Battery Module Cell Supervision Circuit Carrier Design

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing battery modules require extensive substrate material for cell supervision circuit carriers, leading to high manufacturing costs and inefficient use of resources.

Innovation Solution

A battery module design featuring a cell supervision circuit carrier (CSCC) with a flexible circuit board configuration that reduces material usage by connecting to cell cases and terminals directly, allowing for reduced surface area and cost-effective production.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a traditional cell supervision circuit carrier with extensive substrate material is used, then reliable electrical connection and supervision functions are achieved, but manufacturing costs increase and material usage becomes inefficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecell supervision circuit reliabilityVSAvoidsubstrate material usage
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the cell supervision circuit from a traditional extensive substrate and relocates it to a compact position directly above the battery cell. The substrate material is minimized to only the extent necessary for electrical connections, removing unnecessary extensive substrate while maintaining supervision functionality through strategic placement of the circuit and electrical contacts.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transitions from a two-dimensional extensive substrate layout to a three-dimensional configuration where the cell supervision circuit is positioned vertically above the battery cell. This dimensional change allows the circuit to be closer to the electrical contacts, reducing the required substrate area while maintaining electrical connection reliability.

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

2Stability of the object's composition

If extensive substrate material is used for the cell supervision circuit carrier, then electrical connection stability is improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveelectrical connection stabilityVSAvoidmanufacturing simplicity
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the cell supervision circuit from a large substrate area and concentrates it in a compact location directly above the battery cell. This reduces the substrate size and simplifies manufacturing by minimizing the material that needs to be processed, assembled, and handled during production.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent merges the cell supervision circuit with the battery cell structure by positioning the circuit directly above the cell and integrating electrical contacts into the same component assembly. This consolidation reduces the number of separate parts and assembly steps, simplifying manufacturing while maintaining electrical connection stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Loss of substance

If a compact cell supervision circuit carrier is used, then material costs and substrate area are reduced, but electrical connection reliability may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesubstrate material reductionVSAvoidelectrical connection reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses vertical positioning in the third dimension to place the cell supervision circuit directly above the battery cell, reducing the horizontal substrate area required. This three-dimensional arrangement maintains electrical connection reliability by ensuring close proximity between the circuit and electrical contacts through vertical alignment rather than horizontal expansion.

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

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces electrical contacts as intermediary elements that bridge the compact cell supervision circuit and the battery cell terminals. These contacts ensure reliable electrical connection despite the reduced substrate area by providing dedicated conductive pathways between the circuit and cell terminals.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS11394087B2Battery module
Publication Date: 2022.07.19 SAMSUNG SDI CO LTD
  • US11394087B2 patent drawing
  • US11394087B2 patent drawing
  • US11394087B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A battery module includes: a plurality of aligned battery cells, each of the battery cells including a cell case, a cap assembly on the cell case, a negative cell terminal, and a positive cell terminal; a plurality of busbars over the cap assemblies, each of the busbars electrically connecting the cell terminals of at least two of the battery cells to each other; and a cell supervision circuit carrier configured to accommodate a cell supervision circuit, the cell supervision circuit carrier comprising a connector configured to establish data communication with the cell supervision circuit. The cell supervision circuit carrier electrically connects the cell supervision circuit to the negative cell terminal of one of the battery cells and to the cell cases of at least some of the other battery cells from among the plurality of battery cells.