Vehicle Battery Cell Unit Plug-Socket Alignment Without Housing Openings
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing battery technologies require separate access and openings in the housing for electrical connection between cell units, leading to increased installation and manufacturing costs, as well as reduced mechanical stability and crash properties.
Innovation Solution
The use of a plug and socket system for electrically connecting cell units, which automatically centers when pushed together, eliminating the need for separate access openings and enhancing mechanical stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If separate access openings are provided in the housing for electrical connection between cell units, then electrical connection is enabled, but mechanical stability and rigidity of the housing are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the electrical connection function with the housing structure by integrating plug and socket connections directly into the cell unit interfaces. The plug protrudes from one cell unit and inserts into the socket of the adjacent cell unit, eliminating the need for separate access openings in the housing while maintaining electrical connectivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing structure serves multiple functions: it provides mechanical support and protection while also accommodating the electrical connection interfaces. The plug and socket system integrated into the cell units allows the housing to maintain its structural integrity without compromising electrical connectivity between cell units.
2Ease of manufacture
If separate access openings are provided in the housing for electrical connection, then electrical connection is enabled, but installation and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical connection system is merged with the cell unit structure itself. The plug and socket are integral parts of the cell units, combining the electrical connection function with the mechanical structure. This eliminates the need for separate access openings and reduces the number of assembly steps required during installation and manufacturing.
3Ease of operation
If cell units are connected via plug and socket with insertion chamfer, then automatic centering is achieved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The insertion chamfer is pre-formed on the socket and the complementary plug contour is pre-formed on the plug. These preliminary geometric features guide the alignment and centering of the plug and socket during assembly, automatically positioning the electrical contacts without requiring high-precision manual adjustment during installation.
Data Source
AI summary
A battery for a vehicle is disclosed. The battery includes a housing, first and second cell units with at least two battery cells. The first cell unit has a plug and the second cell unit has a socket. A plug connection is insertable into a socket opening. The socket has an insertion chamfer along the direction of installation and the plug has a plug contour complementary to the insertion chamfer, such that when the first and second cell units are moved relative to one another in the direction of installation. The insertion chamfer interacts with the plug contour to center the at least one plug connection relative to the associated socket opening.