Modular Battery Clip for Mass Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional battery pack designs are not adapted for mass assembly and production, leading to high costs and limitations in the development of electric vehicles and energy storage systems, necessitating a solution for high-performance and low-cost battery packs.
Innovation Solution
A modular clip system for electric battery modules, featuring a housing with aligned bottom and top cell recesses, interconnect plates, and retainer plates, allowing for easy assembly and replacement of battery cells, and enabling mass production through automatic assembly lines.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional battery pack design is used, then battery performance can be achieved, but manufacturing cost increases and mass production becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The battery pack is divided into modular clips, each containing a specific number of battery cells (e.g., 5 cells per clip). These clips can be independently manufactured, tested, and assembled, enabling standardized mass production while reducing overall assembly complexity. The housing is segmented into multiple clips that can be produced separately and then combined.
Solution Approach 2:
The modular clip design serves multiple functions: it provides structural support for battery cells, enables electrical connections through interconnect plates, facilitates thermal management pathways, and allows for easy replacement and maintenance. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components needed, simplifying manufacturing while maintaining performance.
2Productivity
If manual assembly is used for battery packs, then customization is possible, but production cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
Battery cells are pre-assembled into modular clips with interconnect plates and housing components before final battery pack assembly. This preliminary preparation allows for standardized sub-assemblies to be manufactured efficiently and then quickly integrated into the final product, dramatically improving production speed and reducing labor costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The design incorporates features that enable automated handling and assembly, such as standardized mounting interfaces, alignment features, and snap-fit connections. These mechanical design elements replace the need for complex manual assembly operations, allowing robotic systems to efficiently assemble battery packs at high volume.
3Ease of repair
If non-modular battery design is used, then structural integrity can be maintained, but serviceability and replacement difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The battery pack is divided into modular clips that can be independently removed and replaced. Each clip contains a defined number of battery cells and maintains its structural integrity as a unit. This segmentation allows individual clips to be serviced without affecting the entire battery pack structure, improving ease of repair while maintaining overall stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The modular clips are designed to nest within the battery pack housing, with each clip containing battery cells, interconnect plates, and structural elements. This nested arrangement allows clips to be independently accessed and replaced while maintaining the structural framework of the entire battery pack, balancing serviceability with structural integrity.
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of a modular clip for an electric battery module, a battery module comprising multiple such modular clips, and a battery pack comprising multiple battery modules are provided. The modular clip includes a housing configured to receive a plurality of battery cells. The housing includes a clip shell. The clip shell includes a base portion, a first wall, and a second wall. The base portion includes a plurality of bottom cell recesses, where each of the plurality of bottom cell recesses is configured to receive a battery cell. The modular clip may further comprise at least one interconnect plate. The modular clip may further comprise a retainer plate including a plurality of top cell recesses, where the plurality of top cell recesses are aligned corresponding to an alignment of the plurality of bottom cell recesses.