JPH0611512Y2 - Battery-Chietka - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial field of application] The present invention relates to a battery checker for measuring electromotive force of a dry cell or the like.

[Outline of device]

The present invention provides a self-check function in a battery checker that measures the electromotive force of a dry battery by providing a switch section that connects the output of the built-in battery that drives the level detection circuit to the input terminal of the built-in level detection circuit. The present invention intends to provide a battery checker capable of surely discriminating a good battery or a defective battery.

[Conventional technology]

As a device that can easily measure the life of a battery without using a measuring device such as a tester, a battery checker dedicated to the battery has been conventionally used.

The battery that this battery checker measures is a single cell.
Type batteries, AA type batteries, AA type batteries, etc. are standard, and conventional battery checkers are known to have a box shape, a cylindrical shape, or a film type.

For example, as described in Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 59-184459, a box-shaped or cylindrical battery checker is provided with a recess and an electrode capable of absorbing a battery of each standard size, and a battery to be measured is mounted in the recess. By doing so, the built-in mini ball, voltmeter (level meter), etc. are driven to detect the remaining battery level.

On the other hand, a film-type battery checker uses a battery, which is the object to be measured, to pass a current through a resistor to cause the resistor to generate heat, causing the temperature-producing ink that changes its temperature to develop a color. It is used to measure the remaining capacity, and it is usually bent and both ends are pressed against the battery to be measured.

As described above, the conventional battery checker is roughly divided into one in which the level meter is operated by the energy of the battery, which is the object to be measured, and the remaining capacity of the battery is known from the indicated value of the meter. However, there is a method of knowing the remaining capacity of the battery by causing the current of the battery, which is the object to be measured, to flow through the resistor to generate heat, and the color of the ink that changes the temperature indicated by the heat generation.

Therefore, the level detection mechanism of these battery checkers is generally as shown in FIG. That is, this level detection mechanism is a connection terminal for connecting the battery under test.
(101), (102), load resistance (103) and level meter (104)
When a battery to be measured is connected between the connection terminals (101) and (102), current flows through the load resistance (103) and the level meter (104), and the pointer of the level meter (104) is activated. It gives instructions corresponding to electric power. In the film battery checker, the level meter (104)
Instead of, the temperature-sensitive ink is applied to the surface of the load resistor (103), and the electromotive force is displayed by coloring the heat generated by the load resistor (103).

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

However, all of these have the advantage that no power supply is required on the side of the battery checker to be measured because they operate using the energy of the battery under test,
On the other hand, if the battery checker itself is defective,
Since it does not have a self-check function, there is a possibility that a good battery may be determined to be a defective battery.

As described above, the lack of the self-check in the conventional battery checker significantly impairs its reliability and hinders an accurate determination when distinguishing between a good product and a defective product.

Therefore, the present invention has been proposed in order to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks of the conventional ones, and an object thereof is to provide a battery checker having a self-check function, which ensures that a good product and a defective product are always provided. An object of the present invention is to provide a highly reliable battery checker capable of determining

[Means for solving problems]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a first measurement device in which a notch is provided in a plate-like body thinner than the outer dimension of a battery to be measured, and one end of the notch is curved. An electrode is provided, and the cutout portion is a substantially stepped cutout having a facing surface facing the first measurement electrode,
A counter electrode is provided as a second measuring electrode on at least the facing surface of the cutout portion, and the battery electrode is inserted between the pair of facing measuring electrodes so as to contact the battery electrode, and the electromotive force of the battery is increased. In a battery checker for measurement, a level detection circuit that has an input terminal to which a battery under test is connected and that displays measured electromotive force stepwise by an issuing diode; a built-in battery that drives the level detection circuit; A switch section for connecting the output of the built-in battery to the input terminal and having a self-check function.

[Action]

The battery checker of the present invention is provided with the level detection circuit and the built-in battery for driving the level detection circuit, and the electromotive force of the battery as the DUT can be displayed by the energy of the built-in battery.

Therefore, it is possible to display regardless of the battery to be measured, and to provide a built-in battery and level detection circuit by providing a terminal that can output the built-in battery voltage and input the output of this terminal to the level detection circuit as a displayable condition. The function of the battery checker is checked.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, a specific embodiment of a battery checker to which the present invention is applied will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

The battery checker of the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, is a card-shaped plate-like main body (1) having a thickness of about several mm.
The cutout portion (2) corresponding to the standard battery size is provided, and the negative electrode contact portion (3) and the positive electrode contact portion (4) serving as measurement terminals are provided.

The negative electrode contact part (3) is provided in the vicinity of one end of the cutout part (2), and the one end (3a) is fixed to the plate-like body (1) and is built in the plate-like body (1). Is electrically connected to the level detection circuit, and the other end (3b) is curved in a semicircle,
Elasticity is given.

The notch portion (2) has a substantially fan-shaped step shape corresponding to each standard battery size, centering on the negative electrode contact portion (3). That is, in the notch (2), the facing surfaces (2a), (2b), (2a), (2b), (2a), (2b), (2b), which are arranged in a clockwise direction in FIG. 2c) and (2d) are provided, and the facing surfaces (2a), (2b), (2c) and (2d) are gradually inclined to face the negative electrode contact portion (3) which is the center of the sector. There is. Further, the wall surfaces of the facing surfaces (2a), (2b), (2c), and (2d) that extend in the clockwise direction are the facing surfaces that are adjacent in the counterclockwise direction.
(2a), (2b), (2c), extending in the direction orthogonal to (2d), when the battery is inserted at the time of measurement as described later, it supports the side surface of the battery and stabilizes the mounting state. It is supposed to do.
Here, of the facing surfaces (2a), (2b), (2c), and (2d) having a substantially stepped shape, the distance between the facing surface (2a) and the negative electrode contact part (3) is the size of a single battery, Distance between (2b) and negative contact (3) is AA / AA
Regarding the battery size, the distance between the facing surface (2c) and the negative electrode contact part (3) is approximately AAA battery size, and the distance between the facing surface (2d) and the negative electrode contact part (3) is approximately single battery size. It is set to match. Note that each of these distances is set to be slightly shorter than the total length of each battery, and the battery is set to the negative electrode contact part (3) during measurement.
It is preferable to press it with the elastic force of so as to sandwich it.

Then, along with the cutout portion (2), a long conductor having a width substantially the same as the thickness of the plate-shaped main body (1) is a positive electrode contact portion (4).
Is installed as. One end (4a) of the positive electrode contact part (4) is simply mechanically fixed to the plate-shaped body (1), and the other end (4b) is mechanically fixed to the plate-shaped body (1). And is electrically connected to the built-in level detection circuit. Therefore, the positive electrode contact portion (4) serves as a counter electrode for the negative electrode contact portion (3), and each of the facing surfaces (2
The positive electrode contact part (4) on a), (2b), (2c), and (2d) is the positive electrode contact part for AA, the positive electrode contact part for AA / AA, the positive electrode contact part for AA, AA It is a positive electrode contact part for. In addition, in this example, the positive electrode contact portions (4) for single 1 to single 5 are integrally formed by a long conductor, but the positive electrode contact portions corresponding to each battery are formed on the opposite surfaces ( They may be provided individually on 2a), (2b), (2c) and (2d).

On the other hand, the plate-shaped main body (1) may be a simple plastic plate, but in the present embodiment, it is a plastic thin plate housing, which has a space inside and a built-in battery and level detection circuit described later. It is built in. Plate-shaped body (1)
Although the overall shape of the above is rectangular in the present embodiment, it is not limited to this, and any shape such as a circular shape, a semicircular shape, a trapezoidal shape, and a triangular shape may be used.

Then, the plate-shaped main body (1) has a built-in battery (11) such as a lithium battery connected to another built-in circuit through the terminal (10).
And a comparator IC (12), a printed circuit board (13) provided with a predetermined printed wiring, and the like are built in to form a level detection circuit, and a plurality of (three in this embodiment) LEDs (14a) are used as display means. ), (14b), and (14c) are adopted. Furthermore, in this example, the level detection circuit is provided with a self-check function, and the check terminals (15) and (16) for self-checking the level detection circuit are externally provided from the plate-shaped body (1). It is installed facing. These check terminals (1
5) and (16) may have any shape, but in this example, a disc-shaped check terminal (15) facing the substantially circular window (1a) provided in the plate-shaped main body (1). ) And this check terminal (15)
And a strip-shaped check terminal (16) arranged with a slight gap in the orthogonal direction [thickness direction of the plate-shaped main body (1)].

The detection circuit composed of these components is represented by the circuit diagram of FIG. That is, the negative electrode contact portion that is the connection terminal
(3), the positive electrode contact part (4) is a comparator I which is a level detection and display control part via the load resistance R ₁ and the input resistance R _2.
The voltage is detected based on the battery voltage of the built-in battery (11) which is connected to C (12) and the LEDs (14a), (14b), (14c) are caused to emit light according to the voltage level. Are connected as. For example, if a battery to be measured is connected between the negative electrode contact portion (3) and the positive electrode contact portion (4), the load resistance R
_A current flows in ₁ (for example, 10Ω). At this time, the battery (AAA
Battery to AA battery), the load resistance R ₁ is about 1.5
V is applied. This is input resistance R ₂ (eg 100
kΩ) to the comparator IC (12), the level is detected by the level detection circuit composed of the voltage network and the plurality of comparators, and L is the display means.
The EDs (14a), (14b), (14c) are controlled to emit light.

As shown in FIG. 4, the comparator IC (12) includes a voltage network in which a plurality of resistors r ₁ , r ₂ , r ₃ , r ₄ are connected in series, and these resistors r ₁ , r ₂ , r ₃ , Intermediate point of r ₄ and input terminal V ₂
Switch on / off according to the output from comparators CP ₁ , CP ₂ , CP ₃ , CP ₄ , CP ₅ , and these comparators CP ₁ , CP ₂ , CP ₃ , CP ₄ , CP _{5 connected} to driving transistors _{T 1, T 2, T 3} , T 4, is made of a T ₅ Prefecture. Here, the positive electrode contact portion (4) is connected to the analog signal input terminal V _1, and the positive electrode of the built-in battery (11) is connected to the reference voltage input terminal V ₂ .
Also, the ground terminal G has a negative electrode contact portion (3) and a built-in battery (1
The negative electrode of 1) is connected, and drive transistors T ₁ , T ₂ , T ₃ , T
_4, the T open collector terminal to Q _{1 5, Q 2, Q 3,} Q 4, Q 5 is, LED is display means (14a), (14b), are connected to (14c). In this example, all open collector terminals
_{Q 1, Q 2, Q 3} , Q 4, Q 5 rather than necessarily LED is connected, LED (14a), (14b ), (14c) is open collector terminal to Q ₁ low-pressure side, Q ₂ , Q ₃ respectively.

Then, the resistors r ₁ , r ₂ , which form the voltage network and are supplied via the input terminal V ₂ and the voltage control unit VR.
The reference voltage set by r ₃ and r ₄ is compared with the analog signal level from the input terminal V ₁ (that is, the voltage of the battery under test), and the analog signal level from the input terminal V ₁ is the reference voltage. Comparator CP ₁ , CP ₂ , CP
₃ , CP ₄ , CP ₅ are operated and the corresponding drive transistor T ₁ ,
It turns on T ₂ , T ₃ , T ₄ , T ₅ . When the drive transistors T ₁ , T ₂ , T ₃ , T ₄ , T ₅ are turned on, the corresponding L
The EDs (14a), (14b) and (14c) emit light. For example, when the input voltage is 200 mV, the comparator CP ₁ operates to turn on the drive transistor T _1, and the comparators CP ₂ , C
If P ₃ , CP ₄ and CP ₅ are activated and each drive transistor T ₂ , T ₃ , T ₄ and T ₅ is turned on, the voltage of the measured battery is 200m
When the voltage is below V, all LEDs (14a), (14b), (14c) are turned off, and when the voltage of the measured battery is over 600 mV, all L
It will be issued by ED (14a), (14b), (14c). If the voltage of the measured battery is 500 mV, the LEDs (14a), (14b), (14
Only c) emits light. Therefore, the LEDs (14a), (14b), (1
The voltage of the battery to be measured can be grasped to some extent by the light emitting state of 4c). Note that each comparator CP ₁ , CP ₂ , CP
_The voltage at which ₃ , CP ₄ and CP ₅ operate can be adjusted by adjusting the resistance values of the resistors r ₁ , r ₂ , r ₃ and r ₄ forming the voltage network.

As described above, the LEDs (14a), (14b), (14c) can be used as long as the batteries have a sufficient remaining capacity and are hardly discharged.
In this state, all lights up.

On the other hand, when the battery voltage of the battery to be measured decreases, the number of comparators that operate according to the voltage decreases, and the number of LEDs (14a), (14b), (14c) that light up decreases. Therefore, the remaining capacity of the battery to be measured can be known from the lighting state of the LEDs (14a), (14b), (14c).

On the other hand, if the self-check terminals (15) and (16) are short-circuited without the battery to be measured attached, the voltage of the built-in battery (11) passes through the input resistance R ₃ (for example, 100 kΩ) and the comparator IC (12 ) Input terminal V ₁ to operate each of the comparators CP ₁ , CP ₂ , CP ₃ , CP ₄ , CP ₅ , and LED (14a), (14
Lights b) and (14c). Built-in battery (11) has a battery voltage of 3.0V
If the above lithium battery is used, the input of the level detection circuit is the partial pressure of R ₁ , R ₂ , and R ₃ , and about 1.5 V is applied. This corresponds to the battery voltage of the dry battery in a state where it is hardly discharged, and in this state the LEDs (14a), (14
Since b) and (14c) are all designed to be lit, self-check including internal circuit check is possible.

In order to check the remaining capacity of the battery under test with the battery checker having the above structure, as shown in FIG. ₁ , the negative electrode of the battery [for example, the single battery E ₁ ] is pressed against the negative electrode contact portion (3), The battery E ₁ may be held under pressure by bringing the positive electrode into contact with the positive electrode contact portion (4) on the facing surface (2a) while pressing the negative electrode contact portion (3) downward in the figure. As a result, both electrodes of the battery E ₁ are connected to the negative contact part (3) and the positive contact part (4) which are the connection terminals of the detection circuit, the remaining battery level is detected by the level detection circuit, and the LED (LED The remaining battery level is confirmed by turning on 14a), (14b), and (14c). The same applies to batteries of other sizes, that is, the AA battery E ₂ , the AA battery E ₃ , the AAA battery E ₄ , and the AA battery E ₅ , and the negative electrode contact portion
The battery may be pressed and held between (3) and the positive electrode contact portion (4) on each of the facing surfaces (2b), (2c) and (2d) for inspection.

The battery checker of this embodiment is easy to measure and convenient to carry, and also has a self-check function of the built-in level detection circuit, so that it is possible to reliably judge whether the battery is good or bad. Is possible.

Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described. This embodiment can be applied not only to the AA battery to the AA battery, but also to a battery having a rectangular outer shape and a high battery voltage (for example, a so-called 6P battery).

As shown in FIG. 5, the battery checker of the present embodiment has substantially the same configuration as that of the previous embodiment, but in particular, in the vicinity of the negative electrode contact portion (3), the distance between the pair of electrodes of the 6P battery can be accommodated. Is provided with a substantially semicircular notch (2e), and the curved one end (3) of the negative electrode contact part (3) of the notch (2e) is provided.
Positive contact point (5) for 6P battery on the surface flush with the tip of a)
Is attached.

Therefore, in this battery checker, if the respective electrodes of the 6P battery E ₆ are pressed against the negative electrode contact portion (3) and the positive electrode contact portion (5) as indicated by the chain double-dashed line in the figure, they will be similar to other electrodes. It is now possible to check the remaining capacity.

As described above, in order to cope with the batteries to be measured having different battery voltages, the built-in level detection circuit needs to be as shown in FIG.

That is, in addition to the negative electrode contact portion (3) and the positive electrode contact portion (4) which are the measurement terminals of the AA battery to the AA battery, the load resistance R ₅ ,
A connection terminal (positive electrode contact portion) (5) is provided such that a predetermined voltage (1.5 V) is applied to the analog signal level input terminal V ₁ of the comparator IC (12), which is divided by R ₆ , R _8, etc. Keep it. Then, 6P with different voltage is applied to this positive electrode contact part (5).
If the battery E ₆ is connected, the level can be detected like other batteries. In this example, connected LED (14d) is also open collector terminal Q _4, together four LED is adapted to emit light. A capacitor C ₁ is connected between the input terminal V ₁ and the ground terminal G of the comparator IC (12) to prevent noise.

With the battery checker having the above configuration, it is possible to check the remaining capacity not only for batteries having a battery voltage of 1.5 V but also for batteries having different battery voltages such as 6 V.

The specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to these embodiments and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

[Effect of device]

As is apparent from the above description, the battery checker of the present invention is provided with the level detection circuit and the built-in battery for driving the level detection circuit, and further provided with the terminal capable of outputting the built-in battery voltage. Since the output of the above can be input to the level detection circuit, it is possible to check whether the function of the battery checker including the built-in battery and the level detection circuit is normal.

Therefore, the battery checker of the present invention is highly reliable and has no malfunction, and it is possible to reliably determine whether the measured battery is good or bad.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway front view showing an embodiment of a battery checker to which the present invention is applied, and FIG. 2 is FIG. 1A-A.
FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram showing a built-in level detection circuit, and FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram showing a configuration of a comparator IC. FIG. 5 is a partially cutaway front view showing another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a circuit diagram showing a level detection circuit incorporated in the battery checker shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is a circuit diagram showing an example of a level detection circuit in a conventional battery checker. 1, 21 ... plate-shaped body 2, 22 ... notch portion 3 ... negative electrode contact portion (electrode) 4 ... positive electrode contact portion (counter electrode) 11 ... built-in battery 15, 16 ... check terminal

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A plate-shaped body thinner than the outer dimension of a battery to be measured is provided with a notch, and a curved first measurement electrode is provided at one end of the notch, and the cut-out is provided. The notch is a substantially stepped notch having a facing surface facing the first measuring electrode, and the counter electrode is provided as a second measuring electrode on at least the facing surface of the notch. , A battery checker for measuring the electromotive force of a battery by inserting the battery electrode between the pair of opposing measurement electrodes, and having an input terminal to which the measured battery is connected, and measuring the electromotive force. Has a self-check function, and has a level detection circuit for displaying in stages by an issuing diode, a built-in battery that drives the level detection circuit, and a switch unit that connects the output of the built-in battery to the input terminal. To A characteristic battery checker.