Planar Battery Module Cable with Separable Sensor Routing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery module systems face challenges with bulkiness and cost due to the use of round wires for connecting sensors to bus bars, which are prone to damage and expensive alternatives like flexible printed circuits are costly for redesign or re-routing.
Innovation Solution
A multi-wire planar cable with a common jacket and grooves for controlled wire separation, featuring punch-out portions to create discontinuities and reduce cross-talk, is used to connect voltage sensors to bus bars, allowing for flexible and cost-effective routing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If round wires are used to connect sensors to bus bars, then electrical connection is achieved, but the system becomes bulky and wires are prone to damage
Solution Approach 1:
The cable is segmented into multiple planar segments with grooves between adjacent wires, allowing the wires to be separated into independent sections. This segmentation reduces the overall bulk while maintaining connection reliability, as each segment can be individually routed and secured, reducing the risk of damage to the entire cable assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a flexible planar cable structure with a thin common jacket instead of traditional bulky round wire harnesses. The flat, flexible design reduces volume while maintaining durability through the distributed segment structure that can flex and route around obstacles without concentrated stress points.
2Volume of moving object
If flexible printed circuits are used to reduce cable thickness, then bulk is reduced, but redesign and re-routing become expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The planar cable is divided into separable segments with grooves between wires, allowing individual wires or small groups to be easily re-routed or replaced without redesigning the entire circuit. This segmentation provides flexibility for cost-effective modifications while maintaining thin cable profile.
Solution Approach 2:
The cable design allows dynamic reconfiguration through the separable segments, enabling easy adaptation and re-routing of individual wire segments. This dynamic flexibility contrasts with rigid printed circuits, allowing cost-effective modifications without expensive redesign processes.
3Volume of moving object
If multiple wires are routed together to reduce bulk, then cable thickness is reduced, but wires are at risk for damage and operational interference
Solution Approach 1:
The cable is segmented into sections with grooves between adjacent wires, creating controlled separation zones. This segmentation protects individual wires by providing natural separation points that prevent stress concentration and facilitate isolated replacement if damage occurs, while maintaining overall compact cable thickness.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the cable have different properties - the common jacket provides overall protection and bundling, while the grooves provide localized separation and protection for individual wires. This local differentiation optimizes both compactness and individual wire protection.
4Volume of moving object
If wires are closely bundled to reduce bulk, then cable thickness is reduced, but cross-talk between wires increases
Solution Approach 1:
The grooves between adjacent wires create segmented sections that electrically isolate adjacent conductors. This segmentation reduces cross-talk by providing physical separation zones while maintaining the overall thin cable profile through the planar structure.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~6
Figure 7
AI summary
A connector assembly (114) for voltage monitoring of bus bars (130) electrically connecting adjacent battery cells of a battery module includes a connector (116) having a plurality of terminals configured to be mated with a control module connector (106) associated with the battery module. A multi-wire planar cable (118) extends from the connector. The multi-wire planar cable has a plurality of wires terminated to corresponding terminals and a common jacket for the plurality of wires. The jacket has grooves between adjacent wires for controlled separation of the wires and surrounding jacket portions at a sensor end of the multi-wire planar cable to define separated planar cable segments. The separated planar cable segments are routed to different areas for termination to different voltage sensors (136) associated with corresponding bus bars.