Battery Adapter Circuit for Li-Ion Clay Thrower Conversion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automatic clay throwers and other electromechanical devices are limited by the use of lead acid batteries, which have low energy density, are large and heavy, and have short cycle and overall lifespan, along with long charging times, necessitating a solution that allows for the use of more efficient lithium-ion batteries without damaging the devices.
Innovation Solution
A battery adapter unit with a housing, input and output terminals, a lever mechanism, and a circuit with a transformer to adjust voltage, and a switch to disconnect the transformer based on detected battery voltage, enabling the use of lithium-ion batteries in automatic clay throwers designed for lead acid batteries.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If lead acid batteries are used in automatic clay throwers, then the device can operate with steady power output, but the battery becomes large and heavy with low energy density
Solution Approach 1:
A battery adapter unit is introduced as an intermediary device between the lithium-ion battery and the automatic clay thrower. The adapter includes voltage regulation circuitry and protection circuits that mediate the electrical connection, allowing the lithium-ion battery to safely power the device originally designed for lead acid batteries. This intermediary solution enables higher energy density without directly connecting incompatible battery types to the device.
2Reliability
If lead acid batteries are used in automatic clay throwers, then the device can operate reliably, but the battery has short cycle lifespan and long charging times
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the electrical parameters by using a lithium-ion battery with different discharge characteristics compared to lead acid batteries. The battery adapter unit compensates for parameter differences through voltage regulation and current limiting circuits, allowing the lithium-ion battery's superior cycle lifespan (typically 500-1000 cycles vs. less than 500 for lead acid) to be utilized while maintaining compatibility with the device's electrical requirements.
3Use of energy by moving object
If lithium-ion batteries are directly connected to automatic clay throwers designed for lead acid batteries, then energy density improves, but the device may be damaged due to voltage incompatibility
Solution Approach 1:
The battery adapter unit serves as a protective intermediary that prevents direct connection between lithium-ion batteries and devices designed for lead acid batteries. The adapter includes voltage regulation circuits that step down lithium-ion voltage to compatible levels, overcharge protection circuits, and polarity protection, thereby eliminating the risk of device damage while enabling the use of high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries.
Solution Approach 2:
The battery adapter unit provides beforehand cushioning by incorporating protection circuits that anticipate and prevent potential damage before it occurs. These circuits include over-voltage protection, over-current protection, and short-circuit protection that activate preemptively to shield the automatic clay thrower from harmful electrical conditions that could arise from lithium-ion battery characteristics.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables the use of lithium-ion batteries in automatic clay throwers, reducing size, increasing cycle and calendar life, and ensuring safe operation by adjusting voltage to match the device's requirements, thus overcoming the limitations of lead acid batteries.
Implementation Method 1
the circuit including a transformer configured to adjust the voltage provided from the replacement battery and supplied to the output terminals
Data Source
AI summary
A battery adapter unit for an automatic clay thrower including a housing defining a battery receptacle area having a pair of input terminals to engage with battery contacts of a replacement battery and a first pair of protrusions defining a first recess therebetween; a slidable lever defining a catch to engage a corresponding projection on the replacement battery to slide with the replacement battery between a first position and second position when the catch is engaged with the projection, the projection corresponding to the rated voltage of the replacement battery; a pair of output terminals, one of the output terminals mounted in the first recess; and a circuit configured to be electrically connected to the replacement battery via the input terminals and to the output terminals, the circuit configured to adjust the voltage from the replacement battery and supplied to the output terminals.