Battery holder, battery unit, and battery component including battery holder and battery unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10170737-B2
Application number	US-201715603213-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 23, 2017
Priority date	Jun 30, 2016
Publication date	Jan 1, 2019
Grant date	Jan 1, 2019

Abstract

A battery holder includes a first base, a first holding portion and a second holding portion. The first base is opposed to a first end of the battery unit in the state in which the battery unit is located at a first holding position. The first holding portion is movably arranged on the first base between a first position, where the first holding portion contacts a held portion of the battery unit to hold the battery unit at the first holding position, and a second position, where the first holding portion is separated from the held portion. The second holding portion is arranged on the first base at a downstream side of the first holding portion in a removal direction of the battery unit from the battery holder to hold the battery unit at a second holding position that is located at a downstream side of the first holding position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A battery holder for holding a battery unit at least in a state in which the battery unit is located at a first holding position, the battery holder comprising:
a first base that opposes a first end of the battery unit in the state in which the battery unit is located at the first holding position;
a first holding portion movably arranged on the first base between a first position, at which the first holding portion contacts a held portion of the battery unit and holds the battery unit at the first holding position, and a second position, at which the first holding portion is separated from the held portion; and
a second holding portion arranged on the first base at least partially on a downstream side of the first holding portion in a removal direction in which the battery unit is removed from the battery holder, and the second holding portion being configured to hold the battery unit at a second holding position that is located at the downstream side of the first holding position.

2. The battery holder according to claim 1 , further comprising
a lock mechanism configured to hold the first holding portion at the first position.

3. The battery holder according to claim 2 , wherein
the lock mechanism is arranged in the first base.

4. The battery holder according to claim 2 , wherein
the lock mechanism includes a key cylinder.

5. The battery holder according to claim 1 , wherein
the second holding portion includes a deformable portion that is deformable by force applied to remove the battery unit from the battery holder in order to release the battery unit in a state in which the battery unit is held at the second holding position.

6. The battery holder according to claim 1 , wherein
the second holding portion is configured to hold the battery unit at the second holding position by contacting the held portion.

7. The battery holder according to claim 1 , wherein
the second holding portion includes an elastic member.

8. The battery holder according to claim 7 , wherein
the elastic member includes a plate spring.

9. The battery holder according to claim 8 , wherein:
the plate spring includes a first spring end, which is located at a side of the plate spring that is closer to the first holding portion, and a second spring end, which is located at a position that is farther from the first holding portion than the first spring end; and
the first spring end is fixed in a removable manner to the first base.

10. The battery holder according to claim 9 , wherein
the second spring end is movable relative to the first base.

11. The battery holder according to claim 1 , wherein
the first base includes a support surface that opposes an end surface of the battery unit in the state in which the battery unit is located at the first holding position, and
the first holding portion and the second holding portion project out of the support surface.

12. The battery holder according to claim 1 , wherein
the second holding portion further includes a frictional portion that is configured to contact the battery unit as the battery unit moves from the first holding position to the second holding position.

13. The battery holder according to claim 1 , further comprising
a first support configured to restrict movement of the battery unit in a direction opposite to the removal direction when the battery unit is located at the first holding position.

14. The battery holder according to claim 13 , further comprising
a second support opposed to a side wall of the battery unit extending in the removal direction in the state in which the battery unit is located at the first holding position.

15. The battery holder according to claim 1 , further comprising
a connector configured to be connected in a removable manner to a subject member to which the battery holder is to be coupled.

16. The battery holder according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a second base spaced apart from the first base; and
a third holding portion arranged on the second base, the third holding portion holding a second end of the battery unit in the state in which the battery unit is located at the first holding position.

17. A battery unit held by a battery holder at least in a state in which the battery unit is located at a first holding position, the battery unit comprising:
a housing configured to accommodate a battery cell; and
a held portion arranged on the housing at a position separated from an end of the housing at a downstream side in a removal direction in which the battery unit is removed from the battery holder,
the held portion being configured to contact a first holding portion of the battery holder to hold the battery unit at the first holding position, and the held portion being further configured to contact a second holding portion of the battery holder to hold the battery unit at a second holding position upon movement of the battery unit from the first holding position in the removal direction.

18. The battery unit according to claim 17 , wherein
in a state in which the second holding portion is holding the battery unit at the second holding position, the held portion is configured to deform the second holding portion to release the battery unit from the second holding portion upon a force acting to remove the battery unit from the battery holder.

19. The battery unit according to claim 17 , wherein
the held portion is formed including a metal.

20. The battery unit according to claim 17 , further comprising
a contact portion arranged on the housing, and configured to contact the second holding portion as the battery unit moves from the first holding position to the second holding position.

21. The battery unit according to claim 20 , wherein
the contact portion is formed so that a projecting amount toward the second holding portion increases from a downstream end toward an upstream side in the removal direction.

22. The battery unit according to claim 20 , wherein
the held portion is formed integrally with at least part of the contact portion.

23. A battery unit held by a battery holder at least at a first holding position, the battery unit comprising:
a housing that is capable of accommodating a battery cell;
a first held portion arranged on the housing at an upstream side in a removal direction in which the battery unit is removed from the battery holder, wherein the first held portion is configured to contact a first holding portion of the battery holder so that the battery unit is held at the first holding position; and
a second held portion arranged on the housing at a position located at a downstream side of the first held portion in the removal direction, wherein the second held portion is configured to contact a second holding portion of the battery holder so that the battery unit is held at a second holding position when the battery unit is moved from the first holding position in the removal direction.

24. The battery unit according to claim 23 , wherein
the second held portion is arranged on the housing to be movable between a contact position, at which the second held portion is configured to contact the second holding portion, and a non-contact position, at which the second held portion is separated from the second holding portion.

25. A battery component including the battery holder according to claim 1 , and further comprising:
a battery unit comprises:
a hous

Assignees

• Shimano Kk
• Murata Manufacturing Co

Inventors

• Shimoda Makoto
• Nose Yoshitaka
• Yoneda Yuya
• Nishihara Taihei
• Wada Koji
• Bosch Henry
• VAN DOOREN Bas

Classifications

• H01M50/262 Primary

  with fastening means, e.g. locks · CPC title

• H01M50/202

  Casings or frames around the primary casing of a single cell or a single battery · CPC title

• H01M2/1083

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01M2/1077

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01M2/1022 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic