Hearing Aid Battery Holder Segmentation for Wear Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery holders for hearing aids wear out quickly due to frequent switching, as the materials used are susceptible to mechanical stress and wear from repeated use.
Innovation Solution
A battery holder design featuring an outer component made from the same material as the hearing aid's shell for visual homogeneity and an inner component made from a harder, wear-resistant material, such as glass fiber reinforced composite, with a non-positive and positive connection to securely hold button batteries and withstand mechanical stress.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If the battery holder is made of a single material for visual homogeneity, then the appearance is uniform, but the wear resistance deteriorates due to frequent switching
Solution Approach 1:
The battery holder is divided into two distinct components: an outer component made of a material matching the hearing aid shell for visual homogeneity, and an inner component made of a harder, wear-resistant material (such as glass fiber reinforced composite or PEEK) to withstand mechanical stress from frequent switching operations
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the battery holder are assigned different material properties: the outer component provides aesthetic appearance matching the hearing aid shell, while the inner component provides enhanced mechanical strength and wear resistance at the critical switching interface
2Ease of manufacture
If the battery holder material is soft for ease of manufacture, then manufacturing is simpler, but the durability deteriorates under mechanical stress
Solution Approach 1:
The inner component is made from composite materials such as glass fiber reinforced composite or PEEK (polyether ether ketone) that combine high mechanical strength, stiffness, and wear resistance with manufacturability through injection molding or similar processes
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4~6
Figure 7~9
AI summary
The invention relates to a battery holder 2,22 comprising at least two parts for use with a hearing aid 40. The individual parts of the battery holder 2,22 differ primarily in their material and its material properties. Preferably, a wear-prone inner component 6,26 is made of a harder material than a more visually appealing outer component 4,24 of the battery holder.