JPH0524129Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] <<Industrial application>> This invention relates to a charger for cylindrical secondary batteries, especially for batteries with different heights, diameters, and charging currents, such as AA batteries and AAA batteries. This invention relates to a charger that is compatible with both types of cylindrical batteries.

《Prior art and its problems》 Many chargers for cylindrical batteries only have one compatible battery.
Although the types are limited, some of them include AA and AA.
There are also known chargers that can be used for both AA and AAA batteries, as well as chargers that can be used for both AA and AAA batteries. Since the heights of AA, AA, and AA batteries are similar, these dual-purpose chargers can be constructed relatively easily.
However, the height of the batteries differs greatly between AA and AAA batteries, making it difficult to configure them for dual use.

Conventional chargers that can be used for both AA and AAA batteries are
A cartridge for AAA batteries is provided as a separate part from the charger itself. When AAA batteries are set in this cartridge, the outer diameters of these batteries become sized to correspond to AA batteries, and the cartridge can be set in the accommodating recessed portion of the charger body that matches the AA batteries.

However, in this type of conventional charger, since the cartridge is a separate part from the main body, it is troublesome to handle and easy to lose.
That is, when charging an AA battery, the cartridge must be removed from the housing recess of the charger main body, and the removed cartridge is likely to be lost.

《Purpose of the invention》 This invention was created in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems.The purpose was to have a structure as simple as possible without separate parts, and to be as high-performance as AA batteries and AAA batteries. To provide a cylindrical battery charger that is compatible with two types of batteries having different sizes, diameters, and charging currents and is easy to handle.

[Structure of the device] This device is a charger that is compatible with both cylindrical batteries A and B, which have a large height, diameter, and charging current, and a main body housing with a built-in charging circuit, and the battery described above. A battery accommodating recess formed in the main body housing with a length and width matching the height and diameter of A and a sufficient depth, and attached to two wall surfaces of the recess facing each other in the length direction, A pair of fixed terminals are internally connected to the charging circuit and press-contacted to both end terminals of the battery A, and a pair of fixed terminals are rotatably attached near the bottom of the recess, and when set in an upwardly erected state, the recess A guide plate for partially changing the width and depth of the battery B to a size that matches the diameter of the battery B, and a guide plate rotatably attached near the bottom of the recess and set in an upwardly standing position A conversion plate for changing the length and depth of the recess to a size suitable for the height of the battery B, and a conversion plate adapted to contact one of the fixed terminals when the conversion plate is set in an upright position. An outer terminal provided on the plate, and an inner side provided on the plate so that when the conversion plate is set in an upright position, the conversion plate faces the other of the fixed terminals, and the terminals at both ends of the battery B come into pressure contact with these. It is characterized by comprising a terminal and a current-limiting resistor built into the conversion plate so as to connect the inner terminal and the outer terminal.

<<Embodiment>> FIGS. 1 and 2 show the structure of a charger according to an embodiment of this invention. FIG. 1 shows a state in which two AA batteries B3 are set, and FIG. 2 shows a state in which two AAA batteries B4 are set.

10 is a main body housing, a large front chamber 12 is formed on one end side, and a small rear chamber 1 is formed on the other end side.
4 is formed, and a portion between the front chamber 12 and the rear chamber 14 serves as a battery housing recess 16 that is open upward. Although not shown, a charging circuit that converts an AC power source into a DC power source for charging is built in the front chamber 12. Reference numeral 18 represents a power plug for connecting the charging circuit to a commercial AC power source, and reference numeral 20 represents an operation indicator lamp (light emitting diode) for the power supply circuit.

The length of the battery housing recess 16 is appropriately larger than the height of the AA battery B3, the width of the recess 16 is appropriately larger than the diameter of the AA battery B3, and the depth of the recess 16 is larger than the height of the AA battery B3. It is sufficiently larger than the depth at which batteries B3 can be stored vertically.

2 facing each other in the length direction in the recess 16
Fixed terminals 2 are provided on the walls 12a and 14a, respectively.
6a, 26b and fixed terminals 28a and 28 made of leaf springs
b is installed. Fixed terminals 26a and 28a
are opposed to each other, and fixed terminals 26b and 28b are opposed to each other. The distance between these fixed terminals is AA battery B3
The terminal portions at both ends of the terminal are dimensioned to be pressed into contact with these terminals.

Reference numeral 22 denotes a guide plate, which is mounted near the bottom of the recess 16 so as to be rotatable about a shaft 22a on the wall surface 14a side. Reference numeral 24 denotes a conversion plate, which is mounted near the bottom of the recess 16 so as to be rotatable about an axis 24a from the wall surface 12a.

As shown in FIG. 1, when the guide plate 22 is in a horizontal state and the conversion plate 24 is horizontally stacked thereon, the depth of the recess 16 is regulated by the upper surface of the conversion plate 24. In this state, when two AA batteries B3 are pushed vertically into the recess 16, both ends of the lower battery B3 are connected to the fixed terminal 26b.
8b, and both ends of the upper battery B3 are fixed terminals 2
6a and 28a. Note that the fixed terminal 26
a, 26b, 28a, and 28b are internally wired to the aforementioned charging circuit, and the set AA battery B3 is charged by the output of this charging circuit.

As shown in FIG. 2, the guide plate 22 is rotated upward about the shaft 22a, and the guide plate 22 is
When the battery storage recess 16 is erected substantially parallel to the battery B4, the width of the battery housing recess 16 becomes narrower for the AAA battery B4. In other words, the guide plate 22 is divided into two parts in the width direction of the recess 16, and when it is raised upward, the two parts of the guide plate 22 are located on both sides of the recess 16.
The substantial width of the recess 16 becomes narrower. The narrowed width is slightly larger than the diameter of the AAA battery B4. Further, the root of the bifurcated portion of the guide plate 22 regulates the depth of the recess 16.

Outer terminals 30a and 30b are attached to one side of the conversion plate 24, and inner terminals 32a and 32b are attached to the remaining one side. Then, inside the conversion plate 24, the outer terminal 30a
and the inner terminal 32a are connected by a current limiting resistor R1, and similarly the outer terminal 30b and the inner terminal 32b
and are connected through a current limiting resistor R2.

As shown in FIG. 2, the conversion plate 24 is
When it is rotated about 4b and stands up almost parallel to the wall surface 12a, the fixed terminals 26a and 26b attached to the wall surface 12a and the outer terminal 30
a and 30b are in contact with each other. Further, the inner terminals 32a, 32b face the fixed terminals 28a, 28b attached to the wall surface 14a. Furthermore, when the conversion plate 24 is in the upright state, the battery housing recess 16
A step portion 34 is provided on a part of the plate 24 for regulating the depth to a depth suitable for the AAA battery B4.

When the conversion plate 24 is raised as shown in FIG.
1, and is slightly smaller than the height of the AAA battery B4. As previously mentioned, the width of the recess 16 is narrowed to match the diameter of the AAA battery B4, and the depth of the recess 16 is also made shallower for the AAA battery B4 by the guide plate 22 and conversion plate 24.

In this state, two AAA batteries B4 are inserted into the recess 16.
can be pushed in, and the two AAA batteries set
The terminal portions at both ends of the battery are inserted between the inner terminal 32a and the fixed terminal 28a, and between the inner terminal 32b and the fixed terminal 28b, and are pressed into contact with them.
Therefore, this battery B4 is connected to the aforementioned charging circuit via resistors R1 and R2, and is charged with a smaller charging current than the case of the AA battery B3.

As is clear from the above, the guide plate 22 and the conversion plate 24 are rotatably installed in the battery housing recess 16 of the main body housing 10, and are used to charge either the AA battery B3 or the AAA battery B3.
All you have to do is change the position depending on whether you want to charge the battery. Therefore, handling is easy, and the guide plate 22 and conversion plate 24 do not get in the way at all.

<<Effects of the invention>> As explained in detail above, the cylindrical battery charger according to this invention has an integrated structure as a whole and does not have a separate cartridge like the conventional one. There are no problems with losing parts, and it is very easy to handle when charging batteries of different sizes.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a charger according to an embodiment of the present invention with AA batteries set therein, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the charger with AAA batteries set therein. B3...AA battery, B5...AAA battery, 1
0... Main body housing, 12... Front chamber, 14...
Rear chamber, 16...Battery housing recess, 18...Power plug, 22...Guide plate, 24...Conversion plate, 26a, 26b, 28a, 28b...Fixed terminal, 30a, 30b...Outside terminal, 23a, 2
3b...inner terminal, R1, R2...current limiting resistor.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A charger that is compatible with both cylindrical batteries A and B, which have a large height, diameter, and charging current, and has a main body housing with a built-in charging circuit;
It is attached to a battery accommodating recess formed in the main body housing with a length and width matching the height and diameter of the battery A and a sufficient depth, and to two wall surfaces of the recess facing each other in the length direction. a pair of fixed terminals, which are internally connected to the charging circuit and press-contacted to the terminals at both ends of the battery A, and are rotatably attached near the bottom of the recess, and set in an upwardly erect state. A guide plate for partially changing the width and depth of the recess to a size that matches the diameter of the battery B, and a guide plate rotatably attached near the bottom of the recess and set in an upwardly erect state. a conversion plate for changing the length and depth of the recess to a size suitable for the height of the battery B, and a conversion plate for making contact with one of the fixed terminals when the conversion plate is set in an upright position. an outer terminal provided on the plate; and an outer terminal provided on the plate such that when the conversion plate is set in an upright position, the conversion plate faces the other of the fixed terminals, and terminal portions at both ends of the battery B are in pressure contact with these. A charger for a cylindrical battery, comprising: an inner terminal; and a current-limiting resistor built into the conversion plate to connect the inner terminal and the outer terminal.