Battery Pack Housing Seal Interface for Serviceable Gas Containment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery pack housings face challenges in servicing due to uneven seal application on metal stamped trays and covers, difficulty in reapplying seals post-service, and inadequate protection from contaminants and gases during thermal events.
Innovation Solution
A battery pack housing design featuring a welded deflector plate with a smooth surface for seal integration, a press-fit seal mechanism, and a curved surface to protect the seal from contaminants, combined with a vibration-damping foam layer and fasteners for secure sealing and easy servicing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a seal is applied directly to metal stamped trays and covers, then the sealing function is provided, but the seal application becomes uneven and difficult to reapply post-service
Solution Approach 1:
A deflector plate is introduced as an intermediary component between the tray and cover. The deflector plate provides a smooth, uniform surface for seal application, replacing the uneven metal stamped surfaces. This mediator enables consistent seal compression and maintains seal integrity while facilitating easier servicing and reapplication.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing is segmented into three main components: tray, deflector plate, and cover. The deflector plate is positioned between the tray and cover, creating distinct sealing zones. This segmentation allows the seal to interact with the smooth deflector plate surface rather than the uneven tray or cover surfaces, improving seal application quality.
2Reliability
If the housing is sealed to contain gases during thermal events, then containment effectiveness is improved, but servicing and seal reapplication become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The deflector plate serves as a permanent intermediary that remains attached to the tray, providing a consistent sealing surface. The seal can be removed and reattached to the deflector plate during servicing, maintaining containment effectiveness while enabling easier repair and seal reapplication compared to direct sealing between tray and cover.
3Reliability
If the seal is pressed against the tray and cover directly, then sealing is achieved, but uneven surfaces cause inconsistent seal compression
Solution Approach 1:
The deflector plate provides a precision-engineered smooth surface that replaces the uneven tray and cover surfaces. This intermediary ensures uniform seal compression across the entire sealing interface, improving manufacturing precision and seal compression consistency while maintaining effective sealing.
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
Facilitates easy servicing by preserving seal integrity and protecting the seal from contaminants and gases, ensuring effective containment of emissions during thermal events.
Implementation Method 1
foam is between the deflector plate and the tray, the foam configured to dampen noise and vibrations
Implementation Method 2
The seal prevents contaminants from entering the housing
Implementation Method 3
The seal also contains within the housing any gases that may be released from the batteries during a thermal event
Data Source
AI summary
A battery pack housing including a tray having an outer tray perimeter; a deflector plate mounted to the tray along the outer tray perimeter; a cover; and a seal between the cover and the deflector plate. The cover is mounted over the deflector plate and the tray such that the deflector plate is between the tray and the cover, and the seal is pressed against the deflector plate.