Abstract:
A battery identification device which sorts a specialty battery requiring replacement initially by diameter then subsequently by thickness through the interaction of an open channel and ridges which include progressively larger ridges that project into the channel to form zones of progressively diminished thickness.

Description:
U.S. UTILITY PATENT APPLICATION 
     Claims benefit of Provisional Patent Application 61/852,011 filed Mar. 13, 2013 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention is directed to the identification and replacement of specialty batteries that are generally referred to as button or coin cell batteries. Such specialty batteries are commonly utilized in watches as well as numerous other small devices including but not limited to timers and thermometers. When such batteries fail, it is desirable to have a means to identify the model or battery number to enable the purchase of a replacement battery at a retail store and self-install the battery as opposed to having a replacement battery installed by a to specialist or clerk at a watch store or other retail business establishment. Such do-it-yourself approach is not always possible as the identifying engraving or other stamping on the battery is difficult to read, varies between manufacturers and also because retail store packaging often hinders comparison. 
     Accordingly, it would be desirable to be able to place the failed battery in a device that automatically identifies such battery by manufacturer and/or battery number to facilitate the purchase of a replacement battery. Thus, a primary object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive, relatively simple device that sorts the failed battery and automatically displays the appropriate replacement battery number without need for further consumer input. 
     A further object of the present invention is to provide a device for sorting and identifying a dead or defective specialty battery for replacement purposes that utilizes the unique diameter and thickness characteristics of such battery. 
     These and other objects of the present invention are accomplished by a device for identifying a particular type of a coin-like object such as a specialty battery by progressively measuring first the diameter of such object and second the thickness of such object, such device comprising a frame in turn comprised of a front panel and a rear panel, said rear panel including a generally planar wall having a front surface in turn having upstanding transversely spaced vertically disposed sidewalls which define at least one vertically oriented channel having an open slot at the top thereof and a closed bottom at varying vertical positions, said front panel including a generally planar wall having a front surface and a rear surface in turn provided with at least one pair of laterally spaced rearwardly extending vertically oriented ridges in turn adapted to extend into said rear panel channel when said panels are oriented in nested operational relationship with each other, said ridges including a plurality of vertically spaced ledges which extend into said channel to which the ridges are associated with and having a greater extent at the bottom of the channel than at the top thereof so as to create zones of progressively diminished thickness as the object travels to down the channel from the top to the bottom thereof until such object is held from further travel by the channel bottom formed by the interaction between the channel front surface and the rear surface of said ridges associated with said channel. 
     Other objects, features and advantages of the invention shall become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In the drawings which illustrate the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the present invention: 
         FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of an assembled device incorporating the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view similar to  FIG. 1  but wherein the device is separated into two major components; 
         FIG. 3  is a rear perspective view similar to  FIG. 2  of the two major components of the device; 
         FIG. 4  is an enlarged rear perspective view of the rear panel of the device; 
         FIG. 5  is a top view of the front panel of the device; 
         FIG. 6  is a front elevational view of the front panel; 
         FIG. 7  is a rear elevational view of the rear panel shown in  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a sectional view along the line  8 - 8  of  FIG. 6 ; 
         FIG. 8A  is a sectional view along the line  8 A- 8 A of  FIG. 8 ; 
         FIG. 8B  is a sectional view along the line  8 B- 8 B of  FIG. 8 ; 
         FIG. 8C  is a cross-sectional view along the line  8 C- 8 C of  FIG. 8 ; 
         FIG. 8D  is a cross-sectional view along the line  8 D- 8 D of  FIG. 8 ; 
         FIG. 9  is a front elevational view of the rear panel; 
         FIG. 10  is a cross-sectional view along the line  10 - 10  of  FIG. 9 ; 
         FIG. 11  is a top view of the rear panel shown in  FIG. 9 ; 
         FIG. 12  is a cross-sectional view of the rear panel taken along the line  12 - 12  of  FIG. 11 ; 
         FIG. 13  is a side elevational view of the panels shown in  FIG. 2  before being assembled in nested position with an upper portion of the front panel broken away; 
         FIG. 14  is a side elevational view of the panels of  FIG. 13 ; 
         FIG. 15  is a front elevational view showing the device in stylized operation; 
         FIG. 16  is a cross-sectional view along the line  16 - 16  of  FIG. 15 ; 
         FIG. 17  is a cross-sectional view along the line  17 - 17  of  FIG. 16 ; 
         FIG. 18  is a side elevational view of the panels in nested operational position similar to  FIG. 14  but with the lower portion of the rear is panel partially pivoted away from the front panel to release a battery held therein; and 
         FIG. 19  is a partial perspective view of the device showing a battery held in a forwardly projecting tray. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     As previously indicated, specialty batteries are constructed in standardized dimensions of diameter and thickness and thus can be identified as to type, model etc. by sorting via these two dimensions. The present invention provides a novel and practical device for accomplishing the accurate sorting of such batteries and, if desired, for other objects displaying such characteristics including but not limited to monetary coins, etc. The use of the device of the preset invention is primarily intended for a retail store setting as part of a display at which a consumer may purchase replacement batteries; and the device enables the consumer to easily identify the battery number and ultimately select the correct replacement battery. 
     Turning now to the drawings and particularly  FIGS. 1-4 , the device  10  includes a front panel  12  and a rear panel  14 . The panels  12 ,  14  are assembled together and held in operational position by suitable spring means  15  comprising threaded posts  16 , which rearwardly project from the rear wall  18  of the front panel  12 . The threaded posts  16  project though aligned openings  20  formed in the front surface  21  of the rear panel  14 . A coil spring  22 , washer  24  and screw  26  engage the threaded posts  16  with one end of the coil spring  22  engaging the rear wall  18  of the front panel  12  and the other or opposite end of the spring  22  engaging the washer  24 . The screw  26  is threaded into the threaded opening  17  of the posts  16 ; and thus by tightening or loosening the screws  26 , the spring tension holding the panels  12  and  14  can be adjusted for a purpose which will hereinafter be further explained. The springs also act to reduce the tolerance variations present in the preferably injection molded ridges  60  which extend into the channels  40  which also will be apparent hereinafter. 
     The rear panel  14  includes sidewalls  30  on either side thereof which sidewalls  30  include a pair of rearwardly extending recesses  32  at the top thereof. These recesses  32  are in turn adapted to receive tabs  34  rearwardly extending from sidewalls  36  provided on either side of the front panel  12 . The interaction of these tabs  34  and recesses  32  form a pivotal rest point interaction between the panels  12 ,  14  when nested together such that the lower portion of the rear panel  14  may pivotally move rearwardly with respect to the front panel  12  against the spring action of the spring means  15 . Slits  36  provided in the sidewalls  35  of the front panel  12  enable screw or other fastening means (not shown) to connect the front panel  12  and thus the rear panel  14  by reason of the above-described connection to the front panel  12  to a support such as a display wall (not shown) or the like to position the device  10  in a rearward angle from the vertical or near vertical operational attitude. 
     The rear panel  14  includes a series of laterally spaced, vertically oriented open channels  40  extending into the front surface  21  thereof that terminate at their upper ends at an open slot  42 . The channels  40  are of differing widths determined by the spacing of sidewalls  43  and dimensioned to equal or slightly exceed the diameter of a series of different diameter batteries starting with the channel  40  having the smallest lateral extent on the left of  FIG. 2  and increasing to the right thereof. The top surface of the rear panel  14 , in essence, forms a runway  44  for the batteries to be urged along from left to right that is interrupted by the open slots  42 . In this way, a battery B placed onto the runway  44  on its edge and moving or rolling along the runway  44  will be free to fall or drop into the first open slot  42  which corresponds or slightly exceeds the battery&#39;s diameter. How many slots  42  and/or channels  40  provided in the device  10  depends upon the number of differently sized batteries that are to be accommodated or serviced by the device  10  of the present invention. Accordingly, the above-described runway  44  and variously sized diameter slots  42  comprise the battery diameter selection system  50  of the present device. 
     Once the battery falls or drops by gravity or is otherwise guided into the appropriately dimensioned open slot  42 , such battery B is measured with respect to its diameter and guided to a temporary display position by a battery thickness selection system  52 . This thickness selection system  52  is formed though the interaction of the open channels  40  and a series of vertically extending pairs of laterally-spaced ridges  60  which extend rearwardly from the rear surface  18  of the front panel  14  and nest into the channels  40  proximate the defining sidewalls  43  thereof. The ridges  60  each include a downwardly rearwardly extending tapered ramp  62  at the top end proximal the open slots  42  and then a series of abrupt inwardly extending ledges  64 . The ramp  62  urges the battery B passing vertically into the slot  42  towards the base of the channel  40  after which the battery is free to pass beneath subsequent ledges  64  that define thickness from such ledge  64  to the base of the channel  40  that are greater than the thickness of the battery until the battery is stopped or halted by a ledge  64  that defines a thickness zone less than the battery thickness. The extent to which the ridges  60  and thus the ledges  64  extend into the channels  40  is maintained by contact of the rear surface  18  of the front panel  12  that lies between the pairs of ridges  60  with the front surface  21  of the rear panel  14  between the channels  40 . In this way, an identifying selection of the battery thickness is achieved. The front panel  12  is also provided with vertically oriented openings  70  that correspond to and are generally similar in width to the channels  40  such that when the test battery becomes caught, trapped or otherwise stopped by the applicable identifying ledge  64 , the user or consumer will be able to view the position of the battery through the appropriate opening  70 . The model or battery numbers and/or other identifying indicia may be appropriately placed on the front surface  13  of the front panel  12  to aid in the selection and ultimate purchase of a replacement battery. 
     Now turning to  FIGS. 15-19  in particular, the manner in which the above battery selection and identifying procedure of the device  10  is best illustrated. In  FIG. 15 , the user or consumer pushes or otherwise guides the battery B on the battery&#39;s edge along the runway  44  until an adequately wide slot  42  allows the entrance of the battery B therein. Thereafter, the battery B falls by gravity due to the vertical upright positioning of the device down the channel  40  below the open slot  42  and is guided by the ramp  62  with a flat side of the battery against the floor  41  of the channel  40 , thence past one of the ledges  64  as illustrated in  FIG. 15  until the battery B is held by the next ledge  64  from continuing its downward path. The user can then retrieve the test battery B by simply temporarily separating the panels  12 ,  14  from each other. Such separation may be accomplished by pressing on the front wall  75  of a forwardly projecting tray  76  which projects from the rear panel  14  through an opening  78  formed in the base of the front panel  12 . The pivotal mounting via the coaction of the tabs  34  and recesses  32  are such that the bottom of the rear panel  14  moves rearwardly away from the front panel  12  by overcoming the force of the spring means  15  so as to increase the spacing between the ridges  60  and the floor  41  of the channels  40  thus releasing the battery B so that the battery may fall downwardly between the panels  12 ,  14  and into a cup-like holding area  82  on the upper surface of the tray  76 . Note and as best shown in  FIG. 18 , the positioning of the device at a slightly rearward angle assures that the upper portion of the battery B primarily rests against the floor of the channel  40  and as the rear panel  14  is pivoted away from the front panel, the battery B will fall away from the ledge  64  with which the lower battery portion is in contact and into the increased space between the panels  12 ,  14  and thence downwardly to the tray  76 . This action and the rearward angular orientation of the device prevents the battery from perching on a ledge as the rear wall falls away. The spring means  15  disclosed provides for a wide range of adjustability of the force holding the panels  12 ,  14  in their operative position as well as for temporarily overcoming such force. 
     It should be pointed out that portions of the operational aspects of the device of the present invention may be practiced separately—for instance, batteries having the same diameter but of different thicknesses could be identified by the use of a single channel and ridge system of a width corresponding to the diameter (width) of such batteries. 
     While there is shown and described herein certain specific structure embodying this invention, it will be manifest to those skilled in the art that various modifications and rearrangements of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the underlying inventive concept and that the same is not limited to the particular forms herein shown and described except insofar as indicated by the scope of the appended claims.