Secondary Battery Module Asymmetric Protrusion Polarity Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The reliability and proper assembly of secondary battery modules are compromised due to the similarity in shapes of positive and negative terminal electrodes, leading to potential polarity errors during the arrangement of battery cells, especially in polygonal cells.
Innovation Solution
A secondary battery module design featuring a module frame with vent holes and protrusions that align in a zigzag pattern to securely couple with the vents of the battery cells, ensuring correct polarity alignment and preventing misassembly, along with bus bars for electrical connection between cells.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If battery cells are arranged based on terminal shape similarity, then assembly speed may be maintained, but polarity arrangement errors occur leading to reduced reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by making the protrusions asymmetric in shape and position relative to the vent holes. Specifically, the protrusions have different dimensions and orientations on opposite sides, creating an asymmetric configuration that only matches the asymmetric arrangement of vents on correctly oriented battery cells. This asymmetric design ensures that only battery cells with correct polarity alignment can be properly assembled, thereby improving reliability while maintaining relatively simple assembly structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces protrusions as intermediary elements between the module frame and battery cell vents. These protrusions act as mediators that physically couple the frame to the cells in a polarity-sensitive manner. The protrusions translate the vent positions into mechanical constraints that guide correct cell orientation during assembly, improving reliability without requiring complex active control systems.
2Ease of operation
If traditional battery cell arrangement methods are used, then assembly process remains simple, but misassembly due to polarity errors occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by designing the protrusion-vent coupling system to automatically guide battery cells into correct polarity orientation during assembly. The asymmetric protrusions work passively to prevent misalignment, allowing the assembly process itself to ensure correct orientation without requiring external inspection or active control. This maintains ease of operation while improving reliability through the self-correcting mechanical design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by pre-configuring the protrusions to prevent polarity errors before they can occur during assembly. The asymmetric protrusion design proactively blocks incorrect cell orientations from being assembled, rather than detecting or correcting errors after assembly. This preventive approach maintains simple assembly procedures while ensuring polarity accuracy.
3Manufacturing precision
If protrusions are added to the module frame, then polarity alignment accuracy improves, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-forming the asymmetric protrusions as integral parts of the module frame during frame manufacturing. The protrusions are created in advance with precise asymmetric dimensions and positions, which then serve as permanent alignment features throughout the assembly process. This preliminary formation of alignment features improves manufacturing precision while avoiding the need for separate, complex assembly steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the alignment function with the structural frame by integrating the protrusions directly into the frame body. Rather than being separate components, the protrusions are combined with the frame structure itself, simplifying manufacturing by reducing the number of parts and assembly steps while maintaining high polarity alignment precision through the integrated asymmetric design.
Data Source
AI summary
A secondary battery module including a plurality of secondary battery cells, each secondary battery cell including electrodes on one side thereof and a vent on the same side as the electrodes, a module frame coupled to the plurality of secondary battery cells and fixing the secondary battery cells in a predetermined arrangement, the module frame including a plurality of vent holes corresponding to the vents of the secondary battery cells, and protrusions disposed around the vent holes and protruding toward the vents, wherein each vent of the secondary battery cells is coupled to one of the protrusions of the module frame.