Normal healthy adults take certain everyday activities for granted. To most of us, basic activities such as changing a battery become so natural and automatic and ingrained that they are all but forgotten. However, to very young children, the elderly, or persons with cognitive or visual impairment, such a ubiquitous activity may not be so simple, and therefore cannot be taken for granted.
If an individual is too young to read, suffers from impaired vision or judgment, or lacks the dexterity and/or motor skills to follow simple directions and/or perform certain basic functions, then it is incumbent upon product design engineers to simplify the task as much as possible in order to reduce frustration and improve quality of life. In situations where rapid battery replacement may be required for reasons of life safety (that is, if the battery-operated device is needed to illuminate a path to safety or is critical to administering therapeutic medicine or to perform some other life-saving function), the need for intelligent, user-friendly design becomes even more imperative.
For example, if a fire breaks out and a person finds himself or herself smoke-filled environment with zero visibility and an inoperable flashlight because the battery has been fully discharged, the last thing that person wants to be concerned about is whether replacement batteries are being inserted with correct polarity.
While this example illustrates how the development of a more ergonomic and user-friendly battery holder benefits to the healthcare industry, like many inventions, the development of the reversible battery holder was driven by another unfulfilled need that involved the computer software field.
Concept
The concept of reversible battery holder was the brainchild of engineers at Microsoft, whose creative genius was applied to solving a vexing problem that emanated from customer service help desk representatives inundated by service calls from consumers who were experiencing problems associated with improperly installed batteries within a wireless mouse or keyboard. Often, when these wireless devices failed to operate properly, the customer contacted the help desk to complain of a hardware or software problem, when the device malfunction was completely due to operator error . While this mistake may seem innocent enough, when viewed on a scale involving millions of customers worldwide, the cost implications to Microsoft were enormous.
To address this situation by effectively reducing the high volume of nonessential calls to their consumer help desk, Microsoft instructed its engineers to devise a simple, mechanical solution that would allow a mouse or keyboard to operate properly regardless of whether the battery’s positive and negative terminals had been properly oriented. This design requirement led to the invention of a patented technology known as InstaLoad, a simple technology that permits batteries to be inserted into the device bidirectionally without creating an electrical short or resulting in a failed connection.
Development
While similar technologies had been previously developed that enabled greater ease-of-use, these solutions had two main drawbacks: either they relied on complicated or expensive circuitry, or it resulted in continuous drain of the battery, which reduces product service life. By contrast, InstaLoad technology has proven to be a far simpler and cost effective solution.
Under terms of licensing agreement, Memory Protection Devices is authorized to manufacture InstaLoad battery holders, which are designed for through hole mounting to pc board assemblies. Instaload works by enclosing each battery between a pair of battery contact assemblies. Each set contains both a positive and negative contact, with plastic setbacks to avoid short circuits, thus allowing the batteries to be oriented bi-directionally. This device does require the pc board to be configured with two sets of traces that can accept bi-directional power. However, this can easily be configured when the pc board's architecture is being designed.
Benefits
InstaLoad technology is so simple, yet so sensible, that it prompted mashable.com to note that — frankly, we can't figure out why no one invented this tech until now, but we're glad Microsoft did. They have the reach to really get device manufacturers on board, which will be crucial to InstaLoad's adoption.
While proper battery orientation is typically not a top-of-mind concern for youthful tech savvy consumers, such is not the case for the elderly who tend to be far more uncomfortable with modern technology. Use of InstaLoad battery holders ensures a more comforting user experience for senior citizens, contributing to better patient outcomes and reduced risk of shorts or other potential damage resulting from incorrect battery installation.
The benefits derived from a more user-friendly battery holder extend well beyond aged medical patients. This innovative technology has proven to be extremely useful to EMTs and first responders who need to make instantaneous life and death decisions and cannot waste precious time worrying about battery polarity. If the situation involves a fire emergency and the first responder finds himself or herself in a dark, smoke-filled environment, use of Instaload ensures immediate power. Similarly, if a person is trapped or crawling through a confined space where battery orientation is impossible to determine, use of the InstaLoad system can be critical.
Additional applications for this technology include portable lighting, flashlights, battery chargers, wireless computer mice and keyboards, as well as commercial, military, and law enforcement. The InstaLoad system is available in standard configurations for AAA, AA, C or D size batteries, as well as custom configurations.
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