Battery Wiring Module with Movable Terminals for Lead Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manufacturing tolerances in the connection of electrode leads of battery cells lead to potential damage during assembly, particularly due to bending and welding, and there is a risk of the module terminal hitting the electrode leads.
Innovation Solution
A wiring module is designed to be coupled to a battery stack member with terminals that are movable in the plate thickness direction, featuring slope surfaces and protector side fitting portions to avoid hitting electrode leads, and includes terminal protection portions to safeguard against damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If electrode leads are bent to be closer and overlapped for electrical connection, then manufacturing complexity is reduced by eliminating busbars, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to tolerances in bending and welding
Solution Approach 1:
A terminal with a slope surface acts as an intermediary between the electrode connection portion and the electrode lead. The slope surface mediates the connection by providing a guiding surface that directs the electrode lead into proper alignment, compensating for manufacturing tolerances in the bending and welding processes while maintaining the simplified structure without busbars.
2Ease of manufacture
If end frames are attached by moving from upper side to lower side, then assembly process is simplified, but reliability deteriorates due to risk of terminal hitting electrode lead
Solution Approach 1:
The slope surface on the terminal provides preliminary anti-action by creating a guiding surface that prevents the terminal from hitting the electrode lead during assembly. The inclined surface directs any misaligned electrode leads into proper position before the terminal makes final contact, preventing damage during the downward attachment process.
Solution Approach 2:
The slope surface acts as a cushioning element before the terminal contacts the electrode lead. During the assembly process, the inclined surface absorbs misalignment and guides the electrode lead into proper position, preventing impact damage and ensuring reliable connection before the terminal settles into its final position.
3Adaptability or versatility
If terminals are made movable in plate thickness direction, then adaptability to manufacturing tolerances is improved, but device complexity increases with protector side fitting portions
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal is designed with movability in the plate thickness direction through the protector side fitting portions, transitioning from a static to a dynamic component. This allows the terminal to adjust its position automatically during assembly to accommodate manufacturing tolerances in the electrode leads, while the movement is constrained within controlled boundaries by the fitting portions.
Data Source
AI summary
A wiring module is to be coupled to a battery stack member that includes laminated type batteries having electrode leads and being stacked and the electrode leads of the laminated type batteries are overlapped and connected and configured as connection portions. The wiring module is to be coupled to the battery stack member that includes the connection portions in a coupling direction that is perpendicular to a plate thickness direction of the connection portions. The wiring module includes terminals, electric wires connected to the terminals, and a protector holding the terminals and the electric wires. The protector includes terminal housing portions in which the terminals are disposed, and protector side fitting portions that hold the terminals so as to be movable in the plate thickness direction with respect to the terminal housing portions between a first position and a second position.