Snap-Fit Battery Fixing Device With L-Shaped Groove
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fixing structures for battery packs in emergency call units face challenges such as increased cost and reduced workability due to screwing methods, and difficulty in sliding the battery pack without a knob, especially in space-constrained environments where the battery pack may slip or be hard to remove.
Innovation Solution
A fixing device with a body case and cover that uses a groove and protrusion mechanism, where the groove includes a receiving portion and a positioning portion, allowing the battery pack to be fixed by sliding and engaging with a protrusion, and a restricting portion to prevent displacement, enabling easy attachment and removal without a knob or pressing surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the cover is fixed to the body case by screwing, then the fixing strength is improved, but the cost increases and workability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the screwing mechanical system with a snap-fitting mechanical system. The body case includes a groove and the battery pack includes a protrusion that engages with the groove, eliminating the need for screws and enabling tool-free assembly and disassembly while maintaining sufficient fixing strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The fixing structure is segmented into distinct components: the groove formed in the body case and the protrusion formed on the battery pack. This segmentation allows each component to be independently manufactured and assembled through simple insertion, improving workability while maintaining fixing strength.
2Ease of operation
If the battery pack is fixed by sliding on the body case, then the ease of operation is improved, but the battery pack may slip when the contact angle is small
Solution Approach 1:
The groove and protrusion are designed with asymmetric geometries that create a directional engagement. The protrusion fits into the groove in a specific orientation, preventing slipping in certain directions while allowing easy removal in the intended direction. The L-shaped cross-section of the groove provides both retention and directional guidance.
Solution Approach 2:
The fixing mechanism transitions from a simple linear sliding interface to a two-dimensional engagement system. The L-shaped groove creates engagement in both the insertion direction and a perpendicular direction, providing multi-directional constraint that prevents slipping while maintaining ease of removal.
3Reliability
If the battery pack is pressed against the body case before sliding, then the fixing reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases due to requiring a knob or pressing surface
Solution Approach 1:
The battery pack's own weight and the insertion motion itself provide the necessary pressing force to engage the protrusion with the groove. No separate pressing mechanism, knob, or additional actuation system is required. The insertion action automatically creates the engagement, simplifying the overall structure while ensuring reliable fixing.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressing action and the sliding insertion action are merged into a single operation. As the battery pack is inserted into the body case, the protrusion is simultaneously pressed against the groove wall and guided into the groove, combining two previously separate steps (pressing then sliding) into one unified motion.
Data Source
AI summary
A fixing device has a body case therein defining a housing chamber in which an object is housed and a cover that covers the housing chamber. The body case has one of a groove and a protrusion that engage with each other. The object has an other one of the groove and the protrusion. The groove includes a receiving portion and a positioning portion. The receiving portion extends in an inserting direction in which the object is inserted into the housing chamber. The positioning portion extends in an intersecting direction intersecting with the inserting direction. The cover has a restricting portion that is in contact with the object while the cover covers the housing chamber. The protrusion engages with the positioning portion when the object is fixed in the body case. The restricting portion restricts a displacement of the object in a direction opposite to the intersecting direction.