Accumulator Battery Container with Elastic Plate Insertion Guides
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing accumulator battery containers face challenges in safely and non-destructively inserting and fixing plates with varying sizes, requiring skilled handling and being prone to damage due to mechanical stresses, and size variations often lead to assembly issues.
Innovation Solution
A battery container with adaptable guiding means that can elastically deform to accommodate plates of different widths and thicknesses, featuring flexible ridges and flaps that guide and fix plates in position without causing damage, allowing for easy and secure insertion and fixation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If rigid guiding protrusions are used to fix plates in position, then plate positioning precision is improved, but plate wrapper damage increases due to sharp edges tearing the wrappers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces rigid guiding protrusions with flexible guiding elements made of elastomeric material. These flexible elements can deform during plate insertion to accommodate size variations and guide the plates into position, then return to their original shape to secure the plates. The flexible nature prevents sharp edges that would tear wrappers, while still providing adequate positioning guidance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state of the guiding elements from rigid to flexible by using elastomeric material. This parameter change allows the guiding elements to adapt their shape and hardness dynamically - soft during insertion to protect wrappers, and firm enough to provide positioning stability once the plate is in place.
2Ease of manufacture
If standardized container dimensions are used for manufacturing, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but adaptability to plates with size variations decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamic flexibility into the container system through elastomeric guiding elements. These elements can dynamically adjust their shape and position to accommodate plates of varying sizes within the standardized container, providing adaptability without requiring custom container dimensions for each plate size.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible elastomeric guiding elements act as adaptable interfaces between the rigid standardized container and the variable-size plates. They provide the necessary compliance to handle size variations while maintaining the benefits of standardized container manufacturing.
3Reliability
If plates are inserted carefully by skilled individuals, then plate damage is reduced, but assembly time and productivity decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible guiding elements are designed to automatically perform the guidance and protection functions during plate insertion. The system serves itself by having the elastomeric material inherently provide damage protection through its compliant nature, eliminating the need for skilled manual handling while maintaining high assembly speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastomeric guiding elements provide passive protection during insertion - they naturally deform to accommodate plates and prevent damage without requiring active skilled intervention. This allows unskilled workers to insert plates quickly while the flexible material ensures damage-free assembly.
4Reliability
If resilient elements like saddles or pads are used to support plates, then plate protection is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the functions of container walls and plate support/guiding elements into a single integrated structure. The elastomeric guiding elements are formed as integral parts of the container walls, eliminating the need for separate saddles or pads that would increase complexity. The container structure itself provides both containment and protective guidance functions.
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
Enables safe and efficient insertion of plates by non-experts, providing effective protection against mechanical stresses and ensuring secure positioning, thus extending the battery's active life and simplifying the manufacturing process.
Implementation Method 1
said guiding and fixing means being built so that they can be deformed elastically and gradually when said at least one plate is inserted between them by pushing
Data Source
AI summary
An accumulator battery container is constituted by a box-like structure that comprises internally at least one containment cell for at least one plate and adaptable guides provided for inserting and fixing in position the at least one plate, the cell being formed between opposite walls or between opposite walls and partitions of the container, and the guides being arranged at opposite ends of the cell and being formed so that they can undergo elastic deformation gradually when the at least one plate is inserted between them by pushing.