Camera Battery Alignment Structure for Fast, Damage-Safe Swapping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current body cameras for EMS responders require quick battery swapping and precise alignment to prevent damage, but existing systems lack effective mechanisms for ensuring precise alignment and protection against drops.
Innovation Solution
A battery alignment system with a camera housing and removable battery featuring L-shaped housing, concave surfaces, guide elements, and alignment posts that facilitate precise alignment and protection, preventing incorrect battery usage and damage during swapping and drops.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a battery is designed for quick swapping, then battery replacement speed is improved, but alignment precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The alignment posts and guide elements are pre-positioned on the battery and camera housing respectively, so that when the battery is inserted, the alignment features automatically guide it into the correct position before the connectors engage, ensuring precise alignment without requiring slow manual adjustment
Solution Approach 2:
The alignment posts and guide elements act as intermediary features between the battery and camera housing, facilitating both the quick insertion motion and the precise alignment requirement simultaneously by providing a mechanical guidance system during the swapping process
2Ease of operation
If a battery is designed for quick swapping, then ease of operation is improved, but risk of damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The alignment posts and guide elements are designed to engage before the main battery connectors make contact, cushioning the insertion process and preventing misalignment damage. The features guide the battery into proper position, absorbing any alignment errors before they can cause damage to the connectors or housing
Solution Approach 2:
The alignment features serve as intermediary elements that mediate between the user's quick insertion action and the precise mechanical interface, reducing the risk of damage by providing a forgiving guidance system that tolerates variations in insertion speed and angle
3Manufacturing precision
If alignment features are added to ensure precise alignment, then alignment precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of adding complex alignment mechanisms throughout the entire battery and housing, the invention applies alignment features only at the critical local positions where the battery interfaces with the camera housing, specifically at the corners and edges, providing precise alignment with minimal additional complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The alignment posts and guide elements are positioned asymmetrically on the battery and camera housing, creating a keyed interface that provides precise alignment in multiple directions simultaneously, eliminating the need for symmetric complex mechanisms while achieving high alignment precision
Data Source
AI summary
A battery alignment system includes a housing having a groove along a side of the housing, a first set of surfaces that define a recess, and first electrical contacts positioned at least partially within the recess. The battery alignment system also includes a battery having a tab to slide within the groove of the housing to facilitate a first alignment, a second set of surfaces that protrude from an end of the battery to slide into the recess of the housing to facilitate a second alignment, and a third surface that extends from one of the second set of surfaces. The third surface engages one of the first set of surfaces to facilitate a third alignment. The battery also includes second electrical contacts that engage the first electrical contacts.