U.S. patent application number 13/283655 was filed with the patent office on 2012-02-16 for system and method for coupling a battery within an embedded system.
Invention is credited to David L. McDonald, Shreenath S. Perlaguri, David S. Slaton.
Application Number | 20120039053 13/283655 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42074611 |
Filed Date | 2012-02-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120039053 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Slaton; David S. ; et
al. |
February 16, 2012 |
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR COUPLING A BATTERY WITHIN AN EMBEDDED
SYSTEM
Abstract
A method for coupling a battery within an embedded system is
described. The method includes creating a hole extending through a
printed circuit board (PCB), inserting a portion of the battery
into the hole, and electrically coupling the battery to at least
one contact.
Inventors: |
Slaton; David S.;
(Huntsville, AL) ; McDonald; David L.; (Lacey's
Spring, AL) ; Perlaguri; Shreenath S.; (Hyderabad,
IN) |
Family ID: |
42074611 |
Appl. No.: |
13/283655 |
Filed: |
October 28, 2011 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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12246200 |
Oct 6, 2008 |
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13283655 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
361/752 ;
174/262; 29/832; 361/760 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01R 13/2442 20130101;
H05K 2201/10643 20130101; H05K 2201/10454 20130101; H01M 50/216
20210101; H05K 3/301 20130101; Y10T 29/49174 20150115; H05K
2201/10325 20130101; Y10T 29/49153 20150115; H05K 2201/10037
20130101; Y10T 29/49204 20150115; Y10T 29/49176 20150115; Y10T
29/4913 20150115; Y10T 29/49108 20150115; H05K 1/182 20130101; Y02E
60/10 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
361/752 ; 29/832;
174/262; 361/760 |
International
Class: |
H05K 5/00 20060101
H05K005/00; H05K 1/11 20060101 H05K001/11; H05K 7/00 20060101
H05K007/00; H05K 3/30 20060101 H05K003/30 |
Claims
1-16. (canceled)
17. A system for coupling a battery to a printed circuit board,
said system comprising: a printed circuit board having an upper
surface and a lower surface comprising at least one hole extending
through said upper surface of said printed circuit board, wherein
said at least one hole is configured to receive a battery such that
a thickness of the battery is substantially oblique relative to
said upper surface of the printed circuit board when positioned
within the at least one hole.
18. A system in accordance with claim 17, wherein said battery
comprises a coin cell that extends through said at least one
hole.
19. An embedded system comprising: a modular housing including a
printed circuit board further including a hole extending through
said printed circuit board; and a battery having a portion
configured to be inserted into the hole.
20. An embedded system in accordance with claim 19, wherein said
modular housing is configured to abide by one of a Compact
Peripheral Component Interconnect (CompactPCI) standard, VME
standard, and an Advanced Telecom Computing Architecture
(AdvancedTCA) standard.
21. The embedded system of claim 19, wherein said portion is
configured to be inserted such that a thickness of the battery is
substantially oblique relative to an upper surface of the printed
circuit board when positioned within the hole.
22. The embedded system of claim 21, wherein said portion of the
battery is configured to be inserted such that a thickness of the
battery is substantially perpendicular relative to said upper
surface of the printed circuit board.
23. The system of claim 17, wherein the thickness of the battery is
substantially perpendicular relative to said upper surface of the
printed circuit board when positioned within said at least one
hole.
24. A method for coupling a battery provided within a system, said
method comprising: providing a printed circuit board having an
upper surface and a bottom surface, the printed circuit board
having at least one hole extending through at least the top
surface; and providing at least one hole within the printed circuit
board such that a thickness of a battery may be positioned
substantially obliquely relative to the upper surface of the
printed circuit board.
25. The method of claim 24, further comprising: providing the
battery configured to supply power.
26. The method of claim 24, further comprising: electrically
coupling the battery to at least one contact.
27. The method of claim 24, wherein the thickness of the battery
may be positioned substantially perpendicular relative to the upper
surface of the printed circuit board.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a divisional of U.S. Ser. No. 12/246,200
filed on 06 Oct. 2008, the entire disclosure of which is
incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The field of the invention relates generally to embedded
systems and more particularly to systems and a method for coupling
a battery within an embedded system.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0003] As the size and complexity of software and computer-related
tasks grow, an ability of at least some known computers to handle
the requirements associated with the software diminishes. More
specifically, known computers are implemented on a printed circuit
board and within a housing. Moreover, known computers are assigned
a pre-determined volume based on industry standards. As such, space
becomes valuable on the printed circuit boards because the volume
is constrained.
[0004] Moreover, other electronic components may also be coupled on
the printed circuit board. For example, such electronic components
may include a computer processor, a switch, a memory, and/or a
power supply However, the more electronic components that are
coupled to the printed circuit board, generally, the more likely it
is that the printed circuit board may become "space-limited".
Hence, it is difficult to minimize occupancy of an area by the
electronic components on the printed circuit board. Moreover, it
may be difficult to fit the electronic components within a volume
of the housing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0005] In one aspect, a method for coupling a battery within an
embedded system is described. The method includes creating a hole
extending through a printed circuit board (PCB), inserting a
portion of the battery into the hole, and electrically coupling the
battery to at least one contact.
[0006] In another aspect, a system for coupling a battery within an
embedded system is described. The system includes a battery
configured to provide power, and a printed circuit board (PCB)
comprising at least one hole extending through the PCB. A portion
of the battery is configured to be inserted into the hole.
[0007] In yet another aspect, an embedded system is described. The
embedded system includes a modular housing. The modular housing
includes a printed circuit board (PCB) further including a hole
extending through the PCB. The embedded system further includes a
battery having a portion configured to be inserted into the
hole.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1 is a side-view of an alternative embodiment of a
system for use in coupling a battery within an embedded system.
[0009] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the system shown in FIG.
1.
[0010] FIG. 3 is a front view an alternative embodiment of a system
of a system for use in coupling a battery within an embedded
system.
[0011] FIG. 4 is a perspective-view of the system shown in FIG.
3.
[0012] FIG. 5 is a front view of a further alternative embodiment
of a system for coupling a battery within an embedded system.
[0013] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an exemplary battery holder
and a contact member used with the system shown in FIG. 5.
[0014] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of yet another alternative
embodiment of a system for use in coupling a battery within an
embedded system.
[0015] FIG. 8 is front perspective view of yet another alternative
embodiment of a system for use in coupling a battery within an
embedded system.
[0016] FIG. 9 is a rear perspective view of the system shown in
FIG. 8.
[0017] FIG. 10 is another perspective view of the system shown in
FIG. 8.
[0018] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the system shown in
FIG. 8.
[0019] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of an embodiment of an
embedded system.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0020] FIG. 1 is a side-view of a system 50 for use in coupling a
battery 52 within an embedded system (not shown in FIG. 1). FIG. 2
is a perspective view of system 50. In the exemplary embodiment,
system 50 includes a PCB 28 and a battery 52. In the exemplary
alternative embodiment, battery 52 is a coin cell having a diameter
ranging from about 14 millimeters (mm) to about 18 mm.
Alternatively, battery 52 is a coin cell having a diameter of more
than about 18 mm or less than about 14 mm. Battery 52 has a
positive terminal 54 and a negative terminal 56.
[0021] In the exemplary embodiment, a hole 58 extends through PCB
28 such that a depth of hole 58 measured along a Z-axis of hole 58
is the same as a thickness 59, measured along the Z-axis, of PCB
28. In one embodiment, hole 58 has a cross-sectional area on the
X-Y plane ranging from between about 0.19 inch.sup.2 to 0.31
inch.sup.2. Moreover, in the exemplary embodiment, hole 58 has a
length 60, ranging from about 12.5 mm to about 14.5 mm, and a width
62, extending substantially parallel to the Y-axis, ranging from
about 1 mm to about 3 mm. In another example, hole 58 has a length
60 that is smaller than a diameter of battery 52 and has width 62
that is slightly longer than a thickness of battery 52. In the
exemplary embodiment, a portion 64, indicated between dotted lines,
of battery 52 extends through PCB hole 58 from a top surface 38 of
PCB 28 to a bottom surface 66 of PCB 28. When portion 64 extends
through hole 58, battery 52 is oriented substantially
perpendicularly with respect to top surface 38. In the exemplary
embodiment, bottom surface 66 is substantially parallel to top
surface 38.
[0022] Battery 52 is positioned in a desired location relative to
hole 58. For example, when battery 52 is positioned within hole 58,
battery 52 extends a distance 68 from top surface 38 and a point 70
on a circumference of battery 52. Additionally, a portion 64
extends a distance 72 from bottom surface 66 and a point 74 on
circumference of battery 52. For example, in one embodiment, of the
distance 68 is about 0.54 inches and the distance 72 is between
about 0.06 inches and about 0.075 inches. In the exemplary
embodiment, when portion 64 extends through hole 58, battery 52 is
originated substantially perpendicularly with respect to top
surface 38. Moreover, when portion 64 is extended through hole 58,
battery 52 is supported within hole 58 such that a likelihood of
battery 52 tilting with respect to the Z-axis is facilitated to be
reduced.
[0023] In another embodiment, a user manually inserts battery 52
within hole 58. For example in another embodiment, hole 58 could be
shaped and/or oriented to enable battery 52 to be inserted from any
other direction relative to hole 58. In yet another embodiment,
battery 52 is originated obliquely with respect to top surface 38.
Hole 58 may have any cross-sectional shape or size.
[0024] FIG. 3 is a front-view of an alternative system 100 for use
in coupling a battery 52 within an embedded system (not shown in
FIG. 3). FIG. 4 is a perspective view of system 100. System 100
includes battery 52, a plurality of contact members 102 and 104, a
plurality of wire traces 106 and 108, a plurality of contact pads
110 and 112, and PCB 28. Contact members 102 and 104 are fabricated
from a conductive metal. In the exemplary embodiment, a machine
(not shown) is used to fabricate contact members 102 and 104. When
fabricated, wire traces 106 and 108 are embedded within PCB 28, and
contact pads 110 and 112 are embedded within PCB top surface 38.
Contact pad 110 is electrically connected to wire trace 106 and
wire trace 106 is electrically coupled to an electrical device 114,
such as a processor or a memory device. Contact pad 112 is
electrically coupled to wire trace 108 and wire trace 108 is
electrically coupled to electrical device 114.
[0025] After battery 52 is inserted within hole 58, in the
exemplary embodiment, adhesive is deposited at specific positions
on contact pads 110 and 112, and contact members 102 and 104 are
positioned to contact the adhesive deposited on contact pads 110
and 112. Moreover, contact member 104 is positioned to contact
positive terminal 54, and contact member 102 is positioned to
contact negative terminal 56.
[0026] When heated and/or cured, the adhesive facilitates securing
contact member 104 to contact pad 110 and contact member 102 to
contact pad 112. An electrical connection is established between
electrical device 114 and battery 52 after contact member 104 is
secured to contact pad 110 and after contact member 102 is secured
to contact pad 112. Upon establishing the electrical connection,
battery 52 may supply power to electrical device 114. When battery
52 is inserted between contact members 102 and 104, contact member
102 biases battery 52 against contact member 104 to reduce a chance
of battery 52 from tilting with respect to the Z-axis. Similarly,
when battery 52 is inserted between contact members 102 and 104,
contact member 104 biases battery 52 against contact member 102. In
an alternative embodiment, contact members 102 and/or 104 are
secured with respective contact pads 112 and/or 110 with a
mechanical fastener, such as a screw.
[0027] FIG. 5 is a front-view of an alternative system 150 for use
in coupling battery 52 within an embedded system (not shown). FIG.
6 is a perspective view of an exemplary battery holder 152 and a
contact member 154 used with system 150. System 150 includes
battery holder 152, battery 52, and contact member 154. In the
exemplary embodiment, battery holder 152 is fabricated from a
conductive metal and includes a plurality of prongs 156, 158, 160,
and 162 that are oriented generally parallel to the Y-axis from a
body 164 of battery holder 152. Battery holder 152 also includes a
plurality of flaps 166 and 168 that extend from body 164 in a
direction that is generally opposite from prongs 156, 158, 160, and
162, such that a cavity 170 is defined between flaps 166 and 168.
In the exemplary embodiment, a molding machine is used to form
battery holder 152.
[0028] In the exemplary embodiment, a hole 172 is created within
PCB 28. For example, in the exemplary embodiment, a depth of hole
172, is the same as thickness 59 of PCB 28. In the exemplary
embodiment, hole 172 has a length 171, measured substantially
parallel to the X-axis, that is longer than a diameter of battery
52, and a width 173, measured substantially parallel to the Y-axis,
that is wider than a width 62 of battery 52.
[0029] Battery holder 152 is inserted in cavity 170 such that
prongs 156 and 158 extend above top surface 38 and such that prongs
160 and 162 extend below bottom surface 66. More specifically, in
the exemplary embodiment, prongs 156 and 158 are substantively
parallel to top surface 38, and prongs 160 and 162 are
substantively parallel to bottom surface 66. In the exemplary
embodiment, top surface 38 is oriented in the Z-direction, and
bottom surface 66 is oriented in a direction opposite to the
Z-direction. Moreover, flap 166 is substantially parallel to top
surface 38 and flap 168 is substantially parallel to bottom surface
66.
[0030] After adhesive is placed on contact pad 112, in the
exemplary embodiment, contact member 154 is positioned against
contact pad 112, and contact member 154 is positioned in contact
with battery negative terminal 56.
[0031] After battery holder 152 is positioned such that either
prong 156 and/or 158 contacts contact pad 110 and such that contact
member 154 contacts contact pad 112, the adhesive is heated/cured
to secure prong 156 and/or 158 with contact pad 110 and contact
member 154 with contact pad 112. When contact member 154 is secured
to contact pad 112 and battery holder 152 is secured to contact pad
110, an electrical connection is established between battery 52 and
electrical device 114 such that power may be supplied to electrical
device 114. When battery holder 152 is placed with respect to PCB
28, a portion 176, shown between dotted lines, of battery 52
extends through PCB hole 172 and a portion 178, shown between
dotted lines, of battery 52 extends through PCB hole 172. Moreover,
when portion 176 extends within hole 172, a vertical distance 180
between a top surface 182 of flap 166 and top surface 38 ranges
from about 0.34 inch to 0.54 inch and a vertical distance 184
between a bottom surface 186 of flap 168 and bottom surface 66
ranges from about 0.06 inch to 0.09 inch. When portion 176 of
battery holder 152 extends within hole 172 and a portion of battery
152 is placed within cavity 170, flap 168 of battery holder 152
supports battery 152 to reduce a chance of battery 52 falling
through hole 172. When portion 176 of battery holder 152 extends
within hole 172 and a portion of battery 52 is placed within cavity
170, contact member 154 applies a force biased towards battery
holder 152 to support battery 52 to reduce a chance of battery 52
tilting with respect to the Z-axis.
[0032] In another embodiment, hole 172 is the same size as hole 58
(shown in FIG. 2). In yet another alternative embodiment, prong 160
and/or 162 contacts bottom surface 66 when the prong 160 and/or 162
is substantially parallel to bottom surface 66.
[0033] In yet another embodiment, battery holder 152 does not
include at least one of prongs 156, 158, 160, and 162. In another
alternative embodiment, battery holder 152 includes more or less
than four prongs 156, 158, 160, and 162. In another embodiment,
battery holder 152 does not include any of prongs 156, 158, 160,
and/or 162, and adhesive is used to secure battery holder body 164
with contact pad 110. In another alternative embodiment, contact
member 154 is the same as either contact member 102 and/or 104
(shown in FIG. 5).
[0034] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an exemplary system 200 for
use in coupling battery 52 within an embedded system (not shown).
System 200 includes a battery cap 202, battery 52, PCB 28, a
plurality of contact members 204 and 206, contact pads 110 and 112,
and a plurality of contact receptacles 208 and 210. In the
exemplary embodiment, hole 58 has a length that is smaller than a
diameter of battery 52 and has width that is slightly longer than a
thickness of battery 52. In the exemplary embodiment, contact
receptacle 208 includes a hole 212 that extends through contact
receptacle 208, and contact receptacle 210 includes a hole 214 that
extends through contact receptacle 210. For example, in the
exemplary embodiment, a depth of hole 212 is the same as a
thickness 213 of contact receptacle 208. As another example, a
depth of hole 214 is the same as a thickness 215 of contact
receptacle 210. Contact receptacles 208 and 210 are coupled to top
surface 38 via a contact medium, such as solder or a screw. Each
contact member 204 and 206 is fabricated from a conductive metal.
Moreover, each contact member 204 and 206 may be formed in a way as
to act as a spring. Battery cap 202 includes a cavity 216 sized to
receive a portion of battery 52. When fabricated, a portion 218 of
contact member 204 extends beyond an internal face 220 of battery
cap 202 into cavity 216 and a portion 222 of contact member 206
extends outside an internal face 224 of battery cap 202 into cavity
216. In the exemplary embodiment, each internal face 220 and 224
opposes cavity 216. A portion 226 of contact member 204 remains
embedded within battery cap 202 and a portion 228 of contact member
206 remains embedded within battery cap 202. A portion 230 of
contact member 204 extends outward battery cap 202 towards PCB top
surface 38 and another portion 232 of contact member 206 extends
outward battery cap 202 towards top surface 38. In the exemplary
embodiment, each portion 230 and 232 is a contact pin. A molding
machine, in the exemplary embodiment, is used to fabricate battery
cap 202 and to embed portions 226 and 228 within battery cap
202.
[0035] After battery 52 is positioned within hole 58, battery cap
202 is positioned such that portion 230 is substantially aligned
with hole 212 and such that portion 230 extends through hole 212.
Moreover, when battery 52 is positioned within hole 58, battery cap
202 is positioned such that portion 232 is aligned with hole 214
and contact member portion 232 extends through hole 214. Portion
230 extends through hole 212 and contacts with wire trace 106 via
contact pad 110. Portion 232 extends through hole 214 and contacts
wire trace 108 via contact pad 112.
[0036] Moreover, when contact is established between portions 230
and 232 and respective wire traces 106 and 108, contact is
established between contact member 204 and positive terminal 54,
and between contact member 206 and negative terminal 56. When
contact is established between portion 230 and wire trace 106,
between portion 232 and wire trace 108, between positive terminal
54 and contact member 204, and between negative terminal 56 and
contact member 206, an electrical connection is established between
battery 52 and electrical device 114. Moreover, when electrical
connection is established between battery 52 and electrical device
114, battery cap 202 supports battery 52 in a generally vertical
orientation that is substantially parallel with respect to the
Z-axis.
[0037] In an alternative embodiment, adhesive is dispensed on
contact pad 110 and contact pad 112. Upon placement of battery cap
202, the adhesive is cured to secure portion 230 to contact pad 110
and portion 232 to contact pad 112. When portion 230 is secured to
contact pad 110 and portion 232 is secured to contact pad 112,
contact member 204 contacts with battery 52, and contact member 206
contacts battery 52, an electrical connection is established
between battery 52 and electrical device 114 such that power may be
supplied to electrical device 114.
[0038] FIG. 8 is a front perspective view of an exemplary system
250 for use in coupling battery 52 within an embedded system (not
shown). FIG. 9 is a rear perspective view of system 250 and FIG. 10
is yet another perspective view of system 250. FIG. 11 is a
cross-sectional view of an embodiment of system 250. System 250
includes a battery holder 252, a contact member 254, a contact
member 256, battery 52, and PCB 28. Battery holder 252 includes a
plurality of prongs 258 and 260, contact member 254 includes a
spring contact 262, and contact member 256 includes a spring
contact 264. Battery holder 252 also includes a plurality of arms
265 and 267 that support battery 52 to facilitate reducing a
likelihood of battery 52 tilting with respect to the Z-axis.
[0039] In the exemplary embodiment, prongs 258 and 260 extend
substantially parallel from a main body 268 of battery holder 252,
and battery holder 252 includes a slot 270 that extends through a
back surface 272 of battery holder 252. Battery holder 252 also
includes a plurality of side arms 274 and 276 that extend
substantially perpendicularly from main body 164. Battery holder
252 includes a cavity 277 defined between arms 265 and 267. Contact
member 254 is coupled within battery holder 252 at a plurality of
contact points 280 and 282.
[0040] When contact member 256 is attached to battery holder 252, a
protrusion 288 of contact member 256 extends into cavity 277.
Protrusion 288 may be of any shape or size. More specifically, when
contact member 254 is coupled to battery holder 252, a protrusion
290 of contact member 154 extends into cavity 277 via battery
holder slot 270.
[0041] Battery holder 252 is fabricated from a nonconductive
material. In the exemplary embodiment, a molding machine is used to
fabricate battery holder 252.
[0042] In an alternative embodiment, battery holder 252 includes a
first protrusion (not shown) at contact point 280 and a second
protrusion (not shown) at contact point 282, and contact member 254
includes a first recess (not shown) that is substantially
complementary to the first protrusion and contact member 254
includes a second recess (not shown) that is substantially
complementary to the second protrusion. In another alternative
embodiment, battery holder 252 includes a first protrusion (not
shown) at contact point 284 and a second protrusion (not shown) at
contact point 286, and contact member 256 includes a first recess
(not shown) that is substantially complementary to the first
protrusion and contact member 256 includes a second recess (not
shown) that is substantially complementary to the second
protrusion.
[0043] In yet another embodiment, battery holder 252 includes a
first recess (not shown) at contact point 280 and a second recess
(not shown) at contact point 282, and contact member 254 includes a
first protrusion (not shown) that is substantially complementary to
the first recess and contact member 254 includes a second
protrusion (not shown) that is substantially complementary to the
second recess. In another alternative embodiment, battery holder
252 includes a first recess (not shown) at contact point 284 and a
second recess (not shown) at contact point 286, and contact member
256 includes a third protrusion (not shown) that is substantially
complementary to the third recess (not shown) and contact member
256 includes a fourth protrusion (not shown) that is substantially
complementary to the fourth recess (not shown).
[0044] Each contact member 254 and 256 is fabricated from a
conductive metal. A stamping machine, in the exemplary embodiment,
is used to fabricate contact members 254 and 256.
[0045] A plurality of holes 292, 294, 296, 298, and 300 are formed
to extend through PCB 28. For example, a depth (not shown) of any
of holes 294, 296, 298, and 300 is the same as thickness 59 of PCB
28. Hole 292 may be the same as hole 58 (shown in FIG. 2) or hole
172 (shown in FIG. 6). Hole 298 has a length substantially parallel
to the X-axis that is longer than a thinnest portion of prong 258.
Moreover, holes 300 and 298 each have dimensions that are
substantially complimentary to that of prongs 260 and 258. Further,
holes 294 and 296 have dimensions that are substantially
complimentary to that of contact springs 254 and 256.
[0046] In the exemplary embodiment, battery 52 is positioned within
a portion of battery holder 252 to establish contact between
positive terminal 54 and protrusion 288, and via slot 270, between
protrusion 290 and negative terminal 56. Moreover, prong 258 is
extended through hole 298, prong 260 is extended through hole 300,
contact spring 254 is extended through hole 294, and contact spring
256 is extended through hole 296. When prongs 258 and 260 are
extended through holes 298 and 300, respectively, battery holder
252 is secured with respect to PCB 28 and supports battery 52.
Moreover, when contact springs 254 and 256 are extended through
holes 294 and 296, respectively, contact is established between
contact spring 254 and contact pad 110, and contact is established
between contact spring 256 and contact pad 112, and each respective
spring 254 and 256 is then soldered to each respective pad 110 and
112. Additionally, when contact spring 254 extends through hole 294
and contact spring 256 extends through hole 296, a distance 293
between contact springs 254 and 256 ranges from about 0.80 inches
to about 0.86 inches.
[0047] Battery holder 252 may have a varying thickness along the
Y-axis to accommodate a raised portion of battery 52. For example,
in the exemplary embodiment, a portion 304 of main body 268 is
thinner than the remaining portion of main body 268. In another
alternative embodiment, main body 268 of battery holder 252 has
approximately the same thickness along the Y-axis. In another
alternative embodiment, main body 268 of battery holder 252 has
approximately the same thickness along the Y-axis, but may be of
any dimension to accommodate battery 52 of various thicknesses.
[0048] In an alternative embodiment, protrusion 290 includes one or
more projections, such as bumps, that face battery 52 and are in
contact with battery 52 when protrusion 290 extends through slot
270. In another embodiment, contact member 256 includes one or more
projections, such as bumps, that face battery 52 and that are in
contact with battery 52. In yet another alternative embodiment,
contact member 256 does not include protrusion 288 but does include
one or more projections that contact battery 52. In an alternative
embodiment, protrusion 290 is divided into two sections with a
slit, allowing for dual, independent contact points.
[0049] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of an exemplary embedded
system 400. In the exemplary embodiment, embedded system 400
includes a plane 402, such as a midplane or a backplane, and a
plurality of modular boards with volumes 404 and 406. The board in
volume 404 includes a PCB 408 and the board in volume 406 includes
a PCB 410. Each volume 404 and 406 may house a single-board
computer. PCB 28 (shown in FIG. 2) is an example of any of PCBs 408
and 410. Any of systems 50, 100, 150, 200, and/or 250 (shown in
FIGS. 1-5 and 7-12) are sized to fit within either volume 404
and/or 406. The cross-sectional area on the xy plane of each PCB
408 and 410 is limited and defined by any of a Compact Peripheral
Component Interface (CompactPCI) specification, Versa Module
Eurocard (VME), and an Advanced Telecom Computing Architecture
(AdvancedTCA) specification. In the exemplary embodiment, both the
CompactPCI and AdvancedTCA specifications are provided by PCI
Industrial Computer Manufacturers Group (PICMG) and VME
specifications are provided by the VITA Standards Organization
(VSO). Further, a depth, in the z-direction, of each volume 404 and
406 is controlled by one of CompactPCI, VME, and AdvancedTCA
standards. For example, in the exemplary embodiment, vertical
distances 68 and 72 (shown in FIG. 1) conform to one of the
CompactPCI and AdvancedTCA standards. As another example, vertical
distances 180 and 184 (shown in FIG. 5) conform to one of the
CompactPCI, VME, and AdvancedTCA standards. In an alternative
embodiment, embedded system 400 includes any number of industry
standard or custom volumes.
[0050] In each embodiment illustrated herein, the use of dual
contacts facilitates a more reliable connection to the respective
battery. Moreover, the use of dual contacts and a recess in the
cavity that accepts the battery, helps to keep prevents the battery
from being inadvertently installed backwards. More specifically, a
recess in the Y-axis is complementary to a raised portion of the
battery, helping to prevent the insertion of the battery in the
wrong orientation. Furthermore, in each embodiment, one contact is
located along the Z-axis, for example, and the second contact is
located at a significantly different orientation than the first
contact, such that a battery installed incorrectly would not touch
one of the two contacts. As a result, each respective battery
holder is essentially "Murphy-proofed,"such that the battery will
only fit within the holder in one orientation, or at the least, in
cases where the battery were forced into the holder, wouldn't touch
both contacts.
[0051] Technical effects of the herein described methods and
systems for coupling battery 52 include providing systems 50, 100,
150, 200, and 250, (shown in FIGS. 1-5 and 7-12) that comply with
one of the CompactPCI, VME, and AdvancedTCA standards. A mounting
depth of any battery 52 used with any of systems 50, 100, 150, 200,
and 250 positions the battery such that it conforms to volumes
defined in the specifications provided by one of the CompactPCI,
VME, or AdvancedTCA standards. Other technical effects include a
reduction in occupancy of the cross-sectional area by 67% by any of
holes 58, 172, and 292. The reduction in the cross-sectional area
by any of holes 58, 172, and 292 leaves more cross-sectional space
on PCB 28 for attaching electrical devices to PCB 28.
[0052] Exemplary embodiments of a method and systems for coupling a
battery are described above in detail. The systems are not limited
to the specific embodiments described herein. For example, the
systems may be used in combination with other electrical
systems.
[0053] While various embodiments of the invention have been
described, those skilled in the art will recognize that
modifications of these various embodiments of the invention can be
practiced within the spirit and scope of the claims.
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