Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Gregory Scott Yoder

Minsoo Kim

Scott Douglas Bowers

Jason Fergus Lee

Craig Daniel Owen

Kai-Yi Lin

Randall J Park

Craig D Owen

A computing device is disclosed. The computing device has a frame including a recessed battery compartment, the recessed battery compartment having a rigid back surface. The computing device further has a closure member having a rigid portion and a flexible portion, wherein a periphery of the closure member is coupled to a peripheral edge of the recessed battery compartment, the flexible portion to permit the rigid portion to move relative to the frame. The computing device further has a battery coupled to one or more of the battery compartment and the closure member, the battery oriented between and substantially adjacent to the rigid back surface of the battery compartment and the closure member.

Flexible battery containment

Computing devices may require disassembly to repair or replace a defective or damaged component, or to facilitate recycling at the end of the computing device's service life. While pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) is good at creating secure connections between components within the expected operating conditions of the computing device, PSA resists intentional disassembly of such components. The presently disclosed PSA with thermally conductive release tabs provides a mechanism for effective spot-cooling of the PSA between adhered components. Once the PSA reaches a low temperature threshold, one component may be mechanically separated from another component. This yields potentially faster and easier disassembly of adhered components than prior art techniques.

Pressure sensitive adhesive with thermally conductive release tab

A system for electrically de-bonding a battery from an electronic device includes an electro-adhesive layer within a coupling between the battery and the electronic device. When a current a of predetermined magnitude is directed through the electro-adhesive between a first electrode and a second electrode, the electro-adhesive initiates a chemical reaction that weakens a bond between the battery and the electronic device.

Electrical battery de-bonding

Enhanced battery edge detection devices, systems, and techniques are described herein. During an inspection process, an inspection system controls one or more non-visible light sources to illuminate a battery installed in an electronic device. The illumination activates a reflective pigment applied to at least a portion of an edge of the battery. The inspection system controls one or more cameras to capture at least one image of the illuminated battery installed in the electronic device. The at least one image is processed to detect the edge of the battery and to measure a gap size between the edge of the battery and a region of the electronic device proximate the edge of the battery. The electronic device and battery are flagged for further inspection if the measured gap size is below a threshold indicative of a zero gap event.

Enhanced battery edge detection

A multi-cell battery pack includes adjacent thin-film battery cells electrically coupled to one another with a conductive battery cell connection tab. The conductive battery cell connection tab is folded at a deflection point separating a first aperture in a first portion from a second aperture in a second portion. The first aperture and the second aperture are aligned with one another along an axis while the first portion and the second portion are positioned to rest adjacent to opposite surfaces of a first thin-film battery cell. In this position, the first portion and the second portion electrically couple a first thin-film battery cell to a second thin-film battery cell in a same battery cell stack.

Growing community of inventors

Redmond, WA, United States of America

Gregory Scott Yoder