Battery Pack Terrace Portion Layout for Compactness

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing battery packs face spatial interference issues between protective circuit modules and current breaking devices, leading to increased size and reduced compactness due to the need for additional mounting holes or grooves to prevent interference.

Innovation Solution

The protective circuit module and current breaking device are arranged on opposite surfaces of a terrace portion within the battery pack's casing, eliminating the need for additional mounting features and allowing for a more compact design by avoiding spatial interference.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If the protective circuit module and current breaking device are arranged on the same side of the terrace portion, then the electrical connection between them is simplified, but spatial interference occurs requiring additional holes or grooves that increase the overall size

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveelectrical connection structureVSAvoidbattery pack size
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transitions from a two-dimensional arrangement (both components on the same side of the terrace portion) to a three-dimensional arrangement (components on opposite sides of the terrace portion). This spatial reconfiguration eliminates the need for additional holes or grooves through the protective circuit module, thereby reducing the overall battery pack size while maintaining electrical connectivity through the terrace portion structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Ease of manufacture

If additional holes or grooves are formed in the protective circuit module to prevent spatial interference, then the current breaking device can be mounted, but the width of the protective circuit module increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemounting of current breaking deviceVSAvoidwidth of protective circuit module
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSLength of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

By moving the current breaking device to the opposite side of the terrace portion from the protective circuit module, the patent eliminates the need for lateral holes or grooves that would increase module width. The electrical connection is maintained through the terrace portion, achieving mounting capability without increasing the protective circuit module's width.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The current breaking device is effectively nested within the vertical space of the battery pack structure, utilizing the depth dimension created by the terrace portion rather than requiring additional lateral space. This allows the component to be integrated without increasing the width of the protective circuit module.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Data Source

PatentEP3723184B1Battery pack
Publication Date: 2023.07.12 SAMSUNG SDI CO LTD
  • EP3723184B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3723184B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3723184B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present disclosure provides a battery pack. The battery pack includes: a battery cell including an electrode assembly to which an electrode tab may be connected, and first and second casings which face each other and may be coupled to each other to form an accommodation portion accommodating the electrode assembly and form a terrace portion extending across the electrode tab to seal the accommodation portion, the terrace portion including a first surface on the first casing and a second surface on the second casing; a protective circuit module electrically connected to the battery cell and arranged on the first surface of the terrace portion; and a current breaking device electrically connected to the protective circuit module and arranged on the second surface of the terrace portion. According to the present disclosure, the battery pack includes: the protective circuit module forming a charge-discharge path of the battery cell; and the current breaking device configured to limit charge-discharge current in response to an abnormal state of the battery cell such as overheating of the battery cell, wherein the protective circuit module and the current breaking device do not spatially interfere with each other, and the battery pack is advantageous for compactness.