Segmented Bus Bar Plate With Floating Coupling Against Warpage

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

As the number of stacked batteries increases in a battery module, the bus bar plate is prone to warpage, leading to difficulties in maintaining the creepage distance between output terminals and supporting the voltage detection line, and may be damaged due to excessive load, necessitating a solution that prevents warpage and accommodates dimensional variations.

Innovation Solution

A bus bar plate composed of multiple plate units with terminal openings and a coupling mechanism that allows for relative displacement, preventing warpage and absorbing dimensional variations and external impacts, while ensuring reliable creepage distance and structural integrity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If the number of stacked batteries is increased to achieve higher capacity, then the capacity of the power source is improved, but the bus bar plate is more likely to experience warpage and damage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenumber of stacked batteriesVSAvoidstructural integrity of bus bar plate

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The bus bar plate is divided into multiple plate units (first plate unit, second plate unit, etc.) that can be coupled together. Each plate unit corresponds to one or more batteries, allowing the overall structure to accommodate increased battery numbers while maintaining manageable dimensions for each segment, thereby reducing warpage risk.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The coupling mechanism includes a male part and female part that are fitted to each other across a gap, allowing predetermined amount of displacement in the stacking direction. This dynamic capability enables the bus bar plate to accommodate dimensional variations of batteries during use without generating excessive loads that could cause damage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Area of stationary object

If the dimensions of the bus bar plate are increased to accommodate more stacked batteries, then the capacity is improved, but warpage is more likely to occur at the end part

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedimensions of bus bar plateVSAvoidwarpage of bus bar plate

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

By segmenting the bus bar plate into multiple plate units coupled together, each individual plate unit maintains reasonable dimensions that reduce the likelihood of warpage, while the overall assembled structure accommodates the required number of batteries.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The gap between male and female parts in the coupling mechanism allows predetermined displacement, enabling the plate units to adjust independently and preventing warpage propagation across the entire structure when dimensional variations occur.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Quantity of substance

If the number of stacked batteries is increased, then the capacity is improved, but the load applied to the bus bar plate increases causing potential damage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenumber of stacked batteriesVSAvoidload on bus bar plate

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSForce

Solution Approach 1:

Dividing the bus bar plate into multiple plate units distributes the mechanical load from increased battery numbers across multiple segments and their coupling mechanisms, preventing excessive concentration of force on any single component.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The coupling mechanism with gap between male and female parts allows predetermined displacement in the stacking direction, enabling the structure to absorb dimensional variations and external impacts without generating excessive loads that could damage the bus bar plate.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

4Reliability

If the bus bar plate is made more robust to prevent warpage and damage, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural integrity of bus bar plateVSAvoidcomplexity of bus bar plate structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Segmenting the bus bar plate into multiple plate units with coupling mechanisms achieves the required reliability for accommodating increased battery numbers while keeping each individual plate unit relatively simple in structure, avoiding the need for a single complex monolithic plate.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS12199308B2Bus bar plate

Publication Date: 2025.01.14 SANYO ELECTRIC CO LTD

AI summary

Each plate unit is disposed corresponding to one battery or to an assembly of several batteries and has terminal openings, through which output terminals provided on corresponding battery are exposed, and coupling mechanism that couples adjacent plate units to each other. Coupling mechanism is made up of male part disposed on one of two adjacent plate units, and female part that is disposed on the other and to which male part is fitted. Male part and female part are fitted to each other across a gap that allows a predetermined amount of displacement of two coupled plate units in stacking direction of batteries.