Battery Pack Waterproof Cover Layout for Vertical Cell Stacking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing waterproof structures for battery packs with vertically stacked battery cells fail to prevent water ingress, leading to potential short circuits due to submerged output terminals of the lowermost battery cells.
Innovation Solution
A waterproof structure comprising a waterproof tray and cover design, where the cover extends beyond the tray's perimeter and includes a flashing portion to guide water away, and a gap for air discharge, preventing water entry and ensuring cooling air flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a dome-shaped inner cover is used to cover battery modules horizontally, then waterproofing is achieved for horizontal stacking, but the output terminal of the lowermost battery cell becomes submerged in water for vertical stacking
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a dome-shaped cover suitable for horizontal stacking to a flat cover with extended edges suitable for vertical stacking. This dimensional change in the cover geometry allows the extended edges to reach below the output terminals of vertically stacked battery cells, preventing water exposure while maintaining waterproofing effectiveness for the vertical configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover is designed with locally extended edges that specifically reach below the output terminal level of the battery cells. This localized extension at critical areas (edges) provides targeted waterproof protection for the output terminals without requiring complete redesign of the entire cover structure, addressing the specific vulnerability of vertically stacked configurations.
2Device complexity
If the waterproof cover edges are positioned inside the side wall portion, then structural compactness is maintained, but water can enter the waterproof tray
Solution Approach 1:
The cover edges extend beyond the side wall portion in the horizontal plane (bottom view), creating an overlapping configuration. This positional change in the cover relative to the tray ensures that water flowing down the exterior of the structure must pass through the cover material itself rather than entering the tray, providing effective waterproof protection while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
3Reliability
If the second edge is located outside the side wall portion, then water entry into the waterproof tray is prevented, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The extended edges of the waterproof cover serve multiple functions simultaneously: they act as a water barrier to prevent water entry into the tray, provide structural support for the cover, and create a simple overlapping configuration that is easy to manufacture. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components, thereby limiting the increase in structural complexity despite the extended edge configuration.
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
Prevents water exposure to the bottom portion of battery modules, thereby avoiding short circuits and maintaining effective cooling while reducing the number of components needed for waterproofing.
Implementation Method 1
the waterproof cover can prevent entry of the water into the waterproof tray
Implementation Method 2
the flashing portion can guide downward the water that has reached the second edge of the waterproof cover
Implementation Method 3
a path of the cooling air for the battery module can be ensured by the gap
Data Source
AI summary
A waterproof structure for a battery pack includes: a waterproof tray on which a battery module included in a battery pack is placed; and a waterproof cover that covers the battery pack. The waterproof tray includes a bottom portion including an edge and housing the battery module, and a side wall portion extending from the edge. The waterproof cover includes an edge. The edge is located outside the side wall portion in a bottom view of the waterproof structure for the battery pack.