Battery compartment for an HVAC controller
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing HVAC controller devices face challenges in ease of use, assembly, construction, and reliability, with issues such as battery leakage and misalignment of components during assembly.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a modular sub-assembly structure with a hinge mechanism, a cup-shaped battery reservoir for leak containment, and adjustable inter-board connectors to accommodate misalignment, enhancing ease of assembly and reliability while providing a visually thin appearance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional battery compartment design is used, then the device structure is simple, but battery leakage can damage electronic components
Solution Approach 1:
The battery compartment is segmented into a receptacle portion for holding batteries and a reservoir portion for collecting leakage. This segmentation isolates the leakage collection function from the battery holding function, preventing leaked battery electrolyte from reaching electronic components while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The reservoir portion acts as an intermediary between the battery receptacle and the electronic components. It intercepts and contains battery leakage before the leakage can reach and damage the printed circuit board and other sensitive electronics, serving as a protective barrier.
2Stability of the object's composition
If rigid connectors are used to connect sub-assemblies, then structural stability is improved, but misalignment during assembly increases
Solution Approach 1:
The inter-board connectors are designed with adjustable characteristics that allow them to accommodate misalignment between sub-assemblies. Rather than requiring precise rigid alignment, the connectors can adapt to positional variations, reducing assembly difficulty while maintaining stable connections.
Solution Approach 2:
The connectors are designed with adjustable parameters such as position and orientation that can be modified during assembly to accommodate misalignment. This flexibility in connector parameters allows for stable connections even when sub-assemblies are not perfectly aligned, reducing manufacturing precision requirements.
3Shape
If a thin-profile design is implemented, then aesthetic appearance is improved, but heat dissipation capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The heat sink features extend in the vertical dimension (z-axis) rather than requiring increased horizontal dimensions. This allows the device to maintain a thin profile in the x-y plane while providing sufficient heat dissipation capacity through vertical fin structures that increase surface area for thermal exchange.
Data Source
AI summary
An HVAC controller may include a first sub-assembly and a second sub-assembly releasably securable to the first sub-assembly. The first sub-assembly may include a housing having the back and a cover, a printed circuit board at least substantially enclosed by the housing, a battery compartment formed in the back of the housing for receiving one or more batteries, and a display exposed for viewing through an aperture in the cover of the housing for viewing the display by a user. The printed circuit board may include one or more battery terminals that extend from the printed circuit board through the back of the housing and into the battery compartment. In some cases, the battery compartment may define a cup-shaped reservoir that may be configured to collect leakage from one or more of the batteries.