Battery Pack Bolting Guide Jig for Accurate Fastening

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing bolting processes for battery packs are inefficient due to difficulties in accurately positioning bolts within narrow spaces, leading to increased manufacturing time and risk of internal damage during the bolting operation.

Innovation Solution

A bolting device comprising an electric screwdriver, a driver bit, a bit guide member with a hollow tube, and a guide jig with a main body and fixing members, which stabilizes the bit guide member and prevents collisions with internal components, ensuring accurate bolt placement and reducing operation time.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If manual bolting operation is performed in narrow space, then flexibility of operation is maintained, but positioning accuracy of bolt deteriorates and manufacturing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepositioning accuracy of boltVSAvoidmanufacturing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

A guide member with a through-hole is introduced as an intermediary tool to guide the bolt into the fastening position. The guide member bridges the gap between the operator's manual control and the precision requirements, allowing the bolt to be accurately positioned without requiring complex automated positioning systems in the narrow battery pack space.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The guide member is positioned and fixed in advance at the fastening location before the bolting operation begins. This preliminary positioning ensures that when the bolt is inserted, it automatically follows the pre-established path through the guide member's through-hole, eliminating the need for real-time positioning adjustments during the actual fastening process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Ease of operation

If driver bit rotates during bolting operation, then fastening action is performed, but driver bit escapes from fastening position and collides with internal parts

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefastening actionVSAvoidcollision damage to internal parts
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The guide member acts as a protective intermediary structure that constrains the driver bit's movement. The through-hole of the guide member physically limits the driver bit to rotate only within the safe confines of the hole, preventing it from escaping and colliding with internal battery pack components while still allowing the fastening action to be performed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The guide member is installed in advance to create a protective pathway for the driver bit. This pre-established guide structure cushions and restricts the driver bit's potential harmful movements before any collision can occur, ensuring that even if the driver bit vibrates or rotates excessively, it remains confined within the guide member's through-hole.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

3Reliability

If visual checking is performed in narrow space, then fastening quality can be monitored, but operation time increases due to difficulty in checking

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefastening quality monitoringVSAvoidoperation time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The guide member includes a through-hole that provides a visual reference feature. The presence of the guide member itself at the correct position serves as a visual indicator that the bolt is properly aligned, eliminating the need for operators to perform complex visual inspections of the fastening quality. The guide member's structure makes the correct positioning self-evident.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #32Color changes

Data Source

PatentEP3885074B1Bolting apparatus for manufacturing battery pack
Publication Date: 2023.10.11 LG ENERGY SOLUTION LTD
  • EP3885074B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3885074B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3885074B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A bolting device that effectively protects the internal configuration of a battery pack and increases manufacturing efficiency during a bolting operation is disclosed. The bolting device for manufacturing a battery pack provided with a pack housing having a box shape with an open upper portion and a module case accommodating a plurality of secondary batteries, includes an electric screwdriver provided with a rotation motor; a driver bit connected to the rotation motor to enable a rotation movement and configured to rotate a bolt head; a bit guide member provided with a hollow tube such that the driver bit is inserted into an inside of the hollow tube to be movable; and a guide jig provided with a main body mounted on an upper portion of the pack housing, comprising at least one through hole, and having a plate shape, and a fixing member inserted and mounted into the through hole, comprising an insertion hole that is perforated such that the bit guide member is inserted, and protruding in a direction in which the module case is located.