An explosion relief valve structure and a battery pack

Abstract

The utility model discloses a kind of vent valve structure and battery pack, including valve body, valve sheet and elastic member;Valve sheet is rotatably installed in valve body, and with the inner cavity of valve body is matched, to separate into inner chamber and outer chamber with the inner cavity of valve body;Valve sheet includes first semicircular sheet and second semicircular sheet;The inner wall of outer chamber is provided with first limit step;Second semicircular sheet has protruding portion towards one side of inner chamber;One end of elastic member is fixedly connected with inner chamber, and the other end is movably connected with protruding portion;Wherein, when inner chamber pressure is greater than outer chamber pressure, protruding portion is acted by gas, can drive second semicircular sheet overturn, so that inner chamber and outer chamber are communicated, to form pressure relief passage;And when second semicircular sheet overturns to preset angle, elastic member can be separated from protruding portion.The utility model is set above, realize quick pressure relief, and after pressure relief is completed, can make pressure relief passage always in open state, improve safety factor.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of battery packs, and in particular to a structure for a pressure relief valve and a battery pack. Background Technology

[0002] In the field of battery packs, batteries may generate gas during operation due to chemical reactions, overheating, or other reasons, leading to increased internal pressure. If this pressure is not released in time when it becomes too high, it can cause safety hazards such as battery expansion or explosion. Therefore, the pressure relief valve is a crucial safety component in battery packs. Its function is to open promptly when the internal pressure exceeds a safe threshold, releasing excess pressure and ensuring the safe operation of the battery pack.

[0003] In existing technologies, battery pack pressure relief valves typically employ either a piston-type or ejector-type structure. Both structures rely on the operation of an elastic element to open and close the pressure relief channel. Taking the ejector-type structure as an example, it usually uses a flat valve plate as the sealing component. Under normal conditions, the valve plate and the valve body sealing surface are tightly fitted together by the elastic element. When the internal pressure increases, the valve plate is pushed upward by the pressure, forming an annular gap with the sealing surface of the valve body, thus creating a pressure relief channel for gas discharge. However, practical applications have revealed certain drawbacks in the above structure:

[0004] As described above, during explosion venting, the shape of the venting channel limits the direct airflow area for the same external dimensions. This means that during venting, gas can only escape from around the valve plate, potentially obstructing the direct airflow and hindering rapid venting. Furthermore, when venting is complete or the impact force is lower than the restoring force of the elastic element, the valve plate will close the venting channel again under the action of the elastic element. If residual gas production continues or pressure fluctuations occur at this time, a secondary explosion may occur due to the closure of the venting channel, posing a safety hazard.

[0005] Therefore, a relief valve structure and battery pack are needed to solve the above problems. Utility Model Content

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide a pressure relief valve structure and battery pack to increase the direct flow area during pressure relief, achieve rapid pressure relief, and ensure that the pressure relief channel remains open after pressure relief is completed, thereby effectively preventing secondary explosions due to the closure of the pressure relief channel and improving the safety factor.

[0007] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this utility model provides a structure for a pressure relief valve, including a valve body, a valve plate, and an elastic element;

[0008] The valve plate is rotatably mounted in the valve body and matches the inner cavity of the valve body to divide the inner cavity of the valve body into an inner chamber and an outer chamber;

[0009] The valve plate includes a first semicircular plate and a second semicircular plate;

[0010] The inner wall of the outer cavity is provided with a first limiting step that fits and abuts against the first semi-circular piece;

[0011] The second semicircular plate has a protrusion on the side facing the inner cavity that is raised relative to the first semicircular plate;

[0012] One end of the elastic element is fixedly connected to the inner cavity, and the other end is movably connected to the protrusion.

[0013] When the pressure in the inner chamber is greater than the pressure in the outer chamber, the protrusion is acted upon by the gas, which can cause the second semicircular plate to rotate, so that the inner chamber and the outer chamber are connected to form a pressure relief channel; and when the second semicircular plate rotates to a preset angle, the elastic element can separate from the protrusion.

[0014] Furthermore, when the pressure in the inner chamber is balanced with the pressure in the outer chamber, under the elastic traction of the elastic element, the first semicircular piece is in close contact with the first limiting step to separate the inner chamber and the outer chamber.

[0015] Furthermore, when the second semicircular piece is flipped to a preset angle, the elastic element can separate from the protrusion.

[0016] Furthermore, a constraint block is provided on the protrusion;

[0017] The constraint block has a C-shaped groove inside that can be connected to or separated from the elastic element.

[0018] Furthermore, the elastic element is configured as a ring structure and is fitted inside the C-shaped groove.

[0019] Furthermore, the inner wall of the inner cavity is provided with a mounting block for mounting the elastic element;

[0020] The mounting block and the first limiting step are located on the same side of the valve body cavity;

[0021] The mounting block has a clearance groove on the side facing the first semicircular piece.

[0022] Furthermore, the inner wall of the inner cavity is provided with a second limiting step;

[0023] The second limiting step is located on the opposite side of the first limiting step and is used to abut and fit against the protrusion;

[0024] Both the first limiting step and the second limiting step are configured as arc-shaped structures.

[0025] Furthermore, the valve body has a cylindrical end for connecting to the component to be installed, and the outer wall of the cylindrical end is provided with threads;

[0026] The outer wall of the valve body also has a connecting end face that fits with the component to be installed, and a sealing ring is provided on the connecting end face.

[0027] Furthermore, a pressure balancing hole is provided in the middle of the valve plate.

[0028] On the other hand, the present invention also proposes a battery pack, including a housing and a venting valve structure as described in the above embodiments;

[0029] The valve body is detachably connected to the housing, and when the valve body is connected to the housing, the inner cavity of the housing communicates with the inner chamber.

[0030] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0031] By setting a valve plate including a first semicircular plate and a second semicircular plate, and rotatably installing the valve plate inside the valve body, the inner cavity of the valve body is divided into an inner chamber and an outer chamber. With the first limiting step set on the inner wall of the outer chamber and the traction effect of the elastic element on the protrusion, the valve plate can form a stable separation and sealing structure under normal conditions (when the pressure of the inner chamber and the outer chamber is balanced) through the limiting constraint of the first limiting step and the tension of the elastic element.

[0032] Furthermore, since the protrusion is located on the side of the second semicircular plate facing the inner chamber, the valve plate as a whole forms an asymmetrical force interface. Therefore, when the pressure in the inner chamber is greater than that in the outer chamber, the high-pressure gas will concentrate on the surface of the protrusion, so that the valve plate can stably rotate in one direction. At this time, a fan-shaped pressure relief channel will be formed between the inner chamber and the outer chamber as the rotation angle increases. That is, the valve plate will not obstruct the pressure relief channel in the straight direction, thereby increasing the pressure relief straight-through area and achieving the purpose of rapid and efficient pressure relief.

[0033] In addition, when the elastic element flips to the preset angle, it will separate from the protrusion, meaning that the elastic element no longer provides traction force. This ensures that the pressure relief channel is always open, thus avoiding the situation in the prior art where the pressure relief channel is closed due to the elastic element resetting, which could lead to secondary explosions in the subsequent process, thereby improving the safety factor. Attached Figure Description

[0034] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the explosion relief valve in Embodiment 1 of this utility model when the pressures of the inner and outer chambers are balanced;

[0035] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the inner and outer chambers of the explosion relief valve structure in Embodiment 1 of this utility model when the pressure is balanced.

[0036] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the explosion relief valve in Embodiment 1 of this utility model when the pressure in the inner chamber is greater than the pressure in the outer chamber;

[0037] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the valve body structure of the explosion relief valve in Embodiment 1 of this utility model;

[0038] Figure 5 This is a partial cross-sectional view of the battery pack in Embodiment 2 of this utility model during pressure relief.

[0039] Icon labels:

[0040] 1. Valve body; 11. Inner chamber; 12. Outer chamber; 13. Sealing ring;

[0041] 2. Valve plate; 21. First semicircular plate; 22. Second semicircular plate;

[0042] 3. Elastic components;

[0043] 4. First limiting step;

[0044] 5. Protrusion; 51. Constraint block; 511. C-groove;

[0045] 6. Mounting block; 61. Clearance groove;

[0046] 7. Second limiting step;

[0047] 8. Pressure balance hole. Detailed Implementation

[0048] The structure of the explosion relief valve and the battery pack of this utility model will be described in more detail below with reference to the schematic diagrams, which illustrate preferred embodiments of this utility model. It should be understood that those skilled in the art can modify the utility model described herein while still achieving the advantageous effects of this utility model. Therefore, the following description should be understood as being of general knowledge to those skilled in the art and is not intended to limit this utility model.

[0049] The present invention will be described in more detail below by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. The advantages and features of the present invention will become clearer from the following description. It should be noted that the drawings are in a very simplified form and use non-precise proportions, and are only used to facilitate and clarify the illustration of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0050] Example 1

[0051] like Figures 1 to 4 As shown in the figure, this utility model embodiment proposes a venting valve structure, including a valve body 1, a valve plate 2, and an elastic element 3.

[0052] The valve plate 2 is rotatably installed inside the valve body 1 and matches the inner cavity of the valve body 1 to divide the inner cavity of the valve body 1 into an inner chamber 11 and an outer chamber 12.

[0053] It should be noted that the inner chamber 11 is connected to the component to be installed (i.e. the battery pack housing). When the internal pressure of the component to be installed increases, the pressure will be transmitted to the inner chamber 11, so that a pressure difference is formed between the inner chamber 11 and the outer chamber 12. This controls the valve plate 2 to flip, forming a pressure relief channel and completing the pressure relief function.

[0054] The valve plate 2 includes a first semicircular plate 21 and a second semicircular plate 22, which are used to realize the stability of the valve plate 2 under normal conditions and the flipping control under the pressure relief state, respectively.

[0055] Specifically, the inner wall of the outer chamber 12 is provided with a first limiting step 4 that fits and abuts against the first semicircular piece 21, which is used to limit the first semicircular piece 21 so that the valve piece 2 can only be rotated in one direction (i.e., the first semicircular piece 21 rotates towards the inner chamber 11, while the second semicircular piece 22 rotates towards the outer chamber 12), and ensures that under normal conditions (i.e. when the pressure of the inner chamber 11 and the outer chamber 12 is balanced), the valve piece 2 can remain relatively fixed, so as to improve the separation effect between the inner chamber 11 and the outer chamber 12.

[0056] The second semicircular plate 22 has a protrusion 5 on the side facing the inner cavity 11 that is raised relative to the first semicircular plate 21. By setting the protrusion 5, the valve plate 2 forms an asymmetrical structure. When the pressure in the inner cavity 11 increases, the protrusion 5 can concentrate the gas pressure and convert the pressure into the rotational torque of the valve plate 2 around the rotation fulcrum. This completes the function of connecting the inner cavity 11 and the outer cavity 12 to form a venting channel. In other words, it avoids the situation where the valve plate 2 cannot rotate due to the relatively uniform gas impact force on the first semicircular plate 21 and the second semicircular plate 22, thus improving the stability of the venting valve structure during application.

[0057] In this embodiment, one end of the elastic member 3 is fixedly connected to the inner cavity 11, and the other end is movably connected to the protrusion 5, which is used to provide traction force to the protrusion 5 so that the valve plate 2 can stably divide the valve body 1 into the inner cavity 11 and the outer cavity 12 under normal conditions, so as to prevent external impurities from entering the inner cavity 11.

[0058] It should be noted that when the pressure in the inner chamber 11 is greater than the pressure in the outer chamber 12, the protrusion 5, under the action of the gas, can drive the second semicircular plate 22 to rotate, so that the inner chamber 11 and the outer chamber 12 are connected to form a pressure relief channel. At this time, the pressure relief channel can form a large-area straight channel as the valve plate 2 rotates, and the valve plate 2 will not obstruct the pressure relief channel in the straight direction, so it can effectively improve the pressure relief rate and achieve the purpose of rapid pressure relief.

[0059] Furthermore, when the second semicircular piece 22 is flipped to a preset angle, the elastic element 3 can separate from the protrusion 5. By separating the elastic element 3 from the protrusion 5, the elastic element 3 will not provide a restoring force to the protrusion 5 during pressure relief, thereby keeping the pressure relief channel always open. This avoids the occurrence of secondary explosion due to the closure of the pressure relief channel and improves the safety factor.

[0060] This device uses a valve plate 2 consisting of a first semicircular plate 21 and a second semicircular plate 22, which is rotatably mounted inside the valve body 1 to divide the inner cavity of the valve body 1 into an inner chamber 11 and an outer chamber 12. With the help of the first limiting step 4 and the elastic member 3 on the inner wall of the outer chamber 12, the valve plate 2 can form a stable separation and sealing structure under normal conditions (when the pressure of the inner chamber 11 and the outer chamber 12 is balanced) through the limiting constraint of the first limiting step 4 and the pulling force of the elastic member 3, so as to prevent external impurities from entering the component to be installed from the inner chamber 11.

[0061] Furthermore, since the protrusion 5 is located on the side of the second semicircular plate 22 facing the inner chamber 11, the valve plate 2 as a whole forms an asymmetrical force interface. Therefore, when the pressure in the inner chamber 11 is greater than that in the outer chamber 12, the high-pressure gas will concentrate on the surface of the protrusion 5, so that the valve plate 2 can stably rotate in one direction. At this time, the inner chamber 11 and the outer chamber 12 will form a fan-shaped pressure relief channel that gradually expands with the rotation angle. That is, the valve plate 2 will not obstruct the pressure relief channel in the straight direction, thereby increasing the pressure relief straight-through area and achieving the purpose of rapid and efficient pressure relief.

[0062] Furthermore, since the elastic element 3 separates from the protrusion 5 when the second semicircular piece 22 flips to the preset angle, the elastic element 3 no longer provides traction force, thus keeping the pressure relief channel always open. This avoids the situation in the prior art where the pressure relief channel is closed due to the elastic element 3 resetting, which could lead to secondary explosion in the subsequent process, thereby improving the safety factor.

[0063] When the pressure in the inner chamber 11 is balanced with the pressure in the outer chamber 12, under the elastic traction of the elastic member 3, the first semicircular piece 21 is in close contact with the first limiting step 4, so that the valve piece 2 can serve as a stable sealing and separating structure to separate the valve body 1 from the inner chamber 11 and the outer chamber 12.

[0064] In this embodiment, the preset angle is 15°-30°, preferably 18° or 25°, so that when the pressure in the inner chamber 11 exceeds the set threshold, the pressure relief channel can be fully opened, and the situation where it cannot be fully opened due to the elastic constraint of the elastic element 3 will not occur, so as to ensure the subsequent pressure relief effect.

[0065] In a further embodiment, the protrusion 5 is further defined so that while the protrusion 5 is connected to the elastic member 3, it can also be separated from the elastic member 3 during the flipping process, ensuring that the pressure relief channel can always be in the open state after it is opened.

[0066] Specifically, a constraint block 51 is provided on the protrusion 5, and the constraint block 51 has a C-shaped groove 511 inside that connects to or separates from the elastic member 3. By providing the constraint block 51 with the C-shaped groove 511, the operator can connect to the protrusion 5 by sleeve or snap-fit, and when the protrusion 5 is flipped, the elastic member 3 can move gradually along the inner wall of the C-shaped groove 511 until it is completely disengaged.

[0067] In this embodiment, the elastic element 3 is configured as a ring structure and is sleeved in the C-shaped groove 511 to better realize the connection or separation of the elastic element 3 and the protrusion 5.

[0068] In a specific example, the elastic element 3 can be set as a ring spring.

[0069] In a further embodiment, a mounting block 6 is added for mounting the elastic element 3. Specifically, the inner wall of the inner cavity 11 is provided with a mounting block 6 for mounting the elastic element 3.

[0070] The mounting block 6 and the first limiting step 4 are located on the same side of the inner cavity of the valve body 1, so that the elastic member 3 can apply a pre-tightening force to the protrusion 5, which flips toward the inner cavity 11.

[0071] It should be noted that the mounting block 6 is provided with an avoidance groove 61 on the side facing the first semicircular piece 21, which ensures that the mounting block 6 will not interfere with the flipping of the first semicircular piece 21.

[0072] In other embodiments, a second limiting step 7 is added to further improve the stability of the valve plate 2 under normal conditions.

[0073] Specifically, the inner wall of the inner chamber 11 is provided with a second limiting step 7, which is located on the opposite side of the first limiting step 4 and is used to abut and fit against the protrusion 5. That is, the first limiting step 4 and the second limiting step 7 respectively limit the first semicircular piece 21 and the second semicircular piece 22, so as to further constrain the valve piece 2 to only be able to rotate in one direction.

[0074] The first limiting step 4 and the second limiting step 7 are both designed as arc-shaped structures to reduce the space occupied by the first limiting step 4 and the second limiting step 7 in the straight direction of the pressure relief channel, thereby improving the explosion relief rate.

[0075] In a further embodiment, the valve body 1 has a cylindrical end for connecting to the component to be installed, and the outer wall of the cylindrical end is provided with threads.

[0076] The outer wall of the valve body 1 is also formed with a connecting end face that fits with the component to be installed, and a sealing ring 13 is provided on the connecting end face to improve the sealing effect.

[0077] Preferably, the valve plate 2 is provided with a pressure balancing hole 8 in the middle to balance the pressure between the inner chamber 11 and the outer chamber 12.

[0078] It should be noted that the valve plate 2 has a built-in waterproof and breathable membrane (not labeled in the figure) so that only a small amount of gas is exchanged between the inner chamber 11 and the outer chamber 12, thereby improving the safety of the component to be installed when it is used.

[0079] Example 2

[0080] like Figure 5 As shown, this embodiment proposes a battery pack based on embodiment one, including a housing and a relief valve structure as described in embodiment one.

[0081] The valve body 1 is detachably connected to the housing, and when the valve body 1 is connected to the housing, the inner cavity of the housing communicates with the inner chamber 11.

[0082] This device, by incorporating the explosion relief valve structure described in Embodiment 1, effectively prevents the pressure relief channel from closing due to the reset of the elastic element 3, thus avoiding secondary explosions in subsequent processes and improving the safety factor. Furthermore, it creates a pressure relief channel with a large straight-through area, achieving rapid and efficient pressure relief.

[0083] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this utility model without departing from its spirit and scope. Therefore, if these modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims of this utility model and their equivalents, this utility model also intends to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A structure for a pressure relief valve, characterized in that, Includes valve body, valve plate, and elastic element; The valve plate is rotatably mounted in the valve body and matches the inner cavity of the valve body to divide the inner cavity of the valve body into an inner chamber and an outer chamber; The valve plate includes a first semicircular plate and a second semicircular plate; The inner wall of the outer cavity is provided with a first limiting step that fits and abuts against the first semi-circular piece; The second semicircular plate has a protrusion on the side facing the inner cavity that is raised relative to the first semicircular plate; One end of the elastic element is fixedly connected to the inner cavity, and the other end is movably connected to the protrusion. When the pressure in the inner chamber is greater than the pressure in the outer chamber, the protrusion is acted upon by the gas, which causes the second semicircular plate to rotate, thereby connecting the inner chamber and the outer chamber to form a pressure relief channel.

2. The explosion relief valve structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that, When the pressure in the inner chamber is balanced with the pressure in the outer chamber, under the elastic traction of the elastic element, the first semicircular piece is in close contact with the first limiting step to separate the inner chamber and the outer chamber.

3. The explosion relief valve structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that, When the second semicircular piece is flipped to a preset angle, the elastic element can separate from the protrusion.

4. The explosion relief valve structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that, A constraint block is provided on the protrusion; The constraint block has a C-shaped groove inside that can be connected to or separated from the elastic element.

5. The explosion relief valve structure as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The elastic element is configured as a ring structure and is fitted inside the C-shaped groove.

6. The explosion relief valve structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The inner wall of the inner cavity is provided with mounting blocks for installing the elastic element; The mounting block and the first limiting step are located on the same side of the valve body cavity; The mounting block has a clearance groove on the side facing the first semicircular piece.

7. The explosion relief valve structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The inner wall of the inner cavity is provided with a second limiting step; The second limiting step is located on the opposite side of the first limiting step and is used to abut and fit against the protrusion; Both the first limiting step and the second limiting step are configured as arc-shaped structures.

8. The explosion relief valve structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The valve body has a cylindrical end for connecting to the component to be installed, and the outer wall of the cylindrical end is provided with threads; The outer wall of the valve body also has a connecting end face that fits with the component to be installed, and a sealing ring is provided on the connecting end face.

9. The explosion relief valve structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that, A pressure balancing hole is provided in the middle of the valve plate.

10. A battery pack, characterized in that, Includes a housing and a relief valve structure as described in any one of claims 1-9; The valve body is detachably connected to the housing, and when the valve body is connected to the housing, the inner cavity of the housing communicates with the inner chamber.

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