Battery Removal Apparatus with Segmented Adhesive and Pull Tab
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge in portable computing devices, such as smartphones, is securing batteries while allowing for easy removal for servicing without compromising stability or increasing height, as conventional adhesive methods either fail to secure the battery adequately or make removal difficult.
Innovation Solution
The use of a component extractor with a flexible member and pull tab or pull string mechanisms that reduce adhesive bond strength while maintaining battery security, allowing for angled extraction forces and thin adhesive layers without compromising stability, enabling easier battery removal and potential height reduction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a thick adhesive layer is applied to secure the battery, then the battery remains stable and secure within the device, but the device height increases and battery removal becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The adhesive layer is segmented into multiple discrete adhesive elements (adhesive dots, adhesive strips, or adhesive regions) rather than a continuous thick layer. This segmentation allows the battery to be securely attached through distributed bonding points while reducing the overall adhesive thickness and enabling easier battery removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The adhesive properties are changed by using materials with specific shear strength and bond characteristics that provide adequate securing force during normal operation but allow for controlled removal. The adhesive layer thickness parameter is reduced while maintaining effective bonding through optimized material selection and application patterns.
2Reliability
If a thick adhesive layer is applied to secure the battery, then the battery remains stable within the device, but battery removal for servicing becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The adhesive layer is divided into multiple discrete adhesive elements distributed across the battery contact surface. This segmentation allows the battery to be securely bonded during operation while enabling controlled separation during removal, as the discrete elements can be broken or peeled away more easily than a continuous thick adhesive layer.
Solution Approach 2:
The adhesive is applied in a predetermined pattern and thickness that provides adequate bonding strength for device operation while inherently allowing for future removal. The adhesive selection and application method are chosen in advance to balance securing requirements with serviceability requirements.
3Length of moving object
If the adhesive layer is thinned to reduce device height, then device height and weight are reduced, but battery stability and security are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The adhesive material properties are changed to compensate for reduced thickness. High-performance adhesive materials with optimized shear strength, bond strength, and thickness characteristics are selected to provide adequate securing force in a thin layer configuration, maintaining battery stability while enabling height reduction.
Solution Approach 2:
The thin adhesive layer is applied in a segmented pattern with multiple discrete bonding regions. This segmentation compensates for the reduced thickness by distributing the bonding force across multiple points, ensuring adequate battery security despite the thinner overall adhesive profile.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables secure battery installation with ease of removal, reducing device thickness and weight while maintaining battery stability, enhancing user satisfaction and device performance.
Implementation Method 1
a battery secured to an interior surface of an enclosure by an adhesive layer
Implementation Method 2
At least some of the extraction force is transferred from the second end through the reinforced first end to the body such that the extraction force at least partially reduces an adhesive bond
Data Source
AI summary
This application relates generally to battery removal apparatuses. For example, one battery removal apparatus disclosed herein comprises a pull tab configured to be disposed between a battery and a casing of a portable computing device. The pull tab is shaped such that at least one area of the battery and the casing are exposed to one another when the battery, the pull tab and the casing are compressed together. An adhesive layer is shaped to cover the at least one exposed area such that the battery adheres to the casing, and the pull tab is reinforced so as to prevent the pull tab from tearing when used to remove the battery from the portable computing device. Other battery removal apparatuses include a pull string battery removal apparatus as well as a battery removal apparatus that incorporates both a pull tab and one or more pull strings.