Battery with multiple position handle

An electric storage battery is disclosed which includes a handle which can be locked in an upright position, such as for installation of the battery into a vehicle by robotics, yet where the handle can be then readily moved to a service position alongside the battery after installation into a vehicle, the container including a button and shaft for connection to apertures formed in the arms of the handle which provide an upright position and a service position, and locking in the upright position is achieved by a locking tongue formed on the container button which rests in a locking groove formed between locking tabs on the handle arms.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to handles for electric storage batteries. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Starting, lighting and ignition (SLI) batteries such as are typically used 
in automotive, recreational and other applications are heavy, cumbersome 
and usually require two hands for carrying. The desirability of providing 
such batteries with attachable/detachable handles for facilitating 
carrying, placement and retrieval of such batteries has long been known. A 
variety of designs have been proposed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 
4,673,625 to McCartney et al. discloses a one-piece molded plastic handle 
which is attachable/detachable to the battery by displacement in a 
direction parallel to the end walls of the battery and which can pivot 
between a carrying position above the battery to a storage position 
alongside the battery. 
Further, robotics are being used in a variety of applications in the 
automotive and recreational vehicle industry. In certain situations, it 
has been found desirable to utilize robotics to transport a battery from a 
supply source, such as a pallet, to the installed position in the vehicle. 
Utilizing robotics for such an application requires a handle that can be 
maintained in a position allowing enough space between the handle and 
cover for installation with the robotics, while, at the same time, 
allowing, after installation into the vehicle, the ability to readily move 
the handle to an out-of-the-way service position. Thus, a 
multiple-position handle is required since space in the vehicle (typically 
under-the-hood) is limited so that the upright position used for 
transporting the battery becomes unsuitable once the battery is installed 
in the vehicle. While the use of robotics is highly desirable, none of the 
existing handle designs can satisfy the diverse needs for applications of 
this type. 
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a battery 
and a handle wherein the handle is capable of being locked in an upright 
position and yet, after installation into a vehicle or the like, can be 
readily moved to a service position alongside the battery. 
A further and more specific object of this invention is to provide a 
battery of this type wherein lifting the battery with the handle in the 
upright position enhances locking the handle in such upright position 
whereas an appropriate downward force on the handle allows the handle to 
be readily moved from the locked upright position to the service position. 
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a battery of this 
type wherein the container and handle can be readily molded from plastic 
materials conventionally used for lead-acid batteries. 
A still further object of this invention provides a battery of this type 
wherein the handle can be easily manually assembled onto the battery and 
placed in the locked upright position. 
Other objects and advantages will be apparent as the following description 
proceeds taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an electric 
storage battery including a container having side and end walls, a cover 
attached to the container and a handle having a central portion for 
transporting the battery and two arms for connection to the two side or 
two end walls of the container. The container and the handle have 
connection means which provide an upright position for the handle where 
the central portion of the handle is positioned above the cover of the 
battery for transporting and installing the battery and a service position 
wherein the central portion of the handle is positioned alongside the 
battery. A locking means is associated with the container and handle for 
locking the handle in the upright position, yet allowing the handle to be 
readily manually displaced from the locked upright position when it is 
desired, most typically after installation, to move the handle from the 
upright to the service position. 
While the invention is susceptible of various modifications and alternative 
forms, specific embodiments thereof will be shown by way of example in the 
drawings and while hereinafter be described in detail. It should be 
understood, however, that it is not intended to limit the invention to the 
particular forms disclosed, but, on the contrary, the intention is to 
cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the 
spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in independent claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
FIGS. 1 and 2 show a preferred embodiment of the battery of the present 
invention indicated generally at 10. The battery 10 includes a container 
12 having a cover shown generally at 14 attached thereto by conventional 
means, and a pair of top terminals 16. The particular configuration of the 
terminals and the location can be varied as desired. Also, the plates, 
separators and other aspects of the internal configuration of the battery 
may be varied as desired. Numerous configurations are known in the art. 
Similarly, the terminal, container and cover configurations can be varied 
as desired. 
The battery and handle that will be described herein are particularly 
suitable for use in conventional lead-acid electric storage batteries used 
for SLI applications, including automotive, recreational and other 
vehicles. In such applications, the batteries utilized are amenable to 
being installed by the use of robotics. 
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, each container end 
wall 18 has integrally formed thereon a connection means for cooperating 
with connection means on the handle to properly connect the handle to the 
container and locking means cooperating with locking means on the handle 
to lock the handle in an upright position. To this end, a button 20 is 
connected to the container 12 by shaft 22. As will be discussed 
hereinafter, button 20 and shaft 22 serve as the connection means for 
accepting a handle. The shaft is desirably dimensioned so that the handle 
slides comfortably between the container and the underside of the button 
as the handle is rotated. A locking tongue 24 downwardly depends from the 
button 20 and cooperates with means on the handle to ensure that the 
handle, upon assembly into the upright position, is locked in that 
position. 
FIGS. 3 and 4 show a preferred embodiment of a handle to be used with the 
battery shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. In general, the handle 26 comprises a 
central portion 28 and two downwardly depending arms 30 and 32. If 
desired, the central portion 28 may be formed with a gripping portion 
shown generally at 34 so as to assist in transporting the battery. The 
length of the arms 30 and 32 is selected such that the central portion 28 
of the handle 26 will conveniently rest alongside the container when the 
handle 26 is rotated into the service position after installation into the 
vehicle. 
Pursuant to one aspect of the present invention, the handle 26 includes 
connection and locking means which cooperate with the connection and 
locking mean of the container to allow the handle to be locked in an 
upright position, yet allow the handle to be readily rotated to its 
service position. A further and more specific aspect of the present 
invention lies in providing an entry position to facilitate ready assembly 
of the handle onto the container. To this end, the handle arms 30 and 32 
each include an aperture shown generally at 36 which serves as the entry 
position for the handle during assembly. The entry position aperture 36 
includes a tongue 38 and is oversized in comparison to the button 20 and 
locking tongue 24 of the container. Thus, as may be appreciated, during 
assembly, the handle can be easily slipped over the button 20 and the 
locking tongue 24 of the container, thereby positioning the handle arms 30 
and 32 between the end walls 18 of the container 12 and the underside of 
the button 20. 
The connection means on the handle includes the upright position aperture 
40, service position aperture 42 and a connecting slide 44. The upright 
position aperture 40 and service position aperture 42 are sized to 
accommodate shaft 22. Exit from upright position aperture 40 is restricted 
due to the constrictions shown generally at 46. As can be seen in the 
illustrated embodiment, constrictions 46 comprise indentations that make 
the entrance into slide 44 somewhat smaller than the dimensions of shaft 
22. However, the handle can be moved to the service position when that is 
desired by applying a downward force on the handle that causes the handle 
to flex so that the handle can move downwardly relative to the button 20 
so as to position the shaft 22 in the slide 44. The constrictions restrict 
exit sufficiently so that the handle should not move out of position when 
that is not intended. Similarly, constrictions 48 in the slide or 
passageway 50 adjacent entry position aperture 36 ensures that the handle 
will not inadvertently be moved back into the entry position and slip out 
of connection with the battery. 
Thus, after being placed in the entry position, assembly of the handle on 
the battery first involves moving the handle toward the right and then 
snapping the handle upwardly. This sequentially results in the location of 
the button and shaft relative to the handle moving down the slide 50 and 
then into the upright position aperture 40 in which the shaft 22 is held 
due to the constrictions 46. 
To hold the handle in the upright position, each of the handle arms 30 and 
32 include a pair of locking tabs 52 which form a locking groove shown 
generally at 54. These locking tabs cooperate with the locking tongue 24 
on the container to ensure that the handle is retained in the upright 
position. Thus, as is shown in FIG. 5, the locking tongue 24 of the 
container rests in a semi-press fit in the locking groove 54 formed by the 
handle locking tabs 52. The locking tongue 24 can accordingly be slid into 
the locking groove 54, but the fit is tight enough that the locking tongue 
24 will stay in position. Upward movement, such as occurs when the battery 
is lifted, serves only to enhance the seating of the locking tongue 24 in 
the locking groove 54. 
In accordance with a more specific and more preferred embodiment of the 
present invention, the handle arms are configured such that the two sides 
of the arms can be distinguished from one another. This allows assembly of 
the handle onto the battery container correctly and should eliminate 
inadvertent assembly of the handle backward from the position desired. In 
the illustrative embodiment, the entry position side of the handle arms 30 
and 32 thus are curved as shown at 56 while the service position side is 
flat as shown at 58. 
The handle may thus be assembled onto the battery by the manufacturer and 
then shipped in the locked upright position. When the user employs 
robotics to install the battery into the vehicle, no preparation is 
required; and the battery may be lifted directly from a pallet or the like 
into the installed position in the vehicle. 
Yet, after installation into the vehicle, the handle may be moved out of 
position into the service position where the central portion 28 rests 
alongside the battery. To move the handle to its service position, each 
end of the handle can be firmly hit with a downward motion which results 
in unseating the locking tongue 24 from the locking groove 54 as well as 
forcing the handle upwardly past the constrictions 46. Further downward 
rotation moves the container button 20 and shaft 22 relative to the handle 
upwardly along slide 44 and into the service aperture 42, as is shown in 
FIG. 6. 
In the illustrative embodiment, the handle is connected to the end walls, 
as is perhaps the more conventional location where handles are used. 
However, if desired for some reason, the battery of this invention could 
be configured so that the handle is connected to the side walls of the 
container. 
The container illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 can be readily molded of any 
desired plastic material, such as the propylene and ethylene-propylene 
copolymers typically used for battery containers. These materials can 
likewise be employed to mold the illustrated handle. 
Pursuant to an alternative embodiment of the present invention, a similar 
functioning battery and handle could be configured by reversing the handle 
and battery container configurations from the preferred embodiment shown 
in FIGS. 1 through 6. In such an embodiment, the handle connection means 
will thus provide a button and a shaft while the entry and other positions 
are formed on the container side walls, such as by the use of a molded 
extension. FIGS. 7 and 8 thus show this alternative embodiment. This 
alternative embodiment may make the molding of the container more 
complicated than is the case with the preferred embodiment. 
The container 60 shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 thus includes an extension shown 
generally at 62 which includes the entry position and other apertures and 
connecting slides, as well as the connection and locking means for the 
handle. The extension 62 thus has an entry position shown at 64, a slide 
or passageway 66 connecting the entry position to the upright position 
aperture 68, a slide 70 connecting the upright position aperture to a 
service position shown at 72. 
In similar fashion to the preferred embodiment, the handle 74 comprises a 
central portion 76 and arms 78 (only one of which is shown). Each arm 78 
includes a connection button 80 and a shaft 82. 
In this embodiment, the relative positioning and movement from entry of the 
handle to the upright locked position and to the service position is 
somewhat different from that of the preferred embodiment. Entry into the 
upright position from the entry position is effected simply by an upward 
movement of the handle, but locking means must be provided to prevent the 
handle from falling down into the entry position 64. To this end, to lock 
the handle in the upright position, a tab 84 formed on container extension 
62 is provided as best seen in FIG. 8. The tab 84 is sufficiently flexible 
so that the handle can be pulled into the upright position 68. In that 
position, the shaft 82 rests on the tab 84, thus preventing downward 
movement of the handle. The handle can then be moved into service position 
72 simply by rotating and pushing the handle to the left along slide 70 
until service position 72 is reached as shown in FIG. 8. 
Thus, as has been seen, the present invention provides a battery and handle 
that can be assembled with the handle in a locked upright position, yet 
may be readily rotated to the service position when that is required. The 
necessary container and handle can be molded quite readily, and assembly 
is straightforward.