Fuse assembly for transporting battery module of secondary battery

Abstract

The present invention provides a fuse assembly for transporting a battery module of a secondary battery, which simplifies the configuration of an insulating case in which a fuse is housed and minimizes the installation space by covering only one terminal of the battery module, while simultaneously reducing unit costs and improving workability by removing unnecessary parts to facilitate assembly and easy future replacement, and ensures safety during transport of the battery module unit by preventing the fuse from causing a short circuit again even after it has been short-circuited due to an unexpected short circuit during transport. The fuse assembly of the present invention comprises a fuse comprising a filament provided within an insulating body, a conductor piece electrically connected to one end of the filament and exposed to one end of the insulating body, and a lead wire electrically connected to the other end of the filament and exposed to the other end of the insulating body, and is intended to mount the fuse and install it on an exposed terminal of a battery module, and comprises a fuse case comprising a base covering the exposed surface of the exposed terminal, a coupling part provided at the bottom of the base and detachably fitted into a through hole of the exposed terminal, a holder part provided on the upper surface of the base into which a part of the insulating body on the lead wire side of the fuse is fitted, and a support part provided on the upper surface of the base and supporting the conductor piece side of the fuse.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a fuse assembly for transporting a battery module of a secondary battery, and more specifically, to a fuse assembly for transporting a battery module of a secondary battery to prevent accidents in which a short circuit occurs due to unexpected contact through a terminal exposed to the outside of the battery module when transporting the battery module, thereby damaging the battery module or, in severe cases, causing an explosion. Background Technology

[0002] Generally, secondary batteries applied to electric vehicles are formed by connecting multiple battery modules, and the + and - terminals for electrically connecting the multiple battery modules are exposed to the outside of the battery modules.

[0003] Therefore, when transporting manufactured battery modules by ship or air, safety measures must be taken to prevent problems from occurring through externally exposed terminals, and to ensure this safety, fuses are installed on each battery module.

[0004] In other words, if fuses are not applied at the battery module level, transporting the battery modules is impossible, and thus safety cannot be ensured during transport.

[0005] In particular, lithium-ion batteries are easy to lighten due to their large potential difference and high energy density relative to weight; however, due to their chemical properties, there is a high possibility of explosion or deformation (swelling) even at relatively low temperatures depending on the environment, so caution is required when handling them.

[0006] As a conventional example in which a fuse is applied at the battery module level, there is a fusing bus bar for transporting a battery module and an insulating case including the same (hereinafter referred to as 'prior art') known through Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2022-0091302.

[0007] The above prior art includes a fusing bus bar electrically connected to one end of a battery module and a housing disposed between the battery module and the fusing bus bar to prevent external contact of the fusing bus bar, wherein the housing consists of a lower housing with an open upper surface located at the bottom of the fusing bus bar and an upper housing covering the open upper surface of the lower housing.

[0008] The lower housing is divided into sections by partitions to provide insulation from terminal blocks in the opposite direction that are not connected to the fusing bus bar, and the upper housing has a grid structure on its upper surface to allow for spark discharge in the event of a short circuit of the battery module, and the upper housing is connected to the lower housing by snap-fit ​​fastening or bolting.

[0009] The fusing bus bar performs the function of a fuse and is composed of a base plate, a plurality of terminal portions located at both ends of the base plate, and a bent portion located in the center between the plurality of terminal portions and having an inclined slit, wherein one end of any one of the plurality of terminal portions has a downwardly protruding stepped structure, and the base plate is made of a metal conductor capable of short-circuiting at a specific temperature.

[0010] Therefore, if a short circuit occurs due to unexpected contact between the terminals of the battery module, the bent portion having an inclined slit of the fusing bus bar can be short-circuited to prevent an accident.

[0011] However, the aforementioned conventional technology has a configuration designed to cover both electrodes of a battery module, which results in large component sizes and complex structures. It also has the disadvantage of increasing unit costs by unnecessarily adding a number of components and reducing workability because it is difficult to attach and detach from the battery module during and after transportation.

[0012] In addition, in the prior art, the fusing bus bar that performs the fuse function can prevent accidents by having a bent portion with an inclined slit placed in the center short-circuit, but sparks caused by the short circuit may be exposed to the outside, which can cause secondary accidents, and since a part of the fusing bus bar connected to the terminal of the battery module is exposed to the outside even after the short circuit, there is a disadvantage in that safety against unexpected accidents cannot be reliably ensured during the transportation of the battery module unit. The problem to be solved

[0013] The present invention aims to solve the aforementioned conventional problems, and its purpose is to provide a fuse assembly for transporting a secondary battery module that simplifies the configuration of the insulating case housing the fuse and minimizes the installation space by covering only one terminal of the battery module, while simultaneously reducing unit costs by removing unnecessary parts, improving assembly ease by enabling assembly without separate tools, and enhancing workability by facilitating future replacement.

[0014] In addition, another objective of the present invention is to provide a fuse assembly for transporting a battery module of a secondary battery that can prevent secondary accidents by extinguishing the spark generated when the fuse is short-circuited due to an unexpected short circuit during transport of the battery module, and can ensure maximum safety during transport of the battery module by preventing the fuse from causing a short circuit again even after it has been short-circuited. means of solving the problem

[0015] To achieve the above objective, the present invention is characterized by a fuse comprising: a filament provided within an insulating body and short-circuited when a short circuit occurs; a conductor piece electrically connected to one end of the filament and exposed to one end of the insulating body; and a lead wire electrically connected to the other end of the filament and exposed to the other end of the insulating body; and a fuse case for mounting the fuse and installing it on an exposed terminal of a battery module, comprising a base covering the exposed surface of the exposed terminal; a coupling part provided at the bottom of the base and detachably fitted into a through hole formed in the center of the exposed terminal; a holder part provided on the upper surface of the base into which a portion of the insulating body on the lead wire side of the fuse is fitted; and a support part provided on the upper surface of the base and supporting the conductor piece side of the fuse, wherein the lead wire of the fuse is bent and deformed so that when the coupling part of the fuse case is fitted into the through hole formed in the exposed terminal of the battery module while the fuse is mounted in the fuse case, it comes into contact with the exposed terminal of the battery module and an electrical connection is made.

[0016] In addition, the present invention features a fuse assembly for transporting a battery module of a secondary battery, wherein the fuse case further comprises a pair of elastic pieces formed on the upper surface of a base, allowing a portion of the insulating body on the conductor side of the fuse to be elastically attached and detachably fitted from both sides.

[0017] In addition, the present invention features a fuse assembly for transporting a battery module of a secondary battery, wherein a passage hole is formed in the base of the fuse case to expose the lead wire of the fuse to the lower part of the base, and a fitting groove is formed in the coupling part of the fuse case to insert the lead wire so as to maintain the bent deformation state of the lead wire exposed to the lower part of the base through the passage hole.

[0018] In addition, the present invention is characterized by a fuse assembly for transporting a battery module of a secondary battery, wherein the lead wire of the fuse has an insulating coating layer formed on the surface of the portion excluding the portion that is electrically connected by contacting the exposed terminal of the battery module. Effects of the invention

[0019] According to the present invention having the above-described characteristic configuration, the configuration for installing a small fuse on the exposed electrode of a battery module by mounting it in a fuse case is greatly simplified, thereby minimizing installation space and reducing unit costs. Furthermore, by detachably connecting the coupling part of the fuse case, which is equipped with the fuse, to a through hole formed in the exposed terminal of the battery module without the need for separate tools, electrical connection between the exposed terminal of the battery module and the lead wire of the fuse is established simultaneously with the assembly of the fuse case. This improves ease of assembly and facilitates future replacement, thereby significantly enhancing the transportability of the battery module.

[0020] In addition, the present invention can prevent accidents by causing the fuse filament to short-circuit when a short circuit occurs due to an unexpected cause during the transport of a battery module, and can also reliably prevent secondary accidents by extinguishing the spark caused by the short circuit inside the insulating body. Furthermore, even if the cause of the short circuit recurs later, the short-circuited fuse filament is not exposed to the outside and remains in an insulated state inside the insulating body, thus maximizing safety during the transport of battery modules. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0021] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the state of assembling the fuse assembly of the present invention to the terminals of a battery module. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the fuse assembly of the present invention assembled to the terminals of a battery module. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a fuse in a fuse assembly of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a fuse assembly of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the fuse assembly of the present invention viewed from the bottom. FIG. 6 (a), (b), and (c) are perspective views showing the mounting state of a fuse in a fuse assembly of the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0022] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0023] FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate the state of assembling a fuse assembly according to the present invention to an exposed terminal of a battery module. As shown, the fuse assembly of the present invention includes a small fuse (10) and a fuse case (20) for mounting the small fuse (10) and installing it on an exposed terminal (2) of a battery module (1).

[0024] As shown in FIG. 3, the fuse (10) is configured such that a filament (12) that is short-circuited when a short circuit occurs is installed within an insulating body (11) made of insulating material, one end of the filament (12) is electrically connected to a conductor piece (13) so that it is exposed at one end of the insulating body (11), and a lead wire (14) is electrically connected to the other end of the filament (12) so that it is exposed at the other end of the insulating body (11), which is opposite to the conductor piece (13).

[0025] In addition, the lead wire (14) of the fuse (10) is intended to be electrically connected by contacting the exposed terminal (2) of the battery module (1) as described below. It is preferable to form an insulating coating layer (14a) on the surface of the portion excluding the portion electrically connected to the exposed terminal (2) to minimize the portion of the lead wire (14) that is exposed to the outside.

[0026] The fuse case (20) is configured to easily mount a small fuse (10) as described above and is made of an insulating material, such as a synthetic resin material, and has a base (21) of a size that can cover the exposed surface of the exposed terminal (2) exposed to the outside from the battery module (1) as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

[0027] A hook-shaped coupling part (22) is integrally formed on the lower part of the base (21) to be detachably fitted into a through hole (2a) formed in the center of the exposed terminal (2), and a holder part (23) is formed on one side of the upper surface of the base (21) to hold a part of the insulating body (11) on the lead wire (14) side of the fuse (10), and a support part (24) is integrally formed on the upper surface of the base (21) opposite the holder part (23) to support the insulating body (11) on the conductor piece (13) side of the fuse (10) and to isolate the conductor piece (13) from the outside.

[0028] That is, when one end of the insulating body (11) on the lead wire (14) side of the fuse (10) is inserted into the holder part (23), the conductor piece (13) exposed to the outside of the fuse (10) is automatically positioned on the support part (24) to support the fuse (10) so as not to detach it, and at the same time isolate it from the outside.

[0029] At this time, it is preferable to form a pair of elastic pieces (25) on the upper surface of the base (21) of the fuse case (20) so that a portion of the insulating body (11) on the conductor piece (13) side of the fuse (10) can be elastically attached and detached from both sides, thereby allowing the fuse (10) to be firmly mounted without easily detaching from the fuse case (20).

[0030] Additionally, the lead wire (14) of the fuse (10) is bent and deformed so that it comes into contact with the exposed terminal (2) of the battery module (1) and makes an electrical connection when the connecting part (22) of the fuse case (20) is inserted into the through hole (2a) formed in the exposed terminal (2) of the battery module (1) while the fuse (10) is mounted in the fuse case (20) as described above.

[0031] To this end, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, a passage hole (21a) is formed in the base (21) of the fuse case (20) to expose the lead wire (14) of the fuse (10) to the lower part of the base (21), and a fitting groove (22a) is formed in the coupling part (22) of the fuse case (20) to allow the lead wire (14) to be inserted so as to maintain the bent deformation state of the lead wire (14) exposed to the lower part of the base (21) through the passage hole (21a).

[0032] The operation of the fuse assembly for transporting battery modules constructed in this manner is explained as follows.

[0033] First, when mounting the fuse (10) in the fuse case (20), as shown in (a), (b), and (c) of FIG. 6, the lead wire (14) of the fuse (10) is inserted into the passage hole (21a) of the base (21) and exposed to the lower part of the base (21), and at the same time, a part of the insulating body (11) on the side of the lead wire (14) of the fuse (10) is fitted into the holder part (23), and when the conductor piece (13) of the insulating body (11) is pressed downward, the part of the conductor piece (13) of the insulating body (11) is elastically fitted between a pair of elastic pieces (25), and the mounting of the fuse (10) is simply completed.

[0034] At this time, the conductor piece (13) is supported and blocked by the support member (24) at the mounting position of the fuse (10). The support member (24) prevents the fuse (10) from coming out of the holder member (23) and simultaneously blocks the conductor piece (13) from being exposed to the outside. A pair of elastic pieces (25) elastically deform when the insulating body (11) is inserted, causing the gap between them to widen so that the insulating body (11) can be inserted. After the insulating body (11) is inserted, they restore themselves so that the gap narrows, thereby elastically fixing the insulating body (11) and maintaining the mounting state of the fuse (10) firmly.

[0035] Next, as shown in FIG. 5, if the lead wire (14) of the fuse (10) exposed to the lower part of the base (21) through the passage hole (21a) of the base (21) is bent and deformed and inserted into the fitting groove (22a) of the coupling part (22), the bent and deformed state of the lead wire (14) can be maintained.

[0036] Next, the fuse case (20) equipped with the fuse (10) is used by installing the fuse case (20) on either of the positive or negative exposed terminals (2) of the battery module (1), as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. When the coupling part (22) of the fuse case (20) is inserted into the through hole (2a) of the exposed terminal (2), the outer diameter of the hook-shaped coupling part (22) is elastically narrowed by the insertion groove (22a) and inserted, and the fuse case (20) is in close contact with the through hole (2a) by the elastic restoring force of the coupling part (22), thereby maintaining the installation state of the fuse case (20) firmly.

[0037] In addition, at the same time as the fitting of the connecting part (22), the lead wire (14), which is bent and deformed and exposed to the lower part of the base (21), is positioned between the base (21) and the exposed terminal (2) and comes into contact with the exposed terminal (2). Therefore, the fuse assembly can be installed on the exposed terminal (2) of the battery module (1), and at the same time, the lead wire (14) of the fuse (10) can be electrically connected to the exposed terminal (2), so the installation of the fuse assembly is performed very quickly and easily.

[0038] In this way, the connection part (22) of the fuse case (20) is inserted into and removed from the through hole (2a) formed in the exposed terminal (2) of the battery module (1) through a simple operation, so the installation of the fuse case (20) can be done very easily without tools, and since the fuse case (20) is installed only on one exposed terminal (2) of the battery module (1), the installation space can be minimized and the unit cost can be reduced.

[0039] In addition, if a short circuit occurs between the two exposed terminals (2) of the battery module (1) due to an unexpected cause while transporting the battery module (1), the filament (12) of the fuse (10) is short-circuited first, thereby preventing an accident. The spark generated when the filament (12) is short-circuited is extinguished within the insulating body (11), thereby preventing another accident caused by this. Furthermore, the short-circuited filament (12) of the fuse (10) is wrapped inside the insulating body (11) and is not exposed to the outside. Since the lead wire (14) is also covered with an insulating coating layer (14a), safety can be maximized even if an unexpected cause of a short circuit occurs again later.

[0040] Optimal embodiments have been disclosed in the drawings and specification as described above. Specific terms have been used herein, but they are used only for the purpose of describing the invention and are not intended to limit the meaning or the scope of the invention as described in the claims. Therefore, those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and equivalent alternative embodiments are possible therefrom. Accordingly, the true technical scope of protection of the invention should be determined by the technical spirit of the appended claims. Explanation of the symbols

[0041] 1 : Battery module 2 : Exposed terminal 2a : Through hole 10 : Fuse 11: Insulating body 12: Filament 13: Conductor piece 14: Lead wire 14a : Insulating coating layer 20 : Fuse case 21 : Base 21a : Passage hole 22 : Connecting part 22a : Fitting groove 23: Holder part 24: Support part 25 : Elastic piece

Claims

Claim 1 A fuse comprising: a filament provided within an insulating body and short-circuited upon occurrence of a short circuit; a conductor piece electrically connected to one end of the filament and exposed to one end of the insulating body; and a lead wire electrically connected to the other end of the filament and exposed to the other end of the insulating body; and a fuse case for mounting the fuse and installing it on an exposed terminal of a battery module, comprising a base covering the exposed surface of the exposed terminal; a coupling part provided at the bottom of the base and detachably fitted into a through hole formed in the center of the exposed terminal; a holder part provided on the upper surface of the base into which a portion of the insulating body on the lead wire side of the fuse is fitted; and a support part provided on the upper surface of the base to support the conductor piece side of the fuse, wherein the lead wire of the fuse is bent and deformed so that when the coupling part of the fuse case is fitted into the through hole formed in the exposed terminal of the battery module while the fuse is mounted in the fuse case, it comes into contact with the exposed terminal of the battery module to establish an electrical connection. Claim 2 A fuse assembly for transporting a battery module of a secondary battery, wherein, in claim 1, the fuse case further comprises a pair of elastic pieces formed on the upper surface of a base to allow a portion of the insulating body on the conductor side of the fuse to be elastically attached and detachably fitted from both sides. Claim 3 A fuse assembly for transporting a battery module of a secondary battery, characterized in that, in claim 1 or 2, a passage hole is formed in the base of the fuse case to expose the lead wire of the fuse to the lower part of the base, and a fitting groove is formed in the coupling part of the fuse case to insert the lead wire so as to maintain the bent deformation state of the lead wire exposed to the lower part of the base through the passage hole. Claim 4 A fuse assembly for transporting a battery module of a secondary battery, characterized in that, in claim 3, the lead wire of the fuse has an insulating coating layer formed on the surface of the portion excluding the portion that is electrically connected by contacting the exposed terminal of the battery module.

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