JP2000082500A - Battery pack - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To facilitate detection of a battery pack as to its being adaptable or not as a power source for a used charger or electrical apparatus by forming, at the central part of its bottom detection parts for detecting the kind of battery which engages with engaging parts formed in a connection part of the charger or electric apparatus to be connected. SOLUTION: In a lower case 16 of a battery pack, detection holes 102, 104, 106 are formed along a center line X-X in its bottom. The detection holes detect whether or not the battery pack is adaptable to a charger or electrical apparatus, depending on whether or not they can engage with projecting parts to be used as engaging parts formed on the charger or electrical apparatus. The condition that the battery pack is not adaptable to the charger or the becomes the condition in that there is no detection hole at a position corresponding to any of the projecting parts formed on the charger or the like, that is, the lower case 16 of the battery pack becomes a flat form, so that the battery pack tilts significantly and becomes incapable of being mounted on the charger or the like.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a battery pack used as a DC power supply for electric equipment and containing a battery therein.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional battery pack will be described with reference to an example described in Japanese Patent Application No. 3-52555 by the same applicant as the present applicant. FIG. 8 shows a state in which the battery pack 10 is mounted on the charger 12 and is being charged, and FIG. 9 shows an example of the charger 12.

The charger 12 is a molded product made of plastic, and has a hole 51 for receiving the battery pack 10.
Having. The charger 12 has a primary circuit section 52 having a power transformer and the like, a secondary circuit section 53 having a rectifier circuit and the like, and further has an AC cord 54 with a plug connected to the primary circuit section 52. .

The secondary circuit unit 53 has an adapter plug 55 for supplying DC power and a first terminal 56 for supplying charging power.
, A second terminal 57, and a third terminal 58 for inputting a temperature detection signal. The adapter plug 55 is provided so that the electric device can directly use the DC power obtained from the AC power without using the battery pack 10.

The three terminals 56 to 58 are formed, for example, as leaf springs so that they can be elastically deformed. The spring constant of the third terminal 58 is determined by the first and second terminals 56 and 57. About 2/3 of the spring constant. The first to third terminals 56 to 58 are connected to the mold plate 60.
And the mold plate 60 has a color “blue” or the like different from the color “black” of the case 59 of the battery pack 10.

Further, a control circuit is provided in the secondary circuit section 53. The control circuit operates so as to control charging of the battery in the battery pack 10, and connects to the first terminal 56 when charging is started. The control is performed based on a so-called −ΔV charging completion method in which the charging between the second terminal 57 and the second terminal 57 gradually increases, reaches a peak value, and ends when the charging voltage slightly decreases. It is configured.

The control circuit is a battery pack 1
0, the temperature of the battery being charged is detected based on a temperature detection signal from a temperature detection element provided on the bottom surface of the first terminal 56 and the first terminal 56 and the second terminal 56 when the temperature exceeds a predetermined value. The charging current supplied from 57 to the battery is cut off, and charging by the charger 12 is interrupted.

The battery pack 10 has a case 18 composed of an upper case 14 and a bottom case 16, and is configured such that a plurality of batteries are accommodated inside the case 18.

FIG. 10 shows a state in which the battery pack 10 and columnar batteries 21 to 25 are housed therein, FIG. 10A shows the inside of the battery pack 10 with the bottom case 16 removed, and FIG. Line A- in FIG. 10A
2 shows a cross section of the battery pack 10 as viewed along A.

The batteries 21 to 25 may be, for example, nickel-metal hydride secondary batteries, and are arranged in parallel as shown. The electrodes of the batteries 21 to 25 are connected by a conductive plate 32, and thus the five batteries 21 to 25 are configured as a battery pack 27 electrically connected to each other in series. still,
An insulating sheet 34 is disposed between the electrodes of the batteries 21 to 25 and the conductive plate 32.

The battery pack 27 has a positive and negative first electrode 36 and a second electrode 38 for charging and discharging, respectively, and a thermistor or the like below the two electrodes 36, 38. The temperature detecting element 42 and a breaker (not shown) are disposed. The first and second electrodes 36 and 38, the temperature detecting element 42, a breaker (not shown) and the like are supported by a mold member 44 arranged between the two batteries 21 and 22.

Below the battery 21, a third electrode 40 for outputting a temperature detection signal is further disposed. The third electrode 40 is formed in a thin plate shape to form a leaf spring, and may be directly adhered to the battery 21 with an adhesive or may be mounted on the mold member 44.

The temperature detecting element 42 has two lead wires 42
A and 42B are connected, and the temperature detecting element 42 is connected to the first electrode 36 by the first lead wire 42A,
The temperature detecting element 42 is connected to the third lead wire 42B by the third lead wire 42B.
Is connected to the electrode 40.

A battery pack 27 and three electrodes 36, 38, 4
0 is arranged so as to contact the inner surface of the upper case 14.

FIG. 11 shows the bottom surface of the case 18, that is, the bottom case 1.
6 shows the configuration of the outer surface of FIG. The outer surface of the bottom case 16 has 11 recesses 16A to 16K and three holes 16a, 16b, 16
c are formed, of which two holes 16a and 16b are formed in the recesses 16D and 16E, respectively.

The three holes 16a, 16b, and 16c are formed at positions corresponding to the three electrodes 36, 38, and 40 of the battery pack 10. Therefore, the case 18 is assembled by covering the upper case 14 with the bottom case 16. When the batteries 21 to 25 are disposed therein, the three electrodes 36, 38, 4
0 represents three corresponding holes 16a, 16b, 16c, respectively.
It will be more exposed.

Eight recesses 16C to 16J and two holes 16
a and 16b are arranged corresponding to the gaps 28A to 28D of the batteries 21 to 25.

The outer surface of the bottom case 16 is adjacent to three electrodes as shown in the figure, and the symbol ○ and the symbols +,-, ⊥ therein.
These are formed by providing irregularities on the surface of the plastic when it is molded.

The bottom case 16 has, for example, an overall color of "black" and another color of "blue" within a dotted line 20 surrounding the three holes 16a, 16b, 16c.

As shown in FIG. 9, convex portions 61A, 61B, and 61C are formed on the bottom surface of the hole 51 of the charger 12, and the convex portions 61A, 61B, and 61C correspond to the corresponding battery pack 10. It is arranged to engage with the recesses 16I, 16G, 16H.

Of the recesses 16I, 16G, 16H, the outer recesses 16I, 16G are called detection holes, and the inner larger recess 16H is called a lock hole. The detection holes 16I and 16G function to detect whether the battery pack 10 is compatible with the charger 12 or not.

In the battery pack compatible with the charger 12, the two projections 61A and 61B are suitably inserted into the corresponding detection holes 16I and 16G, respectively. , But not compatible with the charger 12
0, the two convex portions 61A and 61B are in the corresponding concave portions 1
6I and 16G, the bottom surface of the battery pack 10 rises above the bottom surface of the hole 51 of the charger 12.

The lock hole 16H functions to support the battery pack 10 so that the battery pack 10 mounted on the charger 12 does not move during charging.

Battery pack 1 compatible with charger 12
0, the holes 16a, 16b,
The three electrodes 36, 3 of the battery pack 27 exposed from 16c
8, 40 are three terminals 56, 5, 5 of the charger 12, respectively.
7, 58.

As described above, the three electrodes 36, 38, 4
At least one of the zero and three terminals 56, 57, 58 is made of an elastically deformable member such as a leaf spring.
Contact between the two can be ensured by the biasing force of such a member. Note that, as described above, the spring constant of the third terminal 58 is smaller than that of the other terminals, so that even if the battery pack 10 having no third electrode is mounted on the charger 12, The bottom surface of the battery pack 10 is not damaged.

In the example described here, detection holes 16I and 16G are provided in the bottom case 16 of the battery pack 10, and the protrusions 61A and 61B on the bottom surface of the hole 51 of the charger 12 are suitable for the detection holes 16I and 16G. , It is detected whether or not the battery pack 10 is compatible with the charger 12. Such a configuration is used not only between the battery pack 10 and the charger 12 but also between the battery pack 10 and an electric device that uses the battery pack 10 as a power source.

[0027]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Battery pack 10
If the battery pack does not fit the charger 12, the battery pack 1
0 rises and inclines from the charger 12 by the height of the protrusions 61A and 61B. If the inclination angle is large, a mismatch between the battery pack 10 and the charger 12 can be easily detected. Conversely, if the inclination angle is small, a mismatch between the battery pack 10 and the charger 12 can be detected. It becomes more difficult to detect.

In order to increase the inclination angle, the charger 1
The height of the protrusions 61A and 61B may be increased and the depths of the detection holes 16I and 16G of the battery pack 10 may be increased. However, it is difficult to form the charger 12 and the bottom case 16.

In order to increase the inclination angle of the battery pack 10 without changing the height of the protrusions 61A and 61B of the charger 12, the protrusions 61A and 61B of the charger 12 and the detection holes 16I of the battery pack 10 are required. , 16G at a more central position.

However, in the above-described conventional example, as shown in FIG. 11, the detection holes 16I and 16G are provided adjacent to one side of the bottom case 16 of the battery pack 10, and the center thereof is provided at the center. Not provided.

Further, the battery pack 10 is provided with an identification marker (not shown) for indicating that the battery pack 10 has been used or charged. The identification marker is provided at the front end 16 # 1 of the bottom case 16 of the battery pack 10 (see FIG. 10B). Therefore, the dimension of the battery pack 10 in the longitudinal direction is increased by the protrusion of the identification marker.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and a battery pack which can easily detect a battery pack which is suitable or unsuitable as a power source for a charger or electric equipment to be used. The purpose is to gain.

[0033]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a battery pack according to the present invention comprises a battery pack containing a battery therein, wherein the battery pack is connected to a central portion of the bottom surface of the battery pack. A detection unit is provided for detecting the type of battery that engages with the engagement unit formed in the connection unit of the device.

In the battery pack according to the present invention configured as described above, when the battery pack is connected to the charger or the electric device, the detecting portion of the battery pack is engaged with the engaging portion of the charger or the electric device. At times, the battery pack can be attached to a charger or an electric device, and becomes a battery pack suitable for the charger or the electric device.

Further, when the detecting portion of the battery pack is not engaged with the engaging portion of the charger or the electric device, the battery pack cannot be mounted on the charger or the electric device,
The battery pack will not be compatible with the charger or electrical equipment.

[0036]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a battery pack according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Parts corresponding to those in FIGS. 1 to 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of an example of the battery pack 10. The battery pack 10 comprises a case 18 having an upper case 14 and a bottom case 16.

FIG. 2 shows details of the case 18, FIG. 2A is a plan view, FIG. 2B is a side view, and FIG. 2C is a bottom view. FIG.
FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view of the battery pack 10 taken along the line AA in FIG. 1, FIG. 4A is a front view as viewed from the front end of the battery pack 10, and FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view of the battery pack 10 along the line BB in FIG. .

As shown in FIG. 4B, in this example, cylindrical batteries are arranged in two rows in the battery
Batteries are accommodated. These four batteries may be connected in series with each other to form an assembled battery as in the case of the conventional example.

Referring to FIGS. 2C and 3, the battery pack 10 will be described. In the bottom case 16 of the battery pack 10, concave portions 102, 104, 108, 112 are provided along the center line XX on the bottom surface. In addition, a recess 106 is provided along one side of the bottom case 16. Of these, the recesses 102, 104, and 106 are detection holes as detection units, and the recesses 108 and 112 are lock holes.

More specifically, the detection hole 102 is a spare detection hole, the detection hole 104 is a detection hole for detecting that the battery is a lithium (Li) battery, and the detection hole 106 is the battery pack 10 having the battery. This is a detection hole for detecting that The function of the battery pack depending on the presence or absence of these detection holes 102, 104 and 106 will be described later.

The detection holes 102, 10 and 10
Reference numerals 4 and 106 indicate whether the battery pack 10 is compatible or incompatible with the charger or the electric device, depending on whether or not the protrusion engages with a protrusion formed on the charger or the electric device. Is done. Therefore, the state in which the battery pack 10 is not compatible with the charger or the electric equipment is a state in which there is no detection hole of the battery pack 10 at a position corresponding to the protrusion provided on the charger or the electric equipment, that is, the battery pack 1
0 bottom case 15 is in a flat state,
The battery pack 10 is so inclined that it cannot be mounted in the charger or the electric equipment.

Further, the above-described lock holes 108 and 112
Thereby, the battery pack 10 mounted on the charger or the electric device is supported at that position.

On the other hand, holes 120, 122, 124 and 126 having ribs are formed around the bottom case 10. These holes 120 to 126 are provided in the battery pack 10.
When the battery pack is mounted on the battery storage section of the charger or the electric equipment, it is engaged with and fixed to the projection formed on the battery storage section.

The front end 16-1 of the bottom case 16 has recesses 80 and 82 formed therein.
As shown in FIG. 4A, the first and second
Electrodes 36 and 38 are arranged. These electrodes 3
Reference numerals 6 and 38 function as charging electrodes when the battery pack 10 is mounted on the charger and charge, and function as power supply electrodes when the battery pack 10 is mounted on the electric device and power is supplied.

A marker 130 is provided at the center of the front end of the bottom case 16 described above. This marker 13
For example, 0 functions to identify whether or not the battery pack 10 has been charged, and whether or not the battery pack 10 has been used. That is, the marker 130 in the embodiment is slidably disposed in the concave portion 131 and includes a slider 132 having a projection 132A at the tip.

When the battery pack 10 is charged, the marker 130 protrudes into the entire recess 131, and when the battery pack 10 is in use or has been used, the marker 130 retreats into the pack and protrudes shortly. State. This is, for example, the battery pack 1
When the battery pack 10 is pulled out from the charger after 0 is connected to the charger and charging is completed, the protrusion 132A of the marker 130 engages with the engaging element formed on the charger, and the slider 132 is pulled out and projected. The state of charge of the battery pack 10 can be visually checked. On the other hand, when the battery pack 10 is housed in the battery housing section of the electric device, the protrusion 132A of the marker 130 is pushed back by a member (not shown). Therefore, when the battery pack 10 is taken out from the battery storage section, it can be visually confirmed that the battery pack 10 is in a used state.

Therefore, the above-described marker 130 displays different colors on the surface of the slider 132 and the surface of the concave portion, respectively, to indicate whether the battery pack 10 is charged or used. Can be recognized by

Here, various examples of the above-described detection holes of the battery pack 10 will be shown, and the functions of the battery pack 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. In each of the drawings, the battery pack 10 is shown as viewed from the bottom case.

The battery pack 10 shown in FIG. 5A is the same as the battery pack shown in FIG. 2C. Since the battery pack 10 is provided with the detection holes 104, the battery contained in the pack is lithium. It can be understood that the battery is a battery and has the function of a battery since the detection hole 106 is provided on one side.

In FIG. 5B, a detection hole 140 is provided on the other side of the bottom case 16 in opposition to the detection hole 106 in the battery pack 10 of FIG. 5A. If the detection hole 140 is provided at this position, this battery pack 1
0 indicates that the power output of the battery is large. Therefore, the battery pack 10 shown in FIG. 5A does not have the above-described detection hole 140, indicating that the power output amount of the battery is small.

The battery pack 10-1 shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B is a battery pack without the detection hole 104, and uses a battery other than lithium, such as a nickel cadmium battery. It shows that it is a new battery. In the case of FIG. 6A, it indicates that the power output amount of the battery is small,
FIG. 6B shows that the power output amount is large.

In the battery pack of FIGS. 6A and 6B, the number of times of charging of the battery is stored in the spare detection hole 102, for example, an ID terminal 142 composed of an IC memory.
And a temperature terminal 146 for detecting the heating temperature of the battery.

The ID terminal 142 has the function of storing the number of times of charging in an IC memory provided on the battery pack side by a detection element provided on the charger side when the ID terminal 142 is mounted on the charger.

The temperature terminal 146 has a function of detecting and displaying the temperature of the battery pack by a temperature detecting element such as a bimetal provided on the charger side when the battery terminal is mounted on the charger.

In the battery pack 10-2 shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the detection hole 104 is formed in the detection hole 104A whose width is reduced in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the battery pack. This battery pack 10-2 is a battery that is compatible with the above-described lithium battery battery pack 10. And this battery pack 10-
2 also has two types of batteries, large and small in power output.

Here, each of the above-described battery packs 1
Table 1 shows chargers and electric appliances that can use 0, 10-1, and 10-2. Each battery pack is shown as viewed from the bottom case, and lock holes are omitted for easy understanding. Further, an example is shown in which a camera-integrated VTR is used as the electric equipment. Also,
The drawing on the side of the charger and the electric device shows the connection surface to which the battery pack is connected, and the drawing on the side of the battery pack is reversed left and right. In each of these figures, a double square indicates a protrusion, a black portion indicates a detection hole, and a black portion at the end of each battery pack indicates a marker 130. The dashed-line square indicates a flat surface, the S indicates a detection switch for distinguishing a lithium battery from a new battery, the X indicates a temperature terminal 146, and the square indicates an ID terminal 142.

[0058]

[Table 1]

From the above table, the chargers and electric devices compatible with the respective battery packs are indicated by a circle, and the incompatible ones are indicated by a cross.

In a charger in which a lithium battery and a new battery are used in common, a method of identifying the lithium battery pack 10 and the new battery pack 10-1 by the detection switch is as follows. On and off control by identifying. For example, when the detection switch is provided on the flat surface of the battery charger, the detection switch of the lithium battery pack is in the off state without contact because the detection hole 104 formed of a recess corresponds to the detection switch portion. In the case of the battery pack 10-1 for a battery, the surface corresponding to the detection switch is a flat surface, so that the detection switch contacts and turns on. Therefore, the detection switch is not limited to the above-described example, and the detection switch may be provided in the recess as long as the switch can be turned on and off. In addition, the detection switch is a detection hole 104A of the compatible battery pack 10-2 described above.
The width is formed narrow so as to correspond to the above.

The protrusion provided on the lithium-compatible battery charger described above is formed to have a small width, so that the protrusion can be compatible with the battery pack 10-2, and the detection hole of the battery pack 10 for the lithium battery can be obtained. 104 can also be engaged and adapted.

In Table 1, the power source is not a battery but a terminal plate as a power supply terminal. This terminal plate also has two types of power output, large and small, and is compatible with the charger or electric equipment shown in the table. it can.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above and shown in the drawings, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0064]

As described above, the battery pack according to the present invention is formed at a connection portion of a charger or an electric device to which the battery pack is connected at the center of the bottom surface of the battery pack in the battery pack containing the battery therein. Whether the battery pack is suitable or not suitable as a power source of a charger or an electric device used by providing a detection unit for detecting a type of a battery engaged with the engagement unit. Can be easily detected.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a battery pack of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view, a side view, and a bottom view of an example of the battery pack of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the terry pack taken along line AA of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a front view and a sectional view of a battery pack according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of each of the lithium battery type battery packs.

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of each of the new battery-powered battery packs.

FIG. 7 is a bottom view of each of the lithium upward compatible battery packs.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a conventional battery pack mounted on a charger.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a conventional charger.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional battery pack.

FIG. 11 is a bottom view of a conventional battery pack.

[Explanation of symbols]

10, 10-1, 10-2 Battery pack, 12
Charger, 14 upper case, 16 lower case, 18 case, 21 and 22 batteries, 102, 104, 106 detection hole, 104A detection hole, 108, 112 lock hole, 13
0 marker, 132 slider, 132A protrusion, 14
0 detection hole, 142 ID terminal, 146 temperature terminal

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A type of battery in a battery pack containing a battery therein, which is engaged with an engaging portion formed at a connection portion of a charger or an electric device to which the battery pack is connected at the center of the bottom surface of the battery pack. A battery pack provided with a detection unit for detecting a battery pack.