Battery Terminal Assembly With Bonded Insulators for Weld-Free Connection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional secondary battery manufacturing faces challenges in ensuring proper close contact between current collectors and terminal plates during welding, leading to potential defects, and the injection of electrolyte through limited inlets reduces manufacturing productivity.
Innovation Solution
The battery design includes a terminal assembly with a terminal insulator and cap insulator that are bonded together, eliminating the need for metal-to-metal welding and allowing for a simpler bonding process outside the cell, while incorporating a hollow space in the terminal block to reduce weight and cost.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If direct connection welding is used to connect current collector and terminal plate, then electrical connection is achieved, but welding quality is difficult to ensure due to inability to check close contact
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a terminal block as an intermediary component between the current collector and terminal plate. This terminal block includes a through-hole that allows the current collector to pass through and make contact with the terminal plate. The intermediary structure enables visual verification of close contact through the through-hole, solving the detection difficulty while maintaining electrical connection reliability.
2Productivity
If limited number of electrolyte inlets are used in cap plate, then cap plate structure is simple, but manufacturing productivity decreases due to longer electrolyte injection time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the electrolyte injection function into multiple independent inlets on the cap plate. Instead of using a single inlet, multiple inlets are provided to enable simultaneous or parallel electrolyte injection, thereby reducing total injection time and improving manufacturing productivity while maintaining relatively simple cap plate structure.
3Reliability
If metal-to-metal welding is used to connect terminal plate and current collector, then strong electrical connection is achieved, but production cost increases and defects occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a terminal block with through-hole as an intermediary mechanical connection structure instead of direct metal-to-metal welding. The current collector passes through the terminal block's through-hole and contacts the terminal plate, providing both mechanical support and electrical connection. This approach reduces production costs by eliminating complex welding processes while maintaining reliable electrical connection.
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
This design improves weld quality, reduces production costs, and enhances manufacturing efficiency by eliminating defects associated with metal-to-metal welding and optimizing electrolyte injection.
Implementation Method 1
the terminal insulator and the cap insulator may be bonded together by thermal fusion or with an adhesive
Implementation Method 2
the terminal insulator and the cap insulator may be bonded together by thermal fusion or with an adhesive
Data Source
AI summary
A battery includes an electrode assembly, a case accommodating the electrode assembly, a terminal assembly including a subplate electrically connected to the electrode assembly, a terminal block protruding from the subplate, and a terminal insulator positioned around side surfaces of the terminal block, and a cap plate coupled to the case, with a through-hole being formed in the cap plate. A cap insulator is disposed around the through-hole. The terminal block is inserted into the through-hole such that the terminal insulator and the cap insulator are in contact with each other.