Foldable Battery Charger Adapter with Flexible Wiring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery chargers are bulky and difficult to transport, lacking portable and compact solutions that can accommodate different battery types and allow for efficient charging in a stacked, folded state.
Innovation Solution
A portable battery charging apparatus with flexible electrical wires and adaptable interfaces that allow for a compact folded state and an unfolded operational state, featuring multiple charging stations and an adapter to connect various battery types, enabling efficient charging and space conservation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If battery chargers are made rigid and bulky to accommodate multiple battery types and charging interfaces, then charging versatility is improved, but portability and ease of transport deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The battery charger is divided into separate modular components: a main charger body and detachable adapter units. Each adapter is designed to fit into a standardized receptacle on the charger body, allowing different battery types to be charged by simply swapping adapters rather than carrying multiple complete charging systems. This segmentation enables versatility while maintaining portability.
Solution Approach 2:
The charger body is designed with a universal receptacle that can accommodate multiple types of adapters, each tailored for specific battery formats (e.g., AA, AAA, C, D cells). This universal interface design allows a single charger unit to serve multiple charging purposes through adapter interchangeability, resolving the contradiction between versatility and portability.
2Ease of manufacture
If the charger is designed with fixed charging interfaces for specific battery types, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but adaptability to different battery types deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The charging system is segmented into a standardized main body and specialized adapter components. The main charger body is manufactured with a universal receptacle design, while separate adapter units are manufactured for different battery types. This allows the main body to be produced in high volume with a single design, while adapters can be added as needed for specific battery formats, maintaining manufacturing simplicity while achieving broad compatibility.
Solution Approach 2:
Adapters serve as intermediary components between the universal charger receptacle and various battery types. Each adapter is designed with a standardized interface that mates with the charger body and a specialized interface that accommodates specific battery formats. This intermediary approach allows the charger manufacturer to produce a single standardized body while supporting multiple battery types through third-party or proprietary adapters.
3Reliability
If electrical wires are made rigid to ensure stable electrical connections, then connection reliability is improved, but flexibility and ease of folding deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical connection system uses flexible printed circuit boards (PCBs) or flexible cable assemblies instead of rigid wires. These flexible conductors maintain reliable electrical connections while allowing the charger panels to fold and unfold repeatedly. The flexible connections are routed through hinge areas with sufficient slack and protective routing to prevent damage during folding operations, resolving the contradiction between connection stability and folding flexibility.
4Volume of moving object
If the charger panels are designed to fold compactly for portability, then space conservation during transport is improved, but the complexity of maintaining reliable electrical connections deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Flexible printed circuit boards are used to connect charging interfaces across folded panels. These flexible PCBs can bend and fold with the panels while maintaining consistent electrical connections, eliminating the need for complex wire routing, connectors, and strain relief mechanisms that would be required with traditional rigid wiring. This reduces device complexity while enabling compact folding for portability.
Data Source
AI summary
An adapter for a portable battery charging apparatus having two or more battery charging interfaces on separate panels. Wires electrically couple the battery charging apparatuses to a charger unit. The wires are routed for flexibility to fold and unfold the panels. The adapter is configured to nest between two panels of the battery charging apparatus when the panels are stacked together in a compact folded state.