Cap Assembly Reinforcement Plate for Secondary Battery Safety

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Solution Overview

Problem

Secondary batteries face safety concerns and performance deterioration due to internal pressure and temperature increases during abnormal conditions like short circuits or overcharge, which can lead to ignition risks.

Innovation Solution

A secondary battery design featuring a reinforcement plate between the cap-up and safety vent, providing enhanced mechanical strength and a swelling region, which reduces the thickness of the cap-up and improves manufacturability, while the safety vent inverts to release pressure when internal pressure exceeds a reference level.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If the thickness of the cap-up is increased to improve mechanical strength, then the warpage strength of the cap-up is improved, but the manufacturing pressure increases and manufacturability decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewarpage strength of cap-upVSAvoidmanufacturability

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The invention uses a composite structure combining the cap-up with a reinforcement plate made of different material properties. The reinforcement plate (which may include stainless steel) provides enhanced mechanical strength and warpage resistance, allowing the cap-up itself to maintain a thinner, more manufacturable design while achieving the required structural integrity through the composite assembly

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Ease of manufacture

If the thickness of the cap-up is reduced to improve manufacturability, then the manufacturing pressure is reduced, but the warpage strength of the cap-up decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovemanufacturabilityVSAvoidwarpage strength of cap-up

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The reinforcement plate is integrated with the cap-up to form a composite structure that compensates for the reduced thickness. The reinforcement plate's superior mechanical properties make up for the thinner cap-up design, ensuring adequate warpage strength is achieved despite the reduced material volume in the cap-up itself

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

3Strength

If a reinforcement plate is added to improve mechanical strength, then the warpage strength of the cap-up is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewarpage strength of cap-upVSAvoidstructural complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The reinforcement plate is crimped together with the safety vent to be coupled to an interior side of the case, integrating multiple functions into a single assembly. The reinforcement plate serves both as a structural strengthening element and as part of the safety vent mechanism, reducing overall device complexity by combining components that work together

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS11075427B2Secondary battery including cap assembly with reinforcement plate

Publication Date: 2021.07.27 SAMSUNG SDI CO LTD

AI summary

A secondary battery including: an electrode assembly; a case accommodating the electrode assembly; and a cap assembly coupled to the case. The cap assembly includes: a cap-up exposed at a top of the cap assembly; a safety vent under the cap-up; and a reinforcement plate between the cap-up and the safety vent and extending along a periphery of the cap-up. The safety vent includes a protrusion protruding toward the electrode assembly and is electrically connected to the electrode assembly via the protrusion.