Stepped Battery Pack Interface for Stable Engagement and Ejection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery pack interfaces lack efficient mechanisms for secure connection, power transfer control, and reliable ejection, leading to potential misalignment, wear, and inefficient power management.
Innovation Solution
A battery pack interface featuring a stepped rail design with varying dimensions, a latching mechanism with a dual-action actuator, and an ejector system with adjustable biasing force, ensuring secure engagement, controlled power transfer, and reliable disengagement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional battery pack interface is used, then the structure is simple, but the connection stability and power transfer control are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The interface is segmented into multiple functional zones along the rail: a first region for initial engagement with larger clearance, a second region for stable connection with reduced clearance, and a third region for final locking with minimal clearance. This segmentation allows the interface to progress through distinct stages of connection, improving reliability while maintaining manageable structural complexity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The rail clearance is made dynamic by varying it along the axial direction of insertion. The clearance transitions from larger values in the first region to smaller values in the second and third regions. This dynamic clearance profile enables the interface to adapt during the connection process, providing ease of insertion initially while ensuring stable final engagement, thus improving reliability without requiring overly complex mechanical structures.
2Manufacturing precision
If uniform rail clearance is used throughout the interface, then the manufacturing is simple, but the alignment precision and connection stability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the rail are assigned different clearance qualities tailored to their specific functions. The first region has larger clearance to accommodate alignment tolerances during insertion, while the second and third regions have progressively smaller clearances to ensure precise final positioning and stable connection. This local differentiation of clearance quality improves alignment precision without requiring uniformly tight tolerances throughout the entire rail, thereby maintaining ease of manufacture.
3Ease of operation
If the battery pack is easily inserted, then the ease of operation is improved, but the secure engagement and power transfer control may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The engagement process is segmented into distinct phases corresponding to different rail regions. The first region with larger clearance facilitates easy initial insertion and alignment, while the second and third regions with reduced clearance progressively secure the connection. This segmentation allows the interface to be easily operated during insertion while ensuring secure engagement is achieved in the final positioned state.
Solution Approach 2:
The rail clearance dynamically transitions from larger to smaller values along the insertion direction. This dynamic clearance profile enables the interface to accommodate ease of operation during the insertion phase while automatically transitioning to a secure engaged state when the battery pack reaches its final position, thereby resolving the contradiction between insertion ease and secure engagement.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the interface components have constant dimensions, then the manufacturing is simple, but the adaptability to different battery pack sizes is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The rail clearance is designed as a dynamic parameter that varies along the axial direction rather than remaining constant. This dynamic clearance profile allows the interface to accommodate different battery pack sizes and tolerances by providing appropriate clearance in different regions, thereby improving adaptability without requiring multiple specialized interface designs for different battery types.
Solution Approach 2:
The varied clearance rail design provides universal compatibility across different battery pack configurations. By incorporating regions with different clearance values, the interface can adapt to various battery pack dimensions and manufacturing tolerances, making it a multi-functional solution that works with different battery types while maintaining a single unified interface design.
Data Source
AI summary
An interface for a battery pack and an electrical combination. The interface may include a battery-receiving portion configured to receive a battery pack and including a cavity. The cavity is defined by a pair of sidewalls with rails defining a groove between the rails and a lower surface of the cavity. The rails are stepped or angled along a battery insertion axis and are configured to guide the sliding engagement of a battery pack within the battery-receiving portion.