Insulative Cap With Hollow Buffers For Battery Terminal Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrode terminal connection systems in battery modules are prone to short circuits and fires due to external impacts, as they lack effective protection and isolation, leading to inefficiencies in arrangement and increased safety risks.
Innovation Solution
An electrode terminal connecting device with a conductive connecting member, insulative sheathing member, and insulative cap featuring hollow buffers that provide mechanical coupling and protection, preventing external impacts from causing short circuits by isolating the electrical connection regions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If electrode terminal connection regions are arranged in the frontward-and-backward direction of the vehicle, then electrical connection between battery modules is achieved, but the connection regions are vulnerable to external impacts causing short circuits
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an insulative protection cover as an intermediary component between the electrode terminal connection regions and the external environment. This cover physically isolates the vulnerable electrical connection areas from external impacts, preventing direct contact between impact forces and the connection regions, thereby resolving the vulnerability to external impacts while maintaining electrical connection reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent designs the insulative protection cover with a structure that provides cushioning protection before external impacts can reach the electrode terminal connection regions. The cover acts as a protective barrier that absorbs or distributes impact forces, preventing them from reaching the vulnerable electrical connections, thus implementing beforehand cushioning to prevent short circuits
2Object-affected harmful factors
If extra space is provided for impact alleviation at the front of the battery module, then protection against external impacts is improved, but arrangement efficiency of the battery module is greatly deteriorated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements the insulative protection cover that nests over the electrode terminal connection regions, providing impact protection within the existing spatial footprint of the battery module. This nested structure allows the protection mechanism to be integrated without requiring additional external space, thus maintaining arrangement efficiency while improving impact protection
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of adding space in the frontward-and-backward direction, the patent utilizes the lateral dimension by extending the insulative protection cover to wrap around and protect the electrode terminal connection regions from the sides. This dimensional approach provides comprehensive impact protection without increasing the frontward-and-backward space requirements, thereby maintaining arrangement efficiency
3Object-affected harmful factors
If protection covers are used to close electrode terminal connection regions, then isolation from external environment is improved, but ease of installation and maintenance is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the protection system into separable components: the insulative protection cover and the battery module body. This segmentation allows the cover to be independently installed and removed, providing full isolation when closed and easy access when opened, thus resolving the contradiction between isolation effectiveness and ease of operation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent designs the insulative protection cover with dynamic characteristics, allowing it to be in different states (open/closed, installed/removed) based on operational needs. This dynamic design enables the system to provide maximum isolation during normal operation while allowing easy access during installation, maintenance, or repair, thus resolving the contradiction between isolation and ease of operation
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed herein is an electrode terminal connecting device for electrically interconnecting two or more battery modules, including a conductive connecting member for electrically interconnecting electrode terminals of the battery modules, the conductive connecting member having two through-holes formed at positions corresponding to the distance between the electrode terminals, an insulative sheathing member for surrounding the conductive connecting member, a portion of an open rear of the insulative sheathing member being closed for easy installation of the conductive connecting member, the insulative sheathing member including a side wall protruding from the outer circumference of the conductive connecting member such that the side wall has a predetermined height, and an insulative cap connected to the top of the insulative sheathing member by a hinge structure for opening and closing an open front of the insulative sheathing member, the insulative cap having hollow buffers protruding from the inside thereof for surrounding portions of the electrode terminals protruding through the through-holes.