Battery Spacer Terminal Geometry for Reverse Insertion Blocking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery spacers fail to prevent electrical failures when batteries with incorrectly directed positive and negative electrodes are inserted, leading to improper functioning or damage of electric apparatuses.
Innovation Solution
A battery spacer design featuring a bottomed cylindrical storage part with a lid that includes a protruding positive electrode relay terminal and a recessed negative electrode relay terminal, preventing incorrect contact between terminals by ensuring proper alignment and electrical conduction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a battery spacer is designed to accept smaller batteries (e.g., AA size) in a larger battery chamber (e.g., D size), then battery size conversion is achieved, but the risk of incorrect battery insertion increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by making the protruding section asymmetric in shape and position relative to the terminal. The protruding section extends in a specific direction (radially outward) at a defined position along the terminal, creating an asymmetric structure that only allows correct insertion orientation. When inserted correctly, the asymmetric protrusion does not interfere with terminal contact; when inserted incorrectly, the protrusion physically blocks proper terminal alignment, preventing harmful electrical contact.
Solution Approach 2:
The protruding section acts as an intermediary element between the terminal and the battery casing. It serves as a mechanical mediator that controls the interaction between the battery spacer and the inserted battery, ensuring that only correct orientations allow proper electrical contact while incorrect orientations are mechanically blocked by this intermediate structure.
2Reliability
If the protruding section is made longer to better prevent incorrect insertion, then reliability improves, but the risk of interfering with correct terminal contact increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making the protruding section's dimensions and position highly specific and localized. The protrusion has a precisely controlled length and radial position that is sufficient to block incorrect insertions but insufficient to interfere with correct terminal contact. This localized, precisely dimensioned feature creates different functional outcomes based on insertion orientation without requiring the protrusion to be uniformly long or short throughout.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the protruding section is positioned closer to the terminal to prevent incorrect contact, then safety improves, but the risk of affecting terminal alignment in correct insertion increases
Solution Approach 1:
The asymmetric positioning of the protruding section creates a directional blocking function. By placing the protrusion at a specific angular position and distance from the terminal, it creates an asymmetric constraint that only affects incorrect orientations. The asymmetric geometry ensures that the protrusion's blocking effect is orientation-dependent, providing safety without compromising correct alignment.
Solution Approach 2:
The protruding section's position and dimensions are locally optimized to achieve the desired safety function. The local geometry at the protrusion site is specifically designed to block incorrect insertions while maintaining proper terminal contact functionality, creating a localized solution that does not require global changes to the terminal structure.
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
Prevents electrical failures by ensuring correct terminal alignment and preventing current flow in the wrong direction, even when batteries are incorrectly inserted, thus safeguarding the operation of electric apparatuses.
Implementation Method 1
The inner positive electrode terminal is in electrical conduction with the outer positive electrode terminal... the positive electrode terminal of the stored battery is in contact with the inner positive electrode terminal in the storage part, and the negative electrode terminal of the stored battery is in contact with the inner negative electrode terminal of the storage part
Data Source
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AI summary
A battery spacer 2 includes: a storage case 4 having a bottomed cylindrical shape in which a battery 3 is stored; a lid part 8 which closes an opening 6 of the storage case 4; and a positive electrode relay terminal 56 which is provided to the lid part 8, a part of which protrudes from a top surface 89 of the lid part 8, and which abuts on a positive electrode terminal 5 of the battery 3 in the storage case 4. The lid part 8 has a protruding section 88 formed which protrudes further to the battery 3 side than a terminal contact surface 80 at which the positive electrode terminal 5 of the battery 3 abuts on the positive electrode relay terminal 56. The protruding section 88 has a protruding length h, in the axial direction of the battery 3, from the terminal contact surface 80, shorter than the length H of the positive electrode terminal 5 of the battery 3, and has an annular shape having a diameter R that is larger than the diameter r of the positive electrode terminal 5 of the battery 3 and is smaller than the diameter S of the battery 3 in the radial direction of the battery 3.