Abstract:
Safety battery ( 10 ) includes cathode ( 21 ) and attached cover ( 15 ) that enclose anode ( 41 ). Cover ( 15 ) includes via ( 16 ) for providing access to anode ( 41 ). Anode ( 41 ) is protected by penetrable insulation medium ( 48 ). Battery ( 10 ) is used to power illuminated jewelry ( 60 ) for lip, tongue, or ear without danger of shock or burn to user, even if accidentally swallowed

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/313,000, filed Aug. 16, 2001. 
     
    
     
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    This invention relates to the field of batteries, and more specifically to a button type battery that is safer for close contact with a person&#39;s skin.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    Illuminated jewelry is well-known, such as earrings that include small colored lights, such as light-emitting diodes, or LEDs Such jewelry is typically powered by a small battery or pack of multiple batteries.  
           [0004]    Frequently, the jewelry is attached to the battery by long wires and the battery is attached to the person remotely from the jewelry, such as to a belt. The use of wires is acceptable for some items of jewelry, such as a brooch or necklace, but not for others, such as earrings or a tongue stud.  
           [0005]    A “button” battery, a small disc-shaped battery, typically employs the two flat faces of the disc as the contacts of opposite polarity. Because button batteries are small and relatively lightweight, they are obvious choices for jewelry mounted directly to the battery, so as to avoid long wires. For example, a tongue stud could be welded to one contact face of the battery. The stud could be inserted into a pierced tongue from below, the battery thus serving as the backing, and an illuminated decoration could attached from the front.  
           [0006]    A problem with using a button battery in such a way is the risk of shock or burn to the person wearing the jewelry. The battery could corrode and short out after exposure to saliva or, if swallowed by mistake, to stomach acid. Even if used for an earring or other jewelry not worn in the mouth, a standard button battery can burn or shock a person. When a standard button battery does fail by shorting, the short is typically between points on the case.  
           [0007]    There is a need for a battery that is safer than the well-known button battery to be used for jewelry or other devices used in close contact with the skin or mouth.  
           [0008]    There is a need for a battery that is more resistant to corrosion, even if swallowed. There is a need for a battery that does not have the potential to burn skin if it shorts out Such a battery preferably would retain the small size, light weight, and smooth surfaces of a standard button battery.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0009]    This invention is a battery that is well suited for wearing on a person&#39;s body to power illuminated jewelry or other small devices. The battery of the present invention is similar to a standard button battery in its appearance and shape  
           [0010]    The present battery includes electrodes of opposite polarities, with one of the electrodes being enclosed within the case of the battery If the battery should fail by shorting between the electrodes, the short is inside the case and thus remote from the body.  
           [0011]    In a preferred embodiment, the battery includes a bottom electrode, for example a cathode, forming the bottom face of the battery. The electrode of opposite polarity, for example an anode, is spaced above the cathode and the intervening space is filled with an electrolyte medium, such as a moist paste containing mobile ions  
           [0012]    A cover encloses the electrolyte and the anode. The edge of the cover is attached to a lip on the periphery of the cathode to form a sealed can In one preferred embodiment, the cover is metal and electrically conductive, thus the cover serves as an extension of the cathode.  
           [0013]    To allow the jewelry or other device to contact both electrodes, a small via passes through the cover, providing access to the anode The device to be operated by the battery preferably includes a co-axial stem conductor that can attach to the via The co-axial stem conductor has an internal rod that has a pointed tip, within a co-axial external tube that terminates above the tip of the internal rod. The internal rod and external tube are electrically isolated by insulation.  
           [0014]    The illuminated jewelry is mounted onto the safety battery of the present invention by inserting the stem conductor into the via In a preferred embodiment, the via and the stem conductor have compatible threads for secure mounting.  
           [0015]    The exposed tip of the internal rod contacts the anode when the jewelry is mounted in a fully engaged position in the via and the shorter external tube contacts the cover, which is at the same potential as the cathode.  
           [0016]    A penetrable insulation medium isolates the anode from the cover The insulation medium prevents electrical shorting between the cover and anode and provides corrosion protection for the internal part of the battery The tip of the stem conductor penetrates the insulation medium to contact the anode.  
           [0017]    When the jewelry is removed, the penetrable insulation “heals”, or closes on itself to seal the anode from corrosion. By protecting the anode from corrosion, the reliability and lifetime of the battery are increased. If the battery is accidentally swallowed, potentially toxic corrosion products are not released into the stomach.  
           [0018]    Thus, the battery of the present invention is a safe and reliable means for powering small devices worn on the person, such as illuminated jewelry. The battery is designed such that it will not shock, burn, or poison a person, as other batteries can.  
           [0019]    Other features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent upon a reading of the following detailed description, together with the drawings in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0020]    [0020]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the battery of the present invention.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the battery of FIG. 1.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 3 is a perspective environmental view of a preferred embodiment of the safety battery of the present invention with an illuminated jewelry device mounted.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 4 is a side sectional view, partly cut away, of the battery and mounted jewelry device of FIG. 3.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of detail  5  of FIG. 4.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 6 is a side view, partly cut away, of a person wearing lip and tongue illuminated jewelry mounted on the battery of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0026]    [0026]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the battery  10  of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a sectional view of battery  10  of FIG. 1.  
         [0027]    Battery  10  generally includes a bottom electrode  20 , such as cathode  21 , an opposite electrode  40 , such as anode  41 , and a cover  15 . Cover  15  includes via  16  for providing access for electrical contact with anode  41 . Cathode  21  includes a bottom face  22  and a periphery  23 , such as side wall  24 . Side wall  24  is attached to bottom face  22  so as to form a cup shape that forms the base of the battery  
         [0028]    In the preferred embodiment of FIG. 1, side wall  24  is attached to peripheral lip  32  of cover  15 , such as by welding or crimping Cover  15  is preferably of electrically-conductive metal, so joining peripheral lip  32  to side wall  24  by crimping or welding causes cover  15  to be at the same electrical potential as cathode  21  Cover  15  thus may be considered as functioning as part of the cathode structure for battery  10  of FIG. 1. Cover  15  can be considered as being an upper cathode  30 . All of the exposed metal on the exterior of battery  10  is at the same potential and thus will not shock or burn a person  
         [0029]    For battery  10  to be usable for powering an electrical device, an electrode of opposite potential must be available. Via  16  penetrates cover  15  and provides access to opposite electrode  40 , such as anode  41 .  
         [0030]    Anode  41  is spaced above cathode  21 . Electrolyte medium  45 , such as a moist paste containing mobile metallic ions, is disposed between anode  41  and cathode  21 , as is well known. There is a gap between anode  41  and cover  15   
         [0031]    An electrically-powered device may be connected to the two electrodes  21 ,  41  of battery  10  by various means, including a fine wire (not shown) pushed into via  36  to contact anode  41  and another wire (not shown) attached to bottom face  22  or cover  15 . More typically, the device to be powered by battery  10  includes a conductor adapted for being attached to via  16   
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 3 is a perspective environmental view of a preferred embodiment of safety battery  10  with an illuminated jewelry device  60  mounted. FIG. 4 is a sectional view, partly cut away, of battery  10  and mounted jewelry device  60  of FIG. 3 FIG. 5 is a side view, partly cut away, of a person  90  wearing illuminated jewelry  60  mounted on battery  10  on tongue  92  and lip  94 .  
         [0033]    Jewelry  60  includes stem conductor  62 , adapted to mount in via  16 . Stem conductor  62  as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is a co-axial conductor  64 . An alternative stem conductor is a unitary conductor for contacting anode  41 , in which case jewelry  60  includes a second conductor, such as a wire (not shown) for contacting cathode  21 .  
         [0034]    Co-axial stem conductor  64  includes conductive inner rod  65  and conductive outer tube  67 . Inner rod  65  has a free end, such as pointed tip  66 . Outer tube  67  surrounds inner rod  65  but terminates above tip  66  An insulator  68  is between inner rod  65  and outer tube  67  and electrically isolates them from each other. Methods of making co-axial conductors are well known in the art and may include co-extrusion or rolling together of different materials.  
         [0035]    In the preferred embodiment depicted FIG. 5, inner rod  65  is formed of wire, in a similar manner in which a headed pin is formed. Tip  66  has been formed by deformation of the wire, by which tip  66  has a diameter greater than that of the original wire. The diameter of tip  66  is greater than the diameter of outer tube  67  in the embodiment shown in FIG. 5.  
         [0036]    Jewelry  60  also includes an ornament, such as LED  70 , attached to co-axial stem conductor  64 . Depending on the intended use of jewelry  60 , stem conductor  64  is typically as long as the thickness of a lip, tongue, earlobe, or other pierced body part. Other types of electrical devices envisioned as worn attached to the body include jewelry that includes a “voice chip,” a fragrance emitter, or a camera lens.  
         [0037]    Jewelry  60  is mounted on battery  10  by inserting stem conductor  64  into via  16  Via  16  typically includes attachment means for securing stem conductor  64 , such as internal threads  17  that mate with opposite exterior threads  63  on stem conductor  64 . Via  16  could alternatively be adapted in size and shape to provide a friction attachment of stem conductor  64   
         [0038]    The length of stem conductor  64  is preferably such that tip  66  of inner rod  65  reaches and contacts anode  41 . Because outer tube  67  terminates above tip  66 , outer tube  67  extends only far enough to contact the interior of via  36 . The interior of via  36  is at the same potential as cathode  21 , therefore jewelry device  60  has a complete circuit with battery  10  and battery  10  is available for powering some function of jewelry  60 , such as illuminating LED  70 .  
         [0039]    A penetrable insulation medium  48  is above anode  41  In a preferred embodiment, insulation medium  48  comprises a layer of a “self-healing” polymer  49 , such as a silicone gel Polymer  49  must be of a material that is in electrical insulator and that can “heal” a hole that is poked through it. Silicone gel, for example, does not flow as a liquid, yet if a sharp object, such as tip  66 , is pushed through the gel then removed, the gel falls back together and closes the hole completely.  
         [0040]    Tip  66  penetrates polymer  49  to make contact with anode  41  Polymer  49  excludes moisture and chemicals, such as saliva or stomach acid, from corroding anode  41  or causing a short between anode  41  and cathode  21 .  
         [0041]    Penetrable insulation medium  49  may, alternatively, be a layer of air. It has been found that a via  16  of appropriate small size for body jewelry typically excludes liquid water from entering. The precise dimensions of a via  16  that excludes water depend on the wettability of the material used to form cover  16  and the surface tension of the water, that is, the purity of the water; therefore each design using air as the insulation medium  48  should be tested under all possible conditions of use.  
         [0042]    Although the bottom electrode  20  has herein been illustrated and described as cathode  21  and the opposite electrode  20  has been described as anode  41 , the positions could equally well be reversed. The bottom face of battery  10  would in that case be anode  41  and the opposite electrode  40  would be cathode  21 . All other references would also be reversed, such as tip  66  of stem conductor  62  would contact cathode  21 .  
         [0043]    From the foregoing description, it is seen that the battery of the present invention provides a safe, reliable power source for small electrical devices, such as jewelry devices including active functions such as illumination or sound.  
         [0044]    The invention has been shown and described with reference to certain specific embodiments, however, it is to be understood that modifications and substitutions can be made by a person skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit and scope thereof