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Vibrating battery insert

Create multi-purpose appliances
 
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In the movie “Parenthood,” there was a scene when the lights went out during a dinner party. Steve Martin’s character got up and ran around the house to find a flashlight and returned to the dinner table with something just as the lights came back on. The comedic finale’ to the scene was that he was holding a vibrator rather than a flashlight.

Vibrating battery inserts replace a battery in a flashlight, allowing the better contoured units to be multi-functional appliances. There is a size for everyone’s use and pleasure: AAA cell-sized, AA cell-sized, C cell-sized, D cell-sized. A magnetic switch would be used to turn the vibrating unit on and off, allowing the user to still use the flashlights switch for its intended purpose. A dial on the cell could be used to set the intensity of the vibration.

These items seem to be available for cell phones, but not for use in more basic items. I was unable to find any vibrating batteries or similar devices to replace standard consumer sized batteries.

Vibrating battery inserts in flashlights would only be one of many uses. You could put one in you cordless drill to make a roto-hammer, for instance, or replace a battery in your unflappable colleagues laser pointer prior to his pompous presentation of his latest piece of self-serving research. The potential for use and abuse is astounding.

Salted Nuts, May 17 2004

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       ?????
DesertFox, May 17 2004
  

       What DessertFox said.
spacemoggy, May 17 2004
  

       A good method to hide your vibrator, but how to control it? The flashlight still only has one switch.
kbecker, May 18 2004
  

       Is the intented purpose of this thing to be a joke, or to increase the number of items that can be 'enhanced' with vibration, or what? As a joke item, it might actually be somewhat interesting (design a device containing two AA batteries, some electronics, and a vibrating motor, all in a D-cell-sized package, arranged so that when powered on it will vibrate. A couple of AA cells, plus the right electronics, should be able to mimick a D cell reasonably well at least for short-term use (obviously they wouldn't hold as much energy).
supercat, May 18 2004
  

       A single AA will 'Mimick' a D cell; they both put out 1.5 volts. Wiring two in parallel would also produce 1.5volts, and provide twice as much energy as a single AA, thus increasing its staying power, so in that regard, you aren't wrong. I just thought I'd get specific, to give you a reason to hate me.
mtoonsdale, May 18 2004
  

       Are you the one who sends me all that spam about vibrators? Seriously though, how many devices which don't already vibrate are enhanced by the addition of vibration?
dobtabulous, May 18 2004
  

       Under zero-load conditions, a AAA and D cell will both behave identically. A D cell will have a much lower internal resistance, however. Wiring two AA cells in series with suitably-designed buck-mode convertor would allow them to mimic the lower internal resistance of a D cell at power levels up to nearly twice the maximum peak capacity of the AA cells (there are two AA cells, remember). Battery lifetime under such conditions would be short, but if the goal is a novelty item that shouldn't be a problem.
supercat, May 18 2004
  

       I am actually envisioning an item that would be a vibrating unit that would replace a battery. Sure, battery life suffers when fewer batteries are used. [becker] It could have a dip switch that would allow it to turn on when a circuit is completed, or allow it to be turned on/off via a magnetic type switch (although I now wonder how you could complete the circuit if the devices switch is off...details). [supercat and dobtabulous]...is this item intended as a serious addition to humanitys' tool chest or as a joke...well, I think that is open to interpretation. How seriously can you take application of great ideas such as ‘Tails for all’ or some of the others in the halfbakery. Vibrating units could be used for all types of fun and mischief, probably none of which will change the world (dramatically, anyway).
Salted Nuts, May 20 2004
  
      
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