Prismatic Battery Terminal Structure for Injection and Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing rechargeable batteries face challenges in simplifying component configuration, facilitating electrolyte injection, and minimizing dead space to increase power and capacity in battery modules.
Innovation Solution
The rechargeable battery design includes a can with a prismatic shape, an electrode assembly, a current collecting plate with a liquid injection port, a rivet terminal, and a sealing cap, which simplifies component configuration and facilitates electrolyte injection and sealing, while minimizing dead space.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If traditional component configuration is used, then sealing and electrolyte injection are reliable, but component complexity and assembly difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing cap integrates multiple functions into a single component: it seals the electrolyte injection port, provides an electrolyte injection path through its hollow structure, and mechanically connects to the current collecting plate. This merging of sealing, injection, and connection functions reduces the number of separate components while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The current collecting plate serves multiple purposes: it collects current from electrode tabs, provides a mounting surface for the sealing cap, and includes a through-hole that serves as the electrolyte injection path. This multi-functionality reduces component count and simplifies the overall structure.
2Productivity
If traditional electrolyte injection method is used, then injection is reliable, but assembly steps and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing cap is pre-formed with a hollow interior that creates the electrolyte injection path before assembly. The current collecting plate is pre-drilled with a through-hole. These preliminary preparations eliminate the need for post-assembly drilling or complex injection mechanisms, enabling rapid electrolyte injection.
3Volume of stationary object
If prismatic can shape is used, then space utilization in battery modules increases, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The can adopts a prismatic shape with a hexagonal or square cross-section instead of a cylindrical shape. This asymmetric geometry allows battery cells to be arranged in tight, space-efficient configurations in battery modules, eliminating dead space between cells while the standardized prismatic form remains manufacturable using conventional forming processes.
Data Source
AI summary
A rechargeable battery includes a prismatic can including a terminal hole, an electrode assembly accommodated in an internal space of the can and including a number of electrode tabs, a current collecting plate coupled to the electrode tabs, a rivet terminal coupled to the current collecting plate and extending into the terminal hole via an insulator to be installed on the can, and a sealing stopper coupled to the rivet terminal. The current collecting plate includes a plate-shaped portion and a tubular portion. The plate-shaped portion is coupled to the electrode tabs, and the liquid injection port is in the plate-shaped portion. The tubular portion surrounds the liquid injection port and is connected to one side of the plate portion. The rivet terminal is coupled to the tubular portion to contact an outer wall of the tubular portion, and the sealing stopper covers and seals the tubular portion.