Battery assembly

Abstract

An improved assembly ( 10 ) for housing electronics for remote reading to meter reading data in a subsurface enclosure ( 11 ) includes a first inner enclosure ( 40 ) of metal for housing the receiver/transmitter circuitry ( 90 ), a second inner enclosure ( 69, 86 ) for housing a battery ( 65 ) and an outer enclosure ( 24 ) of plastic which encloses both of the inner enclosures.

We claim:  
     
       1. A battery assembly for use in a utility meter data collection unit, the battery assembly comprising: 
       a casing for receiving a battery and sealing material to be disposed in the casing and around at least a portion of the battery;  
       an electrical socket which is electrically connectable to said battery and which is connectable to supply battery power to the utility meter data collection unit;  
       means formed on said casing for locating said casing in position within said utility meter data collection unit; and  
       said casing being insertable and removable from a position in which said socket can be connected to supply battery power to the utility meter data collection unit.  
     
     
       2. The battery assembly of  claim 1  in which said casing is T-shaped with a stem portion and a cross bar portion, and wherein said socket is disposed in said stem portion and said battery is disposed in said cross bar portion, and said means for locating is formed along an axis perpendicular to said cross bar portion and to a longitudinal axis of said battery. 
     
     
       3. The battery assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising sealing material disposed in the casing to cover the battery. 
     
     
       4. The assembly of  claim 3 , in which the assembly includes a base member, wherein the sealing material is deformable and wherein a gasket is formed on a bottom interior surface of the base member, said gasket being received in the seating material when the battery casing is assembled to the base member to provide a sealed bottom enclosure for the battery. 
     
     
       5. A battery assembly for use in a utility meter data collection unit, the battery assembly comprising: 
       
         a casing for receiving a battery and sealing material to be disposed in the casing and around at least a portion of the battery;  
       
       
         at least two electrical leads which are electrically connectable to said battery and which are connectable to supply battery power to the utility meter data collection unit;  
       
       
         a pair of oppositely disposed projections formed on said casing for locating said casing in a position within said utility meter data collection unit which is defined by a pair of oppositely disposed members, wherein each of said members cooperates with a respective one of said projections; and  
       
       
         said casing being insertable and removable from the position within said utility meter data collection unit in which said leads can be connected to supply battery power to the utility meter data collection unit. 
       
     
     
       6. The battery assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the sealing material is disposed in the casing to fully cover all portions of the battery that would otherwise be exposed. 
     
     
       7. The battery assembly of  claim 5 , wherein said projections for orienting and holding said battery casing are formed along an axis perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of said battery. 
     
     
       8. The battery assembly of  claim 5 , wherein said projections on said battery casing include channels and wherein said members are in the form of posts which are received in said channels when said battery casing is inserted into said utility meter data collection unit. 
     
     
       9. A battery assembly for use in a utility meter data collection unit, the battery assembly comprising: 
       
         a casing for receiving a battery and sealing material to be disposed in the casing and around at least a portion of the battery;  
       
       
         at least two electrical leads which are electrically connectable to said battery and which are connectable to supply battery power to the utility meter data collection unit;  
       
       
         a pair of oppositely disposed guides for orienting and holding said casing in position within said utility meter data collection unit; and  
       
       
         said casing being insertable and removable from a position between said guides in which said leads can be connected to supply battery power to the utility meter data collection unit. 
       
     
     
       10. The battery assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the sealing material is disposed in the casing to fully cover all portions of the battery that would otherwise be exposed. 
     
     
       11. The battery assembly of  claim 9 , wherein said guides for orienting and holding said battery casing are formed along an axis perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of said battery. 
     
     
       12. The battery assembly of  claim 9 , wherein said guides are formed as oppositely disposed members on said utility meter data collection unit and wherein said battery casing is inserted into position between said oppositely disposed members to locate said battery casing in said utility meter data collection unit. 
     
     
       13. The battery assembly of  claim 12 , wherein said battery casing forms at least a pair of projections which cooperate with said members to locate said battery casing when said battery casing is inserted into said utility meter data collection unit.