Flexible Battery Handle Assembly for Lead-Acid Batteries
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Solution Overview
Problem
Lead-acid battery handles that protrude from the packaging are prone to damage during shipping, especially when stacked, as they are subjected to excessive stress from the weight of upper batteries, leading to unacceptably high rates of broken or damaged handles.
Innovation Solution
A flexible handle assembly featuring a woven fabric strap with overmolded polymer tabs that can lay flat against the battery when not in use, securely attached to the polymer packaging via slots, providing durability and resistance to acid, and capable of withstanding multiple times the weight of the battery across various temperatures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If handles extend or protrude from the packaging surface, then handling capability is improved, but handle durability deteriorates due to stress from stacked batteries
Solution Approach 1:
The handle assembly is designed to be flexible rather than rigid, allowing it to bend and conform when batteries are stacked. The fabric strap can dynamically adjust its shape to accommodate compression forces without breaking, transitioning from a rigid protruding structure to a flexible adaptive system.
Solution Approach 2:
The handle uses a fabric strap instead of a rigid plastic or metal structure. This flexible material can bend and compress under the weight of stacked batteries while maintaining its structural integrity, preventing the breakage that occurs with rigid protruding handles.
2Strength
If handles are made rigid to withstand stress, then handle strength is improved, but flexibility and ability to lay flat deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The handle assembly combines different materials with complementary properties: a fabric strap providing flexibility and comfort, reinforced with plastic tabs at the ends for structural strength and attachment. This composite structure achieves both flexibility for laying flat and strength for withstanding stress.
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the handle have different properties optimized for their specific functions. The central strap portion is flexible fabric for comfort and adaptability, while the end tabs are rigid plastic for structural strength and secure attachment to the battery casing.
3Ease of operation
If handles protrude from packaging, then grip accessibility is improved, but damage risk during shipping increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible handle can dynamically respond to shipping conditions by bending and conforming to the battery shape, preventing it from breaking under compression or impact forces that would damage rigid protruding handles.
Solution Approach 2:
The fabric strap construction allows the handle to absorb shipping stresses through flexing and deformation rather than brittle failure, significantly reducing damage risk while maintaining grip accessibility.
Data Source
AI summary
A lead-acid battery includes a handle assembly coupled to a polymer packaging of the battery. The handle assembly includes a woven fabric strap capable of laying substantially flat over a cover of the battery when the handle assembly is not in use. The handle assembly includes a first tab overmolded about a first end of the woven fabric strap, wherein the first tab is loaded into a first slot inset into a first end portion of the polymer packaging of the battery. The handle assembly also includes a second tab overmolded about a second end of the woven fabric strap, wherein the second tab is loaded into a second slot inset into a second end portion of the polymer packaging of the battery, and wherein a length of the first and second tabs is at least twice a width of the woven fabric strap.