Battery Feedthrough Head Part Design for Hermetic Sealing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Lithium-ion batteries in automotive applications face challenges such as corrosion resistance, vibration resistance, and hermetic tightness issues due to the limitations of current feedthroughs and electrode connections, which can lead to reduced service life and heat loss problems.

Innovation Solution

A feedthrough component with a pin-shaped conductor and a head part made of glass or glass ceramic material, where the head part is larger than the conductor, providing a mechanically stable and non-detachable electrical connection to the electrode connecting components, and is designed to minimize heat loss and installation space, using materials like aluminum or copper alloys for the conductor and electrode components.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If plastic insulation is used for electrodes, then ease of manufacture is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to limited temperature resistance, mechanical resistance, aging, and uncertain tightness

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of manufactureVSAvoidreliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces durable but complex glass or ceramic feedthroughs with simpler, more replaceable plastic insulators that can be easily manufactured and installed, accepting that they have limited service life but can be replaced without complex procedures

Inventive Principle:
Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent modifies the properties of plastic materials through compound formulations and processing parameters to enhance their temperature resistance and mechanical strength, making them suitable for battery applications despite inherent material limitations

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If glass or ceramic feedthroughs are used, then reliability is improved through hermetic sealing, but device complexity increases and manufacturing becomes more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehermetic sealingVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the insulating function from complex glass-ceramic feedthrough assemblies and implements it through simpler plastic insulator components combined with metal connectors, separating the hermetic sealing function from the electrical connection function

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent divides the feedthrough assembly into separate functional components: plastic insulators for electrical isolation, metal connectors for electrical connection, and gaskets for hermetic sealing, allowing each component to be optimized independently

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Strength

If crimped and laser-welded connecting components are used, then mechanical strength is improved, but heat loss increases due to resistance losses from additional insulators in the interior

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemechanical strengthVSAvoidheat loss
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes additional insulators from the interior of the battery assembly, extracting only the essential insulating function to minimal necessary components, thereby reducing resistance losses and heat generation from multiple interface connections

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent combines the insulating and connecting functions into integrated plastic insulator assemblies with built-in metal connectors, eliminating separate insulator components and reducing the number of connection interfaces that generate heat

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

4Ease of operation

If battery cells have large installation space, then ease of operation is improved, but use of energy deteriorates due to heating from high currents and resistance losses

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinstallation spaceVSAvoidenergy efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the electrical resistance parameter by optimizing conductor materials, cross-sectional areas, and connection geometries to minimize I²R losses, allowing efficient current conduction in compact battery cell designs

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution enhances the stability and durability of the battery connections, reduces heat loss, and allows for optimized material selection and production of separate components, resulting in improved resistance to mechanical stress and thermal expansion, while maintaining hermetic sealing and reducing the risk of short circuits.

Implementation Method 1

The feedthrough is a glass or glass ceramic material with a substantially pin-shaped conductor and a head part... ensuring hermetic tightness over a long period of time

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHermetic sealing:

Implementation Method 2

The head part is designed in such a way that it can be connected to an electrode connecting part... by welding, in particular laser welding, resistance welding, electron beam welding

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectWelding: Welding

Implementation Method 3

laser welding, resistance welding, electron beam welding

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLaser welding: Laser Beam Welding

Implementation Method 4

laser welding, resistance welding, electron beam welding

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectResistance welding:

Implementation Method 5

laser welding, resistance welding, electron beam welding

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectron beam welding: Electron Beam

Implementation Method 6

friction welding, ultrasonic welding

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFriction welding: Friction Welding

Implementation Method 7

friction welding, ultrasonic welding

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectUltrasonic welding: Ultrasonic Vibration

Data Source

PatentEP2675766B1Feed-through
Publication Date: 2021.06.16 SCHOTT AG
  • EP2675766B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2675766B1 patent drawingFigure 3a~4b
  • EP2675766B1 patent drawingFigure 5a~5b

AI summary

The invention relates to a feed-through component for a conductor feed-through which passes through a housing part of a housing, in particular a battery housing, which is embedded in a glass or glass ceramic material and has at least one conductor, in particular an essentially pin-shaped conductor and a head part. The invention is characterised in that the surface, in particular the cross-sectional surface of the head part is greater than the surface, in particular the cross-sectional surface of the conductor, in particular of the essentially pin-shaped conductor and the head part is embodied such that is can be joined to an electrode-connecting component, in particular electrode-connecting part, in particular made of copper, a copper alloy CuSiC, an aluminium alloy AlSiC or aluminium, by means of a mechanically stable and non-detachable connection.