Battery Sleeve Holder With Barrier Ejection for Child-Safe Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a concern regarding the secure storage and safe disposal of batteries, particularly button batteries, which pose a choking hazard and risk of internal burning due to accidental ingestion by children and pets.
Innovation Solution
A battery holder with a sleeve design featuring a barrier or partial barrier at one end to catch ejected batteries, requiring at least two distinct actions to retrieve a new battery, thereby preventing accidental release, especially by young children.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a battery holder allows easy access to batteries, then ease of operation is improved, but safety is worsened due to risk of accidental ingestion by children
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by designing a battery holder that requires deliberate adult actions (inserting a spent battery to eject a new one, breaking a seal, using a coin to press batteries) to prevent accidental access by children. The holder proactively creates barriers before accidental ingestion can occur, making it incompatible with typical child play behaviors while remaining functional for adults.
2Device complexity
If a battery holder uses a simple dispensing mechanism, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability is worsened due to risk of accidental battery ejection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by designing a dispensing mechanism where batteries are held in place by spent batteries and require specific adult actions (inserting a spent battery, using a coin) to eject. This preliminary barrier prevents accidental ejection during normal handling while maintaining relatively simple device structure.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a battery holder secures batteries firmly, then safety is improved by preventing accidental access, but ease of operation is worsened when legitimate access is needed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the intermediary principle by using spent batteries as mediators that must be inserted to eject new batteries, and by using coins as intermediary tools to press down on batteries for access. These intermediaries create deliberate action requirements that prevent accidental access while enabling legitimate adult access to batteries when needed.
Data Source
AI summary
A battery holder includes a tubular sleeve defining a longitudinal inner passage having a longitudinal axis and dimensioned to retain a plurality of batteries in a single linear array. In one embodiment it is necessary to insert a spent battery at a first end of the sleeve in order to eject a new battery from a second end of the sleeve and the holder has a barrier extending across the second end of the sleeve, to prevent a battery being pushed out of the holder in the direction of the longitudinal axis, the barrier being arranged to retain the battery in a holding space at the second end of the sleeve, from where it may be pushed out of the holder through a first opening in the sleeve. The battery holder provides for a more secure containment of batteries.