Sealed Battery Pack Assembly for Waterproof Tool Connections

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing battery packs for direct-current electric tools face challenges in ensuring waterproofing standards, particularly in outdoor and damp environments, leading to potential safety hazards and reduced service life due to water ingress.

Innovation Solution

A battery pack design featuring a waterproof structure with a seal member and locking apparatus, which includes a battery pack cover, base, cell group, and terminal connector, along with a seal member to prevent water entry and ensure electrical connectivity, while maintaining a simple structure for easy assembly and detachment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If a battery pack is designed with open structure for easy assembly and electrical connectivity, then ease of manufacture and electrical connectivity are improved, but waterproofing performance deteriorates allowing water ingress

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of assemblyVSAvoidwaterproofing performance
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs a waterproof film (seal member) that flexibly covers the battery cells and electrical components within the mounting cavity. This thin film barrier allows the battery pack to maintain an open, accessible structure for easy assembly while providing effective waterproofing. The seal member is positioned to block water ingress paths without requiring complex sealed enclosures, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and waterproofing performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

2Reliability

If a battery pack uses a sealed housing to prevent water ingress, then waterproofing performance is improved, but ease of assembly and electrical connectivity deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewaterproofing performanceVSAvoidease of assembly
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The battery pack housing is divided into separate components (cover and base) that can be easily assembled and disassembled. The waterproof film is positioned internally to seal specific areas without requiring the entire housing to be a complex sealed unit. This segmentation allows for simple assembly procedures while maintaining effective waterproofing where needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The waterproof film acts as an intermediary element between the open housing structure and the battery components. It provides the necessary sealing function without requiring the housing itself to be complex or difficult to assemble. The seal member mediates between the simplicity of open housing and the requirement for waterproofing, allowing easy assembly while preventing water ingress.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of operation

If a battery pack allows water inlet paths for cooling or access, then ease of operation is improved, but safety deteriorates due to potential water contact with electrical components

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveaccessibilityVSAvoidwater contact with electrical components
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The waterproof film is strategically positioned to provide localized sealing at critical areas where water ingress would be harmful, such as around battery terminals and electrical connectors. This allows the battery pack to maintain open structures for accessibility while providing targeted protection where water contact would cause safety issues. The seal member is placed specifically at the mounting cavity opening to block water paths to electrical components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP3686950B1Battery pack and electric tool assembly with such battery pack
Publication Date: 2024.11.06 POSITEC POWER TOOLS (SUZHOU) CO LTD
  • EP3686950B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3686950B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3686950B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a battery pack, including: a battery pack cover; a battery pack base; a cell group, configured to charged and discharged, the cell group including several cells; a battery terminal connector, electrically connected to the cell group; a mounting cavity, accommodating the cell group and the battery terminal connector, the mounting cavity being formed with a socket for inserting housing terminals to be electrically connected to battery pack terminals; a locking apparatus, capable of driving the battery pack and an electric tool be locked connection or released, a seal member blocking a passage from the socket to the cell group is disposed inside the mounting cavity; the battery pack includes a battery pack housing seal member blocking communication between the outside and the mounting cavity, and the battery pack housing seal member is disposed at a joint between the battery pack cover and the battery pack base; and the locking apparatus is mounted on a battery pack housing and isolated outside the mounting cavity.