Prismatic Battery Cell Protective Casing with Interlocking Ridges
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle batteries, particularly those using Lithium-ion cells, face damage and reduced functionality due to insufficient compressive force resistance during vehicle impacts, necessitating enhanced structural integrity and crush protection.
Innovation Solution
A modular design for prismatic battery cells with a protective casing featuring interlocking ridge and groove configurations, along with compliant pads and end plates, to absorb and distribute compressive forces, thereby enhancing mechanical durability and retention of cells within the battery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If prismatic battery cells are stacked to form series and parallel configurations to meet current and voltage requirements, then the battery can satisfy vehicle electrical demands, but the battery becomes vulnerable to damage during vehicle impacts due to insufficient compressive force resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The protective casing is divided into multiple modular components (end plates, side plates, base, compliant pads) that work together to distribute and absorb compressive forces. Each component is designed to handle specific portions of the impact forces, allowing the system to protect the battery cells while maintaining the required electrical power output configurations
Solution Approach 2:
Compliant pads are strategically positioned between the battery cell groups and the rigid structural components (end plates, side plates). These pads are designed to deform and absorb compressive forces during impacts before the forces can damage the battery cells, providing beforehand cushioning against mechanical damage while allowing the battery to maintain its electrical power output capabilities
2Ease of manufacture
If traditional battery cell assembly methods are used without integrated protective structures, then the battery can be simpler to manufacture, but the battery lacks sufficient crush protection during vehicle impacts
Solution Approach 1:
The protective casing components (end plates, side plates, base, compliant pads) are designed to serve dual functions: they provide structural protection against crush forces and simultaneously act as retention mechanisms that constrain and secure the battery cell groups. This merging of protection and retention functions into integrated components maintains manufacturing simplicity while significantly improving crush protection and reliability
Solution Approach 2:
Each component of the protective casing is designed with multi-functionality. The end plates and side plates provide both structural support and cell retention through their geometric configurations. The compliant pads simultaneously cushion against compressive forces and prevent cell movement. This multi-functionality allows the system to achieve reliable crush protection without adding separate dedicated retention mechanisms, maintaining ease of manufacture
3Reliability
If battery cells are retained using separate retention mechanisms, then the cells can be securely fixed, but the device complexity increases with additional components
Solution Approach 1:
The protective casing components are designed to simultaneously provide both protection and retention functions. The end plates and side plates use their geometric configurations and interlocking arrangements to both protect against crush forces and retain the battery cell groups. This merging eliminates the need for separate retention mechanisms such as additional brackets, clips, or fasteners, thereby maintaining device simplicity while ensuring reliable cell retention
Solution Approach 2:
Each component of the protective casing is designed as a multi-functional element. The compliant pads, for example, simultaneously cushion against compressive forces and prevent cell movement through their deformation characteristics. The rigid plates provide both structural support and mechanical constraint. This universality allows the system to achieve reliable retention without increasing device complexity with dedicated retention components
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 solution significantly increases the battery's ability to withstand compressive forces without deformation, improving mechanical structure and reducing cell movement, thus enhancing the overall integrity and reliability of the battery assembly.
Implementation Method 1
A modular design forprismatic battery cells with a protective casing featuring interlocking ridge and groove configurations, along with compliant pads and end plates, to absorb and distribute compressive forces
Implementation Method 2
protective casing within a battery case, comprising modular component segments interconnected through an interlocking ridge and mating groove configuration forming a plurality of interior pockets
Data Source
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AI summary
The following description relates to systems and methods for a vehicle battery. The vehicle battery may be a Lithium-ion battery, and may comprise a plurality of prismatic shaped battery cells, arranged and stacked to form a series of battery cell groups, and where protective casings or partitioned chambers of a protective casing enclose each battery cell group. The protective casings, or component segments of a protective casing, may be coupled to one another by a series of ridges and mating grooves. A protective casing may alternatively comprise of a monolithic extrusion comprising a plurality of partitioned chambers. The protective casing may be configured to absorb a threshold compressive force without resulting in deformation of the battery cell groups.