Multifunctional HV Carrier for Automated EV Battery Contactor Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
The assembly of circuit components in electric vehicle battery systems is labor-intensive, prone to errors, and requires complex manual processes, including screwing and additional wiring, leading to inefficiencies and safety concerns due to air and creepage distances, thermal connection issues, and assembly tolerances.
Innovation Solution
A multifunctional carrier that integrates HV busbars, PCB connectors, and wiring harnesses, allowing for fully automated assembly and welding, with a high-voltage contactor using a plug-in system for tapping HV potentials, eliminating the need for ring cable lugs and reducing assembly steps and costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If separate component carriers and additional parts are used for receiving electrical and insulating components, then the assembly can be completed, but the assembly process becomes complex and labor-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the component carrier, insulating parts, cable spider, and thermal management elements into a single integrated multifunctional carrier. This merging eliminates the need for separate carriers and additional parts, directly reducing assembly complexity while maintaining all necessary functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The multifunctional carrier serves multiple purposes simultaneously: it acts as a structural support, provides electrical insulation, enables thermal connection, and facilitates automated assembly. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction by consolidating what would otherwise require multiple separate components.
2Productivity
If manual assembly with many work steps is used, then all components can be assembled, but assembly time increases and error risk rises
Solution Approach 1:
The multifunctional carrier is designed with integrated features that guide components into correct positions automatically. The insulating housing and pre-integrated cable spiders self-align during assembly, enabling fully automated assembly processes without manual intervention, thereby increasing both speed and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The cable spiders and insulating parts are pre-integrated into the multifunctional carrier before final assembly. This preliminary action eliminates the need for workers to manually position these components during assembly, reducing both time and error risk.
3Reliability
If air and creepage distances are maintained, then safety is ensured, but the distances result in larger assembly tolerances
Solution Approach 1:
The insulating housing provides localized insulation precisely where needed, allowing air and creepage distances to be maintained only at critical interfaces. This localized approach ensures safety while minimizing the impact on overall assembly tolerances.
Solution Approach 2:
The use of insulating materials integrated into the housing structure provides both electrical insulation and mechanical support in a single composite solution, maintaining safety distances without requiring additional clearance for separate insulating components.
4Temperature
If separate thermal connection with gap pads or gap fillers is used, then thermal management is achieved, but additional parts and assembly steps are required
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal management function is merged into the multifunctional carrier itself. The carrier incorporates thermal connection features directly, eliminating the need for separate gap pads or gap fillers and their associated assembly steps.
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 enables fully automated assembly of battery system components, reduces production costs, ensures reliable detection of switching states, and improves thermal management and safety by integrating all electrical components into one unit with efficient cooling and reduced manual labor.
Implementation Method 1
an insulating housing (120) in which the busbar assembly (110) is embedded
Implementation Method 2
Hotspots in the system can also be connected to a cooling system by means of a heat-conducting plastic
Data Source
AI summary
A multifunction carrier for receiving circuit components of a battery system for an electric vehicle is disclosed, wherein the multifunction carrier includes: a busbar assembly with at least one charging connection rail and a drive connection rail; and an insulating housing in which the busbar assembly is embedded, wherein the insulating housing has openings exposing contact surfaces of the connecting rails, and wherein the insulating housing has plug connectors which are designed to provide a pluggable mechanical and electrical contact between the circuit components of the battery system with the open contact surfaces of the connecting rails. The invention further relates to a high-voltage contactor for a battery system of an electric vehicle.