Battery Module Connection Assembly With Anti-Rotation Busbar Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery module assembly methods face challenges in forming reliable electrical connections between battery cells and housing, leading to potential mechanical stress and unreliable sealing during assembly and operation.
Innovation Solution
A connection assembly comprising a screw-on contact element and a busbar, where the busbar is form-fitted to the housing to prevent rotation, and a sealing element is used to ensure a fluid-tight connection, with the contact element and busbar being mechanically and electrically connected to each other, and overmolded for enhanced stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the busbar is simply connected to the housing without form-fit connection, then the assembly process is simpler, but the busbar can rotate about its longitudinal axis leading to mechanical stress on the busbar-battery cell interface
Solution Approach 1:
The busbar is designed with an asymmetric form-fit connection feature (protrusion or recess) that prevents rotation about its longitudinal axis. This asymmetric geometric constraint ensures the busbar maintains a fixed orientation relative to the housing, eliminating rotational degrees of freedom that would otherwise cause mechanical stress at the electrical connection interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution adds a rotational constraint in the angular dimension by incorporating form-fit connection features between the busbar and housing. This prevents rotation about the longitudinal axis by engaging geometric features that constrain the busbar's angular position, thereby stabilizing the electrical connection without adding significant structural complexity.
2Reliability
If the contact element is overmolded with the housing, then the sealing and mechanical stability are improved, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The contact element and housing are combined into a single integrated component through overmolding. The housing is molded directly onto the contact element in one manufacturing step, creating a unified part that provides both structural support and sealing functionality. This merging eliminates the need for separate sealing elements and reduces the number of assembly steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The contact element is prepared as a pre-assembled component before the overmolding process. By having the contact element ready in advance with its electrical connections established, the subsequent overmolding operation can focus solely on creating the sealed housing structure, simplifying the overall manufacturing workflow.
Data Source
AI summary
An assembly of a battery module with a housing includes a connection assembly. The connection assembly includes a contact element, configured for electrical contacting of an outside of the battery module, and a busbar, configured for electrical contacting with at least one battery cell accommodated in an interior of the battery module. The contact element and the busbar are connected to one another in a mechanically and electrically conductive manner. The busbar is connected to the housing in such a way that rotation about a longitudinal axis of the busbar is prevented.