Battery Cell Pressure-Relief Valve Assembly for Variable Wall Thickness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pressure relief valves for cell-like cavities, such as battery cells, face challenges in simplicity of assembly, reliability of function, and adaptability to varying wall thicknesses around the opening edge.
Innovation Solution
A pressure relief valve design featuring a separate bearing device with a spring clip fixed by a support part, connected via a connection adapter, allowing for simple assembly and adaptation to different wall thicknesses, with a cover part and seal that can lift off under excessive pressure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a pressure relief valve is designed with a spring clip and bearing device to adapt to different wall thicknesses, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure relief valve is divided into separate modular components: a bearing device with a central opening, a spring clip with radially directed tongues, and a connection adapter. These segmented parts can be independently manufactured and assembled, allowing the structure to adapt to different wall thicknesses while keeping each component relatively simple in design.
Solution Approach 2:
The bearing device with its central opening and the spring clip with multiple radially directed tongues are designed to perform multiple functions: providing structural support, accommodating different wall thicknesses, enabling pressure relief, and maintaining sealing. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional specialized components.
2Reliability
If a spring clip with radially directed spring tongues is used to hold the cover, then reliability of holding is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spring clip is designed to be self-fixing: when the cover is pressed onto the housing opening, the radially directed spring tongues automatically deform elastically and snap into position, holding the cover securely without requiring additional fastening operations or complex assembly tools.
Solution Approach 2:
Traditional mechanical fastening systems (screws, clips, adhesives) are replaced with an elastic deformation mechanism. The spring tongues utilize material elasticity to provide both the holding force and the self-aligning capability, simplifying the manufacturing process while ensuring reliable attachment.
3Ease of operation
If a modular assembly kit with separate bearing device and connection adapter is used, then ease of assembly is improved, but quantity of parts increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing device, spring clip, and connection adapter are designed as pre-configured modular units that can be independently manufactured and tested. This preliminary preparation allows for simplified on-site assembly, as each module is self-contained and requires minimal adjustment during installation, offsetting the increased part count through ease of assembly.
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
The design enables reliable and consistent functionality across varying wall thicknesses, ensuring effective pressure relief without compromising the seal, and can be set to trigger at a predetermined pressure threshold as low as one tenth of a bar.
Implementation Method 1
spring portions which, when the cover is pressed onto the housing opening, can be moved back resiliently in the radial direction
Implementation Method 2
after passing through the housing opening, snap back under a wall region around the opening edge
Implementation Method 3
a seal for sealing a housing opening up to a predetermined cell pressure
Data Source
AI summary
A pressure relief valve for reducing pressure arising in a cell-like cavity, such as a battery cell, including a cover which has a seal for sealing a housing opening up to a predetermined cell pressure and is provided with a holding device in order to hold said cover on the housing opening, the holding device having a spring clip which is attached to the lower face of the cover that faces the housing opening and has a plurality of radially outwardly directed spring tongues which, at the ends thereof, are provided with spring portions which, when the cover is pressed onto the housing opening, can be moved back resiliently in the radial direction through the opening edge and, after passing through the housing opening, snap back under a wall region around the opening edge, wherein a bearing device, which is separate from the cover prior to mounting and to which the spring clip is fixed by a support part, is connected to the cover on the lower face thereof that faces the housing opening, a connection adapter being connected to the center of the bearing device, wherein a central opening of the spring is placed on the connection adapter and wherein the support part is connected to the connection adapter, thus fixing the spring clip.