Stacked Battery Cartridge Module Assembly

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing battery modules face challenges in achieving efficient cooling, preventing incorrect assembly, and maintaining structural stability, especially as they become more complex and require additional components for extension, leading to increased manufacturing costs and potential safety issues.

Innovation Solution

A battery module structure where unit cells are fixed to cartridges and stacked with parallel connections, featuring bus bars for electrical connection, coolant flow channels, and markings for correct assembly, allowing for easy assembly and extension while ensuring structural stability and improved cooling efficiency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a plurality of battery cells is used to constitute a battery module with mechanical fastening and electrical connection, then the output and capacity requirements can be met, but the assembly process becomes very complicated and requires many members such as bus bars and power cables

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoutput and capacityVSAvoidassembly process
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple functions into the cartridge structure. The cartridge integrates mechanical fastening features, electrical connection terminals, and cooling structure support into a single component that attaches directly to battery cells, eliminating the need for separate bus bars, power cables, and cooling components for each cell connection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The cartridge is designed as a universal component that performs multiple functions simultaneously: mechanical attachment, electrical connection, and cooling. This multi-functional design simplifies the overall battery module assembly by replacing multiple specialized components with one integrated solution.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If the battery module structure is extended to increase capacity, then the required output and capacity can be achieved, but it becomes difficult to modify the structure and requires additional components

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovecapacityVSAvoidstructure modification
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The battery module is divided into independent cartridge units, each containing a battery cell with integrated mounting and connection features. This segmentation allows the module to be extended by simply adding or removing cartridge units without complex structural modifications, as each cartridge is a self-contained module.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The cartridge design enables dynamic reconfiguration of the battery module. Cartridges can be easily added, removed, or rearranged to modify the module's capacity and configuration, providing adaptability that rigid traditional structures cannot achieve.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Reliability

If multiple components are added to the battery module to meet assembly requirements, then the necessary functions can be achieved, but the manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveassembly functionVSAvoidmanufacturing cost
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

By merging mechanical fastening, electrical connection, and cooling functions into the single cartridge component, the total number of parts is reduced. This consolidation decreases manufacturing costs by reducing component procurement, inventory management, and assembly operations while maintaining all necessary functions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

4Reliability

If the battery module includes a complicated structure with multiple components, then the necessary functions can be achieved, but it becomes difficult to detect incorrect assembly and safety issues arise

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovefunctionalityVSAvoidincorrect assembly detection
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The cartridge incorporates visual indicators such as color-coded features or markings that change or become visible when the cartridge is correctly assembled with the battery cell. These visual cues make it easy to detect incorrect assembly during manufacturing, improving quality control and safety.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #32Color changes

Data Source

PatentEP3054503B1Battery module having stacked cartridges
Publication Date: 2020.12.30 LG CHEM LTD
  • EP3054503B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3054503B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3054503B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Disclosed herein is a battery module configured to have a structure in which two or more unit cells are fixed to a cartridge and a plurality of cartridges is stacked, the battery module including unit cells having electrode terminals formed at one side thereof, cartridges for fixing the unit cells, and bus bars coupled with the electrode terminals for electrically connecting the unit cells with each other, wherein the unit cells are mounted to the cartridges such that the electrode terminals of the unit cells face each other in a state in which the unit cells are arranged in a line such that side surfaces of the unit cells are parallel to the ground, and the electrode terminals facing each other are connected to each other in parallel by the bus bars mounted to the cartridges to form a parallel unit cell connection structure for each of the cartridges, and the cartridges are stacked such that a plurality of parallel unit cell connection structures is arranged from the ground in a height direction.