Flexible Battery Segmentation in Wearable Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wearable devices have limited use time due to small battery size and require frequent charging, which can lead to issues like moisture ingress and electrical failures through charging ports.
Innovation Solution
A wearable device design featuring a flexible battery embedded across the body and band members, with a wireless power transmission unit for charging and a heartbeat sensor, allowing increased battery capacity without increasing size or thickness, and eliminating the need for charging ports to prevent moisture and foreign substance ingress.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If a battery is embedded only inside the main body of the wearable device, then the device structure is simple, but the battery capacity is limited and use time is short
Solution Approach 1:
The battery is divided into multiple segments: a first battery segment embedded in the main body and second battery segments embedded in the band members. This segmentation allows the battery capacity to be distributed across different parts of the wearable device, increasing total capacity without concentrating all the battery in one location, thus extending use time while maintaining a simple overall structure.
2Ease of operation
If a charging port is provided for charging the wearable device, then charging can be performed, but foreign substances and moisture may be introduced into the device causing current leakage or oxidation
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical charging port system is replaced with a wireless power transmission system. The wireless power transmission unit receives power wirelessly from an external charging device, eliminating the need for physical charging ports and cables. This substitution removes the vulnerability to moisture and foreign substance ingress while maintaining charging functionality, thus improving both reliability and ease of operation.
3Duration of action of moving object
If the battery capacity is increased to extend use time, then the use time is extended, but the size and thickness of the device increase
Solution Approach 1:
The battery is segmented and distributed across the main body and band members. This allows the increased total battery capacity to be spread out over a larger volume of the wearable device, avoiding concentration in one location. The band members act as additional spaces for battery accommodation, enabling capacity expansion without significantly increasing the thickness or overall compactness of the main body.
Solution Approach 2:
The battery arrangement transitions from a single-location (main body only) to a multi-location (main body and band members) configuration. This dimensional expansion utilizes the three-dimensional space of the entire wearable device, including the band members, to accommodate increased battery capacity without increasing the footprint or thickness of the main body unit.
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 design extends the use time of wearable devices, enhances airtightness, and simplifies charging, improving user convenience and design flexibility by eliminating the need for charging ports and reducing the risk of electrical failures.
Implementation Method 1
a wireless power transmission unit disposed inside the body member to wirelessly receive power and supply power to the flexible battery
Implementation Method 2
a body member (110, 110a, 110b, 110c, 110d, 110e, 110f) including a heartbeat sensor (170)
Data Source
AI summary
A wearable device is provided. The wearable device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a body member including a heartbeat sensor, a first band member and a second band member respectively coupled to both ends of the body member, and a flexible battery having a portion accommodated inside the body member and both remaining ends accommodated inside the first band member and the second band member.