Modified U-Tab Battery Connector for Indeterminate Tab Locations
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing connectors for electronic components and batteries face challenges due to manufacturing tolerances, leading to larger footprints and inefficient use of space in portable devices, as they need to accommodate varying tab placements to prevent short circuits.
Innovation Solution
The use of a U-shaped conductive material partitioned into sections by removing specific portions to create a gap, allowing for adjustable connections to battery tabs, ensuring proper electrical and mechanical contact while maintaining a minimal footprint.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If device-side connectors are designed with larger spacing to accommodate battery manufacturing tolerances, then proper connection between device-side and battery-side connectors is ensured, but the device-side connectors have larger than necessary footprints
Solution Approach 1:
The connector employs a flexible tab structure that can dynamically adjust its position to accommodate variations in battery tab locations. The flexible tab is capable of bending and deforming to bridge the gap between the connector contact point and the battery tab, allowing the connector to adapt to manufacturing tolerances without requiring a larger fixed footprint.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical state of the connector tab from rigid to flexible, allowing it to undergo elastic deformation. This parameter change enables the tab to adjust its position within a certain range, accommodating battery tab location variations while maintaining a compact connector design.
2Reliability
If battery tabs are spatially separated to prevent short circuiting, then battery safety is improved, but the connectors require larger spacing which increases the overall footprint
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible tab structure allows the connector to dynamically adjust the effective spacing between positive and negative connections. By bending the flexible tab, the connector can maintain electrical isolation between poles while reducing the horizontal footprint, as the separation is achieved through vertical or angular displacement rather than horizontal distance.
Data Source
AI summary
Battery assemblies, as well as methods and processes for forming same. A battery assembly can include a first tab electrically connected to a first terminal of a battery and a second tab electrically connected to a second terminal of the battery. A battery assembly can also include a first conductive path (aka first section) having a first end, and a second conductive path (aka second section) having a second end. Another end of the first conductive path can be coupled an electronic device, such as an electric circuit. Another end of the second conductive path can be coupled to the electronic device as well. A space separates the first and second ends; the space formed by removing at least one portion of a U-shaped conductive path. The first conductive path and the first battery tab are connected. The second conductive path and the second battery tab are also connected.