Bipolar Plate Terminal Connector for Tolerance-Stable Voltage Sensing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing electrochemical devices face challenges in maintaining reliable and robust electrical contact for continuous measurement of bipolar plate potentials due to manufacturing tolerances and relative movements during operation.

Innovation Solution

The electrochemical device incorporates bipolar plates with terminal elements that have latching and contact-making beads, allowing for resilient deformation of contact elements to compensate for manufacturing tolerances and relative movements, ensuring secure and continuous electrical contact through resiliently deformable contact elements and a latching mechanism.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If rigid contact elements are used to ensure stable electrical contact, then contact reliability is improved, but manufacturing tolerances and relative movements cannot be compensated

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveelectrical contact reliabilityVSAvoidcompensation for manufacturing tolerances and relative movements

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The contact elements are designed to be resiliently deformable, allowing them to dynamically adapt to manufacturing tolerances and relative movements during operation. This dynamic capability enables the contact elements to maintain reliable electrical contact while compensating for dimensional variations and operational displacements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The contact elements utilize elastic deformation to change their physical state, allowing them to accommodate variations in position and dimension. By changing their shape within elastic limits, the contact elements maintain stable electrical contact despite manufacturing tolerances and operational movements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Adaptability or versatility

If resiliently deformable contact elements are used to compensate for tolerances and movements, then adaptability is improved, but contact stability under shock forces and vibrations may worsen

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompensation for manufacturing tolerances and relative movementsVSAvoidcontact stability under shock forces and vibrations

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The resilient contact elements are pre-configured to absorb and dampen shock forces and vibrations before they can disrupt electrical contact. The elastic properties of the contact elements provide inherent cushioning that protects the electrical connection from operational disturbances.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

3Ease of operation

If terminal elements project beyond lateral edges of bipolar plates, then contact-making capability is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontact-making capabilityVSAvoidterminal element configuration

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The terminal element integrates multiple functions into a single component: it provides electrical contact through protruding contact-making surfaces beyond the bipolar plate edges, incorporates latching elements for secure attachment, and includes contact-making beads for reliable engagement. This merging of functions simplifies the overall assembly while maintaining ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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 configuration enables reliable and continuous measurement of electrical potentials by compensating for manufacturing and operational variations, ensuring stable electrical contact even under shock forces and vibrations.

Implementation Method 1

each contact element is elastically biased towards a latching element or towards a contact-making bead of a terminal element associated with the respective contact element

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentUS20240186538A1Electrochemical device

Publication Date: 2024.06.06 MARQUARDT GMBH

AI summary

In order to provide an electrochemical device, comprising a stack of electrochemical units that succeed one another in a stack direction, wherein each electrochemical unit comprises a bipolar plate, and a terminal connector that comprises an electrically insulating housing and a plurality of electrically conductive contact elements, wherein the stack of electrochemical units of the electrochemical device is configured to make safe, reliable and robust electrical contact for continuous measurement of the electrical potentials of the bipolar plates of the stack, it is proposed that a plurality of the bipolar plates each comprise a terminal element that projects in a contact-making direction, beyond lateral edges of the bipolar plate adjacent to the terminal element, wherein the terminal element has at least one latching element with which the terminal connector is latchable, and/or has at least one contact-making bead with which, in a mounted condition of the terminal connector, one of the contact elements of the terminal connector is engageable, in order to make an electrically conductive contact between the bipolar plate and the respectively associated contact element of the terminal connector.