Battery Pack Compartments With Stepped Contours For Varying Diameters

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing battery packs struggle to securely hold batteries with different diameters/tolerances, leading to potential electrical contact failure and mechanical damage due to movement within compartments, especially under vibration, and complicate assembly and contact establishment.

Innovation Solution

The battery pack design features holders with compartments having a concave or stepped inner contour to securely fit batteries of varying diameters, along with external contact plates that can be easily positioned and welded or mechanically attached, allowing for secure electrical connection and improved assembly efficiency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional compartments with simple cylindrical contours are used, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but batteries with different diameters cannot be held firmly and may move causing electrical contact failure or mechanical damage

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefirm holding of batteriesVSAvoidcompartment structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The compartment inner contour is designed with concave or stepped sections that create localized adaptation zones. These concave/stepped sections provide different diameters at different axial positions, allowing the compartment to locally adapt to batteries with varying diameters while maintaining a relatively simple overall cylindrical structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The compartment diameter parameter is changed along the axial direction by introducing concave or stepped sections. This creates variable diameter zones within the compartment that can accommodate batteries with different diameters, transforming a uniform parameter structure into a variable parameter structure for better adaptability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Stability of the object's composition

If batteries are securely held in compartments, then mechanical stability is improved, but the assembly process becomes more difficult due to precise positioning requirements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebattery position stabilityVSAvoidassembly difficulty
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The compartment is pre-formed with concave or stepped inner contours during the holder manufacturing process. This preliminary shaping of the compartment interior creates built-in positioning features that guide battery insertion and ensure proper positioning, eliminating the need for complex assembly operations to achieve secure fitting.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The concave or stepped sections create asymmetric inner contours within the otherwise symmetric cylindrical compartment. This asymmetric geometry provides unique positioning characteristics that guide battery placement and ensure firm holding, while the overall symmetric outer shape maintains ease of manufacturing and assembly.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #4Asymmetry

3Reliability

If contact plates are positioned and attached to holders, then electrical connection is established, but the process becomes more complex and time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveelectrical connection reliabilityVSAvoidassembly speed
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The contact plate attachment process is merged with the holder assembly process. Contact plates are positioned and attached to holders in an integrated operation rather than as a separate subsequent step, combining multiple functions into a single assembly sequence to improve productivity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The electrical connection is achieved through direct mechanical contact between the contact plates and battery terminals, eliminating the need for additional welding or complex joining processes. This mechanical contact system simplifies the overall connection process while maintaining reliable electrical contact.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentEP3467899B1Battery pack for multiple batteries
Publication Date: 2020.05.20 AENTRON GMBH
  • EP3467899B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3467899B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3467899B1 patent drawingFigure 3~5

AI summary

The invention relates to a battery pack (1) for multiple batteries (8), comprising a first and a second holder (2, 3) with multiple compartments (4), each designed to receive a first or second end section of the batteries (8), respectively. According to the invention, the compartments (4) each have an opening (11) on their outer surface (9) through which a battery (8) arranged in the compartment (4) can be contacted, contact plates (5) for simultaneously contacting multiple batteries (8) are provided on the outer surface (9) of the holder (2, 3), and the compartments (4) have a concave and/or stepped inner contour.