Assembled Battery Terminal Alignment via Insulating Fillers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Assembled batteries used in vehicles face challenges with deformation of lightweight containers under load, leading to variations in terminal positions and potential loss of airtightness, which increases costs and decreases work efficiency during terminal connection.
Innovation Solution
Inserting insulating fillers, such as sheet-shaped polyolefin resin, between the electrode body and container walls to maintain consistent thickness and prevent deformation, ensuring accurate terminal alignment and maintaining airtightness during assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If lightweight containers are used for unit cells, then the assembled battery weight is reduced, but the container deforms under external load causing terminal position variation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies beforehand cushioning by pre-loading the unit cells with a predetermined load in the thickness direction before assembly. This pre-compression prevents the lightweight containers from deforming when fastening loads are applied during assembly, thereby maintaining terminal position precision while still using lightweight container materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state of the container by applying a predetermined compressive load in the thickness direction, which alters the container's stiffness characteristics. This parameter change (from unloaded to pre-loaded state) enables the lightweight container to resist deformation during fastening while maintaining its lightweight property.
2Stability of the object's composition
If unit cells are fastened together with load applied, then the assembled battery structure is stabilized, but the container deforms causing loss of airtightness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies beforehand cushioning by pre-compressing the unit cells in the thickness direction before they are fastened together. This pre-compression stabilizes the container shape and maintains the seal between the container and electrode body, preventing loss of airtightness even when fastening loads are subsequently applied to stabilize the overall structure.
3Ease of manufacture
If terminal connectors are manufactured to ideal dimensions, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but deformation during assembly renders connectors unusable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies beforehand cushioning by pre-loading the unit cells with a predetermined compressive force in the thickness direction before assembly. This pre-compression prevents the lightweight containers from deforming when fastening loads are applied, ensuring that terminal connectors manufactured to ideal dimensions remain usable and maintain reliable electrical connections throughout the assembly process.
Data Source
AI summary
In an assembled battery (10), a plurality of rechargeable unit cells (12), each of which is provided with an electrode body (30) that has a positive electrode (32) and a negative electrode (34), a container (14) that houses the electrode body (30) and an electrolyte, and a positive electrode terminal (15) and a negative electrode terminal (16) which are arranged on an outside of the container (14), the rechargeable unit cells being connected in series. The plurality of unit cells (12) are arranged in a predetermined direction and fastened together while a predetermined load is applied in the arranging direction. Insulating filler (25) is inserted into a gap between the electrode body (30) and an inside wall surface of the container (14) of at least one of the unit cells (12), and a thickness in the arranging direction of each of the unit cells (12) in the fastened state is constant.