Battery box

A battery box has front and rear walls and first and second sidewalls defining an interior of the battery box. A first guideway is provided on a surface of the first sidewall that faces the interior. A second guideway is provided on a surface of the second sidewall that faces the interior. The first and second guideways extend in the height direction. A first spacer is configured to move in the height direction along the first guideway, and a second spacer is configured to move in the height direction along the second guideway. The first and second guideways and/or the first and second spacers have an angled surface so that as the first and second spacers are moved downwardly in the height direction along the respective first and second guideways, a gap defined in the length direction between the first and second spacers is narrowed.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to boxes for holding batteries such as automotive, marine, recreational vehicle, golf cart, motorcycle, riding mower, or other similarly sized batteries.

BACKGROUND

A battery box is used to hold a battery for transport, to protect the battery from rain/water, and/or to hold the battery in place on vehicle/machine that does not have a battery compartment. A given vehicle/machine may use a slightly differently sized or shaped battery, depending on the vehicle/machine's requirements, the operator's preference, cost, or other factors.

SUMMARY

According to one example, a battery box is defined in a length direction, a height direction, and a width direction. The battery box comprises a front wall and a rear wall spaced from one another in the width direction. A first sidewall and a second sidewall are spaced from one another in the length direction and connect the front and rear walls to define an interior of the battery box. A first guideway is provided on a surface of the first sidewall that faces the interior of the battery box. The first guideway extends in the height direction. A second guideway is provided on a surface of the second sidewall that faces the interior of the battery box. The second guideway also extends in the height direction. A first spacer is configured to move in the height direction along the first guideway, and a second spacer is configured to move in the height direction along the second guideway. At least one of the first and second guideways and the first and second spacers has an angled surface so that as the first and second spacers are moved downwardly in the height direction along the respective first and second guideways, a gap defined in the length direction between the first and second spacers is narrowed.

According to another example, a battery box is defined in a length direction, a height direction, and a width direction. The battery box comprises a front wall and a rear wall spaced from one another in the width direction. A first sidewall and a second sidewall are spaced from one another in the length direction and connect the front and rear walls to define an interior of the battery box. A first guideway is provided on a surface of the first sidewall that faces the interior of the battery box. The first guideway extends in the height direction. A second guideway is provided on a surface of the second sidewall that faces the interior of the battery box. The second guideway also extends in the height direction. A first spacer is configured to move in the height direction along the first guideway, and a second spacer is configured to move in the height direction along the second guideway. A first interface between the first guideway and the first spacer and a second interface between the second guideway and the second spacer are configured as sliding dovetail joints.

In another example, a spacer is configured to be inserted in a battery box defined in a length direction, a height direction, and a width direction. The spacer comprises a first side comprising a socket, which socket is configured to interface with a mating tail on a guideway extending in the height direction along an interior side surface of the battery box. The spacer has a second side opposite the first side, the second side being configured to face an interior of the battery box when the spacer is installed on the guideway. When the spacer is installed on the guideway, the first side of the spacer is angled with respect to a plane defined in the height and width directions and the second side is oriented substantially parallel to the plane defined in the height and width directions. The spacer has a hollow, generally bow-tie-shaped cross section along a plane extending in the length and width directions. The spacer is configured to flex so as to vary a dimension defined in the length direction between the first side of the spacer and the second side of the spacer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG.1illustrates a battery box10for holding batteries such as automotive, marine, recreational vehicle, golf cart, motorcycle, riding mower, or other similarly sized batteries. Generally, such batteries are box-shaped themselves, and range from about five inches to about fifteen inches in any of length, width, and height, although this range is not limiting on the scope of the present disclosure. In one particular example, the battery box10can be used to hold a marine battery of Group Size24or Group Size27. A given Group Size24battery has the dimensions 10.25″ L X 6.81″ W X 8.87″ H. A given Group Size27battery has the dimensions 12.05″ L X 6.81″ W X 8.75″ H. (Note that different brands of batteries may have slight variation.) The battery box10can be used to hold a battery for transport, to protect the battery from rain/water, and/or to hold the battery in place on a vehicle/machine that does not have a battery compartment.

The battery box10is defined in a length direction L, a height direction H, and a width direction W, each of which direction is perpendicular to the other two directions. Referring also toFIG.2, a front wall12and a rear wall14of the battery box10are spaced from one another in the width direction W. A first sidewall16and a second sidewall18are spaced from one another in the length direction L and connect the front and rear walls12,14to define an interior20of the battery box10. The battery box10also has a bottom22and a cover portion24, the latter of which can be locked in place over the upper perimeter26of a lower portion28of the battery box10by way of a closure portion30. Although the lower portion28of the battery box10is shown here with an upper perimeter26having the shape of an elongated octagon, and the shape of the cover portion24matches this, in other examples, the upper perimeter26and cover portion24could have a different shape, such as a rectangle. The battery box10can be made of molded plastic or another polymer, aluminum or an alloy thereof, or another suitable material.

FIG.2shows the lower portion28of the battery box10with the cover portion24removed, with an exemplary Group Size24marine battery32placed in the interior20. However, the dimensions of the lower portion28of the battery box10could be designed to hold a Group Size27marine battery, which, as noted above, is just under two inches longer than the Group Size24marine battery. So that a Group Size24battery (or smaller) does not shift around in the lower portion28of the battery box10designed for a larger battery, the battery box10is provided with spacers, one of which is shown at34, that wedge between the inner surfaces of the first and second sidewalls16,18and the battery32.

FIGS.3and4show views of the inside surfaces of the first and second sidewalls16,18, respectively. As shown inFIG.3, a first guideway38is provided on a surface of the first sidewall16that faces the interior20of the battery box10. The first guideway38extends in the height direction H from an upper end38ato a lower end38b. A first spacer34is configured to move in the height direction H along the first guideway38. As shown inFIG.4, a second guideway40is provided on a surface of the second sidewall18that faces the interior20of the battery box10. The second guideway40also extends in the height direction H from an upper end40ato a lower end40b. A second spacer36is configured to move in the height direction H along the second guideway40. In the present example, the upper ends38a,40aof the first and second guideways38,40are provided at the top ends of handles42,44that are molded into the sidewalls16,18of the lower portion28of the battery box10. However, in other examples, the upper ends38a,40aof the guideways38,40could be provided closer to or at the upper perimeter26of the lower portion28, for example if the handle(s) for the battery box10were located elsewhere. The lower ends38b,40bof the guideways38,40are located at the bottom22of the battery box10; however, they could stop above the bottom22in other examples.

Turning toFIGS.5and6, the battery box10is shown in cross section along a plane extending in the height H and length L directions and along a plane extending in the width W and length L directions, respectively. This illustrates a gap G between the two spacers34,36when they are installed on the guideways38,40. This gap G defines the length of the space into which the battery32can be placed and is more specifically defined between a side34aof the first spacer34that faces the interior20of the battery box10and a side36aof the second spacer36that faces the interior20of the battery box10. According to the present disclosure, at least one of the first and second guideways38,40and the first and second spacers34,36has an angled surface so that as the first and second spacers34,36are moved downwardly in the height direction H along the respective first and second guideways38,40, the G gap defined in the length direction L between the first and second spacers34,36is narrowed.

Referring specifically toFIGS.3and5, both the first guideway38and the first spacer34have an angled surface. The guideway38has an angled surface38con the side of the guideway38that faces the interior20of the battery box10, which angled surface38cslopes inwardly toward the interior20of the battery box10from an upper end38ato a lower end38bof the angled surface38c. As best shown inFIG.5, the angled surface of the first spacer34is on a side34bof the first spacer34that faces the angled surface38cof the first guideway38. The angled surface on side34bof the first spacer34also slopes inwardly toward the interior20of the battery box10from an upper end34eto a lower end34fof the angled surface (seeFIGS.18and19, showing side views of the spacer34). Because both the first guideway38and the first spacer34have an angled surface, and because both the angled surfaces (38cof guideway38and on side34bof spacer34) slope inwardly toward the interior20of the battery box10, the side34aof the first spacer34that faces the interior20of the battery box10may be (and here, is) oriented substantially parallel (e.g., ±3 degrees) to a plane defined in the height H and width W directions. This allows the entire surface of side34aof spacer34to contact the battery32to be placed in the battery box10. Of course, this requires that the angle on the angled surfaces (38cof guideway38and on side34bof spacer34) is the same for both surfaces, and that the side34aof the spacer34is not otherwise angled itself. In one example, the angle of the angled surfaces (38cof guideway38and on side34bof spacer34) is between three degrees and eight degrees with respect to vertical (i.e., the height direction H). In a particular example, the angle of the angled surfaces is five degrees with respect to the height direction H.

Referring now also toFIG.4, the first and second guideways38,40and the first and second spacers34,36all have an angled surface that slopes inwardly toward the interior20of the battery box10. The angled surface40cis on the side of the guideway40that faces the interior20of the battery box10, which angled surface40cslopes inwardly toward the interior20of the battery box10from an upper end40ato a lower end40bof the angled surface40c. The angled surface of the second spacer is on a side36bof the second spacer36that faces the angled surface40cof the second guideway40, and the opposite side36aof the second spacer36that faces the interior20of the battery box10is oriented substantially parallel (e.g., ±3 degrees) to the plane defined in the height H and width W directions. The angle of the angled surfaces40cof guideway40and on side36bof spacer36may be the same as that of the angled surfaces38cof guideway38and on side34bof spacer34, so that the spacers34,36can be used on either guideway38,40.

Because both the first and second guideways38,40and the first and second spacers34,36have angled surfaces that slope inwardly toward the interior20of the battery box10, it is clear that positioning the spacers34,36higher up in the height direction H on the guideways38,40will result in a greater gap G in the length direction L than if the spacers34,36were positioned lower down in the height direction H on the guideways38,40. For example, if a larger battery32is placed in the battery box10, the spacers34,36can be pushed down the guideways38,40on both sides of the larger battery32until the larger battery32is wedged in the gap G between the spacers34,36; while if a smaller battery32is placed in the battery box10, the spacers34,36can be pushed down the guideways38,40on both sides of the smaller battery32further than they were pushed down for the larger battery32, until the smaller battery32is wedged in the smaller gap G between the spacers34,36. Thus, the spacers34,36can be positioned at a multitude of different heights along the guideways38,40to accommodate different sized batteries within the gap G between the spacers34,36.

Referring toFIG.6, the spacers34,36and guideways38,40are shaped to provide for a sliding, yet stable, fit at the interfaces therebetween. In the present example, a first interface46between the first guideway38and the first spacer34and a second interface48between the second guideway40and the second spacer36are configured as sliding dovetail joints. Because the spacers34,36and guideways38,40are mirror images of one another, only the interface46between the first guideway38and first spacer34will be described in more detail, it being understood that the same description applies to the interface48between the second guideway40and the second spacer36. Referring toFIGS.7-9, as noted above, the interface46between the first guideway38and the first spacer34is configured as a sliding dovetail joint. The side34bof the first spacer34that faces the first guideway38comprises one of a tail and a socket configured to interface with one of a mating socket and a mating tail formed on the first guideway38. Here, the side34bof the spacer34that faces the guideway38comprises the socket50of the respective sliding dovetail joint (see alsoFIGS.10-13), and the guideway38comprises the tail52of the respective sliding dovetail joint (see alsoFIG.3). However, in another example, the tail could be provided on the spacer34and the socket on the guideway38.

As shown in the progression of drawings inFIGS.7-9, at least one of the tail52and the socket50of the sliding dovetail joint widens in the width direction W from an upper end to a lower end of the sliding dovetail joint.FIG.7shows a cross section taken along a plane in the length L and width W directions, just above the spacer34, at the upper end38aof the guideway38(i.e., the upper end of the sliding dovetail joint).FIG.8shows a cross section taken along another plane in the length L and width W directions, cutting about midway through the spacer34.FIG.9shows a cross section taken along yet another plane in the length L and width W directions, this time just above the bottom end of the spacer34. By comparison ofFIGS.7-9, it is apparent that the socket50formed on the side34bof the spacer34widens from the upper end34eof the spacer34to the lower end34fof the spacer (see alsoFIG.17). It can also be seen that the guideway38widens from its upper end38ato its lower end38b(see alsoFIG.3). This means that the wider lower end34fof the spacer34can easily fit over the narrower upper end38aof the guideway38. As the spacer34is slid downward on the guideway38in the height direction H, eventually, the surfaces of the socket50will align with and contact the surfaces of the guideway38, as shown inFIGS.7-9, and the spacer34will not be able to travel further downwardly. This increases the stability of the interface between the spacer34and the guideway38and increases the wedging force of the spacer34against the side of the battery32placed in the interior20of the battery box10.

FIGS.10-19show additional views of the spacer34in isolation, it being noted that the spacer36is identical to the spacer34. The spacer34has a first side34bcomprising the socket50configured to interface with the mating tail52on the guideway38, which as described above, extends in the height direction H along an interior side surface of the battery box10. The spacer34also has a second side34aopposite the first side34b, the second side34abeing configured to face an interior20of the battery box10when the spacer34is installed on the guideway38. As best shown inFIGS.14and15, the spacer34has a hollow, generally bow-tie-shaped cross section along a plane extending in the length L and width W directions. The spacer34is configured to flex so as to vary a dimension D (FIG.14) defined in the length direction L between the first side34bof the spacer34and the second side34aof the spacer34. This flexure is provided for in part by the bow-tie-shaped cross section of the spacer34, wherein the V-notched sides34c,34dconnecting the sides34a,34bact as living hinges, as well as the relatively flexible material of which the spacer34is made. For instance, the spacer34can be made of a flexible polymer or plastic such as polypropylene, or of a metal such as aluminum that when thin enough is able to flex. In other examples, the cross-sectional shape of the spacer34is that of the letter “Z” or the letter “X.” The spacer's ability to flex further allows the spacer34to be wedged down along the guideway38between the sidewall16of the battery box10and the battery32placed in the interior20thereof.

Referring back toFIGS.5-9, note that when the spacer34is installed on the guideway38, the first side34bof the spacer34is angled with respect to a plane defined in the height H and width W directions and the second side34ais oriented substantially parallel to the plane defined in the height H and width W directions. Because the side34aof the spacer34that faces the interior20of the battery box10is oriented substantially parallel (±3 degrees to account for manufacturing tolerances) to the plane defined in the height H and width W directions, the entire surface of the side34ais able to contact the battery32placed in the battery box10to increase the surface area of the wedging force thereupon and thus the stability of the battery32within the battery box10. As noted herein above, this substantially parallel face on side34ais accomplished by angling the opposite side34bat the same angle as the guideway38.

Although the present inventor has found that angled guideways38,40and angled spacers34,36, in combination with the spacers34,36being flexible in the length direction L by virtue of their cross-sectional shape and the material of which they are made is particularly advantageous for wedging a battery32into the interior20of the battery box10, other combinations are possible. For example, only the spacers34,36could be angled (e.g., wedge-shaped) while the sidewalls16,18and guideways38,40are parallel to one another and perpendicular to the bottom22. Conversely, only the sidewalls16,18and guideways38,40can be angled, while the spacers34,36are rectangular. Although the guideways38,40are shown herein as being parallel to the sidewalls16,18, respectively, in other examples, the sidewalls16,18can be perpendicular to the bottom22, and the guideways38,40alone can be wedge-shaped and angle inwardly toward the interior20from top to bottom. Furthermore, although the interfaces46,48between the spacers34,36and guideways387,40are shown as sliding dovetail joints, in other examples, the “tail” of the joints could be circular, ovular, T-shaped, or L-shaped in cross-section, with the “socket” shaped to match. In still other examples, the joints do not have any ability to withstand force in the length direction L, but are just simple rectangular tracks.

It should be understood that the battery box10can be used without the spacers34,36, in which case it may be able to accommodate a larger battery than if the spacers34,36are used. The battery box10could be provided with differently sized spacers (e.g., those having greater or lesser dimensions D, seeFIG.14) to accommodate batteries of a range of sizes smaller than that the battery box10itself could otherwise accommodate. In some examples, the sides of the front and rear walls12,14of the battery box10that face the interior20thereof are provided with guideways and spacers similar to those described as being located on the sidewalls16,18of the battery box10. This would allow the battery box10to house even smaller batteries, having a width dimension that is less than the width dimension of the interior20of the battery box10.

The present embodiment is shown with one spacer34,36on each side of the battery32, which is advantageous in that it allows the battery32to be centered in the battery box10, thereby maintaining the terminals near the cable outlets (not shown) on the battery box10and balancing the weight in the battery box10, which is helpful while it is being transported. However, it is envisioned that one spacer34or36could be used on one side of the battery32, depending on the size of the battery32with respect to the interior20of the battery box10.

In the present description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clarity, and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because such terms are used for descriptive purposes only and are intended to be broadly construed. The different components and assemblies described herein may be used or sold separately or in combination with other components and assemblies. Various equivalents, alternatives, and modifications are possible within the scope of the appended claims.