Battery Terminal Covering Assembly with Movable Hinge
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electrified vehicle battery arrays require protection for their terminals during shipping and installation, and existing solutions do not effectively address the need for secure and efficient terminal coverage.
Innovation Solution
A covering assembly that includes a moveable terminal cover connected to a busbar cover via a living hinge, with retention assemblies to secure the terminal cover in both closed and open positions, ensuring protection and easy access for electrical connections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a terminal cover is provided to protect battery terminals during shipping and installation, then terminal protection is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional components and assembly steps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the terminal cover and busbar cover into a single integrated covering assembly that protects both components simultaneously. This merging reduces the number of separate parts and assembly steps while maintaining comprehensive protection for both terminals and busbars, thereby improving reliability without proportionally increasing device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The covering assembly serves multiple functions: it protects battery terminals during shipping and installation, provides finger-proofing, and covers busbars. By designing a single assembly that performs multiple protective functions, the patent improves terminal protection while avoiding the complexity increase that would result from separate covers for each function
2Reliability
If the terminal cover is made fixed to ensure constant protection, then terminal protection is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates because access to terminals for electrical connections becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a movable terminal cover that can transition between closed and open positions. When closed, it provides constant protection and finger-proofing; when opened, it allows easy access for electrical connections. This dynamic design resolves the contradiction by providing both constant protection and operational accessibility at different times in the workflow
Solution Approach 2:
The covering assembly is installed in advance to provide immediate protection during shipping and installation. The movable design allows the cover to be opened only when needed for electrical connections, maintaining protection during the majority of the lifecycle while enabling easy operation when required
3Reliability
If separate covers are used for terminal and busbar protection, then terminal protection is improved, but device complexity increases due to multiple separate components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the terminal cover and busbar cover into a single covering assembly with one or more movable portions. This merging reduces the number of separate components from two independent covers to one unified assembly, thereby maintaining comprehensive protection while reducing 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 solution provides effective protection for battery terminals during shipping and installation, simplifies assembly, and ensures secure electrical connections by allowing easy movement between closed and open positions, meeting finger-proofing requirements.
Implementation Method 1
A covering assembly for a traction battery includes a busbar cover that covers a busbar of a battery array, and a terminal cover connected to the busbar cover. The terminal cover is moveable back and forth between a closed position and an open position.
Data Source
AI summary
A covering assembly for a traction battery includes, among other things, a busbar cover that covers a busbar of a battery array, and a terminal cover connected to the busbar cover and moveable back and forth between a closed position and an open position. The terminal cover and cover at least one terminal of the battery array when in the closed position.