Method for preventing erroneous loading of component-to-be-loaded on main body side apparatus, component-to-be-loaded and battery pack

Abstract

In case a similar component-to-be-loaded is erroneously loaded on a main body side apparatus, contact of terminals are avoided. To this end, a video camera (main body side apparatus) 1 has a main body side terminal 30, and a battery pack (component-to-be-loaded) 100 has a battery side terminal (component-to-be-loaded side terminal) 120. In the vicinity of the battery side terminal of the component-to-be-loaded, a discriminating tab 111 is provided, and a blocking portion 19 is provided in the vicinity of the main body side terminal of the video camera (main body side apparatus) for determining whether or not its loading is permitted based on the combination of concave and convex engagement with respect to the above-mentioned discriminating tab, and when the loading is not permitted due to the interference between the blocking portion and the above-mentioned discriminating tab, an electric connection between the main body side terminal and the battery side terminal (component-to-be-loaded side terminal) is not to be established.

1 - 12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . A battery comprising:
 a housing including opposing front and rear sides, the front side having a front side surface;   opposing right and left sides provided between the front and rear sides;   opposing first and second sides provided between the front and rear sides, and between the right and left sides and defining a thickness of the battery;   a terminal portion located proximate the front and second sides, the terminal portion including a plurality of ribs separated by respective slits having terminals disposed therein, the slits being opened in orthogonal directions, one of the orthogonal directions is in a direction facing toward the front side and the other orthogonal direction facing toward the second side; and   the terminal portion being disposed in the housing such that a front surface of the terminal portion is displaced from the front side plane of the front side of the battery housing.   
     
     
         14 . The battery of  claim 13 , wherein each electric terminal includes a pair of contact pieces disposed to face each other in a respective slit. 
     
     
         15 . The battery of  claim 14 , wherein each contact piece includes a convex portion located in the vicinity of a tip of said contact piece, and wherein the convex portions of a pair of contact pieces face each other. 
     
     
         16 . The battery of  claim 13 , wherein the terminal portion is shifted toward one of the left side and right side relative to a longitudinal center line of the second side. 
     
     
         17 . The battery of  claim 13 , wherein the front surface of the terminal portion is recessed from the front side plane of the front side of the battery housing. 
     
     
         18 . The battery of  claim 13 , wherein the front surface of the terminal portion extends from the front side plane of the front side of the battery housing.