Folded Electrode Lead Layout for Compact Battery Modules
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing secondary battery designs, such as those disclosed in U.S. Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2021/0005872, face challenges in reducing package size and increasing space efficiency during storage due to the protrusion of electrode leads outside the battery case.
Innovation Solution
The battery design includes an electrode body with electrodes and separators alternately stacked, housed within a battery case, and an electrode lead with one end connected to the electrode body and the other end protruding from the battery case to be folded back towards it, thereby reducing the package size and enhancing space efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the other end of the electrode lead protrudes to the outside of the battery case, then the connection to bus bar becomes easier, but the housing space increases and space efficiency during storage decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The electrode lead is folded back and inserted into the battery case, nesting the lead within the case volume rather than protruding outward. This allows the lead to be contained within the overall package boundaries while still maintaining external accessibility through the folding configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrode lead is folded back in the width direction and extends in the height direction, changing the spatial dimension of protrusion from horizontal to vertical. This dimensional change allows the lead to extend upward from the battery case rather than outward from the side, reducing the package width while maintaining connection accessibility.
2Ease of operation
If the other end of the electrode lead protrudes from the battery case, then the electrode lead can be accessed for connection, but the space efficiency during storage is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The electrode lead configuration changes from horizontal protrusion to vertical extension by folding the lead back and having it extend in the height direction from the battery case. This dimensional change reduces the footprint area required for storage while maintaining the ability to access and connect the lead from above.
3Volume of moving object
If the electrode lead is folded back toward the battery case, then the package size is reduced, but the connection process may become more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The electrode lead is divided into distinct functional segments: the connection end portion that connects to the electrode body inside the battery case, and the other end that protrudes and folds back. This segmentation allows each portion to serve its specific function independently, simplifying the overall configuration despite the folded geometry.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of having the electrode lead extend directly outward from the battery case in a simple linear fashion, the lead is inverted by folding it back toward the case. This inversion creates a compact configuration that reduces package size while the lead still maintains its connection functionality through the folded geometry.
Data Source
AI summary
The battery cell includes an electrode body in which electrodes and separators are alternately stacked, a battery case in which the electrode body is accommodated, and an electrode lead in which one end is connected to the electrode body inside the battery case and the other end protrudes from an end portion in the width direction of the battery case and is folded back toward the battery case.