Furniture efficient battery pack
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current battery technologies for motorized furniture are inefficient, as they are not optimized for size-to-power capacity ratio, leading to bulky designs, limited functionality, and volatility when cells are ganged together.
Innovation Solution
A battery pack utilizing a plurality of polymer cells connected by a motherboard that regulates charging and discharging, allowing for even power distribution and enabling the simultaneous operation of up to six motors, while also incorporating safety features and user notifications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If standard battery specifications are used, then the battery pack is simple and low function, but the ratio of size to stored power is not optimal and capacity doubling requires doubling the size
Solution Approach 1:
The battery pack is divided into multiple individual polymer cells (e.g., seven 3.7V cells) connected through a motherboard. This segmentation allows independent monitoring and regulation of each cell, enabling optimized power density while maintaining manageable size. The motherboard architecture facilitates selective connection and control of cell subsets to achieve desired voltage and capacity without simply scaling up a single large battery.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the voltage parameter configuration by connecting polymer cells in series to achieve threshold voltages (e.g., 25.9V from seven 3.7V cells). The motherboard dynamically regulates charging and discharging parameters for each cell individually, optimizing the power-to-size ratio through parameter control rather than simply increasing physical size.
2Quantity of substance
If multiple polymer cells are ganged together to increase capacity, then stored power increases, but voltage instability and operational volatility occur
Solution Approach 1:
The motherboard incorporates feedback mechanisms that continuously monitor the voltage, charge state, and performance of each individual polymer cell. Based on this feedback, the motherboard dynamically adjusts charging and discharging rates for each cell to maintain stable overall pack voltage and prevent operational volatility, even as capacity scales through multiple cells.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary balancing and regulation of each cell's charge state before the battery pack is fully assembled or activated. The motherboard pre-configures optimal charging pathways and establishes stable voltage relationships between cells, preventing volatility before it occurs during operation.
3Ease of manufacture
If standard battery packs are used, then manufacturing is simple, but usage, troubleshooting, and maintenance become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The motherboard provides self-service functionality by automatically monitoring, diagnosing, and regulating each polymer cell's status. It performs self-diagnostics to detect issues, balances cell charges autonomously, and manages power distribution without user intervention, thereby simplifying usage and maintenance despite the complex multi-cell architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The motherboard acts as an intermediary between the user and the complex multi-cell battery system. It translates complex cell-level operations into simple user-facing functions, handles troubleshooting automatically, and manages maintenance tasks, making the sophisticated battery pack as easy to use as a standard battery while providing advanced capabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
A battery pack to be used in motorized furniture is provided. The battery pack includes a plurality of polymer cells. The plurality of polymer cells is connected such that a threshold voltage is achieved. The battery pack also includes a motherboard coupled to the plurality of polymer cells. The motherboard is configured to monitor and regulate each cell in the plurality of cells, as well as the entire plurality of cells as a whole. The motherboard is further configured to regulate power flow throughout the plurality of cells such that more than two motors may operate at the same time.