Battery Cell Mounting Frame for Stable Welding and Short-Circuit Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Battery cells, particularly lithium-ion cells, can experience thermal runaway due to short circuits during assembly, leading to fires and explosions, and the welding process requires disassembly and reassembly of welding fixtures, increasing assembly time.
Innovation Solution
A battery cell assembly where cells are clamped between a housing floor and a mounting frame, using a non-conducting polymer frame with shoulders and openings to hold cells in place, allowing for welding without moving, and incorporating features like walls to prevent short circuits and increase creepage distance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If welding fixtures are used to hold cells and busbars in fixed position during welding, then welding stability is improved, but assembly time increases due to repeated assembly and disassembly of the fixture
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the cell holding function and the busbar positioning function into a single integrated welding fixture structure. The fixture includes a base plate with clamping mechanisms for cells and vertical supports with positioning features for busbars, eliminating the need for separate holding devices and reducing assembly complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The welding fixture is designed with pre-configured positioning features and clamping mechanisms that are prepared in advance. The fixture includes pre-installed positioning pins, clamps, and support structures that automatically align and secure cells and busbars when assembled, eliminating the need for repeated adjustment and setup during each welding operation.
2Reliability
If tools or electrical conductors come into contact with busbars during assembly, then short circuits occur causing thermal runaway, but preventing contact increases assembly complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces non-conductive protective barriers and insulating materials between electrical conductors, tools, and busbars during the assembly process. The welding fixture incorporates insulating components that physically separate conductive elements, preventing accidental contact and short circuits without requiring complex assembly procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The welding fixture is designed with built-in protective features that prevent short circuits before they can occur. This includes insulating barriers, positioned clamps that isolate busbars, and structured arrangements that eliminate potential contact paths between tools and electrical conductors during the welding operation.
3Manufacturing precision
If cells are held in fixed position during welding, then welding precision is improved, but cell movement risk increases during assembly process
Solution Approach 1:
The welding fixture includes pre-positioned clamping mechanisms and support structures that secure cells in their exact welding positions before the welding process begins. The fixture is designed with adjustable clamps and positioning features that are configured in advance to match the required cell positions, ensuring both stability during assembly and precision during welding.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple cell holding and positioning functions into a single integrated fixture system. The fixture simultaneously provides mechanical support, positional constraint, and welding alignment for multiple cells, eliminating the need for separate holding devices and reducing the risk of cell movement during both assembly and welding operations.
Data Source
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AI summary
A battery cell assembly (1) is disclosed. A first battery cell (10-13) and a second battery cell (10-13) are received in a cell housing (40) of the assembly (1) and a terminal extending from the top of the first battery cell is received in a first opening (202, 203) formed in a cell mounting frame (20, 30) and a terminal extending from the top of the second battery cell is received in a second, separate opening formed in the cell mounting frame (20, 30). The cell mounting frame (20, 30) is fastened to the cell housing (40) such that the first battery cell and second battery cell are each clamped between the floor (42) of cell housing and a shoulder (210) of the cell mounting frame. A method of assembling a battery cell assembly is also disclosed.