JP2009048782A - Battery storage section and electric device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a battery storage section with an easy-to-handle battery cover, and an electric device having the same battery storage section with such a battery cover. <P>SOLUTION: The battery storage section 34 is provided with a battery storage chamber 38 having an opening extending along a first axis, a first contact 48 arranged on the first axis in the battery storage chamber by separating from the opening and made of an elastic body, a second contact 50 arranged on a second axis crossed with the first axis at the first contact by separating from the first contact in the battery storage chamber, and the battery cover having a pushing section 56 formed to advance into the battery storage chamber through the opening. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a battery storage unit and an electric device including the battery storage unit.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a battery storage unit provided in an electric device, a type in which a battery is taken in and out in the longitudinal direction is known (Patent Document 1). This type of battery compartment is placed behind the battery compartment to ensure electrical contact between the battery terminals and the battery compartment contacts, and to facilitate removal of the battery when the battery lid is removed. The spring-like contact pressed the battery toward another contact disposed on the battery lid.

Therefore, there is a problem that the battery lid has to be made thick with a highly rigid material in order to hold the battery in the battery housing portion against the pressing force of the spring-like contact. When the battery lid is fixed with a screw to make it thinner, the screw must be removed to open the battery lid, which is inconvenient when replacing the battery. In addition, when the battery lid is configured to open and close in a sliding manner, it is difficult to ensure the waterproof property of the battery storage unit.
JP-A-8-112820

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a battery housing portion having a battery lid that is easier to handle, and an electric device including the battery housing portion having such a battery lid. It is to be.

  In order to achieve the above object, a battery storage unit according to the present invention is provided with a battery storage chamber having an opening extending along a first axis, and on the first axis in the battery storage chamber, spaced from the opening. A first contact made of an elastic body, a second contact disposed apart from the first contact on a second axis intersecting the first axis at the first contact in the battery housing chamber, and an opening A battery lid having a pressing portion configured to enter the battery housing chamber.

  The electric device according to the present invention includes a battery storage chamber having an opening extending along the first axis, and an elastic body disposed on the first axis in the battery storage chamber and spaced apart from the opening. In the battery housing chamber, the first contact, the second contact disposed on the second axis that intersects the first axis at the first contact, spaced from the first contact, and the opening through the opening. A battery lid having a pressing portion configured to enter the battery, and an electric element supplied with power by a battery disposed in the battery housing chamber so that both terminals are in contact with the first contact and the second contact. .

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the electric equipment provided with the battery storage part which has a battery cover which is easier to handle, and the battery storage part which has such a battery cover can be provided.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the refractometer 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a housing 12 that includes a main body 14 and a liquid immersion part 16 that is inserted into a liquid sample. The liquid immersion unit 16 is provided with an opening 18 in which a prism 20 that is brought into contact with the liquid sample is disposed. The main body unit 14 is provided with operation units 22a and 22b for performing operations such as measurement start and zero adjustment, and a display unit 24 such as a liquid crystal display for displaying measurement results.

  Referring to the cross-sectional view of FIG. 3, the light source 28 and the light receiving sensor 30 are fixed on the first substrate 26 disposed in the liquid immersion unit 16. The prism 20 is adhered on the light source 28 and the light receiving sensor 30. On the second substrate 32 disposed in the main body 14 and having a plane parallel to the paper surface of FIG. 3, an arithmetic unit (not shown), operation units 22a and 22b, and a display unit 24 are supported. In addition, a battery storage portion 34 that stores a battery as a power source is provided at the end opposite to the liquid immersion portion 16.

  The operation of the refractometer 10 is as follows. When the prism 20 of the refractometer 10 is brought into contact with the liquid sample and the start switch 22 a is pressed to turn on the light source 28, the light incident on the boundary surface 20 a between the liquid sample and the prism 20 from the light source 28 is relative to the liquid sample and the prism 20. The light is separated into refracted light and reflected light according to the critical angle of total reflection determined by the refractive index. The reflected light is further reflected by the surface 20 b of the prism 20 to form an image on the light receiving sensor 30, and is converted into an electric signal by the light receiving sensor 30. The electric signal is amplified and sent to a calculation unit (not shown), and the refractive index is detected based on the electric signal in the calculation unit. The refractive index is converted into a concentration such as sugar content and displayed on the display unit 24.

  Referring to FIG. 4, which is a cross-sectional view of the battery storage portion 34, the battery storage portion 34 has a battery storage chamber 38 in which the battery 36 is stored. The battery 36 is a cylindrical battery such as a AAA battery. The battery storage chamber 38 is bounded by the housing 12 and partition walls 40 and 41 provided inside the housing 12. More specifically, the casing 12 and the partition walls 40 and 41 that define the boundary of the battery storage chamber 38 have a range in which the battery 36 can move in the battery storage chamber 38 at a position along a first axis A described later. It has a shape and dimensions that are limited to only between positions along the second axis B.

  The battery storage chamber 38 has a cylindrical opening 42 extending along the first axis A. The opening 42 guides the battery 36 inserted in the longitudinal direction along the first axis A. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the inner peripheral surface 43 of the opening 42 has a cylindrical shape matching the cylindrical side surface 36a of the battery 36, and slides on the battery 36 inserted in the longitudinal direction. Support as possible.

  Referring back to FIG. 4, the battery storage unit 34 includes a first contact 48 and a second contact 50 that are in electrical contact with the negative terminal 44 and the positive terminal 46 of the battery 36, respectively. The first contact 48 and the second contact 50 are connected to a power supply circuit (not shown) provided on the second substrate 32 (FIG. 2).

  As shown in FIG. 4, the first contact 48 is made of an elastic body, preferably a compression coil spring. When the battery 36 is a AAA type battery, for example, a conical coil spring having a spring constant of 0.1 to 0.2 N / m and a free height of 8 to 20 mm can be used as the first contact 48. The second contact 50 is a plate-like or leaf-spring-like contact.

  The first contact 48 is disposed on the first axis A in the battery storage chamber 38 so as to be separated from the opening 42. More specifically, the first contact 48 is positioned such that the distance between the first contact 48 and the opening 42 is shorter than the longitudinal dimension of the battery 36 when the first contact 48 is in an uncompressed state. . Thus, when the battery 36 is inserted in the longitudinal direction from the opening 42, the negative electrode terminal 44 of the battery 36 is in a state where the cylindrical side surface 36 a on the positive electrode terminal 46 side of the battery 36 is supported by the inner peripheral surface 43 of the opening 42. The first contact 48 is contacted. The first contact 48 is positioned such that the distance between the first contact 48 and the opening 42 is longer than the longitudinal dimension of the battery 36 when the first contact 48 is in a compressed state. Thereby, when the battery 36 is pressed so as to compress the first contact 48, the contact between the cylindrical side surface 36 a of the battery 36 and the inner peripheral surface 43 of the opening 42 can be removed.

  The second contact 50 is disposed on the second axis B that intersects the first axis A at the position of the first contact 48 in the battery storage chamber 38. Further, the second contact is provided so that the battery 36 can be disposed at an “energization position” where the negative terminal 44 of the battery 36 is in electrical contact with the first contact 48 and the positive terminal 46 is in electrical contact with the second contact 50. 50 is spaced apart from the first contact 48 and is disposed opposite the first contact 48.

The angle α between the first axis A and the second axis B is determined in a range between α _min and α _max based on the following equation.

α _min = tan ⁻¹ (φ _min / 2 / A _max ) (1)
α _max = tan ⁻¹ (φ _max / 2 / A _min ) (2)
Here, φ _max and φ _min are the maximum and minimum of the diameter of the battery 36, respectively, A _max and A _min are the maximum and minimum of the total height of the battery 36, respectively, and both are defined in JIS C 8511 (2004). It is a dimension.

  The angle α is 14.7 to 16.0 degrees when the battery 36 is an AA battery, 14.0 to 15.1 degrees when the battery 36 is an AA battery, and 7.6 to when the AA battery is an AA battery. It is 8.4 degrees, 6.1 to 6.9 degrees for AAA batteries, and 10.2 to 11.7 degrees for AAA batteries. By determining the angle α based on the above formulas (1) and (2), the battery 36 inserted along the first axis A can be easily moved to the energization position as will be described in detail later. In addition, the battery 36 in the energized position can be easily taken out.

  In addition, a wall 51 extending along the first axis A is provided between the second contact 50 and the opening 42. More specifically, the second contact 50 and the opening 42 are adjacent to each other with the wall 51 interposed therebetween. The wall portion 51 has an arcuate cross section, and the surface of the wall portion 51 on the opening 42 side constitutes a part of the inner peripheral surface 43. The surface of the wall 51 on the second contact 50 side is in contact with the cylindrical side surface of the positive electrode terminal 46 of the battery 36 (FIG. 10) at the energization position. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the battery 36 in the energization position from coming off the second contact 50 and to hold the battery 36 in the energization position. Further, the wall 51 is configured such that when the battery 36 is disposed between the first contact 48 and the second contact 50 with the positive electrode terminal 46 and the negative electrode terminal 44 reversed, the negative electrode terminal 44 contacts the second contact 50. To prevent it. Thereby, when the battery 36 is inserted in the wrong direction, it is possible to prevent the battery 36 from being energized.

  The battery compartment 34 further includes a battery lid 52 that is movable between a “closed position” (FIG. 10) that closes the opening 42 and an “open position” (FIG. 4) that opens the opening 42. The battery lid 52 is pivotally attached to the housing 12 by pins 54. The pin 54 extends in a direction perpendicular to the first axis A and the second axis B. Accordingly, the battery lid 52 pivots in the same plane as the battery 36 that pivots from a position on the first axis A (FIG. 4) to a position on the second axis B (FIG. 10).

  As shown in FIG. 10, when the battery 36 is in the energized position, the pressing force by the first contact 48 is applied to the housing 12 that supports the second contact 50, and is not applied to the battery lid 52. Therefore, the battery lid 52 can be made thinner. Further, the battery lid 52 can be made of an elastic material such as a thermoplastic elastomer or PP resin (polypropylene resin).

  As shown in FIG. 4, the battery lid 52 is supported by the pedestal 58 and a pedestal 58 extending on the inner side (opening 42 side) of the battery lid 52 with the tangential direction of the rotation of the battery lid 52 as a stretching axis C. And a pressing portion 56. The pressing portion 56 is configured to enter the battery storage chamber 38 through the opening 42 when the battery lid 52 is in the closed position (FIG. 10).

  As shown in the perspective view of the battery lid 52 in FIG. 8, the pedestal portion 58 has a cylindrical shape that fits into the opening 42, and is packed in an annular groove 60 provided on the outer peripheral surface (see FIG. 10). ) Is arranged. The packing 62 is preferably made of an ethylene / propylene rubber such as ethylene propylene diene terpolymer (EPDM). As shown in FIG. 10, when the battery cover 52 is in the closed position, the packing 62 is disposed between the inner peripheral surface 43 of the opening 42 and the annular groove 60, thereby maintaining the waterproof property of the battery storage chamber 38. Can do.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the pressing portion 56 has a substantially flat first surface 64 at the tip thereof. The first surface 64 is inclined with respect to the extending axis C of the pedestal portion 58.

The angle β of the first surface 64 with respect to the extending axis C of the pedestal portion 58 is determined in the range between β _min and β _max based on the following equation.

β _min = tan ⁻¹ (2 * (A _min −A _max ) / (φ _max −F _min ) (3)
β _max = tan ⁻¹ (2 * (A _min −A _max ) / (φ _min −F _max ) (4)
Here, φ _max and φ _min are the maximum and minimum of the diameter of the battery 36, A _max and A _min are the maximum and minimum of the total height of the battery 36, respectively, and F _max and F _min are respectively defined for the positive terminal 46. The maximum and minimum diameters within the protrusion height are both the dimensions specified in JIS C 8511 (2004).

  The angle β is 8.6 to 10.0 degrees when the battery 36 is a single type battery, 7.7 to 9.1 degrees when the battery 36 is a single type battery, and 14.2 when the battery 36 is a single type battery. It is 18.0 degrees, in the case of the AAA battery, 15.8 to 22.8 degrees, and in the case of the AAA battery, 12.4 to 17.7 degrees. By determining the angle β based on the above formulas (3) and (4), the battery 36 inserted along the first axis A can be easily moved to the energized position, as will be described in detail later. Can do.

  The pressing portion 56 further has a generally flat second surface 66 adjacent to the first surface 64. The second surface 66 is substantially parallel to the extending axis C of the pedestal portion 58. Thus, when the battery lid 52 is in the closed position (FIG. 10), the battery 36 can be held in the energized position by contacting the cylindrical side surface 36a of the battery 36.

  In order to fix the battery lid 52 in the closed position, the battery lid 52 and the housing 12 are provided with meshing means that mesh with each other. As the engaging means, for example, the battery lid 52 is provided with a hook 68, and the battery lid 52 is provided with a groove 70.

  The operation of the battery storage unit 34 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4, 9, and 10.

  When the battery 36 is stored in the battery storage chamber 38, as shown in FIG. 4, the battery 36 is inserted from the opening 42 with the battery lid 52 moved to the open position. The battery 36 is guided along the first axis A by the inner peripheral surface 43 of the opening 42 until the negative electrode terminal 44 of the battery 36 contacts the first contact 48.

  When the negative electrode terminal 44 contacts the first contact 48, the battery 36 still has the cylindrical side surface 36 a on the positive electrode terminal 46 side supported by the inner peripheral surface 43 of the opening 42. In this state, when the battery lid 52 is swung from the open position to the position indicated by the broken line in FIG. 4, the first surface 64 of the pressing portion 56 contacts the edge portion 36 b on the positive electrode terminal 46 side of the battery 36.

  When the battery cover 52 is further moved toward the closed position, the pressing portion 56 causes the battery 36 to move from the “insertion position” (FIG. 4) on the first axis A to the negative terminal 44 and the positive terminal 46 of the battery 36. The first contact point 48 and the second contact point 50 are moved to “energization positions” (FIG. 10) that are in electrical contact with each other.

  More specifically, as shown in FIG. 9, the battery 36 is pushed toward the first contact 48 by the first surface 64 of the pressing portion 56, and the cylindrical side surface 36 a of the battery 36 and the inner peripheral surface 43 of the opening 42. Contact with the When the contact is released, the first surface 64 of the pressing portion 56 presses the battery 36 in an oblique direction with respect to the first axis A. As a result, the edge 36b of the battery 36 moves on the first surface 64 of the pressing part 56, and the battery 36 moves from the position on the first axis A to the first contact 48 and the second on the second axis. Move to a position between the contacts 50.

  When the battery 36 moves on the second axis B, the contact between the edge 36b of the battery 36 and the first surface 64 of the pressing part 56 is released. Accordingly, the battery 36 slightly moves toward the second contact 50 by the pressing force of the first contact 48 and reaches the energization position of FIG. By this movement, the second surface 66 of the pressing portion 56 contacts the cylindrical side surface 36 a in the vicinity of the edge 36 b of the battery 36, and at the same time, the surface of the wall 51 on the second contact 50 side is the positive terminal 46 of the battery 36. In contact with the cylindrical side. The battery 36 is reliably held at the energized position by these contacts. Further, by engaging the hook 68 of the battery lid 52 and the groove 70 of the housing 12, the battery lid 52 is fixed in the closed position.

  When taking out the battery 36, first, the hook 68 and the groove 70 are disengaged, and the battery cover 52 is moved from the closed position to the open position. Next, while pressing the edge 36b of the battery 36 visible from the opening 42 toward the first contact with a finger, the contact between the wall 51 and the positive terminal 46 of the battery 36 is released, and the battery 36 is placed on the first axis A. Move. When the finger is removed from the battery 36, the cylindrical side surface 36 a on the positive electrode terminal 46 side of the battery 36 is slidably supported by the opening 42 by the pressing force of the first contact 48. In this state, the battery 36 is easily removed by tilting the refractometer 10 and directing the opening 42 downward.

  According to the above-described battery housing portion 34, when the battery 36 is placed at the energized position, the battery lid 52 is not pressed by the first contact 48, so that the battery lid 52 can be made of an elastic material such as a thermoplastic elastomer. In addition, the battery lid 52 can be made thinner. Furthermore, by making the battery lid 52 of an elastic material, the battery lid 52 can be more easily engaged with the housing 12.

  In addition, the battery lid 52 is made of a thermoplastic elastomer, and the contact surface between the battery lid 52 and the opening is formed in a cylindrical shape and the packing is arranged, so that the waterproof property of the battery storage chamber 38 can be improved. it can.

  Furthermore, the battery lid 52 is made of a thermoplastic elastomer, so that the battery lid 52 functions as a protective material for the battery housing portion 34 and the electrical equipment including the battery housing portion 34, and the impact resistance of the battery housing portion 34 and the electrical equipment. Can be improved.

  In addition, even when the battery cover 52 is removed, the battery 36 remains in the energized position, so that the power supply from the battery 36 can be maintained even when the battery cover 52 is unintentionally removed.

  The refractometer including the battery storage unit according to the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the configuration of each unit is replaced with an arbitrary configuration having the same function. be able to.

  For example, the battery storage unit according to the present invention includes a flashlight, a camera, an electric toothbrush, a thermometer, a personal trimmer (nose / ear / eyebrows) as well as similar measuring devices such as a salinity meter, a pH meter, and a conductivity meter. It can be widely applied to various other electric devices using a battery as a power source, such as a hair clipper, a portable phone, and a charger for a portable phone.

  This is extremely useful for making it easier to replace the battery in the battery housing.

It is a perspective view of the refractometer which is one Embodiment of this invention. It is a side view of the refractometer of FIG. It is sectional drawing of the refractometer of FIG. It is sectional drawing of a battery accommodating part, and shows the state which the battery cover opened. FIG. 3 is a side view of a refractometer similar to FIG. 2 with the battery lid removed. It is a top view of the battery cover seen from the inside FIG. 7 is a side view of the battery cover as viewed from above in FIG. 6. It is a perspective view of a battery cover. It is sectional drawing similar to FIG. 4 which shows the state which has moved the battery cover from the open position to the closed position. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIGS. 4 and 9 showing a state in which the battery lid is closed.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Refractometer 12 ... Housing 14 ... Main-body part 16 ... Liquid immersion part 18 ... Opening 20 ... Prism 22a, 22b ... Operation part 24 ... Display part 26 ... 1st board | substrate 28 ... Light source 30 ... Light receiving sensor 32 ... 2nd board | substrate 34 ... Battery storage unit 36 ... Battery 36a ... Cylindrical side surface 36b ... Edge 38 ... Battery storage chamber 40, 41 ... Partition wall 42 ... Opening 43 ... Inner peripheral surface 44 ... Negative electrode terminal 46 ... Positive electrode terminal 48 ... First contact 50 ... 2nd contact point 51 ... Wall part 52 ... Battery cover 54 ... Pin 56 ... Pressing part 56 ... Protrusion part 58 ... Base part 60 ... Annular groove 62 ... Packing 64 ... 1st surface 66 ... 2nd surface 68 ... Hook 70 ... Groove A ... first axis B ... second axis C ... extension axis

Claims (10)

A battery compartment having an opening extending along the first axis;
A first contact made of an elastic body disposed on the first shaft and spaced apart from the opening in the battery housing;
A second contact disposed away from the first contact on the second axis intersecting the first axis at the first contact in the battery housing;
A battery lid having a pressing portion configured to enter the battery storage chamber through the opening;
A battery compartment comprising: The battery lid further includes a pedestal portion that supports the pressing portion and fits into the opening,
The pressing portion has a first surface inclined with respect to the extending axis of the pedestal portion,
The angle of the first surface with respect to the extension axis of the pedestal is the maximum and minimum diameters of the batteries that accommodate φ _max and φ _min , respectively, and A _max and A _min are the maximum and minimum total heights of the batteries, respectively. When
Formula (1) α _min = tan ⁻¹ (φ _min / 2 / A _max )
Expression (2) α _max = tan ⁻¹ (φ _max / 2 / A _min )
_Is in the range between α _min and α _max calculated based on
When the pressing portion is adjacent to the first surface and has an angle different from that of the first surface, and the pedestal portion is fitted in the opening, the first contact and the second contact The battery storage part of Claim 1 which has a 2nd surface which contact | connects the side surface of the battery arrange | positioned between.   The battery storage unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the opening and the second contact point are adjacent to each other with a wall portion extending along the first axis interposed therebetween.   When the first contact is in a non-compressed state, the distance between the first contact and the opening is shorter than the longitudinal dimension of the battery stored in the battery storage unit, and the first contact is in a compressed state. The battery accommodating part of any one of Claims 1-3 whose distance between the said 1st contact and the said opening is longer than the dimension of the longitudinal direction of the said battery. Angle between the first axis and the second axis, the maximum and minimum diameter of the battery housing the phi _max and phi _min, respectively, the maximum and minimum total height of each of the batteries A _max and A _{min Where} F _max and F _min are the maximum and minimum diameters of the positive terminal of the battery, respectively,
Formula (3) β _min = tan ⁻¹ (2 * (A _max −A _min ) / (φ _max −F _min )
Formula (4) β _max = tan ⁻¹ (2 * (A _max −A _min ) / (φ _min −F _max )
The battery accommodating part of any one of Claims 1-4 which exists in the range between (beta) _min calculated based on (beta), and (beta) _max . A battery compartment having an opening extending along the first axis;
A first contact made of an elastic body disposed on the first shaft and spaced apart from the opening in the battery housing;
A second contact disposed away from the first contact on the second axis intersecting the first axis at the first contact in the battery housing;
A battery lid having a pressing portion configured to enter the battery storage chamber through the opening;
An electric element that is supplied with power by a battery disposed in the battery accommodating chamber so that both terminals are in contact with the first contact and the second contact;
Electrical equipment comprising. The battery lid further includes a pedestal portion that supports the pressing portion and fits into the opening,
The pressing portion has a first surface inclined with respect to the extending axis of the pedestal portion,
The angle of the first surface with respect to the extension axis of the pedestal portion is the maximum and minimum of the diameter of the battery that accommodates φ _max and φ _min , respectively, and A _max and A _min are the maximum and minimum of the total height of the battery, respectively. When
Formula (1) α _min = tan ⁻¹ (φ _min / 2 / A _max )
Expression (2) α _max = tan ⁻¹ (φ _max / 2 / A _min )
_Is in the range between α _min and α _max calculated based on
When the pressing portion is adjacent to the first surface and has an angle different from that of the first surface, and the pedestal portion is fitted in the opening, the first contact and the second contact The electric device according to claim 6, further comprising a second surface that contacts a side surface of the battery disposed therebetween.   The electric device according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the opening and the second contact point are adjacent to each other with a wall portion extending along the first axis interposed therebetween.   When the first contact is in a non-compressed state, the distance between the first contact and the opening is shorter than the longitudinal dimension of the battery stored in the battery storage unit, and the first contact is in a compressed state. The electrical device according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein a distance between the first contact and the opening is longer than a longitudinal dimension of the battery. Angle between the first axis and the second axis, the maximum and minimum diameter of the battery housing the phi _max and phi _min, respectively, the maximum and minimum total height of each of the batteries A _max and A _{min Where} F _max and F _min are the maximum and minimum diameters of the positive terminal of the battery, respectively,
Formula (3) β _min = tan ⁻¹ (2 * (A _max −A _min ) / (φ _max −F _min )
Formula (4) β _max = tan ⁻¹ (2 * (A _max −A _min ) / (φ _min −F _max )
The electrical device according to any one of claims 6 to 9, which is in a range between β _min and β _max calculated based on.

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