On/off switching device for an electric apparatus or component

This invention relates to an on/off switching device for an electric apparatus or component that is powered by at least one battery, and to a method for the on/off switching of such an electric apparatus or component.

Incorporating and operating an on/off switch often poses a problem especially in the case of a miniaturized electric apparatus or of electronic micro-equipment. Therefore, given the lack of space, apparatus of that type and especially battery-powered designs are often supplied without an on/off switch, so that the power must be turned off by removing the battery from the unit. This is done for instance by opening the battery compartment, taking the battery out and storing it away from the apparatus.

Since in the case of miniaturized devices the battery is usually quite small as well, storing it becomes a near-impossibility and any handling such as its reinstallation is an extremely complicated matter. There is also a very good chance that in the process the battery is installed the wrong way.

It is therefore the objective of this invention to find a solution to the problem described above.

The proposed solution consists in mounting and retaining the battery in a rotatable battery holder which, when turned, connects or disconnects the battery poles with/from the circuit contacts, thus switching the apparatus on and off, respectively.

The battery holder is preferably so designed that, together with the battery, it can be rotated out of the battery compartment, allowing the battery to be removed and preferably also turned in the mount and to be repositioned in the compartment with the connection between its poles and the corresponding circuit contacts interrupted or reversed.

In another preferred design version the battery can be turned in, or with, the extended battery holder by about 180° so that, when the holder is rotated back into the battery compartment, the battery poles are reversed.

It is further proposed to include in the circuitry of the electric or electronic apparatus or component at least one element which permits the electric current to flow in one direction only so that, when the battery poles are reversed, no current flows through the unit. That element may for instance be a diode circuit or some other suitable element such as an integrated circuit chip.

The battery holder may be cup-shaped, for example, and so designed that when the battery is turned within the holder, it rests against at least two points on the perimeter of the cup, with protrusions provided on that perimeter to prevent the battery from falling out as it is turned. The cup is preferably made from a flexible or elastic substance such as a polymer material.

The battery holder may for instance be of a two-part design, including a flexible or elastic cup-shaped part which allows the battery to be turned, and a largely rigid, lid-shaped part to which the cup is attached and which connects in pivotable fashion to the electric apparatus via a hinge pin. This type of two-part battery holder may be produced for instance by two-component injection molding whereby both the elastic polymer material and the largely rigid polymer material are molded in one simultaneous process.

Also proposed is a method, as specified in claim

8

, for the on/off switching operation of a battery-powered electric or electronic apparatus or component. According to the invention, this method is characterized in that, for switching the apparatus or component off, the battery is held in a mount which is rotated out of the battery compartment, the battery is turned about 180° while the mount is extended, and the battery is then reinserted in the battery compartment with its poles reversed.

The device according to this invention and the method for operating it lend themselves particularly well to the on/off switching of miniaturized units such as hearing aids where for reasons such as dimensional constraints it is difficult to install an on/off switch.

The following will explain this invention in more detail based on design examples and with reference to the attached drawings in which—

FIG. 1

is a perspective view of the battery compartment of an electric apparatus, with a battery holder rotated into the extended position;

FIG. 2

is a frontal top view of the battery holder;

FIG. 3

is a cross-section view of the battery retaining cup as the battery is turned;

FIG. 4

shows another design variation of a retaining cup in the form of a so-called soft case; and

FIG. 5

illustrates yet another design version of a battery holder in which a battery can be turned.

The schematic perspective illustration in

FIG. 1

shows an electric component or apparatus

1

encompassing a battery compartment

3

which features two lateral electric contacts

2

and

4

(contact

4

not visible in

FIG. 1

) and is designed to accommodate a battery for powering the unit

1

.

In the illustration of

FIG. 1

, the battery

11

is retained in a cup

9

rotated into its extended i.e. open position. The retaining cup

9

on its part is attached to a bracket

7

which connects in rotatable fashion to the unit

1

by way of a hinge

5

.

To switch off the unit

1

, the lid-shaped bracket

7

along with the battery

11

is rotated out of the battery compartment

3

into the position depicted in FIG.

1

. Thereupon the battery

11

is turned within the retaining cup

9

by 180° around its own axis, thus reversing the two poles

8

and

10

. This is followed by the reinsertion of the battery

11

in the battery compartment

3

, with the two battery poles now reversed which would normally cause the electric current to flow in the opposite direction. However, components are incorporated in the electric apparatus which permit the current to flow in only one direction, thus ensuring that no current can flow and the unit is switched off. To switch the unit on, the battery

11

is again rotated out of the battery compartment

3

and turned 180° around its own axis. This brings the poles

8

and

10

back into their functional position so that the unit is switched on the moment the battery

11

is reinserted into the battery compartment

3

.

To permit easy turning of the battery

11

in the cup-shaped mount

9

, the latter is preferably shaped as shown in

FIGS. 2 and 3

.

FIG. 2

, which is a frontal top view of the battery and the cup-shaped holder, clearly shows that one of the two lateral sections extends farther out than the other. The rim

13

is correspondingly larger than the rim

15

.

FIG. 3

illustrates the cup-shaped holder

9

of

FIG. 2

as the battery

11

is being turned. The battery pushes against the protruding upper and lower rims

13

which slightly spreads the cup

9

apart, permitting easy turning of the battery. In the process the sections

17

and

19

form a quasi axis of rotation. To prevent the battery

11

from falling out in the forward direction as it is being turned, the lower section

21

of the retaining cup

9

projects past the center of rotation

19

.

Of course, the illustrations in

FIGS. 2 and 3

only depict an example of how the cup-shaped holder

9

may be configured so that the battery

11

can be turned without falling out of the holder. This is important since in the case of miniaturized devices such as hearing aids it is not easy to manipulate the unit when the battery is to be turned. For example, it is essential for elderly persons with motor-function impairment to be able to turn the battery without difficulty for switching a hearing aid on or off.

FIG. 4

is a schematic perspective view of another design variation of the cup-shaped mount

29

. In this design version as illustrated in

FIG. 4

, the retaining cup

29

, in this case in the form of a so-called soft case, is again attached to a bracket

7

which can be rotated around a pivot

5

. The “soft case” is flexible or elastic to a degree where it permits the battery

11

to be turned 180° for instance around the axis formed by the two centers of rotation

27

and

29

, after which it is rotated on the pivot

5

back into the battery compartment.

FIG. 5

depicts another possible design variation of a retaining cup

39

for the mounting of a battery

11

. In contrast to the so-called soft case

29

per

FIG. 4

, the retaining cup

39

consists of an essentially rigid material since there is no need for the battery, once installed in the retaining cup

39

, to be turned. Instead, the retaining cup

39

which is attached to the bracket

7

and permits rotation, around the pivot

5

, out of the battery compartment

41

, can be rotated around another pivot

35

, making a turning of the battery

11

in the retaining cup

39

unnecessary. After the battery has been turned 180° and the poles have thus been “switched”, the battery can be rotated back into the battery compartment.

The essential aspect of this invention is the underlying concept whereby, according to the different solutions described above, the battery is moved out of a battery compartment of the electric apparatus and turned so as to disconnect the poles from the corresponding circuit contacts which conduct the current for the operation of the apparatus. The battery is preferably turned 180° so that in its reinserted position the poles are reversed.

As another possible solution instead of a pivotable battery holder, the battery compartment itself could conceivably be designed along the line of the so-called soft case, so that for reversing the poles the battery can be turned in the battery compartment.

The advantage of the solutions described is based on the fact that an apparatus can be switched on and off without the need for removing the battery from the unit. Moreover, when the apparatus or electric component is switched off, any unintended power consumption is prevented.

In addition, handling the small battery is made very easy and the battery can no longer be lost since it is always located in the battery compartment of the apparatus.