Battery Interconnection Layout With Insulated Tab Apertures
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery designs face challenges in optimizing volumetric efficiency and thermal management, leading to inefficiencies and safety risks due to the arrangement of connection tabs and heat dissipation within the battery structure.
Innovation Solution
An interconnection system comprising a first electrically insulating substrate with a heat sink and tab-receiving regions, where connection tabs extend through insulated apertures on one side of the substrate, allowing for efficient electrical connections and thermal management by dissipating heat through the heat sink.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If connection tabs are arranged on the same side as cells, then electrical connections are simplified, but volumetric efficiency deteriorates due to extra space requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent moves the electrical connection function to a different dimension by placing tab-receiving regions on the first side of the substrate while cells are positioned on the second side. This spatial separation across the substrate thickness dimension allows both connection simplicity and compact cell packing to coexist, resolving the volumetric efficiency problem.
2Ease of operation
If apertures are provided for tab insertion, then assembly accessibility is improved, but electrical insulation from heat sink becomes compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces electrically insulating material as an intermediary substance filling the apertures. This mediator allows mechanical passage for connection tabs while simultaneously providing electrical insulation between the tabs and heat sink, resolving the contradiction between assembly accessibility and electrical insulation reliability.
3Temperature
If heat sink is thermally connected to substrate, then thermal management is improved, but electrical short circuit risk increases through connection tabs
Solution Approach 1:
The electrically insulating material filling the apertures serves as a thermal insulator that is electrically conductive, or more likely, the insulation prevents electrical contact while the heat sink remains thermally connected to the substrate through other pathways. This resolves the contradiction by preventing electrical short circuits while maintaining thermal management functionality.
4Volume of moving object
If cells are packed closely for volumetric efficiency, then space utilization is improved, but thermal gradients and safety risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the heat dissipation function from the cell arrangement itself and places it in a dedicated heat sink component. This allows cells to be packed closely for volumetric efficiency while the separate heat sink actively manages thermal gradients, preventing safety risks associated with poor thermal management.
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
Improves volumetric efficiency by allowing closer packing of cells, enhances safety through insulated connections, and effectively manages thermal gradients within the battery, reducing the risk of short circuits and temperature differences.
Implementation Method 1
a heat sink thermally connected to the second face of the first substrate
Implementation Method 2
improves thermal management in a battery... efficiently dissipate heat away from one or more cells
Implementation Method 3
electrically insulating material arranged to insulate the apertures from the heat sink, such that connection tabs extending through the apertures are electrically insulated from the heat sink
Data Source
AI summary
An interconnection for a battery comprising a plurality of cells having connection tabs. The interconnection comprises a first electrically insulating substrate, a heat sink, a plurality of tab-receiving regions, a plurality of aperture and electrically insulating material. The first electrically insulating substrate has a first face on a first side of the interconnection and a second face. The heat sink is thermally connected to the second face of the first substrate. The plurality of tab-receiving regions comprise electrically conducting material on the first side of the interconnection for receiving connection tabs of the cells. The plurality of apertures extend through the interconnection, wherein the apertures are arranged to allow connection tabs of the cells to extend from a second side of the interconnection, through the apertures, and to the first side of the interconnection for establishing contact with the tab-receiving regions on the first side of the interconnection. The electrically insulating material is arranged to insulate the apertures from the heat sink, such that connection tabs extending through the apertures are electrically insulated from the heat sink.