One-Piece Battery Pack Housing With Cooling and Shock Absorption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery pack designs compromise energy density due to the large number of components and the need for joining portions, which increase the size of the housing and reduce the occupation ratio of battery cells.
Innovation Solution
A battery pack design featuring a housing with a bottom portion and side wall formed in one piece, incorporating a cooling mechanism and shock absorbing mechanism, where the cooling medium path overlaps with the stack and side wall, and the side wall includes ribs to partition the inner space for shock absorption, reducing the number of components and eliminating the need for joining portions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the housing is constituted of multiple components joined together, then the housing can provide multiple functions (accommodation, connection, insertion), but the number of components increases and the housing size increases due to required clearances for joining portions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the bottom portion and side wall portion into a single integrated housing component formed by injection molding. This single component simultaneously provides accommodation for battery cells, structural support, and interfaces for connection, thereby reducing the number of components while maintaining functional versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated housing component serves multiple functions: it accommodates battery cells, provides structural support, enables connection through integrated connection portions, and facilitates insertion through designed engagement features. This multi-functionality is achieved within a single component rather than requiring separate parts.
2Ease of manufacture
If clearances are provided around joining portions for assembly, then the housing can be assembled from multiple components, but the housing size increases and energy density decreases
Solution Approach 1:
By combining the bottom portion and side wall portion into a single molded component, the patent eliminates the need for joining portions and associated clearances. The injection molding process directly forms the integrated structure without requiring post-assembly operations, thereby reducing housing volume while maintaining ease of manufacture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent strategically segments the housing into two main sections (bottom portion and side wall portion) that are integrated into one component, allowing the connection portion to be formed as an integrated feature rather than a separate joining element. This segmentation approach enables simplified manufacturing while minimizing overall housing dimensions.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple components are joined together through welding or other joining methods, then the housing can be constructed with separate functional elements, but the joining portions create potential weaknesses and increase manufacturing complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates welding and other joining methods by forming the bottom portion and side wall portion as a single integrated component through injection molding. This eliminates potential weaknesses at joining portions while maintaining the functional distinction between bottom and side wall sections through the molded design.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing is formed as a single-component structure using composite material properties of molded plastic or metal, integrating multiple functional sections (bottom portion, side wall portion, connection portion) into one homogeneous structure without requiring mechanical or thermal joining processes.
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 enhances energy density by minimizing the clearance required for joining, allowing for a more compact housing that efficiently cools and protects the battery cells while reducing the number of components and potential weaknesses in the structure.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling mechanism (25) that is able to cool the stack (10), the cooling mechanism including a cooling medium path (203) provided inside the bottom portion (200), the cooling medium path being a path through which a cooling medium is able to flow
Implementation Method 2
the side wall portion (210) has a rib (214) disposed in the inner space (213) to partition the inner space into a plurality of regions, the shock absorbing mechanism (26) being constituted of the inner space and the rib
Data Source
AI summary
In a stack, a plurality of battery cells are stacked along a first direction, each of the plurality of battery cells having a prismatic shape including an upper surface, a bottom surface facing the upper surface, and a side surface located between the upper surface and the bottom surface. In a housing, a bottom portion facing the bottom surface and a side wall portion facing the side surface are formed in one piece. The bottom portion includes a cooling mechanism that can cool the stack. The side wall portion includes a shock absorbing mechanism.