Battery device and loading device for battery device

Claim 2

The battery device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the battery housing unit (1B) is formed by a spacing delimited by a continuous inner wall section having an arcuate cross-section for holding plural batteries, each having a substantially columnar cross-section, and said discrimination groove (4) is formed in the loading surface section (1C) in a thickened portion of the inner wall section.

Claim 3

The battery device as claimed in claim 2, wherein at least a pair of guide recesses (9A - 9D) are formed in lateral surface sections of the casing extending at right angles to the loading surface section (1C), parallel to the loading direction, at an outer periphery of the casing, said discrimination groove (4) being located at a position offset relative to the centerline of the loading surface section (1C) and the beginning end of the guide recess (9A) being closer to said abutment surface (1D) than the terminal end of the discrimination groove.

Claim 4

The battery device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mounting recesses (9A - 9D) comprise mounting recesses parallel to each other and a charging discrimination member (7) is movably mounted facing the mounting recess for indicating that the battery is non-charged or charged.

Claim 5

The battery device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the casing (1A) has terminals (12A, 12B) at the respective ends of the lateral surface (1D) provided with the opening end of the discrimination groove (4), said terminals being connected to the battery housed within the battery housing unit.

Claim 6

A mounting device for a battery device (1) comprising : a casing (1A) having a battery housing unit (1B) therein and having a loading surface section (1C) on a lateral surface on the outer periphery thereof, said loading surface section (1C) being connectable to a setting surface section (2B) of a main apparatus (2), and said battery housing unit being adapted for housing at least one battery, wherein said loading surface section (1C) of the casing has a discrimination groove (4) having an opening end opened in an abutment surface (1D) and extending from said opening end parallel to the loading direction of the battery device (1) on the main apparatus (2), said abutment surface (1D) being formed on the loading surface of the casing in a direction at right angles to the loading surface section (1C), and a main apparatus (2) having a casing having in turn a setting surface section (2B) on a lateral side on the outer periphery thereof for loading the battery device (1) thereon, said casing also having a rib-shaped discrimination lug (5) secured at one end thereof to an abutment surface (2E) formed on the setting surface section (2B) at right angles thereto, said discrimination lug (5) being formed integrally with the setting surface section (2B), said discrimination lug (5) on the main apparatus being detachably engagable in said discrimination recess (4) in the battery device.

Claim 7

The loading device for a battery device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the battery device (1) has at least a pair of guide recesses (9A - 9D) on its lateral surfaces extending at right angles to the loading surface section (1C) extending parallel to the loading direction, the discrimination groove (4) being offset with respect to the centerline of the loading surface section (1C), the beginning end of the guide recesses (9A, 9C) being closer to the abutment surface (1D) than the terminal end of the discrimination groove (4), the main apparatus (2) having at least one guide wall section (2C, 2D) on each lateral side of the setting surface section (2B) for extending at right angles to the setting surface section, guide protrusions (10A - 10D) being formed on the inner wall section of the guide wall sections (2C, 2D) and the discrimination protrusion (5) being integrally formed at an offset position with respect to the centerline of the setting surface section (2B), with the beginning end of the guide protrusion (10A, 10C) being closer to the abutment surface (2E) than the terminal end of the discrimination protrusion (5), and wherein in the initial loading state in which the guide protrusion (10A, 10C) provided on the main apparatus (2) is inserted into the guide recess (9A, 9C) formed in the battery device (1), the discrimination protrusion (5) is inserted into the discrimination groove (4) during loading the battery device in the main apparatus.

Claim 8

The loading device for the battery device as claimed in claims 6 or 7, wherein the battery device (1) has a discrimination groove (4) and a mounting recess (9A - 9D) parallel to each other, and a charging discrimation member (7) movably mounted facing the mounting recess for indicating whether the battery is charged or non-charged, and wherein the main apparatus (2) has an actuating portion (8) at the proximal end of the discrimination protrusion (5) for moving inwardly the charging discrimination member (7) provided on the battery device (1).

Claim 9

The battery device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the charging discrimination member (7) has a cut-out groove (7A) facing the setting surface section (2B) of the main apparatus (2), the main apparatus including an engagement protrusion engagable in the cut-out groove (7A) formed in the charging discrimination member in alignment with the actuating portion, and wherein the engagement protrusion is engaged in the cut-out groove (7A) when the loading surface section (1C) of the battery device (1) is detached from the setting surface section (2B) of the main apparatus (2) for extracting and shifting the charging discrimination member (7).