Air Battery Pack Sealing with Compressed Edge
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional air batteries face challenges in reducing thickness while maintaining adequate electrolyte sealing performance due to their stacked structure, leading to potential electrolyte leakage issues.
Innovation Solution
The battery pack employs air batteries with a cathode layer, an anode layer, and an electrolyte layer surrounded by a frame member with electrical insulation properties, featuring a fluid-tight air-permeable member at the cathode surface and a compressive load applied to its outer edge to enhance sealing, allowing for both thickness reduction and high electrolyte sealing performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If the stacked structure of battery structural parts is used, then the battery can be assembled with adequate components, but the thickness cannot be reduced while maintaining electrolyte sealing performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible sealing ring that can elastically deform under compression to seal the interface between the cap member and circular container member. This thin film approach replaces rigid stacked structures with a flexible sealing mechanism that achieves adequate electrolyte sealing performance while reducing overall battery thickness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the sealing mechanism from a rigid structural approach to an elastic deformation approach. By applying compressive load to the sealing ring, the physical state of the sealing interface changes, enabling effective sealing with reduced thickness. The sealing ring's elastic properties allow it to conform to the interface geometry under compression.
2Volume of moving object
If the thickness of air batteries is reduced, then the installation space requirement decreases, but the electrolyte sealing performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible sealing ring acts as a thin film that maintains sealing effectiveness regardless of the reduced battery thickness. This allows the battery to occupy less installation space while the elastic sealing ring ensures adequate electrolyte sealing performance through its ability to deform and conform to the sealing interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The compressive load applied to the sealing ring counteracts the tendency for electrolyte leakage that arises when thickness is reduced. This counteracting force ensures that even in a thin battery design, the sealing interface remains effectively sealed against electrolyte pressure.
3Reliability
If insulating sheets are disposed around the cathode, separator and zinc anode, then electrical insulation is achieved, but the structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the electrical insulation function with the sealing structure by making the cap member and circular container member themselves the insulating components. This merging of functions eliminates the need for separate insulating sheets, achieving adequate electrical insulation while reducing structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The cap member and circular container member serve multiple functions: they provide structural containment, electrical insulation, and sealing surfaces. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for dedicated insulating sheets, reducing the overall structural complexity while maintaining adequate electrical insulation performance.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration effectively reduces the battery pack's size while ensuring reliable electrolyte sealing, enabling its use as a power source for vehicles by preventing electrolyte leakage and maintaining electrical conductivity.
Implementation Method 1
a fluid-tight air-permeable member located at a cathode surface
Implementation Method 2
The outer circumferential edge portion of the fluid-tight air-permeable member is adapted as a compressed region to which a compressive load is applied
Data Source
Figure 1~2(B)
Figure 3~5
Figure 6~7
AI summary
Disclosed is a battery pack in which a plurality of air batteries (A1) are stacked together. Each of the air batteries (A1) includes a cathode layer (2), an anode layer (3), an electrolyte layer (1) interposed between the cathode layer (2) and the anode layer (3) and a frame member (4) having electrical insulation properties and surrounding at least outer circumferences of the electrolyte layer (1) and the cathode layer (2). The cathode layer (2) includes a fluid-tight air-permeable member (32) located at a cathode surface thereof and having, when viewed in plan, an outer circumferential edge portion situated outside of the outer circumference of the electrolyte layer (1). The frame member (4) includes a holding portion (4A) located a cathode side thereof so as to hold the outer circumferential edge portion of the fluid-tight air-permeable member (23). The outer circumferential edge portion of the fluid-tight air-permeable member (23) is adapted as a compressed region (23A) to which a compressive load is applied in a thickness direction thereof. By this structure, it is possible to achieve both of thickness reduction and high electrolyte sealing performance.