Rotatable Battery Pack with Axial Electrical Connections
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery pack designs for devices with Microsoft Windows mobile operating systems do not provide sufficient time for orderly shut-down during battery removal, leading to potential data loss and instability, and lack secure attachment and protection against accidental disconnection or dropping.
Innovation Solution
A rotatable battery pack with electrical contact pads and spring-loaded pogo pins that maintain connectivity during rotation and provide a warning of impending power loss, allowing for a proper shut-down sequence, while also featuring a quick-release catch for secure attachment and impact resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the battery pack is designed for easy removal, then the ease of operation is improved, but the reliability of secure attachment deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The battery pack employs a dynamic rotational locking mechanism that transitions from an unlocked to a locked position through rotation. The catch member rotates about an axis to engage with the protrusion, transforming the battery pack from an easily removable state to a securely locked state. This dynamic mechanism allows the same structure to provide both ease of removal (through simple rotation) and reliable attachment (through positive locking engagement).
2Duration of action of moving object
If the battery pack uses spring-loaded connectors for longer contact period, then the duration of electrical connection is improved, but the reliability of preventing inadvertent disconnection deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the electrical connection function with the mechanical locking function into a single integrated system. The spring-loaded pogo pins provide continuous electrical contact during the rotation and removal process, while the rotational catch mechanism provides mechanical locking to prevent inadvertent disconnection. These two functions work together synergistically - the spring-loaded connectors maintain contact throughout the extended period needed for orderly shutdown, while the catch mechanism ensures the connection remains secure and prevents accidental disengagement during this critical time period.
3Ease of operation
If the battery pack allows rotation during insertion, then the ease of operation is improved, but the complexity of the device increases
Solution Approach 1:
The rotational locking function is extracted as a separate, dedicated mechanism (the catch member rotating about an axis) rather than being integrated into the electrical connectors themselves. This extraction allows the electrical connection system (spring-loaded pogo pins) to focus solely on maintaining electrical contact, while the mechanical locking system handles the rotational engagement and securing functions. This separation of concerns reduces the complexity of each individual component while maintaining the overall ease of rotational insertion operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A battery pack may supply power to a device such as a PDA, a hand-held scanner, or a laptop computer, when inserted and rotatably locked therein. The battery pack is adapted to maintain electrical connectivity with the device, once unlocked, during counter-rotation and before removal. Electrical connectivity is provided by discrete electrical contact pads on the battery pack, each of which may form various annular shapes at different radii. The electrical contact pads are detected by spring-loaded pogo pins on the device. Electrical connectivity is maintained for a battery detect pin for only approximately fifteen degrees of counter-rotation, where its disengagement warns of impending power loss, and triggers a proper shut-down sequence to save data. One contact pad is electrically coupled to a negative terminal within the battery pack, and another is electrically coupled to a positive terminal. The battery pack houses one or more rechargeable batteries, preferably lithium-ion.