Secondary Battery Module With Embedded Bus Bars And Wing Terminals

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional secondary battery modules require a large number of components for electrical connection and mechanical restraints, leading to increased weight, volume, and manufacturing complexity when forming a battery pack.

Innovation Solution

A secondary battery module design featuring a rectangular shape with embedded bus bars and a terminal unit including wing terminals that reduce the number of bus bars needed for lead-out terminals, allowing for a reduced component count and integrated jig insertion without separate components, while utilizing a cooling fin and plate for structural support and cooling.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If a conventional battery module includes 12 cells or 24 cells, then the battery module can be assembled with standard configurations, but the number of battery modules required in the secondary battery pack increases, leading to increased weight and volume

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestandard assembly configurationVSAvoidbattery pack weight
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSWeight of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The battery pack is divided into multiple battery modules, each containing a specific number of battery cells (12 or 24 cells). This segmentation allows for standardized manufacturing while enabling flexible configuration to achieve the desired total capacity, thereby optimizing the balance between ease of manufacture and weight reduction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Ease of manufacture

If a conventional battery module includes 12 cells or 24 cells, then the battery module can be assembled with standard configurations, but the number of components required for electrical connection and mechanical restraints increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestandard assembly configurationVSAvoidnumber of components
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple battery modules are arranged adjacent to each other and coupled together, merging their structural and electrical functions. This consolidation reduces the total number of separate components required for electrical connection and mechanical restraints, as adjacent modules can share common structural elements and connection points.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Quantity of substance

If multiple battery modules are mounted to increase energy, then the energy capacity increases, but the volume density decreases due to increased number of components

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy capacityVSAvoidbattery pack volume
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSVolume of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

Battery modules are arranged in a compact configuration where adjacent modules share common structural elements and cooling plates. This nested-like arrangement allows multiple modules to occupy less total volume by eliminating redundant components at the interfaces between modules, thereby maintaining high volume density while increasing energy capacity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

4Quantity of substance

If multiple battery modules are mounted to increase energy, then the energy capacity increases, but the number of manufacturing processes increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy capacityVSAvoidnumber of manufacturing processes
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling plate and structural components are designed to serve multiple adjacent battery modules simultaneously. Each cooling plate can cool multiple modules, and structural elements can provide mechanical support for multiple modules, thereby reducing the total number of manufacturing processes required compared to treating each module as a completely separate unit.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This design reduces the number of components and assembly costs, decreases the volume and weight of the battery pack, and enables a high-output battery pack with improved energy density by packing more cells in a compact form.

Implementation Method 1

a cooling plate which is coupled to a plurality of sub modules arranged adjacent to each other

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 2

side structures having a bus bar embedded therein... electrically connect with each other

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectrical conduction: Conduction (electrical)

Data Source

PatentEP3264496B1Secondary battery module and secondary battery pack including the same
Publication Date: 2020.08.12 SK INNOVATION CO LTD
  • EP3264496B1 patent drawingFigure 1(a)~1(b)
  • EP3264496B1 patent drawingFigure 2(a)~2(b)
  • EP3264496B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The secondary battery module includes: A secondary battery module, comprising: a plurality of sub modules, each including battery cell and cooling fin wherein the battery is disposed on both side surfaces of the cooling fin; a cooling plate which is coupled to the plurality of the sub modules; and side structures having bus bars, wherein a terminal unit is disposed at each of the plurality of sub modules, wherein the terminal unit includes a contact terminal disposed between electrode tabs of the battery cells; and a wing terminal which extends outwavdly from one end of the contact terminal, wherein the terminal unit disposed at one of the plurality of sub modules is connected with another terminal unit disposed at another sub module by one of the bus bars.