Removable Battery Pack Sealing With Hook and Latch Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
The ease of removability of battery packs in mobile devices conflicts with ingress protection against dust and water, making battery removal time-consuming and suboptimal in terms of environmental protection.
Innovation Solution
A battery design featuring a battery housing with an electrical contact, seal, hook, and latch that facilitates easy insertion and removal while maintaining environmental protection, including a hood to prevent accidental ejection and enhance grip for removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the battery pack is designed to be easily removable, then the ease of operation is improved, but the ingress protection against dust and water deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The battery pack is divided into separate components including a battery housing, seal, electrical contact, hook, and latch mechanism. This segmentation allows the seal to be specifically optimized for ingress protection while other components handle removability functions, resolving the contradiction between ease of removal and environmental protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The latch mechanism is pre-configured in an extended position that automatically engages with the device housing upon insertion, establishing ingress protection before the battery is fully inserted. The hook is pre-positioned to engage first, creating a sealed connection prior to full battery engagement.
2Reliability
If the battery pack is designed with secure retention, then the reliability is improved, but the ease of removal deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The latch mechanism transitions between static locked and dynamic released states. During normal operation, the latch remains in a fixed extended position providing secure retention. During removal, the release button enables dynamic movement of the latch to the retracted position, allowing easy battery ejection. This dynamic behavior resolves the contradiction between secure retention and ease of removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The latch mechanism automatically engages with the device housing upon battery insertion without requiring user intervention. The hook similarly self-engages with the housing during insertion, providing automatic secure retention that improves reliability while maintaining ease of removal when needed.
3Reliability
If the battery pack includes a latch mechanism, then the secure retention is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple functions are merged into the latch mechanism: it provides secure retention through engagement with the housing, enables easy removal when activated by the release button, and maintains a compact structure that integrates with the battery housing. This merging of functions achieves reliable retention while minimizing the increase in device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The latch mechanism serves multiple purposes: it secures the battery during operation, facilitates easy removal when activated, and integrates with the hook and seal components to provide comprehensive battery retention and protection. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A battery for a mobile device includes: a battery housing including an inner wall, an opposing outer wall, a rear wall, and an opposing forward wall, the rear and forward walls each joining the inner and outer walls; an electrical contact disposed on the inner wall, configured to engage with an electrical interface within a device housing; a seal on the inner wall surrounding the electrical contact and a further portion of the inner wall, and configured to engage a complementary surface within the device housing; a hook extending from the forward wall, configured to engage the device housing to establish a pivot axis of the battery housing during battery insertion and removal; and a latch extending from the rear wall, biased towards an extended position to secure the battery within the device housing, and movable to a retracted position to release the battery from the device housing.