Elastic Battery Holder Spring for Tolerance-Compensating Locking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery holders for construction machines face challenges with complex and costly metallic spring installations, which can damage surfaces and lead to corrosion, and provide uncomfortable hard stops due to metal end stops.
Innovation Solution
A one-piece spring element made of elastic material, featuring functional areas, expansion areas, and end stops, which is simpler to manufacture and install, providing a preload to secure batteries without direct metal-to-metal contact and reducing manufacturing tolerances.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If metallic springs are used in the locking device, then the battery can be securely held in the holder, but the installation becomes complex and costly, and surface damage and corrosion occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional metallic mechanical spring system with an elastic element made of elastomeric material. This substitution eliminates the complex installation requirements and susceptibility to manufacturing tolerances while maintaining the preloading function necessary for secure battery holding. The elastomeric element is simply inserted into a recess, avoiding the complex mounting procedures required for metal springs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite material construction by combining the elastomeric spring element with rubber pads at the end stops. This composite approach provides both the necessary elastic preloading force and the cushioning effect to prevent surface damage, thereby maintaining reliability while reducing device complexity and preventing corrosion issues associated with pure metallic systems.
2Reliability
If metallic springs are used in the locking device, then the battery can be securely held in the holder, but manufacturing tolerances become critical and surface damage occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The elastomeric material inherently compensates for manufacturing tolerances through its elastic properties. The material can deform and adapt to slight variations in the dimensions of the recess and mounting features, eliminating the need for tight manufacturing tolerances required by rigid metallic springs while maintaining reliable battery holding security.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameter from rigid metal to elastic elastomeric material. This parameter change allows the spring element to accommodate variations in geometry and mounting conditions through elastic deformation, thereby reducing the criticality of manufacturing precision while maintaining the necessary preloading force for secure battery accommodation.
3Device complexity
If metallic end stops are used in the locking device, then the structure is simple, but hard stops are created that are uncomfortable for the operator
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines metallic structural components with elastomeric rubber pads at the end stops. This composite construction maintains the simplicity of the metallic structure while adding the cushioning properties of rubber to eliminate hard stops, thereby preserving structural simplicity while significantly improving operator comfort during battery installation and removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The rubber pads are pre-installed on the metallic end stops to provide cushioning before contact occurs during operation. This beforehand cushioning prevents the creation of hard stops, making the locking device comfortable for the operator while maintaining the simple metallic structural design.
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
The elastic spring element securely holds batteries during operation, reduces assembly complexity, and minimizes surface damage, offering a comfortable and reliable locking mechanism that compensates for manufacturing tolerances and avoids corrosion.
Implementation Method 1
a one-piece base body made of an elastic material, which spring element has an extension in a longitudinal direction
Data Source
AI summary
A spring element, usable as a battery holder for a construction machine locking lever, includes a one-piece base body made of an elastic material. The base body has a longitudinal extension and has a first functional area at one first end of the base body, a second functional area at a second end of the base body opposite the first end of the base body, and an expansion area arranged between the first functional area and the second functional area. A first opening is provided in the first functional area for fastening to a first element, and a second opening for attachment to a second element is provided in the second functional area. A first end stop is provided at a end face of the first functional area, and a second end stop is provided at a transition area from the first functional area to the expansion area.