Spring-Loaded Manifold Bracket for Battery Coolant Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The assembly of battery packs faces challenges in aligning components accurately, leading to potential misalignments and leaks in the battery cooling system, which can result in inefficient coolant connections and leakage.
Innovation Solution
A bracket with a spring element that biases a connector to an initial position and facilitates movement to accommodate misalignments, ensuring proper alignment with external components, such as fluid ports, by radially adjusting within the bracket.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a rigid bracket is used to hold the connector, then the connector position is fixed and stable, but misalignment with external components occurs leading to connection failures
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket transitions from a rigid static structure to a dynamic structure with spring elements that allow controlled movement. The spring elements enable the bracket to adapt its position dynamically, moving the connector to accommodate misalignments while maintaining stability through elastic restoration forces.
Solution Approach 2:
The bracket's positional parameters are made variable through the spring elements. Instead of fixed coordinates, the bracket can adjust its position within a range determined by the spring travel, allowing the connector to reach external components even when initial alignment is off.
2Reliability
If the bracket is made flexible to accommodate misalignment, then connection reliability improves, but the connector may move too much and lose positional control
Solution Approach 1:
The spring elements provide controlled flexibility rather than unrestricted movement. The elastic properties of the springs create a restoring force that limits the bracket's movement range, ensuring the connector moves enough to accommodate misalignment but returns to a stable equilibrium position, maintaining positional control.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring elements act as intermediaries between the rigid bracket body and the connector. They absorb and manage the movement forces, providing a buffered connection that allows necessary displacement while maintaining overall structural stability and controlled positioning.
3Manufacturing precision
If precise alignment is required for all components, then connection quality improves, but assembly complexity and tolerance requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The spring elements are pre-loaded during manufacturing to provide the necessary biasing force. This preliminary action ensures the bracket is ready to accommodate misalignments during assembly without requiring complex adjustment mechanisms or precise pre-alignment procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The bracket with spring elements is self-aligning. When the connector is installed, the spring elements automatically adjust the bracket's position to accommodate misalignments, eliminating the need for complex external alignment tools or procedures and reducing assembly complexity.
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 enhances the reliability of battery coolant connections by maintaining positional control while allowing for necessary flexibility to correct misalignments, preventing coolant leakage and ensuring effective thermal management in battery packs.
Implementation Method 1
The spring element can be configured to bias the component to an initial position and facilitate movement of the component with a load is applied to the component
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus can include a body. The body can include a top portion and a base. The top portion can define a cavity. The cavity can be configured to receive a component. The apparatus can include a spring element that extends from at least one of the top portion and the base of the body. The spring element can be disposed at least partially around the cavity. The spring element can be configured to bias the component to an initial position and facilitate movement of the component when a load is applied to the component.