Battery Pack Skeleton Part for Housing Rigidity and Part Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional battery packs face challenges in efficiently housing and reinforcing battery stacks, particularly in providing a robust and flexible structure that allows for efficient arrangement and mounting on vehicles while minimizing the number of parts and maintaining rigidity.
Innovation Solution
A battery pack design featuring a housing with a skeleton part that includes a stem and branch portions to create housing spaces for the battery stacks, providing reinforcement and positioning, while also serving as an exhaust duct and allowing for flexible arrangement and miniaturization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a conventional housing structure is used for battery stacks, then the structure is simple to manufacture, but the rigidity and structural reinforcement are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The skeleton part integrates multiple functions: it serves as a structural reinforcement element, a positioning mechanism for battery stacks, and an exhaust duct system. By merging these functions into a single component with a tree-like structure comprising a stem and multiple branches, the housing rigidity is enhanced without proportionally increasing structural complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The skeleton part is designed as a multi-functional component that simultaneously provides structural support, battery stack positioning, and exhaust gas evacuation pathways. The stem and branch portions create housing spaces for battery stacks while the integrated exhaust ducts eliminate the need for separate exhaust system components
2Reliability
If multiple separate components are used for housing and reinforcement, then the structural function is adequate, but the number of parts increases and assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The design merges the housing structure, reinforcement elements, positioning mechanisms, and exhaust ducts into a single integrated skeleton part. This consolidation reduces the total number of parts while maintaining all necessary structural functions for housing and supporting the battery stacks
3Manufacturing precision
If a rigid housing structure is used, then the positioning accuracy is improved, but the adaptability to different battery sizes is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The skeleton part is segmented into a stem and multiple branch portions that create distinct housing spaces. This segmentation allows each branch to independently position battery stacks while maintaining overall structural rigidity, enabling adaptation to different battery configurations and sizes
Solution Approach 2:
The skeleton structure provides fixed positioning elements for manufacturing precision while the overall arrangement of branches can be configured to accommodate different battery pack layouts, combining rigidity with design flexibility
4Temperature
If separate exhaust ducts are added, then the temperature management is improved, but the device complexity and number of parts increase
Solution Approach 1:
The exhaust ducts are merged with the skeleton part structure itself. The stem and branch portions are configured to serve dual purposes as both structural supports and exhaust gas evacuation pathways, eliminating the need for separate exhaust system components
Data Source
AI summary
A battery pack includes: a battery stack; a housing that houses the battery stack; and a skeleton part that is housed in the housing and reinforces the housing. The skeleton part includes a stem extending in a first direction, a plurality of branch portions that protrude from the stem and are arranged in a row in the first direction, and a plurality of housing spaces, each of the housing spaces being defined by a pair of branch portions disposed adjacently to each other and housing the battery stack. The stem and the plurality of branch portions are fixed to the housing.