Oura may be working on a smart ring with detachable battery
Oura has filed an interesting patent. Published on April 7, it points to a smart ring with a removable battery section. This could make it easier to replace the battery over time.
A replaceable battery design
The newly granted US patent describes a wearable ring made up of two main sections. The inner portion houses the sensor system and core electronics, while the outer curved portion includes the battery housing. Crucially, the filing states that the battery is removable and may be configured so that a user can remove and reinsert it without compromising the functionality of the device.
The patent also goes into more detail on how this could work in practice. It describes electrical contacts between the removable battery section and the main ring body, suggesting Oura is also protecting the way power would be transferred once the battery module is slotted back in.
Oura also appears to be covering different ways the battery section could be secured in place. The filing references retention elements, sockets and coupling structures, which suggests the company is exploring more than one hardware approach for attaching and removing the battery module.
The outer section itself is described as being made up of first and second sub-portions. In practice, this appears to be a two-piece curved shell that fits around the main ring body, forming the removable battery housing.
Why this is useful
This could be a useful development for the smart ring category because battery ageing is one of the main factors that limits the lifespan of small wearables. Some Oura users have reported battery life dropping noticeably after a year or two, with devices that once lasted several days needing daily charging.
A removable battery design could offer a more practical long-term solution. Instead of replacing the entire ring when battery performance starts to decline, users may only need a new power module, which could also make repairs and warranty replacements simpler. For a premium device designed for continuous wear, that would be a useful change.
Of course, as always with patents, there is no guarantee this will appear in a commercial product. But this one is actually not a bad idea. It stands out because it tackles a very real issue for compact wearables: long-term battery life.
This article originally appeared on Gadgets & Wearables, the first media outlet to report the story.
Source: USPTO
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