Battery Functional Groove Design for Size Reduction

Solution Overview

Problem

Large battery sizes lead to increased dimensions of connection apparatuses, compromising portability and convenience, and the need for multiple identification grooves to improve identification performance results in a larger battery footprint.

Innovation Solution

A battery design featuring a functional groove with continuously formed functional units of varying lengths and widths, allowing for efficient identification without increasing the overall size, by eliminating dividers between units and optimizing the arrangement of these units within the casing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If the battery size is increased to accommodate multiple identification grooves for improved identification performance, then identification accuracy is improved, but battery portability and handling convenience deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveidentification accuracyVSAvoidbattery size

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple identification grooves are merged into a single integrated functional groove structure. The functional groove contains multiple functional units (first identification groove, second identification groove, positioning groove) that are continuously formed without dividers, combining multiple identification functions into one unified structure that reduces overall battery size while maintaining identification accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The functional groove is segmented into multiple functional units with different lengths and widths arranged continuously. This segmentation allows each unit to serve specific identification purposes while the continuous formation without dividers minimizes the total area occupied, resolving the contradiction between identification precision and battery size.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Measurement precision

If multiple identification grooves are added to improve identification performance, then identification accuracy is improved, but the area occupied by identification grooves increases leading to larger battery footprint

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveidentification accuracyVSAvoidbattery footprint

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple identification grooves are merged into a single integrated functional groove structure. The functional groove contains multiple functional units (first identification groove, second identification groove, positioning groove) that are continuously formed without dividers, combining multiple identification functions into one unified structure that reduces overall battery size while maintaining identification accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The functional units are arranged in a two-dimensional continuous layout rather than as separate one-dimensional grooves. By arranging functional units with varying lengths and widths in a continuous pattern, the design utilizes space more efficiently, reducing the total area occupied while providing multiple identification functions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Adaptability or versatility

If dividers are added between functional units to separate functions, then functional clarity is improved, but the number of parts and manufacturing complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefunctional clarityVSAvoidnumber of parts

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The functional groove is segmented into multiple functional units with different lengths and widths arranged continuously. This segmentation allows each unit to serve specific identification purposes while the continuous formation without dividers minimizes the total area occupied and reduces manufacturing complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different functional units within the continuous groove have different local characteristics (different lengths and widths) to provide specific functions. The first functional unit has a first length and width for one identification function, while the second functional unit has a second length and width for another function, allowing functional clarity without physical division.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP4016718A1Battery and connection apparatus

Publication Date: 2022.06.22 SONY GROUP CORP

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AI summary

Disclosed is a battery including a casing including cells housed therein and a terminal part including a connection terminal connected to an electrode terminal of a connection apparatus, in which in the casing, a functional groove having a predetermined function in which a longitudinal direction coincides with a connection direction of the connection terminal and the electrode terminal is formed, and the functional groove includes a plurality of functional units having different lengths which are continuously formed. Accordingly, since there is no part that divides a functional unit between a plurality of functional units having different lengths, a size of the functional groove in a direction in which the functional units are continuous is a sum of sizes of a plurality of functional units, and thus it is possible to reduce the size of the battery while securing high functionality.