Battery Pack Partition Walls for Weight and Stability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing battery packs for portable electrical work devices are either too heavy due to stable housings or prone to damage because lighter housings lack stability, making them unsuitable for demanding tasks.

Innovation Solution

A battery pack design featuring partition walls that create individual spaces for cell packs, allowing for a lightweight yet robust housing using mechanical separation and elastic deformation zones to absorb forces, enabling the use of lightweight materials like plastic and providing flexibility for varying cell configurations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a stable housing is used for the battery pack, then the reliability and damage resistance are improved, but the weight of the battery pack increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehousing stabilityVSAvoidbattery pack weight
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The housing is divided into a base body and a cover that can be separated, allowing the battery pack to be assembled and disassembled. This segmentation enables using lighter materials while maintaining structural integrity through proper design of connection elements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The battery blocks with individual cells are nested within the housing structure, with each cell pack forming an independent structural unit held in individual spaces created by partition walls. This nested arrangement optimizes space utilization and reduces overall housing size and weight.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Weight of moving object

If lighter housing materials are used, then the battery pack weight is reduced, but the housing becomes prone to damage from impacts and falls

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebattery pack weightVSAvoidhousing durability
Core Design Contradiction:
Weight of moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The base body is designed with an L-shaped configuration that provides structural reinforcement and impact resistance. The partition walls and engagement elements are pre-positioned to distribute and absorb impact forces before they can cause damage to the battery cells or internal components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

Solution Approach 2:

The housing combines different materials with complementary properties - the base body uses materials optimized for impact resistance while the cover uses materials optimized for weight reduction. This composite approach allows the battery pack to be both lightweight and durable.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

3Quantity of substance

If the housing is designed for maximum cell capacity, then the energy storage is improved, but the housing becomes less adaptable to different service requirements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebattery cell capacityVSAvoidhousing flexibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The receiving space is divided into individual spaces by partition walls, with each space accommodating a cell pack as an independent structural unit. This segmentation allows flexible configuration - individual spaces can be populated or left empty depending on service requirements, while maintaining the option for maximum capacity when all spaces are filled.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The housing design with standardized partition walls and engagement elements serves multiple functions: it provides structural support, enables flexible cell pack configuration for different capacity requirements, and allows easy assembly and disassembly for maintenance or reconfiguration.

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

4Strength

If partition walls are added to create individual spaces, then the structural stiffness is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehousing stiffnessVSAvoidhousing structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The partition walls serve multiple functions simultaneously: they create individual spaces for cell packs, provide structural reinforcement to increase housing stiffness, and act as engagement elements for securing battery blocks. This merging of functions reduces the need for separate structural components, thereby reducing overall complexity despite the addition of partition walls.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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

The design results in a stable, lightweight battery pack that can handle demanding tasks without excessive weight or susceptibility to damage, offering increased variability and safety through mechanical separation and ergonomic design.

Implementation Method 1

an elastic deformation zone is expediently formed in the longitudinal direction of a partition wall which act as a damper and absorber when forces are applied

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElastic deformation: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP2608289B1Battery pack which can be worn on the back
Publication Date: 2016.07.20 ANDREAS STIHL AG & CO KG
  • EP2608289B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2608289B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP2608289B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

The invention relates to a battery pack for an electrical device (3), in particular for a portable electrical tool, wherein the device (3) is connected to the battery pack (10) via a connecting cable (12). A housing (14) of the battery pack (10) has an internal receiving space (18) for a plurality of rechargeable individual cells (28), which are electrically connected to one another and supply power to the device (3) via the connecting cable (12). To give the housing high stability, the receiving space (18) of the housing (14) is divided into individual compartments (55) by partitions (51, 52). In an individual compartment (55), a cell pack (6) consisting of a predetermined number of individual cells (28) is arranged, each cell pack (6) forming an independent assembly (66) that is held in the individual compartment (55). The individual cells (28) of a cell pack (6) are electrically and mechanically connected to each other by cell connectors (81, 82, 83).