Battery Case Sidewall Structure to Prevent Cell Unit Lift
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional energy storage apparatuses with inclined side walls face issues of upward displacement and potential defects due to the draft angle, which can cause misalignment and damage to the energy storage devices.
Innovation Solution
The energy storage apparatus features a side wall with a vertical surface perpendicular to the array direction of the energy storage devices, combined with end spacers having vertical surfaces, to stabilize the device unit and prevent upward displacement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a draft angle is provided in the side wall of the outer case to facilitate easy removal of the molded article from the mold, then the ease of manufacture is improved, but the energy storage device unit may experience upward displacement due to the inclined inner surface
Solution Approach 1:
The side wall is designed with non-uniform structure: the lower portion has an inclined surface for easy mold removal, while the upper portion has a vertical surface that prevents upward displacement of the energy storage device unit. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction by applying different geometric properties to different regions of the same component.
Solution Approach 2:
The side wall is segmented into two distinct surfaces: an inclined surface extending from the bottom edge and a vertical surface extending from the top edge. The inclined surface facilitates mold removal, while the vertical surface prevents upward displacement, thereby resolving the technical contradiction through functional segmentation.
2Ease of operation
If the inner surface of the side wall is inclined away from the energy storage device unit, then the ease of operation for device insertion is improved, but the energy storage device unit receives upward force that causes upward deviation
Solution Approach 1:
The side wall incorporates a vertical surface in its upper portion that provides a positioning reference for the energy storage device unit. This vertical surface prevents upward deviation while the lower inclined surface maintains ease of insertion, resolving the contradiction between operational ease and positioning precision.
3Reliability
If the side wall is completely vertical to prevent upward displacement, then the reliability is improved, but the ease of manufacture is reduced due to difficulty in mold removal
Solution Approach 1:
The side wall is divided into an inclined lower surface for mold removal and a vertical upper surface for preventing upward displacement. This segmentation allows both functions to coexist, resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The side wall transitions from a single-plane geometry to a multi-dimensional structure with both inclined and vertical surfaces. This dimensional complexity enables the side wall to simultaneously provide easy mold removal and prevent upward displacement, resolving the contradiction.
Data Source
AI summary
An energy storage apparatus includes an energy storage device unit that includes a plurality of energy storage devices arrayed in a first direction and an outer case accommodating the energy storage device unit. The outer case includes an opening at an end in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. The outer case includes a bottom wall opposite to the opening and a side wall connected to the bottom wall. The side wall is opposite to the energy storage device unit in the first direction, and is inclined in a direction away from the energy storage device unit as the side wall extends farther from the bottom wall. The side wall includes a first vertical surface that is a plane perpendicular to the first direction on at least a part of the inside surface in the second direction. The inside surface is opposite to the energy storage device unit in the first direction.