A battery holder is one or more compartments or chambers for holding a

battery Battery most often refers to: * Electric battery, a device that provides electrical power * Battery (crime), a crime involving unlawful physical contact Battery may also refer to: Energy source *Automotive battery, a device to provide power t ...

. For dry cells, the holder must also make electrical contact with the battery terminals. For wet cells,

cable Cable may refer to: Mechanical * Nautical cable, an assembly of three or more ropes woven against the weave of the ropes, rendering it virtually waterproof * Wire rope, a type of rope that consists of several strands of metal wire laid into a hel ...

s are often connected to the

battery terminals Battery terminals are the electrical contacts used to connect a load or charger to a single cell or multiple-cell battery. These terminals have a wide variety of designs, sizes, and features that are often not well documented. Automotive batt ...

, as is found in automobiles or emergency lighting equipment. A battery holder is either a plastic case with the shape of the housing moulded as a compartment or compartments that accepts a battery or batteries, or a separate plastic holder that is mounted with screws, eyelets, glue, double-sided tape, or other means. Battery holders may have a lid to retain and protect the batteries or may be sealed to prevent damage to circuitry and components from battery leakage. Coiled spring wire or flat tabs that press against the battery terminals are the two most common methods of making the electrical connection inside a holder. External connections on battery holders are usually made by contacts with pins, surface mount feet, solder lugs, or wire leads. Where the battery is expected to last over the life of the product, no holder is necessary, and a tab welded to the battery terminals can be directly soldered to a printed circuit board.

History

In the late 1800s, patents were issued for consumer products like

flashlight A flashlight ( US, Canada) or torch ( UK, Australia) is a portable hand-held electric lamp. Formerly, the light source typically was a miniature incandescent light bulb, but these have been displaced by light-emitting diodes (LEDs) since the ...

s; US patent no. 617592 dated March 1898 is for an early metal flashlight that accepted D batteries. Some early 1900s battery holders were often no more than a cardboard box with copper contacts. By the 1920s, battery holders used twin metal clips (like fuse holders) to hold the battery in place while making electrical contact. Patent no. 1439429 was granted in Dec. 1922 for an assembly with two spring arm clips, a small switch, and a lamp assembly on the end of connected wires. The introduction of

polypropylene Polypropylene (PP), also known as polypropene, is a thermoplastic polymer used in a wide variety of applications. It is produced via chain-growth polymerization from the monomer propylene. Polypropylene belongs to the group of polyolefins and ...

in the 1950s and miniature batteries by Eveready allowed for the use of small plastic battery holders. These are still common in toys,

decoration Decoration may refer to: * Decorative arts * A house painter and decorator's craft * An act or object intended to increase the beauty of a person, room, etc. * An award that is a token of recognition to the recipient intended for wearing Other ...

s, and lighted or blinking items. In 1957, electric wrist

watch A watch is a portable timepiece intended to be carried or worn by a person. It is designed to keep a consistent movement despite the motions caused by the person's activities. A wristwatch is designed to be worn around the wrist, attached by ...

es gained popularity with the public. Battery holders developed in parallel with batteries over time; as battery-package sizes shrunk so did the holders. In the 1980s, the first circuit board mounting

lithium Lithium (from el, λίθος, lithos, lit=stone) is a chemical element with the symbol Li and atomic number 3. It is a soft, silvery-white alkali metal. Under standard conditions, it is the least dense metal and the least dense solid el ...

coin or button cell battery holders appeared in the form of patent no. 4487820 by the battery holder manufacturer MPD. The electronics industry now uses many surface-mounted lithium battery holders or sockets. CR2/3A, CR1/2AA, and CR123A batteries began in camera applications but expanded into new markets like alarm systems, hand held computers and

keyfob A keychain (also key fob or keyring) is a small ring or chain of metal to which several keys can be attached. The length of a keychain allows an item to be used more easily than if connected directly to a keyring. Some keychains allow one or bo ...

Design considerations

Design of the battery holder requires knowledge of how and where the larger product will be used. Human factors to be considered include ease of battery exchange, age range and physical condition of the intended user. These elements must be taken into account for a design to be successful and are part of the

design process A design is a plan or specification for the construction of an object or system or for the implementation of an activity or process or the result of that plan or specification in the form of a prototype, product, or process. The verb ''to design'' ...

. A designer must select between a battery holder molded into the product case or made as a separate part. For many products regulations and product safety standards affect the battery holder selection. Most current battery holders are made with polypropylene or

nylon Nylon is a generic designation for a family of synthetic polymers composed of polyamides ( repeating units linked by amide links).The polyamides may be aliphatic or semi-aromatic. Nylon is a silk-like thermoplastic, generally made from petro ...

bodies rated for . Lithium coin cell holders are made with high temperature PBT, nylon or LCP bodies because they normally are

circuit board A printed circuit board (PCB; also printed wiring board or PWB) is a medium used in Electrical engineering, electrical and electronic engineering to connect electronic components to one another in a controlled manner. It takes the form of a L ...

mounted and require

wave soldering Wave soldering is a bulk soldering process used for the manufacturing of printed circuit boards. The circuit board is passed over a pan of molten solder in which a pump produces an upwelling of solder that looks like a standing wave. As the ci ...

at or

reflow soldering Reflow soldering is a process in which a solder paste (a sticky mixture of powdered solder and flux) is used to temporarily attach one or thousands of tiny electrical components to their contact pads, after which the entire assembly is subject ...

at . Battery contacts are the most important part of the design and require serious consideration. Since batteries are nickel-plated, it is recommended the contacts be nickel-plated to prevent

galvanic corrosion Galvanic corrosion (also called bimetallic corrosion or dissimilar metal corrosion) is an electrochemical process in which one metal corrodes preferentially when it is in electrical contact with another, in the presence of an electrolyte. A sim ...

between dissimilar metals. Battery contacts may be fixed contacts, flexible contacts, or some combination of the two. Fixed contacts are inexpensive but prone to loss of

electrical connection Components of an electrical circuit are electrically connected if an electric current can run between them through an electrical conductor. An electrical connector is an electromechanical device used to create an electrical connection betwee ...

. Combination of fixed and flexible contacts are a better solution, but this is subject to an open circuit upon movement in the direction away from the fixed position; the spring contact compresses and allows the battery to move away from the fixed contact. A flexible contact allows for slight expansion of the cell on discharge, as internal chemicals increase in volume. Flexible contacts with multiple fingers touching the

anode An anode is an electrode of a polarized electrical device through which conventional current enters the device. This contrasts with a cathode, an electrode of the device through which conventional current leaves the device. A common mnemonic is ...

and

cathode A cathode is the electrode from which a conventional current leaves a polarized electrical device. This definition can be recalled by using the mnemonic ''CCD'' for ''Cathode Current Departs''. A conventional current describes the direction in whi ...

allow for movement in multiple directions without losing electrical connection. Polarity, or reverse battery, protection can be part of the

design A design is a plan or specification for the construction of an object or system or for the implementation of an activity or process or the result of that plan or specification in the form of a prototype, product, or process. The verb ''to design'' ...

. The contact for the anode side can be recessed behind plastic and receive a battery nub common on

alkaline batteries An alkaline battery (IEC code: L) is a type of primary battery where the electrolyte (most commonly potassium hydroxide) has a pH value above 7. Typically these batteries derive energy from the reaction between zinc metal and manganese dioxi ...

. Another method is a plastic channel to receive a battery post or terminal. In July 2010,

Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology corporation producing computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services headquartered at the Microsoft Redmond campus located in Redmond, Washing ...

said it hoped to sell its InstaLoad polarity protection technology, which allows batteries to be inserted in either orientation and still operate properly. Prior methods to accomplish this were expensive or caused a passive energy drain on the battery, whereas this solution is purely mechanical and affordable to produce. Battery types such as the 9-volt have snap-on contacts. Battery holders for zinc-air batteries must not be completely air-tight since approximately 1 litre of air is required per ampere-hour of discharge per cell. The battery holder may include a valve integrated with the device power switch to allow air to be admitted when the device is switched on.Duracell "Zinc Air Tech Bulletin.pdf"

Notes

References

Survival of the Fittest , Electronic Component News, Aug 21 2009Selecting Battery Holders , Hearst Electronic Products, October 2009Battery Holders That Take A Battering , Wireless Design & Development

Battery Holders Adapt To Hand Held Device Needs , Medical Design Technology Magazine

Battery Holder being designed for your design , Medical Design Magazine
*Electronic Packaging, Microelectronics and Interconnection Dictionary By Charle A. Harper & Martin B. Miller
IEEE Global History Network
*''Collecting Flashlights'' by Stuart Schneider. *''Elements of Radio Servicing'' by Marcus & Levy. *''Batteries In A Portable World'' by Isidor Buchmann.

External links

Battery Holders.orgMeasuring Batteries using the Right Setup
This application note discusses the differences between 2‑point and 4‑point measurements of batteries. {{DEFAULTSORT:Battery Holder Battery (electricity) Holders

History

Design considerations

See also

Notes

References

External links