Battery Pack Bridge Circuit for Safe High-Voltage Motor Operation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional storage battery-powered electrical appliances, such as canister vacuum cleaners, face safety hazards due to operating voltages exceeding 42 volts, which can pose risks during handling and assembly, as users may inadvertently come into contact with higher voltages when assembling or using devices with interconnected battery cells.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves electrically connecting storage battery cells into at least two groups with voltages below 42 volts and using a bridge circuit in the connector assembly to combine these groups, ensuring safe operation by maintaining electrical separation until the device is assembled, thus preventing exposure to voltages above 42 volts during handling and assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If multiple storage battery cells are interconnected to generate operating voltage of more than 42 volts, then sufficient power is delivered for vacuum cleaner operation, but safety hazards increase due to risk of contact with high voltage during handling and assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The storage battery cells are divided into at least two separate groups, each group having a voltage of less than 42 volts. These groups are kept electrically separate during handling and assembly, eliminating the safety hazard of high voltage contact while still enabling high voltage operation when connected through the bridge circuit.
Solution Approach 2:
The battery groups are pre-assembled and pre-tested as separate, safe units with voltage below 42 volts. The high voltage configuration is achieved only after the appliance is assembled and the bridge circuit is activated, ensuring safety during all preliminary handling and assembly operations.
2Ease of manufacture
If storage battery cells are individually inserted and interconnected via bridges, then flexibility in assembly is improved, but voltage exposure risk increases during the insertion process
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of inserting and connecting individual cells which progressively increases voltage exposure risk, the cells are pre-grouped into complete battery groups of safe voltage. These pre-assembled groups are then handled as single safe units, maintaining assembly flexibility while eliminating progressive voltage exposure during insertion.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a rigid inaccessible battery housing is used, then protection against voltage contact is improved, but connection complexity between battery pack and motor increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bridge circuit function is extracted from the battery pack housing and integrated into the connector assembly. This allows the battery groups to remain electrically separate and safe during handling, while the high voltage connection is automatically established through the connector's bridge circuit when the appliance is assembled, reducing housing complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical appliance including a housing containing an electric motor and a storage battery pack for energizing the electric motor at an operating voltage of more than 42 volts. The storage battery pack includes a plurality of storage battery cells electrically connected so as to form at least two cell groups having a cell voltage of less than 42 volts. A connector assembly includes a bridge circuit configured to electrically connect the cell groups with each other so as to provide the operating voltage of more than 42 volts while establishing electrical connection between the storage battery pack and the electric motor.