JP2004146205A - Battery storing device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a technology in which batteries with different sizes are made to be discernable, and enabled to be housed in a small-sized portable equipment. <P>SOLUTION: A battery housing part 2 installed in the equipment set 1 is provided with distinguishing function to distinguish projection profile 11 of the batteries 10 of the different sizes, and this is provided with a housing volume changing means of the battery housing part 2 composed of a movable piece 3 which changes the size of the internal space according to the size of the battery 10. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a battery storage device for a small electronic device such as a camera.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In a small electronic device such as a camera or a small portable device having a flash or an automatic movable part, a primary battery or a secondary battery is used as a power source. Such a small portable device requires a power source with a large electric capacity when using a function with high power consumption. For example, a movie or the like requires a large capacity battery. In order to meet such demands, it is desired to be able to mount batteries of different sizes depending on the application. In order to have a power source with an electric capacity corresponding to each application, there is also an apparatus that can accommodate a plurality of different types of batteries, such as an apparatus that uses both a primary battery and a secondary battery. However, providing a plurality of battery storage units requires useless space. In addition, it is necessary to identify and display different types of batteries, but conventional batteries can only identify batteries of the same shape.
[0003]
A storage device in which a primary battery and a secondary battery are used is known (for example, see Patent Document 1). This device has the convenience of sharing the primary battery and the secondary battery, has the charging function for the secondary battery, and has the safety to avoid the unexpected charging operation to the primary battery due to misunderstanding. It is a battery / secondary battery shared battery storage device. In this technique, the battery storage unit can store both the primary battery and the secondary battery having the same shape and the same size. When the secondary battery is stored, the battery discrimination assisting material is set so as to fill the gap between the secondary batteries. The switch actuator of the battery discrimination switch below the battery compartment is pushed down by the battery discrimination auxiliary material, the battery discrimination switch is turned on, the charge / discharge switch is switched, and the secondary battery charging circuit is charged to the secondary battery. State. When the primary battery is stored, a switch operator is inserted in the gap, so that the battery discrimination switch is kept off, and the secondary battery charging circuit is not in an output state during charging. This technology requires a primary battery and a secondary battery having the same shape and size, and the mechanism is very complicated.
[0004]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-10-172526 (2nd to 10th pages, FIG. 1)
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
It is an object of the present invention to provide a technology that makes it possible to easily improve a battery storage device so that batteries of different sizes can be identified and can be stored in the same storage unit.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and is a battery storage device characterized by taking the following technical means. That is, the present invention is a battery storage device comprising an identification function for identifying batteries having different sizes and a storage volume changing means of a battery storage unit. The identification means is preferably a detection switch for identifying the protrusion shape of the battery. Further, the storage volume changing means may be a moving body that changes the size of the internal space in accordance with the size of the battery.
[0007]
In the present invention, for example, different convex shapes are provided for batteries having different sizes, and the identification detection switch identifies the size of the battery by recognizing the different convex shapes.
[0008]
Examples of the battery to which the present invention is applied include a lithium ion battery, a nickel metal hydride battery, and other batteries.
[0009]
In the present invention, batteries of different sizes can be identified and stored.
[0010]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
[0011]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a battery storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The battery storage part 2 of the apparatus set 1 that stores the battery is shown, and the state immediately before the battery 10 is inserted into the battery storage part 2 as shown by the arrow 12 is shown. The lid of the battery storage unit 2 is not shown. A movable piece 3 is built in the battery housing portion 2 and is movable as shown by an arrow 4. The movable piece 3 is urged in the direction of reducing the battery housing portion 2. Batteries of different sizes can be stored without gaps by the movable piece 3.
[0012]
The battery 10 is provided with a protrusion 11. FIG. 2 shows an example in which the shape of the protrusion 11 is formed in a different shape such as the protrusions 11 a and 11 b depending on the size of the battery 10.
[0013]
FIG. 3 is a partial view showing a state in which the battery 10 is inserted into the battery housing portion 2 as indicated by an arrow 12. The protrusion 11 pushes the switch piece 21 of the detection switch 20, and the switch 20 recognizes the insertion of the battery, and the device transmits a necessary signal based on this recognition. For example, the presence or absence of battery storage is displayed on an LED lamp or LCD. At this time, for example, batteries having different sizes are provided with protrusions 11a and 11b having different shapes as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, and the switch piece 21 of the detection switch 20 is shown in FIG. The left and right directions 22 or 23 are tilted, and the difference or difference in the size of the stored batteries can be divided in half by the difference in the tilt direction.
[0014]
The techniques shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 are merely examples, and any other means having a recognition function may be used.
[0015]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, batteries of different sizes can be used, and by making them identifiable, it is possible to attach an appropriate battery according to the application. Can be displayed on an LCD or the like.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an embodiment.
FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of protrusions indicating that the sizes of batteries are different.
FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of battery identification means.
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a detection switch.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Device set 2 Battery accommodating part 3 Movable piece 4 Arrow 10 Battery 12 Arrow 11 Protrusion 11a, 11b Protrusion 20 Detection switch 21 Switch piece 22, 23 Left-right direction

Claims (3)

A battery storage device comprising: an identification function for identifying batteries having different sizes; and a storage volume changing unit for a battery storage unit. 2. The battery storage device according to claim 1, wherein the identification means is a detection switch for identifying a protrusion shape of the battery. The battery storage device according to claim 1, wherein the storage volume changing unit is a moving body that changes the size of the internal space according to the size of the battery.

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