Modular Electrolyte Injection Assembly for Faster Battery Maintenance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional electrolyte injection apparatuses for secondary batteries face difficulties in the removal, attachment, and detachment of injection units, making maintenance and replacement processes cumbersome and time-consuming.

Innovation Solution

The electrolyte injection apparatus features a modular design with separable components, including a frame unit, pallet unit, injection unit, and needle unit, connected via male and female screw fastening, and a lift unit for easy handling and maintenance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stability of the object's composition

If the injection unit is integrated into the housing member with fixed mounting, then the structural stability is improved, but the ease of maintenance and replacement deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural stabilityVSAvoidease of maintenance
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSEase of repair

Solution Approach 1:

The injection unit is divided into separable components including the injection needle, plunger member, and nozzle assembly that can be detached from the housing member. This segmentation allows individual parts to be replaced or maintained without disassembling the entire apparatus, resolving the contradiction between structural stability during operation and ease of maintenance during service.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The mounting structure transitions from a fixed state during operation to a detachable state during maintenance. The injection unit can be firmly secured during electrolyte injection to ensure stability, yet can be quickly removed when maintenance is required, providing dynamic adaptability between operational and maintenance modes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Device complexity

If the injection unit is designed as a single integrated component, then the device complexity is reduced, but the productivity during maintenance deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevice complexityVSAvoidmaintenance efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The injection unit comprises multiple modular components (injection needle, plunger member, nozzle assembly) that can be independently replaced. This modular design increases device complexity slightly but dramatically improves maintenance productivity by allowing quick replacement of only the worn or damaged components rather than the entire injection unit.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Worn or damaged components such as the injection needle or plunger member can be discarded and replaced with new ones, while the main housing and functional assemblies are retained and reused. This approach maintains high productivity by enabling rapid component replacement without requiring complete unit replacement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #34Discarding and recovering

3Reliability

If the case jig member is firmly mounted in the housing member, then the reliability of operation is improved, but the ease of operation for separation deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoperational reliabilityVSAvoidease of separation
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The case jig member mounting structure provides firm fixation during electrolyte injection operations to ensure reliability, yet allows for easy separation when maintenance or component replacement is needed. The mounting mechanism dynamically adapts between secured and detached states based on operational requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The case jig member and injection unit are designed to be extractable from the housing member. This extraction capability maintains operational reliability during use while enabling easy separation for maintenance, resolving the contradiction between firm mounting and ease of separation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP4668471A1Apparatus for injecting electrolyte of secondary battery
Publication Date: 2025.12.24 LG ENERGY SOLUTION LTD
  • EP4668471A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4668471A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4668471A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Disclosed is an electrolyte injection apparatus for secondary batteries, and more particularly an electrolyte injection apparatus including a frame unit including a lower plate and an upper plate spaced apart from the lower plate by a predetermined distance, the center of the upper plate being open, a pallet unit detachably located above the lower plate, the pallet unit being provided with a lower hopper into which a secondary battery and an electrolyte are supplied, an injection unit located above the pallet unit, the injection unit being configured to supply the electrolyte to the lower hopper, and a needle unit located above the upper plate, the needle unit being configured to supply the electrolyte to the injection unit, wherein the injection unit and the needle unit are separable from the upper plate.