Secondary Battery Terminal Pin Stepped Design for Secure Cap Plate Connection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing secondary battery designs face challenges in securely and reliably connecting electrode terminals to the cap plate, which can lead to dislodgment and electrical issues, particularly when using dissimilar metals with different coefficients of thermal expansion.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a terminal plate with rivet grooves and a terminal pin with stepped portions that correspond to these grooves, ensuring secure engagement and minimizing strain through a bonding mechanism that uses dissimilar metals, such as copper and aluminum, without the need for welding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If electrode terminals are connected to the cap plate using conventional methods, then the battery can be manufactured, but the connection reliability is poor and terminals may become dislodged
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal pin is divided into multiple sections with different diameters (first section, second section, third section) corresponding to different rivet grooves. This segmentation allows each section to engage with a specific groove at different depths, creating a multi-stage locking mechanism that significantly improves connection reliability while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The terminal plate is pre-formed with multiple rivet grooves of different depths before the terminal pin is inserted. This preliminary preparation of the engagement structure ensures that when the terminal pin is inserted, it automatically engages with the pre-positioned grooves at appropriate depths, preventing dislodgment without requiring complex post-assembly operations.
2Ease of manufacture
If dissimilar metals with different coefficients of thermal expansion are used, then manufacturing costs are reduced, but thermal expansion differences cause strain and potential cracking
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal pin is divided into multiple sections with different diameters (first section, second section, third section) corresponding to different rivet grooves. This segmentation allows each section to engage with a specific groove at different depths, creating a multi-stage locking mechanism that significantly improves connection reliability while maintaining a relatively simple structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The terminal pin features stepped portions with varying diameters that change the geometric parameters of the connection interface. This allows the same component to engage with rivet grooves at different depths, creating a bonding mechanism that accommodates thermal expansion differences between dissimilar metals while maintaining structural integrity.
3Strength
If a secure bonding mechanism is implemented, then connection strength is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal pin is divided into multiple sections with different diameters (first section, second section, third section) corresponding to different rivet grooves. This segmentation allows each section to engage with a specific groove at different depths, creating a multi-stage locking mechanism that significantly improves connection reliability while maintaining a relatively simple structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The stepped portions of the terminal pin automatically engage with the rivet grooves of the terminal plate through a simple insertion process. The geometry of the stepped portions and grooves creates a self-locking mechanism that provides strong coupling force without requiring additional bonding operations, complex fasteners, or external tools.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a secondary battery that may include an electrode assembly; a case to accommodate the electrode assembly; a cap plate to seal the case; and at least one electrode terminal connected to the electrode assembly and passing through the cap plate, wherein the electrode terminal includes a terminal plate positioned on the cap plate and a terminal pin passing through the cap plate and the terminal plate, the terminal plate includes at least two rivet grooves having a predetermined depth from a top surface of the terminal plate, and the terminal pin includes at least two stepped portions protruding from a side surface of the terminal pin to correspond to the at least two rivet grooves.