Battery Module Wiring Using Aligned Flexible Circuit Boards
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery modules face challenges in achieving thinning and weight reduction while maintaining simple and reliable wiring to the cell-monitoring unit, due to complex arrangements of voltage detection lines and bulky sizes when using traditional wiring methods.
Innovation Solution
Employing flexible printed wiring boards on both the battery cell and cell-monitoring unit sides, with aligned wiring patterns that allow direct connection to the IC input section, reducing the need for reordering and simplifying the circuitry, thereby enabling thinner and lighter designs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If electric wires are used as voltage detection lines to wire three-dimensionally and rearrange to align in order of electric potential, then the wiring can be connected to the IC input section, but the total weight becomes bulky and the size becomes large
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a flexible printed circuit board (FPC) as the wiring member instead of traditional electric wires. The FPC is a thin film structure that provides flexible wiring capability while maintaining a compact form factor. This resolves the contradiction by enabling three-dimensional wiring arrangement for proper IC connection while keeping the battery module thin and lightweight, avoiding the bulkiness associated with traditional wire-based solutions
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state and properties of the wiring material from rigid electric wires to a flexible thin film circuit board. This parameter change allows the wiring to be rearranged and aligned in order of electric potential for proper IC connection while maintaining a compact, lightweight structure that does not increase battery module weight significantly
2Ease of operation
If a flat cable is used to connect adjacent electrode terminals, then the wiring can be arranged two-dimensionally, but the circuit becomes complicated by providing additional circuits for rearranging voltage detection lines in order of electric potential
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-arranging the voltage detection lines on the flexible printed circuit board in the correct order of electric potential before connection to the IC. The FPC is designed with wiring patterns that are already aligned to match the IC input section requirements, eliminating the need for additional rearrangement circuits and reducing overall circuit complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from two-dimensional flat cable arrangement to three-dimensional flexible circuit board configuration. The FPC can be folded and arranged in multiple dimensions to achieve proper wiring alignment without requiring additional rearrangement circuits, thus simplifying the overall circuit design while maintaining flexible wiring capability
Data Source
AI summary
A battery module includes battery cells being arrayed, a cell-monitoring unit configured to monitor each battery cell of the battery module, a battery cell side circuit board electrically connected to the battery cells, and a cell-monitoring unit side circuit board electrically connected to the cell-monitoring unit and the battery cell side circuit board. The battery cell side circuit board and the cell-monitoring unit side circuit board are connected to each other and voltage detection lines on the battery cell side circuit board and a voltage detection lines on the cell-monitoring unit side circuit board are electrically connected. The electric circuits of the voltage detection lines on the battery cell side circuit board are aligned in order of their electric potentials and the electric circuits of the voltage detection lines on the cell-monitoring unit side circuit board are aligned in order of their electric potentials.