Battery Pack Core Case Locking Structure for Cell Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Battery cells in power tool packs are susceptible to damage due to inadequate securing and protection within the outer housing, leading to potential movement and damage during operation.
Innovation Solution
A battery pack design featuring a core case with outwardly projecting lobes and an outer housing with inward-facing protrusions, secured by fasteners that extend through aligned holes, providing a stable and secure configuration to prevent movement of the core case within the housing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If battery cells are placed in the outer housing without additional securing structures, then the device complexity is reduced, but the battery cells become susceptible to movement and damage during operation
Solution Approach 1:
The core case is nested within the outer housing, creating a multi-layer protective structure. The core case with its lobes fits inside the outer housing, providing an additional level of protection and securing for the battery cells without requiring the entire housing to be complex. This nested arrangement allows the battery cells to be protected by the core case while the outer housing provides structural support and mounting functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing is segmented into distinct functional components: the outer housing that provides structural support and mounting, and the core case that directly secures the battery cells. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function - the outer housing for structural integrity and the core case for cell securing - thereby improving reliability without unnecessarily increasing overall device complexity.
2Reliability
If a simple outer housing is used without additional protective structures, then the ease of manufacture is improved, but the battery cells lack adequate protection and securing
Solution Approach 1:
The core case combines multiple functions into a single component: it provides structural support, secures the battery cells through its lobes, and interfaces with the outer housing. By merging these functions into one integrated piece rather than using separate components for each function, the design improves battery cell protection while maintaining ease of manufacture through reduced part count and assembly steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The core case's lobes are designed to automatically engage with corresponding features in the outer housing, providing self-alignment and self-securing functionality. This self-service mechanism reduces the need for complex fastening systems or precise manual adjustment during assembly, thereby improving battery cell protection while keeping the manufacturing process simple.
3Reliability
If the core case is secured with multiple fasteners and protrusions, then the battery cells are securely protected, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The protrusions serve multiple functions: they provide structural reinforcement for the fasteners, guide the alignment of the core case within the outer housing, and distribute mechanical stresses across multiple contact points. By making these protrusions multi-functional, the design achieves reliable core case securing without adding dedicated separate components for each function, thereby reducing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The fastening mechanism utilizes three-dimensional spatial arrangement of protrusions and lobes, where protrusions extend from the outer housing in specific directions to engage with corresponding features on the core case. This spatial distribution in multiple dimensions provides secure multi-point attachment while maintaining a compact overall structure, improving securing reliability without proportionally increasing device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A battery pack is disclosed and includes a core case, an outer housing, and a fastener. The core includes an interior cavity and at least two lobes. The lobes project outwardly away from the interior cavity. The outer housing surrounds the core case and includes a set of protrusions that fit between the two lobes of the core case. The fastener extends through the lobes and protrusion.