Battery Module Gas Direction Regulator for Exhaust Duct Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional battery modules require adjusting the orientation of batteries relative to the exhaust duct to ensure smooth discharge of gas emitted through safety valves, which is inefficient and cumbersome.
Innovation Solution
A battery module design featuring a gas direction regulator component with overhanging flanges that cover the opposite end of each safety valve, allowing it to open towards the exhaust duct without needing battery orientation adjustments, ensuring smooth gas discharge.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the safety valve is disposed on the outer surface of the battery case, then the gas can be emitted directly, but the direction control becomes complex and requires adjusting battery orientation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a connection plate as an intermediary component between the battery and exhaust duct. The connection plate incorporates a gas rectifier that mediates the gas flow direction, allowing the safety valve to open in any direction while ensuring gas is guided toward the exhaust duct. This mediator eliminates the need for precise battery orientation adjustment.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection plate serves multiple functions: it provides electrical connection between batteries, acts as a gas rectifier to control gas flow direction, and serves as a structural support element. By making the connection plate multi-functional, the patent eliminates the need for separate direction control mechanisms, simplifying the overall assembly.
2Reliability
If the gas rectifier bends toward the exhaust duct when gas is emitted, then the gas flow direction is controlled, but the structure becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the gas rectifier function with the connection plate structure. Instead of being a separate component, the gas rectifier is incorporated into the connection plate, forming an integrated structure. This merging reduces the number of parts and simplifies the overall device complexity while maintaining reliable gas flow direction control.
3Reliability
If batteries are arranged with safety valves facing identical direction, then the gas discharge is controlled, but the manufacturing flexibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The gas rectifier on the connection plate performs self-service by automatically guiding gas flow toward the exhaust duct regardless of the battery orientation. The structure itself provides the direction control function, eliminating the need for precise arrangement of batteries and providing manufacturing flexibility.
Data Source
AI summary
A battery module includes a plurality of cylindrical batteries that each include a safety valve surrounded by an annular breaking portion configured to break when internal pressure of each of the batteries exceeds a predetermined level. The battery module further includes an exhaust duct to guide gas emitted from the cylindrical battery to outside the module when safety valve is opened, and a gas direction regulator component disposed between the cylindrical batteries and the exhaust duct. The gas direction regulator component has a plurality of openings to expose the respective safety valves. Portions of the gas direction regulator component overhang areas overlapping the respective safety valves so as to cover an end of each safety valve opposite another end of each safety valve adjacent to an exit of the exhaust duct.