Battery Module Disassembling Guide Groove Design

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional battery modules require salt water treatment to prevent fires during disassembly, which is costly and time-consuming, and often renders battery cells unusable due to potential damage during the process.

Innovation Solution

A battery module design featuring a disassembling guide, such as a guide groove on the side cover, allows for safe disassembly without damaging battery cells, eliminating the need for salt water treatment by protecting cells from grinder shocks during the disassembly process.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the housing is disassembled by cutting the bonded portion between side plate and upper plate, then the housing can be opened to remove battery cells, but the battery cells may be damaged due to shock or vibration from the grinder

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedisassembly operationVSAvoidbattery cell integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

A guide groove is introduced as an intermediary structure on the side plate to guide the grinder during cutting. This mediator controls the grinding path, stabilizes the cutting process, and prevents excessive vibration or shock that could damage the battery cells, while still enabling effective disassembly of the housing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The guide groove is strategically positioned and shaped to provide localized guidance only where needed during the cutting operation. This localized structural feature ensures proper grinder alignment and controlled cutting action at the bonded portion between side plate and upper plate, preventing damage to battery cells without requiring modification of the entire housing structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If salt water treatment is applied to all battery cells to prevent fire, then fire safety is improved, but cost and time increase and battery cells cannot be reused

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefire safetyVSAvoiddisassembly process time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The guide groove structure performs a preliminary protective function by ensuring safe and controlled disassembly that prevents battery cell damage. By preventing cell damage through proper cutting guidance, the need for subsequent salt water treatment is eliminated, thus preemptively avoiding the time-consuming and costly fire safety procedure while maintaining safety.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

Solution Approach 2:

The cutting process, which potentially causes harm through vibration and shock, is transformed into a beneficial and controlled operation through the guide groove. The guide groove converts the potentially harmful grinding action into a precise, vibration-controlled cutting process that safely separates the housing without damaging battery cells, eliminating the need for harmful salt water treatment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Data Source

PatentUS11296367B2Battery module and battery pack containing same

Publication Date: 2022.04.05 LG ENERGY SOLUTION LTD

AI summary

A battery module which includes a battery cell stack in which a plurality of battery cells are stacked; and a housing configured to accommodate the battery cell stack, wherein a disassembling guide for disassembling the housing is formed at the housing.