Secondary Battery Terminal Riveting to Avoid Welding Damage

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Secondary batteries face issues with foreign substances and damage generation due to welding during the assembly of current collectors and terminals, which affects their stability and performance.

Innovation Solution

The secondary battery design incorporates a riveting mechanism for coupling current collectors and terminals, preventing damage and foreign substance generation by using a coupling protrusion and hole configuration that spreads upon riveting, ensuring secure and damage-free connections.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If welding is used to couple current collector and terminal, then connection strength is improved, but foreign substances and damage are generated affecting stability

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconnection strengthVSAvoidforeign substances and damage
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the welding process (thermal/chemical system) with a riveting process (mechanical system). The terminal is mechanically fastened to the current collector using a rivet that passes through alignment holes in both components, eliminating the need for welding and thereby preventing foreign substance contamination and thermal damage to the battery components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Object-generated harmful factors

If riveting is used to couple current collector and terminal, then foreign substance generation is prevented, but connection reliability must be maintained

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveforeign substance generationVSAvoidconnection reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces welding with a mechanical riveting system that uses precisely aligned holes and a fastening rivet to create a reliable mechanical connection. The rivet is inserted through alignment holes in both the terminal and current collector, creating a secure mechanical bond that maintains connection reliability without the harmful effects of welding.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The rivet acts as an intermediary component that mechanically connects the terminal and current collector. This intermediate fastening element provides a reliable connection while avoiding direct thermal or chemical interaction between the terminal and current collector that would occur with welding.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This design effectively prevents damage and foreign substance generation during assembly, enhancing the stability and performance of secondary batteries by ensuring secure and reliable connections between current collectors and terminals.

Implementation Method 1

an end of the coupling protrusion may be spread by riveting and coupled to the first current collector

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectRiveting: Mechanical Fastener

Data Source

PatentEP4478495A1Secondary battery
Publication Date: 2024.12.18 SAMSUNG SDI CO LTD
  • EP4478495A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4478495A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4478495A1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

A secondary battery (100) includes: an electrode assembly (110) including a first electrode tab and a second electrode tab exposed at opposite sides, respectively; a case (160) accommodating the electrode assembly (110) and open on opposite sides; a first cap plate (171) that seals a first side opening of the case (160); a first current collector (120) that is in contact with and coupled to the first electrode tab exposed at a first side of the electrode assembly (110), the first current collector (120) including a coupling hole (122a); and a first terminal (130) including a coupling protrusion (131b, 151b) inserted and coupled to the coupling hole (122a) of the first current collector (120), the first terminal (130) including a portion exposed to an outside of the first cap plate (171), and an outer diameter (B) of an end of the coupling protrusion (131b, 151b) is larger than outer diameters (A) of other regions thereof.