JP2938014B1 - Foldable battery - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a battery capable of selecting a thin type and a thick type with batteries of the same specification and reducing restrictions on mounting on a device. SOLUTION: By operating a hook operation button 7b in a button operation direction 72b, a hook 8b moves in a hook slide operation direction 82b, is released from a hook engagement space 6b, is stored in a hook storage opening 5b, and is joined. The fixation between the battery 1a and the battery 1b on the surface A is released, and the battery 1a and the battery 1b are rotatable via the rotary shaft 2. The hook is rotated manually until the bottom surfaces of the batteries 1a and 1b face each other. By operating the operation button 7a in the button operation direction 71a, the hook 8a moves in the hook slide operation direction 81a, jumps out of the hook storage opening 5a, enters the hook engagement space 6a and is fixed, and electrical conduction is secured. You.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a battery used as a power source for notebook personal computers, word processors, desktop personal computers, word processors, and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Since notebook computers and word processors are originally required to be smaller and easier to carry, the form of the battery can be reduced so that the portable device can be made smaller and easier to carry. In general, the battery is designed in a horizontally long and thin form. On the other hand, desktop PCs and word processors have no restrictions on the form of batteries compared to notebook PCs, and have been designed with emphasis on operability.
In addition, during normal use, power is taken from a household outlet, etc., but since it is a high-performance model and consumes a large amount of power, a large capacity battery is also prepared as an emergency power supply at the time of power failure, The form was different from the battery of the type personal computer and the word processor.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The development of high performance batteries has made it possible to reduce the size of batteries for notebook computers and word processors. However, as notebook PCs have become more sophisticated, power consumption has increased as much as desktop PCs, and the need for larger battery capacities has arisen. This has led to increased restrictions on battery mounting. . As a result, a battery design is required for each personal computer and word processor model, which has led to an increase in the number of types of batteries as compared with the related art.

[0004] Separately, desktop personal computers and word processors are also designed with batteries for each model. As a result, it is necessary to design and develop a large number of batteries for each model and model.

[0005] Further, for the purpose of improving the portability of a personal computer, Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. Hei 5-48018 discloses a "two-screen foldable portable personal computer" and Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 5-43321.
No. 8 discloses a folding form of the "two-screen folding type portable personal computer", but it is folded and stored when not in use, and there is a restriction in use.

The present invention makes it possible to select a thin and thick type battery with the same specification by using a battery that can be used even when folded, thereby reducing restrictions on mounting on a device, and It is intended to provide a battery capable of reducing the number of designs and developments.

[0007]

The present invention employs the following means to solve the above-mentioned problems. That is, the foldable battery of the first invention according to the present application is made to be foldable by rotating through 180 ° through one side of the rotation axis, and the electrical contacts are provided at the corresponding positions on the respective surfaces that come into contact when folded. Provided. With such a configuration, it is possible to change two forms of a thin type and a thick type with batteries of the same specification, thereby reducing restrictions on mounting to a device and consolidating types. Further, the design and development of the battery can be reduced. Furthermore, even when folded, electrical continuity can be secured in the battery, and
It can be used as one battery.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the foldable battery according to the first aspect of the present invention, the electric contacts are formed in a protruding shape so that the electric contacts can be reliably contacted when the electric contacts come into contact with each other. As a result, battery troubles such as device stoppage due to poor conduction can be avoided.

The foldable batteries of the third and fourth inventions according to the present invention are the same as those of the first or second invention, except that the surfaces which come into contact when folded are provided with means for engaging the surfaces with each other. When the form is changed with a battery of specifications, it can be fixed in that form, and troubles such as the battery coming off during use are reduced.

A foldable battery according to a fifth aspect of the present invention according to the first to fourth aspects of the present invention can be separated by a rotating shaft and can be used as independent batteries. As a result, it is possible to provide a smaller battery by separating the product of the present invention from a model that does not require much battery capacity. He
Design and development can be further reduced.

[0011]

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A first embodiment of a foldable battery according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. The configuration of the foldable battery will be described with reference to FIGS. The foldable battery of this embodiment includes a battery 1a and a battery 1b connected via a rotating shaft 2. The battery 1a has a projecting contact 3a serving as a negative pole located on the bottom surface in FIG. 1, a projecting contact 3b serving as a positive pole, and a hook storage port 5a (shown in FIG. 2), and faces the joining surface A in FIG. The conduction port 4c serving as a negative pole, the conduction port 4d serving as a positive pole, and a hook engagement space 6b.
(Shown in FIG. 3), a hook operation button 7a, a hook 8a in a hook storage opening 5a, and a battery 1b.
Is a conduction port 4 which is located on the bottom surface in FIG.
a, the positive electrode 4b and the hook engagement space 6a (FIG. 2).
1), a protruding contact 3c serving as a negative pole facing the bonding surface A in FIG. 1, a protruding contact 3d serving as a positive pole and a hook storage opening 5b (shown in FIG. 3), a hook operation button 7b, a hook A hook 8b is provided in the storage port 5b.

FIG. 1 shows a form of a thin battery.
The hook 8b on the battery 1b side is fixed in the hook engagement space 6b on the battery 1a side in a state protruding from the hook storage opening 5b at the joint surface A, thereby maintaining a thin shape. Further, electrical continuity between the battery 1a and the battery 1b is ensured by contact between the protruding contacts 3c, 3d and the conduction ports 4c, 4d. At this time, the projecting contact 3
The hooks 8a can also be used for fixing the foldable battery of the present invention to the personal computer body.

FIG. 3 shows a form of a thick battery,
The hook 8a on the battery 1a side is fixed at the hook engagement space 6a on the battery 1b side with the hook 8a protruding from the hook storage opening 5a at the joint surface B, thereby maintaining a thick shape. In addition, electrical continuity between the battery 1a and the battery 1b is ensured by contact between the protruding contacts 3a, 3b and the conduction ports 4a, 4b. At this time, the projecting contact 3
The c and 3d and the conduction ports 4c and 4d can be used as conduction means as a power source of the personal computer main body, and the hook 8b can also be used for fixing the foldable battery of the present invention to the personal computer main body.

Next, the operation of the foldable battery will be described. When the form of the thin battery of FIG. 1 is changed to the form of the thick battery of FIG. 3, in the state of FIG.
The hook operation button 7b in the button operation direction 72b
The hook 8b moves in the hook sliding operation direction 82b, is released from the hook engagement space 6b, and is stored in the hook storage opening 5b. As a result, the fixing between the battery 1a and the battery 1b at the joint surface A is released, and the two become rotatable via the rotary shaft 2.

Next, the battery 1a in FIG.
By rotating the hook operation button 7a in the button operation direction 71a as shown in FIG. 5 after rotating the bottom surface of the hook 1b so that the bottom faces each other, the hook 8a moves in the hook slide operation direction 81a and jumps out of the hook storage opening 5a. It enters into the engagement space 6a and is fixed. At this time, since the protruding contact 3a and the conducting port 4a and the protruding contact 3b and the conducting port 4b are arranged at positions facing each other in the batteries 1a and 1b, they come into contact with each other. Electrical continuity is ensured.

When changing the form of the thick battery in FIG. 3 to the form of the thin battery in FIG. 1, the operation is performed in exactly the reverse of the above-described procedure. That is, by operating the hook operation button 7a in the button operation direction 72a as shown in FIG. 5 in the state of FIG. 3, the hook 8a moves in the hook slide operation direction 82a and is released from the hook engagement space 6a to store the hook. It is stored in the mouth 5a. Thereby, the battery 1a on the joint surface B
The fixation between the battery and the battery 1b is released, and the two become rotatable via the rotating shaft 2.

Next, the battery 1a in FIG.
By rotating the hook operation button 7b in the button operation direction 71b as shown in FIG. 4 after rotating the side of the hook 1b until the side surfaces of the hook 1b face each other, the hook 8b moves according to the hook slide operation direction 81b, and jumps out of the hook storage opening 5b. It enters into the engagement space 6b and is fixed. At this time, since the protruding contacts 3c and the conducting ports 4c and the protruding contacts 3d and the conducting ports 4d are located at positions facing each other in the batteries 1a and 1b, they come into contact with each other. Electrical continuity is ensured.

Next, when the foldable battery shown in FIG. 1 or 3 is separated into two batteries as shown in FIG.
The separation is performed by removing the rotating shaft 2 from either one of the two. The rotating shaft 2 is made of an elastic and spring-back material, and since the dimensions of the battery 1a, the battery 1b, and the rotating shaft 2 are appropriately combined, the detachment and attachment can be repeated. The battery can be separated from the thin battery state shown in FIG. 1 or the thick battery state shown in FIG.

[0020]

According to the foldable battery of the first aspect, it is possible to change the form of a thin type and a thick type with a battery of the same specification, thereby reducing restrictions on mounting on a device and consolidating types. become able to. Further, the design and development of the battery can be reduced. Furthermore, even when folded, electrical continuity can be secured within the battery,
It can be used as one battery.

According to the foldable battery of the second aspect,
When folded, the electric contacts come into contact with each other when they come into contact with each other, and battery troubles such as a stop of the device due to poor conduction can be avoided.

According to the foldable battery of the third aspect,
When the form is changed with batteries of the same specification, the form can be fixed in that form, and troubles such as the battery coming off during use and stopping the apparatus are reduced.

According to the foldable battery of the fourth aspect,
When the configuration is changed with the same specification battery pack, it can be fixed in that configuration, and troubles such as the battery being disconnected during use and stopping the device are reduced.

According to the foldable battery of claim 5,
Each can be used as an independent battery in a form separated by a rotation axis. As a result, it is possible to provide a smaller battery by separating the product of the present invention from a model that does not require much battery capacity. Design and development can be further reduced.

[0025]

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional explanatory view of a thin battery among embodiments of a foldable battery according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view showing a configuration of the thin battery of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a three-dimensional explanatory diagram of a case of a thick battery in the embodiment of the foldable battery according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a relationship between a sliding direction of a button and a sliding operation of a hook at the time of battery engagement or disengagement of the thin battery of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing a relation between a sliding direction of a button and a sliding operation of a hook when the battery constituting the thick battery of FIG. 3 is engaged or released.

FIG. 6 is a three-dimensional explanatory view showing a case where the battery is separated into two parts in the embodiment of the foldable battery of the present invention.

[Description of Signs] 1a Battery 1b Battery 2 Rotating shaft 3a Projected contact (-pole) 3b Projected contact (+ pole) 3c Projected contact (-pole) 3d Projected contact (+ pole) 4a Conductive port (-pole) 4b Conducting port (+ pole) 4c Conducting port (-pole) 4d Conducting port (+ pole) 5a Hook storage port 5b Hook storage port 6a Hook engagement space 6b Hook engagement space 7a Hook operation button 7b Hook operation button 8a Hook 8b Hook 71a Button operation direction 71b Button operation direction 72a Button operation direction 72b Button operation direction 81a Hook slide operation direction 81b Hook slide operation direction 82a Hook slide operation direction 82b Hook slide operation direction A Joint surface B Joint surface

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] 1. A foldable battery characterized in that the foldable battery is made to be foldable by being rotated by 180 ° via a rotation axis on one side, and provided with electrical contacts at corresponding positions of respective surfaces that come into contact when folded. 2. The foldable battery according to claim 1, wherein the electrical contacts are in the form of protrusions. 3. The foldable battery according to claim 1, further comprising means for engaging the surfaces that are in contact with each other when folded. 4. The foldable battery according to claim 3, wherein the engaging means is a combination of a hook and a space for hooking the hook. 5. The foldable battery according to claim 1, wherein the foldable battery can be separated by a rotating shaft.