EP4646757A1

EP4646757A1 - Apparatuses for assembling battery assembly, battery devices, and power-consuming devices

Info

Publication number: EP4646757A1
Application number: EP23932730.7A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Fuou LI; Yueming WEN; Yulin Huang; Xiangbiao LI
Original assignee: Zhejiang Pixfra Technology Co Ltd
Current assignee: Zhejiang Pixfra Technology Co Ltd
Priority date: 2023-04-13
Filing date: 2023-10-12
Publication date: 2025-11-12
Also published as: WO2024212459A1; EP4646757A4; CN219959247U

Abstract

An apparatus for assembling a battery assembly. The assembling apparatus is applied in a power-consuming device, the apparatus includes a housing, a support mechanism, and a locking assembly. The support mechanism and the locking assembly are located in the housing. The support mechanism includes a support portion and a locating member, the locating member is connected with the support portion. The housing includes a locating fitting member, and the locating member is detachably connected with the locating fitting member. At least a part of the locking assembly is provided between the support mechanism and the housing, the support portion is elastically connected with the locking assembly.

Description

APPARATUSES FOR ASSEMBLING BATTERY ASSEMBLY, BATTERY DEVICES, AND POWER-CONSUMING DEVICES

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202320861599.2, filed on April 13, 2023, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to the technical field of battery installation of a power-consuming device, and in particular, to an apparatus for assembling a battery assembly, a battery device, and a power-consuming device.

BACKGROUND

For the convenience of handheld power-consuming devices to be carried around, the handheld power-consuming devices are usually powered by batteries. Thus, the reliability of the battery power supply is particularly important when designing products. In addition, to ensure that the power-consuming devices can work continuously, portable batteries are designed to be quickly removed and replaced.
Therefore, the design of the battery needs to take into account the reliability of use, the convenience of disassembly and installation, and the rationality of the design of the battery apparatus.

SUMMARY

One or more embodiments of the present disclosure provide an apparatus for assembling a battery assembly applied in a power-consuming device. The apparatus may include a housing, a support mechanism, and a locking assembly. The support mechanism and the locking assembly may be located in the housing. The support mechanism may include a support portion and a locating member, and the locating member may be connected with the support portion. The housing may include a locating fitting member, and the locating member may be detachably connected with the locating fitting member. At least a part of the locking assembly may be provided between the support mechanism and the housing, the support portion may be elastically connected with the locking assembly.
One embodiment of the present disclosure may provide a battery device including a battery assembly and the assembling apparatus mentioned above. The battery assembly may include a casing and a battery, the battery may be detachably provided on the assembling apparatus through the casing of the battery device.
One or more embodiments of the present disclosure provide a power-consuming device. The power-consuming device may include a main body, a casing of the power-consuming device, and the battery device mentioned above. The casing of the power-consuming device may be detachably connected with the battery device and the main body may be electrically connected with the battery device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present disclosure is further illustrated in terms of exemplary embodiments. These exemplary embodiments are described in detail with reference to according to the drawings. These embodiments are non-limiting exemplary embodiments, in which like reference numerals represent similar structures, and wherein:
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary battery device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary apparatus for assembling a battery assembly of a battery device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary apparatus for assembling a battery assembly according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a section view of another exemplary apparatus for assembling a battery assembly according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;
FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating a cross-section of a locating member and a locating fitting member illustrated in FIG. 4 according to some embodiments in the present disclosure;
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a section view of another exemplary apparatus for assembling a battery assembly according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;
FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating a section view of an exemplary battery device including the apparatus for assembling a battery assembly in FIG. 6; and
FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating partial enlarged view of the section view of the battery device in FIG. 7 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions related to the embodiments of the present disclosure, a brief introduction of the drawings referred to the description of the embodiments is provided below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some examples or embodiments of the present disclosure. Those having ordinary skills in the art, without further creative efforts, may apply the present disclosure to other similar scenarios according to these drawings. Unless obviously obtained from the context or the context illustrates otherwise, the same numeral in the drawings refers to the same structure or operation.
It will be understood that the terms “system, ” “engine, ” “unit, ” “module, ” and/or “block” used herein are one method to distinguish different components, elements, parts, sections, or assemblies of different levels in ascending order. However, the terms may be displaced by other expressions if they may achieve the same purpose.
As used in the disclosure and the appended claims, the singular forms “a, ” “an, ” and “the” include plural referents unless the content clearly dictates otherwise. Generally speaking, the terms "comprise" and "include" only imply that the clearly identified steps and elements are included, and these steps and elements do not constitute an exclusive list, and the method or device may also include other steps or elements.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary battery device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary apparatus for assembling a battery assembly of a battery device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
The battery device 100 as shown in FIG. 1 may be applied in a power-consuming device. The battery device 100 may include a battery assembly 30 and an apparatus for assembling the battery assembly (also referred to as an assembling apparatus for brief) . More descriptions regarding the power-consuming device may be found in related descriptions thereof. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the assembling apparatus may include a housing 10, a support mechanism 20, and a locking assembly 40. The support mechanism 20 and the locking assembly 40 are located in the housing 10. In some embodiments, the support mechanism 20 may include a support portion 21 and a locating member 22, the locating member 22 may be connected with the support portion 21. The housing 10 may include a locating fitting member 12, the locating member 22 may be detachably connected with the locating fitting member 12. In some embodiments, at least one part of the locking assembly 40 may be provided between the support mechanism 20 and the housing 10, and the support portion 21 may be in an elastic connection with the locking assembly 40. The elastic connection refers to the support portion 21 being connected with the locking assembly 40 via an elastic member 42 (as shown in FIG. 3) . More descriptions regarding the elastic connection and the elastic member 42 may be found in related descriptions hereinafter.
The housing 10 may be configured to provide an assembly space for components (such as the support mechanism 20 and the locking assembly 40) inside the assembling apparatus, and support assembled components support mechanism 20 and the battery assembly 30. The housing 10 may be provided in a variety of shapes, such as cylindrical, prismatic, etc., according to needs. In some embodiments, the shape of the housing 10 may be set to match the shape of the battery assembly 30 of the power-consuming device. As used herein, the matching between the shape of a first component and the shape of a second component refers to that the shape of the first component viewed along a direction (e.g., an axial direction of the first component or the second component) conforms with the shape of the second component viewed along the direction, and the size of a cross-section of the first component along the direction is the same as or different from the size of a cross-section of the second component along the direction. For example, the battery assembly 30 is in the shape of a column, and the housing 10 may be set to be in the shape of a column with a diameter larger than the diameter of the battery assembly 30.
In some embodiments, the bottom of the housing 10 may be closed, and the top of the housing 10 may have an opening for assembling the various components (e.g., the support mechanism 20 and the locking assembly 40) of the assembling apparatus, as well as the battery assembly 30, in the housing 10. In some embodiments, the bottom of the housing 10 may not be completely closed, e.g., the bottom of the housing 10 may have the opening for allowing for heat dissipation, etc. Meanwhile, the size of the opening in the bottom of the housing 10 may be smaller than the size of the battery assembly 30 to avoid the battery assembly 30 from coming out of the opening.
In some embodiments, the housing 10 may be made of a plurality of feasible materials, such as plastic, metal, etc.
The support mechanism 20 may be configured to support the battery assembly 30 to enable the battery assembly 30 to be fixed in the assembling apparatus. In some embodiments, the support mechanism 20 may include a component (e.g., the support portion 21) whose shape matches the shape of the battery assembly 30 so that it can fixedly support the battery assembly 30. In some embodiments, the support mechanism 20 may include a support portion 21 and a locating member 22.
The support portion 21 may be configured to exert a support force on the battery assembly 30 by making direct contact with the battery assembly 30. In some embodiments, the shape of the support portion 21 matches the shape of the battery assembly 30. For example, if the battery assembly 30 is cylindrical, the support portion 21 may be curved, and the support portion 21 may encompass at least a part of the battery assembly 30. As another example, if the battery assembly 30 is in a prismatic shape, the support portion 21 may be in a broken-line shape and the support portion 21 may fit a part of the battery assembly 30. By providing the support portion 21 that matches the shape of the battery assembly 30, the support portion 21 may be made to exert a force on the battery assembly 30 well, to support the battery assembly 30 firmly.
The locating member 22 may be configured to lock a location of the support portion 21, thereby defining the location of the battery assembly 30. In some embodiments, after the support portion 21 has moved to a predetermined location (i.e., a location capable of supporting the battery assembly 30) , the location of the support portion 21 is locked by the locating member 22, thereby enabling the support portion 21 to be configured to maintain a stable location of the battery assembly 30. In some embodiments, the location of the locating member 22 may not affect support and limitation of the battery assembly 30 by the support portion 21. For example, the locating member 22 may be provided at an end of the support portion 21, e.g., the locating member 22 may be provided at one or both ends of the support portion 21. In some embodiments, the locating member 22 may be connected with the support portion 21 in a manner, such as bonding, welding, integrally molded, etc. More descriptions for the locating member may be found elsewhere in the present disclosure (e.g., FIG. 3 and the descriptions thereof) .
In some embodiments, the housing 10 may be provided with the locating fitting member 12. The locating fitting member 12 is configured to cooperate with the locating member 22 to lock the support portion 21. It may be understood that the locating fitting member 12 should have a structure that cooperates with the locating member 22 to lock the location of the locating member 22, thereby realizing the limitation on the location of the battery assembly 30.
In some embodiments, a count of the locating fitting member 12 may be the same as a count of the locating member 22, i.e., each locating member 22 may match one locating fitting member 12. In some embodiments, the count of the locating fitting member 12 may be different from the count of the locating member 22. For example, a plurality of locating members 22 may match the same locating fitting member 12, or a plurality of locating fitting members 12 may match the same locating member 22. In some embodiments, the locating fitting member 12 may be connected with the housing 10 in any feasible manner, such as bonding, welding, integrally molded, etc.
In some embodiments, the locating member 22 and the locating fitting member 12 may be locked and unlocked by a detachable connection. The detachable connection may include a snap-fit connection, a hook connection, etc. More descriptions regarding the locating member 22 and the locating fitting member 12 may be found in the description hereinafter.
The locking assembly 40 may be configured to lock the power-consuming device. In some embodiments, the locking assembly 40 may lock or unlock the power-consuming device in a manner of connection, e.g., a snap connection, a threaded connection, etc. In some embodiments, the locking assembly 40 may be at least partially provided between the support mechanism 20 and the housing 10, thereby fully utilizing the space in the housing 10 and allowing for a compact internal structure of the assembling apparatus. In some embodiments, the support portion 21 may be in the elastic connection with the locking assembly 40. The elastic member 42 may provide a spring force for the locking assembly 40, which enables the locking assembly 40 to rebound and enables the locking assembly 40 to lock the power-consuming device after assembling the power-consuming device. Through interactions among components, the reliability of assembling an end product may be improved. The elastic connection refers to the support portion 21 being connected with the locking assembly 40 by the elastic member 42 (as shown in FIG. 3) . More descriptions regarding the elastic connection, the elastic member 42, and the locking assembly 40 may be found in related descriptions hereinafter.
In some embodiments, the count of the support mechanism 20 may be one, and one support mechanism 20 and the housing 10 may form an accommodating groove for holding the battery assembly 30. In some embodiments, the shape of the accommodating groove may match the battery assembly 30 to allow the battery assembly 30 to be fixedly provided in the accommodating groove.
In some embodiments, the count of the locking assembly 40 may be one, and the locking assembly 40 may be provided on a side of the support mechanism 20 away from the accommodating groove, and the power-consuming device may be locked or unlocked by connecting or disconnecting the one locking assembly 40 from the power-consuming device.
In some embodiments, the count of the support mechanisms 20 may be two, the two support mechanisms 20 and the housing 10 may enclose the accommodating groove for holding the battery assembly 30, and the two support mechanisms 20 may be provided opposite to each other to enclose one accommodating groove. In some embodiments, the count of the support mechanism 20 may be more than two, which may be set up in a similar manner as the manner for setting two support mechanisms 20, which may not be repeated herein.
In some embodiments, the count of the locking assembly 40 may be two, and the two locking assemblies 40 may be provided on a side of each of the two support mechanisms 20 away from the accommodating groove, and the power-consuming device may be locked or unlocked by connecting or disconnecting both the two locking assemblies 40 from the power-consuming device. In some embodiments, the count of the locking assembly 40 may be more than two, which are set up in a similar manner as the manner for setting two locking assemblies 40, which may not be repeated herein.
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary apparatus for assembling a battery assembly according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
In some embodiments, the assembly apparatus as shown in FIG. 3 may be a schematic diagram of the assembly apparatus as shown in FIG. 2 with more details. In some embodiments, the assembly apparatus as shown in FIG. 3 may be an exemplary embodiment of the assembly apparatus as shown in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the locating member 22 includes a socket portion connected with the support portion 21 and a hole 23 (also referred to as a locating hole) opened in the socket portion. The locating fitting member 12 includes a post (also referred to as a locating post) . The locating post may be in the form of a strip, and the locating fitting member 12 is detachably connected with the locating member 22 through the locating post passes through the locating hole 23.
In some embodiments, the support mechanism 20 may be provided through the locating post and the locating hole 23, so that the support mechanism 20 and the housing 10 may be fixed without using a direct fixing manner such as screwing and without using an installation tool. Mutual limitations of the support mechanism 20 and the housing 10 may be realized through structures thereof, which not only save installation space, improve the efficiency of production and installation, but also ensure the reliability of end products after assembly.
In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 3, the locating fitting member 12 may include an abutting portion 122, and when the locating member 22 is detachably connected with the locating fitting member 12, the socket portion may abut the abutting portion 122.
In some embodiments, the locating fitting member 12 may further include a connecting portion 121, the connecting portion 121 and the abutting portion 122 form a locating fitting member 12 in a stepped shape, the connecting portion 121 may be provided above the abutting portion 122, and the connecting portion 121 may be configured to pass through the locating hole 23.
In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the abutting portion may be elevated by the abutting portion 122, which may reduce the length of the connecting portion 121 for passing through the locating hole 23, facilitating removing the socket portion from the locating post, thereby improving the speed of disassembling the support mechanism 20 and improving the efficiency of after-sale maintenance.
In some embodiments, the locating member 22 may include the socket portion connected with the support portion 21 and a limiting post connected with the socket portion. The locating fitting member 12 may include a limiting hole, and the locating member 22 may be detachably connected with the locating fitting member 12 through the limiting post passing through the limiting hole.
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a section view of another exemplary apparatus for assembling a battery assembly according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating a cross-section of a locating member and a locating fitting member illustrated in FIG. 4 according to some embodiments in the present disclosure.
In some embodiments, the locating member 22 may include a guiding rod 29 (as shown in FIG. 5) . The locating fitting member 12 may include a slide groove 26. The guiding rod 29 may be slidably provided in the slide groove 26. The guiding rod 29 may be inserted in the slide groove 26. The slide groove 26 may be configured to guide the guiding rod 29. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 5, the locating member 22 may further include an insert element 27, the insert element 27 may be provided on an end of the guiding rod 29, and the insert element may be slidably inserted in the slide groove 26. In some embodiments, the slide groove 26 may be provided with a mounting port, and the insert element 27 may be placed into the slide groove 26 through the mounting port to provide the locating member 22. In some embodiments, the insert element 27 and the guiding rod 29 may be connected using a removable connection (e.g., using a threaded connection, a snap-fit connection, etc. ) , thereby facilitating installation.
In some embodiments, a count of the slide groove 26 may correspond to a count of the support mechanism 20. Merely by way of example, when the count of the support mechanism 20 is two and the count of the locating member 22 is four, the count of the slide groove 26 may be four, i.e., each locating member 22 corresponds to one slide groove 26. Merely by way of example, when the count of support mechanism 20 is two and the count of the locating member 22 is four, the count of the slide groove 26 may be two, i.e., each locating member 22 corresponds to one connected slide groove 26 (as shown in FIG. 4) .
In some embodiments, when assembling the battery assembly 30, the support portion 21 may first be pushed along the slide groove 26 until the support mechanism 20 and the housing 10 enclose an accommodating groove for accommodating the battery assembly 30. After placing the battery assembly 30, the support portion 21 may be loosened, and through elasticity between the support portion 21 and the locking assembly 40, the support portion 21 may clamp the battery assembly 30, thereby realizing assembly.
In some embodiments, the assembling apparatus may further include at least one locating pin 28. The locating pin 28 may include a body portion 282 and a rod portion 281 (denoted by a dotted line) . The rod portion 281 may be threaded in the slide groove 26, and the body portion 282 may include a protrusion relative to the slide groove 26 to limit the movement of the guiding rod 27. In some embodiments, the slide groove 26 may be provided with an insert hole for threading the locating pin 28, and the insert hole may be a blind hole at the bottom of the slide groove 26.
In some embodiments, the locating pin 28 may be cylindrical, the body portion and the rod portion integrally molded to form a cylindrical body of uniform shape. When threaded in the slide groove 26, a part of the locating pin 28 may protrude relative to the slide groove 26 as the depth of the insert hole is less than the length of the locating pin 28. The part of the locating pin 28 may be considered to be the body portion, and the remaining portion of the locating pin 28 may be considered to be the rod portion.
In some embodiments, the locating pin 28 may be in the cylindrical shape, the diameter of the body portion may be greater than the diameter of the rod portion, and the diameter of the insert hole may match the diameter of the rod portion, that is, the diameter of the insert hole may be the same as the diameter of the rod portion, or the diameter of the insert hole may be slightly larger than the diameter of the rod portion so that the body portion of the locating pin 28 may protrude relative to the slide groove 26 when the locating pin 28 is inserted. As used herein, the diameter of the insert hole slightly larger than the diameter of the rod portion refers to a difference between the diameter of the insert hole and the diameter of the rod portion is smaller than a threshold, e.g., 1 millimeter, 0.5 millimeters, 2 millimeters, etc.
In some embodiments, the body portion of the locating pin 28 may block the movement of the insert element 27 within the slide groove, thereby causing the location of the locating member 22 to be locked, so that the locating member 22 serves as a support limit for the battery assembly 30.
In some embodiments, the locating pin 28 may be of any other feasible structure, as long as it may be provided in the slide groove 26 and limit the location of the locating member 22. Merely by way of example, the rod portion of the locating pin 28 may have threads so that the locating pin 28 is screwed into the insert hole.
In some embodiments, the locating pin 28 may be independent of any other structures (i.e., the locating pin 28 may not be fixedly connected with any other structures) and connected with the slide groove 26 through the insert hole. In some embodiments, the locating pin 28 may also be connected with other structures (e.g., the battery assembly 30) to achieve mutual limitation between components and to enhance the stability of the installation. Descriptions regarding a connection of the locating pin 28 with other structures may be found in the descriptions hereinabove.
In some embodiments, the slide groove 26 may be provided with a plurality of insert holes for threading of the locating pin 28, and the locating pin 28 may be inserted into different insert holes according to requirements to be adapted to battery assemblies 30 with different sizes. It should be noted that setting the insert hole may not change the structure of the slide groove 26 and may not affect the guiding effect of the slide groove 26, thus may not affect the movement of the insert element 27 in the slide groove 26.
In some embodiments, structures, and functions of the housing 10, the support portion 21, and an unlocking button 41 shown in FIG. 4 are similar to the same as those in FIGs. 1-3, which may not be described again.
In some embodiments of the present disclosure, by setting the slide groove 26 and the insert element 27 to cooperate with the locating pin 28, mutual limitation of the support mechanism 20 and the housing 10 may be realized to save installation space, thereby improving efficiency of production and installation, and ensuring reliability of end products after assembly.
In some embodiments, the housing 10 and a casing 32 of the battery assembly 30 of a power-consuming device may be connected by the locating pin 28. Merely by way of example, the body portion of the locating pin 28 may be connected with the casing 32 of the battery assembly 30, and a connection between the body portion of the locating pin 28 and the casing 32 of the battery assembly 30 includes but is not limited to screwing, gluing, etc. When the casing 32 of the battery assembly 30 is provided on the housing 10, the locating pin 28 is inserted into the insert hole in the slide groove 26, to limit the location of the insert element 27.
In some embodiments of the present disclosure, by connecting the casing 32 of the battery assembly 30 and the locating pin 28, and further limiting the locations of the components from each other, the stability of the whole apparatus may be improved.
In some embodiments, the slide groove 26 may be provided with a shim, the shim may be configured to provide a friction force or a squeezing force on the insert element. In some embodiments, the shim may be provided on an inner wall of the slide groove 26, e.g., the shim may be provided immediately adjacent to a bottom wall and at least one of the two side walls of the slide groove 26. It should be noted that at a location where the slide groove 26 has the insert hole, a shim thereof also has an insert hole of the same size so that insertion of the locating pin 28 may not be affected.
In some embodiments, a large friction force may be generated between the shim and the insert element 27, thus, under the effect of the friction force, the insert element 27 may be difficult to move in the slide groove 26 without being subjected to an external force. In some embodiments, the shim may have a flexible elasticity, and thus the shim may exert a certain squeezing force on the insert element 27 in the slide groove 26, making it difficult for the insert element 27 to move in the slide groove 26 without being subjected to the external force.
In some embodiments of the present disclosure, by providing the shim, a location of the insert element 27 in the slide groove 26 may be maintained without being subjected to the external force, so that when the locating pin 28 has not yet been inserted, the insert element 27 may make a location of the support mechanism 20 unchanged, which facilitates the installation operation.
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a section view of another exemplary apparatus for assembling a battery assembly according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating a section view of an exemplary battery device including the apparatus for assembling a battery assembly in FIG. 6according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating a partial enlarged view of the section view of the battery device in FIG. 7 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 6, and FIG. 7, the locking assembly 40 may include the unlocking button 41 and an elastic member 42. The unlocking button 41 may be configured to be pressed to unlock a power-consuming device. The elastic member 42 may be configured to reset the unlocking button 41 after pressing. In some embodiments, the housing 10 may be provided with a keyhole 13, the unlocking button 41 may be inserted in the keyhole 13, and the elastic member 42 may be provided between the unlocking button 41 and the support portion 21 to reset the unlocking button 41.
In some embodiments, the unlocking button 41 may include a pressing portion 411 and a snap-fit portion 412. The pressing portion 411 may be configured for an operator to press to unlock. The snap-fit portion 412 may be configured for realizing a snap-fit connection between the unlocking button 41 and the power-consuming device. In some embodiments, one end of the snap-fit portion 412 may be connected with the pressing portion 411, and another end of the snap-fit portion 412 may extend outside of the housing 10.
In some embodiments, as shown in, FIG. 7, and FIG. 8, the end of the snap-fit portion 412 that extends outside of the housing 10 may include a snap-fit hook, a free end of the snap-fit hook extends toward the pressing portion 411, and the snap-fit hook may be in snap-fit connection with a casing 5 of the power-consuming device.
Merely by way of example, when the assembling apparatus (which is referred to as the apparatus hereinafter) and the power-consuming device need to be unlocked, an operator presses the pressing portion 411, and the pressing portion 411 drives the snap-fit portion 412 toward an interior of the apparatus. At the same time, the free end of the snap-fit hook moves toward the interior of the apparatus, so that the snap-fit hook is no longer snap-fit to the casing 5 of the power-consuming device, and the apparatus and the power-consuming device may be separated and unlocked.
In some embodiments, the snap-fit hook may include a snap-fit surface and a resisting surface backing away from the snap-fit surface. The snap-fit surface may be considered to be a side of the snap-fit hook facing toward the interior of the apparatus, and the resisting surface may be a side backing away from the snap-fit surface. In some embodiments, the resisting surface may be at least partially inclined toward the pressing portion to make a snap-fit process be operated easily.
Merely by way of example, when it is necessary to connect the apparatus with the power-consuming device, a snap-fit structure on the casing 5 of the power-consuming device may move along the inclined resisting surface and force the snap-fit hook inwardly out of the way by interacting with the resisting surface until the snap-fit structure cooperates with the resisting surface to realize the snap-fit connection, and the casing 5 of the power-consuming device snaps together with the snap-fit hook, so that locking of connection between the apparatus and the power-consuming device is easily realized.
In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 6, the unlocking button 41 may include a guiding hole 414 provided in the pressing portion 411, and the support mechanism 20 may further include a guiding post 25 provided on the support portion 21. The guiding post 25 may be inserted in the guiding hole 414 to enable the unlocking button 41 to slide along the guiding post 25 relative to the support mechanism 20, thus an operator may press the unlocking button 41, and the unlocking button 41 may maintain a steady linear motion.
In some embodiments, the guiding post 25 may be provided with an elastic member 42, the elastic member 42 may apply an elastic force to the support mechanism 20, and the unlocking button 41, making assembly more stable. In some embodiments, the elastic member 42 may be limited between the guiding hole 414 and the guiding post 25, which may ensure an installation of the elastic member 42, the whole structure is simple, reliable, and stable, and also facilitates subsequent disassembly and maintenance.
In some embodiments, the elastic member may be any element having elasticity, e.g., the elastic member may be a compression spring.
In some embodiments, the support mechanism 20 may include a retaining post 24 protruding from the support portion 21, and the compression spring may be sleeved on the retaining post 24.
In some embodiments, the unlocking button 41 may include a groove 413 provided in the pressing portion 411, and the compression spring may be provided in the groove 413.
In some embodiments, by cooperating the compression spring with the retaining post 24, and/or, by cooperating the compression spring with the groove 413, the freedom degree of the unlocking button 41 may be limited so that the unlocking button 41 may only slide in a straight line along the retaining post 24 or the groove 413 relative to the support mechanism 20, which may effectively ensure reliability of an operation of the unlocking button 41. In addition, it is also possible to drive the support mechanism 20 by triggering the unlocking button 41, to remove the socket portion of the support mechanism 20 from the locating post, thereby realizing rapid disassembly of the support mechanism 20 and the unlocking button 41, and enhancing the efficiency of after-sale maintenance.
In some embodiments, the housing 10 may be detachably connected with the casing 32 of the battery assembly 30 of the power-consuming device, and the casing 32 of the battery assembly 30 may be provided with a sliding hole 33. The snap-fit portion 412 may pass through the sliding hole 33 and may be capable of sliding in a direction close to or away from the battery assembly 30 along the sliding hole 33 so that the snap-fit portion 412 may be capable of realizing locking or unlocking with the casing 5 of the power-consuming device through sliding in the sliding hole 33. More descriptions regarding locking or unlocking of the snap-fit portion 412 may be found in the descriptions hereinabove, which may not be repeated herein.
In some embodiments, the unlocking button 41 may include a blocker 415, the blocker 415 may be provided on a side of the snap-fit portion 412 back away from the pressing portion 411, and the blocker 415 may be located below the sliding hole 33. An area of the surface of the blocker 415 may parallel to the surface of the housing 10 including the sliding hole 33 is greater than the area of the sliding hole 33. The blocker 415 may be configured to provide a dustproof effect and make the interior of the apparatus relatively closed. In some embodiments, a portion of an upper surface of the blocker 415 may abut a lower surface of the casing 32 of the battery assembly 30 to further increase the dustproof effect, preventing the interior of the apparatus from being contaminated by the outside world, and extending the service life of the device.
In some embodiments, the housing 10 may include a bolt retaining post 14, the casing 32 of the battery assembly 30 may be provided with a bolt hole 34, and the casing 32 of the battery assembly 30 may be connected with the housing 10 through the bolt hole 34 and the bolt retaining post 14, which may reasonably utilize an internal space of the housing 10, reduce a count of bolts used, thereby effectively ensuring reliability of the installation of the apparatus.
In some embodiments, the housing 10 may not be provided with the bolt retaining post 14, the bolt hole 34 may be an insert hole of the locating pin 28, the locating pin 28 may be a bolt, and a threaded connection of the locating pin 28 with the insert hole may enable the casing 32 of the battery assembly 30 to be detachably connected with the housing 10, which is structurally simple, and easy to install and remove.
In some embodiments, the housing 10 and the casing 32 of the battery assembly 30 may also be connected by any other conveniently detachable means, e.g., a snap-fit connection, an adhesive bonding, etc.
Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a battery device including the battery assembly 30 and the apparatus as mentioned in any one of the embodiments above. The battery assembly 30 may include the casing 32 of the battery assembly 30 and a battery 31, the battery 31 may be detachably provided on the apparatus through the casing 32 of the battery assembly 30. The battery device may effectively ensure reliability of end products after assembly through a direct mutual limitation of each component. In addition, the battery device may be easy to disassemble and install, which not only saves installation space but also greatly improves production efficiency and improves the efficiency of after-sale maintenance of the battery device.
Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a power-consuming device including a main body, a casing 5, and the battery device as mentioned in the embodiment above, the casing 5 of the power-consuming device may be detachably connected with the battery device, and the main body may be electrically connected with the battery device. The power-consuming device refers to a device capable of consuming electricity. The power-consuming device may include a device designed to be carried around, such as thermal imaging devices, cell phones, etc. When the power-consuming device runs out of power, it may be renewed by removing and replacing a prepared battery device, which is flexible and convenient to operate, without affecting the normal operation of the power-consuming device.
Having thus described the basic concepts, it may be rather apparent to those skilled in the art after reading this detailed disclosure that the foregoing detailed disclosure is intended to be presented by way of example only and is not limiting. Although not explicitly stated here, those skilled in the art may make various modifications, improvements, and amendments to the present disclosure. These alterations, improvements, and modifications are intended to be suggested by this disclosure and are within the spirit and scope of the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure.
Moreover, certain terminology has been used to describe embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, the terms "one embodiment, " "an embodiment, " and/or "some embodiments" mean that a particular feature, structure, or feature described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Therefore, it is emphasized and should be appreciated that two or more references to "an embodiment" or "one embodiment" or "an alternative embodiment" in various portions of the present disclosure are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. In addition, some features, structures, or characteristics of one or more embodiments in the present disclosure may be properly combined.
Furthermore, the recited order of processing elements or sequences, or the use of numbers, letters, or other designations, therefore, is not intended to limit the claimed processes and methods to any order except as may be specified in the claims. Although the above disclosure discusses some embodiments of the invention currently considered useful by various examples, it should be understood that such details are for illustrative purposes only, and the additional claims are not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Instead, the claims are intended to cover all combinations of corrections and equivalents consistent with the substance and scope of the embodiments of the invention. For example, although the implementation of various components described above may be embodied in a hardware device, it may also be implemented as a software only solution, e.g., an installation on an existing server or mobile device.
Similarly, it should be appreciated that in the foregoing description of embodiments of the present disclosure, various features are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure aiding in the understanding of one or more of the various embodiments. However, this disclosure does not mean that object of the present disclosure requires more features than the features mentioned in the claims. Rather, claimed subject matter may lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment.
In some embodiments, the numbers expressing quantities or properties used to describe and claim certain embodiments of the present disclosure are to be understood as being modified in some instances by the term "about, " "approximate, " or "substantially. " For example, "about, " "approximate" or "substantially" may indicate ±20%variation of the value it describes, unless otherwise stated. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the numerical parameters set forth in the written description and attached claims are approximations that may vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by a particular embodiment. In some embodiments, the numerical parameters should be construed in light of the number of reported significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques. Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting forth the broad scope of some embodiments of the present disclosure are approximations, the numerical values set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely as practicable.
Each of the patents, patent applications, publications of patent applications, and other material, such as articles, books, specifications, publications, documents, things, and/or the like, referenced herein is hereby incorporated herein by this reference in its entirety for all purposes. History application documents that are inconsistent or conflictive with the contents of the present disclosure are excluded, as well as documents (currently or subsequently appended to the present specification) limiting the broadest scope of the claims of the present disclosure. By way of example, should there be any inconsistency or conflict between the description, definition, and/or the use of a term associated with any of the incorporated material and that associated with the present document, the description, definition, and/or the use of the term in the present document shall prevail.
In closing, it is to be understood that the embodiments of the present disclosure disclosed herein are illustrative of the principles of the embodiments of the present disclosure. Other modifications that may be employed may be within the scope of the present disclosure. Thus, by way of example, but not of limitation, alternative configurations of the embodiments of the present disclosure may be utilized in accordance with the teachings herein. Accordingly, embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to that precisely as shown and described.

Claims

An apparatus for assembling a battery assembly applied in a power-consuming device, comprising:

a housing, a support mechanism, and a locking assembly, the support mechanism and the locking assembly being located in the housing; wherein

the support mechanism includes a support portion and a locating member, the locating member is connected with the support portion, the housing includes a locating fitting member, the locating member is detachably connected with the locating fitting member; and

at least a part of the locking assembly is provided between the support mechanism and the housing, the support portion is elastically connected with the locking assembly.
The apparatus for assembling a battery assembly of claim 1, wherein the locating member includes a locating hole, the locating fitting member includes a locating post, the locating fitting member is detachably connected with the locating member through the locating post passing through the locating hole.
The apparatus for assembling a battery assembly of claim2, wherein the locating member includes a socket portion, the locating fitting member includes an abutting portion, the socket portion abuts the abutting portion when the locating member is detachably connected with the locating fitting member.
The apparatus for assembling a battery assembly of claim 1, wherein the locating member includes a limiting post, the locating fitting member includes a limiting hole, the locating member is detachably connected with the locating fitting member through the limiting hole passing through the limiting hole.
The apparatus for assembling a battery assembly of claim 1, wherein the locating member includes an guiding rod, the locating fitting member includes a slide groove, and the guiding rod is slidably provided in the slide groove.
The apparatus for assembling a battery assembly of claim 5, wherein the battery assembly structure further comprises at least one locating pin, the locating pin includes a body portion and a rod portion, the rod portion is threaded in the slide groove, the body portion includes a protrusion relative to the slide groove to limit movement of the guiding rod.
The apparatus for assembling a battery assembly of claim 6, wherein the housing is connected with a casing of a battery assembly of the power-consuming device by the at least one locating pin.
The apparatus for assembling a battery assembly of claim 5, wherein the slide groove is provided with a shim.
The apparatus for assembling a battery assembly of claim 1, wherein the locking assembly includes an unlocking button and an elastic member, the housing is provided with a keyhole, the unlocking button is inserted in the keyhole, the elastic member is provided between the unlocking button and the support portion to reset the unlocking button; and the unlocking button includes a pressing portion and a snap-fit portion, one end of the snap-fit portion is connected with the pressing portion and another end of the snap-fit portion extends out of the housing.
The apparatus for assembling a battery assembly of claim 9, wherein an end of the snap-fit portion extending out of the housing includes a snap-fit hook, a free end of the snap-fit hook extends toward the pressing portion, the snap-fit hook is configured to connect with a casing of the power-consuming device.
The apparatus for assembling a battery assembly of claim 10, wherein the snap-fit hook includes a snap-fit surface and a resisting surface departing from the snap-fit surface, and at least a portion of the resisting surface is inclined toward the pressing portion.
The apparatus for assembling a battery assembly of claim 9, wherein the unlocking button includes a guiding hole provided in the pressing portion, the support mechanism includes a guiding post provided on the support portion, the guiding post is inserted in the guiding hole to allow the unlocking button to slide along the guiding post relative to the support mechanism.
The apparatus for assembling a battery assembly of claim 9, wherein the elastic member includes a spring, the support mechanism further includes a retaining post provided on the support portion, and the spring is sleeved on the s retaining post.
The apparatus for assembling a battery assembly of claim 9, wherein the elastic member includes a spring, the unlocking button includes a groove provided in the pressing portion, and the spring is provided in the groove.
The apparatus for assembling a battery assembly of claim 9, wherein the housing is detachably connected with a casing of a battery assembly of the power-consuming device, and the housing is provided with a sliding hole, the snap-in portion passes through the sliding hole and is capable of sliding along the sliding hole close to or away from the battery assembly.
The apparatus for assembling a battery assembly of claim 15, wherein the housing includes a bolt retaining post, the casing of the battery assembly of the power-consuming device is provided with a bolt hole, and the housing is connected with the casing of the battery assembly of the power-consuming device through the bolt hole and the bolt retaining post.
The apparatus for assembling a battery assembly of claim 15, wherein the unlocking button includes a blocker, the blocker is provided on a side of the snap-in portion back away from the pressing portion, the blocker is located below the sliding hole, and an area of a surface of the blocker parallel to a surface of the housing including the sliding hole is greater than an area of the sliding hole.
The apparatus for assembling a battery assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

a second support mechanism and a second locking assembly, the support mechanism and the second support mechanism form an accommodating groove, and the locking assembly and the second locking assembly are respectively provided on sides of the support mechanism and the second support mechanism away from the accommodating groove.
A battery device, wherein the battery device includes a battery assembly and the assembling apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1-18, the battery assembly includes a casing and a battery, the battery is detachably provided on the assembling apparatus through the casing of the battery device.
A power-consuming device, wherein the power-consuming device includes a main body, a casing of the power-consuming device, and the battery device of claim 19, the casing of the power-consuming device is detachably connected with the battery device, and the main body is electrically connected with the battery device.