Battery Terminal Venting Structure for Pressure Release Safety

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current battery configurations fail to achieve a balance between superior battery capacity characteristics and safety, with existing designs either compromising on capacity due to safety features or vice versa.

Innovation Solution

A battery design featuring a cylindrical outer package with a cover member welded to a container member, where the electrode terminal is fixed via an insulating sealing member, ensuring a lower fixation strength than the welding strength, allowing for a higher aspect ratio of outer diameter to height (0.1-1) to enhance volume energy density and safety through the terminal's ability to function as a release valve.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If the outer package member has a high aspect ratio (outer diameter to height between 0.1 and 1), then volume energy density is improved, but safety may be compromised due to pressure buildup

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevolume energy densityVSAvoidsafety

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The terminal member is pre-configured with a controlled fixation strength to the cover member, creating a predetermined weak point that will fail first under excessive pressure. This preliminary design ensures that the terminal detaches before the battery casing ruptures, proactively preventing safety failures rather than reacting to them

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The sealing member with insulating properties serves as an intermediary component between the terminal member and cover member. It provides both electrical insulation and a controlled mechanical connection that can fail safely, acting as a buffer that protects the overall battery structure while allowing the terminal to function as a pressure release mechanism

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If the terminal member is strongly fixed to the cover member, then electrical connection reliability is improved, but safety is worsened due to inability to release pressure

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveelectrical connection reliabilityVSAvoidpressure buildup

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The fixation strength parameter of the terminal member to the cover member is specifically controlled to be lower than the welding strength of the cover member to the container member. This parameter differentiation creates a controlled weak point that allows the terminal to detach at a lower force threshold, enabling pressure release while maintaining normal operational reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Strength

If the cover member is welded to the container member with high strength, then structural integrity is improved, but safety is worsened due to inability to release pressure

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural integrityVSAvoidpressure buildup

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The connection system is segmented into two distinct joints with different strength characteristics: the welding joint between cover member and container member (high strength for structural integrity), and the fixation joint between terminal member and cover member (lower strength for pressure release). This segmentation allows each joint to serve its specific function without compromising the other

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The potential harm of high structural strength preventing pressure release is converted into a benefit by creating a controlled weak point at the terminal fixation. The strong welding provides structural integrity while the weaker terminal fixation serves as a sacrificial element that fails safely, converting the strength differential into a protective mechanism

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

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

This design achieves both superior battery capacity characteristics and safety by allowing the electrode terminal to effectively release pressure before battery rupture, maintaining energy density and preventing unintentional ejection of the battery device.

Implementation Method 1

The cover member is welded to the container member

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectWelding: Welding

Implementation Method 2

The sealing member has an insulating property

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectrical insulation: Electrical Resistance

Data Source

PatentUS20230352782A1battery

Publication Date: 2023.11.02 MURATA MFG CO LTD

AI summary

A battery includes an outer package member, a battery device, a sealing member, and a terminal member. The outer package member has an outer diameter and a height. The battery device is contained inside the outer package member. The sealing member has an insulating property. The terminal member is supported by the outer package member via the sealing member. A ratio of the outer diameter to the height is greater than or equal to 0.1 and less than 1. The outer package member includes a container member and a cover member. The container member has an opening, and contains the battery device in an inside of the container member. The cover member is welded to the container member, closes the opening, and has a through hole. The terminal member is fixed to the cover member via the sealing member, and covers the through hole. A fixation strength of the terminal member to the cover member is lower than a welding strength of the cover member to the container member.