Abstract:
A battery jig for facilitating the soldering of battery bars between adjacent pairs of batteries held in a line. The group of batteries is used to power small electrical devices, such as racing cars. The frame has a front and a back and sides which secure the batteries in a side by side relationship. A spring loaded arm may be positioned between the batteries to hold down a battery bar so that it may be soldered to adjacent terminals.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The field of the invention is the electrical connection of dry cell batteries and the invention relates more particularly to devices which assist in the preparation of battery packs composed of multiple cells in differing configurations which will hold a number of batteries together electrically connected normally in series but possibly in parallel or partially in parallel and partially in series to provide a source of electricity for a battery powered device. 
     Several battery jigs have recently been developed to assist in the soldering of a group of batteries in a line. One such device is shown in Xtreme R/C Cars, Issue 3.9 June-July, 1998, at Page 68-69. In this device the batteries are arranged by standing them up in a tray alternating polarity on the top positive/negative. Two side braces must be carefully held to sandwich the cells with nothing to locat them or keep them square, after which a Velcro strap is wrapped around the two side braces to hold the cells together. Care must be taken to keep the cells from falling out until they are placed in the bottom tray. The photograph in the center bottom of Page 68 shows a user soldering one end of a battery bar to a battery. After battery bars are placed on one surface, then the half connected cells are flipped over and the other set of battery bars are soldered to complete the series connection. As stated in the article, the job of holding the two pressure plates while placing the strap around the plates “. . . takes some dexterity, to say the least.” (Column 1, page 69). 
     A second battery jig is shown in Xtreme R/C Cars, Issue 2.9 May-June, 1997, at Pages 42-43. In this device the batteries are placed in a battery jig. The battery bar is held between two adjacent batteries by another object, such as a pair of needle nose plyers, which is best performed by a second person. Then, as stated in step 6 on Page 42, one “gently slides the pack out of the jig, then the pack is turned over and the user slides it back into the jig and repeats the soldering step. Also note in Step 2, the battery bars themselves are also pre-tinned. There are several shortcomings with this approach: One is that the batteries are not held tightly together before they are soldered together. Also, only half of the batteries have been interconnected in Step 5. In other words, three bars have been soldered on as shown in the bottom of the batteries in Step 8 and, thus, there are three separate units which must be gently slid in and out of the jig. 
     Any commercially provided battery packs have been mass produced by welding thin conductors between adjacent batteries and then holding the groups of batteries together in heat-shrink tubing. While this method permits mass production, it has some serious limitations in electrical resistance due to the nature of the thin conductors soldered between adjacent batteries. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a battery jig which permits the user to easily connect adjacent batteries by soldering a battery bar between them and also permits the adhering of the sides of adjacent batteries together by glue. 
     The present invention is for a battery jig for facilitating the soldering of a battery bar between adjacent pairs of batteries of a line of dry cell batteries which are positioned with alternating positive and negative terminals facing in the same direction. The jig comprises a main frame which has two ends and a back and a front piece. The frame also provides means for holding the top portions and the bottom portions of the batteries in a straight line which not only hold the batteries parallel and square, but also accurately positions them in a straight line. 
     The frame preferably has a glue application opening  25  so that the user can apply glue between adjacent batteries to further assist in holding the resulting battery stick together as one unit. This also permits the user to position the batteries so that they face in a desired orientation for aesthetic purposes. Also, the battery jig preferably has at least one flexible foam spacer  26  which permits the jig to be used for a different number of batteries. It also helps to hold the batteries in a touching relationship while applying pressure to square up the cells against the end of the frame. Because the spacers are flexible, they press against the straight line of batteries  28  so that the beginning of the line  29  presses against first end  12  and the end of the line  30  presses against foam spacer  27 . Battery jig  10  also has means for aligning the tops and bottoms of the battery. This is accomplished by an inwardly directed overhang  31  so that when the batteries are placed against the back portion  14 , they are held so they cannot move upwardly as viewed in FIG.  1 . Similarly, as shown in FIG. 5, an inwardly directed overhang  32  is formed in back portion  14  to hold the bottoms of the batteries in line. The battery jig also permits the user to solder wires or end lugs at the two ends of the group of batteries for connection to an appropriate electrical connector. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the top, front and one end of the battery jig of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the back and bottom of the battery jig of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the front side of the back of the battery jig of FIG.  1  and the front side of the front portion thereof. 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the biased arm of the battery jig of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line  5 — 5  of FIG.  1 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The battery jig of the present invention is shown in perspective view in FIG.  1  and indicated generally by reference character  10 . Battery jig  10  has a front portion  11 , a first end  12 , a second end  13  and a back portion  14 . The jig has a plurality of dry cell batteries  15  which are oriented in opposite polarity orientation so that a positive terminal  16  is adjacent each negative terminal  17 . In that way a battery bar  18  may be soldered between a negative terminal  17  and a positive terminal  16 . 
     A biased arm  19  is slidingly held by a rod  20  positioned parallel to the back portion  14  of the frame. Biased arm  19  holds battery bar  18  in a way that the two ends of the battery bar  21  and  22  are exposed so that they may be touched with a soldering iron. In practice, typically the terminals of the batteries are tinned with a thin layer of solder to facilitate the soldering of a battery bar such as battery bar  18  to the terminals of the adjacent battery. Because the biased arm  19  is securely holding the battery bar against the two batteries, the user now has a free hand to hold a length of solder so it is not necessary to hold the battery bar down with needle nose plyers or another tool as set forth in the products discussed above. Three battery bars would be connected to the terminals visible in FIG.  1 . 
     It is preferable that the biased arm  19  be positioned at various desired locations. As shown in FIG. 1 the biased arm  19  should be positionable between each of the three pairs of batteries shown in FIG.  1 . The positioning of the batteries is, of course, dependent upon the number of batteries and the desired connection orientation. The moving of the biased arm  19  is accomplished by making the biased arm  19  slidable by connecting it to a rod  23 . Alternatively, it can be removed and replaced at a desired location along the bar. This is accomplished by making the biased arm  19  slidable by connecting it to a rod  23 . The biased arm has a pressure foot  24  which actually contacts battery bar  18 . 
     The frame preferably has a glue application opening  25  so that the user can apply glue between adjacent batteries to further assist in holding the resulting battery stick together as one unit. This also permits the user to position the batteries so that they face in a desired orientation for aesthetic purposes. Also, the battery jig preferably has at least one flexible foam spacer  26  which permits the jig to be used for a different number of batteries. It also helps to hold the batteries in a touching relationship while applying pressure to square up the cells against the end of the frame. Because the spacers are flexible, they press against the straight line of batteries  28  so that the beginning of the line  29  presses against first end  12  and the end of the line  30  presses against foam spacer  27 . Battery jig  10  also has means for aligning the tops and bottoms of the battery. This is accomplished by an inwardly overhang  31  so that when the batteries are placed against the back portion  14 , they are held so they cannot move upwardly as viewed in FIG.  1 . Similarly, as shown in FIG. 5, an inwardly directed overhang  32  is formed in back portion  14  to hold the bottoms of the batteries in line. 
     The details of construction of biased arm  19  are shown best by viewing FIGS. 5,  4 ,  2 , and  1 . In FIG. 5 it can be seen that arm  19  has a leaf spring  33  which is held by a spring holding rivet  34  to the biased arm  19 . Arm  19  can alternatively be injection molded from a polymer. Leaf spring  33  also contacts the back surface of back portion  14  as shown in FIG.  2  and is thus permitted to slide along upper rod  20 . Similarly, a lower rod  35  is held below the back portion  14  and permits the user to invert the jig while leaving the cells securely held in the jig and connect battery bars between adjacent portions so that the resulting line of batteries is connected in series. 
     Returning to FIG. 4, it can be seen that a slot  36  is formed in biased arm  19  and leaf spring  33  holds the end of the slot  36  against one of the rods  20  or  35 , and yet, the opening in the base of the slot  36  permits the arm to be removed from one of the rods and inserted on the other rod. 
     Another feature of the jig is shown in FIG. 5 where there are two strips of rubber  38  on the inner surface of front portion  11  which press against the sides of the battery and hold them against the back portion  14 . 
     The front  11  is removably held against the ends  12  and  13  by pegs  39  and  40 , each of which have holes therethrough for the insertion of spring clips  43  and  44 . Pegs  39  and  40  pass through holes  45  and  46  in removable front portion  11  after which the spring clips are inserted. 
     The glue application opening  25  exposes the fronts  47  of the batteries  15  for the insertion of glue as stated above. It would, of course, also be possible to provide an opening in the rear, if desired. While the front is shown as removable, it is also contemplated that the back, a top or bottom or an end be removable. It is only possible that one of the surfaces be operable. That is, it can, of course, be hinged instead of being removed. 
     The result is a battery jig of great flexibility. It is capable of holding different numbers of batteries and of not only soldering the terminals of batteries together, but also permits the gluing of adjacent batteries together. The battery jig should be fabricated from a strong material, and glass reinforced nylon has been found appropriate. After the batteries in the jig have been connected by battery bars, an electrical connection can be made at each end. The batteries are then recharged as is conventional. Typically, 1.2 volt NiCad or nickel metal-hydride batteries are used which are capable of providing 1200-3000 milliamps when property connected, which is possible with the jig of the present invention. While the term “soldering” is used in the claims, this term is intended to include welding or any other means of providing a physical and electrical connection. Likewise, “Soldering iron” is, of course, intended to include analogous tools for any new types of electrical technology which may be developed. While the term “dry cell” is used herein, it is, of course, intended to over other styles of batteries which may not technically be called “dry cells.” 
     The present embodiments of this invention are thus to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive; the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are intended to be embraced therein.