Battery Pack Coupling Assisting Member Guide Protrusion Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional battery packs with laminate film casings face issues of fragile lead tabs breaking under impact or vibrations, and have complex and costly manufacturing processes due to the need for precise bending and bolting of lead tabs for electrical connections.
Innovation Solution
A battery pack design featuring a coupling assisting member with guide portions that engage with protrusions on reinforcing members, allowing for secure electrical connection of battery cells without mechanical fixing, using ultrasonic welding for lead tab connections, and incorporating a flat plate portion to protect the lead tabs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If laminate film casings are used for battery cells, then weight is reduced and energy density is improved, but strength and resistance to impact and vibrations deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a composite structure combining laminate film casing with a reinforcing member made of rigid material. The laminate film provides lightweight properties while the reinforcing member adds structural strength and impact resistance, creating a hybrid solution that balances weight reduction with mechanical durability.
Solution Approach 2:
The battery cell structure is divided into functional components: the laminate film casing for weight reduction and the separate reinforcing member for strength enhancement. This segmentation allows each component to optimize its specific function while working together as an integrated system.
2Reliability
If lead tabs are bent at 90° and mechanically fastened for electrical connection, then electrical connectivity is achieved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical fastening system (bolts, clips, or adhesive fixtures) with ultrasonic welding technology. This substitution eliminates complex mechanical assembly steps while providing reliable electrical and mechanical bonding between lead tabs and connection terminals, reducing manufacturing complexity and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the connection method from mechanical fastening to ultrasonic welding by altering the physical parameters of the connection process. Ultrasonic welding uses high-frequency vibration and pressure to create metallurgical bonds, fundamentally changing how electrical connections are established and secured.
3Reliability
If lead tabs are mechanically fastened with bolts or clips, then electrical connection is secured, but resistance to vibrations and impact deteriorates due to fragile lead tabs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces fragile mechanical fastening systems with ultrasonic welding, which creates a monolithic bonded structure. This substitution eliminates the vulnerability of mechanically fastened lead tabs to vibration and impact by fusing the lead tabs directly to the connection terminals, creating a robust joint that resists mechanical stresses.
Solution Approach 2:
The ultrasonic welding process creates a composite joint structure where the lead tab material bonds metallurgically to the connection terminal material. This composite joint combines the electrical conductivity of the lead tab with the structural strength of the terminal, producing a connection that withstands vibration and impact.
4Manufacturing precision
If precise bending and positioning of lead tabs is performed manually, then electrical connection accuracy is achieved, but productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual bending and positioning operations with automated ultrasonic welding equipment. The ultrasonic welding system incorporates fixtures and positioning mechanisms that automatically align and bond the lead tabs, eliminating slow manual operations while maintaining high positioning accuracy through precision engineering of the welding apparatus.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention incorporates preliminary positioning features in the fixture design that pre-align the lead tabs before welding. This preliminary action ensures accurate positioning is achieved automatically as part of the welding setup, eliminating the need for slow manual adjustment while maintaining manufacturing precision.
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 the reliability and manufacturability of battery packs by providing resistance to mechanical vibrations and impact, reducing weight, and simplifying the manufacturing process while maintaining high energy density and light weight.
Implementation Method 1
the coupling assisting member includes a guide portion that engages with the protrusion and guides the protrusion in combining the coupling assisting member and the reinforcing member
Implementation Method 2
using ultrasonic welding for lead tab connections
Data Source
AI summary
To provide a highly reliable battery pack having excellent manufacturability, a battery pack according to the present invention includes a stack of a plurality of battery cells 100 that each include a positive electrode lead tab and a negative electrode lead tab led out of a laminate film casing in a same direction, a coupling assisting member 300 that assists in electrically connecting adjoining battery cells 100, and a reinforcing member 200 interposed between the stacked battery cells 100. The reinforcing member 200 includes a protrusion 240 protruding in the same direction as that in which the positive electrode lead tabs and the negative electrode lead tabs of the battery cells 100 are led out. The coupling assisting member 300 includes a guide portion 340 that engages with the protrusion 240 and guides the protrusion 240 in combining the coupling assisting member 300 and the reinforcing member 200.