Battery Terminal Insulator Structure for Short-Circuit Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
In battery modules where multiple batteries are connected via bus bars, preventing unintended contact of terminal heads arranged outside the exterior part to avoid short circuits is challenging due to the need for precise dimensioning and insulation during assembly.
Innovation Solution
A battery design incorporating an insulator with a covering portion that sandwiches the terminal head from the outer surface of the exterior part, ensuring electrical insulation and preventing contact with conductors, while maintaining aseptic and liquid-tight seals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a terminal head is arranged outside the exterior part for electrical connection, then ease of operation is improved, but the risk of unintended contact with conductors increases causing short circuits
Solution Approach 1:
An insulator is introduced as an intermediary component between the terminal head and the exterior part. The insulator includes a bottom portion sandwiched between the terminal head and the outer surface of the exterior part, and a covering portion that covers the terminal head from the outer peripheral side. This intermediary structure enables the terminal head to remain accessible for electrical connection while preventing unintended contact with conductors, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and reliability.
2Manufacturing precision
If measurement and dimensioning are performed during battery module assembly, then manufacturing precision is improved, but the complexity of the assembly process increases
Solution Approach 1:
The insulator is designed with predetermined dimensions and structural features that define the position and clearance of the terminal head relative to the exterior part. By incorporating the dimensioning requirements into the insulator's design phase rather than requiring measurement during assembly, the patent achieves manufacturing precision while reducing assembly process complexity.
3Reliability
If the terminal head is covered to prevent contact, then reliability is improved, but ease of operation for electrical connection deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The insulator is designed with differentiated regions: the bottom portion provides insulation and spacing, while the covering portion extends only to the outer peripheral side of the terminal, leaving the top surface of the terminal head exposed. This local differentiation allows the insulator to provide comprehensive protection against unintended contact while maintaining full accessibility of the terminal head for intended electrical connection operations.
Data Source
AI summary
In an embodiment, a battery includes an exterior part, an electrode group, a terminal, and an insulator, and the electrode group is housed in an internal cavity of the exterior part. The terminal is inserted into the internal cavity through the exterior part and includes a terminal head arranged outside the exterior part. The insulator includes a bottom portion sandwiched between the terminal head and an outer surface of the exterior part, and a covering portion covering the terminal head from an outer peripheral side of the terminal on the outer surface of the exterior part. The covering portion abuts on the outer surface of the exterior part, and a protruding height of the covering portion from the outer surface of the exterior part is a protruding height of the terminal head from the outer surface of the exterior part or more over an entire circumference.