BUTTON BATTERY

Abstract

A battery is provided comprising an anode cap on a first side, and a cathode can on the opposing second side. The anode cap and cathode can be configured together to provide a cylindrical shaped round shaped battery with a peripheral side wall. The battery is modified to have one or more sharp protrusions extending from the peripheral side wall to increase the width and or height of the battery.

Claims

1. A battery comprising an anode cap on a first side, and a cathode can on the opposing second side, the anode cap and cathode can configured together to provide a cylindrical shaped round shaped battery with a peripheral side wall, wherein the battery is modified to have one or more sharp protrusions extending from the peripheral side wall to increase the width and or height of the battery.

2. A battery according to claim 1, wherein the battery is modified to have one or more sharp protrusions extending from the peripheral side wall to increase the width of the battery.

3. The battery according to claim 1, wherein the anode cap defines a bottom surface of the battery and the cathode can defines a top surface of the battery, and the protrusions are arranged towards the top surface of the battery in a plane substantially the same as the plane of the top surface.

4. The battery according to claim 2, wherein the anode cap defines a bottom surface of the battery and the cathode can defines a top surface of the battery, and the protrusions are arranged towards the top surface of the battery in a plane substantially the same as the plane of the top surface.

5. The battery according to claim 1, wherein the protrusions are substantially triangular tooth shaped.

6. The battery according to claim 2, wherein the protrusions are substantially triangular tooth shaped.

7. The battery according to claim 3, wherein the protrusions are substantially triangular tooth shaped.

8. The battery according to claim 4, wherein the protrusions are substantially triangular tooth shaped.

9. An electronic device modified to accommodate the battery according to claim 3.

10. An electronic device modified to accommodate the battery according to claim 5.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0023] Embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings which are not drawn to scale and which are exemplary only and in which:

[0024] FIG. 1 shows some prior art batteries.

[0025] FIG. 2A is a battery according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] FIG. 2B is a battery according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] FIG. 3 is a birds eye view of various embodiments of the battery of FIG. 2.

[0028] FIG. 4 is an alternative embodiment of the battery of the invention in which the protrusions are offset from the top plane of the battery.

[0029] FIG. 5 shows a plurality of the batteries in a pack.

[0030] FIG. 6A is an empty housing in an electronic device for receiving two batteries of the embodiment of e.g., FIG. 2.

[0031] FIG. 6B is the housing of FIG. 6A filled with the batteries.

[0032] FIG. 7 is a side view of the battery of FIG. 2B in the housing of FIG. 6.

[0033] FIG. 8 is a side view of the battery of FIG. 2A in the housing of FIG. 6.

[0034] FIG. 9 is a side view of the battery of FIG. 4 in the housing of FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0035] FIG. 1 shows several prior art small flat round-shaped batteries 8 which are of the type commonly used in small electronic devices. The device that employs the battery can be a watch, a calculator a hearing aid a small toy or any other device that requires the small power cell type of battery.

[0036] FIG. 2 is a cut away of one example of a button battery 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The battery 10 is similar to a prior art battery 8, only it is modified with protrusions 20. Only some of the protrusions 20 are labelled for clarity. The battery 10 comprises a cathode and an anode. The anode and cathode are provided separately in the interior of the battery 10. The housing for the anode and cathode is formed from an anode cap 12 and a cathode can 14. The anode cap 12 is shown as an open cylinder. The anode cap 12 has a diameter smaller than the cathode can 14 so that together they provide the cylindrical shape of the battery 10. A separator 18 can be located between the anode cap 12 and cathode can 14 for insulation. The battery has a peripheral side wall 16 formed by the cylindrical wall of the cathode can 14.

[0037] The peripheral side wall 16 of the battery 10 is modified with sharp protrusions 20. Each sharp protrusion in this embodiment is in the form of a triangular shaped tooth 20 that extends out from the side wall 16. The sharp tooth 20 can cause a pricking or cutting sensation on the skin when touched. In the embodiment shown, the protrusions 20 are integral with material of the cathode can 14 and are formed with it during manufacture. However, it should be understood that the protrusions 20 could be provided as cut outs in a thin strip of metal.

[0038] When the battery 10 is placed in an electronic device, the housing receives the battery with the bottom surface placed into the housing towards the bottom of the cavity and the top surface towards the top and exposed to view. The top surface of the battery usually has various details such as battery size and type etched into it.

[0039] In FIG. 2A, the protrusions 20 are shown towards the bottom side of the battery, the bottom side being the side that is located inside the bottom of a housing when the battery is in use. In FIG. 2B, the protrusions 20 are shown towards the top surface of the battery, the top surface being the side that is can be seen when the battery is in use.

[0040] FIG. 3 shows various embodiments of the battery 10 with different types of sharp protrusions. FIG. 3(a) has wide triangular shaped protrusions 20. FIG. 3(b) has triangular shaped protrusions 20, but they are more of them since the base of each tooth 20 is narrower. There could be a distance between each tooth 20 if desired. In FIGS. 3(d) and 3(e) there are rectangular shaped protrusions 20 spaced around the outside periphery of the battery 10. In FIG. 3(c) the protrusions are rectangular but are waisted so as to provide additional sharpness to their outside edges. The configurations shown in FIG. 3 are not to scale but serve to exemplify that there can be multiple and various types of sharp protrusions 20 around the side wall 16 of battery 10. In each of Figures (a) to (e) the sharp protrusions 20 are in a single plane that is the same as the plane of the top surface of the battery 10. However, as shown in FIG. 4, the protrusions 20 could be offset from the top plane, e.g., by 45 degrees but still provide the same effect. The offset could be by 90 degrees if the protrusions are extended from the outside surface.

[0041] FIG. 5 shows the batteries 10 in a pack 22 ready to be used. The batteries 10 are provided with tweezers 24 that can be used to handle each battery 10 without it pricking the fingers. The user opens the pack 22 and takes control of the tweezers 24. Each battery 10 is handleable using the tweezers 24 to remove it from pack 22 and to place it into a battery housing in an electronic device. If the battery 10 is left unattended inadvertently, the dangerous item is locatable by a child. A child might pick up the battery 10 in curiosity and possibly will put the battery 10 into to their mouth. The sharp protrusions 20 are thought to be a reminder not to leave the battery 10 unattended and a deterrent for the child if they locate the battery 10.

[0042] In order to attach the protrusions 20 to the battery 10 they could be provided to the manufacture or user as a thin metal gasket that is attachable to a prior art battery 8. The thin metal gasket of protrusions 20 could be attachable to the side wall 16 of the battery 10. Alternatively, the sharp protrusions 20 are integrally formed with the cathode can 14 of the battery 10 during manufacture.

[0043] The battery 10 (as shown in FIG. 3) has a diameter D. The diameter of the battery 10 increases to D′ by the presence of the protrusions 20. Due to the increase in diameter to D′, the housing in the electronic device may require modification. FIG. 6A shows a housing 26 for two batteries in an electronic device, a first battery 10 can be placed in receptacle 26′ and a second battery can be placed into receptable 26″. In FIG. 6A, the housing 26 is empty. A cut out shelf 30 is shown around each receptacle 26′ and 26″ which can accommodate the protrusions 20 on each battery 10 respectively. The cut out 30 has a diameter of about D′ or just wider than D′. In FIG. 6B the two batteries 10 are shown placed into the housing 26. The triangular shaped protrusions 20 are shown resting on shelf 30.

[0044] FIG. 7 is a side view of one of the batteries from FIG. 6B. Since the battery 10 is in place, cover 28 is located over the battery to ensure it cannot be removed. A screw 32 is locatable into the cover to hold it firmly into place.

[0045] FIGS. 8 and 9 are a side views of alternative embodiments in which the protrusions 20 are located mid-way (FIG. 9) or towards the bottom surface of the battery 10 (FIG. 8). Due to the location of the protrusions 20, they cannot rest on upper shelf 30 and instead the entire housing 26 must be modified to be wider (just wider than D′) to accommodate battery 10.

[0046] It is to be understood that, if any prior art publication is referred to herein, such reference does not constitute an admission that the publication forms a part of the common general knowledge in the art, in Australia or any other country.

[0047] In the claims which follow and in the preceding description of the invention, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word “comprise” or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising” is used in an inclusive sense, i.e., to specify the presence of the stated features but not to preclude the presence or addition of further features in various embodiments of the invention.

[0048] Any promises made in the present description should be understood to relate to some embodiments of the invention and are not intended to be promises made about the invention as a whole. Where there are promises that are deemed to apply to all embodiments of the invention, the applicant/patentee reserves the right to later delete them from the description and does not rely on these promises for the acceptance or subsequent grant of a patent in any country.