Battery Module Composite Pad Locking for Vibration Rigidity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional battery module designs are fragile in the thickness direction, prone to deformation and separation during impact and vibration, and existing solutions like thicker side plates or adhesives either increase weight and cost or compromise cycle performance.
Innovation Solution
A battery module design featuring side plates with composite pads composed of a cushion material sheet and connecting strips, where bulges on the strips are inserted into via holes on the side plates to provide enhanced rigidity and resistance to vibration and impact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If thicker side plates are applied to increase rigidity, then the rigidity of the side plates is improved, but the weight and cost of the battery module increase
Solution Approach 1:
The side plate is constructed as a composite structure consisting of a base plate and a reinforcing plate welded together. The reinforcing plate features a pattern of through holes that reduce material usage and weight while maintaining structural rigidity. This composite design achieves the required strength without proportionally increasing weight, as the hollow reinforcing structure provides high stiffness-to-weight ratio.
Solution Approach 2:
The reinforcing plate is designed with through holes distributed in specific patterns rather than being a solid plate throughout. This local quality variation optimizes the distribution of material where it is most needed for rigidity while removing unnecessary material in areas where structural support is already sufficient, thereby reducing overall weight while maintaining required strength.
2Strength
If thicker side plates are applied to increase rigidity, then the rigidity of the side plates is improved, but the cost of the battery module increases
Solution Approach 1:
The side plate uses a composite structure of base plate and reinforcing plate with through holes, which reduces material consumption compared to a solid thick plate. This design achieves required rigidity with less material, thereby reducing material cost while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through standard welding processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The side plate is segmented into a base plate and a reinforcing plate that are welded together. The reinforcing plate is further segmented with through holes creating a lattice-like structure. This segmentation reduces material usage and cost while maintaining structural integrity through the welded connection between the two plates.
3Reliability
If adhesive is applied to major faces of the battery, then the separation between side plate and battery is prevented, but the cycle performance is affected when adhesive layer is too thick
Solution Approach 1:
The welding connection between the side plate and battery housing replaces the adhesive bonding mechanism. This mechanical/thermal connection provides strong bonding reliability without the thickness limitations of adhesive layers, achieving both high bonding strength and maintained cycle performance without the trade-off inherent in adhesive thickness selection.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection method changes from chemical bonding (adhesive) to thermal/mechanical bonding (welding). This parameter change in the connection mechanism allows for a different approach to achieving bonding strength that is not constrained by the thickness parameters that limit adhesive performance and cycle life.
4Reliability
If adhesive is applied to major faces of the battery, then the separation between side plate and battery is prevented, but the rigidity of battery module is not ensured when adhesive area is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
Welding replaces adhesive bonding to provide both bonding strength and structural rigidity. The welded connection creates a rigid framework that integrates the side plate with the battery housing, ensuring both reliable attachment and overall module rigidity without the area and thickness constraints of adhesive application.
Data Source
AI summary
This application provides a battery module, including: a plurality of batteries, arranged sequentially along a thickness direction of the battery module; side plates, disposed on two opposite ends of the plurality of batteries in a width direction of the battery module; and a composite pad, disposed between two corresponding adjacent batteries along the thickness direction. The composite pad includes a cushion material sheet and a connecting strip disposed around the cushion material sheet. A first bulge is disposed on the connecting strip. A first via hole is disposed on each side plate. The first via hole corresponds to the first bulge. The first bulge is inserted into the first via hole so that the connecting strip is fixedly connected to the side plate.