Hearing Aid Battery Door Pivoting Locking Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
The hearing aid industry faces challenges in reducing the size of hearing devices and simplifying the manufacturing process of battery doors, which are often bulky and have high failure rates due to complex locking mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
A battery door design featuring a pivoting mechanism with integrated locking elements that reduce the space required for the locking mechanism, allowing for a smaller and more cost-effective hearing device with reduced material requirements, comprising a body with a bottom part and sidewall defining a battery compartment, and first and second locking elements arranged at specific distances and angles for engagement with the hearing device housing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional locking mechanism with slider or spring effect is used in the battery door, then the battery door can securely hold the battery, but the hearing device becomes bulky and the manufacturing process becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the traditional slider and spring components from the locking mechanism, extracting only the essential locking function. The simplified design uses a single locking element that engages with a corresponding feature in the housing, eliminating unnecessary mechanical components while maintaining secure battery retention.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the locking mechanism, using specific angles (15-30 degrees) and distance ratios (0.5-1.5 times battery radius) to achieve effective locking with minimal structure. This parameter optimization allows the locking function to be achieved with simpler geometry rather than complex mechanical components.
2Reliability
If a traditional locking mechanism is used in the battery door, then the battery can be securely retained, but the manufacturing cost increases and failure rate increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the locking function from complex mechanical assemblies and implements it through simple geometric features that can be molded or machined directly into the battery door body. This reduces the number of parts that need to be manufactured, assembled, and quality-checked, thereby reducing manufacturing cost and failure points.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the locking function with the basic structural elements of the battery door, rather than treating it as a separate mechanism. The locking element is integrated into the door body itself, combining structural support and locking function in a single component, which simplifies manufacturing and reduces assembly steps.
3Reliability
If more space is allocated for the locking mechanism in the battery door, then the locking can be more robust, but the hearing device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses optimized geometric parameters including specific angles (15-30 degrees) and distance ratios (0.5-1.5 times battery radius) to achieve maximum locking effectiveness within minimal space. These parameter optimizations ensure that the locking mechanism provides robust retention without requiring additional volume in the battery door design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes angular and radial dimensions rather than linear extension to achieve locking functionality. By positioning locking elements at specific angles and radial distances from the battery axis, the design achieves robust locking in a compact radial arrangement rather than requiring additional linear space.
Data Source
AI summary
A battery door for a hearing device includes: a body having a bottom part and a sidewall, the bottom part having a first bottom surface and the sidewall having a first wall surface, the first wall surface comprising contact points for supporting a battery with a battery radius, wherein the first bottom surface and the first wall surface at least partly defines a battery compartment for housing the battery with the battery axis, wherein the contact points of the first wall surface arranged at a battery distance from the battery axis, and wherein a center axis perpendicularly crosses the pivoting axis and crosses the battery axis.