Battery Pack Insulating Caps and Binding Frame for Cell Rigidity

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing battery packs face challenges in ensuring insulation between adjacent cells, maintaining rigidity, and simplifying manufacturing processes while allowing for flexible expansion to meet varying output and capacity requirements.

Innovation Solution

A battery pack design featuring insulating caps that extend between battery cells to prevent direct contact, a bus bar for electrical connection, and a binding frame for structural integrity, along with individually formed insulating caps and extruded hollow cases for enhanced rigidity and insulation, allowing for flexible expansion and simplified manufacturing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If insulating structures are added between battery cells, then insulation between adjacent cells is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinsulation between battery cellsVSAvoidstructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The insulating cap integrates multiple functions into a single component: it provides electrical insulation between adjacent battery cells, serves as a mounting structure for the bus bar, and contributes to the overall structural assembly. This merging of functions reduces the number of separate parts needed while maintaining reliable insulation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The insulating cap is designed as a multi-functional element that simultaneously performs insulation, mechanical support for electrical connections, and structural integration with the binding frame. This universal design approach improves insulation reliability without proportionally increasing device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Quantity of substance

If battery cell capacity is increased, then energy storage is improved, but rigidity of individual cells deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebattery cell capacityVSAvoidrigidity of battery cell
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The binding frame divides the battery pack into modular sections that structurally support individual battery cells. This segmentation allows larger capacity cells to be supported by distributed structural elements rather than requiring each cell to be self-supporting, maintaining rigidity while enabling increased capacity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The binding frame provides localized structural reinforcement at specific points where battery cells are positioned. This local quality approach enhances rigidity where needed without adding unnecessary material throughout the entire cell structure, allowing capacity to be increased while maintaining structural integrity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Reliability

If insulating caps are extended onto battery cell surfaces, then insulation effectiveness is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinsulation effectivenessVSAvoidmanufacturing operation
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The insulating cap is integrated with the bus bar mounting structure, combining insulation functionality with electrical connection support. This merging reduces the number of separate manufacturing steps compared to using separate insulating components that would require additional assembly operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The insulating cap serves multiple purposes including insulation, mechanical support, and electrical connection mounting. This multi-functionality simplifies manufacturing by eliminating the need for separate components for each function, reducing assembly steps while maintaining effective insulation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

4Strength

If binding frame is added for structural binding, then rigidity of battery pack is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverigidity of battery packVSAvoidstructural complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The binding frame is integrated with the insulating caps and bus bar structure, merging structural support functionality with electrical connection support. This integration reduces the number of separate structural components needed while achieving the required rigidity for the battery pack.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The binding frame serves multiple functions including providing structural rigidity, positioning battery cells, and integrating with electrical connection components. This multi-functionality reduces overall device complexity by consolidating structural and electrical support functions into a unified structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP4095996A1Battery pack
Publication Date: 2022.11.30 SAMSUNG SDI CO LTD
  • EP4095996A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4095996A1 patent drawingFigure 2A
  • EP4095996A1 patent drawingFigure 2B

AI summary

Provided is a battery pack. The battery pack includes a plurality of battery cells arranged in a first direction, the plurality of battery cells each including a main surface, a first surface, and a second surface, wherein main surfaces of battery cells arranged adjacent to each other face each other, and the first surface and the second surface respectively form both ends of each of the plurality of battery cells in a second direction intersecting with the first direction, an insulating cap arranged on the first surface and the second surface of the battery cell, the insulating cap extending from the first surface and the second surface to a portion of the main surface of the battery cell to insulate the main surfaces of the battery cells arranged adjacent to each other in the first direction, a bus bar arranged on the insulating cap to electrically connect the plurality of battery cells to each other, and a binding frame configured to structurally binding the plurality of battery cells to each other.