Battery Pack Flexible Circuit Board Integration
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing manufacturing process for battery packs is costly and inefficient due to the need for attaching secondary protection devices and insulation tapes to each bare cell, which complicates the production process and increases costs.
Innovation Solution
A battery pack design that eliminates the need for nickel tabs and insulation tapes by using a flexible printed circuit board with lead patterns and an insulation cover to electrically couple the secondary protection device and protective circuit module directly to the bare cell, incorporating a heat transfer unit for temperature monitoring and control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If nickel tabs and insulation tapes are used to attach secondary protection devices to bare cells, then reliable electrical coupling and insulation are achieved, but manufacturing complexity and production costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functions of nickel tabs and insulation tapes into a single integrated flexible printed circuit board (FPCB). The FPCB provides both electrical coupling through its conductive lead patterns and insulation through its substrate material, eliminating the need for separate nickel tab and insulation tape components and simplifying the manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible printed circuit board serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as an electrical connector (replacing nickel tabs), provides electrical insulation (replacing insulation tapes), and offers a structured mounting platform for the secondary protection device. This multi-functionality reduces the number of components and assembly steps required.
2Reliability
If nickel tabs and insulation tapes are attached to each bare cell, then proper electrical connections and insulation are ensured, but productivity decreases due to multiple attachment processes
Solution Approach 1:
By combining the insulation function previously requiring separate insulation tape attachment into the FPCB substrate itself, the patent eliminates an entire attachment process. The FPCB's insulating properties are inherent to its structure, requiring no additional assembly steps while maintaining reliable insulation between components.
Solution Approach 2:
The FPCB is designed and manufactured with pre-defined lead patterns and insulation properties before assembly. The electrical connection paths and insulating barriers are built into the FPCB structure during its fabrication, eliminating the need for on-site attachment operations during battery pack assembly.
3Reliability
If separate nickel tabs are used for electrical coupling, then reliable electrical connections are achieved, but material costs and production time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the electrical connection function of nickel tabs with the structural and insulating functions of the FPCB. The lead patterns on the FPCB provide reliable electrical connections through controlled copper traces, eliminating the need for separate nickel tab materials and their associated attachment processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The FPCB utilizes composite material construction, typically combining a flexible insulating substrate (such as polyimide) with conductive copper lead patterns. This composite structure integrates both insulating and conducting properties in a single component, replacing multiple separate materials (nickel tabs and insulation tapes) with one cost-effective solution.
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 simplifies the manufacturing process, reduces material costs, and improves productivity by directly coupling components and enabling accurate temperature monitoring of the bare cells, thus enhancing the overall efficiency of the battery pack production.
Implementation Method 1
a heat transfer unit for transferring heat generated in the bare cell to the secondary protection device
Data Source
AI summary
In a battery pack, a component for attaching a secondary protection device to a bare cell may be omitted to reduce manufacturing costs and improve productivity. The battery pack includes a bare cell, a flexible printed circuit board in which at least one portion thereof contacts the bare cell, the flexible printed circuit board being electrically coupled to the bare cell through a lead pattern surrounded by an insulation cover, a secondary protection device on the flexible printed circuit board, the secondary protection device being electrically coupled to the flexible printed circuit board through the lead pattern, and a protective circuit module electrically coupled to the flexible printed circuit board through the lead pattern.