Apparatus having at least one battery secured to a printed circuit board

In an apparatus (1) with at least one battery (12, 13) mounted on a printed circuit board (14) the printed circuit board (14) has mounting portions (23, 24, 25, 26) which can be broken off this printed circuit board, solder lugs (19, 20, 21, 22) which project from terminals (15, 16, 17, 18) of the battery (12, 13) being fixedly connected to said mounting portions by a soldered joint (27) each. Each mounting portion (23, 24, 25, 26) of the printed circuit board (14) is surrounded by the remainder of the printed circuit board (14) and an opening (28, 29, 30, 31), which partly surrounds the relevant mounting portion (23, 24, 25, 26), is formed between each mounting portion (23, 24, 25, 26) and the remainder of the printed circuit board (14) and each mounting portion (23, 24, 25, 26) is connected to the remainder of the printed circuit board (14) by a connecting portion (40, 41, 42, 43) of the printed circuit board (14), which connecting portion is situated between the two ends (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39) of an opening (28, 29, 30, 31).

The invention relates to an apparatus having a printed circuit board and at 
least one battery mounted on the printed circuit board, which battery is 
intended for powering the apparatus and has two terminals, each provided 
with a solder lug which is fixedly connected to a mounting portion of the 
printed circuit board by means of a solder joint, which mounting portions 
of the printed circuit board can be severed from the remainder of the 
printed circuit board to enable the at feast one battery to be removed 
from the apparatus. 
An apparatus of the type defined in the opening paragraph is known, for 
example from EP 0,432,331 A2, reference being made particularly to the 
embodiments shown in FIGS. 29 to 36 of this EP 0,432,331 A2, for which 
protection is claimed by the independent claim 3 of EP 0,432,331 A2. The 
mounting portions of the printed circuit board in the known apparatus are 
peripheral portions of the printed circuit board, which portions terminate 
in an edge zone of the printed circuit board and have at least one freely 
accessible bounding edge. Moreover, in the known apparatus a breaking line 
is formed in each connecting portion between a mounting portion and the 
remainder of the printed circuit board, which breaking line is formed, for 
example, by groove-like recesses or by holes of circular cross-section 
traversing the printed circuit board at the location of a connecting 
portion and disposed one after the other in the direction of a breaking 
line. In all the embodiments of the known apparatus the above construction 
enables the mounting portion to be severed by hand from the remainder of 
the printed circuit board, which may be effected directly at the 
break-away mounting portions or at the battery, which is connected to the 
mounting portion. However, all the embodiments of the known apparatus have 
the disadvantage that a battery can only be mounted on a printed circuit 
board in its peripheral area because the mounting portions for mounting 
the battery can be situated only at the periphery of a printed circuit 
board to enable them to be broken away by hand. However, this puts a 
restraint on the freedom to choose the location of a battery on a printed 
circuit board, which is a disadvantage particularly in the case of 
apparatuses whose construction should be as compact as possible, such as 
battery-powered shavers, battery-powered toothbrushes, battery-powered 
pocket calculators and many other compact battery-powered apparatuses. 
It is an object of the invention to solve the above problems with an 
apparatus of the type defined in the opening paragraph and to provide a 
simple possibility of mounting a battery in any desired geometrical 
arrangement on a printed circuit board without any restraint as to the 
position of the battery and, with a battery thus mounted, to enable the 
mounting portions of the printed circuit board to be simply severed from 
the remainder of the printed circuit board. To this end the invention is 
characterized in that each mounting portion of the printed circuit board 
is surrounded by the remainder of the printed circuit board, and an 
opening is formed between each mounting portion and the remainder of the 
printed circuit board, which opening partly surrounds the relevant 
mounting portion, and each mounting portion is connected to the remainder 
of the printed circuit board by a connecting portion of the printed 
circuit board, which connecting portion is situated between the two ends 
of each opening, which mounting portions, which are each situated within 
an opening, can each be severed from the remainder of the printed circuit 
board substantially at the location of a connecting portion, preferably by 
means of a tool. In this way it is achieved that a battery can be mounted 
on a printed circuit board in any desired position, i.e. also in such a 
position that both mounting portions for a battery are situated in a 
central area of a printed circuit board and that, with a battery thus 
mounted, the mounting portions of printed circuit board can be severed 
simply from the remainder of the printed circuit board in order to remove 
the battery from the apparatus. The construction in accordance with the 
invention does not require the provision of a separate breaking line in 
the connecting portion between a mounting portion and the remainder of the 
printed circuit board because owing to the shape of the opening which 
partly surrounds the mounting portion each mounting portion is always 
severed between the two ends of the opening at the location of the 
connecting portion which is situated there, the shape of the relevant 
breaking zone being irrelevant. 
Each opening may occupy any desired position relative to a battery, which 
has its solder lug connected to the mounting portion, which is surrounded 
by the opening. However, it has proved to be very advantageous if each 
opening extends transversely of the longitudinal axis of a battery, and 
the two ends of two openings each time face one another, which openings 
partly bound two mounting portions to which the two solder lugs of a 
battery are each fixedly connected by means of a solder joint. This has 
proved to be very advantageous in practice because it enables a very easy 
and rapid removal of a battery from a printed circuit board and, as a 
consequence, from an apparatus. 
Each of the openings may be, for example, V-shaped. However, it has proved 
to be advantageous if each opening is substantially C-shaped, which has 
appeared to be particularly favourable in practice. 
Each substantially C-shaped opening may be, for example, have an oval-like, 
circle-like or other kind of shape. However, it has proved to be very 
advantageous if each mounting portion is rectangular in shape, and each 
opening consists of straight parts. This is advantageous for a simple and 
proper soldering of the solder lugs on the mounting portions.

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the invention, in the present example a 
shaving apparatus 1 having a housing 2 comprising two interconnected 
housing halves 3 and 4 completed by a trough-shaped housing section 5 at 
the bottom. A trimmer, not shown in FIG. 1, is arranged at the location of 
the housing half 3 and is movable between a rest position, in which it is 
retracted into the shaving apparatus 1, and an operating position, in 
which it is slid out of the shaving apparatus 1, said trimmer being 
concealed by a cover plate 6 in the rest position so that only a cutter 
support 7 of the trimmer is partly visible. To move the trimmer, not shown 
in FIG. 1, the shaving apparatus 1 has an actuating element 8, which is 
connected to the cutter support 7 of the trimmer by a shutter-like 
flexible coupling member 9. 
A shaving head 10 is mounted on the housing 2 of the shaving apparatus 1 
and is detachably connected to the housing 2. The shaving head 10 has a 
foil-like upper cutter, which can also be covered by means of a 
shutter-like cover 11, which is movable substantially parallel to the main 
wall of the housing half 4 between a cover position shown in FIG. 1, in 
which it covers the foil-like upper cutter, and an open position, in which 
it exposes the shear foil to permit shaving. 
To drive a lower cutter which cooperates with a foil-like upper cutter and 
to drive a drivable cutter of the trimmer of the shaving apparatus 1 the 
apparatus 1 has a drive motor accommodated in the housing 2. Two 
rechargeable batteries 12 and 13 are arranged inside the apparatus housing 
2 for the power supply to this motor. 
As is shown in FIG. 2, the two rechargeable batteries 12 and 13 are fixedly 
connected to a printed circuit board 14, which is secured in the apparatus 
housing 2. In addition to the two batteries 12 and 13 the printed circuit 
board 14 carries further parts, which bear no references for the sake of 
simplicity. 
Each of the two batteries 12 and 13 has two terminals 15, 16 and 17, 18 
respectively. Each of these terminals 15, 16, 17 and 18 has a solder lug 
19, 20, 21 and 22, respectively. Each of the solder lugs 19, 20, 21 and 22 
is fixedly connected to a mounting portion 23, 24, 25 and 26, 
respectively, by a soldered joint 27, as illustrated for the solder lug 19 
in FIG. 4. The mounting portions 23, 24, 25 and 26 of the printed circuit 
board 14 can be severed from the remainder of the board 14 in order to 
enable the batteries 12 and 13 to be removed from the shaving apparatus 1. 
In the shaving apparatus shown in FIG. 1 each mounting portion 23, 24, 25 
and 26 of the printed circuit board 14 is surrounded by the remainder of 
the printed circuit board 14 and a slot-like opening 28, 29, 30 and 31, 
respectively, is formed between each mounting portion 23, 24, 25 and 26 
and the remainder of the printed circuit board 14, which opening partly 
surrounds the relevant mounting portion 23, 24, 25 and 26, respectively, 
said mounting portions 23, 24, 25 and 26 each being connected to the 
remainder of the printed circuit board 14 by a respective connecting 
portion 40, 41, 42 or 43 of the printed circuit board 14, which connecting 
portion is situated between the two ends 32, 33; 34, 35; 36, 37 and 38, 
39, respectively, of each opening 28, 29, 30 and 31, respectively, which 
mounting portions 23, 24, 25 and 26, which are situated within the 
openings 28, 29, 30 and 31, respectively, can each be severed from the 
remainder of the printed circuit board 14 substantially at the location of 
a connecting portion 40, 41, 42 or 43, preferably by means of a tool 44. 
The tool 44 for severing a mounting portion 23, 24, 25 or 26 may be, for 
example, a screwdriver 44, whose free end 45 is passed through an opening 
28, 29, 30 or 31, as is shown in FIG. 4 for the opening 28. By pressing 
the screwdriver downward in a direction indicated by an arrow 46 the 
mounting portion 23 is broken off the remainder of the printed circuit 
board 14 in a direction indicated by an arrow 47. Each mounting portion 
23, 24, 25 or 26 always breaks off at the location of the connecting 
portion 40, 41, 42 or 43 situated between the two ends 32, 33; 34, 35; 36, 
37 or 38, 39, respectively, of a respective opening 28, 29, 30 or 31 as a 
result of the shape of the opening 28, 29, 30 or 31, which partly 
surrounds the mounting portion 23, 24, 25 or 26, the shape of the relevant 
breaking zone being wholly irrelevant. In FIGS. 3 and 4 such a breaking 
zone 48 is only shown diagrammatically by means of a dash-dot line. 
However, a mounting portion 23, 24, 25 or 26 can also be broken away by 
hand, particularly by means of a finger. 
By means of the above construction of the printed circuit board, in which 
each mounting portion is surrounded by the remainder of the printed 
circuit board and a slot-like opening is formed between each mounting 
portion and the remainder of the printed circuit board, which opening 
partly surrounds the relevant mounting portion, each mounting portion 
being connected to the remainder of the printed circuit board by a 
respective connecting portion of the printed circuit board, which 
connecting portion is situated between the two ends of each opening, it is 
achieved that any battery can be mounted on a printed circuit board in any 
desired position, i.e. also in such a position that both mounting portions 
for one battery are disposed in a central area of a printed circuit board, 
as is actually the case with the printed circuit board shown in FIG. 2, 
and that with a battery thus mounted the mounting portions of the printed 
circuit board can simply be severed from the remainder of the printed 
circuit board in order enable a battery to be removed from the shaving 
apparatus. 
In the shaving apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1, as is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, 
each of the openings 28, 29, 30 and 31 extends transversely of the 
longitudinal axis of a battery 12 or 13. The arrangement has been selected 
in such a manner that in a plan view of the printed circuit board 14, as 
is shown for the opening 28 in FIG. 3, a line of symmetry 49 of an opening 
28, 29, 30 or 31 and a longitudinal axis 12a or 13a of a battery coincide. 
Moreover, in the case of the printed circuit board 14 as shown in FIGS. 2, 
3 and 4 the two ends 32, 33; 34, 35; 36, 37 or 38, 39, respectively, of 
each time two openings 28, 29 and 30, 31, respectively, face one another, 
which openings partly bound two mounting portions 23, 24 and 25, 26, 
respectively, to which the two respective solder lugs 19, 20 or 21, 22 of 
a battery 12 or 13 are fixedly connected by means of a solder joint 27. 
Such a construction has proved to be very favourable in practice because 
it enables a particularly easy and rapid removal of a battery from a 
printed circuit board and from an apparatus. 
As is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, each of the openings 28, 29, 30 and 31 in the 
printed circuit board 14 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is substantially C-shaped 
because this has proved to be particularly favourable in practice. Each of 
the mounting portions 23, 24, 25 and 26 is rectangular and each of the 
openings 28, 29, 30 and 31 consists of substantially straight parts. This 
has proved to be very advantageous for a simple and proper soldering of 
the solder lugs to the mounting portions. The openings 28, 29, 30 and 31 
can be formed in an advantageous manner, substantially without any 
additional expense, during punching of the holes for the insertion or 
passage of the leads of the parts to be mounted on a printed circuit 
board. 
It is to be noted also that each solder joint 27 connects one solder lug 
19, 20, 21 or 22 mechanically and electrically to a printed conductor 50 
of the printed circuit board 14, as is shown in FIG. 3. 
In the case of the printed circuit board 14 of an apparatus in a second 
embodiment of the invention, which is shown partly in FIG. 5, the mounting 
portions are substantially oval and the slot-like openings have an oval 
sector shape corresponding to the oval shape of the mounting portions, as 
is shown for the mounting portion 23 and the opening 28 in FIG. 5. 
In the case of the printed circuit board 14 of an apparatus in a third 
embodiment of the invention, which is shown partly in FIG. 6, the mounting 
portions have a circular shape flattened at two opposite sides and 
slot-like openings have a substantially circular sector shape 
corresponding to the shape of the mounting portions, as is shown for the 
mounting portion 23 and the opening 28 in FIG. 6. 
Further examples of mounting portions and slotted openings have been 
provided in the two printed circuit boards 14 of two apparatuses in 
accordance with a fourth and a fifth embodiment of the invention, shown 
partly in FIGS. 7 and 8, in which in the same way as the printed circuit 
boards 14 in FIGS. 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 a line of symmetry 49 of an opening 
28, 29, 30 or 31 and a longitudinal axis 12a or 13a of a battery 12 or 13 
coincide in a plan view of the printed circuit board 14, as is shown for 
the opening 28 in FIGS. 7 and 8. 
FIGS. 9 and 10 partly show two apparatuses in accordance with a sixth and a 
seventh embodiment of the invention, comprising further examples of 
mounting portions and slotted openings, a line of symmetry 49 of an 
opening 28, 29, 30 or 31 extending perpendicularly to a longitudinal axis 
12a or 13a of a battery 12 or 13 in a plan view of the printed circuit 
board 14, as is shown for the opening 28. 
In all the apparatuses whose printed circuit boards 14 are shown in FIGS. 5 
to 10 the batteries can be arranged in any desired position, a simple 
removal of the batteries from the apparatuses being guaranteed. 
The invention is not limited to the variants described above because the 
mounting portions of a printed circuit board and the openings which partly 
surround the mounting portions may have other shapes than those in the 
exemplary embodiments described and shown herein. A mounting portion and 
the opening which partly surrounds this mounting portion need not be 
mirror-symmetrical. A mounting portion and the opening which partly 
surrounds this mounting portion may also be laterally offset relative to a 
longitudinal axis of a battery. Moreover, a mounting portion and the 
opening which partly surrounds this mounting portion, which are for 
example mirror-symmetrical relative to a line of symmetry, may be in an 
angular position which differs from 90.degree. relative to a longitudinal 
axis of a battery, the line of symmetry of the mounting portion, or of the 
opening which partly surrounds this mounting portion, and the longitudinal 
axis of a battery then enclosing an angle which differs from 90.degree..