Battery pack

#The present invention generally relates to a battery pack, and more particularly relates to a battery pack for containing electrochemical cells.

#Battery packs containing electrochemical cells are in widespread use with a wide variety of portable electronic devices. Packs are utilized for a variety of reasons, including but not limited to, the ease and efficiency of providing a series or a parallel connection for the cells as part of the pack, depending on the voltage provided by each cell and the power requirements of the device, thereby obviating the need for the device to provide the appropriate cell-to-cell contacts for accepting individual cells.

#Battery packs are typically made by joining one or more component pieces together. Such pack components can include cell receiving sections, one or more end caps and one or more terminals for making electrical connection between the cells and the device. The components may be welded together, adhesively joined together or snap fit together at some point in the manufacturing process. Additionally, some packs may include an external adhesive label that provides a surface for conveying desired information concerning the pack and can also serve to hold the cells and the various structural pack components together in a single cohesive unit. Such packs are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,744,260, U.S. Pat. No. 4,965,148 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,218,042.

#In the drawings:

#FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a frame of a battery pack according to the present invention.

#FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one end of the battery pack frame of FIG. 1.

#An embodiment of a battery pack frame constructed in accordance with the present invention is illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 4. The battery pack frame 10 includes a first endcap portion 12, a second endcap portion 14, a first spine portion 16 and a second spine portion 18. The frame 10 is designed to accommodate and position at least, and preferably, two cylindrical electrochemical cells arranged in two parallel rows within cell receiving areas. Cell receiving areas extend between the two endcap portions 12, 14. It should be appreciated, that the number of cells provided in the frame 10 of the battery pack is not critical and the frame may include less than a full complement of cells when more cells are not necessary for a given application. A battery pack according to the within invention comprises the frame 10, cells, and any optionally associated label.

#The battery pack frame 10 is preferably molded from a thermoplastic resin to form a single flexible part. The first spine portion 16 has a length extending between first endcap portion 12 and second endcap portion 14. The first spine portion 16 has a first end 20 connected to the first endcap portion 12 and a second end 22 connected to the second endcap portion 14. The first spine portion 16 provides one or more external surfaces that cooperate with one or more surfaces of the battery pack compartment of a battery powered device. The first spine portion 16 optionally includes two sections 16A and 16B of differing elevations, to accommodate battery pack guides provided in the pack compartment of a device. It will be appreciated that the shape and configuration of these guides may vary from device to device, thus requiring the corresponding configuration of the first spine portion 16 to vary accordingly. Such variations in the shape of the first spine portion will not depart from the scope of the within invention. Further, the width of the first spine portion 16 is not critical and may vary according to the particular requirements of the battery pack, the configuration of the pack compartment of a particular device and associated efforts to minimize the use of materials.

#The second spine portion 18 has a first end 24 connected to the first endcap portion 12 and a second end 26 that is free. The free second end 26 allows the second spine portion 18 to be flexed toward or away from the first spine portion 16, thereby creating an opening. Optionally, an opening can also be created by flexing second endcap portion 14 away from the interior of the frame 10. In the preferred embodiment, two cells are connected by a tab to form a cell assembly prior to insertion into frame 10, and the opening created by flexing spine portion 18 accommodates this cell assembly and allows for insertion of such an assembly into the frame. Optionally, discrete cells can be inserted into the frame 10 through an opening created by flexing the spine portion 18 or by flexing second endcap portion 14 or through other openings available in the frame.