents the repeated insertions of the AA size cell from crushing a resilient member integrally formed with the electrical contact member. The adapter can be formed in two halves and can be secured together by means of an outer label, thereby eliminating the necessity for glues and adhesives to hold the halves together.

Description

3 L~
ADAPT~P~ PEKMIrlrIN~ SL~iL~LLEE' ~IZE BATTERY CELL
ro ~-~NCTION IN LA-K~EX ~I7~ APPLICATIONS

~A(KG~UND OF T~IE INVEi~TIO~

The presenc invention rela~es to bat.ery adapters and, specifically, to adapters ~or perrnitting a small size recharge-able bat~ery ~o oe used in applications where it is eleccrica]ly accepcable but is too smaLl dilrlensionally Ba~Lery adapters have been ~nown for some cime but generaLly have been întended for use wiLh nonstandard size batteries ~ar~icuïarly, this known type of adap~er has been intended for use with cnose rechargeable batteries known as '~sub-C" cellsO
Such adapters are shown in U~S paten~ 3,6~4,583 and U S patent 4,~37,U2~ These prior arc adapters typically nave been charac-cerized by a con~plicated configuration of internal struts and sup~ort members necessary to capture and to support the cell and also by a mechanically eomplex electricaL contact which is needed in order to make electrical conLact ac .he standard clirnensional points typicaL of the battery size being simulated U S patent 3,969,14~ by the presenL inventor relates to an adapter that is intended to be used with eonventional size batLeries other than the nonstandard ~ISUD-C~l cell size This adapter has proven to be a commerciaLly successfuL idea, however, various drawb~cks in marlufacLurin~ and production have been found, nol che leasL of which is the manner in which the eLectrical contacL IllUSt be made when adapting an AA size cell to a D size cell application ~Rl~F SUML~ilAKY ~ V~

The present invencion provides a specia'L;7.ed aclapter parti-cularly irltendecl ~o permit rechar~abie AA si2e batteries to be used for both C s'ze appiications and :~ size applicationsO
Additional'ly, Lhe inven~ive adapLer has a speciaiLy constructecl contacc member to be usecl whel~ t'rle AA size is being adapted .-o ~he ~ si.ze. 'l'he presenL inventiorl :i.s speciflcally desi~ned to be econorïlically manufacturea irom p:Lastic materials us:ing either che extrusion process or cne :inJecLion nloldin~ process.

An additional feature .is Lne use o~ an ;ntegral.ly formed stop rneans aL the botLom of ~r~e D size aclapte1^ adjacent tne elecLrica] contact nlernber that acts ~o preven~ th:is e:Lectrical contact member from bein~ crushed and losin~ :its resiL:i.ency recluired Lo obtain a wipin~ actiun of che batcery contacis during repeated insertions of the AA si.ze cell.

Accordinv:Ly~ iL is an objecL o~ Lhe present invention to provide a baLLery adapcer Eor adap~ a standard AA or C size cell to nluLCl.p:Le appiicaLions requir:in~ larger standard si.ze cel:L.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a baLtery adapLer which can be inanufacLured econo~lica:Lly.

It is ye~. another object of the presenc i.nvention to provide a baLtery adapter fornled :in Lwo se~n~en.s securecl Lo~eLiler by an oucer circun~ferenLial wrapper.

The inanner in which ~hese ancl other objects are achieved by the present invenLion will becolne clear from the fol:Lowing detaiLed descripLion of the inventi.on.

~ 3 ._ E' L)I~SCRIPTIO~ 0~' T.~ P~AIJI~G~

Fi~. l is a perspective oE an AA size batcery ce:L I, an inventive C size adapter, and an inven~.ive ~ size adayter in juxtaposi~ion;

Fig. 2 is a perspective in cross secti.on of the inventi~e C
si~e adapter .aken alon~ seCLion lines 2-2 of F;g. 1;

Fig. 3 is a ~erspective in cross section of ~he i.nvenLive D
size adap~er of Fi~. l taken along section lines 3-3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a perspective of the inventive spring contact element;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of an aLternate embodiment of th inven~i.ve adapcer;

Fi~. 6 is a side e:Levation in cross section of the adapter of Fig. 5 taken along section lines ~-~; and Fig. 7 is a top plan view of an end element for use in the alternate embodiment of Fig. 6.

~TAlLEI) DESC~IPTIOl~ OF THE INV~'NTlON
. . . _ . .

Turning now to Fi~ the adapters of the present inventi.on are shown in exp.Locled relationship with respecl to a convent.i.oncl:l battery. Specifi.cally, ~he bat~ery l~ is a conventiona:L AA s:ize cell havin~ a positive electrical contact buLton 14. The boctom surface, not shown but indicated at l6, represents the negative terminal.. The AA size cell 12 i.s ~o be inserted into either open end 18 or l9 of ~:he C sLze adapter '~U. A stand~rd C size battery is t'ile same lengtll as an AA size cell and only the diameter differs, therefore, no additional electrical c.on~.acc arrangement is recluired and the AA cell 12 can 'be i.nserted into either end oE
~he C cell adapter 20. ITI this parcicular embodiment, when ~ ~ 9 a~ 3~

adap.in~ the AA size ~o a ~ size cel-l a further adapter for the D
ceLl is provided and in thaL situ~tion the AA size ceLl 12 is slipi)e~l into eiLher end 1~ or 19 of the C size adapter 20 and that combinacion is inserLed in~o openinC, 22 of ihe inventive cell adap~er 24. ~ecause ~:he ~ ceLl is physical'Ly lonj~er than eiLher an AA or a C, a speciaL contac~ arranc~,erl-lerlt (not shown in Fig. 1) is provided al- che end 26 of the D cell adapter tha~
corresponds .o ~he neci,aLive .erminal 16 of the AA size battery 'l'~. A:L~hou~h this embodi~nent enlploys an intermedia~e adapLer 20, ~he ~ celL a~ap~er 24 can be dirilensioned in keeping with Lhe presenL invelltion to accept directly an AA cel1 12.

Fi~. 2 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of ~he C
celi adapter ~0 of Fi~. 1. This particu~Lar e~nbodiment is intended co be injection Inolded of styrene pLastic and only one hal 40 of he entire adapter is shown in Fig. 2. Th:is adapter haLf 40 is whaL rni~hL be considered Lhe female hal~ of the adapter and has holes or recepLacïes shown typicaLly at: 42, into which corres-pondin~ ~egs or posts in the opposite adapter half (not sho~n~
are inserLed. T'ne AA size battery 12 is retained in the elnbodilllent of E':iC~. 2 by means of inLernaLly arranged retainers, two of which are shown at 44 and 46. The openinO 18 of Fig. 1, which is formed by each half of the adapt~r having semicircu'Lar OPeninOS LS of a diameter "d" sLic~htly larcier than Lhe typicaL
diarneLer of an AA cell. This slight oversize is necessary in c.rder to accomoc~ate battery manufacturinO tolerances and also to Lake into account variations in batLery dial-neLers presented by ~he Larc,e nunlber of i~attery manu~acl;urers. In ~he emboclimen~ of r'.L~. 2, Lhe reLainers 44, 46 are formed havirlc, comb-like ~eeth 4~, .he upper surface 50 ol' each tooth cominC, into contact wi~h tne ou,er cylindricaL surface OL the baLLery. The surfaces 50 define a cylinder whicll is slic,htly less in diameter than the baLtery dialne.er and, Lhusj are deformed or deflected somewhat upon insertion of the ba^Ltery. AOain, this slight oversize a'Lso Lakes 1nLo accounr baLtery diameter toLerances~ The individua'L
recainer elemenLs need not be ~ormed in a comb-Like fashion but ~hat conEiguration r~erlnits cleflection withouL rigicl or hard plastics. Also, each retainer 44, 46 is radiaL'Iy arranged to li9 ~1~2 prese~ ne proper surface of che imaginary cy.lincier for ho'Ldin~
the ba.rery.

Turninf~ to E'i~. 3~ which is che D celL adap1er 24 of F'ig. 1 cclken in cross sec~ion alonC, 'Iines 3-3, again only one hal~ oE a complete assemb:Ly is shown. This embodlment -is a'lso ini~endecl to be injec~ion mo:Lded of styrene p:iasLic and the Lwo halves jo:i.ned LogeCher to fo~~m a D cel:L adapter. Tnis half 60 rnight ~e consîdered as a male half and is provided with two pet~,s or posts, 62 and b4, which are inser~ed i.nto the correspondi.ng holes or receptacles in ~he female ha:Lf (not shown). The pegs an!l ho'Les retain the bottorn of the adapter in alignment and two elongated flange members 65 and 66 coopera~e with slots or rell.eveci portions on the i.nside oE tne sicle walls of the corresponding ada~ter haLf. These llanges v5, 66 and tne relieved slots in.o whi.ch they fit preven. any relative lateral movement OL the upper portions of ~he adapter halves and, thus, the adapter halves are malnLained in alignment.

Aclapter half 60 is also formed wi~h a semicircu'Lar openi.ng 67 thaL Logether with its counterpart (not sholvn) make up circular opening 22 of adapLer 24 in Fi~. 1. This semicircular opening 67 is provided wiLh a fla~ surface 6~ that again defines a diameter sliohtly larOer than the diamter of a standard C-size ceLl. Corresponding to the internai. arranged retainers 44, 46 of Fig. ~ the adapcer of Fig. 3 provides internal retainers 70 and 72 provided with :interfacing surfaces 74, 76, respect.ive-ly, that con~e into con~ac~ with Lhe ou~er cy:l.inclrica:L surface oE ~tle battery for retaininc~ it.

Because the standard ~ size ce]:l is Lon~er dimensiona'Lly than ,-he standard AA and C s:izes, it is necessary to provide some eans of making electrica'L c:ontact at the negative terminal end 7~ oE Lhis embodimen~. To accompllsh chis a specialized thi.n meta.~ disc havin~ a sprin~ contac, member, shown in detai1 in Fi.~. 4~ is insertecl into a slot ~0 ~ormecl i.n a semicircllLar rim ~'~ at the end of adapter llalE 60 opposite rim 66. The sloc ~0 is also semicirculclr in extent and is of a width only s'Llghcly greater than the thickness of th2 metal contact disc.

The sprin~ contact member is an upraised e'Lement and contacts che negative terminal end 16 of the ~ ce:Ll 12. To prevent the AA cell 12 and C adapler 20 combination rrom crushing the spring contact member when they are inserted into opening 22~
an inner stop or abu~ment surface is provided. This stop is formed of ~wo elements, one of which is seen at 84. The upper surface 8~ of stop 84 serves to locate the end oE the AA ce'll~C
cell combination, so that the positive terminal 14 of the AA cell is sLightly above the end of the D adapter 24 and, thus, available for electrical contact in the same fashion as a standard D cell. The stop 84 is formed as a c~ord of the semicircular adapter 60 of a length less than a diameter oE the adapter and is symmetrically arranged in the semicircular adapter 60. This has the efEecc that when the two halves of the adapter are joined the two complementary tops form a slot therehe~ween.
It is through Lhis slot that the spring contact element protrudes and makes electrica'l contact with the negative terminal 16 of the AA cell 12, or with the negative terminal of a conventiona'l C
cell. Thus, an AA cell may be modified to D si~e by means of a C
size adapter. Alternatively, a C si7e cell may be modified to D
si~e by means of the D size adapter. The stop 84 can be reinforced or supported by a strut 88 which stifEens the stop 84 and prevents deformation. By using a specially constructed spring and having it protrude through the slot a certain distance each time a baLtery is inserted into the adapter the spring is deformed and a wi~ing action takes place, this tends to provide excellent electrical contact. The negative terrninal of the com'bination formed wlth the D cell adapter 24 is provided by the outer flat surface of the disc-shaped contact element. This surface is substantially at the end of the adapter 24 save only for the slight thickness of the end rim outside oE the slot ~0.
This coincides exactly with the end configuration of almost all popular D cell designs.

- 7 ~

heferrinO now ,o i`io. 4, ~he specialLy cons~ruc.ed spring conLacL is shown. T'-lis contacc ~9 is preferabl,y formed of sprinO-tempered brass and may De nlckle plated to prevenL
subsequent corrosion. The contaec ~'3 could alsv be formed of Lin-placed or zinc-pLa~ed sceel. The eontacc is i,nitialLy forl-fled as a flat disc 9~ having a thickness of at least .020 inches and in its fi,nal state has an upraised curved contae+~ eleMent 92 which passes tnrough the Oap or s'iot Eor-n-~ed bwL-ween the bot~-o stops ~4 i,n the construction of ~ig. 3 and makes contaet with Lhe ne~a~iv~ ~erminal of Lhe AA or C size bat~ery. It is this upraised curved element 92 which is arcuately displaced upon insertion of a battery and which provides the wiping aetion that yields improved elecLrical contact. This spring contact member 42 is originally in the plane of the f,Lat disc of spring .empered brass. The sprin~ contact member 92 is advanta~eously formed by euttin~ a chree-sided slot 94 in the disc 90 and bending the resuLtant s,r;p to ha,ve a hook-shaped end 96. One method to form the inventive spring conLac~ in this fashion is by means of a punch press and die, whereby ~he spring eonLaet ls struck out from the or:iginal dise. The forming of the sprln~ contact 92 fron Lhe orivina:L dise 90 may be aeeomplished i,n as Illany operacions as deslred, however, the brass is of sueh softness ancl the materiaL
suffieiently thin thaL a single stampin~ operation should be sufieient to form these con~aets. This speeific construction of the spring contact element is intended Lo be used in any of the various embodimenls caught in the present application.

The embodimen~ of Fig. 3 is shown recluiring, the use of a C-sized adapter for use with an ~A size ceLl, however, by ctlangln~ the dimensions of the opening 22, the t~op rim 66, and the internal eiements 70~ 72 the ~ cell adapter can accomodate an AA cell and adapt same LO D celL applicaLions without requ;rinc an intermediate adapLer. The lower portion and spring contact of Lhe ~ eell adapter remain the same.

11 9 ~

~ eferrLrl~ ~ack ~o FlV. 1 each adap.er 2~ and 24 is provided wit-h a wrap-around label ~7, '~ respective'Ly~ As seen in ~'igs. 2 ancl 3, each atlapLer in ~-his embodimenL ;s forrned of two ha-Lves ~haL are joined togeLher to form a con~-~lete functionaJ adapter, ancl in sorn2 cases requiring an a~ldicional eLectricai contact inember. The haives can be cemented Logecher, induct:ion welded, or fasteneci in any conven~ional manner. Mevertheless, ~-he presenc invenLion also conceinplaLes Eorlning each half with positive inLerlockinv nleans, such as peOs/holes and flanges/slots, to preven~ laceral n,isalignn~en~ and then usinc~ the o~l~er identifying label Lo hold the halves ~ogether. The labels 97~ 98 then are sli~htly longer ~han che circurnference of the respec~ive adapter and may be coated wiLh adhesive on the back area. The IabeLs are tighcly wrapped arouncl Lhe ada~ter to form an intevral mechanical structure. 'i'he labeLs C)~, 9~ are shown in Fig. 1 having a striped design and bein~ in slight nlisaligmnenL so as to eMphasize the presence and function of chis circumferential wrapper.

In Fig. 5 an end elevacional view of an alternate ernbodiment 99 of the present invention is shown. SpecificalLy, in this ernbo~iment the ada?ter is intended [o ~,o directly Erolll an AA size cel:l to a V size cell and this embodiment is in~ended co be manufactured by an extrusion process. 'rhus, the outside diameter of ~ne adapcer 100 is ecluaL to the outside diall~eter of a conventional ~ size battery. Arranved interna'lly to this adapter 100 are three angularly arranged ribs 102, 104, and 106. 'rhe inboard edoes of these ribes define an imaC,inary c:ylincler, shown by dashed Line 108, sL:igh~ly srïlaller ~han ~he tlialne~er of a conventional ~A size ceLi.

Since a ~ cell is longer Lhan an AA size ce:l'L it is necessary LO ~rovide a Ineans for lnakirlg electrical contact over this lon~er len~tll, antl reference is had co Fig. 6, which is a cross sec~ion Laken along sec~ion lines 6-6 oE Fig. 5, wherein r-~bs 10'2 and 106 rnay ~e seen. 'rhe Length of each rib 102, 104, ~L~ 9'~6~2 g 106 is approxirna~ely ec~ual in Len~,~h ~o an AA si~e baEcery ancl the acicLicionai lensth of Lhe ~ celL adap~er 10() is then an oper space shown generaily aL 11~. In,o l-his space is placed a spacer 114 shown in a top pLan view in ~iv. 7. The spacer 114 has a thickness or heighl equaL co the clep.h oF ~he open space 112 and nas an ou~er diame~er approxiilia.ely eclual to the cliameLer of the open space 11~. 'I`he sp5icer 114 has an open center area 116 chrou~h which tile upraised spring contacL portion 92 of t'ne rnetal spring contacL member ~9 of Fig. 4 protrudes. The spacer 114 of ~io~ 6 and ti-he contact 89 of Fi~. 4 can be pressed into or cemented or ~lued into the bottonl void 112 of the adapter 100.

It should also be understood chat certain embodiments are shown e-mployin~ a ,wo piece adapter, i.e., employin~ an AA cell ~o a C and then to a ~ celL, however, any and a3] of che embodi-ments may be ciililensioned to go directLy from an AA to a ~ or to use the in.ermedlaLe C ceiL adapter.

It is understood furtner chai tile preceding is presented by way o-f exainple onLy andi is not intended to iir,iit ~Ine scope of the present invention excepL as set forth in the appendecl clairns.

Claims (10)

WHAT I CLAIM IS

1. An adapter for permitting a first standard size battery LO be used in place of a second, larger standard size battery, comprising:

a tubular means of a diameter and length substantially equal to the diameter and length of the second, larger standard size battery;

an opening with one end of said tubular means of a diameter larger than the diameter of the first standard size battery;

support means arranged inside said tubular means for defin-ing an imaginary cylinder smaller in diameter than the cylinder presented by the first standard size battery;

stop means arranged inside said tubular means at a distance from said one end equal to the length of the first standard size battery, said stop means having an aperture formed therein of a size less than the size of the end of the first size battery;

disc-shaped metallic electrical contact means arranged in the second end of said tubular means for presenting an electrical contact surface substantially coplanar with said second end of said tubular means and having a resilient contact means compris-ing a centrally arranged upraised curved strip formed from said disc for protruding through said slot in said stop means for making electrical contact with an end of the first size battery, whereby upon insertion, the first size battery into said opening for a distance to abut said stop means, the combination can be used in place of the second larger size battery.

2. The adapter of claim 1, wherein said metallic electrical contact means is formed of spring tempered brass.

3. The adapter of claim 1, wherein said metallic electrical contact means is formed of tin-plated steel.

4. The adapter of claim 1, wherein said metallic electrical contact means is formed of zinc-plated steel.

5. The adapter of claim 1, wherein said aperture is a slot.

6. The adapter of claim, 1, wherein said tubular means is formed of two complementary longitudinally symmetrical halves affixed together to form said tubular means.

7. The adapter of claim 6, further comprising a label means for circumferentially surrounding said two complementary longi-tudinally symmetrical halves and being adhesively attached there-to so as to cause said halves to be affixed together.

8. The adapter of claim 1, wherein said support means further comprises a plurality of elongate slab-like elements affixed to the inner surface of said tubular means and each having a flat surface defining said imaginary cylinder.

9. The adapter of claim 8, wherein said slab-like elements are formed having a plurality of notches so as to present a serated surface lying on said imaginary cylinder.

10. An adapter for permitting a first size battery to be used in place of a second, larger size battery, comprising:

a tubular means of a diameter and length substantially equal to the diameter and length of the second, larger size battery and having a plurality of elongate longitudinal rib members affixed to the inside of said tubular member each having a flat surface defining an imaginary cylinder of diameter smaller than the diameter of the second larger size battery;

a stop means arranged inside said tubular means at a distance from said one end equal to the length of the first size battery, said stop means having an aperture formed therein of a size less than the size of the end of the first size battery;

and disc-shaped metallic electrical contact surface substan-tially coplanar with the said second end of said tubular means, said contact means including a resilient metallic centrally arranged upraised curved strip formed from said disc for extend-ing through said aperture in said stop means for making electri-cal contact with the end of the first size battery and for providing a wiping action on the contact, whereby upon inserting the first size battery into the opening for a distance to abut said stop means the combination can be used in place of the second, larger size battery.