Medtronic, Inc.

Mark E Jacoby

David B Engmark

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.

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Minneapolis, MN, United States of America

Mark E Jacoby