Battery Cover Mold Inserts Asymmetry Preventing Polarity Errors
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery terminal and bushing configurations often lead to improper assembly and formation due to lack of unique sizing and shaping, which can result in incorrect polarity connections and assembly orientations.
Innovation Solution
The design includes unique sizing and shaping of cover mold inserts, bushings, terminals, and cast-on-straps to ensure proper orientation and polarity, with specific configurations for positive and negative terminals and bushings, allowing only correct coupling of formation cables and preventing improper assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If standard-sized bushings and terminals are used without unique sizing, then manufacturing cost is reduced and assembly is simplified, but improper assembly and incorrect polarity connections occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by providing bushings with different internal diameters for positive and negative terminals, and cast-on-straps with different flag dimensions. Specifically, the positive terminal bushing has a different internal diameter than the negative terminal bushing, and the cast-on-strap flags have different dimensions corresponding to their respective polarities. This asymmetric design ensures that only the correct strap can be inserted into the correct bushing, preventing improper assembly and polarity reversal.
2Reliability
If cover mold inserts are made unique in size and shape, then correct polarity orientation is ensured, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cover mold inserts are designed with asymmetric features including different bushing internal diameters and different flag dimensions for positive and negative terminals. This asymmetry ensures that the cover can only be assembled in the correct orientation, with each terminal receiving its properly sized bushing and strap. The manufacturing complexity is offset by the prevention of costly assembly errors and the need for only two insert designs rather than multiple variations.
3Reliability
If bushings with different internal diameters are used for positive and negative terminals, then incorrect strap insertion is prevented, but component variety and inventory requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifies that the positive terminal bushing has a different internal diameter than the negative terminal bushing. The cast-on-strap flags corresponding to each polarity are manufactured with matching different dimensions. This creates a unique fit between each strap-bushing pair, preventing improper assembly where a wrong polarity strap could be inserted. The limited component variety (only two bushing sizes and two flag dimensions) is manageable in inventory while providing sufficient differentiation.
Data Source
AI summary
A battery is provided with a battery cover having a first cover mold insert and a second cover mold insert which are interchangeable in the cover prior to molding depending at least in part on the battery's polarity configuration. The first cover mold insert has a bushing that is relatively different in dimension, size and/or shape than the bushing of the second cover mold insert, such that each bushing is adapted to receive a cast-on-strap post of a relatively different dimension, size and/or shape. The first cover mold insert may also have a terminal that is relatively different in dimension, size and/or shape than the terminal of the second cover mold insert, such that each terminal is adapted to engage a formation connector contact of a relatively different dimension, size and/or shape.