Button Battery Edge Protrusions to Deter Child Ingestion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Button batteries pose a significant risk to children and intellectually or physically impaired individuals due to their small size and shiny appearance, leading to potential ingestion and severe injury or death, as they can be easily mistaken for toys or edible items.
Innovation Solution
A modified flat round button battery with one or more sharp protrusions around its peripheral edge to deter handling and ingestion, designed to cause a minor prickly sensation, thereby discouraging children and others from picking it up or ingesting it, while allowing adults to handle it safely with tweezers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If button batteries are made small and shiny to fit electronic devices, then they are easier to install and more aesthetically pleasing, but they become easily pickable and ingestible by children
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by adding protrusions to only specific locations on the battery casing, creating an asymmetric shape that prevents children from easily picking up the battery while maintaining the overall compact form factor. The protrusions are strategically positioned to interfere with grasping without significantly increasing the battery's volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by modifying only specific portions of the battery casing with protrusions, rather than changing the entire battery structure. This allows the battery to maintain its small overall size while having localized features that prevent ingestion, resolving the contradiction between compact size and safety.
2Ease of operation
If button batteries are made smooth and rounded, then they are easier to handle by adults, but they become more appealing and accessible to children
Solution Approach 1:
The asymmetric protrusions create an uneven surface that is uncomfortable for children's soft skin to touch, while adults can still handle the battery effectively using tools like tweezers or by gripping the non-protrusion areas. This resolves the contradiction between ease of adult operation and prevention of child access.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potential harm of sharp edges into a benefit by using the protrusions as a deterrent feature. The same protrusions that could be harmful are instead used to create an unpleasant tactile sensation for children, preventing them from picking up the battery in the first place.
3Reliability
If button batteries have protective features added, then safety is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by adding protective protrusions only to specific locations on the battery casing where they are most effective at preventing ingestion, rather than implementing complex protective mechanisms throughout the entire battery structure. This maintains simplicity while improving safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The protrusions are segmented into discrete, simple geometric features that are easy to manufacture and integrate into the battery casing, rather than implementing a complex continuous protective structure. This segmentation keeps the device complexity low while providing effective safety features.
Data Source
AI summary
A battery is provided comprising an anode cap on a first side, and a cathode can on the opposing second side. The anode cap and cathode can be configured together to provide a cylindrical shaped round shaped battery with a peripheral side wall. The battery is modified to have one or more sharp protrusions extending from the peripheral side wall to increase the width and or height of the battery.