Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
CA 02622962 2008-03-18
WO 2007/033670 PCT/DK2006/000515
1
BATTERY DISPENSER
The present invention relates to a battery dispenser for dispensing batteries
to a
hearing aid.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Handling and replacement of batteries for a hearing aid and other small sized
electrical
devices can be a difficult task for the end user, mainly due to the small size
of the
devices and batteries. The battery lifetime for such devices is relatively
short and thus
frequent replacement of batteries is required.
Currently, batteries for small electrical devices are packed in packages with
e.g. six
batteries. Handling of small batteries may be difficult especially to disabled
persons
and people with bad sight or shaky hands. Typically, a battery for hearing
aids has a
first surface, an opposite second surface and a cylindrical wall connecting
the first and
second surface. Furthermore, batteries for hearing aid devices typically are
provided
with air tabs on the first surface, and the air tabs must be removed to
activate the
battery. Removal of air tabs from the batteries may also be a difficult task.
Patent application US 2003/0102326 describes one type of a dispenser for
miniature
batteries including zink air cells used in hearing aids where the batteries
are positioned
side by side and the first surfaces sharing the same plane. The dispenser
comprises a
base and a cover each rotatable with respect to a common axis, a retractable
push
element and a landing. Air cells are advanced through an opening in the
sidewall by
pushing the batteries sideways onto the landing. Operation of the dispenser
requires
multiple operations including rotation of the base and cover and sliding of
the push
element. Further, one-hand operation of the dispenser is very difficult and in
practice
almost impossible.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Thus according to the above-mentioned and other problems, it is an object of
the
present invention to provide a device for easy and secure handling of small
batteries.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a device for easy
replacement of
batteries in a hearing aid and other small sized electrical devices.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a device that render direct
handling of air
tabs superfluous.
According to the invention, the above-mentioned and other objects are
fulfilled by
provision of a battery dispenser with a housing having a compartment for
CA 02622962 2008-03-18
WO 2007/033670 PCT/DK2006/000515
2
accommodation of at least one battery, each battery having an air tab, the
compartment communicating with the surroundings through a battery outlet
formed in
the housing, a release member movably attached to the housing, and an ejector
member for interaction with the release member in such a way that a battery in
the
housing is ejected through the battery outlet upon activation of the release
member.
Preferably, the air tab of the battery is retained in the battery dispenser
upon ejection of
the battery from the battery dispenser.
Preferably, the battery is ejected through the battery outlet along an ejector
axis
substantially perpendicular to the first surface.
According to the invention, a battery dispenser is provided, comprising a
housing
having a compartment for accommodation of at least one battery, each battery
having
an air tab, the compartment communicating with the surroundings through a
battery
outlet formed in the housing, a reiease member movably attached to the
housing, an
ejector member adapted for interaction with the release member in such a way
that a
first battery in the housing is ejected through the battery outlet upon
activation of the
release member, and a guide member adapted for moving a second battery into
position for subsequent ejection upon activation of the release member,
wherein the air
tab of the first battery is retained in the battery dispenser upon ejection of
the first
battery from the battery dispenser.
Preferably, the compartment for accommodation of at least one battery is a
compartment for accommodation of a plurality of batteries.
Preferably, by activating the release member a first battery is ejected from
the battery
cartridge and a second battery is moved into position for subsequent ejection
of the
second battery.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the second battery is
moved to the
position for ejection, e.g. the initial position of the first battery, before
ejection of the first
battery. In an embodiment of the present invention, the battery cartridge with
the first
battery and the second battery engages with the guide member and rotates upon
activation of the release member, thereby moving the first battery from its
initial position
and the second battery into the initial position of the first battery.
Subsequently, the
ejector member ejects the first battery from the battery dispenser and returns
to its
initial position.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the second battery is moved to
the
position for ejection, e.g. the initial position of the first battery, during
or after ejection of
CA 02622962 2008-03-18
WO 2007/033670 PCT/DK2006/000515
3
the first battery. For example, the guide member may engage with and move,
e.g.
rotate the cartridge and/or the second battery after ejection of the first
battery from the
battery dispenser, whereby the second battery is moved into a position for
subsequent
ejection from the battery cartridge.
It is an important advantage of the present invention that a battery dispenser
according
to the invention can be handled with only one hand.
It is a further advantage of the present invention that a battery when ejected
through
the battery outlet has an orientation that enables easy insertion of the
battery into a
hearing aid.
The release member may be detachably connected to the housing, e.g. in a
simple
snap connection or a bayonet clutch. In one embodiment, the release member is
attached to the ejector member in the housing. The release member may comprise
a
compartment for accommodation of used batteries.
Preferably, the release member is removably attached to the ejector member,
e.g. in a
simple snap connection or a bayonet clutch. However, in one embodiment the
release
member may be fixed to the ejector member, e.g. by gluing or a suitable
locking
device. The release member and the ejector member may form a single member.
Preferably, the housing has an oblong shape extending along a longitudinal
axis.
The battery outlet may comprise a substantially circular opening. The housing
may
comprise a battery guide, such as a tube having a substantially circular cross-
section,
for guiding batteries from the compartment to the battery outlet.
Preferably, the battery dispenser according to the present invention is
adapted to
accommodate a cartridge holding a plurality of batteries. The cartridge may be
discarded after use. Employment of a cartridge further increases user-
friendiiness and
makes the battery dispenser itself reusable.
Preferably, the compartment for accommodation of a plurality of batteries is
adapted to
hold a cartridge that is adapted to accommodate a plurality of batteries, such
as three,
four, five, six or more batteries.
The ejector member is movably positioned in the housing and may comprise an
ejector
pin. Preferably, the ejector member is adapted to engage with and guide a
guide
member in the battery dispenser. In a preferred embodiment, the ejector member
comprises an engagement member, such as a tube, which engagement member is
attached to the ejector pin. Preferably, the engagement member is provided
with at
CA 02622962 2008-03-18
WO 2007/033670 PCT/DK2006/000515
4
least one protrusion, e.g. one, two, three, four, or more protrusions, for
engagement
with one or more guideways in a guide member. In one embodiment, the
engagement
member may have one or more recesses or guideways for engagement with one or
more protrusions in a guide member.
The battery dispenser may comprise an ejector cap. The ejector cap may be
fixed to
the ejector member during assembly. Preferably, the ejector cap functions as a
connection between the ejector member and the release member. The release
member may be removably attached to the ejector cap, e.g. in a simple snap
connection or a bayonet clutch
Furthermore, the battery dispenser may comprise an ejector spring member for
providing tension between the ejector member and the housing, e.g. for holding
and/or
moving the ejector member in relation to the housing upon user movement of the
release member in relation to the housing. The ejector spring member may move
the
ejector member and thus also the release member to its initial position after
ejection of
a battery from the battery dispenser.
Preferably, the ejector member substantially moves along a straight ejector
axis. In a
preferred embodiment of the present invention, the ejector member is adapted
to move
the battery to be ejected along the ejector axis upon activation of the
release member.
In one embodiment, the ejector member further comprises a pair of ejector
arms,
wherein the ejector arms are adapted to grab a battery and move the battery in
relation
to the housing.
According to the present invention, the battery dispenser may further comprise
a guide
member for moving a plurality of batteries, e.g. a cartridge accommodating a
plurality of
batteries, in relation to the housing. The guide member may comprise a guide
pin. In a
preferred embodiment, the guide member comprises a guide pin having at least
one
guideway, e.g. one, two, three, four, or more guideways, that is adapted for
engagement with the ejector member. In one embodiment, the guide pin may have
one
or more protrusions for engagement with an ejector member.
The guide member may engage with the ejector member. Preferably, the guide
member engages with the ejector member in such a way that the guide member
rotates substantially around an ejector axis when the ejector member is moved
along
the ejector axis. Preferably, the guide member rotates in one direction around
the
ejector axis when the ejector member moves in one direction along the ejector
axis and
rotates in the opposite direction around the ejector axis when the ejector
member
CA 02622962 2008-03-18
WO 2007/033670 PCT/DK2006/000515
moves in the opposite direction along the ejector axis. However, the guide
member
may be adapted to provide any suitable rotation of the guide member when the
ejector
member is moved. The guide member may in addition to rotation around the
ejector
axis move along the ejector axis when the ejector member is moved
substantially along
5 the ejector axis.
In one embodiment, the guide member and the ejector member are not engaged,
i.e.
the ejector member may move without substantially moving the guide member
and/or
the guide member may move without substantially moving the ejector member. In
one
embodiment, a user may move the guide member independent of the ejector
member.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the guide member comprises a
piurality of
compartments for accommodation of a piurality of batteries.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the guide member is adapted for
moving a
plurality of batteries, e.g. accommodated in a cartridge, along an axis
substantially
perpendicular to the ejector axis.
Furthermore, the guide member may comprise a guide plate having at least one
protrusion, such as one, two, three, four, or more protrusions, for engagement
with
corresponding recesses in a battery cartridge. In one embodiment, the guide
member
comprises a guide plate having at least one recess, such as one, two, three,
four, or
more recesses, for engagement with corresponding protrusions in a battery
cartridge.
The at least one protrusion or recess in the guide plate may be adapted to
engage with
a battery cartridge in such a way that the battery cartridge rotates with the
guide
member in a forward direction. Preferably, the at least one protrusion or
recess in the
guide plate is shaped such that the battery cartridge substantially does not
engage with
the guide member when the guide member rotates in a backward direction
opposite the
forward direction.
The guide plate may comprise one or more openings or notches, such as one,
two,
three, four or more openings or notches, to provide access to the battery
cartridge such
that the ejector member can eject a battery from the battery cartridge.
The battery dispenser may comprise a guide cap. Preferably, the guide cap is
fixed to
the guide member during assembly of the battery dispenser.
The battery dispenser may comprise a guide spring member for providing tension
between the housing and the guide member, e.g. for securing engagement of the
guide
member and the battery cartridge during rotation of the guide member and the
cartridge. In one embodiment, the guide spring member provides tension between
the
CA 02622962 2008-03-18
WO 2007/033670 PCT/DK2006/000515
6
housing and the guide member for moving a plurality of batteries and/or a
battery
cartridge accommodating a plurality of batteries.
Preferably, the housing is a two-part housing having a first housing part and
a second
housing part. Preferably, the first housing part and the second housing part
are
assembled in a simple snap connection. However, the first housing part and the
second housing part may comprise threading to be assembled in threaded
engagement, or be assembled in a bayonet ciutch. Preferably, the two parts are
detachably connected and thereby facilitate replacement of a cartridge in the
battery
dispenser.
Preferably, the housing comprises a pivot for supporting and accommodating a
cartridge in rotating engagement in the compartment.
The housing may be adapted to guide one or more members of the battery
dispenser.
For example, the housing may comprise a guideway for guiding the ejector
member.
Furthermore the housing may be adapted such that different parts of the
battery
dispenser can be movably fixed in the housing. For example the housing may
have a
support element extending from the inner side of the housing for movably
fixing
different members of the battery dispenser in the housing. The support element
may
comprise one or more openings.
It is desired that a battery cartridge substantially can oniy rotate in one
direction when
positioned in the housing. Thus, the housing may comprise at least one stop
return
member, e.g. one, two, three, four, or more stop return members, which may be
adapted for interaction with a battery cartridge in such a way that the
battery cartridge
can only rotate in one direction in the housing.
A battery stop member may be provided at the battery outlet to prevent
batteries from
falling out of the battery dispenser.
Further, the battery dispenser according to the present invention may comprise
a
battery removal device, such as a magnet, for easy removal of used batteries
from a
small sized electrical device.
In a further aspect of the invention, a battery dispenser system comprising a
battery
dispenser according to the description above and a battery cartridge for
holding a
plurality of batteries is provided. The battery cartridge is adapted for
insertion into the
battery dispenser for ejection of a battery from the battery dispenser upon
actuation of
the release member.
CA 02622962 2008-03-18
WO 2007/033670 PCT/DK2006/000515
7
Preferably, the battery cartridge comprises at least one compartment for
holding a
plurality of batteries.
The battery cartridge is adapted to accommodate a plurality, e.g. three, four,
five, six,
seven, eight or ten batteries. The battery cartridge may comprise one, two,
three, four,
five, six, or more compartments, where each compartment may accommodate one or
more batteries. The battery cartridge may be replaced after use. The
compartment(s)
of the battery cartridge may partly or fully accommodate one or more
batteries.
In a preferred embodiment of the cartridge, the batteries are positioned side
by side
with the first surfaces sharing the same battery plane. The batteries may be
evenly
distributed in a circle or along a straight line. In another embodiment of the
cartridge,
the batteries may be stacked such that the air tab attached to the first
surface of a
battery abuts the second surface of another battery.
In a preferred embodiment, the battery cartridge comprises at least one
recess, such
as one, two, three, four, or more recesses, for engagement with corresponding
protrusions in a guide member. In one embodiment, the battery cartridge
comprises at
least one protrusion, such as one, two, three, four, or more protrusions, for
engagement with corresponding recesses in a guide member.
Preferably, the battery cartridge comprises at least one stop return member
for
interaction with at least one stop return member in the housing in such a way
that the
cartridge is substantially prevented from rotating in a direction in the
housing, e.g. the
backward direction.
Further, each compartment of the at least one compartment in the battery
cartridge
may comprise at least one support element, such as one, two, three, four, or
more
support elements, for supporting and holding a battery in the compartment. The
at least
one support element may comprise one or more protrusions that may be flexible,
e.g.
to compensate for small variations in battery size.
Preferably, the battery cartridge comprises a first cartridge part and a
second cartridge
part that are joined to form the battery cartridge. The battery cartridge may
be adapted
to retain an air tab from a battery when the battery is ejected from the
battery cartridge.
Preferably, the battery cartridge comprises an air tab retaining device for
engagement
with an air tab of a battery in such a way that the air tab is retained in the
battery
cartridge upon ejection of the battery from the cartridge.
In one embodiment, a first cartridge part and a second cartridge part are
assembled in
such a way that the air tabs of the batteries in the battery cartridge are
squeezed
CA 02622962 2008-03-18
WO 2007/033670 PCT/DK2006/000515
8
between the two parts. Hereby, the air tab of a battery is retained in the
cartridge and
thus in the battery dispenser when the battery is ejected from the cartridge
and the
battery dispenser.
In another embodiment, the battery dispenser comprises an air tab retaining
device for
engagement with an air tab of a battery in such a way that the air tab is
retained in the
battery dispenser upon ejection of the battery from the battery dispenser. For
example,
the air tabs may be provided with holes for engagement with an air tab
retaining
device, such as a rod, a hook, or a pair of tweezers, in the battery dispenser
or in a
cartridge.
The air tabs may be fixed mechanically to the cartridge. Alternatively or in
combination,
the air tabs may be fixed to the cartridge with an adhesive or by welding. In
one
embodiment, the air tabs of the batteries are moulded into the cartridge.
Alternatively,
the air tabs may be retained between the battery dispenser and the cartridge.
By retaining the air tabs in the cartridge, separate removal of the air tabs
from the
battery dispenser is avoided, since the air tabs are discarded with the empty
cartridge.
The battery dispenser may further comprise a clip member.
The different parts of the battery dispenser may be made of any suitable
material, such
as a polymer, thermo plastic, metal, ceramics, and/or wood.
According to a further aspect of the invention, a battery cartridge for
holding a plurality
of batteries is provided.
The batteries accommodated in the battery dispenser and/or in the battery
cartridge
according to the invention may be of any suitable type and size, such as p5,
p10, p312,
p13, and p675.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the cartridge is only partly
inserted in the
battery dispenser through a slot in the housing, whereby a part of the battery
cartridge
resides outside the housing during use.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference
to the
accompanying drawings, wherein
Fig. I is a side view of an embodiment of a battery dispenser according to the
present invention,
CA 02622962 2008-03-18
WO 2007/033670 PCT/DK2006/000515
9
Fig. 2 is an exploded view of a battery dispenser according to the present
invention,
Fig. 3 shows a cross section of the battery dispenser in Fig. 1,
Fig. 4 shows another cross section of the battery dispenser in Fig. 1,
Fig. 5 illustrates a first housing part,
Fig. 6 shows cross sections of a second housing part,
Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the second housing part in Fig. 6,
Fig. 8 illustrates an ejector member,
Fig. 9 illustrates a guide member,
Fig. 10 is an exploded view of a battery cartridge with batteries,
Fig. 11 is a perspective view of a first cartridge part,
Fig. 12 is a perspective view of a second cartridge part,
Fig. 13 is a schematical view of an embodiment of the present invention,
Fig. 14 is a schematical view of another embodiment of the present invention,
Fig. 15 schematically illustrates a battery cartridge with batteries, and
Fig. 16 schematically illustrates an embodiment of a battery dispenser
according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Fig. 1 shows a side view of an embodiment of the present invention. The
battery
dispenser 1 has an oblong shape and comprises a two-part housing 2 having a
first
housing part 4 and a second housing part 6. A battery outlet 8 is formed in
the housing.
A release member 10 is movably attached to the housing 2 for moving a battery
out of
the housing 2 through the battery outlet 8. In this embodiment, a clip member
12 is
provided for easy handling of the battery dispenser. The clip member 12 may be
flexible and/or attached to the housing in a flexible joint. Furthermore a
battery removal
device, such as a magnet 13, is provided for easy removal of a battery from a
small
sized electrical device.
Fig. 2 shows an exploded view of the battery dispenser I shown in Fig. 1. In
addition to
the housing 2 and the release member 10, the battery dispenser 1 comprises an
ejector member 14 having an ejector pin 15. An ejector spring member 16 and an
CA 02622962 2008-03-18
WO 2007/033670 PCT/DK2006/000515
ejector cap 18 are provided to movably fix the ejector member 14 in the
housing 2.
Furthermore, the battery dispenser 1 comprises a guide member 20 having a
guide pin
21 with four guideways 22. Furthermore, the guide member 20 comprises a guide
plate
24 having four protrusions 26 for engagement with corresponding recesses in a
battery
5 cartridge. A guide spring member 28 and a guide cap 30 are provided for
movabiy
fixing the guide member 20 in the housing 2. Different parts of the battery
dispenser will
be described in further detail below.
Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 show different cross sections of the battery dispenser 1
according to
the invention. Fig. 3 is a cross section of the battery dispenser as shown in
Fig. 1. Fig.
10 4 shows a cross section perpendicular to the cross section in Fig. 3 along
the line A.
The housing 2 has a compartment 32 that is adapted to accommodate a cartridge
holding a plurality of batteries. The batteries in the compartment 32 are
positioned side
by side with the first surfaces sharing the same battery plane perpendicular
to the
ejector axis indicated by the arrow. The ejector member 14 is moved
substantially
along an ejector axis in the direction indicated by the double arrow in Fig.
3. The first
housing part 4 has a guideway for guiding the ejector member 14 along the
ejector
axis. One end of the ejector spring member 16 supports on a support element 34
of the
first housing part 4 and the other end supports on the ejector cap 18, which
is fixed to
the ejector member 14. The ejector member 14 is moved from its initial
position along
the ejector axis by pressing the release member 10. When the release member 10
is
let go, e.g. after ejection of a battery, the ejector spring member 16 moves
the ejector
member back to its initial position.
The guide member 20 is adapted to engage with the ejector member 14 in such a
way
that the guide member rotates around the ejector axis when the ejector member
is
moved from the initial position as seen in Fig. 3 towards the battery outlet
8. In this
embodiment of the present invention, the guide member rotates an angle of
about 90
or more, such as about 92 or about 94 . The rotation angle may of course be
adjusted
depending on e.g. the number of batteries in the cartridge. One end of the
guide spring
member 28 supports on the support element 34 and the other end supports on the
guide member 20. The guide cap 30 is fixed to the guide member 20, such that
the
guide member can rotate in accordance with the shape of the guideways 22.
Fig. 5 shows a perspective view of the first housing part 4. The guideway 36
on the
inside of the housing guides the ejector member when moved in relation to the
housing.
CA 02622962 2008-03-18
WO 2007/033670 PCT/DK2006/000515
11
Fig. 6 shows cross sections of the second housing part 6. Fig. 6a) is a cross
section
taken along the line A as indicated in Fig. 6b) and Fig. 6d) is a cross
section taken
along the line B as indicated in Fig. 6c). The second housing part 6 has a
tube 60 for
guiding batteries from the compartment towards the battery outlet 8. The tube
60,
functioning as battery guide, has a substantially circuiar cross section
corresponding to
a substantially circular opening forming the battery outlet 8. A pivot 62 is
provided for
supporting and accommodating a cartridge in rotating engagement in the
compartment
for accommodation of a plurality of batteries.
Fig. 7 shows a perspective view of the second housing part 6. The battery
cartridge
rotates around the pivot 62 and batteries are ejected through a battery guide
formed as
a tube 60. The second housing part 6 has four stop return members 64 for
substantially
preventing the battery cartridge from rotating in a direction in the housing.
Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the ejector member 14. The ejector member
comprises
an ejector pin 15. The ejector member 14 further comprises a tube 80
functioning as an
engagement member and having four protrusions 82 on the inside of the tube 80
for
engagement with corresponding guideways in the guide member. The tube 80
encircles at least a part of the guide member. One end 84, the distal end, of
the ejector
pin pushes the battery out of the battery cartridge and thereby ejects the
battery from
the battery dispenser. The other end 86 of the guide pin may be mounted with
an
ejector cap or attached directly to the release member.
Fig. 9 shows perspective views of one embodiment of a guide member. The guide
member 20 comprises a guide pin 21 having four guideways 22 in the form of
four
recesses. The guideways 22 are shaped such that when engaging protrusions of
the
ejector member move along the guide member, the guide member is rotated in
relation
to the ejector member. The form of the respective guideways 22 depends on the
desired rotation angle of the guide member 20. Furthermore, the guide member
20
comprises a guide plate 24 having four protrusions 26. The protrusions 26 are
adapted
to engage with a battery cartridge in such a way that the battery cartridge
rotates with
the guide member in a forward direction. Further, the protrusions 26 are
adapted such
that a battery cartridge substantially does not engage with the guide member
20 when
the guide member rotates in a backward direction opposite the forward
direction.
Further, the guide plate 24 comprises four openings 90 for providing access to
the
battery cartridge such that the ejector member can eject a battery from the
battery
cartridge. The distal end 84 of the ejector member is moved through one of the
openings 90 of the guide member and through one of the aligned openings 114 of
the
CA 02622962 2008-03-18
WO 2007/033670 PCT/DK2006/000515
12
cartridge (see Fig. 11) to eject a battery from the battery cartridge and
through the
battery outlet 8 of the battery dispenser.
Fig. 10 is an exploded view of one embodiment of a cartridge with batteries
for use in
connection with a battery dispenser according to the present invention. The
battery
cartridge 100 is adapted for the battery dispenser 1 illustrated in Fig. 1 and
comprises a
first cartridge part 102 and a second cartridge part 104, which will be
described in
further detail below. The battery cartridge 100 accommodates four batteries
108 with
air tabs 110 attached to a first surface and is adapted to retain an air tab
110 from a
battery when the battery is ejected from the battery cartridge 100. The
batteries 108 in
the cartridge 100 are positioned side by side with the first surfaces sharing
the same
battery plane and evenly distributed in a circle. The battery plane is
substantially
perpendicular to the ejector axis when the cartridge is placed in the battery
dispenser.
When the battery cartridge 100 is assembled, the air tabs 110 of the batteries
108
accommodated in the battery cartridge 100 are squeezed and secured between the
two cartridge parts 102, 104. Hereby, the air tab of a battery is retained in
the cartridge
and thus in the battery dispenser when the battery is ejected from the
cartridge and the
battery dispenser.
Fig. 11 shows different perspective views of the first cartridge part 102 in
Fig. 10. The
first cartridge part 102 has four recesses 112 for engagement with
corresponding
protrusions in a guide member. Furthermore, the first cartridge part 102
comprises four
openings 114 for allowing an ejector member to eject batteries from the
cartridge. Upon
activation of the release member, the ejector member is moved through the
openings
114 and pushes the batteries out of the compartments 120 of the second
cartridge part
(see Fig. 12). Four protrusions 116 are provided for correct assembly of the
first
cartridge part 102 and the second cartridge part 104.
Fig. 12 shows a perspective view of the second cartridge part 104 in Fig. 10.
The
second cartridge part has four compartments 120 for accommodating four
batteries.
Each compartment has three support elements 122 for supporting and holding a
battery in the respective compartment. In this embodiment, a protrusion
constitutes the
support element. The protrusions may be flexible to compensate for deviations
in the
battery size. The second cartridge part 104 has four stop return members 124
for
interaction with at least one stop return member in the housing. At least one
of the stop
return members 124 of the cartridge engage with at least one of the stop
return
members in the housing, to prevent unwanted rotation of the cartridge in the
battery
dispenser. Furthermore, the second cartridge part 104 has four recesses 126
for
CA 02622962 2008-03-18
WO 2007/033670 PCT/DK2006/000515
13
engagement with the four protrusions 116 of the first cartridge part 102. A
central hole
128 is adapted for engagement with the pivot 62 of the battery dispenser, such
that the
cartridge can be pivotally accommodated in the compartment 32 of the battery
dispenser 1.
Fig. 13 is a schematic view of another embodiment of the present invention.
The
battery dispenser 200 has an oblong shape and comprises a housing 202 having a
compartment 203 for accommodating a plurality of batteries and a battery
outlet 204.
The batteries are positioned side by side along a straight line with the first
surfaces
sharing the same battery plane. A release member 206 is movably attached to
the
housing 202 for moving a battery out of the housing 202 through the battery
outlet 204.
Furthermore a battery removal device, such as a magnet 208, is provided for
easy
removal of a battery from a small sized electrical device. A guide spring
member 210
provides tension between the housing 202 and the guide member 212, and the
guide
member moves the batteries towards the position for ejection at the battery
outlet 204.
A single member forms the ejector member and the reiease member. The release
member 206 is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow, i.e. along the
ejector axis
substantially perpendicular to the battery plane, thereby ejecting a battery
through the
battery outlet 204. Upon ejection of a battery, a spring member (not shown)
may move
the release member 206 back to its initial position, and the guide spring
member 210
moves the remaining batteries in the compartment 203 towards the battery
outlet 204.
The air tab of a battery is retained in the battery dispenser, e.g. retained
in a cartridge,
when the battery is ejected through the battery outlet 204. A cartridge may
accommodate the batteries in the compartment. The air tabs of respective
batteries
may be retained in the cartridge after ejection of batteries. In this
embodiment the
guide member 212 moves along an axis substantially perpendicular to the
direction of
movement of the release member 206.
Fig. 14 is a schematic view of another embodiment of the present invention.
The
battery dispenser 300 has an oblong shape and comprises a housing 302 having a
compartment 303 for accommodating a plurality of batteries and a battery
outlet 304. A
release member 306 is movably attached to the housing 302 for moving a battery
out
of the housing 302 through the battery outlet 304. An ejector member 308 is
movably
positioned in the housing and comprises an ejector pin 310. Furthermore, the
battery
dispenser 300 comprises an ejector spring member 312 for providing tension
between
the ejector member 308 and the housing 302 and for moving the ejector member
308
in relation to the housing 302 upon user movement of the release member 306 in
relation to the housing 302. The ejector spring member 312 moves the ejector
member
CA 02622962 2008-03-18
WO 2007/033670 PCT/DK2006/000515
14
308 and thus also the release member 306 to its initial position after
ejection of a
battery from the battery dispenser. In this embodiment, the ejector member 308
further
comprises a pair of ejector arms 314, wherein the ejector arms 314 are adapted
to grab
a battery 316 accommodated in a cartridge 318 and move the battery in relation
to the
housing towards the battery outlet 304. The release member 306 is moved in the
direction indicated by the arrow. The air tab of a battery is retained in the
battery
dispenser 300 when the battery is ejected through the battery outlet 304. The
air tabs
of respective batteries may be retained in the cartridge 318 after ejection of
batteries.
Fig. 15 schematically illustrates one embodiment of a cartridge for use in
connection
with the battery dispenser 300 schematically illustrated in Fig. 14. The
battery cartridge
400 has a compartment 401 accommodating six batteries 402 with air tabs 404.
The
batteries 402 are stacked on top of each other, and the battery cartridge 400
is adapted
to retain an air tab 404 from a battery when the battery is ejected from the
battery
cartridge 400. The battery cartridge 400 has two support elements 406 for
supporting
and holding a battery in the compartment. The air tabs 404 are provided with
holes for
engagement with an air tab retaining device 408. The air tab retaining device
408
comprises a rod.
Fig. 16 schematically illustrates an embodiment of a battery dispenser
according to the
present invention. A cartridge 500 is partly inserted into the battery
dispenser 502
which is very similar to the battery dispenser 1 illustrated in Fig. 1. The
guide member
(not shown) is adapted to rotate the cartridge 500 around an ejector axis
parallel to the
direction indicated by the arrow into the compartment for accommodating at
least one
battery. Further a battery is ejected from the battery dispenser through the
battery
outlet 504 when the release member 506 is activated by pressing the release in
the
direction indicated by the arrow. The first surfaces of the batteries in the
cartridge are
positioned in the same battery plane substantially perpendicular to the
ejector axis as
the batteries of in the battery dispenser of Fig. 1. A pivot, such as a
slidable pivot, in
the battery dispenser engages with a central hole in the cartridge 500 such
that the
cartridge is pivotally accommodated in the compartment. In an embodiment of
the
present invention, the cartridge is pivotally and removably engaged in the
cartridge by
a ball catch principle.
Different features of the different embodiments may be combined in a suitable
manner.
