Rechargeable battery pack for an electro-optical reader, and method of charging the battery pack and powering the reader with the charged battery pack

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9780580-B1
Application number	US-201615084538-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Mar 30, 2016
Priority date	Mar 30, 2016
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

A battery pack for an electro-optical reader includes a rechargeable battery and a printed circuit board (PCB), both mounted in a battery housing. First and second electrical connectors are supported by the same PCB and/or the battery housing. The first electrical connector is connected to reader contacts in the reader when the battery pack is mounted in the reader. The second electrical connector is either connected to station contacts in a docking station when the reader is docked, or to a recharging cable.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A rechargeable battery pack for powering an electro-optical reader when the battery pack is mounted in the reader in a mounted position, the battery pack comprising:
a battery housing;
a rechargeable battery supported by the battery housing;
a printed circuit board (PCB) supported by the battery housing;
a first electrical connector supported by at least one of the PCB and the battery housing and being operatively connected to the battery, the first electrical connector having a first plurality of electrical contacts to be connected to the reader in the mounted position; and
a second electrical connector supported by at least one of the same PCB and the housing and being operatively connected to the battery, the second electrical connector having a second plurality of electrical contacts to be connected to an electrical power source for electrically charging the battery pack.

2. The battery pack of claim 1 , wherein the first and second electrical connectors are mounted on a common surface of the same PCB.

3. The battery pack of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of electrical contacts is exposed exteriorly of the battery housing and is in electro-mechanical contact with a corresponding plurality of reader contacts in the reader when in the mounted position; and wherein the second plurality of electrical contacts is exposed exteriorly of the battery housing and is in electro-mechanical contact with a corresponding plurality of station contacts in a docking station when the reader is mounted in a docked position.

4. The battery pack of claim 3 , wherein the reader contacts are mounted on a reader contact block in the reader, and wherein the station contacts are mounted on a station contact block in the docking station.

5. The battery pack of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second electrical connectors is a contact block mounted on the PCB, and wherein the contact block supports the respective plurality of electrical contacts of the at least one of the first and second electrical connectors.

6. The battery pack of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second electrical connectors is a set of electrically conductive surface pads on the PCB, and wherein the pads constitute the respective plurality of electrical contacts of the at least one of the first and second electrical connectors.

7. The battery pack of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second electrical connectors is a set of electrically conductive terminals mounted on the battery housing, and wherein the terminals constitute the respective plurality of electrical contacts of the at least one of the first and second electrical connectors.

8. The battery pack of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second electrical connectors is a Universal Serial Bus (USB) connector connected by a USB cable to the electrical power source for electrically charging the battery pack.

9. The battery pack of claim 1 , wherein the reader has a handle, and wherein the battery housing is mounted in the handle and extends between opposite end regions along a longitudinal axis, and wherein the first electrical connector is located at a first one of the opposite end regions of the battery housing and the second electrical connector is located at a second one of the opposite end regions.

10. The battery pack of claim 9 , further comprising a fastener to fasten the battery housing to the handle.

11. A method of electrically charging a battery pack and of electrically powering an electro-optical reader with the charged battery pack, the method comprising:
mounting a rechargeable battery and a printed circuit board (PCB) in a battery housing of the battery pack;
mounting the battery pack in the reader in a mounted position;
supporting a first electrical connector and a second electrical connector by at least one of the same PCB and the battery housing;
connecting the first and second electrical connectors to the battery;
wherein mounting the battery pack in the reader in the mounted position comprises connecting a first plurality of electrical contacts of the first electrical connector to the reader in the mounted position; and
wherein supporting the second electrical connector comprises configuring a second plurality of electrical contacts of the second electrical connector to be connected to an electrical power source for electrically charging the battery pack.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising mounting the first and second electrical connectors on a common surface of the same PCB.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising exposing the first plurality of electrical contacts exteriorly of the battery housing to make electro-mechanical contact with a corresponding plurality of reader contacts in the reader in the mounted position; and exposing the second plurality of electrical contacts exteriorly of the battery housing to make electro-mechanical contact with a corresponding plurality of station contacts in a docking station when the reader is mounted in a docked position.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising mounting the reader contacts on a reader contact block in the reader, and mounting the station contacts on a station contact block in the docking station.

15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising configuring at least one of the first and second electrical connectors as a contact block mounted on the PCB, and supporting the respective plurality of electrical contacts of the at least one of the first and second electrical connectors on the contact block.

16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising configuring at least one of the first and second electrical connectors as a set of electrically conductive surface pads on the PCB, and constituting the pads as the respective plurality of electrical contacts of the at least one of the first and second electrical connectors.

17. The method of claim 11 , further comprising configuring at least one of the first and second electrical connectors as a set of electrically conductive terminals mounted on the battery housing, and constituting the terminals as the respective plurality of electrical contacts of the at least one of the first and second electrical connectors.

18. The method of claim 11 , further comprising configuring at least one of the first and second electrical connectors as a Universal Serial Bus (USB) connector, and connecting the USB connector by a USB cable to the electrical power source for electrically charging the battery pack.

19. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
configuring the reader with a handle;
mounting the battery housing in the handle;
configuring the battery housing to extend between opposite end regions along a longitudinal axis;
locating the first electrical connector at a first one of the opposite end regions of the battery housing; and
locating the second electrical connector at a second one of the opposite end regions of the battery housing.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising fastening the battery housing to the handle.

Assignees

• Symbol Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Drzymala Mark E
• Barkan Edward D
• Handshaw Darran M

Classifications

• H02J2105/44

  Portable electronic devices · CPC title

• H02J7/731

  specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries (H02J7/751 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02J7/00

  Circuit arrangements for charging or discharging batteries or for supplying loads from batteries · CPC title

• G06K7/10881 Primary

  constructional details of hand-held scanners · CPC title

• G06K2007/10524

  Hand-held scanners · CPC title