Thermal management device and mobile power supply

Abstract

The utility model provides a thermal management device and a mobile power supply, and relates to the technical field of electronic equipment. The heat management device comprises a heat conduction part, a heating part and a heat dissipation part, the heat conduction part is used for being in heat conduction connection with an external battery cell, the heating part is connected with the heat conduction part and used for heating the battery cell through the heat conduction part, and the heat dissipation part is used for dissipating heat of the battery cell through the heat conduction part; the heat management device is configured to control the heating element to stop heating in a first state so as to avoid temperature rise of the battery cell; in the second state, the heating element is controlled to heat, so that the temperature of the battery cell is increased; the heat dissipation piece is connected with the heat conduction piece at least in the first state, so that the heat dissipation piece can dissipate heat for the battery cell in the first state. According to the heat management device, the heat conduction part is in heat conduction connection with the battery cell, the heat conduction part is used as a medium, heat conduction between the heating part and the battery cell and heat conduction between the heat dissipation part and the battery cell can be achieved through the heat conduction part, and therefore the heat management device can achieve the heating function and the heat dissipation function.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of electronic equipment technology, and in particular to a thermal management device and a mobile power supply. Background Technology

[0002] Electronic devices such as power banks are usually subject to temperature requirements in their operating environment. Excessively high or low temperatures can cause abnormalities in their battery cells. For example, excessively high battery cell temperatures may lead to malfunctions or even explosions, while excessively low battery cell temperatures may result in reduced discharge power or even complete failure.

[0003] Related electronic devices typically require a liquid-cooled / liquid-thermal system consisting of a fuel heater, coolant, and piping to achieve both heating and heat dissipation functions. However, this design results in a large device size, making it unsuitable for smaller electronic devices such as power banks. Furthermore, smaller electronic devices usually only have one of these functions—heating or heat dissipation—thus limiting their applicability. Utility Model Content

[0004] Embodiments of this application provide a thermal management device, the thermal management device comprising:

[0005] Thermally conductive components are used for thermally conductive connections with external battery cells.

[0006] Heating element, connected to heat-conducting element, used to heat the battery cell through the heat-conducting element; and

[0007] Heat sink, used to dissipate heat from the battery cell through a heat-conducting component;

[0008] The thermal management device is configured to: in a first state, control the heating element to stop heating to avoid the temperature of the battery cell rising; in a second state, control the heating element to heat up to raise the temperature of the battery cell; and the heat dissipation element is connected to the heat-conducting element at least in the first state so that the heat dissipation element can dissipate heat for the battery cell in the first state.

[0009] An embodiment of this application also provides a portable power bank, which includes a battery cell and the aforementioned thermal management device, wherein the battery cell and the thermally conductive component of the thermal management device are thermally connected.

[0010] The advantages of the thermal management device provided in this application, which differ from existing technologies, are:

[0011] This application utilizes a heat-conducting component to thermally connect with the battery cell, and uses the heat-conducting component as a medium so that both the heating component and the heat dissipation component can achieve heat conduction with the battery cell through the heat-conducting component. Thus, the thermal management device can realize heating and heat dissipation functions. The thermal management device also controls the heating component to stop heating in a first state and connects the heat dissipation component to the heat-conducting component, and controls the heating component to heat up in a second state. Thus, the thermal management device can dissipate heat from the battery cell in the first state and heat the battery cell in the second state. Attached Figure Description

[0012] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly described below. Obviously, the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative effort.

[0013] Figure 1 These are schematic diagrams of the 3D structure of some portable power banks;

[0014] Figure 2 These are 3D structural diagrams of other portable power banks;

[0015] Figure 3 These are 3D structural diagrams of other portable power banks;

[0016] Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of a mobile power supply provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0017] Figure 5 This is a partial three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of a mobile power supply provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0018] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly structure of the heat-conducting components and the battery cell provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0019] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly structure of the heat-conducting components and the battery cell provided in other embodiments of this application;

[0020] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a temperature control component provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0021] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the planar structure of a portion of a mobile power supply in a second state, provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0022] Figure 10 yes Figure 9 A partial structural diagram of the power bank shown;

[0023] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the planar structure of a portion of a mobile power supply in a first state, provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0024] Figure 12 yes Figure 11 A partial structural diagram of the power bank shown;

[0025] Figure 13 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of a thermal management device provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0026] Figure 14 yes Figure 13 The diagram shows a partial structural schematic of the thermal management device.

[0027] Figure 15 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of a thermal management device provided in some embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0028] In the following description, specific details such as particular system architectures and techniques are set forth for illustrative purposes and not for limitation, in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of this application. However, those skilled in the art will understand that this application may also be implemented in other embodiments without these specific details. In other instances, detailed descriptions of well-known systems, apparatuses, circuits, and methods have been omitted so as not to obscure the description of this application with unnecessary detail.

[0029] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0030] Many electronic devices with batteries have temperature requirements for operation. The ambient temperature in daily life is typically between -20℃ and 45℃. When the ambient temperature of an electronic device is at the higher end of this range, it needs heat dissipation; conversely, when the ambient temperature is at the lower end, it needs heating. For example, portable power banks may experience reduced power output or even complete failure to supply power in environments with high or low temperatures. Therefore, related electronic devices need to have heating and heat dissipation functions. The following explanation primarily uses portable power banks as an example. Portable power banks are a category of portable power supplies, generally referring to small, easily portable power banks. They typically feature high capacity, multiple uses, small size, long lifespan, and reliability, and are functional products that can power or charge various digital products such as mobile phones, computers, game consoles, and drones anytime, anywhere.

[0031] Please see Figures 1 to 3 , Figure 1 These are 3D structural diagrams of some portable power banks. Figure 2 These are 3D structural diagrams of other portable power banks. Figure 3 These are schematic diagrams of the three-dimensional structure of other portable power banks.

[0032] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the power bank 10 includes a plurality of spaced-apart battery cells 11. The power bank 10 also includes a fan 12 for blowing air onto the battery cells 11 to improve heat dissipation efficiency. The plurality of battery cells 11 can be arranged as follows: Figure 1 As shown, the cells are mounted on a circuit board and exposed to air. Multiple cells can also be arranged as follows: Figure 2 As shown, they are encapsulated within a housing. What they have in common is that air gaps need to be formed between the multiple cells 11 to allow for airflow.

[0033] like Figure 3 The power bank 10 shown also includes multiple battery cells 11 and a heating film 13 wrapped around the multiple battery cells 11 for heating the battery cells 11. However, because the multiple battery cells 11 are wrapped with the heating film 13, airflow cannot pass smoothly through the gaps between the battery cells 11, resulting in weak heat dissipation capacity of the power bank 10.

[0034] To achieve heat dissipation, the power bank 10 needs to allow airflow to pass smoothly through the gaps between the multiple battery cells 11 to dissipate heat from the surface of the battery cells 11. However, to achieve heating, the power bank 10 needs to wrap a heating film 13 around the multiple battery cells 11, which prevents airflow from passing smoothly through the gaps between the multiple battery cells 11. It is evident that there is a contradiction between the heating and heat dissipation designs of the power bank 10. Therefore, the power bank 10 typically only has one of the heating or heat dissipation functions, resulting in fewer applicable scenarios. For example, a power bank 10 with only heat dissipation function is often unsuitable for cold climates.

[0035] Especially when cell 11 is a cylindrical cell, due to the shape limitations of cylindrical cells, there are few available heating methods, and they are usually achieved by using methods such as... Figure 3 The heating function is achieved by wrapping the heating film 13 as shown. However, this heating design not only makes it difficult for the battery cell 11 to dissipate heat as mentioned above, but also makes it difficult for the cylindrical battery cell to make close contact with the heating film 13 due to the arc-shaped side. Therefore, it is easy to burn out, that is, the heat generated by the heating film 13 cannot be smoothly transferred to the battery cell 11, which can easily lead to burn-out and poses a great safety risk.

[0036] Understandably, many portable power supplies use cylindrical cells because they have high energy density, good stability, high standardization, and high production efficiency. As a result, many portable power supplies do not have heating functions and cannot meet the needs of use in low-temperature scenarios.

[0037] To address the aforementioned problems, embodiments of this application provide a portable power bank and its thermal management device. It is understood that the thermal management device provided in this application embodiment can also be applied to other electronic devices. Please refer to... Figure 4 and Figure 5 , Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a mobile power supply provided in some embodiments of this application. Figure 5 This is a partial three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of a mobile power supply provided in some embodiments of this application.

[0038] In some embodiments, the power bank 20 includes battery cells 21 and a thermal management device 22. The thermal management device 22 includes a heat-conducting element 100, which can be thermally connected to the battery cells 21. A thermally connected connection refers to a connection between two devices that allows heat conduction, and is not limited to a direct or indirect connection. The thermal management device 22 also includes a heating element 200, which is connected to the heat-conducting element 100 and used to heat the battery cells 21 through the heat-conducting element 100. The power bank 20 may include multiple battery cells 21. Multiple battery cells 21 can form a battery module, where the battery cell 21 is the smallest unit of the battery module and also an energy storage unit.

[0039] Optionally, the battery cell 21 can be a cylindrical battery cell. The heating element 200 can be a heating film. The heating element 200 can be attached to the heat-conducting element 100 and transfer heat to the battery cell 21 through the heat-conducting element 100, without needing to be wrapped around the battery cell 21, thereby avoiding the abnormal phenomenon of dry burning due to poor contact between the heating element 200 and the battery cell 21. The heating film can include two layers of insulating material and a conductive material located between the two insulating materials. The thermal management device 22 can apply voltage to the conductive material of the heating film to generate current, thereby realizing the conversion of electrical energy into heat energy. The conductive material can be a metallic conductive material, such as copper, nickel, etc., or a conductive inorganic material, such as graphite, silicon carbide, silicon dioxide, conductive ink, carbon fiber, etc. Common heating films include polyester (PET) heating films, polyimide (PI) heating films, silicone heating films, etc.

[0040] In some embodiments, the thermal management device 22 includes a thermally conductive assembly 221. The thermally conductive assembly 221 may include a thermally conductive element 100 and thermally conductive fins 110. The thermally conductive fins 110 are connected to the thermally conductive element 100 and the battery cell 21, respectively. The thermally conductive element 100 can be thermally connected to the battery cell 21 via the thermally conductive fins 110. Optionally, the thermally conductive element 100 is plate-shaped. The thermally conductive fins 110 can extend from one side of the thermally conductive element 100 and connect to the battery cell 21. The heating element 200 can be attached to the other side of the thermally conductive element 100, so that the heat generated by the heating element 200 can be transferred to the battery cell 21 through the thermally conductive element 100 and the thermally conductive fins 110. The thermally conductive fins 110 and the heating element 200 can be respectively disposed on opposite sides of the heating element 200. The thermally conductive fins 110 can be fixedly connected to the heating element 200 or integrally formed. The heating element 200 can be bonded to the heat-conducting element 100, for example, by means of thermally conductive adhesive. The heating element 200 can also be connected to the heat-conducting element 100 by other means that enable heat conduction.

[0041] The number of heat-conducting fins 110 can be one or more. Multiple heat-conducting fins 110 can achieve more efficient heat transfer. Optionally, the heat-conducting assembly 221 includes two heat-conducting elements 100 and at least one heat-conducting fin 110 disposed between the two heat-conducting elements 100. The two ends of the heat-conducting fin 110 can extend to the two heat-conducting elements 100 respectively, wherein one end of the heat-conducting fin 110 extends to one heat-conducting element 100 and the other end extends to the other heat-conducting element 100. The two heat-conducting elements 100 can be arranged opposite to each other. The two ends of the heat-conducting fin 110 can be connected to the two heat-conducting elements 100 respectively or integrally formed. When there are multiple heat-conducting fins 110, the arrangement is the same as or similar to that of a single heat-conducting fin 110.

[0042] The thermal management device 22 may include two heating elements 200, which may be respectively disposed on two heat-conducting elements 100. It is understood that the number of heat-conducting elements 100 is not limited to two, and may include more than two. Of course, the number of heat-conducting elements 100 may also be only one. The number of heating elements 200 may be set to one or more as needed.

[0043] The heat-conducting fins 110 not only facilitate heat transfer but also limit the position of the battery cell 21. The battery cell 21 can overlap the heat-conducting fins 110; for example, at least two ends of a portion of the battery cell 21 can overlap two heat-conducting fins 110 respectively. Multiple heat-conducting fins 110 can be provided between two heat-conducting components 100, and these fins can cooperate with the heat-conducting components 100 to form a support for mounting the battery cell 21. The battery cell 21 can be positioned between two heat-conducting components 100 and overlapped with the heat-conducting fins 110.

[0044] The heat-conducting fins 110 can contact the side of the battery cell 21 to achieve heat conduction between them. The shape of the heat-conducting fins 110 is as follows: Figure 2 The diagram shows a serpentine shape, which is a long, winding, and elongated form. The heat-conducting fins 100 can have multiple bends, for example, but not limited to, [missing information]. Figure 5 The two shown. The bent part of the heat-conducting fin 110 can contact the outer surface of the battery cell 21, and the curvature of its bend can correspond to the curvature of the outer surface of the battery cell 21, so as to improve the heat conduction efficiency.

[0045] Of course, the shape of the heat-conducting fins 110 is not limited to this. Please refer to the following references. Figure 6 and Figure 7 , Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly structure of the heat-conducting components and the battery cell provided in some embodiments of this application. Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly structure of the heat-conducting components and the battery cell provided in other embodiments of this application.

[0046] like Figure 6 As shown, the heat-conducting fins 110 can be circular in shape. The curvature of the heat-conducting fins 110 can correspond to the curvature of the outer surface of the battery cell 21. The battery cell 21 can be installed in the space enclosed by the heat-conducting fins 110. Optionally, multiple heat-conducting fins 110 can be disposed between two heat-conducting elements 100 to form multiple annular bodies for mounting the battery cells 21, and the multiple battery cells 21 can be installed one-to-one in the multiple heat-conducting fins 110.

[0047] like Figure 7 As shown, the shape of the heat-conducting fins 110 can be square. The battery cell 21 can be installed in the space enclosed by the heat-conducting fins 110. Optionally, multiple heat-conducting fins 110 can form multiple square rings for installing the battery cell 21, and the multiple battery cells 21 can be installed one-to-one in the multiple heat-conducting fins 110.

[0048] In other embodiments, the heat-conducting fins 110 can also be designed in other shapes, such as elongated strips. The battery cell 21 of the power bank 20 is not limited to a cylindrical cell; for example, the battery cell 21 can also be a prismatic cell. The heating element 200 can also be other heating devices, not limited to the heating film described above. The heat-conducting element 100 is also not limited to a plate, but can be designed in other shapes as needed.

[0049] Please continue reading. Figures 4 to 7In some embodiments, the heat-conducting assembly 221 may include a heat conductor 120. The heat conductor 120 may be disposed between two heat-conducting elements 100 and cover the heat-conducting fins 110 and the battery cell 21 to increase the heat transfer efficiency between the heat-conducting fins 110 and the battery cell. The heat from the battery cell 21 can be conducted through the heat conductor 120 to the heat-conducting fins 110, and then through the heat-conducting fins 110 to the heat-conducting element 100.

[0050] In some embodiments, the heat conductor 120 may be formed of a solidifiable liquid thermally conductive material, such as potted thermally conductive gel. During installation, the power bank 20 may first use the thermally conductive fins 110 to initially limit the position of the battery cell 21, and then use the thermally conductive material to fill the gaps between the thermally conductive element 100, the thermally conductive fins 110 and the battery cell 21, so that the heat conductor 120 can be formed after the thermally conductive material solidifies.

[0051] Optionally, the heat conductor 120 is spaced apart from the heat conductor 100, and the heat conductor 100 is thermally connected to the heat conductor 120 via heat-conducting fins 110. In other embodiments, the heat conductor 120 can be connected to the heat conductor 100, so that the heat conductor 100 can receive heat from the battery cell 21 not only through the heat-conducting fins 110, but also through the heat conductor 120, which is beneficial to improving the heat conduction efficiency between the heat conductor 100 and the battery cell 21.

[0052] In some embodiments, the heat-conducting fins 110 can be as follows: Figure 5 As shown, it is in direct contact with the battery cell 21. In other embodiments, the heat-conducting fins 110 can be as follows: Figure 6 The ground is separated from the cell 21 and is thermally connected to the cell 21 through the heat conductor 120.

[0053] The heat conductor 120 can be used to fix the battery cell 21 by covering the heat-conducting fins 110 and the battery cell 21. The heat conductor 120 can also connect the battery cell 21, the heat-conducting fins 110, and the heat conductor 120 into a whole to improve the assembly stability of the battery cell 21 and the heat-conducting assembly 221. In other embodiments, the heat conductor 120 can be formed of other materials, not limited to thermally conductive gel, and its preparation process is not limited to potting. For example, the heat conductor 120 can be formed of a solid thermally conductive material. The battery cell 21 can be inserted into the heat conductor 120, so that the heat conductor 120 can cover the battery cell 21. Multiple heat conductors 120 can be inserted into different sides of the heat-conducting fins 110 respectively, and cooperate to cover the heat-conducting fins 110.

[0054] In some embodiments, the thermal management device 22 includes a housing 300. For example... Figure 4 As shown, the outer casing 300 can be composed of multiple casings joined together. In other embodiments, the outer casing 300 can also be a single-piece structure. Figure 5The image shows a power bank 20 with part of its outer casing 300 removed. A heat-conducting component 221 can be installed within the space inside the casing 300.

[0055] The thermally conductive component 221 can be fixed in contact with the housing 300, for example... Figure 5 As shown, the heat-conducting component 221 can be embedded in a groove at the bottom of the housing 300. The heat-conducting component 221 can also be fixedly connected to the housing 300 in other ways, for example, the heat-conducting component 100 can be fixedly connected to the housing 300 by screws.

[0056] Please see Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 8 , Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a temperature control component provided in some embodiments of this application.

[0057] In some embodiments, the thermal management device 22 is configured to: in a first state, control the heating element 200 to stop heating; and in a second state, control the heating element 200 to heat. The first state and the second state are two different states of the thermal management device 22. The first state corresponds to a state where the thermal management device 22 does not need to heat the battery cell 21, and the second state corresponds to a state where the thermal management device 22 needs to heat the battery cell 21. The specific conditions corresponding to the two states can be set as needed.

[0058] The thermal management device 22 may include a temperature control component 222, which includes a temperature sensor 400 and a controller 410 electrically connected to each other. The controller 410 is electrically connected to the heating element 200 and is used to determine the state of the thermal management device 22 based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 400. In a first state, the controller stops the heating element 200 from heating, and in a second state, the controller controls the heating element 200 to heat up.

[0059] In some embodiments, the temperature sensor 400 can be used to detect the temperature of the battery cell 21. For example, the temperature sensor 400 can be a thermocouple sensor connected to the battery cell 21. The temperature sensor 400 can utilize the characteristic that the thermoelectric potential difference between two different metals or semiconductor materials changes with temperature to convert the temperature change of the battery cell 21 into a voltage signal, thereby detecting the temperature of the battery cell 21. Alternatively, the temperature sensor 400 can be a resistance temperature detector (RTD) sensor connected to the battery cell 21. The temperature sensor 400 can utilize the characteristic that the resistance of a metal or semiconductor material changes with temperature to convert the temperature change of the battery cell 21 into a resistance signal, thereby detecting the temperature of the battery cell 21.

[0060] The thermal management device 22 has two states that correspond to the temperature of the battery cell 21. The first state is when the temperature sensor 400 detects that the temperature of the battery cell 21 is higher than a first temperature threshold. The second state is when the temperature sensor 400 detects that the temperature of the battery cell 21 is lower than a second temperature threshold. The first and second temperature thresholds can be two preset values ​​or two preset numerical ranges. The first temperature threshold can be greater than or equal to the second temperature threshold; when they are within a numerical range, the first temperature threshold can also partially overlap with the second temperature threshold and is not less than the second temperature threshold.

[0061] In other embodiments, the first and second states of the thermal management device 22 may also correspond to other conditions. For example, a temperature sensor 400 can be used to detect the temperature of the environment in which the thermal management device 22 is located. The temperature sensor 400 can be disposed on the outer surface of the thermal management device 22 and exposed to the outside, so that the two states of the thermal management device 22 can correspond to the temperature of the environment. The first state can be the state when the temperature sensor 400 detects that the ambient temperature is higher than a first temperature threshold, and the second state can be the state when the temperature sensor 400 detects that the ambient temperature is lower than a second temperature threshold. Understandably, when the ambient temperature is low, the temperature of the battery cell 21 will decrease, and when the ambient temperature is high, the temperature of the battery cell 21 will increase.

[0062] In some embodiments, the controller 410 includes a first control circuit 411, and the heating element 200 includes a first connection portion 201. The first control circuit 411 is electrically connected to the first connection portion 201 and is used to control the heating element 200 to start heating or stop heating. When the state of the thermal management device 22 switches to the first state, the first control circuit 411 can control the heating element 200 to stop heating. When the state of the thermal management device 22 switches to the second state, the first control circuit 411 can control the heating element 200 to start heating.

[0063] Optionally, the controller 410 further includes a second control circuit 412, and the heating element 200 may include a second connection portion 202. The second control circuit 412 is electrically connected to the second connection portion 202 and is used to control the heating power of the heating element 200. The second state of the thermal management device 22 can be subdivided into multiple sub-states corresponding to different conditions. For example, the second state may include a first sub-state and a second sub-state. The temperature value corresponding to the first sub-state is lower than the temperature value corresponding to the second sub-state, and the temperature value corresponding to each sub-state is lower than a second temperature threshold. In the first sub-state, the second control circuit 412 controls the heating power of the heating element 200 to a first heating power; in the second sub-state, the second control circuit 412 controls the heating power of the heating element 200 to a second heating power. The first heating power is greater than the second heating power.

[0064] The second state can be further divided into more sub-states. The second control circuit 412 can adjust the heating power of the heating element 200 in different sub-states to regulate the amount of heat generated by the heating element 200, so that the thermal management device 22 can quickly heat the battery cell 21 to a suitable temperature when the temperature is too low.

[0065] It should be understood that the terminology used in this specification and appended claims is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the application. As used in this specification and appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Similarly, the terms “first” and “second” in the description of this application are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as “first” or “second” may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the stated features. Furthermore, the term “multiple” in the description of this application means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0066] like Figure 4 As shown, the power bank 20 also includes a power component 223, which controls the charging power of the power bank 20. The power component 223 can be disposed on the housing 300. The power component 223 may include a power board 500 and a power device 510, with the power device 510 disposed on the power board 500. In some embodiments, a temperature control component 222 may be integrated on the power board 500. In other embodiments, the temperature control component 222 may be disposed on the housing 300, for example, on the portion of the housing 300 located between the power component 223 and the heat conductor 120. Of course, the temperature control component 222 can also be disposed in other locations where the thermal management device 22 can be installed.

[0067] The outer casing 300 may have through holes corresponding to the heating element 200 on its surface, allowing the heating element 200 to be exposed to the outside of the outer casing 300 through these through holes, so as to facilitate connection between the heating element 200 and the temperature control assembly 222. In other embodiments, the heating element 200 may also be at least partially disposed inside the outer casing 300.

[0068] Please continue reading. Figure 5The thermal management device 22 may further include a heat sink 600 for dissipating heat from the battery cell 21 via the thermal conductive element 100. The heat sink 600 is connected to the thermal conductive element 100 at least in a first state. The first state corresponds to a state in which the thermal management device 22 needs to dissipate heat from the battery cell 21. In the first state, the thermal management device 22 can control the heating element 200 to stop generating heat and utilize the heat sink 600 connected to the thermal conductive element 100 to dissipate heat from the battery cell 21.

[0069] In some embodiments, the heat sink 600 can be permanently connected to the heat conductor 100, so that the heat conduction path between the heat sink 600 and the heat conductor 100 is always present. The heat sink 600 plays a role in heat dissipation for the battery cell 21 in both the first and second states. The heat sink 600 can be directly or indirectly connected to the heat conductor 100 to realize heat conduction between the two.

[0070] In other embodiments, the heat conduction path between the heat sink 600 and the heat conductor 100 is cut off in the second state, or is reduced in size compared to the heat conduction path in the first state, in order to reduce the heat loss of the thermal management device 22 in the second state. The following mainly describes this embodiment.

[0071] The heat-conducting element 100 may be spaced apart from the heat sink 600. The thermal management device 22 may include a heat conduction path control component 224, which is at least partially disposed between the heat-conducting element 100 and the heat sink 600. In a first state, the heat sink 600 is connected to the heat-conducting element 100 via the heat conduction path control component 224. The heat conduction path control component 224 forms a heat conduction path between the heat-conducting element 100 and the heat sink 600, thereby allowing heat on the heat-conducting element 100 to be conducted to the heat sink 600 via the heat conduction path control component 224.

[0072] In the second state, the heat conduction path control component 224 can be separated from at least one of the heat conduction element 100 and the heat sink 600 to cut off the heat conduction path between the heat sink 600 and the heat conduction element 100. Alternatively, compared to the first state, the area of ​​the surface of the heat conduction path control component 224 in contact with the heat conduction element 100 and the heat sink 600 is smaller in the second state to reduce the heat conduction path and thereby reduce the heat transfer efficiency between the heat conduction element 100 and the heat sink 600.

[0073] Optionally, the heat conduction path control assembly 224 includes a housing 300 and a thermally expandable / contractable material 310. The thermally expandable / contractable material 310 is disposed between the heat-conducting element 100 and the heat-dissipating element 600. The thermally expandable / contractable material 310 has the property of expanding when heated and contracting when cooled. It can be used to expand when heated in a first state to form a heat conduction path between the heat dissipating element 600 and the heat-conducting element 100, and to contract when cooled in a second state to cut off or reduce the heat conduction path between the heat dissipating element 600 and the heat-conducting element 100. The housing 300 can cover the thermally expandable / contractable material 310 to prevent leakage of the thermally expandable / contractable material 310.

[0074] For example, when the power bank 20 is used as Figure 5 When the device is in the upright position as shown, the thermally expanding and contracting material 310 can be cooled and contracted when the ambient temperature is low, that is, when the thermal management device 22 is in the second state, so as to separate from the heat sink 600 under the action of gravity, thereby cutting off the heat conduction path between the heat sink 600 and the heat conduction component 100; and the thermally expanding and contracting material 310 can be heated and expanded when the ambient temperature is high, that is, when the thermal management device 22 is in the first state, so as to contact the heat sink 600 and the heat conduction component 100, forming a heat conduction path between the two.

[0075] Understandably, in the second state, the thermally expanding and contracting material 310 will shrink due to cooling. Thus, when the power bank 20 is placed upside down, the thermally expanding and contracting material 310 will separate from the heat-conducting component 100 under the action of gravity. When the power bank 20 is in other postures, such as when the power bank 20 is placed flat, the thermally expanding and contracting material 310 may separate from the heat-conducting component 100 or the heat sink 600, or it may contact both the heat-conducting component 100 and the heat sink 600 at the same time. However, the contact area between the two is smaller than the contact area in the first state. Thus, the heat conduction path between the heat sink 600 and the heat-conducting component 100 can be cut off or reduced in the second state.

[0076] The thermally expanding and contracting material 310 can be selected based on the usage of the power bank 20. The thermally expanding and contracting material 310 can be a phase change material, that is, a material that undergoes a phase change when the thermal management device 22 switches from the first state to the second state, such as paraffin wax. In the first state, it can be a liquid phase with a large volume, allowing it to contact the heat sink 600 and the heat conductor 100, and in the second state, it can be a solid phase with a small volume, allowing it to separate from the heat sink 600 or the heat conductor 100. The thermally expanding and contracting material 310 can also be a non-phase change material, as long as its volume in the first state is greater than its volume in the second state.

[0077] In other embodiments, the heat conduction path control component 224 may also have other structures and achieve control of the heat conduction path between the heat sink 600 and the heat conduction component 100 through other principles. For example, the heat conduction path control component 224 may include a movable mechanical component. The heat conduction path control component 224 can control the movement of the mechanical component according to the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 400, so that the mechanical component is connected to the heat conduction component 100 and the heat sink 600 in a first state to establish a heat conduction path between them, and is separated from at least one of the heat conduction component 100 and the heat sink 600 in a second state to cut off the heat conduction path between them. The following description mainly uses the example of the heat conduction path control component 224 including a thermally expanding and contracting material 310.

[0078] Please combine Figure 5 See Figure 9 and Figure 10 , Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the planar structure of a portion of the mobile power supply in the second state according to some embodiments of this application. Figure 10 yes Figure 9 The diagram shows a partial structural schematic of the portable power bank.

[0079] In some embodiments, a receiving cavity 301 is formed inside the outer casing 300, and the thermally expanding and contracting material 310 is housed in the receiving cavity 301. Both the heat sink 600 and the heat conductor 100 are partially located in the receiving cavity 301, and the thermally expanding and contracting material 310 is disposed between the heat sink 600 and the heat conductor 100. The heat sink 600 and the heat conductor 100 can cooperate with the cavity wall of the receiving cavity 301 to form a closed space, and the thermally expanding and contracting material 310 is disposed in this closed space. In a second state, the thermally expanding and contracting material 310 contracts upon cooling, thereby forming a gap between itself and the heat sink 600 or the heat conductor 100.

[0080] The outer casing 300 may have an inner wall 311 and an outer wall 312, and a receiving cavity 301 may be formed between the inner wall 311 and the outer wall 312. In other words, the inner wall 311 and the outer wall 312 may form the cavity wall of the receiving cavity 301. The inner wall 311 and the outer wall 312 may be arranged opposite to each other and spaced apart. The heat-conducting element 100 may be at least partially disposed in the receiving cavity 301 and respectively attached to the inner wall 311 and the outer wall 312 to prevent the thermally expanding and contracting material 310 from leaking from the gap between the heat-conducting element 100 and the outer casing 300. The heat-conducting fins 110 may pass through the inner wall 312 and extend from the heat-conducting element 100 to the inner periphery of the inner wall 312.

[0081] One end of the heat-conducting component 100 is disposed within the accommodating cavity 301 and conforms to the cavity wall of the accommodating cavity 301. The other parts of the heat-conducting component 100 can be as follows: Figure 9The device is arranged within the accommodating cavity 301, as shown, but it can also be located outside the accommodating cavity 301, depending on the specific design requirements. The outer shell 300 can be composed of multiple shells joined together. During assembly, the heat-conducting element 100 and heat-conducting fins 110 can be first inserted into the shell through an opening, and then other shells can be connected to form the outer shell 300. Of course, the above is only one installation example, and the installation process of the heat management device 22 in other embodiments of this application is not limited to this.

[0082] Please refer to the following: Figure 11 and Figure 12 , Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the planar structure of a portion of a mobile power supply in a first state, provided in some embodiments of this application. Figure 12 yes Figure 11 The diagram shows a partial structural schematic of the portable power bank.

[0083] In the first state, the thermally expanding and contracting material 310 expands when heated, which can fill the space between the heat sink 600 and the heat conductor 100 to contact the heat sink 600 and the heat conductor 100, thereby forming a heat conduction path between the heat sink 600 and the heat conductor 100, so that the heat on the surface of the cell 21 can be conducted to the heat sink 600 through the heat conductor 100.

[0084] For example, when the power bank 20 is used as Figure 9 and Figure 11 When the device is in the upright position as shown, in the second state, a gap is formed between the top of the thermally expanding and contracting material 310 and the heat sink 600, thereby cutting off the heat conduction path between the heat sink 600 and the heat conductor 100. When the thermal management device 22 switches from the second state to the first state, the thermally expanding and contracting material 310 is heated and expands, thereby rising to a height that contacts the heat sink 600, so as to form a heat conduction path between the heat sink 600 and the heat conductor 100.

[0085] Please see Figure 11 and Figure 13 , Figure 13 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of a thermal management device provided in some embodiments of this application. The portion of the heat sink 600 located outside the accommodating cavity 301 can conduct heat to the outside, such as to the air, to achieve heat dissipation.

[0086] The portion of the heat sink 600 located outside the accommodating cavity 301 may be provided with at least one heat dissipation fin 610 to improve heat dissipation efficiency. Optionally, the thermal management device 22 includes multiple heat sinks 600. Each heat sink 600 corresponds to one of multiple heat conducting elements 100. The portion of the heat sink 600 located outside the accommodating cavity 301 may be provided with multiple heat dissipation fins 610, which are spaced apart. The heat dissipation fins 610 can increase the heat dissipation area under high temperature conditions to achieve heat dissipation for the battery cell 21.

[0087] In some embodiments, the thermal management device 22 may include a fan 520. The fan 520 may be disposed on the side of the housing 300 facing the heat dissipation fins 610 to improve the heat dissipation efficiency of the heat dissipation fins 610. Optionally, the thermal management device 22 may include two heat sinks 600. The heat sinks 600 may be plate-shaped. The two heat sinks 600 may be disposed opposite to each other, and heat dissipation fins 610 may be provided on the opposing surfaces of the two heat sinks 600. The heat dissipation fins 610 may be elongated. The airflow direction of the fan 520 may be parallel to the extension direction of the heat dissipation fins 610, and the fan 520 may blow air towards the area between the two heat sinks 600, so that the airflow can quickly remove the heat from the heat dissipation fins 610.

[0088] The heat dissipation fins 610 can be located on the same side of the housing 300 as the power component 223 of the power bank 20. The fan 520 can be part of the power component 223, and can be used to dissipate heat from the power component 223, as well as to improve the heat dissipation efficiency of the heat dissipation fins 610 and the heat sink 600.

[0089] It should be understood that the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, used in this application and the appended claims, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the steps or units listed, but may optionally include steps or units not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units inherent to such process, method, product, or apparatus.

[0090] Please see Figure 11 , Figure 14 and Figure 15 , Figure 14 yes Figure 13 The diagram shown is a partial structural schematic of the thermal management device. Figure 15 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of a thermal management device provided in some embodiments of this application.

[0091] In some embodiments, the surface of the housing 300 may be provided with a mounting hole 302 communicating with the accommodating cavity 301. One end of the heat sink 600 can be inserted into the accommodating cavity 301 through the mounting hole 302 and the mounting hole 302 is sealed. One end of the heat conductor 100 may be disposed in the accommodating cavity 301 and fit against the cavity wall of the accommodating cavity 301. One end of the heat sink 600 and one end of the heat conductor 100 are spaced apart in the accommodating cavity 301. A thermally expanding and contracting material 310 is disposed in the accommodating cavity 301 and is located between one end of the heat conductor 100 and one end of the heat sink 600.

[0092] In this embodiment, one end of the heat-conducting component 100 and one end of the heat-dissipating component 600 can both be attached to the cavity wall of the accommodating cavity 301, thereby forming a closed space between the heat-dissipating component 600 and the heat-conducting component 100 for accommodating the thermally expanding and contracting material 310. The heat-dissipating component 600 seals the mounting hole 302 by attaching to the cavity wall of the accommodating cavity 301 to prevent the thermally expanding and contracting material 310 from leaking from the mounting hole 301. In other embodiments, one end of the heat-dissipating component 600 may only seal the mounting hole 302, while remaining spaced apart from the cavity wall of the accommodating cavity 301. The heat-dissipating component 600 can be fixedly connected to the outer casing 300, for example, but not limited to, by means of screws.

[0093] The outer casing 300 may also have a liquid injection hole 303 communicating with the receiving cavity 301 on its surface. The liquid injection hole 303 and the mounting hole 302 may be located on the same side surface of the outer casing 300, for example... Figure 14 The components shown are all located on the top side of the housing 300. The thermally expandable and contractible material 310 can be injected into the receiving cavity 301 through the injection hole 303. The thermal management device 22 may also include a sealing plug 304. The sealing plug 304, for example, but not limited to, a rubber plug, is used to seal the injection hole 303. After the thermally expandable and contractible material 310 is injected into the receiving cavity 301, the thermal management device 22 can insert the sealing plug 304 into the injection hole 303 to prevent leakage of the thermally expandable and contractible material 310.

[0094] In the first state, the thermally expanding and contracting material 310 can contact the heat-conducting element 100 and the heat dissipation element 600 to form a heat conduction path. Heat on the heat-conducting element 100 can be conducted through the thermally expanding and contracting material 310 to one end of the heat dissipation element 600 located within the receiving cavity 301, and then dissipated to the outside through the portion of the heat dissipation element 600 located outside the receiving cavity 301. Figure 15 As shown, the heat conductor 120 may have a covering space 121 for mounting the battery cell 21, so that the heat conductor 120 covers the battery cell 21. The heat conductor 120 may also cover the heat-conducting fins 110, so that the heat of the battery cell 21 can be transferred through the heat conductor 120 to the heat-conducting fins 110, and then through the heat-conducting fins 110 to the heat-conducting component 100.

[0095] Understandably, all directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) in the embodiments of this application are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of each component in a certain specific posture (as shown in the figure). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0096] In summary, the embodiments of this application can utilize the heat-conducting component 100 to achieve a thermally conductive connection between the heating component 200 and the battery cell 21, and utilize the heat-conducting component 100 to be tightly attached to the battery cell 21, thereby avoiding the abnormal phenomenon of dry burning when the heating component 200 heats the battery cell 21; the embodiments of this application can also use the heat-conducting component 100 as a medium, so that both the heat dissipation component 600 and the heating component 200 can achieve heat conduction with the battery cell 21 through the heat-conducting component 100, so that the power bank 20 can heat or dissipate heat to the battery cell 21 according to the actual situation, which is beneficial to meeting the usage needs of the power bank 20 in various environments.

[0097] In the description of this application, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of different embodiments or examples.

[0098] The above description is only a partial embodiment of this application and does not limit the patent scope of this application. Any equivalent structural or procedural changes made based on the content of this application's specification and drawings, or direct or indirect applications in other related technical fields, are similarly included within the patent protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A thermal management device, characterized in that, The thermal management device includes: Thermally conductive components are used for thermally conductive connections with external battery cells. A heating element, connected to the heat-conducting element, for heating the battery cell via the heat-conducting element; and A heat sink is used to dissipate heat from the battery cell through the heat conductor, and the heat sink and the heat conductor are spaced apart. A heat conduction path control component, wherein the heat conduction path control component is at least partially disposed between the heat conduction component and the heat dissipation component; The thermal management device is configured as follows: In the first state, the heating element is controlled to stop generating heat; the heat dissipation element is connected to the heat conduction element through the heat conduction path control component, and the heat conduction path control component forms a heat conduction path between the heat conduction element and the heat dissipation element; In the second state, the heating element is controlled to generate heat; the heat conduction path control component is separated from at least one of the heat conduction element and the heat dissipation element to cut off the heat conduction path; or, compared to the first state, the area of ​​the surface of the heat conduction path control component in contact with the heat conduction element and the heat dissipation element is smaller in the second state to reduce the heat conduction path.

2. The thermal management device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heat conduction path control component includes a thermally expandable and contractible material and a shell covering the thermally expandable and contractible material. The thermally expandable and contractible material is disposed between the heat conduction component and the heat dissipation component. The thermally expandable and contractible material is used to expand when heated in a first state to form the heat conduction path and to contract when cooled in a second state to cut off or reduce the heat conduction path.

3. The thermal management device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The outer shell has an internal cavity. One end of the heat-conducting component is disposed in the cavity and fits against the cavity wall. The surface of the outer shell has a mounting hole communicating with the cavity. One end of the heat sink is inserted into the cavity through the mounting hole and blocks the mounting hole. The thermally expanding and contracting material is disposed in the cavity and is located between one end of the heat-conducting component and one end of the heat sink.

4. The thermal management device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The heat sink has at least one heat sink fin on the portion of the heat sink located outside the accommodating cavity.

5. The thermal management device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The thermal management device also includes a fan, which is disposed on the side of the housing facing the heat dissipation fins to improve the heat dissipation efficiency of the heat dissipation fins.

6. The thermal management device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The thermal management device further includes an electrically connected temperature sensor and a controller. The controller includes a first control circuit and a second control circuit. The heating element includes a first connection part and a second connection part. The first control circuit is electrically connected to the first connection part, and the second control circuit is electrically connected to the second connection part. The controller is used to determine the state of the thermal management device based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor. The first control circuit is used to control the heating element to start heating or stop heating. The second control circuit is used to control the heating power of the heating element.

7. The thermal management device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The thermal management device includes two thermally conductive elements and at least one thermally conductive fin disposed between the two thermally conductive elements. One end of the thermally conductive fin extends onto one of the thermally conductive elements and the other end extends onto the other thermally conductive element. The thermally conductive elements are used to thermally connect with the battery cell through the thermally conductive fin.

8. The thermal management device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The heat-conducting fins are serpentine, circular, or square in shape.

9. The thermal management device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The thermal management device further includes a heat conductor disposed between the two heat conductors and covering the heat conductor fins. The heat conductor has a covering space for mounting the battery cell, so that the heat conductor covers the battery cell.

10. A portable power bank, characterized in that, The power bank includes a battery cell and a thermal management device as described in any one of claims 1-9, wherein the battery cell is thermally connected to a heat-conducting element of the thermal management device.

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