Flashlight Removable Tail Port Cover Charging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern flashlights with rechargeable batteries often lack a convenient and secure method for charging, as well as a user-friendly mechanism for accessing the battery compartment.
Innovation Solution
A flashlight design featuring a tubular main body with a removable tail portion, a switch for power control, a rechargeable battery assembly with alignment system, and a movable port cover that allows for charging without compromising the flashlight's water resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a charging opening is provided in the tail portion for charging the rechargeable battery, then the ease of operation is improved, but the water resistance is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
A movable port cover is introduced as an intermediary component between the charging opening and the external environment. The cover can be moved to a first position that blocks the charging opening (maintaining water resistance) and a second position that uncovers the charging opening (enabling charging operation). This mediator allows the system to switch between protected and accessible states.
Solution Approach 2:
The port cover is designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing it to dynamically transition between blocking and uncovering the charging opening. This dynamic capability enables the flashlight to adapt between water-resistant mode (cover blocking opening) and charging mode (cover moved to uncover opening), resolving the contradiction between protection and accessibility.
2Manufacturing precision
If an alignment system with protrusion and recess is provided between battery housing and tail portion, then the manufacturing precision is improved, but the device complexity is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The alignment system employs asymmetric geometric features - a protrusion on one component and a corresponding recess on another. This asymmetric design provides precise alignment through complementary shapes that fit together in a specific orientation, ensuring accurate positioning during assembly while maintaining relatively simple individual component geometries.
Solution Approach 2:
The alignment function is segmented into separate features on different components - the protrusion on the battery housing and the recess on the tail portion. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured independently with standard tolerances, and the alignment precision is achieved through their complementary mating features rather than requiring high precision on all surfaces.
Data Source
AI summary
A flashlight assembly that includes a tubular main body portion, a tail portion that is removable from the tubular main body portion, a battery assembly, and an alignment system. The main body portion and tail portion cooperate to define a battery assembly interior. The tail portion includes a first charging opening that communicates the battery assembly interior with the exterior of the tail portion. The battery assembly is positioned in the battery assembly interior and includes a battery housing defining a battery housing interior, a rechargeable battery cell disposed in the battery housing interior, and at least a first charging receptacle associated with the battery housing. The alignment system includes one of a first protrusion or a first recess associated with the battery housing and the other of the first protrusion or the first recess associated with the battery assembly interior. The first protrusion is received in the first recess and the first charging receptacle is aligned with the first charging opening.