Turnable Plate Terminal for Secondary Battery Safety

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional current cut-off structures in electric vehicle batteries fail to prevent overheating and potential fires during nail penetration tests, as they cannot accommodate additional resistance elements, leading to insufficient safety measures.

Innovation Solution

A secondary battery design featuring a turnable plate and resistance element connected to the cap plate, which cuts off electrical connections when internal pressure exceeds a reference pressure, reducing loop current and heat generation during nail penetration tests.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a conventional current cut-off structure is used with a turnable plate directly connected to the cap plate, then the battery can cut off the main circuit to prevent overcharging, but the battery cannot accommodate additional resistance elements and fails the nail penetration test

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveovercharge protectionVSAvoidheating and sparking during nail penetration
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a connecting plate as an intermediary component between the turnable plate and the cap plate. This connecting plate provides a separate mounting surface for resistance elements, allowing current to pass through these elements during nail penetration tests to reduce heating and sparking, while maintaining the overcharge protection function of the turnable plate.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Device complexity

If the turnable plate is directly electrically connected to the cap plate, then the structure is simple, but extra resistance elements cannot be added to the cap plate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecurrent cut-off structureVSAvoidability to add resistance elements
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the electrical connection path by introducing a connecting plate as a separate component. This segmentation allows the cap plate to have both the turnable plate connection and resistance elements mounted on it, as the connecting plate serves as an intermediate structure that distributes the electrical connection functions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Object-affected harmful factors

If a resistance element is added to reduce current during nail penetration, then safety improves, but the device structure becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheat generation during penetrationVSAvoidterminal component structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple functions into the connecting plate: it serves as an electrical connection component between the turnable plate and cap plate, and simultaneously as a mounting platform for resistance elements. This merging approach adds safety functionality without proportionally increasing structural complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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

The solution effectively prevents battery ignition by reducing current flow and heat during nail penetration tests, enhancing safety and energy density by allowing additional space for the electrode component.

Implementation Method 1

when a pressure inside the secondary battery exceeds a reference pressure, the turnable plate (40) turns over to cut off an electrical connection between the turnable plate (40) and the first electrode plate

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPressure: Pressure Increase

Implementation Method 2

the connecting plate (20) is electrically connected to the cap plate (10) through the resistance element (90)... reducing loop current and heat generation during nail penetration tests

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectrical Resistance: Electrical Resistance

Implementation Method 3

reducing loop current and heat generation during nail penetration tests

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectJoule Heating: Joule Heating

Data Source

PatentEP3333929B1Secondary battery
Publication Date: 2020.11.04 CONTEMPORARY AMPEREX TECHNOLOGY CO LTD
  • EP3333929B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3333929B1 patent drawingFigure 3~5
  • EP3333929B1 patent drawingFigure 6~8

AI summary

The present application provides a secondary battery including a first terminal component, a second terminal component (30), a cap plate (10), an electrode component and a resistance element (90). One of the first and second terminal components is electrically connected to the cap plate (10) through the resistance element (90), while the other is insulated from the cap plate (10). The first terminal component includes a connecting plate (20) and a turnable plate (40) attached to each other. When the battery is in a normal state, a first electrode plate is electrically connected to the connecting plate (20) through the turnable plate (40), and the second electrode plate is electrically connected to the second terminal component (30). When a pressure inside the battery exceeds a reference pressure, the turnable plate (40) turns over to cut off an electrical connection between the turnable plate (40) and the first electrode plate.