Battery Powered Keypad Assembly with Side-Access Battery Compartment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery-powered wall-mounted control devices are bulky, unattractive, and have inconvenient battery access, often requiring special tools for replacement, which can lead to tampering or operational issues.
Innovation Solution
A battery-powered keypad assembly with a removable battery, featuring a compact design, easy battery access, and secure battery compartment, allowing for simple installation and maintenance without exposing internal electronics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If battery-powered control devices are used to enable easy installation without junction boxes, then installation flexibility is improved, but device size becomes bulky and aesthetic appeal deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into separate functional modules: a removable battery compartment, a control circuit board, and a housing structure. This segmentation allows the battery to be accessed independently without disassembling the entire device, reducing the need for excessive housing volume while maintaining installation flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The battery compartment is designed with a side-access opening rather than requiring front or rear panel removal. This dimensional change in access direction allows for a slimmer profile while maintaining easy battery replacement capability, thus reducing device volume without sacrificing adaptability.
2Ease of operation
If batteries are made easily accessible for replacement, then maintenance convenience is improved, but internal electronics become exposed to tampering and reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The battery compartment is segmented as a separate accessible module with its own dedicated opening. This allows battery replacement without exposing the main circuit board or other sensitive electronics, maintaining reliability while improving maintenance convenience.
Solution Approach 2:
The battery access function is extracted as a separate feature with its own opening in the housing. This extraction allows users to access the battery without needing to open or tamper with the main device housing, thus protecting internal electronics while maintaining ease of battery replacement.
3Reliability
If special tools are required for battery access, then device security is improved, but ease of maintenance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The battery compartment is designed to be accessed and serviced by users without requiring special tools. The opening and retention mechanism are designed for manual operation, enabling self-service battery replacement while maintaining adequate security through the housing structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A battery powered control device configured to be mounted on a wall comprising a front housing cover comprising a vertical wall and a bezel frame extending therefrom, a button assembly, a circuit board, and a rear housing plate. The button assembly is located within the bezel frame and comprises at least one button protruding through an opening in the bezel frame. The circuit board is located within the bezel frame behind the button assembly and comprises at least one tactile switch configured for being depressed by the at least one button. The rear housing plate is mounted within the front housing cover such that a periphery of the rear housing plate fits within and is surrounded by a peripheral wall of the front housing cover and a rear surface of the rear housing plate is substantially flush with the terminal end of the peripheral wall of the front housing cover. The battery powered control device further comprises a battery receiving channel located on one side of the bezel frame and configured for guiding a battery through a battery receiving opening in the front housing cover and into a battery compartment located between the circuit board and the rear housing plate.