Battery Tab Connector Housing for Short-Circuit Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
In stacked secondary batteries, the positive and negative electrode tabs are exposed and close to each other, leading to potential short-circuiting with improper connection targets.
Innovation Solution
A connector with an insulating housing and conductive member is used to connect adjacent positive and negative electrode tabs, featuring an insulating partition wall to prevent contact with improper targets, and separate caps for each tab to enhance workability and reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If multiple battery cells are stacked with exposed electrode tabs, then assembly simplicity is improved, but short-circuit risk between improper connection targets increases
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is divided into multiple compartments by insulating partition walls, with each compartment accommodating specific electrode tabs (positive or negative). This segmentation physically separates tabs that could otherwise short-circuit, while maintaining the simplicity of stacked battery cell assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
Insulating partition walls act as intermediary elements between adjacent electrode tabs from different battery cells. These partition walls prevent direct contact between improper connection targets (e.g., positive tabs from adjacent cells) while allowing the stacked configuration to remain simple.
2Productivity
If electrode tabs are exposed and close to each other for direct connection, then connection efficiency is improved, but contact reliability with proper targets decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The housing compartments are designed to accommodate specific tabs in designated positions, ensuring that only proper connection targets come into contact with conductive members. This segmented approach maintains efficient connections while preventing erroneous contacts.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the housing have different functions: some regions accommodate positive tabs, others accommodate negative tabs. The insulating partition walls create localized zones with specific electrical characteristics, ensuring that conductive members only contact proper connection targets in their designated locations.
Data Source
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AI summary
To prevent a positive electrode tab and a negative electrode tab from contacting a tab that differs from a proper connection target. A connector (32) is attached to a secondary battery (A) formed by stacking multiple battery cells (10) each having a flat shape and including a positive electrode tab (13) and a negative electrode tab (14) protruding from the outer peripheral edge, and is configured to connect in series the positive electrode tab (13) and the negative electrode tab (14) adjacent to each other in a stacking direction of the battery cells (10). The connector (32) includes: a housing (33) which accommodates the positive electrode tab (13) and the negative electrode tab (14) which are connection targets; and a conductive member (44) which contacts the positive electrode tab (13) and the negative electrode tab (14) in a state of being accommodated in the housing (33). The housing (33) includes an insulating partition wall (38) which partitions the housing (33) from another housing (33) adjacent in the stacking direction.