Battery Tray Undercut Structure for Thin-Wall Strength
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Solution Overview
Problem
Battery trays with minimized thickness compromise strength, limiting the number of batteries they can hold and making them prone to structural weakness.
Innovation Solution
The battery tray design incorporates symmetrical third and fourth interior undercuts in the support walls, dual undercuts and protrusions that partition spaces, and center dual undercuts with support grooves, which enhance structural support and stability, allowing for a higher battery capacity while maintaining ease of mold removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If the thickness of the tray is minimized for cost reduction and load reduction, then the weight and cost are reduced, but the strength of the tray is weakened
Solution Approach 1:
The tray is divided into multiple support walls (first, second, third, fourth support walls) that are arranged to provide distributed structural support. Each support wall acts as an independent load-bearing element, allowing the overall tray structure to maintain strength while using thinner individual wall sections, thus reducing total material usage and weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces vertical undercut features and protrusions that extend into the thickness dimension of the tray walls. These three-dimensional structural elements provide additional mechanical interlocking and support without increasing the overall footprint or surface area of the tray, enabling strength enhancement within the constrained thickness dimension.
2Weight of moving object
If the thickness of the tray is minimized, then the weight and cost are reduced, but the height of the tray is decreased
Solution Approach 1:
The tray height is segmented into multiple levels created by protrusions and undercuts at different vertical positions. This segmentation allows the tray to accommodate batteries of varying heights while maintaining an overall compact profile, effectively providing increased functional height without proportionally increasing the total tray dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
The design incorporates nested structural features where protrusions extend from support walls and corresponding undercuts recess into adjacent walls, creating interlocking compartments. This nesting arrangement maximizes the usable internal volume for battery placement within the constrained external dimensions of the tray.
3Weight of moving object
If the height of the tray is decreased, then the weight and cost are reduced, but the number of batteries that can be received in a single tray is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The internal space of the tray is segmented into multiple compartments by partition walls and protrusions that create distinct battery receiving areas. This segmentation allows efficient packing of multiple batteries in a compact arrangement, maximizing the number of batteries that can be accommodated within the reduced overall tray height and volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The tray utilizes vertical stacking arrangements created by protrusions and undercuts to accommodate batteries in multiple levels or orientations. This three-dimensional packing strategy increases battery capacity without requiring a proportional increase in the tray's external dimensions, particularly in the height direction.
4Strength
If multiple support walls and partitions are added to improve strength, then the strength and stability are improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple functions are merged into single structural elements. The support walls simultaneously serve as load-bearing structures, battery positioners, and mold ejection features. The protrusions and undercuts are integrated into the wall structures rather than being separate components, reducing the total number of parts while maintaining structural integrity and functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The support walls and partitions are designed to perform multiple functions: providing structural strength, defining battery compartments, facilitating mold removal through undercuts, and enabling stackable arrangements. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate specialized components, thereby simplifying the overall device complexity while maintaining enhanced strength properties.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates a battery tray where rechargeable batteries are received. According to one aspect of the present invention, a battery tray where a plurality of rechargeable batteries are received is provided. The battery tray includes: a first support wall and a second support wall that are disposed facing each other; a third support wall and a fourth support wall disposed facing each other, which connect an end of the first support wall and an end of the second support wall to each other; and a partition connected to an inner side of the third support wall and an inner side of the fourth support wall, wherein a first interior undercut is provided in the first support wall, a second interior undercut is provided in the second support wall, and the first interior undercut and the second interior undercut are asymmetrically disposed with reference to the partition.