Traction Battery Endcap Assembly for Serviceable Pack Enclosures
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing traction battery pack enclosures lack a convenient and accessible design for servicing, as they do not allow for easy removal of endcap assemblies, hindering maintenance and component access.
Innovation Solution
The proposed traction battery pack assembly features a removable endcap assembly that can be secured using mechanical fasteners, allowing for easy access to internal components within the enclosure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the enclosure endcap assembly is made removable, then maintenance accessibility is improved, but structural integrity and sealing may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The enclosure assembly is segmented into modular components including the enclosure body, removable endcap assembly, and attachment brackets. This allows the endcap to be detached for maintenance while the main enclosure remains intact, resolving the contradiction between accessibility and structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment brackets are pre-installed on the enclosure body, and the endcap assembly is designed with corresponding mounting features. This preliminary preparation enables quick removal and reinstallation while maintaining structural integrity, addressing both accessibility and reliability concerns.
2Reliability
If the endcap assembly is secured with multiple mechanical fasteners, then structural integrity is improved, but ease of assembly and disassembly deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening system is segmented into multiple independent attachment brackets distributed along the endcap assembly. This allows the fasteners to be installed in a systematic sequence during manufacturing, improving ease of assembly while maintaining structural integrity through distributed attachment points.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment brackets serve multiple functions: providing structural support, enabling reversible fastening, and facilitating both assembly and disassembly operations. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction between secure attachment and ease of manufacture.
3Ease of repair
If the enclosure endcap assembly is made removable, then component access is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The removable endcap assembly creates a clear functional segmentation between the sealed enclosure and the accessible service area. This segmentation provides straightforward component access while keeping the added complexity localized to the endcap interface rather than the entire enclosure structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The endcap assembly is extracted as a separate removable unit from the main enclosure. This extraction provides easy access to components within the enclosure channel while isolating the complexity of the removal mechanism to a specific modular component rather than the overall device structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A traction battery pack assembly, includes an enclosure lid providing a channel; an enclosure endcap assembly that covers an end of the channel; and at least one cell stack within the channel. The at least one cell stack has one or more battery cells. The assembly can include a planar enclosure bottom. The enclosure lid can be folded.