Modular Battery Pack With Keyed Side Walls For Error-Free Connections
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing modular batteries lack features to ensure error-free series and parallel connections, which can lead to undesired voltages, short circuits, and safety hazards such as fires or explosions when improperly connected.
Innovation Solution
The modular battery design incorporates opposed keyed side walls and specifically configured terminals to prevent incorrect connections, using conductive connector bars and shaped slots to ensure error-free series and parallel connections by aligning male and female keys and terminal cavities, preventing short circuits.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If modular batteries are provided with features to facilitate series and/or parallel interconnections, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to possibility of improper connections causing zero voltage, undesired voltage, or short circuiting
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by providing different key configurations on different sides of the battery casing. Specifically, one pair of opposed side walls has first male and female keys, while another pair has second male and female keys with different geometries. This asymmetric design ensures that batteries can only be connected in the correct orientation for series or parallel configurations, preventing improper connections that would cause short circuits or undesired voltages, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and reliability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If external wiring or other electrical connections are used for series and/or parallel connections, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases and reliability deteriorates due to cumbersome and unreliable connections
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the mechanical connection function with the electrical connection function into a single integrated structure. The keyed side walls serve dual purposes: they provide mechanical alignment and orientation guidance while simultaneously establishing electrical contacts through integrated conductive elements. This eliminates the need for separate external wiring, reducing device complexity and improving reliability while maintaining adaptability for both series and parallel configurations.
3Device complexity
If batteries are connected without special provisions, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability deteriorates due to cumbersome and unreliable external wiring requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-configuring the battery casing with specific key features (first and second male/female keys) during manufacturing. These features are built into the battery structure in advance, so that when batteries are connected, the correct series or parallel configuration is automatically ensured by the geometric constraints of the keys. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for complex external wiring arrangements and prevents improper connections, thereby improving reliability without significantly increasing device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A modular battery pack comprised of multiple modular batteries arranged in series, in parallel, or in series-parallel combinations is described. Each of the modular batteries is comprised of a first pair of opposed keyed side walls for series connection between adjacent modular batteries, and a second pair of opposed keyed side walls for parallel connection between adjacent modular batteries. The modular batteries are only able to connect to each other when the keys are matched and aligned. Additionally, the opposed end walls of the modular batteries have specifically configured terminals that prevent the possibility of making undesired connections between adjacent modular batteries.