Floating Battery Pack Housing With Integrated Watertight Air Layer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional battery packs with externally attached floats are bulky, inconvenient to handle, and may compromise the watertight structure, leading to issues with handling and impact resistance when used as power sources for outboard motors.
Innovation Solution
A battery pack with a multilayer float structure where the inner wall is molded unitarily with the exterior case, creating a watertight air layer that allows the pack to float and maintain buoyancy, even if damaged, while minimizing external protrusions and enhancing impact resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a float is externally attached to the battery pack, then the battery pack can float on water, but the battery pack becomes bulky and handling becomes inconvenient
Solution Approach 1:
The float structure is merged with the exterior case by molding the inner wall unitarily with the exterior case, creating an integrated multilayer float structure that eliminates the need for separate external floats, thereby reducing overall battery pack volume while maintaining floating capability
Solution Approach 2:
The float structure is nested within the exterior case as an inner wall, with the air layer positioned between the inner wall and exterior case, creating a compact nested configuration that reduces external protrusions and optimizes space utilization
2Reliability
If a float is externally attached to the battery pack, then the battery pack can float on water, but attachment and detachment operations become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The float structure is integrated into the exterior case as a unified component, eliminating separate attachment interfaces that would obstruct handling operations, thereby improving ease of attachment and detachment while maintaining floating functionality
3Reliability
If the externally attached float is broken, then watertight structure cannot be maintained, but increasing float strength makes the float heavier and larger
Solution Approach 1:
The air layer is positioned between the inner wall and exterior case to provide cushioning and absorb impact, protecting the watertight structure from damage during drops or impacts, thereby maintaining reliability without requiring excessive float strength that would increase weight
Solution Approach 2:
The multilayer float structure combines the exterior case, air layer, and inner wall into a composite system where each layer contributes to overall strength and watertightness, allowing the use of lighter materials while maintaining structural integrity and protection against impact damage
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 multilayer float structure ensures the battery pack remains buoyant and watertight, facilitating easy recovery and handling, with reduced bulk and increased impact resistance, allowing it to float reliably and maintain functionality even if partially submerged.
Implementation Method 1
The exterior case has a watertight structure and a volume to allow the battery pack to have an overall specific gravity of 1 or less
Implementation Method 2
the inner wall is disposed inside the exterior case, which is designed to be sufficiently strong in consideration of impact resistance and the like, via the air layer that absorbs impact
Data Source
AI summary
A battery pack includes a battery module accommodated in an exterior case. The exterior case has a watertight structure and a volume to allow the battery pack to have an overall specific gravity of 1 or less. The inner wall is molded unitarily with the exterior case along an inner surface of the exterior case. An air layer with a watertight structure is formed between the inner wall and the exterior case. The exterior case has a multilayer float structure including the exterior case, the air layer, and the inner wall. An inside of the inner wall has a watertight structure and constitutes a battery module housing part housing the battery module therein.