JP2011249018A - Battery charger for battery pack - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To surely set a battery pack into a mount pocket and to hold it therein.SOLUTION: A battery charger for a battery pack includes: a pocket-side connecting part 20 provided on a bottom surface 15 of a mount pocket 12 and configured to connect with a charging contact 3 provided on a bottom surface 2 of a battery pack 1; first ribs 13 formed on first side walls 11 confronted to each other, among side walls constituting the mount pocket 12, so as to be continued from an opening position of the mount pocket 12 toward the bottom surface 15 and protruded at a first height toward the battery pack 1 inserted into the mount pocket 12; and second ribs 14 formed on the first side walls 11 in parallel with the first ribs 13 so as to be protruded toward the battery pack 1 at a second height higher than the first height, and formed while facing an opening position of the mount pocket 12. The battery pack 1 is held by abutting at least a part of the first ribs 13 and the second ribs 14 to the battery pack 1 inserted into the mount pocket 12.

Description

  The present invention relates to a charger capable of charging a plurality of battery packs.

  Many electric devices that are driven by a battery pack such as a laptop computer or a mobile phone are configured to be charged by connecting an AC adapter in order to charge the battery pack. However, in this configuration, the AC adapter must be set in the notebook computer one by one, and the efficiency is low. Therefore, a charger that can be charged together by attaching a plurality of battery packs has been developed (for example, Patent Document 1). reference). An example of such a charger is shown in FIG. As shown in this figure, the charger 90 is provided with a mounting pocket 92 for mounting a plurality of battery packs 91 individually. Each mounting pocket 92 is a hole that is recessed so that the battery pack 91 can be inserted and held in an upright position, and a pocket side connector 93 for connecting to the pack side connector of the battery pack 91 is provided on the bottom surface. Yes. Each battery pack 91 is inserted into a mounting pocket 92 opened in the charger 90, and charged by attaching the pack-side connector 94 of the battery pack 91 to the pocket-side connector 93 on the bottom surface.

  In such a configuration, the battery pack needs to be accurately connected with the connector, but when the battery pack is mounted in the mounting pocket, the connector itself is automatically engaged. In particular, in a connector of a charger, since a large current for charging flows, it is necessary to securely connect the connectors.

  However, in the configuration in which the vertically long battery pack is inserted vertically, the longer the battery pack is, the deeper the mounting pocket becomes in order to stably hold the battery pack. When the mounting pocket becomes deeper, the distance from the opening to the bottom surface becomes longer, and it becomes difficult to connect to the pocket-side connector provided on the bottom surface.

  In particular, as shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 14, in order to form the mounting pocket 92 in the charger, it is necessary to consider the draft angle of the mold for molding the mounting pocket 92, so that the opening side is wider than the bottom surface side. As a result, the opening portion of the mounting pocket 92 is larger than the outer shape of the battery pack 1, and as a result of the gap GP, the insertion posture is difficult to be determined.

  In particular, in order to meet the demand for larger capacity in recent years, it is necessary to connect a large number of battery cells in series. As the number of battery cells used increases, the outer shape of the battery pack tends to increase. Moreover, in such a large-sized battery pack, a larger amount of current is passed through the connector connection portion, so that more reliable connector connection is required.

  Further, as shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 14, the opening of the mounting pocket 92 is widened, so that a gap between the inner wall of the mounting pocket 92 and the battery pack 91 is increased, and the inserted battery pack 91 The posture may become unstable. In particular, during charging, it is necessary to keep the battery pack 91 stably. However, when the battery pack 91 becomes unstable, the connection state with the connectors 93 and 94 becomes unstable. Shaking of the connectors 93 and 94 leads to bending or breakage of pins constituting the connector. Further, when the contact between the connectors becomes unstable, the contact resistance increases and the amount of generated Joule heat increases accordingly, which may also damage the connectors.

  In addition, when the battery pack 91 is inserted obliquely as shown in FIG. 15, the corners of the battery pack 91 come into contact with the connectors 93, 94 provided on the bottom surface of the mounting pocket 92, and the connectors 93, 94 are damaged. It is also possible. In particular, the use of charging a plurality of battery packs together may be used for business purposes such as a sales team or medical use. However, in such a use, usage becomes rough and the environment becomes more severe.

JP-A-8-130038

  The present invention has been made in view of such a conventional background. The main object of the present invention is to charge the battery pack that can securely hold the battery pack while the battery pack is securely set in the mounting pocket. Is to provide a vessel.

Means for Solving the Problems and Effects of the Invention

  In order to achieve the above object, according to the battery pack charger according to the first aspect of the present invention, the battery pack 1 can be charged, and the main body case 10 and the battery pack 1 can be attached and detached. A mounting pocket 12 formed in accordance with the outer shape of the battery pack 1 opened in one surface of the main body case 10 for free mounting, and a charging provided in the battery pack 1 provided in the mounting pocket 12 Continuously from the opening position of the mounting pocket 12 toward the bottom surface 15 in the pocket side connection portion 20 configured to connect to the contact 3 and the first side wall 11 facing each other among the side walls configuring the mounting pocket 12. In the first rib 13 formed so as to protrude at a first height toward the battery pack 1 inserted in the mounting pocket 12, A second rib 14 that protrudes toward the battery pack 1 at a second height that is higher than the height and that faces the opening position of the mounting pocket 12, and is inserted into the mounting pocket 12. The battery pack 1 can be configured to hold the battery pack 1 by bringing at least a part of the first rib 13 and the second rib 14 into contact with the battery pack 1. Accordingly, a pair of ribs of the first rib and the second rib are provided on both sides in the opening of the mounting pocket so as to face each other, thereby restricting the battery pack from being inserted obliquely by reducing the opening area. The case where the corners of the pack contact the connector is protected, the connector is protected, and the battery pack is guided into the mounting pocket from both sides of the battery pack by the first rib continuously provided from the opening position to the bottom surface. At the same time, by holding the battery pack from both sides with the second rib, it is possible to stably hold the battery pack so that it does not wobble from side to side. Can be maintained.

  Further, according to the second battery pack charger, the pocket-side connecting portion 20 is provided on the bottom surface 15 of the mounting pocket 12 and can be configured to connect to the charging contact 3 provided on the bottom surface of the battery pack 1. . Thereby, the pocket side connection part and the charging contact of the battery pack can be stably connected and held on the bottom surface of the mounting pocket.

  Further, according to the third battery pack charger, the first side wall 11 is inclined so that a cross-sectional area increases from the bottom surface 15 toward the opening surface, The opening width between the side walls 11 is formed to be approximately the same as the width of the battery pack bottom surface 2, and the protruding height of the second rib 14 is substantially equal to the opening width of the mounting pocket bottom surface 15. Can be formed. Thereby, the battery pack inserted in the mounting pocket can be reliably held by the total of four points, that is, the left and right corners where the bottom surface of the mounting pocket contacts the first side wall and the tip of the opposing second rib.

  Furthermore, according to the fourth battery pack charger, the length of the second rib 14 can be shorter than that of the first rib 13. Thereby, the length of the 2nd rib protruded rather than the 1st rib can be shortened, and the expense of the metal mold | die for forming a 2nd rib can be reduced.

  Furthermore, according to the fifth battery pack charger, the battery pack 1 inserted into the mounting pocket 12 has a plate shape whose width is wider than the thickness, and the first rib 13 and the second rib 14. The 1st side wall 11 which provided can be comprised so that the thickness direction of the battery pack 1 may be faced. Thereby, the surface which makes thickness direction among the side surfaces of a plate-shaped battery pack can be made to contact | abut with a 1st rib and a 2nd rib, and can be hold | maintained. In particular, the battery pack can be stably held by holding the longitudinal direction from both sides in a horizontal sectional view.

  Furthermore, according to the sixth battery pack charger, the protruding surface 13a of the first rib 13 protruding toward the battery pack 1 is formed so as to be inclined toward the mounting pocket bottom surface 15. The protruding surface 14a of the second rib 14 protruding toward the battery pack 1 can be formed in a substantially vertical surface. As a result, the first rib is extended in an inclined posture to perform a guide function when the battery pack is inserted, while the second rib makes it possible to contact the inserted battery pack with a strong pressure and reliably maintain the holding state.

  Furthermore, according to the seventh battery pack charger, the second rib 14 can be formed in a tapered shape toward the battery pack 1. Thereby, the pressure at the time of a 2nd rib contact | abutting with respect to the battery pack inserted in the mounting | wearing pocket can be raised, and firmer holding | maintenance is attained.

  Furthermore, according to the eighth battery pack charger, the first rib 13 is formed using a molding die, and the second rib 14 can be formed by a slide die. As a result, since the long first rib can be formed using a normal molding die, it can be easily and inexpensively formed. On the other hand, the short second rib is formed using a slide die. By keeping the length short, the effect of reducing the cost of the slide mold can be obtained.

  Furthermore, according to the ninth battery pack charger, the second side wall 16 that intersects the side wall provided with the first rib 13 and the second rib 14 among the side walls constituting the mounting pocket 12, The first rib 13 and the second rib 14 are provided with a third rib 17 projecting in a posture substantially perpendicular to the first rib 13 and the second rib 14, and the third rib 17 contacts the battery pack 1 inserted into the mounting pocket 12. This can be maintained. As a result, in addition to the first rib and the second rib, there is an advantage that the battery pack can be held by the third rib protruding in a direction orthogonal to these, and the battery pack can be held more stably from different directions. .

  Furthermore, according to the tenth battery pack charger, the pocket side connecting portion 20 is arranged eccentrically from the center to the end side on the mounting pocket bottom surface 15, and the third rib 17 Can be provided at a position facing the pocket side connection portion 20. Thereby, by arranging the position of the connector to be connected to the battery pack not shifted from the center of the bottom surface of the mounting pocket, it is easy to arrange the connector, and by arranging the third rib so as to overlap the connector, Especially the connector part of a battery cell can be hold | maintained firmly and the advantage which can support this stably so that a connector may not position-shift from a connection state is acquired.

  Furthermore, according to the eleventh battery pack charger, the third side wall 18 facing the second side wall 16 provided with the third rib 17 is further protruded in a posture facing the third rib 17. The fourth rib 19 is provided, and the fourth rib 19 is provided on the third side wall 18 at a position different from the position opposite to the position where the third rib 17 of the second side wall 16 is provided. Can do. As a result, the fourth rib is provided at a position away from the position facing the third rib, and the position where the battery pack is held is intentionally offset on the facing surface, thereby enabling reliable holding.

  Furthermore, according to the twelfth battery pack charger, the first rib 13, the second rib 14, and the third rib 17 are formed on the upper edge 13 b, 14 b, 17 b facing the opening of the mounting pocket 12. At least one of them can be formed so as to be inclined toward the bottom surface 15 according to the direction protruding from the side wall. As a result, even when the lower surface or the like of the battery pack comes into contact with the rib when the battery pack is inserted, the impact can be reduced, and an advantage that the battery pack can be guided to slide toward the bottom side of the mounting pocket by sliding the inclined surface is obtained. It is done.

  Furthermore, according to the thirteenth battery pack charger, a plate-like circuit board 30 on which a charging circuit for charging the battery pack 1 connected via the pocket side connecting portion 20 is mounted, One end surface of the plate shape is fixed to the pocket-side connecting portion 20 and the other end surface is provided with a plurality of sub-substrates 32, and the plurality of sub-substrates 32 are parallel to each other. The body case 10 can be fixed on the circuit board 30 in a substantially vertical posture. As a result, the plate-like sub-board is placed in a vertical position, and the pocket-side connecting portion is fixed to the edge of the sub-board, thereby connecting the pocket-side connecting portion in the strongest direction of the sub-board and connecting the battery pack to the pocket side. Sufficient resistance against stress applied when connecting to the part can be provided.

  Furthermore, according to the fourteenth battery pack charger, the battery pack further includes a connector cover 22 that is exposed on the bottom surface 15 of the mounting pocket and covers the periphery of the pocket side connection portion 20. An insertion slit 36 for inserting an edge of the sub-board 32 fixed in a vertical posture inside the main body case 10 may be provided. This protects the pocket side connection with the connector cover and inserts the upper edge of the sub-board into the insertion slit on the bottom of the connector cover to increase the mechanical stability and place the connector cover around the connector. The pocket side connection portion can be further reinforced in terms of strength.

It is a perspective view which shows the state which inserts a battery pack in the battery pack charger which concerns on one embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the state which removed the battery pack from FIG. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the state which removed the upper case of the battery pack charger of FIG. 1 from the lower case. It is the top view which looked at the battery pack charger of FIG. 1 from the upper surface. It is sectional drawing in the VV line of FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which inserted the battery pack in FIG. It is sectional drawing in the VII-II line of FIG. It is a perspective view of the lower case of FIG. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the state which removed the connector cover from the sub board | substrate of FIG. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the sub-board of FIG. 9. It is a perspective view of the connector cover of FIG. FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view showing a state where a sub board is removed from the lower case of FIG. 9. It is a perspective view which shows the conventional charger. It is a schematic cross section which shows the battery pack mounting part of a charger. It is a schematic cross section which shows the state which was going to mount | wear with the battery pack mounting part of FIG. 14 from the diagonal.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiment described below exemplifies a battery pack charger for embodying the technical idea of the present invention, and the present invention does not specify the battery pack charger as follows. In particular, in this specification, in order to facilitate understanding of the claims, the numbers corresponding to the members shown in the embodiments are referred to as “claims” and “means for solving the problems”. However, these members are not intended to specify the members shown in the claims as the members of the embodiments. In particular, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, and the like of the constituent members described in the embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention only to the description unless otherwise specified. It's just an example. Note that the size, positional relationship, and the like of the members shown in each drawing may be exaggerated for clarity of explanation. Furthermore, in the following description, the same name and symbol indicate the same or the same members, and detailed description thereof will be omitted as appropriate. Furthermore, each element constituting the present invention may be configured such that a plurality of elements are constituted by the same member and the plurality of elements are shared by one member, and conversely, the function of one member is constituted by a plurality of members. It can also be realized by sharing. In addition, the contents described in some examples and embodiments may be used in other examples and embodiments.

  1 to 12 show a battery pack charger 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which the battery pack 1 is inserted into the battery pack charger 100, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the battery pack 1 is removed from FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing a state in which the upper case 10A of the battery pack charger 100 is removed from the lower case 10B. FIG. 4 is a plan view of the battery pack charger 100 of FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing a state in which the battery pack 1 is inserted into FIG. 5, FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line VII-II of FIG. 4, and FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the lower case 10B of FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view showing a state in which the connector cover 22 is removed from the sub board 32 of FIG. 8, FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the sub board 32 of FIG. 9, and FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the connector cover 22 of FIG. 12 and FIG. 12 show the sub-board 32 from the lower case 10B of FIG. An exploded perspective view showing a disconnected state, respectively. The battery pack charger 100 shown in these drawings is a charger that can be charged by setting four battery packs 1 for a notebook computer. The battery pack charger 100 has a box-shaped main body case 10 as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 and the like, and a mounting pocket 12 for inserting the battery pack 1 is opened on the upper surface. In this example, four mounting pockets 12 having the same shape are formed in parallel to each other. Each mounting pocket 12 is formed in a shape and size into which the battery pack 1 can be inserted. In this example, the mounting pocket 12 also has a rectangular shape in plan view so that the plate-shaped battery pack 1 having a thickness smaller than the width can be inserted in the longitudinal direction of the battery pack 1 and mounted and held in a vertical orientation. It is formed in a column shape.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the main body case 10 is vertically divided into two parts, and is composed of an upper case 10A and a lower case 10B. A mounting pocket 12 is formed in the upper case 10A, and a circuit board 30, a sub board 32, and the like are fixed to the lower case 10B. The upper case 10A and the lower case 10B are made of resin excellent in insulation and heat resistance, respectively. In particular, the upper case 10A is molded by injection molding using a mold.

  Further, the upper surface of the main body case 10 is not flat, but faces the wide surface (main surface) of the battery pack 1 to form a constricted recess 9 so that the main surface of the battery pack 1 is widely exposed. Yes. By doing so, the user can easily grasp the main surface of the battery pack 1 in a wide area when the battery pack 1 is attached and detached, and can easily perform the insertion / extraction operation. Moreover, that the battery pack 1 is exposed in a wide area contributes to improving the heat dissipation of the battery pack 1.

  Further, the main body case 10 is provided with a display unit 4 corresponding to each mounting pocket 12. In the example of FIG. 2, an LED lamp is provided as the display unit 4 at a position facing each opening portion of the mounting pocket 12. The display unit 4 indicates that the battery pack 1 is being charged by the lighting pattern, that the charging has been completed, detects the remaining capacity of the battery pack 1 and notifies the user of this, or the battery pack 1 It is used to display the state of the battery pack 1 and the state of charge, such as displaying that when an abnormality is detected. Further, a pilot lamp of the battery pack charger itself may be provided. Further, in this example, the main body case 10 is provided with an opening to expose the LED lamp. However, the LED lamp may be built in the main body case so as not to be exposed to the outside.

In order to be able to attach battery packs with different shapes, the external shape of the attachment pocket varies depending on each battery pack, or a single attachment pocket can be used to attach multiple different shape battery packs. It can also be formed into a shape. Needless to say, the number of mounting pockets is not limited to this example, and may be three or less, or five or more.
(Battery pack 1)

The battery pack 1 has a box-shaped outer shape and incorporates a rechargeable battery inside. As the secondary battery, for example, a lithium ion secondary battery, a nickel metal hydride battery, a nickel cadmium battery, or the like can be suitably used. In particular, the battery pack 1 in which a plurality of secondary battery cells are connected in series and / or in parallel can be adjusted to a desired output and capacity.
(Pocket side connection part 20)

  Each mounting pocket 12 has a pocket-side connecting portion 20 on the bottom surface 15. The pocket-side connecting portion 20 is connected to the charging contact 3 provided on the bottom surface 2 of the battery pack 1 in a state where the battery pack 1 is stored in the mounting pocket 12, and supplies power to the battery pack 1 for charging. For this reason, the pocket side connection part 20 is provided with the power supply terminal for charge. Further, a signal terminal for transmitting the temperature of the battery pack 1 and intermediate potentials of a plurality of battery cells included in the battery pack 1 from the battery pack 1 side to the battery pack charger side, and the battery pack 1 is connected to the charger. It is also possible to provide the pocket side connection part 20 with an authenticity determination terminal or the like for determining whether or not the specifications match.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 2, 5, 6, and the like, the pocket side connection portion 20 is arranged eccentrically from the center to the end portion side on the bottom surface 15 of the mounting pocket 12. Thus, the position of the pocket side connection part 20 connected to the battery pack 1 is not shifted from the center of the mounting pocket bottom surface 15 but is shifted so that the connector can be easily arranged.
(Mounting pocket 12)

  The mounting pocket 12 is partitioned by a bottom surface 15 and a side wall, and is formed in a square bottomed cylindrical shape as a whole. A rectangular pocket opening window 21 for arranging a connector cover 22 described later is formed on the mounting pocket bottom surface 15 (see FIG. 3). Moreover, the pocket side connection part 20 protrudes from the slit-shaped cover opening window 23 opened in the center of the connector cover 22 (refer FIG. 9 etc.).

  Further, as shown in the cross-sectional views of FIGS. 5 and 6, the side wall is inclined so that the opening side is wide and the bottom surface 15 side is narrow in the mounting direction of the battery pack 1. Specifically, the first side walls 11 facing each other (side walls located on the left and right in FIGS. 5 and 6) are inclined so that the cross-sectional area increases from the bottom surface 15 toward the opening surface. Similarly, the second side wall 16 provided substantially orthogonal to the first side wall 11 and the third side wall 18 facing the second side wall 16 also have a cross-sectional area that increases from the bottom surface 15 toward the opening as shown in FIG. Is so inclined.

Further, a plurality of ribs are provided on the side wall, and the rib is fixed in a posture that protrudes with respect to the battery pack 1 inserted into the mounting pocket 12. Specifically, the first ribs 13 and the second ribs 14 are provided on the first side walls 11 (the side walls located on the left and right sides in FIGS. 5 and 6) facing each other.
(First rib 13)

The first rib 13 is formed in a vertically long shape so as to continue from the opening position of the mounting pocket 12 toward the bottom surface 15. The height of the first rib 13 may be changed without being constant, such as being inclined, and the protruding height (first height) of the first rib 13 is, for example, about 0 mm to 10 mm. More preferably, the height of the first rib 13 is configured so as to decrease toward the bottom surface 15. By doing in this way, the guide effect at the time of inserting the battery pack 1 in the attachment pocket 12 can be heightened. In the example of FIG. 5, the protruding height is about 1 mm at the lower end of the first rib 13 and the protruding height is about 4 mm at the upper end.
(Second rib 14)

  On the other hand, the second rib 14 is not continuous like the first rib 13 and is provided only in the vicinity of the opening. The second rib 14 protrudes higher than the first rib 13. The protruding height (second height) of the second rib 14 is, for example, about 5 mm to 20 mm. In the example of FIG. 5, the protruding height of the second rib 14 is about 5 mm.

  These first rib 13 and second rib 14 are provided in parallel on one first side wall 11 as shown in FIG. Similarly, the first rib 13 and the second rib 14 are also provided on the surface (another first side wall 11) facing the first side wall 11. As a result, as shown in FIG. 6, the pair of the first rib 13 and the second rib 14 are located on both sides of the battery pack 1, and each protrudes toward the battery pack 1. From both sides, it acts to guide it during insertion and to hold it after insertion. Specifically, the battery pack 1 is guided into the mounting pocket 12 by the first rib 13 that continues from the opening position to the bottom surface 15. At this time, even if the battery pack 1 is tilted instead of being perpendicular to the mounting pocket 12, the first rib 13 is brought into contact with the surface of the battery pack 1 and guided in the mounting pocket 12 in the correct posture. You can guide this as you do. In other words, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the battery pack 1 is inserted obliquely and the corners of the battery pack 1 come into contact with the pocket-side connecting portion 20 of the mounting pocket bottom surface 15 and are damaged. Thus, the first rib 13 acts as a tapered surface for guiding the battery pack 1 into the mounting pocket 12.

  The battery pack 1 guided in the correct posture to the mounting pocket 12 is held at the opening portion by the second rib 14 that is taller than the first rib 13, and further the boundary between the mounting pocket bottom surface 15 and the first side wall 11. The battery pack 1 is held on the surface. In particular, the opening width between the first side walls 11 in the mounting pocket bottom surface 15 is formed to be approximately the same as the width of the battery pack bottom surface 2. The protruding height of the second ribs 14 is formed such that the interval between the opposing second ribs 14 is substantially equal to the opening width of the mounting pocket bottom surface 15. As a result, as shown in FIG. 6, the side surface of the battery pack 1 can be held at a total of four locations on the left and right sides at the bottom portion and the middle portion (position indicated by X in FIG. 6). As a result, stable holding is achieved, and a situation where the battery pack 1 rattles during charging can be avoided, and charging reliability can be improved. In particular, the rib can be held on the surface of the planar battery pack 1 at a plurality of locations without extra processing such as providing a groove for inserting the rib on the battery pack 1 side. However, it can also be set as the structure which provides a groove | channel and a slit in the position according to a rib on the surface of a battery pack. In addition, when providing such a groove or slit, it is provided according to the position of the rib, while on the other hand, the battery pack side may be in conflict with the rib so as to physically prevent mounting of the battery pack that does not correspond to the charging stand. It is also possible to provide a fitting structure in which only the correct battery pack and this battery pack charger are matched, such as providing a protrusion on the battery pack charger side or providing a rib on the battery pack charger side at a position that does not match the slit.

  Furthermore, as described above, the first side wall 11 provided with the first ribs 13 and the second ribs 14 is configured to face the thickness direction of the battery pack 1, so that the battery pack 1 is elongated in the horizontal sectional view. By holding both sides in the direction and holding the shape stable and strong surface, it can be held more stably and the reliability is also improved. In addition, the 1st rib 13 and the 2nd rib 14 are each provided in the same position in the respectively opposing 1st side wall 11, ie, the position which opposes. Accordingly, the first ribs 13 and the second ribs 14 face each other in the mounting pocket 12, and the battery pack 1 can be gripped at a symmetrical position.

  In this way, by combining the long and short first rib 13 and the short and tall rib, it is possible to achieve both the mounting operation of the battery pack 1 and the holding after the mounting. In particular, the mounting pocket formed in the upper case needs to take into account the draft when removing the mold for convenience of mold molding, and cannot be formed vertically. As a result, as shown in FIG. The upper surface side of the mounting pocket 12 is wider than the bottom surface 15 side. As a result, the battery pack inserted in the mounting pocket is relatively easy to fix on the bottom surface side of the mounting pocket, but on the upper side, the gap between the side wall and the side wall is increased, and the battery pack can be swung left and right. It becomes easy to rattle. If the battery pack rattles, the connection between the pocket side connection portion and the charging contact 3 of the battery pack becomes unstable, leading to an increase in contact resistance. When the contact resistance increases, Joule heat is generated, and as a result, heat is increased due to a large current particularly during charging. As a result, the pocket side connection portion may be damaged by heat. In order to avoid such a situation, it is preferable to hold the battery pack inserted in the mounting pocket as stably as possible. Therefore, in the present embodiment, by projecting the rib from the inner surface of the side wall of the mounting pocket, the tip of the rib is brought into contact with the surface of the battery pack 1, so that not only the battery pack bottom surface 2 but also the opening position of the mounting pocket 12 is used. I decided to keep it.

  However, if such a rib is to be provided, it is necessary to use a slide mold in which a mold for molding the upper case is nested. Such a mold is more expensive than a normal mold because of its complicated structure. In particular, if the rib is provided on the entire surface of the side wall of the mounting pocket, the mold becomes large and the cost increases. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the first rib 13 can be formed by using a normal molding die by dividing the rib into two and making the first rib 13 low and continuous, and the first rib 13 is provided. Control costs. The first rib 13 formed as a result is formed such that the protruding surface 13 a protruding toward the battery pack 1 is inclined toward the mounting pocket bottom surface 15, so that the battery pack 1 is inserted into the mounting pocket 12. It works effectively as a guide for That is, the battery pack 1 can be guided to the mounting pocket 12 along the continuous surface by using the inclined surface having the draft angle.

The second rib 14 is formed using a slide mold. As a result, the protruding surface 14 a of the second rib 14 protruding toward the battery pack 1 can be formed higher than the first rib 13. In other words, the second rib 14 is formed to a height substantially equal to the width of the battery pack 1 on the mounting pocket bottom surface 15 to realize a configuration suitable for holding the battery pack 1 after insertion. In particular, at the time of mold forming, the mold for forming the first rib 13 is divided in the vertical direction in FIGS. 5 and 6 and the like, and therefore it is necessary to provide a draft, so that a vertical surface cannot be formed. On the other hand, since the slide mold for forming the second rib 14 is moved in the horizontal direction in these drawings, it is not necessary to consider the upward draft, so that the protruding surface 14a of the second rib 14 is eliminated. Can be formed in a substantially vertical plane. On the other hand, since a draft in the horizontal direction is required, the upper surface and the lower surface of the second rib 14 are formed to be tapered toward the battery pack 1 side. This configuration is not disadvantageous when holding the battery pack 1, and conversely acts in the direction of increasing the pressure when contacting the battery pack 1, and is therefore suitable for strong and stable holding.
(Third rib 17)

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 2, 4, 7, etc., a third rib 17 is provided on the second side wall 16 facing the main surface side of the battery pack 1. Furthermore, a fourth rib 19 is provided on the third side wall 18 facing the second side wall 16. By holding the battery pack 1 from the direction intersecting the first rib 13 and the second rib 14 with the third rib 17 and the fourth rib 19, it is possible to further reliably maintain the battery pack in a fixed posture.

  Similar to the first rib 13, the third rib 17 and the fourth rib 19 are formed by die molding. For this reason, from the viewpoint of providing a draft, it is inclined in a direction that becomes wider toward the opening end. And like the 1st rib 13, it also plays the role which guides the battery pack 1 to the mounting pocket 12 along this continuous surface using the inclined surface of this draft.

  Further, a plurality of third ribs 17 and fourth ribs 19 are preferably provided. In the example of FIG. In this example, the second side wall 16 and the third side wall 18 are provided at symmetrical positions. Accordingly, the left and right positions can be held with respect to the battery pack 1 and can be held in a well-balanced manner without being biased to one side.

  In addition, the third rib 17 and the fourth rib 19 are preferably arranged so as to be shifted from each other as shown in FIG. In particular, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5 and the like, the mounting pocket 12 is provided with a constricted recess 9, and thus a third rib 17 is provided at a position where the height is lowered by the recess 9 (FIG. 4, FIG. 5), by providing the fourth rib 19 in a portion where the recess 9 is not provided, the main surface of the battery pack 1 can be held between the ribs having different lengths. For this reason, the third rib 17 is shorter in length than the fourth rib 19 and the first rib 13.

  Furthermore, no matter what posture the battery pack 1 is inserted into the mounting pocket 12, any rib can be brought into contact with the battery pack 1, and the battery pack 1 can be in a correct posture by serving as a guide. The battery pack 1 can be mounted by being changed, and a situation in which the corner portion of the battery pack 1 contacts the pocket side connection portion 20 and is damaged can be avoided.

  In addition, it is preferable that the third rib 17 and the fourth rib 19 are provided at a position overlapping the region where the pocket side connection portion 20 is provided. In the example of FIG. 4, one of the two third ribs 17 and the fourth rib 19 is arranged so as to overlap the position of the pocket side connection portion 20. By doing in this way, the site | part of the connection position of the charging contact 3 of the battery pack 1 and the pocket side connection part 20 can be firmly hold | maintained with the 3rd rib 17 and the 4th rib 19, and a connector can be from a connection state. There is an advantage that this can be stably supported so as not to be displaced.

The first rib 13, the second rib 14, and the third rib 17 are all on the bottom surface 15 side according to the direction in which the upper edge 13 b, 14 b, 17 b facing the opening of the mounting pocket 12 protrudes from the side wall. It is preferable to form it so as to be inclined. Thereby, even if the lower surface or the like of the battery pack 1 abuts against the rib when the battery pack 1 is inserted, the impact can be mitigated and the battery pack 1 can be guided to slide toward the mounting pocket bottom surface 15 side by sliding the inclined surface. Benefits are gained.
(Circuit board 30)

Further, as shown in FIGS. 3, 8, 9, 12, etc., the battery pack charger 100 includes a circuit board 30 and a plurality of sub-boards 32 in the main body case 10. The circuit board 30 is mounted with a charging circuit that charges the battery pack 1 connected via the pocket side connecting portion 20. The circuit board 30 is fixed to the lower case 10B as shown in FIG.
(Sub-board 32)

  Further, the sub board 32 is mounted with a protection circuit for each battery pack 1. For example, a protection circuit is provided for each sub-board 32 so that the temperature of the battery pack 1 is detected and charging is stopped when the pack temperature rises above a predetermined threshold.

  In the example shown in FIG. 8, the sub-boards 32 are fixed in a vertical posture so as to be parallel to each other on the circuit board 30. In this example, as shown in FIG. 12, each sub board 32 is detachably mounted on the circuit board 30 via a sub board connector 34.

The appearance of the sub-board 32 is shown in the perspective view of FIG. As shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, each sub-board 32 has a lower surface in a vertically placed posture fixed to the circuit board 30 via the sub-board connector 34, and the pocket-side connecting portion 20 is fixed to the upper surface. . In this way, the sub-board 32 is set in a vertical posture, and the pocket-side connection portion 20 is fixed to the edge thereof, so that the pocket-side connection portion 20 is connected in the strongest direction of the circuit board 30 and the battery pack 1 is placed on the pocket side. Sufficient resistance against stress applied when connecting to the connecting portion 20 can be provided. Conversely, if the sub-board is held in a horizontal position and the pocket-side connecting portion is fixed on the main surface, the sub-board will be bent by the stress applied to the pocket-side connecting portion, The circuit board connection may be broken. Therefore, mechanical durability can be improved by receiving stress to the pocket side connecting portion in this direction as the most advantageous vertical placement in terms of strength. In addition, by arranging the sub-boards 32 in a vertical position, it becomes easy to secure a space when arranging the plurality of sub-boards 32 on the circuit board 30.
(Pocket side connection part 20)

As shown in FIG. 9 and the like, the pocket side connecting portion 20 is fixed to the upper portion of the sub-board 32. In this example, the terminals of the pocket side connection portion 20 are fixed so as to protrude from the upper surface of the sub-board 32 by screwing. In this example, a connector is used as the pocket side connecting portion 20. However, it goes without saying that metal terminals can be used instead of connectors.
(Connector cover 22)

  Furthermore, each sub-board 32 includes a connector cover 22 that covers the periphery of the pocket-side connecting portion 20. As shown in the perspective view of FIG. 11, the connector cover 22 has a plate shape as a whole, and has a cover opening window 23 for allowing the pocket side connection portion 20 to project at the center. In addition, a concave groove (concave groove 37) is provided around the connector cover 22, and a pocket collar 25 is provided in this portion so as to protrude from the lower surface around the pocket opening window 21 of the upper case 10A. A cover collar 38 is formed around the concave groove 37. As a result, even if water enters the mounting pocket 12, water can be collected by the concave groove 37 provided around the cover opening window 23, and a situation where the pocket side connecting portion 20 is immersed can be avoided. In addition, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, an insertion slit 36 for receiving the end surface of the sub-board 32 in the vertical position is formed on the back surface side of the connector cover 22. The connector cover 22 is preferably formed by integral molding with a member having excellent insulating properties such as resin.

  As shown in FIG. 2 and the like, the connector cover 22 is inserted into a pocket opening window 21 opened in the mounting pocket bottom surface 15. For this reason, the shape of the connector cover 22 is formed in a size corresponding to the pocket opening window 21. Further, as shown in FIG. 9, the connector cover 22 inserts the pocket side connection portion 20 into the cover opening window 23 from above the sub substrate 32 and inserts the end surface of the sub substrate 32 into the insertion slit 36. It is set on the upper surface of the substrate 32. Further, in this state, as shown in FIG. 3 and the like, the upper case 10A is fixed to the lower case 10B, the connector cover 22 is exposed from the pocket opening window 21 opened in the mounting pocket bottom surface 15, and the pocket collar 25 Can be inserted into the concave groove 37 to hold the pocket-side connecting portion 20 on the mounting pocket bottom surface 15. By using the connector cover 22 as described above, the pocket side connection portion 20 can be held and protected from the surroundings, and the pocket side connection portion can be protected against stress applied to the pocket side connection portion 20 by inserting the battery pack 1. 20 can be reinforced.

  As described above, the battery pack charger allows the battery pack 1 to be reliably held and charged while the battery pack 1 is inserted into the mounting pocket 12, and the battery pack 1 is repeatedly inserted and removed. By using the battery pack, it is possible to stably connect the pocket side connecting portion 20 and the charging contact 3 of the battery pack 1 and realize a highly reliable battery pack charger.

  The battery pack charger according to the present invention is used for charging various types of battery packs such as portable electric devices such as mobile phones and PDAs, assist bicycles and electric tools, in addition to battery pack chargers for notebook computers. It can be suitably applied as a container.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 ... Battery pack charger 1 ... Battery pack 2 ... Battery pack bottom surface 3 ... Charging contact 4 ... Display part 9 ... Depression 10 ... Main body case 10A ... Upper case 10B ... Lower case 11 ... First side wall 12 ... Mounting pocket 13 ... 1st rib; 13a ... Projection surface of the first rib; 13b ... Upper end edge 14 ... Second rib; 14a ... Projection surface of the second rib; 14b ... Upper end edge 15 ... Mounting pocket bottom surface 16 ... Second side wall 17 ... Third 17b ... upper end edge 18 ... third side wall 19 ... fourth rib 20 ... pocket side connection part 21 ... pocket opening window 22 ... connector cover 23 ... cover opening window 25 ... pocket collar part 30 ... circuit board 32 ... sub-board 34 ... Sub-board connector 36 ... Insertion slit 37 ... Concave groove 38 ... Cover collar 90 ... Charger 91 ... Battery pack 92 ... Mounting pocket 93 ... Pocket side connector 94 ... Pack side connector GP ... Between

Claims (14)

A charger capable of charging the battery pack (1),
Body case (10),
A mounting pocket (12) formed in accordance with the outer shape of the battery pack (1) opened in one surface of the main body case (10) for detachably mounting the battery pack (1),
A pocket side connection portion (20) provided in the mounting pocket (12) and configured to connect to a charging contact (3) provided in the battery pack (1);
Of the side walls constituting the mounting pocket (12), the first side walls (11) facing each other are continuous from the opening position of the mounting pocket (12) toward the bottom surface (15), and the mounting pocket (12 A first rib (13) formed to protrude at a first height toward the battery pack (1) inserted in
The first side wall (11) protrudes toward the battery pack (1) at a second height higher than the first height and faces the opening position of the mounting pocket (12). The second rib (14),
With
At least a part of the first rib (13) and the second rib (14) is brought into contact with the battery pack (1) inserted into the mounting pocket (12) to hold the battery pack (1). A battery pack charger configured as described above. The battery pack charger according to claim 1,
The pocket side connecting part (20) is provided on the bottom surface (15) of the mounting pocket (12), and is configured to connect to the charging contact (3) provided on the bottom surface of the battery pack (1). A battery pack charger. The battery pack charger according to claim 1 or 2,
The first side wall (11) is inclined so that the cross-sectional area increases from the bottom surface (15) toward the opening surface,
In the mounting pocket bottom surface (15), the opening width between the first side walls (11) is formed to be approximately the same size as the width of the bottom surface (2) of the battery pack (1),
The battery pack charger is characterized in that the protruding height of the second rib (14) is formed to be substantially equal to the opening width of the bottom surface (15) of the mounting pocket. The battery pack charger according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The battery pack (1) charger, wherein the length of the second rib (14) is shorter than that of the first rib (13). The battery pack charger according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising:
The battery pack (1) inserted into the mounting pocket (12) has a plate shape whose width is wider than the thickness,
A battery pack charger, wherein the first side wall (11) provided with the first rib (13) and the second rib (14) is configured to face the thickness direction of the battery pack (1). The battery pack charger according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The protruding surface (13a) of the first rib (13) protruding toward the battery pack (1) side is formed so as to be inclined toward the mounting pocket bottom surface (15),
The battery pack charger is such that a protruding surface (14a) of the second rib (14) protruding toward the battery pack (1) is formed in a substantially vertical surface. The battery pack charger according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The battery pack charger, wherein the second rib (14) is formed in a shape that tapers toward the battery pack (1). The battery pack charger according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
The first rib (13) is formed using a molding die,
The battery pack charger, wherein the second rib (14) is formed by a slide mold. The battery pack charger according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising:
Among the side walls constituting the mounting pocket (12), the first rib (13) and the second side wall (16) intersecting with the side wall provided with the first rib (13) and the second rib (14) It has a third rib (17) protruding in a posture substantially orthogonal to the second rib (14),
A battery pack charger, wherein the third rib (17) is held in contact with the battery pack (1) inserted into the mounting pocket (12). The battery pack charger according to claim 9,
The pocket side connection part (20) is arranged eccentrically from the center to the end side in the mounting pocket bottom surface (15),
The battery pack charger is characterized in that the third rib (17) is provided at a position facing the pocket side connecting portion (20). The battery pack charger according to claim 10, further comprising:
Provided on the third side wall (18) facing the second side wall (16) provided with the third rib (17) is a fourth rib (19) protruding in a posture facing the third rib (17). And
The fourth rib (19) is provided on the third side wall (18) at a position different from the position opposite to the position where the third rib (17) is provided on the second side wall (16). A battery pack charger. The battery pack charger according to any one of claims 1 to 11,
The first rib (13), the second rib (14), the third rib (17), at least one of the upper end edges (13b, 14b, 17b) facing the opening of the mounting pocket (12), A battery pack charger, wherein the battery pack charger is formed so as to incline toward the bottom surface (15) in a direction protruding from the side wall. The battery pack charger according to any one of claims 1 to 12, further comprising:
A plate-like circuit board (30) mounted with a charging circuit for charging the battery pack (1) connected via the pocket side connection part (20);
One end face of the plate shape is fixed to the pocket side connection part (20), and the other end face is provided with a plurality of sub-boards (32) attached to the circuit board (30),
The battery pack charger, wherein the plurality of sub-boards (32) are fixed on the circuit board (30) in the main body case (10) in a substantially vertical posture in parallel with each other. The battery pack charger according to claim 13, further comprising:
A connector cover (22) that is exposed on the bottom surface of the mounting pocket (15) and covers the periphery of the pocket side connection portion (20),
For the battery pack, the bottom surface of the connector cover (22) is provided with an insertion slit (36) for inserting an edge of the sub board (32) fixed in a vertical posture inside the main body case (10). Charger.

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