Battery Terminal Member Design for Insulation and Contact Area
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery modules face challenges in providing a large contact area for efficient energy transfer while avoiding unintended electrical contacts, which can lead to stability and insulation issues, particularly in high-power applications like electric vehicles and hybrid cars.
Innovation Solution
The battery unit design includes a terminal member with a current collector electrically coupled to an electrode assembly, featuring a terminal portion extending parallel to the cap plate's surface and a connection portion with specific directional extensions to increase contact area and stability, embedded in a fixing member made of injection-molded plastic resin, which separates the terminal from the cap plate to prevent unintended contacts and enhance insulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of moving object
If the terminal member is extended to provide a large contact area, then the electrical contact area is increased, but the risk of unintended electrical contact with the cap plate increases
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal member is divided into distinct functional portions: a terminal portion extending parallel to the cap plate to provide large contact area, a connection portion with first and second portions at different heights to bridge the gap, and a current collector portion. This segmentation allows each portion to serve its specific function while maintaining electrical insulation from the cap plate.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection portion utilizes vertical dimensionality by having a first portion extending downwardly from the terminal portion and a second portion extending horizontally from the first portion. This three-dimensional configuration allows the terminal member to achieve large horizontal contact area while maintaining vertical separation from the cap plate through the gap.
2Ease of manufacture
If the terminal member structure is simplified, then the manufacturing process is easier, but the stability and insulation performance deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal member integrates multiple functions into a single component: the terminal portion provides electrical contact, the connection portion maintains insulation gap and structural stability, and the current collector portion ensures electrical connectivity. This merging of functions into one piece improves manufacturing efficiency while maintaining reliability.
3Area of moving object
If the terminal portion extends along the major side of the cap plate, then the contact surface area is increased, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal member design serves multiple purposes simultaneously: the terminal portion extending along the major side provides large contact area for electrical connection, while the connection portion with its L-shaped configuration provides both structural support and electrical insulation. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional components, thereby managing complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a buttery unit (1) that includes a case (20) accommodating an electrode assembly (10), the case (20) having an opening (21) and a cap plate (310) for closing the opening (21), the cap plate (310) having a terminal insertion portion (35, 36). The battery unit (1) further induces a terminal member (320, 330) extending into the case (20) through the terminal insertion portion (35, 36) from outside the case (20) and being coupled to the electrode assembly (10), the terminal member (320, 330) including a current collector (324, 334) electrically and mechanically coupled to the electrode assembly (10); a terminal portion (321, 331) extending parallel to an outer surface (312) of the cap plate (310) at an outside of the cap plate (310); and a connection portion (325, 335) electrically coupled to the current collector (324, 325) and to the terminal portion (321, 331). In order to provide a large contact surface and to avoid unintended electrical contact between the terminal portion (321, 331) and the cap plate (310), a gap (G1, G2) separates the terminal portion (321, 331) and the cap plate (310).