Rotating Hearing Aid Battery Pack With Front-Access Removal

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing packaging for button cell batteries, such as hearing aid batteries, is difficult to use due to the batteries being accessed through a cutout on the back of the card, making it hard to grasp and remove the batteries, and the cutout is obscured from the user's view.

Innovation Solution

A battery package design featuring a transparent, dome-shaped cover with a rotatable tray and a door that opens to allow easy access to the batteries, providing 90° access and a grasping tab for easier removal, and a card with a removable portion for compact storage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the battery is accessed through a cutout in the card, then the battery can be removed from the package, but it becomes difficult to grasp the battery and the cutout is obscured from the user's view

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveBattery removalVSAvoidVisibility of cutout
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

A transparent dome-shaped cover is introduced as an intermediary element between the user and the batteries. The cover includes a door with a grasping tab that serves as a mediator for accessing the batteries, allowing users to easily grasp and open the door without needing to access the cutout directly. The transparent material of the dome maintains visibility of the batteries while the door mechanism provides easy access.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If the battery is accessed through a cutout on the back of the card, then the battery can be removed, but the user must turn the package over and rely on gravity to remove the battery

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveBattery accessVSAvoidPackage orientation requirement
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The package is segmented into distinct functional components: a transparent dome-shaped cover, a rotatable tray, and a card base. The door is segmented from the dome, allowing independent operation. This segmentation enables the door to provide access to the tray from the front, eliminating the need to orient the package in a specific way and allowing battery access regardless of package orientation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Ease of operation

If a transparent dome-shaped cover with door is used, then visibility and accessibility are improved, but the package structure becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveBattery accessibilityVSAvoidPackage structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple functions are merged into integrated components. The door is integrated into the dome structure, the tray is integrated with the card base, and the grasping tab is integrated with the door. This merging reduces the number of separate parts while maintaining the improved accessibility and visibility features, thereby managing structural complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

4Ease of operation

If the tray is rotatable, then battery alignment with the door is facilitated, but the mechanism becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveBattery alignmentVSAvoidRotatable mechanism
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The tray is designed to be rotatable rather than fixed, allowing dynamic adjustment of battery positions. The tray can rotate to align different batteries with the door opening, facilitating easy access to any battery in the package. This dynamic feature is implemented with a simple rotation mechanism that maintains operational simplicity while enhancing accessibility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP3676891B1Hearing aid battery packaging
Publication Date: 2023.10.25 ENERGIZER BRANDS LLC
  • EP3676891B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3676891B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3676891B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

A battery package includes a card, a cover attached to the card, and a tray positioned between the card and the cover. The cover includes a body having an opening and a door with the door movable between an open position to provide access to the opening and a closed position in which the door closes the opening. The tray includes multiple receptacles arranged symmetrically about a central post. The front surface of the central post is spaced apart from the interior surface of the front portion of the cover by a distance. The battery package also includes multiple batteries and multiple tabs. The tray is rotatable to selectively align one of the receptacles with the opening in a battery removal position. With the door in the open position, the tab attached to the battery in the receptacle in the battery removal position is accessible through the opening.