Patent Description:
Electric bicycles generally utilize batteries as the power source for motor, and the battery is usually mounted on the bicycle frame. In order to prevent the battery from falling off the bicycle frame, locking mechanism is generally provided to secure the position of the battery. However, when the battery is to be replaced or removed, user generally has to hold the battery by one hand and release the locking mechanism by the other hand. Consequently, when the locking mechanism is unlocked by one hand and the other hand cannot immediately support the battery, the battery will directly fall off the bicycle frame, resulting in high potential of damaging the battery and inconvenience of operation.

The prior art document <CIT> discloses features of the preamble of claim <NUM>.

It is an object of the invention to provide a battery assembly with two-stage engaging mechanism to prevent the battery unit from directly disengaging from the battery holding unit as the battery unit is to be removed.

In an embodiment, the invention provides a battery assembly including a battery unit and a battery holding unit. The battery comprising a battery, a first engaging portion, and a second engaging portion, the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion disposed on an end portion of the battery, the second engaging portion being movable relative to the end portion, the battery unit removably held by the battery holding unit, the battery holding unit comprising a holding member. The second engaging portion and the first engaging portion are respectively disposed at an upstream and a downstream along a detachment direction along which the battery unit leaves the battery holding unit. The holding member configured to engage with the first engaging portion to hold the battery unit at a first position or to engage with the second engaging portion to hold the battery unit at a second position, and when the holding member and the first engaging portion relatively move away from each other along a disengagement direction, the battery unit moves along the detachment direction from the first position to the second position at which the holding member engages with the second engaging portion, and the second engaging portion is allowed to move relative to the end portion to disengage from the holding member, so that the battery unit moves again along the detachment direction to be removed from the battery holding unit.

In an embodiment, the battery assembly further includes a lock device, wherein the lock device is disposed on the battery holding unit to couple with the holding member. When the lock device is in a locked state, the holding member and the first engaging portion are immovable relative to each other to maintain engaging with each other. When the lock device is changed to an unlocked state, the holding member is driven to move along the disengagement direction to disengage from the first engaging portion.

In an embodiment, the battery unit includes a movable member. The first engaging portion and the second engaging portion are disposed on the movable member along the detachment direction. When the battery unit is held at the first position, a projection of the second engaging portion in the detachment direction at least partially falls outside the first engaging portion.

In an embodiment, the movable member is rotatably disposed on the end portion of the battery and further has an operation portion. The first engaging portion is disposed between the second engaging portion and the operation portion. The operation portion is operated to rotate the movable member, so that the second engaging portion moves away from the holding member to disengage from the holding member.

In an embodiment, the operation portion rotatably couples to an end of the movable member neighboring the first engaging portion.

In an embodiment, the battery unit further includes an action member movably disposed at a side of the battery. The action member is operated under a force to push the operation portion, so that the second engaging portion disengages from the holding member. The force is exerted from a direction substantially perpendicular to the disengagement direction and/or the detachment direction.

In an embodiment, when the force is exerted, the action member deforms or rotates to push the operation portion.

In an embodiment, the second engaging portion is movable relative to the first engaging portion. When the battery unit is held at the second position, the second engaging portion is allowed to move toward the battery with respect to the first engaging portion to disengage from the holding member.

In an embodiment, the second engaging portion is movable relative to the first engaging portion; when the battery unit is held at the first position, a projection of the second engaging portion in the detachment direction at least partially falls outside the first engaging portion. When the battery unit is held at the second position, the second engaging portion is allowed to move relative to the first engaging portion toward a lateral side of the battery, so that the second engaging portion disengages from the holding member by laterally shifting away from the holding member.

In an embodiment, the second engaging portion laterally shifts in a direction substantially perpendicular to the detachment direction and the disengagement direction.

In an embodiment, the battery unit further includes an operation portion disposed corresponding to the second engaging portion. The operation portion is operated under a force to drive the second engaging portion to move relative to the first engaging portion toward the lateral side of the battery, so that the projection of the second engaging portion in the detachment direction does not overlap the holding member.

In an embodiment, the battery assembly further includes a lock device, wherein the lock device is disposed on the battery unit to couple with the first engaging portion. When the lock device is in a locked state, the holding member and the first engaging portion are immovable relative to each other to maintain engaging with each other. When the lock device is changed to an unlocked state, the first engaging portion is driven to move along the disengagement direction to disengage from the holding member.

In an embodiment, when the battery unit is held at the second position, the second engaging portion is allowed to move relative to the holding member toward the battery to disengage from the holding member.

In an embodiment, the battery unit further includes a resilient member disposed between the movable member and the end portion of the battery. The resilient member provides a restoring force to enable the projection of the second engaging portion in the detachment direction to be maintained partially outside the first engaging portion.

In an embodiment, the holding member has an interfering portion and a barrier portion. The holding member selectively engages with the first engaging portion or the second engaging portion by the interfering portion to hold the battery unit at the first position or the second position. When the battery unit is held at the first position, the barrier portion corresponds to the second engaging portion.

In an embodiment, the battery holding unit further includes a base. The holding member is disposed on the base. The base has a barrier portion. When the battery unit is held at the first position, the barrier portion corresponds to the second engaging portion.

In an embodiment, the battery holding unit further includes a base. The holding member is disposed on the base. The battery unit has a guiding groove at the end portion. The base is relatively movable along the guiding groove, so that the battery unit is guided to move relative to the battery holding unit.

In an embodiment, the battery holding unit further includes a base. The holding member is disposed on the base. The battery unit has a recessed portion at the end portion. An outer wall of the base is relatively movable along an inner wall of the recessed portion, so that the battery unit is guided to move relative to the battery holding unit.

In an embodiment, the battery holding unit further includes a base. The holding member is disposed on the base. The base has a guiding surface at a side facing the battery unit. The battery unit has a guiding wall at the end portion. The guiding wall of the battery unit is movable along the guiding surface of the base, so that the battery unit is guided to move relative to the battery holding unit.

In an embodiment, the disengagement direction is substantially perpendicular to the detachment direction.

Compared with the prior art, the battery assembly of the invention has a two-stage engaging mechanism between the battery unit and the battery holding unit, not only to enhance the holding effect between the battery unit and the battery holding unit, but also to provide the user sufficient time to release the second-stage engagement of the battery unit and the battery holding unit after the first-stage engagement is released. Consequently, the battery assembly of the invention can effectively prevent the battery unit from directly falling off to reduce the chance of damaging the battery unit and to improve the operation convenience.

The invention provides a battery assembly, which can be applied to an electric bicycle, but not limited thereto. The battery assembly of the invention can be applied to any suitable device, which requires a two-stage engaging mechanism, to provide safe and convenient operations of the battery assembly. Hereinafter, the structure and operation of elements of the battery assembly of the invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

<FIG> is a schematic view of the battery assembly in an embodiment of the invention. As shown in <FIG>, the battery assembly <NUM> includes a battery unit <NUM> and a battery holding unit <NUM>. The battery unit <NUM> is removably held by the battery holding unit <NUM>. The battery unit <NUM> includes a battery <NUM>, a first engaging portion <NUM>, and a second engaging portion <NUM>. The first engaging portion <NUM> and the second engaging portion <NUM> are disposed on an end portion <NUM> of the battery <NUM>, and the second engaging portion <NUM> is movable relative to the end portion <NUM>. The battery holding unit <NUM> includes a holding member <NUM>. The holding member <NUM> is configured to engage with the first engaging portion <NUM> to hold the battery unit <NUM> at a first position or to engaged with the second engaging portion <NUM> to hold the battery unit <NUM> at a second position to form a two-stage engaging mechanism. When the holding member <NUM> and the first engaging portion <NUM> relatively move away from each other along a disengagement direction D1 (shown in <FIG>), the battery unit <NUM> moves along a detachment direction D2 (shown in <FIG>) from the first position to the second position at which the holding member <NUM> engages with the second engaging portion <NUM>, and the second engaging portion <NUM> is allowed to move relative to the end portion <NUM> to disengage from the holding member <NUM>, so that the battery unit <NUM> moves again along the detachment direction D2 to be removed from the battery holding unit <NUM>.

Referring <FIG> and <FIG> is a partially enlarged exploded view of <FIG>. The battery <NUM> has two end portions <NUM> and <NUM> at two opposite sides in the longitudinal direction. The end portion <NUM> is adjacent to the battery holding unit <NUM>, and the end portion <NUM> is away from the battery holding unit <NUM>. In an embodiment, the battery unit <NUM> further includes a movable member <NUM>. The movable member <NUM> is rotatably disposed on the end portion <NUM> of the battery <NUM>. The first engaging portion <NUM> and the second engaging portion <NUM> are disposed on the movable member <NUM> along the detachment direction D2. In an embodiment, the first engaging portion <NUM> and the second engaging portion <NUM> are hook-like portions, and in the disengagement direction D1, the distal end of the second engaging portion <NUM> is preferably at the outer side of the first engaging portion <NUM>. In other words, the projection of the second engaging portion <NUM> in the detachment direction D2 at least partially falls outside the first engaging portion <NUM> or at least partially does not overlap the first engaging portion <NUM>; i.e., the second engaging portion <NUM> protrudes closer to the battery holding unit <NUM> than the first engaging portion <NUM>.

In an embodiment, the battery <NUM> can be provided with a battery cap <NUM> at the end portion <NUM>, and a pivot mechanism (e.g., pivotal hole and shaft) is provided between the battery cap <NUM> and the movable member <NUM>, so that the movable member <NUM> is rotatably connected to the battery cap <NUM> to be rotatable relative to the end portion <NUM>. For example, the battery cap <NUM> has a pivotal hole <NUM>, while the movable member <NUM> has a corresponding shaft <NUM>. The shaft <NUM> is inserted into the pivotal hole <NUM>, so that the movable member <NUM> is rotatable relative to the battery cap <NUM> (or the end portion <NUM>). In an embodiment, the shaft <NUM> is integrally formed with the movable member <NUM> and is embodied as a rod extending outward from lateral side of the movable member <NUM>, which is in a plate shape, but not limited thereto. In another, the shaft <NUM> and the movable member <NUM> can be formed as separable components. For example, the movable member <NUM> may have a through hole corresponding to the pivotal hole <NUM>, and the shaft <NUM> is inserted into the through hole with two ends protruding from two opposite sides of the movable member <NUM> to function as the rods integrally formed with the movable member <NUM>.

The movable member <NUM> further has an operation portion <NUM>, and the first engaging portion <NUM> is disposed between the second engaging portion <NUM> and the operation portion <NUM>. Specifically, the second engaging portion <NUM>, the first engaging portion <NUM>, and the operation portion <NUM> are sequentially disposed along the detachment direction D2 along which the battery unit <NUM> leaves the battery holding unit <NUM>. In other words, the second engaging portion <NUM>, the first engaging portion <NUM>, and the operation portion <NUM> are located at the upstream, the middle stream, and the downstream along the detachment direction D2, respectively. For example, when the detachment direction D2 is a downward direction, the second engaging portion <NUM>, the first engaging portion <NUM>, and the operation portion <NUM> are sequentially disposed from top to bottom. The operation portion <NUM> is operated under a force to drive the movable member <NUM> to rotate. For example, the operation portion <NUM> is pushed or pulled by the user to enable the movable member <NUM> to rotate, so that the second engaging portion <NUM> correspondingly moves away from the holding member <NUM>. In an embodiment, the operation portion <NUM> is a plate portion or a shaft portion extending from the first engaging portion <NUM> in a direction away from the second engaging portion <NUM>. In an embodiment, the operation portion <NUM> preferably tilts toward the battery holding unit <NUM>.

The battery unit <NUM> may further include a resilient member <NUM>. The resilient member <NUM> is disposed between the movable member <NUM> and the end portion <NUM> of the battery <NUM>. The resilient member <NUM> is configured to provide a restoring force to enable the projection of the second engaging portion <NUM> in the detachment direction D2 to be maintained partially outside the first engaging portion <NUM>. The resilient member <NUM> may be a compressed type or a tensile type spring and disposed corresponding to the second engaging portion <NUM> or the operation portion <NUM> to provide the restoring force to maintain the second engaging portion <NUM> protruding outside the first engaging portion <NUM>. In an embodiment, as shown in <FIG>, the resilient member <NUM> is disposed between the movable member <NUM> and the end portion <NUM> of the battery <NUM> corresponding to the second engaging portion <NUM> and configured to provide a restoring force to push the second engaging portion <NUM> toward the battery holding unit <NUM>. In this embodiment, the resilient member <NUM> can be embodied as a compressed spring with two ends coupling the battery cap <NUM> and the movable member <NUM>, respectively. In an embodiment, as shown in <FIG>, the movable member <NUM> is formed with a positioning hole <NUM> on one side, i.e., the side facing the battery cap <NUM>. The positioning hole <NUM> corresponds to the second engaging portion <NUM> in position and is provided for positioning the resilient member <NUM>. For example, the resilient member <NUM> can be partially received in the positioning hole <NUM> to be positioned between the battery cap <NUM> and the movable member <NUM>, but not limited thereto. The number of the positioning hole <NUM> can be one or more to accommodate one or more resilient members <NUM> between the movable member <NUM> and the end portion <NUM> of the battery <NUM>. In another embodiment (not shown), the movable member <NUM> or the battery cap <NUM> may be provided with a positioning post, and the resilient member <NUM> is sleeved on the positioning post to be positioned. As shown in <FIG>, in another embodiment, the resilient member <NUM> is disposed on the end portion <NUM> of the battery <NUM> corresponding to the operation portion <NUM>. In this embodiment, the resilient member <NUM> is embodied as a tensile spring to provide a restoring force to pull the operation portion <NUM> away from the battery holding unit <NUM> toward the end portion <NUM> of the battery <NUM>, so that the second engaging portion <NUM> can be maintained protruding outside the first engaging portion <NUM> or in an engagement state.

Referring <FIG> and <FIG> is an exploded view of the battery holding unit of <FIG>. In an embodiment, the battery holding unit <NUM> may further include a lock device <NUM>, a base <NUM>, and a resilient member <NUM>. The lock device <NUM> is disposed on the battery holding unit <NUM> to couple with the holding member <NUM>. Specifically, the lock device <NUM> and the holding member <NUM> are disposed on two opposite sides of the base <NUM>, and the resilient member <NUM> is disposed between the lock device <NUM> and the holding member <NUM>. In response to the locked state or the unlocked state of the lock device <NUM>, the holding member <NUM> is restricted or allowed to move along the disengagement direction D1. For example, when the lock device <NUM> is in the locked state, the holding member <NUM> and the first engaging portion <NUM> are immovable relative to each other to maintain engaging with each other. When the lock device <NUM> is changed to the unlocked state, the holding member <NUM> is driven to move along the disengagement direction D1 to disengage from the first engaging portion <NUM>.

The holding member <NUM> has an interfering portion <NUM>. The interfering portion <NUM> protrudes outward, i.e., toward the battery unit <NUM>. The interfering portion <NUM> can have a hook-like configuration corresponding to the first engaging portion <NUM> and the second engaging portion <NUM> to engage with the first engaging portion <NUM> or the second engaging portion <NUM>. The holding member <NUM> further has a coupling hole <NUM>, which is configured to couple the lock device <NUM>. In an embodiment, the coupling hole <NUM> includes a first hole portion 214a and a second hole portion 214b, which communicate with each other. The diameter of the first hole portion 214a is larger than that of the second hole 214b, so that the coupling hole <NUM> has a gourd shape.

The lock device <NUM> includes a lock body <NUM> and a linking shaft <NUM>. The linking shaft <NUM> is connected to the lock body <NUM>, and in response to the locked state and the unlocked state of the lock body <NUM>, the linking shaft <NUM> extends or retreats relative to the lock body <NUM>. That is, the linking shaft <NUM> extends or retreats along the disengagement direction D1. For example, the lock body <NUM> may be a key lock or a combination lock, which is set at the locked state or the unlocked state by means of the key or the pin number. When the lock body <NUM> is in the locked state, the linking shaft <NUM> extends relative to the lock body <NUM>. When the lock body <NUM> is in the unlocked state, the linking shaft <NUM> retreats relative to the lock body <NUM>. In other words, the length of the linking shaft <NUM> in the extending state with respect to the lock body <NUM> is larger than the length of the linking shaft <NUM> in the retreating state with respect to the lock body <NUM>. In an embodiment, the linking shaft <NUM> includes a neck section <NUM> and a head section <NUM> along the longitudinal direction (or the extending or retreating direction). In a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, such as a radial direction, the neck section <NUM> has a width (or diameter) smaller than that of the head section <NUM>. In other words, the neck section <NUM> is shrunk inward with respect to the head section <NUM>.

The base <NUM> is preferably a hollow housing and configured to allow the holding member <NUM> to move in the base <NUM> relatively. In an embodiment, the base <NUM> includes a first side board <NUM>, a base body <NUM>, and a second side board <NUM>. The base body <NUM> is a frame body having an accommodation space <NUM> therein, and the first side board <NUM> and the second side board <NUM> are disposed on two opposite sides of the base body <NUM> with respect to the accommodation space <NUM>, so that the first side board <NUM>, the based body <NUM>, and the second side board <NUM> together constitute a housing with the accommodation space <NUM> enclosed therein. The first side board <NUM> and the second side board <NUM> can be connected to the base body <NUM> by screwing, engaging, adhering, or welding, but not limited thereto. In another embodiment, the first side board <NUM> and/or the second side board <NUM> can be integrally formed with the base body <NUM> to enclose the accommodation space <NUM>. The first side board <NUM> is neighboring the lock device <NUM>, while the second side board <NUM> is neighboring the holding member <NUM>. The first side board <NUM> has a through hole <NUM>, and the second side board <NUM> has an opening <NUM>. The through hole <NUM> and the opening <NUM> communicate with the accommodation space <NUM>. The size of the through hole <NUM> preferably corresponds to the linking shaft <NUM> to allow the linking shaft <NUM> to pass therethrough, and the size of the opening <NUM> corresponds to the holding member <NUM> to allow the holding member <NUM> to extend outward or retreat inward.

The lock device <NUM> is disposed at the outer side of the first side board <NUM>, and the linking shaft <NUM> is inserted into the accommodation space <NUM> from the through hole <NUM>. The resilient member <NUM> is disposed between the first side board <NUM> and the holding member <NUM> and is sleeved on the linking shaft <NUM>. The size of the first hole portion 214a corresponds to the head section <NUM> of the linking shaft <NUM>, and the size of the second hole portion 214b corresponds to the neck portion <NUM>. As such, the linking shaft <NUM> is inserted into the coupling hole <NUM> via the first hole portion 213a to position the head section <NUM> at the holding member <NUM> neighboring the second side board <NUM> and to position the neck section <NUM> within the first hole portion 214a. During assembling, the linking shaft <NUM> is moved from the first hole portion 214a to the second hole portion 214b, so that the neck section <NUM> is engaged with the second dhole portion 214b, and the linking shaft <NUM> is stably engaged with the holding member <NUM> to form a linking mechanism with the interfering portion <NUM> being exposed at the opening <NUM>.

Referring to <FIG> are schematic cross-sectional views of the battery unit held by the battery holding unit at the first position and the second position, respectively. As shown in <FIG>, when the holding member <NUM> engages with the first engaging portion <NUM>, the battery unit <NUM> is held by the battery holding unit <NUM> at the first position. The first position is referred to a position that the battery unit <NUM> is combined with the battery holding unit <NUM> and locked by the battery holding unit <NUM>. For example, at the first position, the lock device <NUM> can be operated to be in the locked or unlocked state. When the lock device <NUM> is in the locked state, the linking shaft <NUM> is in the extending state and immovable relative to the lock body <NUM>, so that the holding member <NUM> and the first engaging portion <NUM> cannot relatively move away from each other along the disengagement direction D1 and are maintained engaging with each other. As such, the battery unit <NUM> is locked and held by the battery holding unit <NUM>. In this embodiment, the base <NUM> may have a barrier portion <NUM>, such as a barrier surface. When the battery unit <NUM> is held at the first position, the barrier portion <NUM> corresponds to (or blocks) the second engaging portion <NUM> to further limit the movement of the movable member <NUM>, so as to enhance the engagement of the holding member <NUM> and the first engaging portion <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, when the lock device <NUM> is changed from the locked state to the unlocked state, the linking shaft <NUM> moves (or retreats) toward the lock body <NUM> to drive the holding member <NUM> to move along the disengagement direction D1 away from the first engaging portion <NUM>, so as to disengage from the first engaging portion <NUM>. In other words, when the holding member <NUM> and the first engaging portion <NUM> relatively move away from each other along the disengagement direction D1, the battery unit <NUM> is allowed to move along the detachment direction D2 from the first position to the second position at which the holding member <NUM> engages with the second engaging portion <NUM>. For example, when the holding member <NUM> and the first engaging portion <NUM> are disengaged, the battery unit <NUM> can move downward relative to the battery holding unit <NUM> due to gravity and is held at the second position by the second engaging portion <NUM> engaging with the holding member <NUM>. When the battery unit <NUM> is held at the second position, the movable member <NUM> is allowed to move relative to the end portion <NUM> of battery <NUM> to enable the second engaging portion <NUM> to disengage from the holding member <NUM>, so that the battery unit <NUM> is able to move again along the detachment direction D2 to be removed from the battery holding unit <NUM>. In this embodiment, the disengagement direction D1 is substantially perpendicular to the detachment direction D2. That is, the disengagement direction D1 and the detachment direction D2 can be two orthogonal directions, but not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the disengagement direction D1 and the detachment direction D2 may include an angle larger than or smaller than <NUM> degrees.

<FIG> is a partial cross-sectional view of the battery assembly in another embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, the barrier portion <NUM> can be optionally disposed on the holding member <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, the holding member <NUM> has the interfering portion <NUM> and a barrier portion <NUM>. The interfering portion <NUM> and the barrier portion <NUM> are disposed on two opposite sides of the holding member <NUM>. Specifically, the interfering portion <NUM> and the barrier portion <NUM> are disposed along the detachment direction D2 of the battery unit <NUM>, wherein the barrier portion <NUM> is located at the upstream and the interfering portion <NUM> is at the downstream. As shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the barrier portion <NUM> is an inclined surface inclining, from top to bottom, toward the inner side of the base <NUM> to correspond to the second engaging portion <NUM>, which has a hook-like configuration, but not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the barrier portion can be a vertical surface. In the embodiment that the battery holding unit <NUM> has the barrier portion <NUM> and the battery unit <NUM> has the resilient member <NUM>, when the battery unit <NUM> is held at the first position, the barrier portion <NUM> can press against the movable member <NUM> (or the second engaging portion <NUM>) and the resilient member <NUM> is compressed, so the second engaging portion <NUM> does not necessarily protrude closer to the holding member <NUM> than the first engaging portion <NUM>. In the case that the holding member <NUM> and the first engaging portion <NUM> disengage from each other and the second engaging portion <NUM> escapes from the barrier portion <NUM>, the resilient member <NUM> can provide the restoring force to enable the second engaging portion <NUM> to move toward the holding member <NUM>, so as to protrude closer to the holding member <NUM> than the first engaging portion <NUM> and to engage with the holding member <NUM>.

Moreover, the battery unit <NUM> and the battery holding unit <NUM> preferably have corresponding guiding structures to improve the guidance of the battery unit <NUM> moving relative to the battery holding unit <NUM>. <FIG> are partial schematic views of the battery assembly in other embodiments of the invention. As shown in <FIG>, the battery unit <NUM> has a guiding groove <NUM> at the end portion <NUM>, and the base <NUM> is relatively movable along the guiding groove <NUM>, so that the battery unit <NUM> is guided to move relative to the battery holding unit <NUM>. For example, the battery cap <NUM> can be designed with a surface structure that two guiding grooves <NUM> are formed at two sides of the movable member <NUM>, and the extending direction of the guiding groove <NUM> is substantially parallel to the detachment direction (such as D2) of the battery unit <NUM>. Corresponding to the design of the guiding grooves <NUM>, the base <NUM> can be formed with guiding blocks <NUM> at two sides of the second side board <NUM>. When the battery unit <NUM> moves relative to the battery holding unit <NUM>, the guiding block <NUM> moves relatively in the guiding groove <NUM> to achieve the guiding effect. The guiding structures of the battery unit <NUM> and the battery holding unit <NUM> are not limited to the guiding grooves and blocks, but can be the structures of guiding wall and guiding surface. In another aspect, the battery unit <NUM> may have a recessed portion (such as <NUM>) at the end portion <NUM>. The outer wall 2367of the base <NUM> can be relatively movable along the inner wall <NUM> of the recessed portion, so that the battery unit <NUM> is guided to move relative to the battery holding unit <NUM>. For example, the battery cap <NUM> can be formed with the recessed portion having a width corresponding to the width of the second side board <NUM>, so that two inner walls of the recessed portion extending along the detachment direction D2 function as the guiding surfaces to correspond to the outer wall <NUM> of the second side board <NUM>. As such, when the battery unit <NUM> moves relative to the battery holding unit <NUM>, the outer wall <NUM> of the base <NUM> relatively moves along the inner wall <NUM> of the recessed portion to achieve the guiding effect.

As shown in <FIG>, the base <NUM> has a guiding surface <NUM> at a side facing the battery unit <NUM>, and the battery unit <NUM> has a guiding wall <NUM> at the end portion <NUM>. For example, the guiding surface <NUM> can be the inner wall surface of the second side board <NUM>. The guiding wall <NUM> can be a protruding wall of the battery cap <NUM>', which corresponds to the guiding surface <NUM>. In this embodiment, the distance between two guiding walls <NUM> is preferably substantially equal to or slightly less than the distance between the two guiding surfaces <NUM>. As such, when the battery unit <NUM> moves relative to the battery holding unit <NUM>, the guiding walls <NUM> relatively move along the guiding surfaces <NUM> to achieve the guiding effect.

Hereinafter, referring to <FIG>, the operation of the battery assembly in an embodiment will be described. As shown in <FIG>, the battery unit is substantially completely mounted or secured to the battery holding unit, and the lock device <NUM> is in the locked state to restrict the movement of the holding member <NUM>. In such a configuration, the interfering portion <NUM> maintains engaging with the first engaging portion <NUM> of the battery unit to limit the movement of the battery unit, so that the battery unit is held at the first position, i.e., locked position, at which the battery unit cannot be removed from the battery holding unit.

As shown in <FIG>, the lock device <NUM> is changed from the locked state to the unlocked state, and the linking shaft retreats to drive the holding member <NUM> to move away from the first engaging portion <NUM> toward the accommodation space <NUM>, so that the holding member <NUM> and the first engaging portion <NUM> are disengaged from each other. In such a configuration, the engagement between the battery unit and the battery holding unit is released, so that the battery unit is allowed to move relative to the battery holding unit, such as move downward due to gravity. Since the second engaging portion <NUM> protrudes closer to the holding member <NUM> than the first engaging portion <NUM>, the battery unit moves relative to the battery holding unit to the second position at which the interfering portion <NUM> engages with the second engaging portion <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>. In other words, the lock device <NUM> is changed from the locked state to the unlocked state to drive the holding member <NUM> to move along the disengagement direction D1, so that the interfering portion <NUM> moves away from the moving path of the first engaging portion <NUM>, and the holding member <NUM> is still in the moving path of the second engaging portion <NUM>. As such, the battery unit moves along the detachment direction D2 until the second engaging portion <NUM> interfering (or engaging) with the interfering portion <NUM> and then stops to be held at the second position.

As shown in <FIG>, when the battery unit is held at the second position, since the second engaging portion <NUM> can move relative to the end portion of the battery <NUM>, the external force F can be exerted on the operation portion <NUM>, for example, user pushes the operation portion <NUM> along a direction toward the battery holding unit, so that the movable member <NUM> can rotate along the clockwise direction R with the shaft <NUM> as the rotation axis, and the second engaging portion <NUM> is driven to rotate away from the interfering portion <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>. In such a configuration, the engagement between the battery unit and the battery holding unit is released, so that the battery unit is again allowed to move relative to the battery holding unit along the detachment direction D2, such as move downward due to gravity, to be removed from the battery holding unit, as shown in <FIG>.

Moreover, when the lock device <NUM> is set in the unlocked state, by operating in a reverse sequence according to <FIG>, the battery unit can be held or mounted on the battery holding unit. Moreover, when the external force F is released, the resilient member <NUM> (shown in previous embodiments) can provide a restoring force to the movable member <NUM>, so that the movable member <NUM> rotates in a reverse direction to enable the second engaging portion <NUM> to move toward the battery holding unit. Optionally, by the inclined surface design of the second engaging portion <NUM> and the interfering portion <NUM>, the battery unit can be pushed toward the mounting direction, i.e., the reverse direction of the disengagement direction D1, to be mounted on the battery holding unit without exerting the external force F to the operation portion <NUM>.

<FIG> are schematic operation views of the battery assembly in another embodiment of the invention. As shown in <FIG>, in this embodiment, the operation portion <NUM> rotatably couples to an end of the movable member <NUM>' neighboring the first engaging portion <NUM>. The operation portion <NUM> is operated under a force, such as pushed or pressed by the user, to enable the movable member <NUM>' to rotate, so that the second engaging portion <NUM> disengages from the holding member <NUM>. Specifically, the operation portion <NUM> and the movable member <NUM>' are two components coupling with each other. The movable member <NUM>' has the first engaging portion <NUM> and the second engaging portion <NUM> separately disposed on two opposite ends, and the operation portion <NUM> rotatably couples to the movable member <NUM>', so that the second engaging portion <NUM>, the first engaging portion <NUM> and the operation portion <NUM> are arranged in a similar configuration as the previous embodiments. In this embodiment, the operation portion <NUM> may have a curved shape, such as an arch shape. The operation portion <NUM> rotatably couples to the battery cap <NUM> (or the end portion) at the curve portion (or bending point) by means of pivot <NUM>, and one end of the operation portion <NUM> rotatably couples to the movable member <NUM>' by means of pivot <NUM>, so that the operation portion <NUM> is rotatable relative to the end portion to drive the movable member <NUM>' to rotate.

Hereinafter, the actions of the operation portion <NUM> will be illustrated with reference to <FIG>, and the operation of other components of the battery assembly can be referred to the related descriptions of the previous embodiments. As shown in <FIG>, the battery unit is substantially completely mounted or secured to the battery holding unit, and the lock device <NUM> is in the locked state to restrict the movement of the holding member <NUM>. In such a configuration, the interfering portion <NUM> maintains engaging with the first engaging portion <NUM> of the battery unit to limit the movement of the battery unit, so that the battery unit is held at the first position, i.e., locked position, at which the battery unit cannot be removed from the battery holding unit. In such a configuration, the operation portion <NUM> is bent toward the battery holding unit, i.e., the free end of the operation portion <NUM> is closer to the battery holding unit than the pivot <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the lock device <NUM> is changed from the locked state to the unlocked state, and the linking shaft retreats to drive the holding member <NUM> to move away from the first engaging portion <NUM> along the disengagement direction D1 toward the accommodation space <NUM>, so that the holding member <NUM> and the first engaging portion <NUM> are disengaged from each other. In such a configuration, the engagement between the battery unit and the battery holding unit is released, so that the battery unit is allowed to move relative to the battery holding unit along the detachment direction D2, such as move downward due to gravity. Since the second engaging portion <NUM> protrudes closer to the holding member <NUM> than the first engaging portion <NUM>, the battery unit moves relative to the battery holding unit to the second position at which the interfering portion <NUM> engages with the second engaging portion <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>.

As shown in <FIG>, when the battery unit is held at the second position, since the second engaging portion <NUM> can move relative to the end portion of the battery <NUM>, the external force F can be exerted on the operation portion <NUM>, for example, user pushes or pulls the operation portion <NUM> along a direction away from the battery holding unit, so that the operation portion <NUM> rotates with the pivot <NUM> as the rotation axis to drive the end of the movable member <NUM>', which is closer to the first engaging portion <NUM>, to move toward the battery holding unit. That is, the movable member <NUM>' rotates along the clockwise direction R with the pivot <NUM> as the rotation axis, and the second engaging portion <NUM> is driven to rotate away from the interfering portion <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>. In such a configuration, the engagement between the battery unit and the battery holding unit is released, so that the battery unit is again allowed to move relative to the battery holding unit along the detachment direction D2, such as move downward due to gravity, to be removed from the battery holding unit, as shown in <FIG>. Moreover, In the case that the battery unit is provided with the resilient member <NUM> shown in the previous embodiments, after the external force F is released, the resilient member <NUM> can provide the restoring force to the movable member <NUM>', so that the movable member <NUM>' reversely rotates to enable the second engaging portion <NUM> to move toward the battery holding unit and drive the operation portion <NUM> to move to the position where its free end is closer to the battery holding unit than the pivot <NUM>.

<FIG> are schematic operation views of the battery assembly in another embodiment of the invention. As shown in <FIG>, in this embodiment, the first engaging portion <NUM> and the second engaging portion <NUM> are separately disposed on the end portion of the battery <NUM>. In other words, the first engaging portion <NUM> and the second engaging portion <NUM> can be two separate components, instead of being integrated to the movable member <NUM> or <NUM>'. For example, the first engaging portion <NUM> can be a hook-like portion or an engaging surface integrally formed on the battery cap <NUM>, and the second engaging portion <NUM> is a component movably disposed on the battery cap <NUM>. In this embodiment, the battery cap <NUM> is preferably formed with a channel <NUM>, and the second engaging portion <NUM> is movable in the channel <NUM> relative to the first engaging portion <NUM>. For example, the middle section of the second engaging portion <NUM> is located in the channel <NUM>, and two ends of the second engaging portion <NUM> protrude from the channel <NUM> outside the battery cap <NUM> to function as an engaging part for engaging with the holding member <NUM> and the operation portion <NUM> for user to operate, respectively. In this embodiment, the second engaging portion <NUM> moves relative to the battery cap <NUM> (or the end portion) in a horizontal direction (or in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the battery <NUM>). That is, the moving direction of the second engaging portion <NUM> is substantially perpendicular to the detachment direction D2 of the battery unit.

Hereinafter, the actions of the second engaging portion <NUM> will be illustrated with reference to <FIG>, and the operation of other components of the battery assembly can be referred to the related descriptions of the previous embodiments. As shown in <FIG>, the battery unit is substantially completely mounted or secured to the battery holding unit, and the lock device <NUM> is in the locked state to restrict the movement of the holding member <NUM>. In such a configuration, the interfering portion <NUM> maintains engaging with the first engaging portion <NUM> of the battery unit to limit the movement of the battery unit, so that the battery unit is held at the first position, i.e., locked position, at which the battery unit cannot be removed from the battery holding unit. In such a configuration, a projection of the second engaging portion <NUM> in the detachment direction D2 at least partially falls outside the first engaging portion <NUM>. That is, the second engaging portion <NUM> protrudes closer to the holding member <NUM> than the first engaging portion <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, when the battery unit is held at the second position, the second engaging portion <NUM> is allowed to move relative to the first engaging portion <NUM> into the battery <NUM> to release the engagement with the holding member <NUM>. Specifically, when the user exerts the external force F to the operation portion <NUM> of the second engaging portion <NUM>, for example, the user pushes or pulls the operation portion <NUM> along a direction away from the battery holding unit, the second engaging portion <NUM> moves in the channel <NUM> along the force-exerting direction (or parallel to the moving direction of the holding member <NUM>) to disengage from the interfering portion <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>. In other words, the second engaging portion <NUM> retreats into the battery <NUM>, so that the length of the second engaging portion <NUM> protruding out of the battery cap <NUM> toward the holding member <NUM> is reduced. In such a configuration, the engagement between the battery unit and the battery holding unit is released, so that the battery unit is again allowed to move relative to the battery holding unit along the detachment direction D2, such as move downward due to gravity, to be removed from the battery holding unit, as shown in <FIG>. Moreover, In the case that the battery unit is provided with the resilient member <NUM> shown in the previous embodiments, after the external force F is released, the resilient member <NUM> can provide the restoring force to the second engaging portion <NUM>, so that the second engaging portion <NUM> moves in a reverse direction to the position where the second engaging portion <NUM> protrudes closer to the battery holding unit than the first engaging portion <NUM>.

<FIG> are cross-sectional operation views and bottom operation views of the battery assembly in the detachment direction D2 in another embodiment of the invention, wherein <FIG>, <FIG> are cross-sectional operation views, and <FIG>, <FIG> are bottom operation views. As shown in <FIG>, in this embodiment, the first engaging portion <NUM> and the second engaging portion <NUM> are two separate components, and the moving direction of the second engaging portion is different from that shown in the embodiment of <FIG>. Similar to the embodiment of <FIG>, in this embodiment, the first engaging portion <NUM> can be a hook-like portion or an engaging surface integrally formed on the battery cap <NUM>, and the second engaging portion <NUM> is a component, which can laterally move with respect to the battery cap <NUM>. The battery unit further includes an action member <NUM> disposed corresponding to the second engaging portion <NUM>. The action member <NUM> is operated under a force, such as pushed or pulled by the user, to drive the second engaging portion <NUM> to move relative to the first engaging portion <NUM> toward a lateral side of the battery <NUM>. Specifically, the moving direction of the second engaging portion <NUM> is preferably substantially perpendicular to the detachment direction D2 of the battery unit and the moving direction (e.g. disengagement direction D1) of the holding member <NUM>. In other words, the moving direction of the second engaging portion <NUM>, the disengagement direction D1 of the holding member <NUM>, and the detachment direction D2 of the battery unit can be the X axis direction, the Y axis direction, and the Z axis direction in the XYZ three-dimensional space.

As shown in <FIG>, when the battery unit is held at the second position, the second engaging portion <NUM> is allowed to move relative to the first engaging portion <NUM> toward the lateral side of the battery <NUM>, so that the second engaging portion <NUM> disengages from the holding member <NUM> by laterally shifting away from the holding member <NUM>. Specifically, when the user exerts the external force F to the action member <NUM>, for example, the user pushes the action member <NUM> along a direction parallel to the shorter side into the battery <NUM>, the second engaging portion <NUM> shifts along the force-exerting direction to be away from the interfering portion <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>. That is, the length of the second engaging portion <NUM> protruding from the battery cap <NUM> toward the holding member <NUM> maintains unchanged, but the location of the second engaging portion <NUM> is changed. For example, the projection of the second engaging portion <NUM> in the detachment direction D2 is no longer overlapping the holding member <NUM>. In this embodiment, the second engaging portion <NUM> laterally shifts in a direction substantially perpendicular to the detachment direction D2 and the disengagement direction D1. In such a configuration, the engagement between the battery unit and the battery holding unit is released, so that the battery unit is again allowed to move relative to the battery holding unit along the detachment direction D2, such as move downward due to gravity, to be removed from the battery holding unit, as shown in <FIG>. Moreover, In the case that the battery unit is provided with the resilient member <NUM> shown in the previous embodiments, after the external force F is released, the resilient member <NUM> can provide the restoring force to the second engaging portion <NUM>, so that the second engaging portion <NUM> moves in a reverse direction back to its original position.

<FIG> are schematic operation views of the battery assembly in another embodiment of the invention. As shown in <FIG>, in this embodiment, the lock device <NUM> of the battery assembly is disposed on the battery unit <NUM> to couple with the first engaging portion <NUM>. When the lock device <NUM> is in the locked state, the holding member <NUM> and the first engaging portion <NUM> are immovable relative to each other to maintain engaging with each other. When the lock device <NUM> is changed to the unlocked state, the first engaging portion <NUM> is driven to move along the disengagement direction D1 to disengage from the holding member <NUM>. In other words, in this embodiment, the holding member <NUM> can be a stationary component, and the first engaging portion <NUM> and the second engaging portion <NUM> are movable components. Specifically, the lock device <NUM> may have a structure similar to the lock device <NUM>, and the linking shaft <NUM> of the lock device <NUM> may function as the first engaging portion <NUM> of this embodiment, so that the first engaging portion <NUM> can extend or retreat in response to the locked or unlocked state of the lock device <NUM>, so as to engage with or disengage from the holding member <NUM>. For example, the second engaging portion <NUM> may have a structure similar to the embodiment of <FIG> to allow the second engaging portion <NUM> to move forward or backward with respect to the end portion of the battery <NUM>, but not limited thereto. The second engaging portion <NUM> may have a structure similar to the embodiment of <FIG> to allow the second engaging portion <NUM> to laterally move with respect to the end portion of the battery <NUM>.

Hereinafter, the operations of the battery assembly will be illustrated with reference to <FIG>. As shown in <FIG>, the battery unit is substantially completely mounted or secured to the battery holding unit, and the lock device <NUM> is in the locked state to restrict the movement of the first engaging portion <NUM>. In such a configuration, the interfering portion <NUM> of the holding member <NUM> maintains engaging with the first engaging portion <NUM> of the battery unit to limit the movement of the battery unit, so that the battery unit is held at the first position, i.e., locked position, at which the battery unit cannot be removed from the battery holding unit. Projections of the second engaging portion <NUM> and the first engaging portion <NUM> in the detachment direction D2 at least partially overlap with each other and each projection also at least partially overlaps the interfering portion <NUM> of the holding member <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the lock device <NUM> is changed from the locked state to the unlocked state, and the linking shaft retreats to drive the first engaging portion <NUM> to move along the disengaging direction D1 away from the interfering portion <NUM> into the battery <NUM>, so that the holding member <NUM> and the first engaging portion <NUM> are disengaged from each other. In such a configuration, the engagement between the battery unit and the battery holding unit is released, so that the battery unit is allowed to move relative to the battery holding unit along the detachment direction D2, such as move downward due to gravity, until the interfering portion <NUM> engages with the second engaging portion <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>. In other words, the lock device <NUM> is changed from the locked state to the unlocked state to drive the first engaging portion <NUM> to move away from the moving path of the second engaging portion <NUM>, so that the battery unit moves until the second engaging portion <NUM> interfering (or engaging) with the interfering portion <NUM> and then stops to be held at the second position.

As shown in <FIG>, when the battery unit is held at the second position, the second engaging portion <NUM> is allowed to move relative to the first engaging portion <NUM> with respect to the end portion of the battery <NUM> to disengage from the interfering portion <NUM>. Specifically, user can exert an external force F to the operation portion of the second engaging portion <NUM>, such as pushing the operation portion along a direction away from the battery holding unit, so that the second engaging portion <NUM> moves in the channel <NUM> along the force-exerting direction (or parallel to the moving direction of the first engaging portion <NUM>) to disengage from the interfering portion <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>. In such a configuration, the engagement between the battery unit and the battery holding unit is released, so that the battery unit is again allowed to move relative to the battery holding unit along the detachment direction D2, such as move downward due to gravity, to be removed from the battery holding unit, as shown in <FIG>. Moreover, In the case that the battery unit is provided with the resilient member <NUM> shown in the previous embodiments, after the external force F is released, the resilient member <NUM> can provide the restoring force to the second engaging portion <NUM>, so that the second engaging portion <NUM> moves in a reverse direction back to its original position.

In the above embodiments, other suitable linking mechanism can be used to couple the operation portion, so as to change the direction of exerting the force to control the operation portion. <FIG> is a schematic view of the battery assembly in another embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, the battery unit further includes an action member <NUM>. The action member <NUM> is movably disposed at a side of the battery unit. The action member <NUM> is operated under a force F to push the operation portion <NUM>, so that the second engaging portion <NUM> moves to disengage from the holding member <NUM>. The force F is exerted from a direction substantially perpendicular to the disengagement direction D1 and/or the detachment direction D2. For example, one end of the action member <NUM> is coupled to the operation portion <NUM> of <FIG>, and the other end of the action member <NUM> can be connected to the battery cap <NUM> (or the battery <NUM>) of the battery unit. The action member <NUM> is at least partially exposed outside the battery unit and provided for the user to apply the force F to drive the operation portion <NUM> to move. Hereinafter, referring to <FIG>, the operations of the action member <NUM> and the operation portion <NUM> are described.

As shown in <FIG>, the action member <NUM> is preferably a deformable member or an elastic plate disposed on two sides of the battery unit. Two ends of the action member <NUM> are coupled to the operation portion <NUM> and the battery cap <NUM> (or the battery <NUM>), respectively. In this embodiment, the action member <NUM>, in response to applying force thereto, can deform to push the operation portion <NUM>, so that the operation portion <NUM> can move along the moving direction D3 with respect to the reference plane P, as shown in <FIG>. For example, when the detachment direction D2 is a downward direction, with the disposition of the action member <NUM>, user can hold the battery unit by one hand and apply force to the action member <NUM> on two sides of the battery unit by the thumb and the index finger, so that the action member <NUM> is activated (e.g. elongated) to push the operation portion <NUM> toward the battery holding unit. As such, the second engaging portion <NUM> is driven to rotate away from the holding member <NUM> to disengage from the interfering portion <NUM>. When the force F is released, due to the restoring force of the action member <NUM>, the action member <NUM> and the operation portion <NUM> are restored to their original configurations shown in <FIG>. In other words, in the embodiment of <FIG>, the moving direction D3 and the exerting direction of the force F of <FIG> are the same direction. By means of the action member <NUM>, the exerting direction of the force F on the action member <NUM> is perpendicular to the disengagement direction D1 and the detachment direction D2, to enhance the operation convenience. The action member <NUM> is not limited to the deformable member or the elastic plate in the embodiment, and the operation of the action member <NUM> is not limited to deformation. In another embodiment, the action member can be any suitable linking mechanism, such as one or more linking members rotatably coupled to the operation portion <NUM>, so that by means of the rotation or movement of the linking member(s), the movement of the operation portion <NUM> can be controlled to enhance the operation convenience.

<FIG> is a schematic view of the battery assembly in another embodiment of the invention. <FIG> are schematic operation views of the operation portion <NUM> and the action member <NUM>' in another embodiment of the invention, wherein <FIG> are plane views from the detachment direction D2 of the battery unit. As shown in <FIG>, in this embodiment, the action member <NUM>' includes a plurality of linking members <NUM>, <NUM> and a resilient member <NUM>, which construct the linking mechanism with the operation portion <NUM>. For example, the linking members <NUM>, <NUM> can be embodied as linking bars, and the resilient member <NUM> can be embodied as a torsion spring. In this embodiment, two sets of action members <NUM> are preferably disposed on two sides of the battery unit. The linking member <NUM> extends from one side of the battery unit toward the operation portion <NUM> and couples to the linking member <NUM>. The torsion spring type resilient member <NUM> is disposed at the pivot joint of the linking members <NUM> and <NUM>. The other end of the linking member <NUM> opposite to the linking member <NUM> is coupled to the operation portion <NUM>. The action member <NUM>' may be pivotally coupled to the housing of the battery or the battery cap <NUM>. Two ends of the torsion spring couple to the linking members <NUM> and <NUM>, respectively. As shown in <FIG>, when the action member <NUM>' is operated under a force, such as user applying the force F to the free end of the linking member <NUM>, the action member <NUM>' rotates about the pivot joint and compresses the torsion spring to push the operation portion <NUM> along the moving direction D3 with respect to the reference plane P, so that the movable member <NUM> is driven to rotate, and the second engaging portion <NUM> moves away and disengages from the holding member <NUM> to allow the battery unit to be removed from the battery holding unit. When the force F is released, due to the restoring force of the torsion spring (i.e. the resilient member <NUM>), the action member <NUM>' and the operation portion <NUM> are restored to their original configurations shown in <FIG>.

Claim 1:
A battery assembly (<NUM>), comprising a battery unit (<NUM>) and a battery holding unit (<NUM>), the battery unit (<NUM>) comprising a battery (<NUM>), a first engaging portion (<NUM>), and a second engaging portion (<NUM>), the first engaging portion (<NUM>) and the second engaging portion (<NUM>) disposed on an end portion (<NUM>) of the battery (<NUM>), the second engaging portion (<NUM>) being movable relative to the end portion (<NUM>), the battery unit (<NUM>) removably held by the battery holding unit (<NUM>), the battery holding unit (<NUM>) comprising a holding member (<NUM>),
wherein the battery assembly is characterized in that:
the second engaging portion (<NUM>) and the first engaging portion (<NUM>) are respectively disposed at an upstream and a downstream along a detachment direction (D2) along which the battery unit (<NUM>) leaves the battery holding unit (<NUM>);
the holding member (<NUM>) configured to engage with the first engaging portion (<NUM>) to hold the battery unit (<NUM>) at a first position or to engage with the second engaging portion (<NUM>) to hold the battery unit (<NUM>) at a second position, and
when the holding member (<NUM>) and the first engaging portion (<NUM>) relatively move away from each other along a disengagement direction (D1), the battery unit (<NUM>) moves along the detachment direction (D2) from the first position to the second position at which the holding member (<NUM>) engages with the second engaging portion (<NUM>), and the second engaging portion (<NUM>) is allowed to move relative to the end portion (<NUM>) to disengage from the holding member (<NUM>), so that the battery unit (<NUM>) moves again along the detachment direction (D2) to be removed from the battery holding unit (<NUM>).