Battery Cell Insulating Member With Ribbed Protrusions for Thin Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery module cushioning sheets face a trade-off between reducing size and ensuring high handleability during assembly between battery cells, as a thin base portion compromises handleability while a high elastic protrusion height is necessary for secure support.
Innovation Solution
A battery module design featuring an insulating member with a thin base and protrusions, where ribs connect the protrusions and have a smaller width than the protrusions, providing improved rigidity and handleability without increasing thickness, and using materials like ethylene propylene rubber or silicone rubber for elasticity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the base portion is made thin to reduce the size of the battery module, then the thickness of the cushioning sheet is reduced, but the handleability of the cushioning sheet deteriorates during assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The cushioning sheet is segmented into a base portion and multiple elastic protrusions with ribs. The ribs are further segmented into first ribs (on the first surface) and second ribs (on the second surface), creating a hierarchical structure that provides rigidity without increasing overall thickness. This segmentation allows the thin base to maintain structural integrity and handleability during assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a two-dimensional thin base to a three-dimensional structure by adding elastic protrusions with ribs extending in multiple directions. The ribs create additional dimensional complexity (first ribs on one surface, second ribs on the opposite surface) that enhances rigidity and handleability while maintaining the thin profile of the base portion, thus resolving the contradiction between thinness and operational ease.
2Volume of moving object
If the base portion is made thin to reduce the size of the battery module, then the thickness is reduced, but the rigidity of the base portion deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The base portion is segmented into multiple functional regions: a thin base and multiple elastic protrusions with ribs. The ribs are divided into first ribs extending from the first surface and second ribs extending from the second surface. This segmentation creates a lightweight yet rigid structure where each segment contributes to overall structural integrity without requiring increased thickness.
Solution Approach 2:
The cushioning sheet employs a composite structure combining a thin base material with elastic protrusion elements featuring rib reinforcements. This composite design integrates materials or structural configurations that provide enhanced rigidity (through the ribbed protrusions) while maintaining the thin base profile, thus resolving the contradiction between thinness and rigidity.
3Reliability
If the protrusion height is increased to securely support the battery cell, then the support capability is improved, but the overall thickness of the cushioning sheet increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cushioning sheet applies local quality by concentrating the support function in specific high-protrusion regions (the elastic protrusions with ribs) while keeping the base portion thin. The ribs create localized reinforcement zones that provide secure battery cell support without requiring uniform thickness increase across the entire cushioning sheet, thus resolving the contradiction between support capability and overall thickness.
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 design enhances handleability and maintains high elastic support by allowing a thin base while maintaining a high protrusion height, improving size absorption properties and stabilizing the elastic constant of the protrusions.
Implementation Method 1
the cushioning sheet includes a base portion and an elastic protrusion protruding from the base portion toward the battery cell
Implementation Method 2
an insulating member provided between the plurality of battery cells
Data Source
AI summary
An insulating member includes: a base; and a plurality of protrusions each protruding from the base in a first direction, the plurality of protrusions being in abutment with at least one of a plurality of battery cells. The protrusions include a first protrusion, a second protrusion arranged beside the first protrusion along a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, and a third protrusion arranged beside the first protrusion along a third direction that is orthogonal to the first direction and that intersects the second direction. Ribs each protruding from the base in the first direction are provided between the first protrusion and the second protrusion and between the first protrusion and the third protrusion. In a state in which the insulating member is detached from the battery module, a width of each of the ribs is smaller than a width of each of the protrusions.