Press Assembly for Bending Battery Cell Terminals
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Solution Overview
Problem
Bending electrical terminals of battery cells during installation in a battery module is challenging due to their flat profile and the lack of effective bending tools.
Innovation Solution
A press assembly comprising a supporting member, lower and upper plates with dies, and guide rods, along with an actuation assembly, is used to bend the terminals into predetermined shapes by moving the upper plate vertically relative to the lower plate, allowing the dies to contact and shape the terminals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional tools are used to bend electrical terminals, then the installation process becomes complex and time-consuming, but the terminals cannot be effectively bent into the required shapes
Solution Approach 1:
The press assembly is divided into multiple independent die sets (first die set for first terminal, second die set for second terminal, etc.), allowing each terminal to be bent separately with dedicated tooling. This segmentation enables simultaneous processing of multiple terminals while maintaining precise control over each bending operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The battery cell is positioned on the supporting member with terminals extending through the lower plate before the bending operation begins. The lower dies are pre-configured with the desired bend shapes, so when the upper plate descends, the terminals are immediately formed into the correct configuration without requiring intermediate positioning or adjustment steps.
2Manufacturing precision
If a simple bending tool is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the manufacturing precision of terminal shapes deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Each die set is designed with specific local geometries tailored to the particular terminal it forms. The first die set has contours matched to the first terminal's required shape, while the second die set has different contours for the second terminal. This local customization of die geometry ensures high precision for each terminal type without requiring the entire device to be overly complex.
Solution Approach 2:
The press assembly uses a universal upper plate and actuation mechanism that can apply force to multiple different die sets simultaneously. The guide rods provide a common reference frame for all die sets, allowing the same basic pressing mechanism to achieve precise bending across multiple terminals with different shape requirements.
3Productivity
If multiple terminals are bent simultaneously, then the installation productivity is improved, but the device complexity increases due to multiple dies and plates
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple die sets are integrated into a single press assembly unit with a common upper plate and actuation system. The first die set, second die set, and additional die sets are all mounted on the same lower plate structure, allowing simultaneous bending of multiple terminals in one downward stroke of the upper plate, thereby achieving high throughput without proportionally increasing device complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The press assembly efficiently bends electrical terminals into specific shapes, enabling them to be readily coupled together in a battery module, improving the installation process.
Implementation Method 1
an actuation assembly configured to move the upper plate toward the lower plate such that the third die contacts the first electrical terminal and the first electrical terminal is bent into a first predetermined shape between the first and third dies
Data Source
AI summary
A press assembly and a method for bending electrical terminals of battery cells are provided. The assembly includes a supporting member that holds a body portion of a cell thereon. The cell has first and second electrical terminals. The assembly further includes a lower plate having first and second dies that hold the first and second electrical terminals, thereon. The assembly further includes an upper plate having third and fourth dies, and guide rods disposed between the lower plate and the upper plate. The upper plate moves vertically on the guide rods relative to the lower plate. The assembly further includes an actuation assembly moving the upper plate toward the lower plate such that the first electrical terminal is bent into a first predetermined shape between the first and third dies, and the second electrical terminal is bent into a second predetermined shape between the second and fourth dies.