Hearing Aid Battery Adapter With One-Way Insertion Geometry
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Solution Overview
Problem
The hearing device industry faces challenges in allowing independent service providers and end users to exchange rechargeable batteries safely and efficiently, due to varying battery sizes and configurations that can degrade or damage the device.
Innovation Solution
A battery unit with an adapter and electronic circuitry that includes a memory, designed to fit in a hearing device's battery compartment in one orientation but not in another, ensuring secure and fail-safe power supply while accommodating batteries with different geometrical and electrical properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If batteries with different sizes and configurations are allowed to be exchanged, then user convenience and service provider flexibility are improved, but the risk of device damage and performance degradation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The battery unit incorporates an asymmetric outer surface configuration with a specific geometric shape that only fits into the battery compartment in one orientation. This asymmetric design prevents incorrect insertion while allowing flexible battery exchanges, thus improving ease of operation without compromising device safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The adapter serves as an intermediary component between the battery and the hearing device. It provides a standardized interface with asymmetric geometry that mediates the connection, allowing different battery configurations to be used while ensuring safe and correct integration with the hearing device.
2Reliability
If an asymmetric outer surface configuration is used to prevent misplacement, then device safety is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The asymmetric outer surface configuration is integrated into the adapter body as a unified structure rather than being added as a separate component. This merging of the asymmetric feature into the main body simplifies manufacturing while maintaining the safety function of preventing misplacement.
Data Source
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AI summary
A hearing device (2) and a battery unit (18) for a hearing device are provided, the battery unit (18) having a main axis (X) and comprising an adapter (34) and a battery (26) at least partly accommodated in a battery cavity formed by the adapter (34), the adapter (34) comprising a body (36); a first contact (20) configured to contact a first battery terminal (12) of the hearing device (2); and electronic circuitry (38) connected to the first contact (20) and comprising a memory connected to the first contact (20), wherein the battery unit (18) has an outer surface configuration configured to, in a first orientation in a first direction parallel to the main axis (X), fit in the battery compartment (10), and configured to, in a second orientation in a second direction opposite the first direction, not fit in the battery compartment (10).