Pouch Battery Pack PCB Slot Layout for Tab Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional battery packs for power tools and portable electronic devices face inefficiencies in design and manufacturing processes, particularly when using pouch battery cells, which can lead to suboptimal alignment and spacing of electrode tabs, potentially affecting performance and safety.
Innovation Solution
A battery pack design featuring a cell holder with offset and varying height ribs and slots to align and space pouch battery cell tabs, ensuring proper alignment and spacing of positive and negative tabs, and incorporating a printed circuit board with specific slot configurations to facilitate efficient electrical connections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional battery packs use cylindrical battery cells, then the battery pack structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the alignment and spacing of electrode tabs cannot be optimized for pouch battery cells
Solution Approach 1:
The cell holder incorporates offset ribs and slots with specific geometric configurations tailored to the tab arrangement of pouch battery cells. The first and second ribs are positioned at different offsets from the reference plane, creating localized structural variations that precisely align tabs from multiple cells during assembly, thereby achieving high manufacturing precision without requiring complete redesign of the entire battery pack structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The cell holder is segmented into multiple functional components including first ribs, second ribs, first slots, and second slots, each serving specific alignment functions. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each component's position and geometry to accommodate the tab spacing requirements of pouch battery cells, resolving the contradiction between precision alignment and structural simplicity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If pouch battery cells are used, then the battery pack can be designed for portable electronic devices, but suboptimal alignment and spacing of electrode tabs can lead to performance and safety issues
Solution Approach 1:
The cell holder is designed with pre-calculated offset distances for the ribs and slots based on the standard tab spacing of pouch battery cells. This preliminary geometric configuration ensures that when cells are inserted into the holder, their tabs are automatically aligned to the correct positions on the circuit board, preventing misalignment issues before assembly occurs and ensuring reliable electrical connections.
Solution Approach 2:
The offset ribs and slots act as intermediary alignment features between the pouch battery cells and the circuit board. These intermediate structural elements translate the tab positions from multiple cells into precise alignment with the corresponding electrical contacts on the circuit board, ensuring reliable electrical connections while maintaining adaptability to portable device requirements.
3Manufacturing precision
If standard cell holder design is used, then manufacturing process is simple, but proper alignment and spacing of positive and negative tabs cannot be ensured
Solution Approach 1:
The cell holder employs asymmetric rib and slot configurations where the first ribs and second ribs are positioned at different offsets from the reference plane. This asymmetry is specifically designed to accommodate the alternating pattern of positive and negative tabs in pouch battery cells, ensuring proper spacing and alignment. The asymmetric design, while adding some manufacturing complexity, can be implemented as a single molded piece, maintaining relative ease of manufacture.
Data Source
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AI summary
A battery is provided including a printed circuit board (PCB) having an array of PCB slots extending from a first side of the PCB to a second side of the PCB, the array of PCB slots having first and second column of PCB slots generally parallel to and adjacent to each other, the PCB slots of the first column being offset from the PCB slots of the second column. The first column of PCB slots has at least first PCB second PCB slots and the second column of PCB slots has at least first and second PCB slots. A distance between the first PCB slot of the first column and a second PCB slot of the first column is greater than a distance between the first PCB slot of the second column and the second PCB slot of the second column.