BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
[0001] The present invention relates to an electrode construction of a battery in an electrical
equipment, such as an IC card.
Description of the Prior Art
[0002] Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing a conventional electrode construction of a battery
in an IC card.
[0003] A battery 1 has a minus pole 2 and a plus pole 3. A minus electrode 4 has two minus-pole
contacts 5a and 5b to be connected with the minus pole 2 of the battery 1 respectively,
and a fixing part 6 fixed in a battery chamber (not shown) of an IC card. The fixing
part 6 is electrically connected with an electric circuit (not shown) of the IC card,
the electric circuit having semiconductor elements to store storage data. Both of
the minus-pole contacts 5a and 5b are formed so as to have the same shape (in length,
width, thickness and so on) with each other.
[0004] A plus electrode 7 has two plus-pole contacts 8a and 8b to be connected with the
plus pole 3 of the battery 1 respectively, 80 and a fixing part 9 fixed in the battery
chamber of the IC card. The fixing part 9 is electrically connected with the electric
circuit of the IC card. Both of the plus-pole contacts 8a and 8b are formed so as
to have the same shape with each other.
[0005] When the battery 1 is detachably installed in the battery chamber of the IC card,
the minus pole 2 is electrically connected with the minus electrode 4 through the
minus-pole con tacts 5a and 5b, while the plus pole 3 is electrically connected
with the plus electrode 7 through the plus-pole contacts 8a and 8b. Thus, an electrical
power of the battery 1 is nected with the plus electrode 7 through the plus-pole contacts
8a and 8b. Thus, an electrical power of the battery 1 is supplied to the electric
circuit of the IC card through the minus and plus electrodes 4 and 7.
[0006] Now, the minus-pole contacts 5a and 5b of the minus electrode 4 have a characteristic
frequency
ω, respectively. The characteristic frequency
ω is given by the following definition:
ω = F (ℓ, E, I, m)
where
ℓ is a length of the minus-pole contact,
E is a longitudinal section modulus,
I is a moment of inertia, and
m is a linear density.
[0007] As is apparent from the definition (1), the minus-pole contacts 5a and 5b have the
same characteristic frequency with each other since they have the same shape, and
the plus-pole contacts 8a and 8b have the same characteristic frequency with each
other by the same reason.
[0008] Therefore, when an oscillation having a frequency resonating with respect to the
characteristic frequency of the minus-pole contacts 5a and 5b is applied to the IC
card, both of the minus-pole contacts 5a and 5b simultaneously oscillate and move
away from the minus pole 2 of the battery 1, whereby the power supply from the battery
1 to the electric circuit of the IC card is cut off eliminating the storage data stored
in the semiconductor elements of the electric circuit.
[0009] Accordingly, a principal object of the present invention is to provide an electrode
construction of a battery in an electrical equipment which can maintain a power supply
from the battery through the minus and plus electrodes in a reliable manner, even
if an oscillation with any frequency is applied to the electrical equipment and the
respective electrodes.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] The present invention is directed to an electrode construction of a battery in an
electrical equipment, wherein the electrical equipment comprises a battery chamber,
a plus electrode and minus electrode provided in the battery chamber, respectively,
and a battery having a plus pole to be connected with the plus electrode and a minus
pole to be connected with the minus electrode in a state so that the battery is detachably
installed in the battery chamber. The inventive electrode construction is characterized
in that the plus electrode and/or the minus electrode comprise a plurality of contacts
to be connected with the battery, at least two contacts out of the plurality of contacts
having a different shape from each other.
[0011] According to the present invention, since at least two contacts out of a plurality
of contacts in an electrode have a different shape from each other, the characteristic
frequencies of these contacts are different from each other. As a result, when a
contact is resonating by the frequency of an oscillation applied to the electrical
equipment, the other contact keeps in contact with the battery without resonating.
[0012] These and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention
will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present
invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013]
Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an IC card to which an embodiment of the present
invention is applied;
Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view of a main part of the IC card;
Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the main part of the IC card;
Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of an electrode construction according
to the present invention;
Figs. 5 and 6 are perspective views showing modified examples of an electrode, respectively;
and
Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing a conventional electrode construction of a battery
in an IC card.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0014] Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an IC card to which an embodiment of the present
invention is applied, Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view of a main part of the
IC card, Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the main part of the IC card. Fig.
4 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of an electrode construction according
to the present invention.
[0015] An IC card 10 has a body 11 in which an electric circuit 12 is formed. The electric
circuit 12 has semiconductor elements to store storage data. A battery chamber 13
is formed in the body 11, and the battery 1 having a minus pole 2 and a plus pole
3 is detachably installed in the battery chamber 13 through a battery holder 14. The
battery holder 14 has a supporting part 15 for supporting the battery 1 and convex
parts 16 for detachably engaging with recessed parts 17 formed in the battery chamber
13, respectively.
[0016] A minus electrode 4 has two minus-pole contacts 5a and 5b to be connected with the
minus pole 2 of the battery 1, respectively, and a fixing part 6 fixed in the battery
chamber 13. The fixing part 6 is electrically connected with the electric circuit
12. Both of the minus-pole contacts 5a and 5b are formed in a strip-shape. respectively,
and having a different length from each other.
[0017] A plus electrode 7 has two plus-pole contacts 8a and 8b to be connected with the
plus pole 3 of the battery 1, respectively, and a fixing part 9 is fixed in the battery
chamber 13. The fixing part 9 is electrically connected with the electric circuit
12. Both of the plus-pole contacts 8a and 8b are formed so as to have the same shape
with each other.
[0018] When the battery 1 is detachably installed in the battery chamber 13 of the IC card
10 through the battery holder 14, the minus pole 2 of the battery 1 is electrically
connected with the minus electrode 4 through the minus-pole contacts 5a and 5b, while
the plus pole 3 is electrically connected with the plus electrode 7 through the plus-pole
contacts 8a and 8b. Thus, an electrical power of the battery 1 is supplied to the
electric circuit 12 through the minus and plus electrodes 4 and 7.
[0019] According to the electrode construction, since the minus-pole contacts 5a and 5b
have a different length from each other, the characteristic frequencies of the minus-pole
contacts 5a and 5b are different from each other. Therefore, when an oscillation having
a frequency resonating with respect to the characteristic frequency of the minus-pole
contact 5a is applied to the IC card 10, the minus-pole contact 5a will oscillate
and move away or depart from the minus pole 2 of the battery 1. However, the minus-pole
contact 5b will neither oscillate nor depart from the minus pole 2 at this very frequency
which is different from its characteristic frequency, so that the electric power of
the battery 1 will be applied to the electric circuit 12 through the minus pole contact
5b.
[0020] On the other hand, when an oscillation having a frequency resonating with respect
to the characteristic frequency of the minus-pole contact 5b is applied to the IC
card 10, the minus-pole contact 5b will oscillate and move away or aepart from the
minus pole 2 while the minus-pole contact 5a will neither oscillate nor depart from
the minus pole 2 at this very frequency which is different from its characteristic
frequency, so that the electric power of the battery 1 will be applied to the electric
circuit 12 through the minus-pole contact 5a. Thus, it is possible to prevent the
storage data stored in the semiconductor elements of the electric circuit 12 from
being eliminated.
[0021] In the above embodiment, although the minus-pole contacts 5a and 5b are formed so
as to have a different length from each other, the minus-pole contacts 5a and 5b may
also be formed so as to have a different width from each other as shown in Fig. 5
or to have a different thickness from each other as shown in Fig. 6.
[0022] In the above embodiments, although only the minus-pole contacts 5a and 5b are formed
so as to have a different shape from each other , it is also possible according to
the invention that only the plus-pole contacts 8a and 8b are formed so as to have
a different shape from each other, or that alternatively both of the minus-pole contacts
5a and 5b and the plus-pole contacts 8a and 8b are formed so as to have a different
shape from each other, respectively.
[0023] In the above embodiment, although the minus and plus electrodes 4 and 7 have two
contacts respectively, the number of the contacts may also be three or more. In a
case where three or more contacts are formed at the electrode, at least two contacts
out of these contacts may be formed so as to have a different shape from each other.
[0024] In the above embodiment, although the present invention has been described with reference
to an electrode construction of a battery in an IC card, it can be broadly employed
to an electrode construction of a battery in an electrical equipment.
[0025] Although the present invention has been described and illustrated in detail, it
is clearly understood that the same is by way of illustration and example only and
is not to be taken by way of limitation, the spirit and the scope of the present invention
being limited only by the terms of the appended claims.
1. An electrode construction of a battery (1) in an electrical equipment comprising
a battery chamber (13), a plus electrode (7) and a minus electrode (4) respectively
provided in the battery chamber (13), and a battery (1) having a plus pole (3) to
be connected with the plus electrode (7) and a minus pole (2) to be connected with
the minus electrode (4) in a state of that the battery (1) is detachably installed
in the battery chamber (13), wherein the plus electrode (7) and/or the minus electrode
(4) comprises a plurality of contacts (8a, 8b; 5a, 5b) to be connected with the battery
(1), at least two contacts out of the plurality of contacts (8a, 8b; 5a, 5b) having
a different shape from each other.
2. The electrode construction of a battery in an electrical equipment in accordance
with claim 1, wherein the contacts (8a, 8b; 5a, 5b) are formed in a strip-shape, respectiveley,
and have a different length from each other.
3. The electrode construction of a battery in an electrical equipment in accordance
with claim 1 or 2, wherein the contacts (8a, 8b; 5a, 5b) are formed in a strip-shape,
respectively, and have a different width from each other.
4. The electrode construction of a battery in an electrical equipment in accordance
with any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the contacts (8a, 8b; 5a, 5b) are formed in a strip-shape,
respectively, and have a different thickness from each other.
5. The electrode construction of a battery in an electrical equipment in accordance
with any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the electrical equipment is an IC card (10) which
further comprises an electric circuit (12) having semiconductor elements to store
storage data, the battery (1) supplying an electric power to the electric circuit
(12) to cause the electric circuit (12) to hold the storage data.