Flexible Battery Packaging Structure for Bend Stress Relief

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional flexible battery packaging materials, such as aluminum plastic film, suffer from bending fractures and compression issues that lead to short circuits and reduced service life due to high stress concentrations at the root portion during bending.

Innovation Solution

A flexible battery design featuring a package bag with dents to accommodate electrode assemblies and electrical connectors, along with elastic insulation members to absorb deformation, reducing stress concentrations and preventing fractures, ensuring the battery cells are not compressed during bending.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If aluminum plastic film is used as packaging material for flexible battery, then the battery can be bent along packaging position, but stress concentration at root portion causes fatigue and short service life

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveflexibilityVSAvoidservice life

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The package bag is divided into rigid packaging portions and flexible joints through dent formation. The dent creates a distinct segmentation between the rigid body portion that maintains structural integrity and the flexible joint portion that accommodates bending, thereby resolving the contradiction between flexibility and service life.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different portions of the package bag have different mechanical properties: the rigid packaging portion provides structural support while the flexible joint portion (at the dent location) provides bending capability. This local differentiation allows the battery to be flexible where needed while maintaining reliability in critical areas.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Adaptability or versatility

If package bag is bent between adjacent cells, then flexibility requirement is satisfied, but compression on battery cell edges and corners causes short circuit risk

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveflexibilityVSAvoidshort circuit risk

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

Elastic insulation members are pre-installed at the end terminals of the electrical connector to provide cushioning protection. These members anticipate and prevent compression damage to the battery cell edges and corners during bending, thereby eliminating the short circuit risk while maintaining flexibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

Solution Approach 2:

The elastic insulation members act as intermediary elements between the electrical connector and the battery cell. They absorb and distribute the compression forces during bending, preventing direct contact and potential short circuits between the connector and cell edges.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Adaptability or versatility

If electrical connector is positioned at flexible joint, then battery can be bent, but connector is prone to bending fracture

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveflexibilityVSAvoidconnector durability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

Elastic insulation members are installed at the end terminals of the electrical connector before bending occurs. These members provide protective cushioning that absorbs bending stresses, preventing fracture of the electrical connector while allowing the battery to maintain its flexibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

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 effectively reduces stress concentrations, preventing fractures in the package bag and electrical connectors, thereby enhancing the service life and ensuring stable performance and safety of the flexible battery.

Implementation Method 1

elastic insulation members to absorb deformation, reducing stress concentrations and preventing fractures

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentUS20240047789A1Flexible battery and electric apparatus using such flexible battery

Publication Date: 2024.02.08 NINGDE AMPEREX TECHNOLOGY LTD

AI summary

A flexible battery includes a plurality of electrode assemblies, an electrical connector, elastic insulation members, and a package bag. The electrical connector is electrically connected to two adjacent electrode assemblies. The elastic insulation members are disposed at two end terminals of the electrical connector and have a gap with the electrode assemblies. The package bag is provided with a first dent accommodating the electrode assembly and the elastic insulation member, and a second dent accommodating the electrical connector. In the flexible battery, stress concentration caused by bending after packaging can be effectively reduced, so the package bag and electrical connector of the flexible battery are not prone to fracture, providing effective protection for the electrode assemblies, improving service life of the flexible battery, and ensuring stable performance and safety of the flexible battery.