Patent Publication Number: US-2011048910-A1

Title: Electrical Device Having A Reserve Battery Activation System

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not applicable to this application. 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not applicable to this application. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to a reserve battery and more specifically it relates to an electrical device having a reserve battery activation system for efficiently activating an electrical device via a low mechanical force 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Any discussion of the related art throughout the specification should in no way be considered as an admission that such related art is widely known or forms part of common general knowledge in the field. 
     Reserve batteries and electrical devices have been in use for years. Typically reserve batteries are not incorporated within common electrical devices, such as flashlights, radios, etc. because a large mechanical force, such as through the use of explosives, hammers, etc., is commonly necessary to activate the reserve battery. 
     Because many electrical devices are used infrequently and many are needed or saved for emergency situations, which can occur very infrequently, standard primary batteries within the electrical devices can often times lose their charge which causes the electrical device to be unusable when needed. Because of the inherent problems with the related art, there is a need for a new and improved electrical device having a reserve battery activation system for efficiently using a reserve battery with a personal electronic device. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A system for efficiently using a reserve battery with a personal electronic device. The invention generally relates to an electrical device which includes a housing, such as flashlight housing, FM radio housing, MP3 player housing, etc., a first actuator connected to the housing, wherein the first actuator is at least partially external to the housing, a linkage operatively connected to the first actuator, a second actuator operatively connected to the linkage opposite the first actuator, wherein the second actuator is internal to the housing and at least one reserve battery for powering at least a part of the electrical device, wherein the at least one reserve battery is internal to the housing. The reserve battery is operatively connected to the second actuator for being activated via the second actuator via applying a low mechanical force to the first actuator. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, some of the features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and that will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction or to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of the description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Various other objects, features and attendant advantages of the present invention will become fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a side view of the present invention illustrated as a flashlight. 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of the present invention illustrated as a flashlight and with the reserve battery being activated via a sliding motion of the first actuator. 
         FIG. 3  is a front view of the present invention illustrated as a radio. 
         FIG. 4  is a front view of the present invention illustrated as a radio and with the reserve battery being activated via a rotating motion of the first actuator. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     A. Overview 
     Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views,  FIGS. 1 through 4  illustrate an electrical device having a reserve battery activation system  10 , which comprises a housing  22 , such as flashlight housing, FM radio housing, MP3 player housing, etc., a first actuator  30  connected to the housing  22 , wherein the first actuator  30  is at least partially external to the housing  22 , a linkage  40  operatively connected to the first actuator  30 , a second actuator  50  operatively connected to the linkage  40  opposite the first actuator  30 , wherein the second actuator  50  is internal to the housing  22  and at least one reserve battery  60  for powering at least a part of the electrical device  20 , wherein the at least one reserve battery  60  is internal to the housing  22 . The reserve battery  60  is operatively connected to the second actuator  50  for being activated via the second actuator  50  via applying a low mechanical force to the first actuator  30 . 
     B. Electronic Device 
     The present invention may be used with various electronic devices  20 , such as a flashlight, an FM radio, an MP3 player, or various others. The electronic device  20  may be comprised of a handheld device or a larger device. The electronic device  20  is preferably comprised of a mass produced item, such as sold as a commercial or government product. 
     C. Housing 
     The electronic device  20  includes a housing  22  which may be comprised of various configurations, shapes, and sizes. The housing  22  may be comprised of various materials, and may be manufactured to be used in various environments. Lights, lens, etc. may be positioned on the housing  22  in the case of a flashlight configuration. Likewise, various knobs or controls may be positioned upon the housing  22  in the case of a radio structure. 
     D. First Actuator 
     An actuator is at least partially externally located upon the housing  22  to activate the reserve battery  60  and the electronic device  20 . The first actuator  30  is preferably connected to the housing  22 , however it is appreciated that the first actuator  30  may be completely separate than the housing  22 . The first actuator  30  is generally actuated via a low mechanical force, such as via an operator depressing, moving, twisting, rotating, pivoting, etc. the first actuator  30  through their own mechanical power and not through the assistance of powered devices  20  such as drills, explosives, etc. or large mechanical force outputting objects, such as hammers. 
     The first actuator  30  may thus be comprised of various types of buttons, controls, or switches, such as a push button, rocker switch, sliding switch, twist knob, screw, electronic control, or various other types of buttons, switches, or controls known to activate a portion or the entire electronic device  20 . As described, the first actuator  30  may activate the entire electronic device  20  or simply a portion of the electronic device  20 , such as turning a radio and all of its components on/off, or simply turning a light upon a radio on/off. It is appreciated that the sliding and rotatable first actuators  30  shown in  FIGS. 2 and 4  may be interchanged or altered to a preferable control. 
     E. Linkage 
     The linkage  40  is operatively connected to the first actuator  30  in a mechanical, electrical, or fluid type manner and is used to transfer energy (e.g. mechanical force, current, etc.) from the first actuator  30  to the second actuator  50  which in turn transfers the energy to the reserve battery  60  to activate the reserve battery  60 . The linkage  40  is generally positioned internally of the housing  22  of the electronic device  20 . The linkage  40  may transfer mechanical force from the first actuator  30 , fluid force, electrical current or various other means which are capable of activating the reserve battery  60 . 
     In one embodiment, the linkage  40  transfers an up/down movement of the first actuator  30  (such as when the first actuator  30  is comprised of a push button) via moving up/down, such as a piston movement, to activate the reserve battery  60 . It is appreciated that up/down movement may imply left/right, forward/backward, or various other back and forth type movement. In another embodiment, the linkage  40  transfers a rotational movement of the first actuator  30  (such as when the first actuator  30  is comprised of a screw) via rotating, such as a screw movement, to activate the reserve battery  60 . It is appreciated that the linkage  40  may be comprised of various materials or structures all which are suitable for the desired purpose of transferring the energy from the first actuator  30  to the second actuator  50  connected to the reserve battery  60 . 
     F. Second Actuator 
     The second actuator  50  is operatively connected in a mechanic, electrical, or fluidly manner to the linkage  40  within the housing  22  and also to the reserve battery  60 . The second actuator  50  may be external to the reserve battery  60 , internal to the reserve battery  60  or a portion of both. The second actuator  50  is generally connected to the reserve battery  60  within the housing  22  of the electrical device  20 . 
     Once actuated by the linkage  40 , the second actuator  50  breaks a barrier within the reserve battery  60  to activate the reserve battery  60  by allowing the electrolyte to mix with the electrodes and produce electrical current to be transferred to the electrical device  20 . It is appreciated, that like the linkage  40  and first actuator  30 , the second actuator  50  may be moved in an up/down, forward/backward, back and forth, rotatable, pivotal, or various other manners to actuate and activate the reserve battery  60 . 
     G. Reserve Battery 
     The reserve battery  60  is generally internally positioned within the housing  22  of the electrical device  20  and sufficiently powers the electrical device  20 . It is appreciated that one or more reserve batteries may be used, wherein with additional reserve batteries, multiple second actuators  50  and linkages  40  may also be used to efficiently activate each of the batteries simultaneously with a single actuation (e.g. press, twist, etc.) of the first actuator  30 . It is appreciated that the reserve battery  60  may be replaced or removed as desired. 
     The reserve battery  60  may be comprised of various conventional reserve battery  60  structures and includes an electrolyte, electrodes and at least one barrier to separate the electrolytes from the electrodes. The second actuator  50  either directly causes the barrier to break, rupture, etc. thus activating the reserve battery  60  or indirectly causes the barrier to break via another mechanism engaged by the second actuator  50 . Other types of reserve batteries include those described in U.S. pending patent application “Reserve Battery” 12/499,547 filed Jul. 8, 2009. The 12/499,547 is hereby incorporated within. 
     H. Operation of Preferred Embodiment 
     In use, to use the electronic device  20 , the first actuator  30  is first actuated which causes the linkage  40  internal to the housing  22  to transfer the force put upon the first actuator  30  to the second actuator  50 . Once the second actuator  50  is actuated by the linkage  40 , the second actuator  50  causes the barrier of the reserve battery  60  to break thus releasing the electrolyte material of the reserve battery  60  upon the electrodes to produce electrical energy which is then transferred to the electrical device  20  through common electrical connection means (e.g. wires, etc.) to power the electrical device  20 . It is stressed that only a low mechanical force need to be outputted upon the first actuator  30 , such as a user simply depressing a button, flipping a switch, or rotating a knob, to actuate the first actuator  30  and start the process than eventually activates the reserve battery  60 . 
     Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Although methods and materials similar to or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the present invention, suitable methods and materials are described above. All publications, patent applications, patents, and other references mentioned herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety to the extent allowed by applicable law and regulations. In case of conflict, the present specification, including definitions, will control. The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and it is therefore desired that the present embodiment be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. Any headings utilized within the description are for convenience only and have no legal or limiting effect.