Battery Can Structure for Uniform Thin-Wall Manufacturing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional battery can manufacturing processes, such as deep drawing and impact processes, are limited in reducing can thickness and result in thickness deviations and high manufacturing costs, leading to inefficiencies in battery capacity and production costs.
Innovation Solution
A secondary battery design that utilizes a can manufactured through blanking, bending, and welding processes, ensuring uniform thickness and reduced thickness deviations by using a metal plate to form a hexahedral shape with specific side portions and welding configurations, such as butt, lap, and overlay joint structures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional deep drawing process is used to manufacture battery can, then the can can be formed with complex shape, but the can thickness cannot be reduced and thickness deviation is large
Solution Approach 1:
The can manufacturing process is segmented into multiple controlled bending operations instead of a single complex deep drawing process. The metal plate is divided into regions that are bent sequentially to form the can body, flange, and other features, allowing better control over thickness distribution.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of forming the can shape through complex deep drawing that compresses and thins the material unevenly, the invention inverts the approach by using controlled bending operations that maintain more uniform thickness distribution while achieving the same can geometry.
2Productivity
If conventional impact process is used to manufacture battery can, then the number of processing steps is reduced, but the can thickness cannot be reduced and thickness deviation remains large
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing process is segmented into distinct blanking, bending, and welding stages, allowing each operation to be optimized independently. The bending process is further segmented into multiple controlled steps that maintain thickness uniformity while achieving the required can geometry efficiently.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the critical parameters of the bending process, including bend radius, bending speed, and tooling geometry, to maintain uniform thickness distribution. The metal plate thickness and material properties are also optimized to work effectively with the bending process.
3Quantity of substance
If can thickness is reduced to increase battery capacity, then the battery capacity relative to battery size increases, but conventional manufacturing processes cannot achieve sufficient thickness reduction due to process limitations
Solution Approach 1:
The invention optimizes multiple parameters including metal plate thickness, bending radius, bending force distribution, and welding parameters to enable production of thinner cans with uniform thickness. These parameter changes allow the can thickness to be reduced while maintaining manufacturing precision and structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the high-force impact process with a controlled bending system that uses distributed forces throughout the forming process. This substitution allows for better control over thin material deformation and maintains thickness uniformity even at reduced can thickness levels.
4Ease of manufacture
If conventional deep drawing or impact process is used, then the manufacturing process is established, but the manufacturing cost of the battery can is quite high
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing process is segmented into standard, modular operations (blanking, bending, welding) that can be performed using conventional equipment. This segmentation allows each operation to be optimized independently and reduces the need for specialized, expensive manufacturing systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a simple metal plate as the starting material that is formed into the can through bending operations. This approach replaces the need for expensive, complex deep drawing tooling and impact process equipment, reducing manufacturing cost while maintaining process stability.
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
The new manufacturing method achieves a secondary battery with reduced thickness, uniform thickness across areas, increased capacity, and lower production costs, while preventing welding failures and enhancing sealing efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
The short side portion may include welding portions, and the welding portions may include a first welding portion located between the first short side portion and the second short side portions, and a second welding portion located between the second short side portions.
Data Source
AI summary
A secondary battery includes: an electrode assembly; a case accommodating the electrode assembly; and a cap assembly coupled to the case to seal the case, and the case includes a bottom portion, long side portions bent and extended from the bottom portion, a first short side portion bent and extended from the bottom portion, and second short side portions bent and extended from the long side portions, and the first short side portion and the second short side portions are connected to one another to define a short side portion.