Secondary Battery Cutout Terminal Design for Compact Stacking

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing secondary battery designs result in wasted space when stacked due to protruding terminals, necessitating an improvement in structural efficiency.

Innovation Solution

A secondary battery with a quadrilateral exterior body and cutout parts at opposite sides or corners to house the terminals, reducing protrusion and optimizing space usage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If terminals protrude from the rectangular exterior body, then terminal connection is simplified, but wasted space is generated when batteries are stacked

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveterminal connectionVSAvoidspace for secondary battery
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the terminals from the main rectangular body by forming cutout parts at opposite sides of the exterior body. The cathode terminal and anode terminal are positioned in these cutout parts, effectively separating the terminal region from the main battery body. This extraction eliminates the protrusion problem while maintaining terminal accessibility for connection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transitions from a traditional protruding terminal configuration (extending outward from the face) to an integrated cutout configuration (embedded in the side profile). By moving terminals from a face-protruding position to side-cutout positions, the patent changes the spatial dimension of terminal placement, allowing batteries to stack flush without wasted space while keeping terminals accessible for connection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Volume of moving object

If cutout parts are provided at opposite sides, then space efficiency is improved, but structural complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvespace for secondary batteryVSAvoidexterior body structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The exterior body is segmented by introducing cutout parts at opposite sides, dividing the otherwise continuous rectangular structure into distinct regions: the main battery body and the terminal housing cutouts. This segmentation allows the terminals to be positioned in dedicated spaces, achieving compact stacking while maintaining structural integrity through the divided design.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP4181310A1Secondary battery
Publication Date: 2023.05.17 TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK
  • EP4181310A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4181310A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4181310A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Provided is a secondary battery having a structure that can reduce a space for the secondary battery. The secondary battery includes: exterior bodies that look a quadrilateral as a whole in a plan view; an electrode body that is housed in the exterior bodies; cutout parts at respective two sides among the sides of the quadrilateral, the two sides being opposite to each other; a cathode terminal disposed in one of the cutout parts; and an anode terminal disposed in another one of the cutout parts.