Integrated Battery Terminal Assembly Without Inter-Metal Welding
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional direct-coupled terminals in secondary batteries face high failure rates due to uncertain adhesion between the current collector and the terminal plate, making it difficult to ensure proper welding, which can lead to welding defects and reduced adhesive force.
Innovation Solution
An integrated terminal design where a terminal assembly, comprising a terminal member and a terminal insulator, is inserted into a cap plate with a cap insulator, bonded through inter-plastic welding, eliminating the need for inter-metal welding and enhancing bonding strength with a reinforced material.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If direct-coupled terminal is used with welding, then electrical connection is achieved, but welding failures occur due to uncertain adhesion between current collector and terminal plate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an integrated terminal that combines the current collector and terminal plate into a single component. This intermediary structure eliminates the adhesion interface between separate parts, thereby preventing welding failures caused by uncertain adhesion while maintaining electrical connection reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the current collector and terminal plate into one integrated terminal structure. By combining these two previously separate components, the invention eliminates the need for welding between them, thus resolving the reliability issue associated with adhesion uncertainty while simplifying the overall terminal structure.
2Shape
If terminal plate covers current collector, then external appearance is improved, but adhesion quality becomes undetectable increasing failure probability
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated terminal acts as an intermediary structure that inherently ensures adhesion quality through its unified design. Since the current collector and terminal plate are merged into one piece, there is no separate adhesion interface to detect or measure, thereby eliminating the detection difficulty while maintaining a clean external appearance.
3Ease of manufacture
If current collector is tilted during manufacturing, then assembly is simplified, but welding adhesion is compromised leading to failure
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the current collector and terminal plate into a single integrated terminal, the invention eliminates the welding process entirely. This means that even if tilting occurs during manufacturing, there is no welding adhesion to compromise, as the two components are already unified in structure, thus maintaining both manufacturing ease and welding reliability.
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
Reduces welding failures, lowers production costs, and improves cell performance by ensuring strong bonding without inter-metal welding, while avoiding alien substance issues and maintaining operational integrity.
Implementation Method 1
the terminal insulator and the cap insulator are bonded to each other through inter-plastic welding
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2
AI summary
An integrated terminal includes: a terminal assembly including a terminal member configured to adjoin a sub-plate electrically connected to an electrode assembly of a secondary battery and a terminal insulator that surrounds a side of the terminal member; and a cap insulator extending along a through hole in a cap plate that is coupled to a case that accommodates the electrode assembly and in which the through hole into which the terminal assembly is inserted is formed. When the terminal assembly is inserted into the through hole, the terminal insulator and the cap insulator adjoin each other, and a reinforced material is inserted into at least one of the terminal insulator and the cap insulator.