Battery Cell Contact Element with Insulating Film

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing battery cell manufacturing technologies face challenges in achieving cost-effective, flexible, and reliable production with high mechanical strength, media resistance, and thermal resilience, particularly in adapting to new designs and preventing critical air inclusions.

Innovation Solution

A battery cell design featuring a housing with a through-opening for electrical contact, where a contact element with a cover plate completely covering the opening is separated by an insulating film, typically made of epoxy material with inorganic fillers, allowing for simple and adaptive manufacturability and enhanced stability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a through-opening is provided in the housing for electrical contact, then electrical connectivity is enabled, but mechanical strength and sealing are compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveelectrical connectivityVSAvoidmechanical strength of housing
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

A contact element with cover plate serves as an intermediary component that bridges the through-opening. The cover plate closes the opening while the contact element provides electrical connectivity, thus mediating between the conflicting requirements of mechanical integrity and electrical access.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The contact element is segmented into distinct functional parts: the cover plate for mechanical closure and the contact portion for electrical connectivity. This segmentation allows each part to optimize its specific function while working together as a unified solution.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Ease of manufacture

If adhesive films are used for metallic connections, then assembly is simplified, but reliability and resistance to media are reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveassembly simplicityVSAvoidconnection reliability and media resistance
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The insulating film uses composite materials combining polymer matrix with inorganic fillers (silica, alumina, magnesium oxide). This composite structure provides both the ease of film-based assembly and enhanced reliability through improved mechanical strength, thermal resistance, and chemical inertness against media.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The insulating film's physical and chemical parameters are optimized through material composition control, thickness adjustment (1-100 micrometers), and thermal treatment. These parameter changes enable the film to simultaneously provide easy assembly characteristics and high reliability under operational conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If the cover plate is positioned to completely cover the through-opening, then electrical insulation is improved, but air inclusions may occur

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveelectrical insulationVSAvoidair inclusions
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The insulating film is designed as a thin, flexible barrier that can conform to the cover plate and housing surfaces. This flexibility allows the film to seal around the contact element while minimizing air pocket formation, achieving both electrical insulation and reduced air inclusions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

4Ease of manufacture

If standard insulating materials are used, then manufacturing is simplified, but thermal resilience and mechanical strength are insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidthermal resilience
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The insulating film incorporates inorganic fillers (silica, alumina, magnesium oxide) within a polymer matrix to create a composite material that maintains ease of manufacturing through film formation while achieving superior thermal resilience and mechanical strength compared to standard insulating materials.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

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 enables cost-effective production, flexibility in design adaptation, improved mechanical and thermal stability, and prevention of air inclusions, ensuring reliable battery cell performance across a wide temperature range.

Implementation Method 1

the cover plate is separated from the housing by an insulating film

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectrical insulation: Dielectric

Implementation Method 2

it is made of an epoxy material, ie it has an epoxy material as the matrix material, which has an inorganic filler

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal stability: Thermal Insulation

Data Source

PatentEP3701575B1Battery cell and process of manufacturing it
Publication Date: 2022.07.13 ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
  • EP3701575B1 patent drawingFigure 1~4
  • EP3701575B1 patent drawingFigure 5~8
  • EP3701575B1 patent drawingFigure 9~12

AI summary

The present invention relates to a battery cell (10) comprising a housing (12) which accommodates an electrode arrangement (14) having a cathode and an anode, the housing having a through opening (16) for electrically contacting the anode or the cathode, and the battery cell (10) has a contact element (20) which is electrically connected to the anode or cathode, and the contact element (20) comprises a cover disc (26) which completely covers the through opening (16), the cover disc (26) being separated from the housing (12) by an insulating film (28).