Battery Pack Sidewall Electrical Contacts for Tool Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Battery-powered hand-held power equipment faces issues with electrical contacts being damaged or fouled by dirt and debris, leading to reduced operational life and performance.
Innovation Solution
A battery pack design with a housing that includes a sidewall assembly forming an enclosure around the cells, with electrical connections on the side rather than the end, and an electrical connection assembly that engages a connector on the tool's sidewall during insertion, protecting the contacts from dust and impact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If electrical contacts are placed on the end of the battery for easy connection, then ease of operation is improved, but the contacts become more susceptible to damage and fouling by dirt and debris
Solution Approach 1:
The patent relocates the electrical contacts from the end of the battery (one-dimensional placement) to the sidewall surface (two-dimensional placement). This dimensional change allows the contacts to be positioned within a recessed area on the sidewall, providing protection while maintaining electrical connection capability. The connector engages with the sidewall-mounted contacts through a sliding or插接 mechanism during battery insertion.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrical contacts are nested within a recessed structure on the battery sidewall. The connector is received within this recessed area, creating a nested arrangement where the connector is partially enclosed by the housing features. This nesting provides mechanical protection and shields the contacts from direct exposure to dirt and debris while allowing for reliable electrical engagement.
2Ease of manufacture
If the battery design is simplified for manufacturing, then ease of manufacture is improved, but protection of electrical contacts from dirt and impact is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the existing battery housing sidewall structure to create protective features for the electrical contacts. Rather than adding complex separate protective components, the design incorporates recesses, ledges, and structural features directly into the housing mold, creating an integrated protective shell that shields contacts while maintaining manufacturing efficiency through single-piece or minimal-component construction.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective features for the electrical contacts are merged with the battery housing structure itself. The recessed areas, ledges, and structural elements that protect the contacts are integrated into the housing design rather than being separate components. This merging reduces part count and manufacturing complexity while providing effective protection against dirt and impact.
Data Source
AI summary
A battery pack for powering a battery powered tool may include a housing, a plurality of cells and an electrical connection assembly. The housing may include a sidewall assembly configured to correspond to respective sidewalls of a battery compartment defined at a portion of the battery powered tool to facilitate insertion of the battery pack into the battery compartment. The sidewall assembly may form an enclosure around the plurality of cells on all sides substantially parallel to the direction of insertion. The electrical connection assembly may be disposed at a portion of the sidewall assembly to communicate the combined output to a connector disposed at a corresponding sidewall of the battery compartment. The electrical connection assembly may be arranged to engage the connector responsive to movement of the battery pack in a direction substantially parallel to the direction of insertion of the battery pack into the battery compartment.