Battery Pack Receptacle for Blind Swapping Across Pack Sizes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Battery-powered appliances often require battery packs with a common size and shape to connect, leading to larger packs for lower power capacities and inconvenient user experiences, especially in portable devices where battery swapping is cumbersome and time-consuming.
Innovation Solution
A battery pack connection system featuring a battery receptacle with elongate passages and guide rails that accommodate battery packs of different sizes and power capacities, allowing for 'blind' insertion and swapping without removing the appliance from the user's back, facilitated by guide slots and electrical connector slots that ensure secure and aligned connections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If battery packs are made with a common size and shape to connect to the battery receptacle, then connection compatibility is improved, but lower power capacity batteries become larger than necessary
Solution Approach 1:
The battery pack is divided into two main components: a standardized connector portion that interfaces with the battery receptacle, and a variable battery module portion that contains the actual battery cells. This segmentation allows the connector to maintain a common form factor for compatibility while the battery module can vary in size according to power capacity requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a longitudinal dimension to the connection system by using an elongate passage that extends from an insertion end to a terminal end. This allows battery packs of different widths to be accommodated within the same receptacle by varying their position and orientation within the longitudinal space, rather than requiring all batteries to conform to a fixed external dimensions.
2Reliability
If the battery pack requires precise alignment with the battery receptacle and electrical contacts, then connection reliability is improved, but battery swapping becomes cumbersome and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The battery pack includes guide slots and alignment features that are pre-configured to automatically align with corresponding guide rails in the battery receptacle during insertion. This preliminary alignment mechanism ensures that the electrical connectors are properly positioned before full insertion, eliminating the need for manual alignment adjustments by the user.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection system incorporates self-aligning features where the guide slots on the battery pack automatically engage with the guide rails in the receptacle, and the electrical connectors automatically mate with the electrical contacts. This self-service alignment mechanism allows users to simply insert the battery pack without requiring precise manual positioning, significantly reducing swapping time while maintaining connection reliability.
3Measurement precision
If the appliance must be removed from the user's back to connect or exchange a battery pack, then connection accuracy is improved, but user convenience deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The battery pack and receptacle incorporate self-aligning guide slots and guide rails that automatically position the battery pack correctly within the receptacle during insertion. This self-service alignment mechanism eliminates the need for the user to manually position or align the battery pack, allowing accurate connection to be achieved simply by inserting the battery while the appliance remains on the user's back.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection system is designed with universal guide rails and alignment features that work with battery packs of different sizes and power capacities. This multi-functional design allows the same receptacle and alignment mechanism to accommodate various battery configurations, enabling users to swap batteries of different types without requiring different alignment procedures or removing the appliance.
Data Source
AI summary
A battery pack connection system includes a first battery pack, a second battery pack, and a battery receptacle. Each of the first and second battery packs includes a first guide slot, a second guide slot, and an electrical connector slot. The second battery pack has a power capacity and a width greater than the first battery pack. The battery receptacle defines an elongate passage sized and shaped to separately receive each of the first and second battery packs therein. The battery receptacle includes an electrical connector rail, a first guide rail sized and shaped to cooperatively engage the first guide slot of each of the first and second battery packs, and a second guide rail sized and shaped to cooperatively engage the second guide slot of each of the first and second battery packs.