External Mechanical Battery Disconnect for Emergency Lighting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional emergency lighting devices are time-consuming to install and require disassembly during the inspection phase, leading to potential battery charge loss before installation.
Innovation Solution
An emergency lighting device with a housing, battery, switching mechanism, and light sources, where the switching mechanism electrically disconnects the light sources from the battery, allowing for external disconnection without disassembling the device, enabling installation without de-energizing the circuit breaker during inspection and preserving battery charge.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the battery is physically connected to the circuitry during shipping, then the device is ready for immediate installation, but the battery charge is lost below acceptable levels prior to installation
Solution Approach 1:
The battery connection is segmented into a removable plug component. The battery plug can be inserted into the switching mechanism to establish electrical connection, or removed to disconnect the battery. This allows the battery to be physically present and connected during shipping without causing charge loss, as the installer can simply remove the plug before activation.
Solution Approach 2:
The switching mechanism acts as an intermediary between the battery and the circuitry. It includes a receptacle that receives a plug, which when inserted, establishes electrical connection. When the plug is removed, the switching mechanism prevents electrical flow from the battery. This intermediary component enables easy disconnection without requiring disassembly of the device housing.
2Reliability
If the device is completely assembled at the factory, then testing can be performed, but the device requires disassembly during installation which is time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The switching mechanism is designed to be accessible from the exterior of the device housing. The installer can insert or remove the battery plug without disassembling the device, allowing the device to service itself during installation and maintenance. This eliminates the need for disassembly operations that would otherwise be required to access internal components.
3Loss of energy
If the battery is disconnected during inspection, then battery charge is preserved, but the installation process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The battery plug is extracted as a separate, removable component from the main device assembly. This allows the battery to be easily disconnected by simply removing the plug, which is a simple action that does not add complexity to the installation procedure. The plug can be removed during inspection to preserve battery charge, or left inserted for continuous operation.
Data Source
AI summary
An emergency lighting device includes an internal battery, a switching mechanism, and one or more light sources. The light sources are electrically coupled to the internal battery through the switching mechanism. The switching mechanism includes a first contact and a second contact. Additionally, the switching mechanism is configured to receive an external mechanical disconnect male jack to electrically disconnect the light sources from the internal battery. In certain embodiments, the emergency lighting device is also electrically coupled to an external power source and includes a circuit breaker for providing power to the light sources from the external power supply during normal operation and for automatically providing power to the light sources from the internal battery in the event that power from the external power source fails.