Battery Storage System and Battery Protection Unit

Abstract

The present invention relates to a battery storage system and a battery protection unit, and more particularly to a battery storage system including a rack door of a battery loading section and a unit door of a battery protection unit, and a battery protection unit in which the lock state of the unit door and the operation of a circuit breaker are simultaneously controlled. The battery storage system according to the present invention includes a unit door for a circuit breaker housing in addition to a rack door for a battery loading section where batteries are loaded, so that the circuit breaker can be activated without opening the battery loading section, thereby protecting users from static electricity flowing to the batteries. The battery protection unit according to the present invention includes a handle assembly that can simultaneously control the activation of the circuit breaker and the lock state of the unit door by rotating it, so that the unit door can be unlocked only when the circuit breaker is activated, thereby protecting users from electric shock.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] [CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS] This application claims the benefit of priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0076429 filed on June 14, 2023 and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0005248 filed on January 12, 2024, and all contents disclosed in the documents of said Korean patent applications are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention relates to a battery storage system and a battery protection unit, and more particularly to a battery storage system including a rack door of a battery loading section and a unit door of a battery protection unit, and a battery protection unit in which the lock state of the unit door and the operation of a circuit breaker are simultaneously controlled. [Background technology]

[0003] A rechargeable battery is a battery that can be charged and discharged, unlike a primary battery, which cannot be recharged. Low-capacity secondary batteries are used in small, portable electronic devices such as mobile phones, laptops, and camcorders, while large-capacity batteries are widely used as power sources for driving motors in hybrid vehicles and other devices.

[0004] A secondary battery may be used in the form of a battery cell, in which a positive electrode, a separator, and a negative electrode are sequentially stacked within an outer casing, and the inner space of the outer casing is filled with an electrolyte. Meanwhile, a battery module or a battery pack can be formed by collecting and electrically connecting a plurality of battery cells, and a plurality of battery modules / packs can be stacked in a battery rack for simultaneous management.

[0005] Although door racks are sometimes installed to protect the batteries and other components inside battery racks, they entail various spatial constraints and problems. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a battery storage system and a battery protection unit in which an opening and closing door is installed separately from the rack door in the circuit breaker housing and the locking state of the opening and closing door and the operation of the circuit breaker can be controlled simultaneously. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The battery storage system according to the present invention includes a battery loading section in which batteries are loaded; a rack door coupled to the battery loading section; and a battery protection unit installed on one side of the battery loading section to control charging and discharging of the battery, the battery protection unit including a circuit breaker that cuts off power supplied to the battery; a main body that houses the circuit breaker; and a unit door coupled to the main body of the circuit breaker.

[0008] The battery protection unit can control the operation of the circuit breaker depending on whether the unit door is locked to the main body.

[0009] The battery protection unit can suspend operation of the circuit breaker when the unit door is in a locked state, and can activate the circuit breaker when the unit door is in an unlocked state.

[0010] The unit door can be controlled to open and close separately from the rack door.

[0011] Meanwhile, the battery protection unit according to the present invention includes a circuit breaker that cuts off the current supplied to the battery; a main body that houses the circuit breaker; a unit door connected to the main body; a handle assembly that opens and closes the unit door by rotating it; and a shaft assembly that protrudes from the main body, is fastened to the handle assembly, and rotates together with the handle assembly when it rotates, and the circuit breaker is connected to the shaft assembly and can cut off or release the cut-off of the current supplied to the battery in the rotational direction of the shaft assembly.

[0012] The handle assembly includes a door handle that is rotatably mounted; a rotating body that is connected to the door handle and rotates together with the door handle in response to rotation of the door handle, and that has an opening into which the shaft assembly is clamped and rotates the shaft assembly; and a locking member that is fixedly connected to the unit door and locks or unlocks the unit door in the rotation direction of the shaft assembly, and the rotating body can be rotatably fastened to the locking member.

[0013] The locking member may include a first member provided on the outside of the rotating body and fixedly connected to the unit door; a second member provided on the inside of the rotating body and locking or unlocking the unit door in the rotational direction of the shaft assembly; and a connecting member connecting the first member and the second member.

[0014] The rotating body includes a first body to which the door handle is connected; and a second body connected to the first body with the locking member interposed therebetween, and a connecting member insertion hole into which the connecting member is inserted may be formed between the first body and the second body.

[0015] The connecting member insertion hole may be formed to extend to one side by a rotation radius of the rotating body.

[0016] The shaft assembly may include a first shaft protruding from the main body; a second shaft extending from the first shaft toward the unit door; and a protrusion protruding from the second shaft in a direction different from the direction in which the second shaft extends.

[0017] The first shaft may have a prismatic shape, and the opening may have a shape corresponding to the prismatic shape of the first shaft so that the first shaft is sandwiched and coupled.

[0018] The protrusion may be formed to protrude in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the second shaft extends.

[0019] The second member has a shaft insertion groove into which the shaft assembly is inserted and a protrusion coupling groove formed inside the shaft insertion groove so that the protrusion can be clamped or released in the rotational direction of the shaft assembly, and the unit door can be locked when the protrusion is clamped in the protrusion coupling groove and unlocked when the protrusion is released from the protrusion coupling groove.

[0020] The circuit breaker may include a switch connected to a power supply circuit that supplies power to the battery and turns the power supply circuit on / off; and a switch lever coupled to the shaft assembly so as to extend in a direction different from the rotational axis direction of the shaft assembly, rotate together with the shaft assembly in response to rotation of the shaft assembly, and move to a switch-on position or a switch-off position to control the on / off operation of the switch.

[0021] The switch includes a fixed contact installed at a fixed position; and a movable contact having one end fixed to the power supply circuit and the other end coupled to the switch lever and moving together when the switch lever rotates, the other end contacting the fixed contact when the switch lever moves to the switch-on position and being separated from the fixed contact when the switch lever moves to the switch-off position.

[0022] The shaft assembly can be rotated in a direction to lock the unit door to move the switch lever to the switch-on position, and can be rotated in a direction to unlock the unit door to move the switch lever to the switch-off position.

[0023] The body may have one or more handles formed thereon. [Effects of the Invention]

[0024] The battery storage system according to the present invention includes a unit door for the circuit breaker housing in addition to the rack door for the battery loading section where the batteries are loaded, so that the circuit breaker can be operated without opening the battery loading section, thereby protecting users from static electricity flowing through the battery.

[0025] The battery protection unit according to the present invention includes a handle assembly that can simultaneously control the operation of the circuit breaker and the locking state of the unit door by rotating it, so that the unit door can be unlocked only when the circuit breaker is activated, thereby protecting the user from electric shock. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a conventional battery storage system. [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view of a battery storage system according to the present invention; [Figure 3] 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a unit door is closed in a battery protection unit according to the present invention; [Figure 4] 10 is a perspective view showing a state in which the unit door is unlocked in the battery protection unit according to the present invention; FIG. [Figure 5] 10 is a perspective view showing a manner in which a lock state of a unit door is set in the battery protection unit according to the present invention; FIG. [Figure 6a]1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the coupling structure of a locking member in a battery protection unit according to the present invention; [Figure 6b] 3 is a perspective view showing the external structure of a rotating body in the battery protection unit according to the present invention; FIG. [Figure 7a] 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a unit door is open in a battery protection unit according to the present invention; [Figure 7b] FIG. 7B is an enlarged view of part A in FIG. 7A. [Figure 8a] 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the moment when the shaft assembly is inserted into the handle assembly in the battery protection unit according to the present invention. [Figure 8b] 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the battery protection unit according to the present invention, showing the shaft assembly fully inserted into the handle assembly. FIG. [Figure 8c] 10 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing how a shaft assembly rotates in response to rotation of a handle assembly in a battery protection unit according to the present invention. FIG. [Figure 8d] 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which the locking state of the unit door is set in response to rotation of the shaft assembly in the battery protection unit according to the present invention; FIG. [Figure 8e] 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the locking state of the unit door is set in response to rotation of the shaft assembly in the battery protection unit according to the present invention; FIG. [Figure 9a] FIG. 8B is an enlarged view of part B in FIG. 8B. [Figure 9b] This is an enlarged view of part C in FIG. 8e. [Figure 10a] 4 is a schematic view showing a connection structure between a door handle assembly and a circuit breaker switch in a battery protection unit according to the present invention; [Figure 10b] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the switch-on operation of the battery protection unit according to the present invention. [Figure 10c] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the switch-off operation of the battery protection unit according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0027] In some of the accompanying drawings, corresponding components are given the same reference numerals. Those skilled in the art will understand that the drawings illustrate elements simply and clearly and are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, to facilitate understanding of the various embodiments, the dimensions of some elements shown in the drawings may be exaggerated compared to other elements. Furthermore, elements of the known art that are useful or essential in commercially viable embodiments may not be depicted in order to avoid obscuring the spirit of the various embodiments of the present invention.

[0028] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, so that those skilled in the art can easily understand the preferred embodiments of the present invention. However, the present invention may be embodied in various different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the following embodiments.

[0029] In order to clearly explain the present invention, detailed descriptions of parts that are not relevant to the explanation or of related known technologies that may obscure the gist of the present invention will be omitted, and when adding reference numbers to components in each drawing in this specification, the same or similar reference numbers will be used for the same or similar components throughout the specification.

[0030] Furthermore, the terms and words used in this specification and claims should not be interpreted in a way that is limited to their ordinary and dictionary meanings, but should be interpreted in a way that is consistent with the technical idea of ​​the present invention, in accordance with the principle that the inventor himself / herself can appropriately define the concept of a term in order to explain the invention in the best possible way.

[0031] A battery rack is a unit assembly of batteries in which a number of battery modules and / or packs are connected, and is the smallest unit that can be electrically connected to a power conversion device. In addition to batteries, a battery rack may also be equipped with a circuit breaker that cuts off power supplied to the batteries. Such battery racks are generally equipped with doors to minimize exposure of the loaded batteries and circuit breakers to the outside, but conventional doors have various problems. To overcome the problems of conventional doors, some battery racks are used without doors. However, when a battery rack is not equipped with doors, the loaded batteries and circuit breakers are exposed to the outside, which can lead to problems of particles entering the batteries or the circuit breakers.

[0032] 1 shows a conventional battery storage system in which a door is installed on a battery rack. The battery storage system is composed of a loading frame 3 on which a battery 1 and a circuit breaker 2 are loaded, and a frame door 4 connected to the loading frame 3.

[0033] A user must operate the circuit breaker 2 to apply or cut off current to the battery 1 when charging or discharging the battery 1. The frame door 4 shown in FIG. 1 is an integrated door that integrally covers the loading frame 3 on which the battery 1 and the circuit breaker 2 are loaded. That is, in the case of such an integrated frame door 4, in order to operate the circuit breaker 2, the user must, for example, open the entire frame door 4 and then operate the circuit breaker 2 switch. In this case, the user is exposed to static electricity flowing through the battery 1 and the circuit breaker 2, which increases the risk of, for example, electric shock during the circuit breaker 2 operation process.

[0034] In the present invention, taking into consideration the problems of conventional door racks, a separate door is installed to cover the circuit breaker 2 to ensure user safety and to propose a battery storage system and battery protection unit that is aesthetically pleasing.

[0035] Hereinafter, a battery storage system and a battery protection unit according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0036] [Battery storage system] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a battery storage system according to the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a battery protection unit installed in the battery storage system according to the present invention with a separately installed unit door closed.

[0037] Referring to FIG. 2, the battery storage system according to the present invention includes a battery loading section 20 on which batteries are loaded, a rack door 30 coupled to the battery loading section, and a battery protection unit 10 installed on one side of the battery loading section 20 to control the charging and discharging of the battery.

[0038] A battery is a device that supplies power to electronic devices, and the most basic unit of a battery is a battery cell. A battery cell may have a structure in which a positive electrode, a separator, and a negative electrode are sequentially stacked within an outer casing, and the inner space of the outer casing is filled with an electrolyte. A battery module can be formed by connecting a plurality of battery cells in series and / or parallel and then surrounding the battery module with a frame, and the battery module assembly can constitute a battery pack.

[0039] The battery loading unit 20 is a loading frame for loading batteries, and the term "battery" can be understood as a concept that encompasses all of a battery cell, a battery module, and a battery pack. Meanwhile, there is no particular limitation on the structure of the battery loading unit 20, and the battery loading unit 20 according to one embodiment may have a structure in which a plurality of loading columns capable of loading a plurality of batteries in the vertical direction are combined, as shown in FIG. 2.

[0040] The rack door 30 is an opening / closing door attached to the battery loading unit 20 and serves to protect the batteries built into the battery loading unit 20 from the outside. As with the battery loading unit 20 described above, there are no particular limitations on the structure of the rack door 30. For example, the rack door 30 according to one embodiment may have a structure in which a handle is provided on one door portion, or may have various structures such as a double door or a sliding door.

[0041] Meanwhile, referring to FIG. 3, the battery protection unit 10 is installed on one side of the battery loading section 20 (in this embodiment, it is installed at the top end of the battery loading section 20), and may include a circuit breaker 120 (see, for example, FIG. 10a) that cuts off the power supplied to the battery, a main body 100 that houses the circuit breaker 120 therein, and a unit door 300 connected to the main body 100.

[0042] The circuit breaker 120 is installed in a circuit that supplies power to or from a battery, and is a device that cuts off the flow of current to prevent accidents when an abnormal current flows in the circuit. There are no particular limitations on the type of circuit breaker 120 according to the present invention, and it may include a molded case circuit breaker that cuts off high loads and short circuits in a circuit, and a ground fault circuit breaker that has an added ground fault function that cuts off the current after detecting a ground fault in an AC current with a ground wire. Specific details regarding the internal configuration and connection structure of the circuit breaker 120 will be described in detail below.

[0043] The main body 100 is a circuit breaker housing case that houses the circuit breaker 120 therein, and there are no particular limitations on its external structure. A unit door 300 that controls the opening and closing of the main body 100 may be attached to one side of the main body 100. Therefore, the unit door 300 attached to the main body 100 is controlled to open and close separately from the rack door 30 attached to the battery loading unit 20, so a user may, for example, open only the unit door 300 to operate the circuit breaker 120. That is, in this case, a user may open only the unit door 300 to operate the circuit breaker 120 without opening the rack door 30.

[0044] That is, in the battery storage system according to the present invention, the unit door 300 can be kept closed during the process of operating the circuit breaker 120, which has the advantageous effect of preventing external particles from unnecessarily flowing into the battery and protecting the user from static electricity flowing into the battery.

[0045] The battery protection unit 10 may be configured to control the operation of the circuit breaker 120 installed inside the main body 100 depending on whether the unit door 300 is locked to the main body 100. For example, according to one embodiment, the battery protection unit 10 may be designed to suspend operation of the circuit breaker 120 (e.g., a state in which current is supplied to the battery) when the unit door 300 is in a locked state, and to activate the circuit breaker 120 (e.g., a state in which current is not supplied to the battery) when the unit door 300 is in an unlocked state.

[0046] Therefore, for example, when the circuit breaker is not activated and current is supplied to the battery, the unit door 300 is locked and the user cannot open the unit door 300, but when the circuit breaker is activated and current is not supplied to the battery, the unit door 300 is unlocked and the user can open the unit door 300. Therefore, in this case, the user can open the unit door 300 connected to the main body 100 only when current is not supplied to the battery, which has the advantageous effect of preventing electric shock accidents caused by static electricity flowing through the main body 100.

[0047] [Battery protection unit] Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing how the unit door 300 in the battery protection unit according to the present invention is unlocked, and Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing how the unit door 300 in the battery protection unit according to the present invention is locked. That is, in Fig. 4, the door handle 210 is pointing downward and is rotated counterclockwise by about 90° as indicated by the arrow, thereby opening the unit door 300 and unlocking the lock. On the other hand, in Fig. 5, the door handle 210 is rotated clockwise by about 90°, thereby closing the unit door 300 and setting the lock.

[0048] 6a is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the coupling structure of the locking member 230 in the battery protection unit according to the present invention. The locking member 230 may include a first member 231, a second member 232, and one or more connecting members 235. The second member 232 may be formed with a shaft insertion groove 233 into which the shaft assembly 130 (see, for example, FIG. 7a), which will be described later, is inserted.

[0049] For example, the first member 231 may be configured to be fixedly coupled to the unit door 300, and when the handle assembly 200 is fastened to the locking member 230, the first member 231 may be provided on the outside of the rotating body 220.

[0050] The second member 232 has a configuration into which the shaft assembly 130 is inserted as the unit door 300 approaches the main body 100, and the second member 232 may have a shaft insertion groove 233 formed therein. In this case, the unit door 300 may be locked or unlocked by rotation of the shaft assembly 130 inserted into the shaft insertion groove 233. The second member 232 may also include a configuration that clamps the shaft assembly 130 rotated in one direction to lock the unit door 300. In this case, when the shaft assembly 130 rotates in the other direction, the shaft assembly 130 is no longer clamped by the configuration, and the unit door 300 may be unlocked. Meanwhile, when the rotating body 220 is fastened to the locking member 230, the second member 232 may be provided inside the rotating body 220.

[0051] The connecting member 235 is configured to connect the first member 231 and the second member 232, and one or more connecting members 235 may be formed between the first member 231 and the second member 232. A vacant space between the first member 231 and the second member 232 where the connecting member 235 is not formed may be used as a space to guide the rotation of the rotating body 220 when the rotating body 220 is fastened to the locking member 230.

[0052] FIG. 6b is a perspective view showing the external structure of the rotating body 220 in the battery protection unit according to the present invention.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 6b, the rotating body 220 may include a first body 221 and a second body 222, an opening 223 may be formed in the second body 222, and a connecting member insertion port 224 may be formed between the first body 221 and the second body 222.

[0054] For example, when the handle assembly 200 is installed on the unit door 300, the first body 221 may be configured to be located outside the unit door 300, and the door handle 210 may be coupled to the first body 221. When the handle assembly 200 is installed on the unit door 300, the second body 222 may be configured to be located inside the unit door 300, and the second body 222 may be coupled to the first body 221 with the locking member 230 sandwiched therebetween.

[0055] The connecting member insertion opening 224 between the first body 221 and the second body 222 is a through-hole into which the connecting member 235 of the locking member 230 is inserted when fastening the locking member 230 to the rotating body 220. The number of connecting member insertion openings 224 may correspond to the number of connecting members 235. In addition, since the connecting members 235 rotate together with the rotation of the rotating body 220, the connecting member insertion opening 224 may be extended on one side to allow the rotating connecting member 235 to pass through.

[0056] FIG. 7a is a perspective view showing a state in which the unit door is open in the battery protection unit according to the present invention, and FIG. 7b is an enlarged view of part A in FIG. 7a.

[0057] Referring to Figures 7a and 7b, the shaft assembly 130 may have a multi-stage structure including a first shaft 131 protruding from the main body 100, a second shaft 132 extending from the first shaft 131 toward the unit door 300, and a protrusion 133 protruding from the second shaft 132 in a direction different from the direction in which the second shaft 132 extends.

[0058] Meanwhile, the first shaft 131 may have a prismatic shape, and the opening 223 formed in the second body 222 may have a shape corresponding to the prismatic shape of the first shaft 131 so that the first shaft 131 can be sandwiched and coupled thereto. In this case, since the shape of the opening 223 corresponds to the angular bottom shape of the first shaft 131, there is an advantageous effect that torque caused by rotation of the second body 222 can be effectively transmitted to the first shaft 131.

[0059] The protrusion 133 may be formed on the second shaft 132 and may protrude in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the second shaft 132. Meanwhile, the second member 232 may be provided with a shaft insertion groove 223 into which the shaft assembly 130 is inserted and a protrusion coupling groove 234 formed inside the shaft insertion groove 223 so that the protrusion 133 can be sandwiched or released in the rotation direction of the shaft assembly 130.

[0060] In this case, the unit door 300 is locked when the protrusion 133 is clamped in the protrusion coupling groove 234, and is unlocked when the protrusion 133 is released from the protrusion coupling groove 234, which has the advantage that the unit door 300 can be locked or unlocked with a relatively simple structure.

[0061] 8A and 8B are views illustrating a process in which the shaft assembly 130 is inserted into the handle assembly 200 and then rotated to lock the unit door in a battery protection unit according to the present invention. For example, FIG. 8A is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the moment when the shaft assembly 130 is inserted into the handle assembly 200, and FIG. 8B is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the shaft assembly 130 fully inserted into the handle assembly 200. FIG. 8C is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the rotation of the shaft assembly 130 in response to the rotation of the handle assembly 200, and FIG. 8D is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the lock state of the unit door 300 set in response to the rotation of the shaft assembly 130. Finally, FIG. 8E is a horizontal cross-sectional view showing the lock state of the unit door 300 set in response to the rotation of the shaft assembly 130.

[0062] 8a and 8b are vertical cross-sectional views showing the process of inserting the shaft assembly 130 into the handle assembly 200. During the closing process of the unit door 300, the handle assembly 200 provided on the unit door 300 approaches the main body 100 and becomes closer to the shaft assembly 130 protruding from the main body 100. When the unit door 300 is closed and comes into contact with the main body 100, the shaft assembly 130 is inserted into the shaft insertion groove 233 formed in the handle assembly 200. Here, the shaft insertion groove 233 is formed with a protrusion engagement groove 234, but the protrusion 133 of the shaft assembly 130 is not sandwiched in the protrusion engagement groove 234, so the user may pull the handle assembly 200 to open the unit door 300. In other words, the unit door 300 is not yet closed at this stage.

[0063] 8c and 8d are vertical cross-sectional views illustrating the process of closing the unit door 300 as the shaft assembly 130 rotates in one direction. When a user rotates the door handle 210 in one direction, the rotating body 220 connected to the door handle 210 rotates in the same direction. Here, the first shaft 131 is sandwiched and connected to the opening 223 of the rotating body 220, so the shaft assembly 130 rotates in the same direction as the rotating body 220. That is, the shaft assembly 130 rotates in accordance with the rotation of the door handle 210, rotating in the same direction as the door handle 210. After that, when the door handle 210 rotates a certain angle (e.g., 90 degrees), the protrusion 133 of the shaft assembly 130 is sandwiched in the protrusion coupling groove 234. In this case, the user cannot open the unit door 300 by pulling the handle assembly 200, and the unit door 300 closes.

[0064] 8e is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which the protrusion 133 is sandwiched in the protrusion coupling groove 234. Because the protrusion 133 is sandwiched in the protrusion coupling groove 234, the user cannot pull the handle assembly 200 to open the unit door. On the other hand, the user can turn the door handle 210 in the other direction by a certain angle (e.g., 90 degrees) to disengage the protrusion 133 from the protrusion coupling groove 234. In this case, the unit door 300 is in an unlocked state, and the user can pull the handle assembly 200 to open the unit door 300.

[0065] FIG. 9a is an enlarged view of part B in FIG. 8b, and FIG. 9b is an enlarged view of part C in FIG. 8e.

[0066] 9a and 9b show the positional relationship between the protrusion 133 and the protrusion coupling groove 234 when the unit door 300 is unlocked and locked, respectively. Fig. 9a shows the unit door 300 when it is not closed, in which the protrusion 133 is not sandwiched in the protrusion coupling groove 234. Fig. 9b shows the unit door 300 when it is closed, in which the protrusion 133 is sandwiched in the protrusion coupling groove 234.

[0067] Figure 10 is a diagram illustrating the operating principle of the circuit breaker 120 in the battery protection unit according to the present invention. For example, Figure 10a is a diagram illustrating the connection structure between the door handle assembly and the circuit breaker switch, Figure 10b is a diagram illustrating the switch-on operation, and Figure 10c is a diagram illustrating the switch-off operation.

[0068] 10a, the circuit breaker 120 may include a switch 122 that is installed in a power supply circuit 121 that supplies power to a battery and turns the power supply circuit 121 on and off, and a switch lever 125 that controls the on / off operation of the switch 122. Here, the switch lever 125 is coupled to the shaft assembly 130 so as to extend in a direction different from the rotational axis direction of the shaft assembly 130, and can rotate together with the rotation of the shaft assembly 130 to move to a switch-on position or a switch-off position. When the switch lever 125 moves to the switch-on position, the switch 122 is turned on, and when the switch lever 125 moves to the switch-off position, the switch 122 is turned off.

[0069] The battery protection unit 10 according to the present invention includes a circuit breaker 120 that cuts off the current supplied to the battery, a body 100 that houses the circuit breaker 120, a unit door 300 coupled to the body 100, a handle assembly 200 that opens and closes the unit door 300 by rotating it, and a shaft assembly 130 that protrudes from the body 100, is fastened to the handle assembly 200, and rotates together with the rotation of the handle assembly 200. The circuit breaker 120 is connected to the shaft assembly 130 and can cut off or cancel the current cut-off in the direction of rotation of the shaft assembly 130.

[0070] According to the battery protection unit 10 of the present invention having the above structure, a user can control the operation of the circuit breaker 120 by rotating the handle assembly 200, thereby controlling the operation of the circuit breaker 120 without opening the unit door 300. In this case, the user can operate the circuit breaker 120 without being directly exposed to the main body 100 that houses the circuit breaker 120, which has the advantageous effect of preventing electric shock accidents due to static electricity flowing through the circuit breaker 120.

[0071] The handle assembly 200 is used to lock or unlock the unit door 300 by rotating it, and may have various configurations. For example, the handle assembly 200 may include a door handle 210 that is externally rotatably mounted, a rotating body 220 that rotates together with the door handle 210 by rotating it, and a locking member 230 that is fastened to the handle unit door 300 and is involved in locking and unlocking the unit door 300.

[0072] For example, the door handle 210 may have various configurations, such as a rod-shaped handle structure connected to a rotating body 220, as shown in Figures 4 and 5.

[0073] The rotating body 220 is coupled to the door handle 210 and rotates together with the door handle 210 in response to the rotation of the door handle 210. The rotating body 220 may have an opening 223 to which the shaft assembly 130, which will be described later, is sandwiched and coupled. In this case, as the unit door 300 approaches the main body 100, the shaft assembly 130 is sandwiched and coupled in the opening 223, and then, as the door handle 210 is rotated, the rotating body 220 rotates, and the shaft assembly 130 can also rotate together.

[0074] The locking member 230 locks or unlocks the unit door 300 in the rotation direction of the shaft assembly 130, and may include a structure that pinches the shaft assembly 130 that has rotated in one direction to lock the unit door 300. In this case, when the shaft assembly 130 rotates in the other direction, the shaft assembly 130 is no longer pinched by the structure, and the unit door 300 may be unlocked.

[0075] The battery protection unit 10 according to the present invention includes a handle assembly 200 having a door handle 210, a rotating body 220, and a locking member 230. Therefore, the shaft assembly 130 inside the device can be rotated by rotating the door handle 210 from outside the device. The door handle 210 can lock the unit door 300 by rotating it in one direction, and can unlock the unit door 300 by rotating it in the other direction. Figures 4 and 5 show a mode in which the door handle 210 rotates counterclockwise to lock the unit door 300 and clockwise to unlock the unit door 300. Alternatively, unlike the mode shown in Figures 4 and 5, the door handle 210 can also be rotated clockwise to unlock the unit door 300 and counterclockwise to lock the unit door 300.

[0076] In particular, the shaft assembly 130 is connected to the circuit breaker 120 inside the device and can activate the circuit breaker 120 in response to rotation, which has the advantageous effect of allowing the user to activate the circuit breaker 120 inside the device by rotating the door handle 210 outside the device.

[0077] Meanwhile, the locking member 230 may be fixedly coupled to the unit door 300, and the rotating body 220 may be rotatably fastened to the locking member 230. In this case, since the locking member 230 is fixedly coupled to the unit door 300, the locking member 230 can be fixed in place even when the rotating body 220 rotates.

[0078] The battery protection unit 10 according to the present invention has the advantageous effect of being able to firmly fasten the externally rotatable door handle 210 and the rotating body 220, which rotates in accordance with the rotation of the door handle 210, to the unit door 300 by including the locking member 230 having the above-described structure.

[0079] As described above, since the shaft assembly 130 rotates in accordance with the rotation of the door handle 210, the power supply circuit 121 may be turned on / off by rotating the door handle 210. In this case, the user can operate the circuit breaker 120 by rotating the door handle 210 from the outside, and thus can turn on / off the power supply circuit 121 without being directly exposed to the circuit breaker 120. In particular, since the circuit breaker 120 is electrically connected to the power supply circuit 121, a small amount of current or static electricity may flow, which has the advantage of preventing electric shock accidents.

[0080] The switch 122 may include a fixed contact 123 and a movable contact 124. Here, the fixed contact 123 is installed at a fixed position, and the movable contact 124 may include one end 124a fixedly installed on the power supply circuit 121 and the other end 124b coupled to the switch lever 125 and moving together when the switch lever 125 rotates. In this case, the other end 124b may come into contact with the fixed contact 123 when the switch lever 125 moves to the switch-on position, and may be separated from the fixed contact 123 when the switch lever 125 moves to the switch-off position.

[0081] The switch lever 125 is coupled to the shaft assembly 130 and can turn the switch 122 on / off by rotating in a direction different from the rotational axis direction of the shaft assembly 130 when the shaft assembly 130 rotates. The central axis of the switch lever 125 and the rotational axis of the shaft assembly 130 may be perpendicular to each other. In particular, as shown in FIGS. 10b and 10c, the switch lever 125 may have a shaft shape that extends in a direction perpendicular to the rotational axis direction of the shaft assembly 130. The switch lever 125 can move to a switch-on position when the shaft assembly 130 rotates in a direction to lock the unit door 300, and can move to a switch-off position when the shaft assembly 130 rotates in a direction to unlock the unit door 300.

[0082] Meanwhile, the switch lever 125 is located inside the main body 100 and is coupled to the first shaft 131 of the shaft assembly 130, so that it can move to a switch-on position or a switch-off position according to the rotation of the first shaft 131.

[0083] The main body 100 may be formed with one or more handles 110, which has the advantageous effect of improving user convenience when carrying the main body 100. Meanwhile, there are no particular limitations on the positions and number of the handles 110 formed on the main body 100.

[0084] Although the present invention has been described above using limited embodiments and drawings, the present invention is not limited thereto, and various implementations are possible within the technical spirit of the present invention and the scope of the claims set forth below by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains. [Explanation of symbols]

[0085] 10 Battery Protection Unit 20 Battery loading section 30 Rack Door 100 Main body 110 Handle 120 Circuit Breaker 121 Power supply circuit 122 Switch 123 Fixed contact 124 Movable Contact 124a One end 124b Other end 125 switch lever 130 shaft assembly 131 First Shaft 132 Second Shaft 133 Protrusion 200 Handle Assembly 210 Door Handle 220 Rotating Body 221 First Body 222 Second Body 223 Opening 224 Connecting member insertion port 230 Locking Components 231 First member 232 Second member 233 Shaft insertion groove 234 Projection joint groove 235 Connecting member 300 unit doors

Claims

1. a battery loading section on which a battery is loaded; a rack door coupled to the battery loading section; a battery protection unit installed on one side of the battery loading section to control charging and discharging of the battery; Including, The battery protection unit includes: a circuit breaker that cuts off power supplied to the battery; a main body that accommodates the circuit breaker; a unit door coupled to a main body of the circuit breaker; 1. A battery storage system comprising:

2. The battery storage system according to claim 1 , wherein the battery protection unit controls the operation of the circuit breaker depending on whether the unit door is locked to the main body.

3. 3. The battery storage system of claim 2, wherein the battery protection unit suspends operation of the circuit breaker when the unit door is in a locked state, and activates the circuit breaker when the unit door is in an unlocked state.

4. The battery storage system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the unit door is controlled to open and close separately from the rack door.

5. a circuit breaker that cuts off the current supplied to the battery; a main body that accommodates the circuit breaker; a unit door coupled to the main body; a handle assembly that opens and closes the unit door by rotating it; a shaft assembly formed to protrude from the main body portion and fastened to the handle assembly so as to rotate together with the handle assembly when the handle assembly is rotated; Including, The battery protection unit, wherein the circuit breaker is connected to the shaft assembly and cuts off or cancels the cutoff of current supplied to the battery in a rotational direction of the shaft assembly.

6. The handle assembly includes: A door handle that is rotatably provided; a rotating body coupled to the door handle and rotating together with the door handle in response to rotation of the door handle, the rotating body having an opening into which the shaft assembly is sandwiched and coupled to rotate the shaft assembly; a locking member fixedly coupled to the unit door for locking or unlocking the unit door in a rotational direction of the shaft assembly; Including, The battery protection unit according to claim 5, wherein the rotating body is rotatably fastened to the locking member.

7. The locking member is a first member provided on the outer side of the rotating body and fixedly coupled to the unit door; a second member provided inside the rotating body for locking or unlocking the unit door in the rotation direction of the shaft assembly; a connecting member that connects the first member and the second member; The battery protection unit according to claim 6, comprising:

8. The rotating body is a first body to which the door handle is coupled; a second body coupled to the first body with the locking member interposed therebetween; Including, The battery protection unit according to claim 7, wherein a connecting member insertion hole into which the connecting member is inserted is formed between the first body and the second body.

9. The battery protection unit according to claim 8, wherein the connecting member insertion opening is formed to extend to one side by a rotation radius of the rotating body.

10. The shaft assembly includes: a first shaft formed to protrude from the main body; a second shaft extending from the first shaft toward the unit door; a protrusion formed on the second shaft in a direction different from the extending direction of the second shaft; The battery protection unit according to claim 7, comprising:

11. the first shaft has a prismatic shape, The battery protection unit according to claim 10, wherein the opening has a shape corresponding to the prismatic shape of the first shaft so that the first shaft is sandwiched and coupled thereto.

12. The battery protection unit according to claim 10, wherein the protrusion is formed to protrude in a direction perpendicular to an extension direction of the second shaft.

13. the second member is provided with a shaft insertion groove into which the shaft assembly is inserted, and a protrusion coupling groove formed inside the shaft insertion groove and configured to sandwich or separate the protrusion in a rotation direction of the shaft assembly; The battery protection unit according to claim 12, wherein the unit door is locked when the protrusion is clamped in the protrusion coupling groove, and is unlocked when the protrusion is removed from the protrusion coupling groove.

14. The circuit breaker comprises: a switch connected to a power supply circuit for supplying power to the battery, for turning on / off the power supply circuit; a switch lever coupled to the shaft assembly so as to extend in a direction different from the rotation axis direction of the shaft assembly, rotates together with the shaft assembly in response to rotation of the shaft assembly, and moves to a switch-on position or a switch-off position to control the on / off operation of the switch; The battery protection unit according to claim 6, comprising:

15. The switch is a fixed contact installed at a fixed position; a movable contact having one end fixed to the power supply circuit and the other end coupled to the switch lever and moving together with the switch lever when the switch lever rotates; Including, The battery protection unit of claim 14, wherein the other end contacts the fixed contact when the switch lever moves to the switch-on position, and is separated from the fixed contact when the switch lever moves to the switch-off position.

16. The battery protection unit of claim 15, wherein the shaft assembly rotates in a direction to lock the unit door to move the switch lever to the switch-on position, and rotates in a direction to unlock the unit door to move the switch lever to the switch-off position.

17. The battery protection unit according to any one of claims 5 to 16, wherein the body is formed with one or more handles.

Images