U.S. patent application number 11/186592 was filed with the patent office on 2005-12-08 for environmentally-sealed portable terminal.
This patent application is currently assigned to Vocollect, Inc.. Invention is credited to Barnes, Nicholas, Davis, Michael, Heseltine, Ian, Lacy, Graham Keith, Mellott, Mark Bradford, Zatezalo, Douglas Mark, Zoschg, Ryan Anthony.
Application Number | 20050272401 11/186592 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 29779599 |
Filed Date | 2005-12-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050272401 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Zatezalo, Douglas Mark ; et
al. |
December 8, 2005 |
Environmentally-sealed portable terminal
Abstract
A wearable, mobile and/or portable terminal for use in an
inventory management system. The terminal includes a terminal
housing, a battery pack removably receivable within an external
battery-receiving cavity of the terminal housing, and a battery
latching mechanism that secures the battery pack in the
battery-receiving cavity in a latched condition. The battery pack
has an unlatched condition in which the battery latch mechanism is
disengaged from the battery pack. The terminal and battery pack are
environmentally sealed to, for example, preclude entry of water
into the interior of the terminal when the terminal is
immersed.
Inventors: |
Zatezalo, Douglas Mark;
(Allison Park, PA) ; Mellott, Mark Bradford;
(Pittsburgh, PA) ; Zoschg, Ryan Anthony; (Oakmont,
PA) ; Davis, Michael; (White Oak, PA) ;
Barnes, Nicholas; (London, GB) ; Lacy, Graham
Keith; (London, GB) ; Heseltine, Ian; (London,
GB) |
Correspondence
Address: |
WOOD, HERRON & EVANS, LLP
2700 CAREW TOWER
441 VINE STREET
CINCINNATI
OH
45202
US
|
Assignee: |
Vocollect, Inc.
Pittsburgh
PA
|
Family ID: |
29779599 |
Appl. No.: |
11/186592 |
Filed: |
July 21, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
11186592 |
Jul 21, 2005 |
|
|
|
10185334 |
Jun 27, 2002 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
455/347 ;
340/693.5 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01M 50/209 20210101;
Y02E 60/10 20130101; G06F 1/163 20130101; Y10T 292/0976 20150401;
H04M 1/0262 20130101; H01M 10/052 20130101; H01M 50/24
20210101 |
Class at
Publication: |
455/347 ;
340/693.5 |
International
Class: |
H04B 001/08 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A wearable, mobile and/or portable terminal powered by an
environmentally-sealed battery pack, comprising: a terminal housing
having an interior and an external battery-receiving cavity
configured to removably receive a battery pack, said interior of
said terminal housing being sealed from the ambient environment
surrounding said terminal housing; and a latch mechanism within the
battery-receiving cavity being operative to latchingly engage and
disengage the battery pack within said battery-receiving cavity and
mounted such as not to impair said environmental sealing of the
terminal interior, said environmental sealing of said terminal
being effective to preclude entry of water into the interior of the
terminal when the terminal is immersed.
2. The terminal of claim 1 wherein said terminal housing includes a
chamber proximate to said battery-receiving cavity, an end wall
separating said chamber from said battery-receiving cavity, and a
plurality of first electrical contacts extending through a
corresponding plurality of openings in the end wall.
3. The terminal of claim 2 wherein said openings are sealed to seal
said terminal housing from the environment proximate the
cavity.
4. The terminal of claim 3 further comprising: an encapsulant
filling said chamber to seal said chamber from the environment
within said cavity.
5. The terminal of claim 1 further comprising a battery pack having
a sealed case and a plurality of second electrical contacts
sealingly extending through said sealed case to contact said
plurality of first electrical contacts when said battery pack is
received within said battery-receiving cavity.
6. The terminal of claim 5 wherein said battery pack is sealed
against the entry of moisture.
7. The terminal of claim 1 wherein said terminal housing is sealed
from the ambient environment effective to preclude significant
entry of water upon immersion to a depth of one meter for thirty
minutes.
8. A combination including the terminal of claim 1 and an
environmentally sealed battery pack configured to mate said cavity
and to be latched and unlatched by said latch mechanism.
9. A mobile voice-directed system having a quick-change arrangement
for a battery pack with opposite first and second ends, comprising:
a terminal having an environmentally sealed housing with exposed
electrical contacts located in a shallow external battery cavity,
the battery cavity and electrical contacts being configured to mate
with a battery pack having an environmentally sealed casing adapted
to conform to the housing cavity and exposed battery contacts
adapted to mate with the terminal contacts; and a battery latch
mechanism mounted in the terminal cavity and environmentally
isolated from a terminal interior, the battery latch mechanism
including a finger-depressible pushbutton and being configured such
that depressing the pushbutton releases the battery pack and
exposes the battery pack for quick and easy removal with the finger
used to depress the pushbutton, said environmental sealing of said
terminal being effective to preclude entry of water into the
interior of the terminal when the terminal is immersed.
10. The system of claim 9 further comprising: a battery lifter
arrangement configured to elevate the first end of the battery pack
when the battery latch mechanism is unlatched.
11. The system of claim 10 wherein the battery lifter arrangement
includes a battery-elevating camming structure at an interface
between the terminal housing and the first end of the battery pack,
and a spring biasing arrangement at the location of the second end
of the battery pack which cooperates with the camming structure to
cause the first end of the battery pack to elevate when the battery
latch mechanism is unlatched.
12. The system of claim 11 wherein the spring biasing arrangement
comprises the terminal electrical contacts.
13. The system of claim 8 wherein the latching member is a
spring-biased slider mounted to reciprocate.
14. The system of claim 8 wherein the pushbutton is pivotally
mounted, and the battery latch mechanism includes a linearly
reciprocable slider configured to latchingly engage the battery
pack, and a motion converter for converting rotary motion of the
pushbutton to reciprocatory motion of the latching member.
15. A combination including the system of claim 8 and an
environmentally sealed battery pack configured to fit said cavity
and to be latched and unlatched by said latch mechanism.
16. The system of claim 8 wherein the battery latch mechanism
includes a member which latchingly engages the battery pack when
the battery latch mechanism is latched, which disengages the
battery pack when the battery latch mechanism is unlatched by
depressing the pushbutton, and which non-latchingly re-engages the
battery pack when it is an elevated state to resist its falling
back into the battery-receiving cavity.
17. For use with a mobile terminal having an environmentally sealed
terminal housing with an external surface, a camming surface, and a
shallow external battery cavity with exposed electrical contacts, a
quick-change battery pack comprising: an environmentally sealed
casing having exposed electrical contacts configured and located to
mate with the exposed electrical contacts in the external battery
cavity, the casing having a first surface portion configured to
physically mate with the battery cavity, a second surface portion
configured to blend with the external surface of the terminal
housing such that the battery pack forms part of the terminal
exterior, and a camming surface adapted to mate with the camming
surface on the terminal housing to assist in elevating a
predetermined end of the casing for removal from the battery
cavity, the casing having a contour at the predetermined end of the
battery pack which is adapted to facilitate removal of the battery
pack from the battery cavity.
18. The battery pack of claim 17 sealed to preclude significant
entry of water upon immersion to a depth of one meter for thirty
minutes.
19. The battery pack of claim 17 wherein the casing is configured
at the predetermined to be engaged by a latch mechanism mounted in
the battery cavity of a terminal.
20. A mobile device having a quick-change battery pack arrangement,
comprising: a terminal having an environmentally sealed housing
with a shallow external battery cavity and exposed terminal
electrical contacts located in the external battery cavity; a
battery pack having an environmentally sealed casing with a first
surface portion configured to conform to the battery cavity and
exposed battery contacts adapted to mate with the terminal
electrical contacts, and a second surface portion configured to
blend with an external surface of the terminal housing such that
the battery pack casing forms part of the terminal housing
exterior; and a battery latch mechanism mounted in the terminal
cavity, the battery latch mechanism including a finger-depressible
pushbutton flush with the terminal housing exterior and being
configured such that depressing the pushbutton releases the battery
pack and creates a recess which exposes the battery pack for quick
and easy removal with the finger used to depress the pushbutton,
said environmental sealing of said terminal and of said battery
pack each being effective to preclude entry of water when the
terminal is immersed to a depth of one meter for thirty minutes.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a divisional of application Ser. No.
10/185,334, filed Jun. 27, 2002, the disclosure of which is hereby
incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates generally to wearable, portable
and/or mobile computer terminals and peripherals.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Wearable, portable and/or mobile computer terminals are used
for a wide variety of tasks. Such terminals allow a worker using
them to have mobility, while providing them with desirable
computing and data-processing functions. Furthermore, various
terminals provide a communication link to a larger, more
centralized computer system. Such terminals are being implemented
for an ever-increasing number of tasks.
[0004] One illustrative example of a specific use for a wearable or
portable terminal is inventory management. Computerized inventory
management systems are used in inventory-driven industries for
various tasks, such as food and retail product distribution,
manufacturing, and quality control. An overall integrated inventory
management system involves a combination of a central computer for
tracking and management, and the people who use and interface with
the computer system in the form of order fillers, pickers and other
workers. The workers handle the manual aspects of the integrated
management system.
[0005] To provide an interface between the central computer system
and the workers, wearable or portable terminals are used by the
workers as they complete their numerous tasks. Such wearable
terminals, for example, pull information directly from the central
system and translate the information into voice or text commands
for the workers. Through wireless RF networks, the commands to and
responses from the workers are communicated between the system and
the terminals. To communicate in a voice driven system, for
example, the worker wears a headset which is coupled to their
wearable terminal. Through the headset, the workers are able to
receive voice instructions, ask questions, report the progress of
their tasks, and report working conditions, such as inventory
shortages, for example. Using such terminals, the work is done
virtually hands-free without equipment to juggle or paperwork to
carry around.
[0006] In addition to headsets, other peripherals are often coupled
to the terminals depending upon the tasks to be performed. For
example, bar code readers and other scanners may be utilized alone
or in combination with a headset to communicate back and forth with
the system.
[0007] An illustrative example of a job through a system utilizing
wearable and/or portable terminals having voice capabilities may
involve initially welcoming the worker to the system and defining a
particular task or order, for example, a load to be filled for a
certain truck to depart from a warehouse. The worker may then
answer with a particular area (e.g., freezer) that they will be
working in for that order. The system then vocally directs the
worker to a particular aisle and bin to pick a particular quantity
of an item. The worker then vocally confirms their location and the
amount of items that are picked. The system may then direct them to
a loading dock or bay for a particular truck to receive the order.
As may be appreciated, various different scenarios might be played
out through the system using a wearable terminal and attached
peripherals.
[0008] The terminals are electronic devices which require a source
of power. Therefore, they utilize a portable power source, such as
a battery. During a shift, a worker may find that they must replace
the battery in their terminal with a new one. This can be a tedious
task. Often times a worker will have to stop what they are doing,
remove the terminal from their belt or other securing device,
disconnect the battery and install/connect a new battery. This
usually requires two hands and is a significant disruption to the
work schedule.
[0009] A further issue with portable batteries used with wearable
and/or portable terminals is that they are susceptible to falling
off or out of the terminal during use. As may be appreciated,
wearable terminals are subject to rigorous use as the workers
scramble around handling various tasks. The terminals are often
bumped or otherwise abused in use.
[0010] In the past, batteries have tended to fall off when the
terminals or the batteries were bumped. This might cause the
battery or its casing to break, particularly on hard, concrete
floors, and thereby result in further delays for the worker.
[0011] An additional concern with wearable terminals and also the
power supplies therein, is their exposure to harsh environments
which may affect their operation. Specifically, many work
environments expose the terminals, and therefore the batteries, to
moisture. Sometimes such moisture is direct, however, it is often
in the form of condensation which may find a pathway into the
electrical components of the terminal and also to the battery. For
example, in food distribution, the terminals are exposed to the
cold of a refrigerator or freezer environment, and then to the
ambient warmth or heat and humidity of the rest of the facility.
The moisture and condensation may cause electrical shorts and
malfunctions in the terminal and in the batteries.
[0012] As such, it is desirable to improve upon the ruggedness of
wearable terminals and their power sources. It is also desirable to
improve the battery management procedures for active workers and
reduce delays associated with power issues. It is further desirable
to make workers more efficient and effective.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and
constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of
the invention and, together with a general description of the
invention given above, and the detailed description given below,
serve to explain the principles of the invention.
[0014] FIG. 1 is an illustration of a terminal constructed in
accordance with the principles of the invention;
[0015] FIG. 2 is a partially-broken away side view of the terminal
of FIG. 1 showing the battery pack in a latched condition;
[0016] FIG. 3 is a partially-broken away side view of the terminal
of FIG. 1 showing the battery pack in an intermediate
condition;
[0017] FIG. 4 is a partially-broken away side view of the terminal
of FIG. 1 showing the battery pack in an unlatched condition;
[0018] FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a portion of the terminal of
FIG. 1 showing the assembly of the battery latch mechanism with the
terminal housing; and
[0019] FIG. 5A is an exploded view of the battery latch mechanism
of the terminal of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0020] Although the invention will be described next in connection
with certain embodiments, the invention is not limited to practice
in any one specific type of wearable, portable and/or mobile
terminal. It is contemplated that the principles of the invention
can be used with a variety of electronic devices, including but not
limited to wearable terminals for use with computerized inventory
systems. The description of the invention is intended to cover all
alternatives, modifications, and equivalent arrangements as may be
included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by
the appended claims. In particular, those skilled in the art will
recognize that the components of the invention described herein
could be arranged in multiple different ways.
[0021] With reference to FIG. 1, a wearable, portable and/or mobile
terminal 10 of the invention is worn by a worker on a belt 12 or is
otherwise associated by another securing device associated with the
worker's person. The terminal 10 is connected to at least one
peripheral device 14, such as a headset or bar code reader, by a
length of a cord 16 electrically coupled to the terminal 10.
Alternatively, each peripheral device 14 may communicate
unidirectionally or bidirectionally with the terminal 10 over a
wireless communication link, such as a radiofrequency (RF) link or
an infrared (IR) link.
[0022] Such terminals 10 may be used, for example, in warehouse
environments where workers are required to retrieve various items
within the warehouse. An interior 17 of the terminal 10 houses
electronics including a transceiver (not shown) that communicates
with a remote central computer by transmitting and receiving
information regarding the activities performed by the worker.
[0023] For use in a warehouse environment, the terminal 10
incorporates a removable battery pack 18 and a battery latch
mechanism 20 for detachably securing the removable battery pack 18
to the terminal 10. The battery pack 18 supplies electrical power
to the electronics of the terminal 10 so that the terminal 10 is
wearable by the worker and is portable. As the battery pack 18 is
powered and used in the warehouse environment, the electrical
energy stored by the battery pack 18 is necessarily depleted until
the battery capacity is expended. The battery capacity of the
battery pack 18 may be replenished with a battery charger (not
shown) having a power supply that can provide a supply of DC
current.
[0024] With reference to FIGS. 2 and 5, the terminal 10 includes a
terminal housing 22 having a curved, convex outer surface 23 and a
battery-receiving cavity 24 recessed below the outer surface 23.
The battery-receiving cavity 24 is dimensioned to receive the
battery pack 18 therein and provides a recessed void generally
shaped like a cuboid or a parallelepiped that is external to the
terminal housing 22. The terminal housing 22 includes a pair of
opposing side walls 25, 26, a pair of opposing end walls 27, 28,
and a base wall 30 having an outwardly-facing substantially planar,
rectangular base surface 32 extending transversely between the side
walls 25, 26 and longitudinally between the end walls 27, 28. The
walls 25, 26, 27, 28 and 30 defined the boundaries of the
battery-receiving cavity 24. End wall 28 separates a chamber 38
provided inside the terminal housing 22 from the battery-receiving
cavity 24. The terminal housing 22 may be molded from a polymer
resin. As used herein, inwardly and outwardly directions are
referenced relative to the base surface 32 bounding the
battery-receiving cavity 24. An outwardly direction is directed
away from the base surface 32 and an inwardly direction is directed
toward the base surface 32.
[0025] A plurality of spring-loaded electrical contacts 34, of
which one electrical contact 34 is shown in FIG. 2, are located
within the terminal housing 22 and positioned opposite to the
location of the battery latch mechanism 20. Each electrical contact
includes a tang portion 36 disposed within the chamber 38 and a
spring finger 40 projecting into the battery-receiving cavity 24
from a corresponding one of multiple openings 42 penetrating end
wall 28. Each spring finger 40 is resiliently deflectable by a
force applied in a direction generally toward the end wall 28 with
a concomitant storage of elastic energy. A lip portion 44 of the
terminal housing 22 projects outwardly from end wall 28 over a
portion of the battery-receiving cavity 24 so as to overhang the
spring fingers 40. Each tang portion 36 is coupled electrically by
an individual conductor 39 with the electronics housed within the
terminal housing 22.
[0026] An encapsulant 46, such as an encapsulant selected from
among the 1650 Series of encapsulants commercially available from
Mereco Technologies Group (West Warwick, R.I.), is injected into
the chamber 38 to secure the electrical contacts 34 in place and to
prevent displacing of the electrical contacts 34 by the battery
pack 18 relative to the battery-receiving cavity 24 back into the
terminal housing 22. In one aspect of the invention, the
encapsulant 46 also provides waterproofing and dustproofing so that
the terminal 10 is sealed against the entry or infiltration of
contaminants, including dust, moisture and other liquids, into the
interior 17 of the terminal housing 22 through openings 42. The
battery-receiving cavity 24 is accessible from the exterior of the
terminal housing 22 for placement of the battery pack 18. As a
result, the terminal housing 22 is sealed from the ambient
environment of the terminal 10 and the battery pack 18 can be
positioned within the battery-receiving cavity 24 without exposing
the interior 17 of the terminal housing to the ambient environment.
In addition, the sealed nature of the terminal housing 22 permits
the terminal 10 to operate in ambient environments entailing
exposure to condensation, moisture and other liquids without a
significant risk of damage to the electronics housed inside the
terminal housing 22.
[0027] In certain embodiments, the environmental-sealing of
terminal housing 22 may comply with the IP67 standard of the
International Protection (IP) rating system which requires that the
housing 22 be dust proof and that the housing 22 prevent the entry
of water into the interior 17 if immersed in room temperature water
to a depth of 1 meter for 30 minutes. The International
Electrotechnical Commission standardizes classes of environmental
protection for industrial equipment using the IP rating system.
[0028] With reference to FIG. 2, the battery pack 18 includes a
sealed case 48, preferably molded from a polymer resin and shaped
roughly like a parallelepiped or cuboid, and a battery cell 47,
typically a lithium ion battery cell, housed within the sealed
environment of the sealed case 48. The sealed case 48 is provided
with a pair of opposing transverse ends 50, 52, a peripheral edge
53 at transverse end 52, a contact-containing portion 54 protruding
outwardly from transverse end 50, and an outwardly-facing shoulder
56 formed by the contact-containing portion 54. A convex
outwardly-facing surface 58 of the sealed case 48 has a curvature
that conforms with the curvature of the outer surface 23 of the
terminal housing 22 when the battery pack 18 is inserted in the
battery-receiving cavity 24. An inwardly-facing planar surface 60
of the battery pack 18 provides a substantially abutting contact
with the planar base surface 32 of the battery-receiving cavity 24
when the battery pack 18 is inserted into battery-receiving cavity
24.
[0029] A set of cylindrical conductive contacts 62, of which one
electrical contact 62 is visible in FIG. 2, is disposed in the
contact-containing portion 54 of the sealed case 48 of battery pack
18. Each of the conductive contacts 62 is terminated by a
disk-shaped flat pad 64 facing outwardly from transverse end 50.
The set of conductive contacts 62 participates in electrically
coupling the battery cell with the electronics disposed within the
terminal housing 22 of the terminal 10. To that end, each flat pad
64 of the battery pack 18 is electrically coupled with a
corresponding one of the spring fingers 40 of the terminal 10. The
physical contact between the flat pads 64 and spring fingers 40 is
operative for supplying a good electrical contact adequate for
transferring electrical current with minimal resistive loss. Upon
engagement of the battery pack 18 within the battery-receiving
cavity 24 in a latched condition, the terminal 10 operates via
electrical power supplied from the battery cell of the battery pack
18.
[0030] The sealed case 48 of the battery pack 18 is sealed against
the entry of moisture or other liquids. To that end, the sealed
case 48 may be molded as multiple sections and subsequently joined
by any suitable technique, such as ultrasonic welding, that
provides a water-tight enclosure. The electrical contacts 62
provide the only external connections with battery cell 47 and have
a liquid-tight seal with the corresponding openings in the
contact-containing portion 54. For example, the electrical contacts
62 may be press-fit into the corresponding openings in the
contact-containing portion 54 or the sealed case 48 may be molded
about the electrical contacts 62.
[0031] In addition, the sealed case 48 of the battery pack 18 is
free or any projecting elements, such as tabs or the like, that
would otherwise cooperate with a latching mechanism. The absence of
such projecting elements makes the battery pack 18 less prone to
damage from, for example, being dropped onto a hard surface that
would prevent positive engagement with terminal 10. As a result,
the battery pack 18 is sturdy and robust because the
battery-receiving cavity 24 that provides the positive engagement
with the battery latch mechanism 20 is not susceptible to damage
that would result in an inability to mechanically couple the
battery pack 18 with the terminal 10.
[0032] With continued reference to FIG. 2, the peripheral edge 53
of sealed case 48 further includes a lip 66 and a latch cavity 68
with an entrance or opening therein oriented for engagement with
the battery latch mechanism 20 when the battery pack 18 is inserted
into the battery-receiving cavity 24. The lip 66 and latch cavity
68 extend transversely into and out of the plane of the page of
FIG. 2. The latch cavity 68 has a triangular cross-sectional
profile in a transverse direction. The lip 66 includes an
outwardly-facing planar surface 70 that defines a lower surface of
the latch cavity 68 and an inwardly-facing inclined camming surface
72 of the lip 66 oriented downwardly toward the base wall 30 of the
battery-receiving cavity 24 when the battery pack 18 is inserted
into the battery-receiving cavity 24. The inclined camming surface
72 is coextensive with the planar surface 70 along a shared
transverse edge 74.
[0033] With reference to FIGS. 2, 5 and 5A, the battery latch
mechanism 20 is positioned within the battery-receiving cavity 24
and proximate to end wall 27. The battery latch mechanism 20 is
actuatable between to provide a latched condition in which the
battery pack 18 is secured within the battery-receiving cavity 24
and a latched condition in which the battery pack 18 is readily
removable from the battery-receiving cavity 24. The battery latch
mechanism 20 includes a latching member 76 movable between an
extended position (FIGS. 2 and 4) and a retracted position (FIG.
3), an actuator or release button 78 in the form of a pushbutton
depressible to cause the latching member 76 to move between the
extended and retracted positions, and a bracket member 80 pivotally
coupling the release button 78 with the terminal housing 22 of the
terminal 10. The bracket member 80 of the battery latch mechanism
20 is secured to the terminal housing 22 with conventional
fasteners 81 or the like.
[0034] The latching member 76, the release button 78, and the
bracket member 80 may be molded from a polymer resin. In
particular, the release button 78 and the bracket member 80 may be
molded from any polymer resin having good low temperature
characteristics useful when the terminal 10 is exposed to a low
temperature ambient environment. For example, the release button 78
and the bracket member 80 may be formed from a mixture of
polycarbonate with either polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) or
polyethylene terephthalate (PET), such as the family of such
polymer resins available commercially under the tradename
XENOY.RTM. from GE Plastics (Seven Hills, Ohio).
[0035] With continued reference to FIGS. 2, 5 and 5A, a biasing
member 82, such as a compression spring, urges or biases the
latching member 76 to the extended position when the release button
78 is not depressed. One end of the biasing member 82 fits over a
guide post 83 formed on the release button 78. An opposite end of
the biasing member 82 abuts end wall 27 of the terminal housing 22.
The biasing member 82 is constrained against lateral movement by a
pair of transversely-spaced guides 84, 85 projecting outwardly from
the base surface 32 and a pair of transversely-spaced prongs 86, 87
projecting inwardly from the bracket member 80. While the biasing
member 82 is illustrated as a compression spring, the invention
contemplates that other types of springs, plastic cantilevers, or
elastic members may also be used for biasing the latching member 76
toward the extended position.
[0036] The release button 78 is pivotal relative to the bracket
member 80 about a transverse axis of rotation defined by a
transversely-spaced pair of pivot pins 88, of which one pivot pin
88 is shown, that also secure the release button 78 mechanically
with the bracket member 80. A pair of transversely-spaced flanges
89, 90 are provided on the release button 78 and project inwardly
toward the base surface 32. The transverse space between the
flanges 89, 90 is dimensioned to receive therebetween the prongs
86, 87 of the bracket member 80. The flanges 89, 90 extend into a
corresponding pair of transversely-oriented grooves 91, 92 provided
on the latching member 76. When the release button 78 is depressed,
the angular rotation of the release button 78 about the pivot pins
88 is converted by the engagement between the flanges 89, 90 and
grooves 91, 92 into a longitudinal displacement of the latching
member 76 that moves the latching member 76 toward the end wall 27
from the extended position to the retracted position. Similarly,
when the latching member 76 is in the retracted position and the
release button 78 is released, the angular rotation of the release
button 78 in the opposite angular direction about the pivot pins 88
is converted into a longitudinal displacement of the latching
member 78 away from the end wall 27 due to the engagement between
the flanges 89, 90 and grooves 91, 92 and the restoring force
supplied by the biasing member 82 so that the latching member 76
moves from the retracted position (FIG. 3) to the extended position
(FIGS. 2 and 4).
[0037] An inwardly-projecting flange 93 provided on the release
button 78 abuts an upwardly-facing surface of a
transversely-oriented, outwardly-facing slot 94 provided in the
latching member 76. Flange 93 has a longitudinally spaced
relationship with flanges 89, 90. The latching member 76 is
slidingly captured between the tip of the flange 93 and the base
surface 32 so that the latching member 76 cannot cantilever
outwardly relative to the engagement between the flanges 89, 90 and
grooves 91, 92 during movement between the extended and retracted
positions.
[0038] With continued reference to FIGS. 2, 5 and 5A, a
battery-engaging element 96 projects from the latching member 76
toward the interior of the battery-receiving cavity 24 of the
terminal 10. The battery-engaging element 96 has a planar surface
98 facing the base surface 32 of the battery-receiving cavity 24
and an inclined camming surface 100 positioned opposite to the
planar surface 98. The battery-engaging element 96 is captured
within the latch cavity 68 when the battery pack 18 is present in
the battery-receiving cavity 24 and the latching member 76 is in
the extended position (FIG. 2). In particular, the planar surface
98 of the battery-engaging element 96 contacts the planar surface
70 of the lip 66 for securing the battery pack 18 within the
battery-receiving cavity 24 in the latched condition. The
engagement between the planar surfaces 70, 98 prevents outward
movement of the battery pack 18 relative to the terminal housing
22. When the latching member 76 is in the retracted position (FIG.
3), the battery-engaging element 96 is not captured within the
latch cavity 68 and the battery pack 18 is movable within the
battery-receiving cavity 24 due to the extension of the spring
fingers 40 and the associated bias force applied again the flat
pads 64. The peripheral edge 53 of the battery pack also pushed
slightly upward out of the battery-receiving cavity 24. It is
contemplated by the invention that additional springs, plastic
cantilevers, or other elastic members may be used to apply motive
force to the battery pack 18 in addition to, or instead of, the
spring fingers 40.
[0039] The inclination angle of the inclined camming surface 100 of
the battery-engaging element 96 is complementary to the inclination
angle of the inclined camming surface 72 of the lip 66. The battery
pack 18 is placed in the unlatched condition when the latching
member 76 is fully in the extended position and the inclined
camming surfaces 72, 100 are abutting. In the unlatched condition,
the battery pack 18 is lifted by the engagement between the
inclined camming surfaces 72, 100 and may be manually removed from
the battery-receiving cavity 24. Manual removal is facilitated by
the outward projection of an upper corner 102 of peripheral edge 53
of the battery pack 18 above the outer surface 23 of the terminal
housing 22. The upper corner 102 is readily grasped by a worker for
removal of the battery pack 18.
[0040] With continued reference to FIGS. 2, 5 and 5A, an
outwardly-facing surface 104 of the release button 78 has a convex
curvature that generally conforms with the convex curvatures of the
outer surface 23 of the terminal housing 22 and the
outwardly-facing surface 58 of the sealed case 48 of the battery
pack 18. The portion of the terminal housing 22 surrounding the
release button 78 operates as a guard to prevent inadvertent
latching and unlatching from incidental contact with
outwardly-facing surface 104. As a result, a worker is generally
required to make a specific and deliberate effort to apply an
inward force to pivot the release button 78 for unlatching the
battery pack 18. This, therefore, reduces the likelihood of damage
to the battery pack 18 from inadvertently falling out of the
terminal housing 22.
[0041] Provided on the release button 78 is a set of finger grips
106 that reduce slippage with the worker's finger when the release
button 78 is pressed to actuate the battery latch mechanism 20. The
finger grips 106 project a short distance outwardly above the
surface 104 of the release button 78 that is insufficient to allow
inadvertent actuation of the release button 78 and insufficient to
significantly interrupt the smooth, curved contour presented
collectively by surfaces 23, 58, 104.
[0042] In use and with reference to FIGS. 2-4, the battery pack 18
is initially in the latched condition shown in FIG. 2 with the
battery-engaging element 96 of the latching member 76 engaged
within the latch cavity 68 of the sealed case 48 of battery pack
18. To remove the battery pack 18 from the battery-receiving cavity
24, an inward force is applied to push or depress the release
button 78 in a general direction indicated by arrow 108 in FIG. 3.
The inward force causes the release button 78 to pivot about pivot
pins 88 relative to the bracket member 80. The pivoting of the
release button 78 displaces the latching member 76 toward wall 27
in a general direction indicated by arrow 110 in FIG. 3 due to the
engagement between flanges 89, 90 and grooves 91, 92 from the
extended position toward the retracted position. The biasing member
82 is compressed for applying a restoring force after the inward
force applied to release button 78 is removed. When the latching
member 76 is fully in the retracted position, the battery-engaging
element 96 is released from the latch cavity 68 and the battery
pack 18 is released or freed for movement within the
battery-receiving cavity 24.
[0043] The spring fingers 40 of the electrical contacts 34, which
are compressed when the battery pack 18 is latched, collectively
exert a lateral propulsive or motive force against the battery pack
18 that is directed away from end wall 28 as the spring compression
is released. The lateral motive force displaces or moves the
battery pack 18 toward the battery latch mechanism 20 in a
direction generally indicated by arrow 112 in FIG. 3. As the
battery pack 18 moves away from end wall 28, a camming surface 105
on the peripheral edge 53 of sealed case 48 engages a mating
camming surface 103 on the terminal housing 22, causing the end of
the battery pack 18 to elevate in a direction indicated by arrow
114 in FIG. 3 so that the corner 102 and elevated end of the
battery pack 18 project above the outer surface 23 of the terminal
housing 22 of the terminal housing 22 in the unlatched condition.
The opposed end 50 of sealed case 48 remains captured between the
lip portion 44 and base wall 30 of the terminal housing 22.
[0044] The cooperating camming surfaces 103, 105 at the interface
between battery pack 18 and terminal housing 22 work with the
propulsive force supplied by the electrical contacts 34 to lift the
end of the battery pack 18 partially out of the battery-receiving
cavity 24 where battery pack 18 can be grasped using the same
finger that actuated the release button 78. The depressed release
button 78 provides a space for the finger to contact the corner 102
and elevated end of the battery pack 18. This makes possible a
rapid one-hand removal of the battery pack 18.
[0045] When the inward force applied to the release button 78 is
removed as shown in FIG. 4, the restoring force applied by the
biasing member 82 pivots the release button 78 to its initial
position and the latching member 76 moves from the retracted
position back toward the extended position. As a result, the
inclined camming surface 100 of the latching member 76 slidingly
engages the inclined camming surface 72 of the battery pack 18 and
displaces or lifts the peripheral edge 53 of the battery pack 18
further outwardly relative to the battery-receiving cavity 24 in
the general direction of arrow 114. As a result, the corner 102 of
the peripheral edge 53 projects an additional distance above the
contour of the outer surface 23 of the terminal housing 22
sufficient for removing the battery pack 18 from the
battery-receiving cavity 24. The continued engagement between the
inclined camming surfaces 72, 100, after the sliding relative
movement therebetween ceases, holds the battery pack 18 in the
unlatched condition in which the battery pack 18 can be easily
disengaged from the battery-receiving cavity 24 and removed from
the terminal 10 by single-handed manual manipulation. The hand of
the worker is positioned to cradle the battery pack 18 during
removal from terminal 10 so that the risk of dropping is reduced.
The removal of the battery pack 18 may be accomplished with one
hand and while the terminal 10 remains secured to belt 12.
[0046] The battery pack 18 is replaced by inserting the end 50 of
the battery pack 18 into the battery-receiving cavity 24 so that
the flat pads 64 contact the spring fingers 40 and the shoulder 56
of the battery pack 18 is captured between the lip portion 44 and
base surface 32 of the terminal housing 22. An inward force applied
to the sealed case 48 adjacent to end 52 toward the base surface 32
causes the latching member 76 to move from the extended position to
the retracted position against the biasing force of the biasing
member 82 by sliding contact between the inclined camming surfaces
72, 100. As the battery pack 18 is further pressed into the
battery-receiving cavity 24, inclined camming surface 100 slides
over transverse edge 74 and the latching member 76 is urged by the
biasing member 82 away from the end wall 27 so that the
battery-engaging element 96 protrudes into the latching cavity 68.
Contact between planar surfaces 70, 98 provides a positive stop to
place the battery pack 18 at the proper insertion depth in the
battery-receiving cavity 24. When the battery pack 18 is thus
completely inserted into the battery-receiving cavity 24, outward
movement of the battery pack 18 is prevented and each of the flat
pads 64 of the battery pack 18 is electrically coupled with a
corresponding one of the spring fingers 40 of the terminal 10. The
installation of the battery pack 18 may be accomplished with one
hand and while the terminal 10 remains secured to belt 12. The
battery pack 18 fits snugly in the battery-receiving cavity 24 so
that movement of the battery pack 18 is restricted and the
engagement between the spring fingers 40 and flat pads 64 is
maintained as the terminal 10 is transported by the worker for use
in the warehouse environment.
[0047] According to the principles of the invention, the battery
pack can be quickly, easily, and effectively attached to the
terminal and removed from the terminal. As a result, battery
management procedures are simplified for active workers and delays
associated with power issues are reduced. The principles of the
invention improve worker efficiency and effectiveness. In addition,
the principles of the invention act to ruggedize the terminal and
battery pack so that operational lifetimes are lengthened.
[0048] The battery latch mechanism and battery pack of the
invention cooperate to provide a desired combination of substantial
resistance to inadvertent detachment from the terminal and
efficient battery replacement. Specifically, the battery pack is
not overly susceptible to falling off or out of the terminal during
use because of the secure attachment to the terminal. Moreover, the
small surface area of the outwardly-facing surface of the release
button that makes the release button resistant to actuation by
inadvertent applied forces. In addition, the conforming surface
contours of the terminal housing, battery pack and release button
reduce the likelihood that contact with an object will dislodge the
battery pack from the battery-receiving cavity. As a result, delays
in worker activities resulting from unintended separation of the
battery pack from the terminal are reduced. In addition, the useful
lifetime of the battery pack is extended because the battery pack
is less likely to be inadvertently separated from the terminal and
damaged by impact with, for example, a concrete floor.
[0049] The battery pack is removable from the battery-receiving
cavity with a minimal applied force yet is retained with a
sufficient retaining force, when the latch mechanism is initially
actuated, so that the battery pack does not readily disengage from
the terminal during an operation exchanging a depleted battery pack
for a charged battery pack. The magnitude of the applied force
required to separate the battery pack from the terminal, when the
battery latch mechanism is disengaged from the battery pack,
permits a worker to replace a depleted battery pack in a one-handed
operation while the terminal remains attached to the worker. As a
result, the tediousness entailed in the removal and replacement of
the battery pack is significantly reduced by the improved
ergonomics and the impact to the worker's work schedule is
lessened.
[0050] According the principles of the invention, the electronics
within the terminal are isolated from exposure to harsh ambient
operating environments in which the terminal is being used. In
addition, the battery pack provides a sealed environment that
isolates the battery cell from the infiltration of moisture and
other contaminants from the operating environment or condensation
arising from changes in the humidity level and temperature of the
operating environment. As a result, the terminal and battery pack
are significantly less susceptible to electrical shorts and
malfunctions.
[0051] While the present invention has been illustrated by the
description of the various embodiments thereof, and while the
embodiments have been described in considerable detail, it is not
intended to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended
claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will
readily appear to those skilled in the art. The invention in its
broader aspects is therefore not limited to the specific details,
representative apparatus and methods and illustrative examples
shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such
details without departing from the scope or spirit of Applicants'
general inventive concept.
* * * * *