Battery pack and connection mechanism

Abstract: Disclosed is a battery pack and a mechanism for connecting the battery pack (40) that provide increased freedom for detachment and removal from an electric/electronic device (10). Since a head (46), wherein a plurality of terminals are so provided inside individual slits as not to be exposed externally, is connected to a battery interface (76) that is a part of a personal computer and that has a plurality of plugs, the terminals of the battery pack are electrically connected to the corresponding plugs. Since all the slits of the head (46) are so formed that each extends fully through the head (46) in the direction of the thickness of the battery pack (40), and so that each is open at the top, at the bottom, and at one side, the head (46) can be connected to the battery interface (76) from the top, from the bottom, or from the side of the battery interface (76).

Description: The present invention relates to a battery pack and a connection mechanism for the battery pack, and, in more detail, to a battery pack that is detachably installed in an electric/electronic device, such as a portable personal computer, and a connection mechanism for such a battery pack. Portable computers, such as personal notebook computers, that are made compact and light in consideration of portability, have come into wide use. Many types of such portable computer designs include packaged batteries (hereafter referred to as "battery packs"), which are installed detachably into such computers, that permit users to operate the computers in places where there are no commercial power sources available. One such battery pack is disclosed in US 4998055. Many conventional electrically connected portions at which a battery pack is installed into the above described portable computer have normally been so designed that a plurality of terminals are exposed and on the outside of a casing of a battery pack (not shown), and a plurality of metal springs 112 that correspond to the terminals are provided at a connection portion 110 of the portable computer, as shown in Fig. 11. With the above described structure, to decrease the contact resistance between the terminals and the metal springs and to reduce heat, etc., at the contact portion, the exposed area of the terminals of the battery pack must be expanded properly. However, when the battery pack is to be carried separately, articles made of metal, such as a chain or a key, may accidentally contact the terminals, causing a short circuit across the terminals of the battery pack and heating the metal that is in contact with the terminals. As a security countermeasure to shield the terminals of the battery pack so that they are not exposed, a technique is known wherewith slits or box recesses are provided in that portion of the electric/electronic device that corresponds to the terminal portion for the battery pack, and the terminals are located inside these recesses so that they cannot easily be contacted from the outside. However, for those battery packs that have their electric/electronic device contact faces formed in a slit or a box shaped recess, insufficient thought has been given to ensuring ease of detachment and removal of the battery packs from the electric/electronic devices. Although it is especially demanded that it be possible to detach and remove a battery pack from an electric/electronic device in three directions, from the top, from the bottom, and from the side, detachment and removal can only be effected only in one or two directions at this time. Therefore a need exists for a battery pack for which improved ease of detachment and removal from an electric/electronic device is ensured and for a connection mechanism for the battery pack. With reference to GB-A-2280995 and DE-A-4428192 the applicant has voluntarily limited, without prejudice, the scope of the present application by submitting separate claims for Germany and the UK. Accordingly, the present invention provides a battery pack, detachably installable in an electrical or electronic device, comprising: a main body having a plurality of slits on one edge of the body, each slit extending through the edge of the body so as to be open at the top, the bottom and the side of the body, each slit having a depth into said body greater than the width of the slit; at least some of the slits having at least one electrical terminal therein such that the terminals are not exposed outside of the slits, the slits being arranged for contact with corresponding electrical plugs of an electrical or electronic device. A plurality of slits are so formed that they extend fully through the battery pack in the direction of thickness of the battery pack and are open at the top, at the bottom, and at the side, and terminals are so provided inside the slits as not to be exposed. When the plugs of an electric/electronic device are connected to the terminals of the battery pack, the plugs can be inserted into the slits from the top, from the bottom, or from the side of the battery pack, and the ease of detachment and removal from the electric/electronic device is very high. The battery pack of the present invention can be applied for various types of electric/electronic devices that require the battery packs to be installed from different directions. Since terminals are so provided that they are not exposed outside the slits, a battery pack can be carried alone without short-circuiting the terminals. The invention also provides an electrical or electronic device including a battery pack as described above and a connector, suitable for connecting to the battery pack, said connector comprising: a plurality of flat protrusions, including a plurality of electrical plugs, positioned along one side of the connector such that the protrusions can be inserted into respective slits positioned along an edge of the battery pack so as to be in electrical contact therewith. Since the slits are so formed that they extend fully through the battery pack and are open at the top, at the bottom, and at one side, in the direction of the thickness of the battery pack, the protrusions of the connector can be inserted from the top, from the bottom, or from the side of the battery pack into the corresponding slits, and thus ease of the detachment from the electric/electronic device is very high. The battery pack of the present invention can also be applied to various types of electric/electronic devices that require battery packs to be installed from different directions. Since the plurality of terminals for the battery pack are so provided inside of the slits as not to be exposed, the battery pack can be carried alone without short-circuiting the terminals. Further, as the flat protrusions can be inserted into the slits in one of three directions, and the plugs of the connector slide and contact the terminals that are provided inside the slits, a large contact area for the plugs and the terminals is ensured and the failures due to lack of contact can be prevented. While the battery pack is connected to the connector, the length of the protrusions in the direction that corresponds to the direction of thickness of the battery pack is smaller than the thickness of the battery pack. It is therefore not necessary when the battery pack is installed for the protrusions of the connector to be positioned at the centre of the slits in the direction of the thickness of the battery pack, and a margin of freedom in positioning of the protrusions on the connector in the direction of the thickness of the battery pack is ensured (there is a margin of freedom for the installation position). Therefore, the battery packs can be installed in electric/electronic devices that have different installing positions for the protrusions on the connectors. A guide formed of an insulating material is provided between the plug of the connector that contacts the positive terminal and the plug that contacts the negative terminal, and a slit that corresponds to the guide is provided in the battery pack. Short-circuiting of the positive and negative terminals due to the entrance of foreign metal, etc., is prevented by the guide, and any inconvenience caused by the short-circuiting of the terminals is further prevented. The length of the guide in the direction that corresponds to the direction of thickness of the protrusions is greater than the thickness of the protrusions, and the guide is positioned off-centred in the direction of thickness of the protrusions. The slit that has enough gap to retain the guide is provided in the battery pack at a position that corresponds to that of the guide. When there is an attempt to invertedly install the battery pack in an electric/electronic device, as the shapes do not match, the battery pack cannot be installed. Therefore, the inverted installation of the battery pack Into an electric/electronic device can be avoided. Further, even in a mechanism, for connecting a battery pack, that has no guide, if the pitches of the arranged protrusions and the pitches of the corresponding slits are irregular, a mechanism wherein an inverted battery pack cannot be installed into an electric/electronic device can be provided. Thus, this mechanism can also prevent the installation of an inverted battery pack into an electric/electronic device. The plug of the connector that contacts the negative terminal protrudes further than the plug that contacts the positive terminal, and the depth of the slit, in the battery pack, wherein the negative terminal are provided is greater than that of the slit wherein the positive terminal are provided. When the connector is attached to the battery pack, the negative terminal are brought into contact first. Because the negative terminal, which are generally ground terminal, are brought into contact first, the circuit in the battery pack can be stabilized. This is effective for a mechanism wherein controller that controls the charging of a battery is provided in a battery pack. In order that the invention may be fully understood a preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the outline of a personal computer that serves as an electric/electronic device in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the personal computer when its keyboard is lifted and an installed battery pack is exposed; Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the outline of a battery pack; Fig. 4 is a top view of the slits of the battery pack; Fig. 5 is a front view of the slits of the battery pack; Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 5-5 in Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a perspective view illustrating the outline of the plugs of the personal computer; Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the directions in which the battery pack can be connected to the plugs; Figs. 9A and 9B are perspective views showing different states wherein the battery pack is attached to the plugs; Fig. 10 is a diagram of an example where a CD-ROM reader instead of an FDD pack is installed in the personal computer; Fig. 11 is a prior art perspective view illustrating the outline of the conventional plugs installed in a personal computer for which metal springs are employed. Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating a notebook personal computer (hereafter referred to as a "personal computer") 10 that serves as an electric/electronic device according to the present invention. The personal computer 10 comprises a thin body 12 and a cover 14 that is so provided on the body 12 that it can be opened and closed. The cover 14 has a case with a shallow bottom (a double bottom) 24, and paired cylindrical protrusions 28 are integrally formed with the case 24 at its ends. The paired protrusions 28 are rotatably supported at the body 12, so that the cover 14 is hinged at the body 12 and is rotatably supported by the paired protrusions 28. A liquid crystal display 26 is provided in the centre of the face of the cover 14 when it is open, i.e., the reverse face. The body 12 has a shallow case 16. A support plate 18, which has a predetermined width, is attached to the case 16 to cover the opening of the case 16 at the back, and a keyboard 20 is so installed that it covers the front of the opening. Paired protrusions 22 that have a tongue shape are integrally formed on each end of the keyboard 20 at the back. The paired protrusions 22 are supported at the ends of the front of the support plate 18, so that the keyboard 20 is hinged at the support plate 18 and is rotatably supported by the paired protrusions 22. The opening and closing of the cover 14 relative to the body 12, or the opening and closing of the keyboard 20 relative to the case 16 of the body 12 is performed by the 2-step manipulation of an opening/closing operation portion 30 that is provided on the side of the case 16. As is shown in Fig. 2, a partition 32, which is formed by bending a thin metal plate into a predetermined shape, is provided at the back in the case 16 of the body 12. Above the partition 32 is positioned an internal circuit, of the personal computer 10, that includes a system which will be described later. In front of the partition 32 are defined spaces for holding an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) pack 38, a battery pack 40, and an FDD (Floppy Disk Drive) pack 42. The packs 38, 40, and 42 are detachable and removable from the body 12, and are electrically connected to the system via connectors (not shown) when they are installed as are shown in Fig. 2. It should be noted that in Fig. 2 the battery pack 40 and the FDD pack 42 are installed. The structure of the battery pack 40 will now be explained. As is shown in Fig. 3, a plurality of slits, which serve as a head 46, are formed in the centre of one side surface 44 of the flat battery pack 40 in the direction that is indicated by the arrow R. The slits extend fully through the battery pack 40 in the direction of its thickness of the battery pack 40 (in the direction indicated by the arrow P) and are open at three surfaces of the battery pack 40: a top surface 43, the side 44, and a bottom surface (not shown). The head 46 will now be explained while referring to Figs. 4 through 6. As is shown in Fig. 4, slits 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60, 62, and 64 are formed in the head 46 so that they extend fully through the battery pack 40 in the direction of its thickness (the direction that is perpendicular to the surface of Fig. 4). Positive paired terminals 70 are located on the internal side walls of the slit 50 and are exposed a predetermined length. Likewise, negative paired terminals 71 are located on the internal side walls of the slit 58 and are exposed a predetermined length. Further, paired terminals 73 for a control signal are located on the internal side walls of the individual slits 54, 56, 60, 62, and 64 and are exposed a predetermined length. The paired terminals 73 are employed for the exchange of information, such as the remaining capacity of a battery, between the personal computer 10 and the battery pack 40. The slit 52 is employed for the insertion of a guide which will be described later. No terminals are provided in the slit 52. As for the depths of the slits in the direction indicated by the arrow Q, the depth (size C) of the slit 52 and the depth (size D) of the slit 58 are greater than the depths (size E) of the other slits. As for the widths of the slits in the direction indicated by the arrow R, the width (size A) of the slit 52 is greater than the widths (size B) of the other slits. The slit 52, for the insertion of a guide into the head 46, is off-centred in the direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow R. As is shown in Fig. 5, portions of the positive terminals 70, the negative terminals 71, and the terminals 73, for a control signal, that have a predetermined size are exposed at the centre of the respective slits in the direction of the thickness of the battery pack 40 (in the direction indicated by the arrow P). As is shown in Fig. 6, the metal terminals 73 for a control signal are located almost symmetrically along either side of the centre line F of the slit 56 in the direction indicated by the arrow R, while the external surfaces of paired exposed portions 73A, which are bent into arced shapes, face each other. Likewise, the metal negative terminals 71 are located almost symmetrically along either side of the centre line G of the slit 58 in the direction indicated by the arrow R, while the external surfaces of the paired exposed portions 71A, which are bent in arced shapes, face each other. The metal positive terminals 70 (not shown) are located in the same manner. As is shown in Fig. 7, a battery interface (hereafter referred to as a "battery I/F") 76 serves as the second connector that is a reception port for the personal computer 10. The battery I/F 76 comprises a plug 80 having a positive polarity, a plug 88 having a negative polarity, plugs 84, 86, 90, 92, and 94 for control signals, a plastic (insulating) waist portion 78, and a plastic (insulating) guide 82, which is formed flat in the direction indicated by the arrow R in the same manner as are the plugs. These plugs and the guide are so provided that they correspond to the above described slits. The plug 80, which has positive polarity, the plug 88, which has negative polarity, and the plugs 84, 86, 90, 92, and 94, for a control signal, are fitted perpendicularly to the side 78A of the waist portion 78. Connection terminals 96, which are the tails of the plugs, are provided on the opposite side of the waist portion 78 and are employed for making connection with the circuit of the personal computer 10. The guide 82 is so formed, as a deformed segment of the waist portion 78, that it is perpendicular to the side surface 78A. The sizes of the plugs and the guide will be described below. As to their sizes in the direction indicated by the arrow Q, i.e., their lengths, the guide 82 and the plug 88, which has negative polarity, are longer than the other plugs. The guide 82 is slightly longer than the plug 88, which has negative polarity. As to the sizes in the direction indicated by the arrow P, the sizes of the guide 82 and the plug 88, which has negative polarity, are greater than those of the other plugs. As to the sizes in the direction indicated by the arrow R, the size (thickness) of the guide 82 is greater than the sizes (thicknesses) of the other plugs. Further, the guide 82 is so located that it is off-centred relative to the centre of the battery I/F 76 in the direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow R. In addition, as is shown in Fig. 9A, the size of the battery I/F 76 in the direction indicated by the arrow P is not greater than the thickness of the battery pack 40. The operation of the embodiment will now be explained while referring to the accompanying drawings. To install the battery pack 40 at a predetermined position in the personal computer 10, the plugs and the guide that are formed on the battery I/F 76 of the personal computer 10 are inserted into the corresponding slits that are formed in the head 46 of the battery pack 40. The plug 88 on the computer side that has negative polarity, and which is the longest plug (greatest in the direction indicated by the arrow Q in Fig. 7), first abuts upon the exposed portions 71A of the negative terminal 71 on the side of the battery pack 40. The plug 88 that has negative polarity then contacts the external bent surfaces of the paired exposed portions 71A, while it pushes the exposed portions 71A toward the side walls of the slit. At this time, pressure is exerted inward, toward the cents of the slit, by the paired exposed portions 71A, which is counter to the pressure that is exerted outward, toward the side walls of the slit, and this pressure holds the plug 88 between the paired exposed portions 71A. When the plugs of the battery I/F 76 are farther inserted into the slits, the plug 80 that has positive polarity abuts upon the paired positive terminals 70, and slides in and contacts the external bent surfaces of the exposed portions of the positive terminals 70, and thereafter presses the exposed portions of the paired positive terminals 70 toward the side walls of the slit. At this time, as is in the case described above, pressure is exerted inward, toward the centre of the slit by the exposed portions (not shown) of the paired positive terminals 70, which is counter to the pressure that is exerted outward, toward the side walls of the slit. The plug 80, which has positive polarity, is held by this pressure. As described above, the plug 88 that has negative polarity, and the plug 80 that has positive polarity are held by the exposed portions of the paired terminals 70 and 71. The contact area for each plug is greater than that of a conventional terminal that contacts only one surface, and contact failures can thus be prevented. Further, as contact resistance is decreased, the generation of heat is accordingly reduced. When the side surface 44 of the battery pack 40 is in contact with the side surface 78A of the waist portion 78, the installation of the battery pack 40 into the personal computer 10 is complete. As is apparent from the above explanation, since the negative terminal 71, which is a ground terminal, contacts its corresponding plug earlier than the positive terminal 70 does, a circuit (not shown) in the battery pack 40 can be stabilized. This is especially effective for the battery pack when a controller that controls the charging of a battery is provided. Almost at the same time as the plug 80 that has positive polarity contacts the paired terminals 70, the plugs 84, 86, 90, 92, and 94 for a control signal abut upon the respective terminals 54, 56, 60, 62, and 64 for a control signal, and slide in and contact the internal surfaces of the exposed portions of the related terminals, while simultaneously pressing the exposed portions of the terminals toward the side walls of the slits. At this time, as well as in the above described case, pressure inward, toward the cents of the slit, which is counter to the pressure that is exerted outward, toward the side walls of the slit, is exerted by the exposed portions of the terminals in each slit (only the exposed portions aH are shown in Fig. 6). The individual plugs are held by this pressure. Therefore, as well as in the previously described cases, the contact failures between the terminals for control signals and the plugs can be prevented. In this embodiment, because of the side walls of the case 16 of the personal computer 10, the direction in which the head 46 of the battery pack 40 is to be attached to the battery I/F 76 is limited to the direction indicated by the arrow K shown in Fig. 8. However, since the slits formed in the battery pack 40 open onto three surfaces: the top surface, the bottom surface, and one side surface, the head 46 of the battery pack 40 can be attached to the battery I/F 76 in the direction indicated by either the arrow K, the arrow L, or the arrow M, as is shown in Fig. 8, or diagonally from above (not shown) or diagonally from below (not shown). The battery pack 40 of the present invention is applicable for various electric/electronic devices that require battery packs to be installed from different directions only if the battery I/F 76 of the present invention or another interface with a similar arrangement is installed on these devices. Further, since the negative terminal 71 and the positive terminal 70 on the side of the battery pack 40 are located inside of the slits so that they are not exposed, inconveniences that arise due to the short-circuiting of terminals can be prevented while a battery pack is carried separately, or is connected to an electric/electronic device. In addition, the guide 82 that is formed of an insulating material is provided on the battery I/F 76 on the personal computer 10 side between the plug 80, which has positive polarity, and the plug 88, which has negative polarity. When a battery pack is connected to an electric/electronic device, the occurrence of inconveniences that arise due to the short-circuiting of terminals can be more effectively prevented. Further, the guide 82 that is provided in the battery I/F 76 is longer than the other plugs of the battery I/F 76 (greater in the direction indicated by the arrow Q in Fig. 7), so that the guide 82 can be employed as a reference for positioning the head 46 when it is attached to the battery I/F 76 and insertion of the battery pack 40 is thus facilitated. The thickness of the guide 82 on the battery I/F 76 is greater than the thicknesses of the other plugs, and the thicknesses of the slits in the head 46 correspond to the thicknesses of the guide 82 and the plugs. Since it is apparent that an inverted battery pack 40 cannot be installed in the personal computer 10, the inverted installation of the battery pack 40 in the personal computer 10 can be avoided. Figs. 9A and 9B are diagrams showing the relative positional relationship between the battery pack 40 and the battery I/F 76 after the battery pack 40 is installed in the personal computer 10. As is shown in Fig. 9A, the size of the battery I/F 76 in the direction indicated by the arrow P (in the direction of the thickness of the battery pack 40) is smaller than the size of the head 46 in the same direction. It is therefore not necessary to insert the plugs and the guide of the battery I/F 76 into the slits of the head 46 so that they are centrally positioned in the direction indicated by the arrow P, and the contact surface allowances in the direction indicated by the arrow P (the direction of thickness of the battery pack 40) ensure a sufficient margin of freedom for the positioning of the plugs and the guide on the battery I/F 76 (freedom of connection positioning is obtained). Therefore, the battery pack 40 can be installed in the personal computer 10 even when relative to the battery pack 40 there is a variation in the positioning for the inserted plugs and guide on the battery I/F 76. Currently, the personal computer 10 shown in Fig. 10 where a CD-ROM reader 43 is mounted instead of the FDD pack 42 has appeared. Since it is necessary to ensure there is sufficient space for the CD-ROM reader 43, which has a width that is equal to or greater than the diameter of a CD-ROM disc, the width of the area allocated for the reader 43 is greater than that allocated for the FDD pack 42 in the direction indicated by the arrow N. The CD-ROM reader 43 is mounted in the personal computer 10 so that an end 43A of the CD-ROM reader 43 and the battery pack 40 slightly overlap. In this case, the battery pack 40 cannot be installed from the top or from diagonally above, and must be installed from the bottom (the opposite of the personal computer 10) or from the front (through installation port 16A that is provided in a side face 16). According to this embodiment, as described above, since the battery pack 40 can be inserted into the personal computer 10 from either of three directions: from the top, from the bottom, and from the side, it is possible to attach the battery pack 40 to the personal computer 10 wherein the CD-ROM reader 43 is mounted. Although in the embodiment, a personal computer has been employed as an electric/electronic device according to the present invention, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be employed for another electric/electronic device; for example, a charger that changes a battery, a cordless device, such as a portable telephone or a cordless telephone, or a word processor. When the plugs of an electric/electronic device are to be connected to the terminals of the battery pack, the plugs can be inserted into the slits from the top, from the bottom, or from the side of the battery pack, and the ease of detachment and removal from the electric/electronic device is very high. Further, the battery pack of the present invention can also be applied for various types of electric/electronic devices that require the battery packs to be installed from different directions. Since terminals of the battery pack are so provided that they are not exposed outside the slits, a battery pack can be carried separately without short-circuiting between the terminals by foreign material. According to the mechanism for connecting a battery pack, since the slits of the first connector are so formed that they extend fully through the battery pack and are open at the top, at the bottom, and at one side, in the direction of the thickness of the battery pack, the plurality of protrusions of the second connector can be inserted from the top, from the bottom, or from the side of the battery pack into the corresponding slits of the first connector, and thus ease of the detachment from the electric/electronic device is very high. In addition, the battery pack of the present invention can also be applied to various types of electric/electronic devices that require battery packs to be installed from different directions. Since the terminals of the battery pack are so provided inside of the slits of the first connector as not to be exposed externally, the battery pack can be carried separately without short-circuiting between the terminals by foreign material. Further, as the flat protrusions can be inserted into the slits in one of three directions, and the plugs of the second connector slide and contact the terminals that are located inside of the slits of the first connector, a large contact area for the plugs and the terminals is ensured and the failures due to lack of contact can be prevented. According to the mechanism for connecting a battery pack, while the first connector is connected to the second connector, the length of the protrusions in the direction that corresponds to the direction of thickness of the battery pack is smaller than the thickness of the battery pack. it is therefore not necessary when the battery pack is installed for the protrusions of the second connector to be positioned at the cents of the slits of the first connector in the direction of the thickness of the battery pack, and a margin of freedom in positioning of the protrusions on the second connector in the direction of the thickness of the battery pack is ensured (there is a margin of freedom for the installation position). Therefore, the battery packs can be installed in electric/electronic devices that have different installation positions for the protrusions on the second connectors. According to the mechanism for connecting a battery pack, a guide that is formed of an insulating material is provided between the plug of the second connector that contacts the positive terminal and the plug that contacts the negative terminal, and a slit that corresponds to the guide is provided in the first connector. Short-circuiting between the positive and negative terminals due to the entrance of foreign metal, etc., is prevented by the guide, and any inconvenience caused by the short-circuiting between the terminals is further prevented. According to the mechanism for connecting a battery pack, when there is an attempt to invertedly install a battery pack in an electric/electronic device, as the shapes of two connectors do not match, the battery pack cannot be installed. Therefore, the inverted installation of the battery pack into an electric/electronic device can be avoided. According to the mechanism for connecting a battery pack, when the second connector is attached to the first connector, the negative terminal, which is ground terminal, is brought into contact first, and the circuit in the battery pack can be therefore stabilized. This is effective for a mechanism wherein a controller that controls the charging of a battery is provided in a battery pack.

Claims: Claims for the following Contracting States : DE, GB A battery pack (40), detachably installable in an electrical or electronic device, comprising: a main body having a plurality of slits (50, 52, ..) on one edge (44) of the body, each slit extending through the edge of the body so as to be open at the top, the bottom and the side of the body, each slit having a depth into said body greater than the width of the slit; at least some of the slits having at least one electrical terminal therein such that the terminals are not exposed outside of the slits, the slits being arranged for contact with corresponding electrical plugs of an electrical or electronic device, there being at least first (50) and second (58) slits having a positive electrical terminal (70) and a negative electrical terminal (71) respectively; and further comprising a slit (52) without an electrical terminal, positioned between said first and second slits, for receiving a guide (82). An electrical or electronic device including a battery pack as claimed in claim 1 and a connector (76), suitable for connecting to the battery pack, said connector comprising: a plurality of flat protrusions (94, 92, ..), including a plurality of electrical plugs, positioned along one side of the connector such that the protrusions can be inserted into respective slits positioned along an edge of the battery pack so as to be in electrical contact therewith, and further comprising a guide (82), formed from an insulating material, for insertion into a corresponding slit (52) in a battery pack, wherein the guide is positioned between an electrically positive plug and an electrically negative plug. An electrical or electronic device as claimed in claim 3 wherein the plugs (88) which contact the negative terminals (71) of the battery pack protrude further than the plugs (80) which contact the positive terminals (70) and wherein the depth of the slits (58) to which the negative terminals correspond are greater than the depth of the slits (50) to which the positive terminal corresponds. A battery pack as claimed in claim 1, comprising first (50) and second (58) slits having a positive electrical terminal (70) and a negative electrical terminal (71) respectively, wherein the depth of said second slit is greater than the depth of said first slit. A battery pack (40), detachably installable in an electrical or electronic device, comprising: a main body having a plurality of slits (50, 52, ..) on one edge (44) of the body, each slit extending through the edge of the body so as to be open at the top, the bottom and the side of the body, each slit having a depth into said body greater than the width of the slit; at least some of the slits having at least one electrical terminal (70, 71) therein such that the terminals are not exposed outside of the slits, the slits being arranged for contact with corresponding electrical plugs of an electrical or electronic device, there being first (50) and second (58) slits having a positive electrical terminal (70) and a negative electrical terminal (71) respectively, wherein the depth of said second slit is greater than the depth of said first slit. An electrical or electronic device including a battery pack as claimed in claim 5 and a connector (76), suitable for connecting to the battery pack, said connector comprising: a plurality of flat protrusions (94, 92, ..), including a plurality of electrical plugs, positioned along one side of the connector such that the protrusions can be inserted into respective slits positioned along an edge of the battery pack so as to be in electrical contact therewith, wherein the plugs (88) which contact negative terminals (71) of the battery pack protrude further than the plugs (80) which contact positive terminals (70) and wherein the depth of the slits (58) to which the negative terminals correspond are greater than the depth of the slits (50) to which the positive terminals correspond. An electrical or electronic device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the connector further comprises a protruding guide (82), formed from an insulating material, for insertion into a corresponding slit (52) in a battery pack, wherein the guide is positioned between an electrically positive plug and an electrically negative plug. A battery pack as claimed in claim 5, comprising first (50) and second (58) slits having a positive electrical terminal (70) and a negative electrical terminal (71) respectively, and further comprising a slit (52) without an electrical terminal, positioned between said first and second slits, for receiving a guide (82). A personal computer (10) including a battery pack as claimed in claims 1, 4, 5 or 8. Claims for the following Contracting State : FR A battery pack (40), detachably installable in an electrical or electronic device, comprising: a main body having a plurality of slits (50, 52, ..) on one edge (44) of the body, each slit extending through the edge of the body so as to be open at the top, the bottom and the side of the body, each slit having a depth into said body greater than the width of the slit; at least some of the slits having at least one electrical terminal (70, 71) therein such that the terminals are not exposed outside of the slits, the slits being arranged for contact with corresponding electrical plugs of an electrical or electronic device. An electrical or electronic device including a battery pack as claimed in claim 1 and a connector (76), suitable for connecting to the battery pack, said connector comprising: a plurality of flat protrusions (94, 92, ..), including a plurality of electrical plugs, positioned along one side of the connector such that the protrusions can be inserted into respective silts positioned along an edge of the battery pack so as to be in electrical contact therewith. An electrical or electronic device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the connector further comprises a protruding guide (82), formed from an insulating material, for insertion into a corresponding slit (52) in a battery pack, wherein the guide is positioned between an electrically positive plug and an electrically negative plug. An electrical or electronic device as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3 wherein the plugs (88) which contact the negative terminals (71) of the battery pack protrude further than the plugs (80) which contact the positive terminals (70) and wherein the depth of the slits (58) to which the negative terminals correspond are greater than the depth of the slits (50) to which the positive terminals correspond. A battery pack as claimed in claim 1, comprising first (50) and second (58) slits having a positive electrical terminal (70) and a negative electrical terminal (71) respectively, and further comprising a slit (52) without an electrical terminal, positioned between said first and second slits, for receiving a guide (82). A battery pack as claimed in claim 1 or 5, comprising first (50) and second (58) slits having a positive electrical terminal (70) and a negative electrical terminal (71) respectively, wherein the depth of said second slit is greater than the depth of said first slit. A personal computer (10) including a battery pack as claimed in claim 1, 5 or 6.

Inventors: MITO TOSHITSUGU, OHTANI TETSUYA, UCHIYAMA YOSHIHARU, MITO, TOSHITSUGU, OHTANI, TETSUYA, UCHIYAMA, YOSHIHARU
Applicants: IBM, INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
Application year: 1995
Main classification: H01M2
IPC codes: H01M2, G06F1