Cylindrical Battery Top Cover Layout for Higher Current Without Height Growth
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cylindrical battery packaging faces challenges with the limited current-carrying capacity of top busbars due to their small cross-sectional area, and the hot welding process restricts the thickness of adjacent metal materials, making it difficult to increase the current-carrying capacity without increasing the battery height, especially in large-size batteries like Type 4680.
Innovation Solution
A packaging structure for cylindrical batteries featuring a combined top cover with a connection transferring piece that allows lateral electrical connection between top and shell poles, merging top busbars into a common shell pole busbar, and using a cold-welding or hot-welding process for reliable electrical connections, which simplifies the grouping and banking process and enhances structural integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the thickness of the top busbar is increased to increase current-carrying capacity, then the current-carrying capacity is improved, but the battery height increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the connection direction from vertical (top to top) to lateral (top to shell pole on side), allowing current to flow through the shell pole busbar which has larger cross-sectional area without increasing battery height. The connection transferring piece enables this dimensional shift in electrical connection path.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the top busbar function with the shell pole busbar by using the shell pole busbar to carry both top pole current and shell pole current. The connection transferring piece integrates the top cover electrical connection with the lateral shell pole connection, combining multiple functions into a unified structure.
2Quantity of substance
If the width of the top busbar is increased to increase current-carrying capacity, then the current-carrying capacity is improved, but the top pole area is exceeded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent redirects the electrical connection from the limited top pole area to the lateral shell pole area, which has much larger surface area available for busbar connection. This dimensional shift allows using the shell pole busbar's larger cross-section for current carrying without constraining the top busbar width.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the current-carrying function from the top busbar and relocates it to the shell pole busbar. The connection transferring piece separates the top cover sealing function from the top pole electrical connection, moving the electrical connection to the lateral shell pole where more space is available.
3Reliability
If hot welding process is used for electrical connection, then reliable electrical connection is achieved, but the thickness of adjacent metal materials is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The connection transferring piece acts as an intermediary component between the top cover and the shell pole busbar. It provides a standardized interface that can accommodate different material thicknesses while maintaining reliable electrical connection, mediating between the top pole connection and the lateral shell pole connection.
4Reliability
If conventional top busbar connection method is used, then electrical connection is achieved, but the current-carrying capacity becomes a bottleneck
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the top pole electrical connection with the shell pole electrical connection by using the shell pole busbar to carry current from both sources. The connection transferring piece enables this merging by providing a conductive path that allows the shell pole busbar to function as both top pole connection and shell pole connection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent shifts the current-carrying path from the vertical top busbar to the lateral shell pole busbar, utilizing the larger cross-sectional area of the shell pole busbar for high-current transmission while maintaining the top pole electrical connection through the connection transferring piece.
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 solution increases the current-carrying capacity of top busbars without height increase, simplifies the grouping and banking process, reduces disassembly costs, and improves the structural strength and recycling efficiency of battery packs, while eliminating the need for external common busbars, thus enhancing the stability and reliability of battery packs.
Implementation Method 1
the connecting portion is electrically connected to the top cover body; the inner side of the extending portion is arranged adjacent to a lateral shell of the cylindrical shell and is not electrically connected to the cylindrical shell; and the outer side of the extending portion is configured to electrically connect to the shell pole of another cylindrical battery
Implementation Method 2
the annular electrically connecting structure and the top cover body are connected by a hot-welding or cold-welding process
Implementation Method 3
the annular electrically connecting structure and the top cover body are connected by a hot-welding or cold-welding process
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a packaging structure of a cylindrical battery, a cylindrical battery, a battery pack, and a manufacturing method thereof. The packaging structure comprises: a cylindrical shell having an open end; a combined top cover comprising a top cover body and a connection transferring piece; wherein the top cover body is a conductor, arranged at the open end of the cylindrical shell and can close the open end; the connection transferring piece has a bending portion, and the two ends of the bending portion serve as a connecting portion and an extending portion of the connection transferring piece respectively; the connecting portion is electrically connected to the top cover body; the extending portion is arranged adjacent to a lateral shell of the cylindrical shell and is not electrically connected to the cylindrical shell; and the outer side of the extending portion is configured to electrically connect to the shell pole of another cylindrical battery. According to the packaging structure and the cylindrical battery in the present invention, the top poles are arranged laterally, thereby a challenge of providing high-flux connections from the top poles of the batteries to a common top busbar and a challenge of increasing the current-carrying capacity of the top common busbar without increasing the height of the top parts of the batteries are overcome, the battery grouping or disassembling efficiency is greatly improved, and the cost is reduced.