Battery Casing Guided Groove Layout for Compact Terminal Connection

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Large battery sizes lead to increased dimensions of connection apparatuses like chargers and electronic devices, compromising portability and handling convenience.

Innovation Solution

The battery design features a casing with a notch formed by a level difference face and a groove forming face, where the guided groove is positioned on the bottom face side, allowing for a non-continuous positioning of these elements, which reduces the overall size by bringing the groove forming face closer to the cell.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Volume of moving object

If the battery size is decreased, then portability and handling convenience are improved, but the connection apparatus size may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebattery sizeVSAvoidhandling convenience
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The guided groove is repositioned to the bottom face side of the casing rather than the side face, utilizing the vertical dimension more effectively. This spatial reconfiguration allows the groove forming face to be positioned closer to the cell while maintaining proper guidance function, thereby reducing overall battery dimensions without compromising connection reliability

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

Solution Approach 2:

The notch structure is designed with differentiated zones: the level difference face provides structural support and positioning, while the groove forming face creates the guided groove for connection apparatus engagement. This localized functional differentiation allows compact positioning of the groove forming face near the cell, reducing battery size while maintaining ease of connection operation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Volume of moving object

If the groove forming face is positioned closer to the cell, then battery size is reduced, but the guided groove positioning becomes more constrained

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebattery sizeVSAvoidguided groove positioning
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The notch is segmented into two distinct functional surfaces: the level difference face that provides structural positioning and the groove forming face that creates the guided groove. This segmentation allows the groove forming face to be positioned close to the cell for size reduction while the level difference face maintains proper guidance geometry, resolving the positioning constraint

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

By moving the guided groove to the bottom face side and creating the notch with surfaces extending in different directions (level difference face from side face, groove forming face from bottom face), the design utilizes three-dimensional space more efficiently, allowing compact positioning without compromising guidance functionality

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

Data Source

PatentEP3598522B1battery
Publication Date: 2023.10.11 SONY GROUP CORP
  • EP3598522B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3598522B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3598522B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A battery includes: a casing that houses a cell inside; and a terminal part that has connection terminals connected to electrode terminals of a connection apparatus, in which the casing includes a top face and a bottom face positioned on opposite sides in a height direction and two side faces positioned between the top face and the bottom face on opposite sides in a widthwise direction, a notch is formed by a level difference face that is continuous from the side face and a groove forming face that is continuous from the bottom face, and a guided groove that is open to the groove forming face is formed in the casing, and the guided groove is positioned on a further bottom face side than the level difference face.