초록 ▼

Disclosed is a quick change battery drawer for rapidly substituting a fresh battery for an exhausted battery in the battery drawer of an external, battery powered therapeutic electrical stimulator while the stimulator continues to emit electrical stimulation to treat a patient. A push button is norm

Disclosed is a quick change battery drawer for rapidly substituting a fresh battery for an exhausted battery in the battery drawer of an external, battery powered therapeutic electrical stimulator while the stimulator continues to emit electrical stimulation to treat a patient. A push button is normally biased outward and a release member latches the battery drawer in the latched position through the interaction of first catches on the battery drawer and second catches on the release member. The terminals of a battery loaded in the battery drawer bear against and compress spring terminals that thereby spring load the battery drawer with a bias force and assist in keeping the battery drawer latched. When the release button is depressed, the first and second catches are disengaged, and the bias force acts to eject the battery and battery drawer forcefully into an ejected position where the battery drawer is prevented from completely ejecting from the side opening. In the ejected position, the battery can be grasped and easily removed. A fresh battery is inserted into the battery drawer, and the user manually presses against the drawer end cap against the spring terminal bias force until the first and second catches are engaged. The spring loaded catches and the use of seals around the end cap and release button allows the tolerances between the battery drawer and the side opening, as well as internal drawer and release guides, to be relaxed, preventing any binding from slowing the action.

대표청구항 ▼

In an external medical stimulator having a housing for containing an electrical pulse generator circuit and supporting controls for controlling the operating parameters of said pulse generator, a quick release battery drawer operating system, comprising: a battery drawer receiving chamber formed in

In an external medical stimulator having a housing for containing an electrical pulse generator circuit and supporting controls for controlling the operating parameters of said pulse generator, a quick release battery drawer operating system, comprising: a battery drawer receiving chamber formed in said housing having a housing opening; a battery drawer operable in a latched position and an ejected position with respect to said housing opening providing a battery receptacle for receiving a battery having at least one battery terminal oriented inwardly; and a battery drawer releasing and engaging mechanism for effecting rapid movement of said battery drawer out of said opening in said housing to said ejected position, for engaging said battery drawer into said latched position upon depression of said battery drawer back into said opening, and for making an electrical connection of said at least one battery terminal with said electrical pulse generator circuit when said battery drawer is in said latched position, wherein said releasing and engaging mechanism further comprises: a release member supported in said housing and manually movable from an engaged position to a released position; and at least one electrical spring terminal attached to said housing and aligned in respect of said inwardly oriented battery terminal such that the spring terminal is compressed while establishing electrical and mechanical contact with the at least one battery terminal when said battery drawer is in said latched position, such that biasing force is released by said compressed spring terminal upon release of said release member to eject said battery drawer from said opening and into said ejected position.