JP2004055548A - Battery pack - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide electrode terminals without providing a special installation place, securely put the electrode terminals to get in contact, and constantly keep the electrode terminals clean. <P>SOLUTION: In a battery case 1, at a right upper gap 10 and a left upper gap 11 generated as a first and a second secondary batteries 2 and 3 of a columnar form are contained, an anode electrode terminal 4 and a cathode electrode terminal 5 of a curvature form are provided. On the counter device side, an anode electrode terminal connection pin and a cathode electrode terminal connection pin to be engaged with the anode electrode terminal 4 and the cathode electrode terminal 5 of the curvature form are provided. The anode electrode terminal 4 and the cathode electrode terminal 5 are respectively engaged with the anode electrode terminal connection pin and the cathode electrode terminal connection pin to be connected. Dust discharging holes 14 and 15 are respectively provided through the anode electrode terminal 4 and the cathode electrode terminal 5, so that dust choking the anode electrode terminal 4 and the cathode electrode terminal 5 is pushed out through the dust eliminating holes 14 and 15 by the connection pins. The anode electrode terminal 4 and the cathode electrode terminal 5 are thus constantly kept clean to prevent contact failure or the like. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a battery pack suitable for use in power supply of, for example, a video camera device.
[0002]
[Prior art]
At present, so-called handy type video camera devices have become widespread because, for example, moving images and the like can be easily recorded on a video tape having a width of 8 mm. This handy type video camera device is characterized by being lightweight, compact and easy to carry, so that a battery pack containing a so-called secondary battery is generally used as a power source.
[0003]
As shown in FIG. 5, for example, a conventional battery pack includes a battery case 50 having a box shape having a substantially rectangular flat surface, and first to first chargeable batteries stored in the battery case 50 for a plurality of times. Fifth secondary batteries 51a to 51e, an anode plate 52 serving as an anode terminal connected to the anode of the first secondary battery 51a, and a cathode terminal connected to the cathode of the fifth secondary battery 51e And a negative electrode plate 53.
[0004]
In the battery case 50, for example, a joint 50a, which is a surface that is joined to a power supply surface of a charger or a video camera device, has a substantially planar shape, and is arranged horizontally, for example, above the joint 50a. A substantially elliptical cavity 54 for an anode terminal and a cavity 55 for a cathode terminal are provided at predetermined intervals. The anode plate 52 and the cathode plate 53 are provided in the cavity 54 for the anode terminal and the cavity 55 for the cathode terminal so as to cover the joint 50a from behind.
[0005]
On the other hand, each of the first to fifth secondary batteries 51a to 51e has a substantially cylindrical shape, and the length in the longitudinal direction is slightly shorter than the lateral width of the battery case 50, and is indicated by a dotted line in FIG. As described above, the anodes and the cathodes are arranged side by side so as to be alternately housed in the battery case 50. The cathode of the first secondary battery 51a and the anode of the second secondary battery 51b housed in the battery case 50 are connected by a connection plate (not shown). The cathode of the secondary battery 51b and the anode of the third secondary battery 51c are connected by a connecting plate 56, and the cathode of the third secondary battery 51c and the anode of the fourth secondary battery 51d are connected to a connecting plate ( The cathode of the fourth secondary battery 51d and the anode of the fifth secondary battery 51e are connected by a connection plate 57. That is, the first to fifth secondary batteries 51a to 51e are connected in series, the anode of the first secondary battery 51a is connected to the anode plate 52, and the first to fifth secondary batteries 51e to 51e are connected to each other. A cathode is connected to the cathode plate 53.
[0006]
The upper surface 50b, which is a surface opposed to the bonding surface 50a of the battery back, is a portion which is in contact with a palm when the battery pack is bonded to the power supply surface of the charger or the video camera device. The corner 50c is rounded to make it easier to handle.
[0007]
An anode contact pin that contacts the anode plate 52 and the cathode plate 53 when the power supply surface and the joint 50a of the battery pack are joined to the power supply surface of the charger or the video camera device. A cathode contact pin is provided, and the top of each of the anode contact pin and the cathode contact pin comes into contact with the anode plate 52 and the cathode plate 53 of the battery pack, respectively.
[0008]
The battery pack accumulates power supplied from the charger via the anode contact pin, the cathode contact pin, and the anode plate 52 and the cathode plate 53 in order during charging. The power stored during the charging is supplied to the video camera device via the anode plate 52, the cathode plate 53, and the anode contact pins and the cathode contact pins.
[0009]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the above-described conventional battery pack, since the special installation place of the anode terminal and the cathode terminal (the anode plate 52 and the cathode plate 53) is provided in the joint part 50a, the installation place of the anode terminal and the cathode terminal is changed. Because of the provision, the size of the battery pack itself has increased, which has hindered the reduction in the size of devices such as the video camera device.
[0010]
Further, the anode terminal and the cathode terminal are plate-shaped, and the top of each of the anode contact pin and the cathode contact pin provided on the charger or the video camera device side is brought into contact with the anode terminal and the cathode terminal. Since the charging and the power supply are performed, reliable contact between the anode contact pin and the anode terminal and between the cathode contact pin and the cathode terminal cannot be achieved, resulting in poor contact. In addition, due to the method in which the plate and the pin are brought into contact with each other, the battery pack is not securely supported by the charger or the video camera device, and the battery pack may fluctuate during use, or the charger or the video camera device may not be supported. Inconvenience, such as departure from the system.
[0011]
The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and can provide the anode terminal and the cathode terminal without providing a special installation place, and can reliably contact the anode terminal and the cathode terminal. Further, it is another object of the present invention to provide a battery pack capable of preventing the electronic device from being mounted in an inappropriate direction.
[0012]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention provides a battery case comprising a first end face, a second end face facing the first end face, and a connecting face connecting the first end face and the second end face, A plurality of cylindrical secondary batteries stored with their end faces facing the first end face and the second end face, respectively, and the secondary battery is inserted into a gap between the battery case and the secondary battery. An electrode terminal is provided in parallel with the battery, has a first opening for inserting an electrode connection pin of the electronic device on the first end face, and is provided with an electrode terminal connected to an electrode of the secondary battery. In a battery pack for an electronic device having an electrode insertion hole having a substantially cylindrical shape, the battery case has a box shape having a substantially rectangular flat surface, and is located at the center of one surface of the connection surface. In the gap between the secondary battery and the battery case A groove is provided in parallel with the secondary battery, the electrode insertion hole is provided near a corner of the box-shaped battery case, and the electrode insertion hole is opened on the connection surface side of the battery case. Characterized by having a second opening.
[0013]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of a battery pack according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The battery pack according to the present embodiment includes, for example, a battery case 1 having a substantially rectangular box shape as shown in FIG. A second secondary battery 2, 3, an anode terminal 4 connected to the anode 2 a of the first secondary battery 2, and a cathode terminal 5 connected to the cathode 3 b of the second secondary battery 3. have.
[0014]
The first and second secondary batteries 2 and 3 each have a columnar shape, and the length in the longitudinal direction is slightly shorter than the length in the longitudinal direction of the battery case 1. The combined length of the diameter of the secondary battery 2 and the diameter of the second secondary battery 3 is slightly shorter than the width of the battery case 1. Each diameter is slightly lower than the height of the battery case 1. For this reason, the first and second secondary batteries 2 and 3 are completely stored in the battery case 1. When the first and second secondary batteries 2 and 3 are stored in the battery case 1, the anode 2a of the first secondary battery 2 and the cathode 3b of the second secondary battery 3 Are housed so as to come to the front part 1c side of the battery case 1, respectively. In this state, the cathode 2b of the first secondary battery 2 and the anode 3a of the second secondary battery 3 are connected by a connection plate (not shown). That is, the first and second secondary batteries 2 and 3 are connected in series. When the first and second secondary batteries 2 and 3 are housed in the battery case 1, the side surfaces of the first and second secondary batteries 2 and 3 come into contact with each other. It has become.
[0015]
When the first and second secondary batteries 2 and 3 are housed as described above, the battery case 1 having a substantially rectangular box shape receives the first and second secondary batteries 2 and 3. The side surfaces of the first and second secondary batteries 2 and 3 come into contact with the upper surface 1a of the battery case 1 by contacting the upper surface 1a of the battery case 1. A guide groove 6 having a rectangular cross-section is provided from substantially the center of the front portion 1c to the entire length in the longitudinal direction by using the first center space 8 which is a formed space. Further, a second central space 9 which is a space formed by contacting the side portions of the first and second secondary batteries 2 and 3 with the lower surface portion 1b of the battery case 1. The reverse insertion prevention groove 7 having a trapezoidal cross section is opposed to the guide groove 6 so as to be approximately 2/3 of the length of the guide groove 6 from substantially the center of the front portion 1c. It is provided in.
[0016]
The corners of the lower surface 1b of the battery bag 1 are rounded for easy handling. For this reason, the battery case 1 has a so-called kamaboko shape as shown in FIG. 2 when viewed from the front portion 1c side.
[0017]
The anode terminal 4 and the cathode terminal 5 each have a cylindrical shape. The anode terminal 4 is connected to the anode 2 a of the first secondary battery 2. It is connected to the cathode 3 b of the second secondary battery 3.
[0018]
Here, when the first and second rechargeable batteries 2 and 3 are stored in the battery case 1, respectively, the battery case 1 is in the shape of a kamaboko as described above. In addition to the central gaps 8 and 9, an upper right gap 10 is provided between the upper right corner in the battery case 1 and the first secondary battery 2 as viewed from the front part 1 c side as shown in FIG. An upper left gap 11 is formed between the upper left corner of the battery case 1 and the second secondary battery 3. In the upper right gap 10 and the upper left gap 11, the anode insertion holes 16 and the cathode insertion holes 17 having diameters slightly larger than the diameters of the anode terminals 4 and the cathode terminals 5 and having substantially the same length are formed. The secondary battery 2 and the second secondary battery 3 are provided in parallel. The anode terminal 4 is provided by being inserted into the anode insertion hole 16, and the cathode terminal 5 is provided by being inserted into the cathode insertion hole 17.
[0019]
The battery case 1 is formed of an insulating member together with the anode insertion hole 16 and the cathode insertion hole 17. For this reason, the anode terminal 4 and the cathode terminal 5 are inserted into the anode insertion hole 16 and the cathode insertion hole 17 to be provided, so that the anode terminal 4 and the cathode terminal 5 are connected to the first and second secondary batteries. It is possible to prevent a so-called short circuit or the like caused by contact with the parts 2 and 3.
[0020]
As described above, the cylindrical anode terminal 4 and the cathode terminal 5 are inserted into the upper right gap 10 and the upper left gap 11 generated by housing the first and second secondary batteries 2 and 3 in the battery case 1. By providing the battery pack, it is not necessary to provide a special installation place for providing the anode terminal 4 and the cathode terminal 5, so that the size of the battery pack can be reduced. Therefore, it is possible to contribute to downsizing of a device (for example, a charger or a video camera device) to which the battery pack is connected.
[0021]
For example, a video camera device to which such a battery pack having the cylindrical anode terminal 4 and the cathode terminal 5 is connected may adopt an external system in which the battery pack is connected to the outside. By providing a battery pack storage hole in which the battery pack can be stored as it is, and adopting a throw-in method for storing and connecting the battery pack in the battery pack storage hole, the anode terminal 4 and the cathode terminal 5 can be more The battery pack can be securely connected and the battery pack can be reliably supported.
[0022]
When the above-mentioned throwing-in method is adopted (this is also the case when the above-mentioned externally-applied method is adopted), the abutting portion of the battery pack accommodating hole provided in the video camera device has the anode terminal 4 of the battery pack. The anode terminal 4 and the cathode terminal 5 have a diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the cathode terminal 5 and are fitted with the anode terminal 4 and the cathode terminal 5; Projections are provided at the same intervals as the intervals provided in the case 1. The leading ends of the anode connection pin and the cathode connection pin are pointed so that they can be easily inserted into the anode terminal 4 and the cathode terminal 5.
[0023]
In addition, when the battery case is inserted into the insertion portion of the battery pack storage hole, the rectangular cross-section rectangular shape is fitted into the guide groove 6 having the rectangular cross-section provided on the upper surface 1a of the battery case 1. A first projection having a trapezoidal shape and a second projection having a trapezoidal cross section to which the reverse insertion preventing groove 7 having the trapezoidal cross section fits are provided to face each other.
[0024]
As described above, the cross section of the reverse insertion preventing groove 7 of the battery case 1 has a trapezoidal shape, and the second protrusion provided at the insertion opening of the battery pack housing hole of the video camera device. Has a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape, when inserting the battery pack upside down into the battery pack storage hole, the reverse insertion preventing groove 7 and the second protrusion may be inserted without being fitted. Can not. When the battery pack is inserted into the battery pack storage hole upside down, the reverse insertion preventing groove 7 is not provided over the entire length of the battery case 1 in the longitudinal direction as described above. The second protrusion is caught by the back surface 1d of the battery case 1 and cannot be inserted. Therefore, by providing the reverse insertion preventing groove 7 having a trapezoidal cross section with a length not extending from the front portion 1c side of the battery case 1 to the entire length of the battery case 1 in the longitudinal direction. In addition, the battery pack can be prevented from being inserted upside down and upside down.
[0025]
When the battery pack is correctly inserted into the battery pack storage hole up and down and back and forth, the guide groove 6 having a rectangular cross section is provided with a first rectangular cross section provided at an insertion portion of the battery pack storage hole. The battery pack is guided into the battery pack storage hole by the guide groove 6 by fitting with the protrusion, and as shown in FIG. 3, which is a vertical cross-sectional side view taken along the line AA of the battery pack shown in FIG. The cathode connection pin 13 provided at the end of the battery pack housing hole is inserted and connected to the cathode terminal 5 of the battery pack 1 and the anode connection pin is inserted and connected to the anode terminal 4 (the anode side is Not shown).
[0026]
As described above, since the anode connection pin and the cathode connection pin 13 are fitted and connected to the anode terminal 4 and the cathode terminal 5, the battery pack is securely connected by the anode connection pin and the cathode connection pin 13. Supported by. For this reason, when the battery pack is inserted into the battery pack storage hole to connect the anode and the cathode, it is possible to prevent the battery pack from wobbling and falling off.
[0027]
Here, since the anode terminal 4 and the cathode terminal 5 provided in the battery pack have a cylindrical shape, that is, have a hollow inside, the hollow portion may be clogged with dust or the like. If the above-described connection is attempted while the hollow portion is filled with dust, the dust is pushed into the anode terminal 4 and the cathode terminal 5 by the respective connection pins, which causes poor contact and the like. For this reason, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, dust removal holes 14 and 15 are provided in the upper surface 1c of the battery case so as to penetrate the anode terminal 4 and the cathode terminal 5, respectively. As a result, dust clogged in the anode terminal 4 and the cathode terminal 5 is pushed out to the outside through the dust removal holes 14 and 15 by the respective connection pins, and the anode terminal 4 and the cathode terminal 5 are always cleaned. State can be maintained, and the above-mentioned poor contact can be prevented.
[0028]
As is clear from the above description, the battery pack according to the present embodiment includes the cylindrical anode terminal 4 and the cathode terminal 5 in the battery case 1 and the first and second secondary batteries 2 and 3. The battery pack is provided in the upper right space 10 and the upper left space 11 generated by storing the battery pack, so that there is no need to provide a special installation place for providing the anode terminal 4 and the cathode terminal 5. Can be. Therefore, it is possible to contribute to downsizing of a device (for example, a charger or a video camera device) to which the battery pack is connected.
[0029]
Further, since the anode terminal 4 and the cathode terminal 5 are fitted and connected to the anode connection pin and the cathode connection pin provided on the device side, the battery pack is securely connected by the anode connection pin and the cathode connection pin. Can be supported. For this reason, wobbling and falling off of the battery pack can be prevented.
[0030]
In the description of the above-described embodiment, a total of two secondary batteries, that is, the first and second secondary batteries 2 and 3 are stored in the battery case 1. One, three or more may be stored. Also, the cross-sectional shape of the cylindrical anode terminal and the cathode terminal has been described as being respectively cylindrical, but this is, for example, if the cross-section is cylindrical, such as a polygonal shape or an elliptical shape. It is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to the cylindrical shape.
[0031]
【The invention's effect】
In the battery pack according to the present invention, the battery case includes a first end face, a second end face facing the first end face, and a connection face connecting the first end face and the second end face. A plane is formed in a substantially rectangular box shape, and a groove portion is provided in a central portion of one surface of the connection surface and in a gap between the secondary battery and the battery case in parallel with the secondary battery. A first opening provided in the gap between the battery case and the secondary battery in parallel with the secondary battery and for inserting an electrode connection pin of an electronic device on the first end face; Since an electrode insertion hole having an approximately cylindrical shape provided with an electrode terminal connected to the electrode of the secondary battery is provided near a corner of the box-shaped battery case, the electrode insertion hole is provided. The installation area of the electrode terminal is Ryakuka can be achieved, it is possible to achieve a reduction of the battery pack. For this reason, it is possible to contribute to miniaturization of devices related to the battery pack, such as a charger and a video camera device. Further, since the electrode insertion hole having a substantially cylindrical shape is used, the electrode insertion hole can be reliably brought into contact with the electrode terminal of another device, and poor contact can be prevented.
[0032]
Here, a substantially cylindrical electrode insertion hole is provided in a gap between the battery case and the secondary battery in parallel with the secondary battery and has a first opening for inserting an electrode connection pin of an electronic device. However, in the battery pack according to the present invention, the second opening formed on the connection surface side of the battery case is provided in the electrode insertion hole. When the electronic device is mounted in an appropriate direction, the connection pins inserted into the substantially cylindrical electrode insertion hole cause dust clogged in the electrode insertion hole to pass through the second opening. The electrode insertion hole is pushed out to the outside, and the above-mentioned electrode insertion hole can be always kept in a clean state, and a contact failure or the like can be prevented.
[0033]
Therefore, in the present invention, the electrode terminals can be provided without providing a special installation place, and the electrode terminals can be surely brought into contact with each other, and the electrode terminals can always be kept in a clean state. Battery pack that can be provided.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a battery pack according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a front view of the battery pack of the embodiment.
FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional side view taken along line AA of the battery pack of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a plan view of the battery pack of the embodiment.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a conventional battery pack.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Battery case, 1a Upper surface part of battery case, 1b Lower surface part of battery case, 1c Front part of battery case, 1d Rear part of battery case, 2nd first secondary battery, 2a Anode of 1st secondary battery, 2b cathode of first secondary battery, 3 second secondary battery, 3a anode of second secondary battery, 3b cathode of second secondary battery, 4 anode terminal, 5 cathode terminal, 6 guide groove, 7 reverse insertion preventing groove, 8 first center gap, 9 second center gap, 10 upper right gap, 11 upper left gap, 13 cathode connection pin, 14, 15 dust removal hole, 16 anode insertion hole, 17 cathode insertion hole

Claims (1)

A battery case including a first end face, a second end face facing the first end face, and a connection face connecting the first end face and the second end face;
A plurality of cylindrical secondary batteries housed in the battery case and housed with their end faces facing the first end face and the second end face, respectively;
A first opening provided in the gap between the battery case and the secondary battery in parallel with the secondary battery and for inserting an electrode connection pin of the electronic device on the first end face; In a battery pack for an electronic device, comprising an electrode insertion hole having a substantially cylindrical shape provided with an electrode terminal connected to the electrode of the secondary battery,
The battery case has a substantially rectangular box shape when viewed from the top, and has a groove parallel to the secondary battery in a gap between the secondary battery and the battery case at the center of one of the connection surfaces. And the electrode insertion hole is provided near the corner of the box-shaped battery case,
The battery pack for an electronic device, wherein the electrode insertion hole has a second opening that is opened on a connection surface side of the battery case.

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