Battery End Cover Lower Plastic Part for Thin Insulated Structures
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The current end cover assemblies in secondary batteries have limitations in terms of thickness, which affects the battery's energy density per volume, and there is a need for innovative designs that enhance insulation and structural integrity while minimizing material usage.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves a lower plastic part with specific geometrical features such as a groove, stream guidance holes, concave portions, and ejector pin parts, which are designed to improve insulation, structural strength, and manufacturing efficiency. These features include strengthening ribs, anti-overflow grooves, and injection molding protrusions that enhance the part's functionality and production process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the lower plastic part is made thinner to improve battery energy density per volume, then the energy density increases, but the structural integrity and insulation performance deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The lower plastic part is segmented into multiple functional regions including a groove divided into first and second regions, with stream guidance holes creating multiple fluid pathways. This segmentation allows the thin structure to maintain strength through distributed support while achieving the required thickness reduction for improved energy density.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the lower plastic part are designed with locally optimized properties: the groove provides localized insulation, stream guidance holes create controlled flow paths for cooling, and the concave portion offers structural reinforcement. This local quality approach allows the overall part to be thinner while maintaining structural integrity through strategically placed functional features.
2Volume of moving object
If the lower plastic part is made thinner to improve battery energy density per volume, then the energy density increases, but the insulation performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The groove extends in the width direction rather than only the thickness direction, creating a three-dimensional insulation barrier that compensates for the reduced thickness. This dimensional transition allows the insulation structure to maintain effectiveness even as the overall part thickness is reduced to improve energy density.
Solution Approach 2:
The groove is divided into multiple regions with different functionalities, allowing the insulation structure to be optimized for both thermal isolation and structural support within the constrained thickness, thereby maintaining insulation performance while enabling thinner design for higher energy density.
3Strength
If complex geometrical features are added to enhance structural integrity, then the strength improves, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple functional features (groove for insulation, stream guidance holes for cooling, concave portion for reinforcement, ejector pin parts for manufacturing) are merged into a single integrated lower plastic part that can be produced in one injection molding operation. This merging reduces overall manufacturing complexity compared to assembling multiple separate components while maintaining the required structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The lower plastic part is designed as a multi-functional component that simultaneously provides insulation, structural support, fluid guidance, and manufacturing features. This universal design approach consolidates multiple functions into one part, reducing the number of manufacturing steps and assemblies required while achieving the necessary structural strength.
4Productivity
If multiple ejector pin parts are added to improve demolding efficiency, then the productivity increases, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ejector pin parts are asymmetrically distributed across different surfaces of the lower plastic part (first surface, bottom wall surfaces of groove and concave portion) rather than uniformly arranged. This asymmetric placement optimizes demolding efficiency for this specific complex geometry while keeping the mold structure manageable by targeting critical release points rather than using a symmetric array throughout.
Solution Approach 2:
The mold design incorporates ejector pin parts that apply preliminary demolding action at critical locations (groove and concave portion) before complete ejection. This preliminary action prevents sticking and ensures smooth removal of the complex thin-walled part, improving productivity without requiring an excessive number of ejector pins throughout the entire mold structure.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The present disclosure provides a lower plastic part (10), an end cover assembly (100), an energy storage device(1000), and an electrical equipment. The lower plastic part has a first surface (101) and a second surface (112) opposite to the first surface. The lower plastic part defines a groove (16), a stream guidance hole (166), and a concave portion (13). The groove and the concave portion are located at opposite ends of the lower plastic part in its length direction. The stream guidance hole penetrates through a bottom wall of the groove. A hole diameter of the stream guidance hole is progressively smaller along a direction from the first surface to the second surface. The lower plastic part further comprises a plurality of first ejector pin parts (S1), a plurality of second ejector pin parts (S2), and a plurality of third ejector pin parts (S3) which are symmetrical with respect to a center line of the lower plastic part in a width direction.