Battery storage system and battery protection unit

Abstract

The present invention relates to a battery storage system and a battery protection unit and, more specifically, to a battery storage system including a rack door of a battery loading unit and a unit door of a battery protection unit, respectively, and a battery protection unit for simultaneously controlling the locking state of the unit door and the operation of a circuit breaker. According to the present invention, the battery storage system includes a unit door of a circuit breaker accommodation unit in addition to a rack door of a battery loading unit on which a battery is loaded such that the circuit breaker can be operated without opening the battery loading unit, thereby protecting a user from static electricity flowing in the battery. The battery protection unit according to the present invention includes a handle assembly capable of simultaneously controlling the operation of the circuit breaker and the locking state of the unit door according to rotations such that the unit door can be unlocked only when the circuit breaker is operated, thereby protecting a user from an electric shock accident.

Description

Battery storage system and battery protection unit

[0001] Cross-citation with related applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0076429, filed June 14, 2023, and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0005248, filed January 12, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0003] Technology field

[0004] 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 locking state of the unit door and the operation of a circuit breaker are simultaneously controlled.

[0005] Unlike primary batteries, which are non-rechargeable, secondary batteries can be recharged and discharged. Low-capacity secondary batteries are used in small, portable electronic devices such as cell phones, laptops, and camcorders, while high-capacity batteries are widely used as power sources for motors in hybrid vehicles and other vehicles.

[0006] Secondary batteries can be utilized in the form of battery cells. A battery cell consists of a positive electrode, a separator, and a negative electrode, layered sequentially within an outer shell, with the internal space filled with an electrolyte. Meanwhile, multiple battery cells can be electrically connected to form a battery module or pack. Multiple battery modules / packs can be stored in a battery rack for simultaneous management.

[0007] Battery racks are sometimes installed with door racks to protect batteries and other items loaded inside, but they have various spatial limitations and problems.

[0008] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a battery storage system and a battery protection unit in which an opening / closing door is installed separately from a rack door in a circuit breaker receiving section, and the locking state of the opening / closing door and the operation of the circuit breaker can be simultaneously controlled.

[0009] A battery storage system according to the present invention comprises: 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, wherein the battery protection unit comprises: a circuit breaker for cutting off power supplied to the battery; a main body for accommodating the circuit breaker; and a unit door coupled to the main body of the circuit breaker.

[0010] The above battery protection unit can control the operation of the circuit breaker depending on whether the unit door for the main body is locked.

[0011] The above battery protection unit can stop the operation of the circuit breaker when the unit door is in a locked state, and can operate the circuit breaker when the unit door is in an unlocked state.

[0012] The above unit door can be controlled to open and close separately from the above rack door.

[0013] Meanwhile, a battery protection unit according to the present invention includes a circuit breaker for cutting off current supplied to a battery; a main body for accommodating the circuit breaker; a unit door coupled to the main body; a handle assembly for opening and closing the unit door according to a rotation operation; and a shaft assembly protruding from the main body, fastened to the handle assembly, and rotating together when the handle assembly is rotated, wherein the circuit breaker is connected to the shaft assembly and can cut off or release the current from being supplied to the battery according to a rotational direction of the shaft assembly.

[0014] The handle assembly includes a door handle configured to be rotatable; a rotating body coupled to the door handle and rotating together with the rotation of the door handle, the rotating body having an opening into which the shaft assembly is fitted and rotating the shaft assembly; and a locking member fixedly coupled to the unit door and locking or unlocking the unit door depending on the rotational direction of the shaft assembly, wherein the rotating body can be rotatably fastened to the locking member.

[0015] 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 depending on the rotational direction of the shaft assembly; and a connecting member connecting the first member and the second member.

[0016] The above rotating body includes a first body to which the door handle is coupled; a second body coupled to the first body with the locking member interposed therebetween; and a connecting member insertion port into which the connecting member is inserted may be formed between the first body and the second body.

[0017] The above connecting member insertion port can be formed to extend to one side by the rotation radius of the above rotating body.

[0018] 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.

[0019] The first shaft may have a prism shape, and the opening may have a shape corresponding to the prism shape of the first shaft so that the first shaft can be fitted.

[0020] The above protrusion can be formed to protrude in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the second shaft extends.

[0021] The second member is provided with a shaft insertion groove into which the shaft assembly is inserted, and a projection engaging groove formed on the inside of the shaft insertion groove and arranged so that the projection is inserted or removed depending on the rotational direction of the shaft assembly, and the unit door is locked when the projection is inserted into the projection engaging groove, and can be unlocked when the projection is removed from the projection engaging groove.

[0022] The circuit breaker may include a switch connected to a power supply circuit that supplies power from the battery and turning 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, and rotating together with the rotation of the shaft assembly and moving to a switch-on position or a switch-off position to control the on / off operation of the switch.

[0023] The switch comprises a fixed contactor installed in a fixed position; and a movable contactor 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 is rotated, wherein the other end can come into contact with the fixed contactor when the switch lever is moved to the switch-on position and can be separated from the fixed contactor when the switch lever is moved to the switch-off position.

[0024] The shaft assembly can be rotated in a direction that locks the unit door to move the switch lever to the switch-on position, and can be rotated in a direction that unlocks the unit door to move the switch lever to the switch-off position.

[0025] One or more handle portions may be formed on the above main body portion.

[0026] The battery storage system according to the present invention includes a unit door of a circuit breaker receiving section in addition to a rack door of a battery loading section where batteries are loaded, thereby enabling the circuit breaker to be operated without opening the battery loading section, thereby protecting the user from static electricity flowing through the battery.

[0027] 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 according to rotation, thereby enabling the unit door to be unlocked only when the circuit breaker is operated, thereby protecting the user from electric shock accidents.

[0028] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a conventional battery storage system.

[0029] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing a battery storage system according to the present invention.

[0030] Figure 3 is a perspective view showing a battery protection unit according to the present invention with the unit door closed.

[0031] Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the unlocked state of the unit door in the battery protection unit according to the present invention.

[0032] Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing a state in which the unit door is set to a locked state in a battery protection unit according to the present invention.

[0033] Figure 6a is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the coupling structure of a locking member in a battery protection unit according to the present invention.

[0034] FIG. 6b is a perspective view showing the external structure of the rotating body in the battery protection unit according to the present invention.

[0035] Figure 7a is a perspective view showing a battery protection unit according to the present invention with the unit door open.

[0036] Figure 7b is an enlarged view of part A of Figure 7a.

[0037] FIG. 8A 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.

[0038] FIG. 8b is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing a shaft assembly fully inserted into a handle assembly in a battery protection unit according to the present invention.

[0039] FIG. 8c is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the shaft assembly rotating in accordance with the rotation of the handle assembly in the battery protection unit according to the present invention.

[0040] FIG. 8d is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing a state in which the unit door is locked according to the rotation of the shaft assembly in the battery protection unit according to the present invention.

[0041] FIG. 8e is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the unit door is locked according to the rotation of the shaft assembly in the battery protection unit according to the present invention.

[0042] Figure 9a is an enlarged view of part B of Figure 8b.

[0043] Figure 9b is an enlarged view of part C of Figure 8e.

[0044] FIG. 10a is a drawing schematically showing the connection structure of a door handle assembly and a circuit breaker switch in a battery protection unit according to the present invention.

[0045] Figure 10b is a drawing explaining the switch-on operation in the battery protection unit according to the present invention.

[0046] Figure 10c is a drawing explaining a switch-off operation in a battery protection unit according to the present invention.

[0047] In some of the accompanying drawings, corresponding components are designated by the same reference numerals. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the drawings illustrate elements simply and clearly and are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, to facilitate understanding of various embodiments, the dimensions of some elements depicted in the drawings may be exaggerated relative to other elements. Furthermore, elements of known technology that are useful or essential in commercially feasible embodiments may often not be depicted so as not to obscure the spirit of various embodiments of the present invention.

[0048] Hereinafter, with reference to the attached drawings, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the invention. However, the present invention may be implemented in various different forms and is not limited or restricted by the following examples.

[0049] In order to clearly explain the present invention, a detailed description of a part that is irrelevant to the description or a related known technology that may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention has been omitted, and when adding reference signs to components of each drawing in this specification, the same or similar reference signs are attached to the same or similar components throughout the specification.

[0050] In addition, terms and words used in this specification and claims should not be interpreted as limited to their usual or dictionary meanings, but should be interpreted as meanings and concepts that conform to the technical idea of ​​the present invention based on the principle that the inventor can appropriately define the concept of the term to explain his or her own invention in the best way.

[0051] A battery rack is a unit assembly of batteries in which multiple 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 loaded with a circuit breaker that cuts off the power supplied to the batteries. Typically, these battery racks are equipped with doors to minimize exposure of the loaded batteries and circuit breakers to the outside. However, conventional doors have various problems. To overcome these problems with conventional doors, battery racks are sometimes used without doors. However, when a battery rack is not equipped with a door, the loaded batteries and circuit breakers are exposed to the outside, causing problems such as particles entering the batteries or circuit breakers.

[0052] Figure 1 illustrates a conventional battery storage system with a door installed on a battery rack. Here, the battery storage system comprises 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).

[0053] The user must operate the circuit breaker (2) to supply or cut off current to the battery (1) during charging and discharging of the battery (1). The frame door (4) illustrated in Fig. 1 is an integrated door that comprehensively 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), and thus, there is a problem that the risk of, for example, an electric shock accident increases during the operation of the circuit breaker (2).

[0054] In consideration of the problems of the conventional door rack, the present invention proposes a battery storage system and battery protection unit that are both aesthetically pleasing and ensures user safety by separately installing a door that covers the circuit breaker (2).

[0055] Hereinafter, a battery storage system and a battery protection unit according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0056]

[0057] battery storage system

[0058] 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 a battery storage system according to the present invention, with a separately installed unit door closed.

[0059] Referring to FIG. 2, the battery storage system according to the present invention includes a battery loading section (20) on which a battery is 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 charging and discharging of the battery.

[0060] A battery is a device that supplies power to electronic devices, and its most basic unit is the battery cell. A battery cell can have a structure in which a positive electrode, a separator, and a negative electrode are sequentially layered within an outer shell, with the inner space of the outer shell filled with an electrolyte. Multiple battery cells are connected in series and / or parallel and then enclosed within a frame to form a battery module. Assembly of these battery modules can form a battery pack.

[0061] The battery loading unit (20) is a loading frame for loading batteries. Here, the battery can be understood as a concept encompassing battery cells, battery modules, and battery packs. Meanwhile, there are no particular limitations on the structure of the battery loading unit (20), and the battery loading unit (2) according to one embodiment can have a structure in which multiple loading columns capable of loading multiple batteries in the vertical direction are combined, as illustrated in FIG. 2.

[0062] The rack door (30) is an opening / closing door attached to the battery loading section (20), and can serve to protect the battery built into the battery loading section (20) from the outside. Similar to the battery loading section (20) described above, there is no particular limitation 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 section, and may also have various structures such as a double-door door or a sliding door.

[0063] Meanwhile, referring to FIG. 3, the battery protection unit (10) is installed on one side of the battery loading section (20) (in the present embodiment, it is installed on the top of the battery loading section (20), and may include a circuit breaker (120, see FIG. 10a, for example) for blocking power supplied to the battery, a main body (100) that accommodates the circuit breaker (120) therein, and a unit door (300) coupled to the main body (100).

[0064] A 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 caused by abnormal current flowing in the circuit. There is no particular limitation on the type of circuit breaker (120) according to the present invention, and may include a wiring circuit breaker that cuts off high loads and short circuits within a circuit, and a leakage circuit breaker with an added leakage function that detects a leakage current in an alternating current with a ground wire and then cuts off the current. Specific details regarding the internal configuration and connection structure of the circuit breaker (120) will be described in detail later.

[0065] The main body (100) is a circuit breaker housing case that houses a circuit breaker (120) therein, and there are no special restrictions on its external structure. A unit door (300) that controls the opening and closing of the main body (100) may be coupled to one side of the main body (100). Accordingly, the unit door (300) coupled to the main body (100) is controlled to be opened and closed separately from the rack door (30) coupled to the battery loading section (20), so that a user can operate the circuit breaker (120) by opening only the unit door (300), for example. That is, in this case, the user can operate the circuit breaker (120) by opening only the unit door (300) without opening the rack door (30).

[0066] That is, the battery storage system according to the present invention has the advantageous effect of preventing external particles from unnecessarily entering the battery and protecting the user from static electricity flowing through the battery, since the unit door (300) can be kept closed during the process of operating the circuit breaker (120).

[0067] 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) of the main body (100) is locked. For example, according to one embodiment, the battery protection unit (10) may be designed to stop the operation of the circuit breaker (120) when the unit door (300) is in a locked state (e.g., a state in which current is supplied to the battery), and to operate the circuit breaker (120) when the unit door (300) is in an unlocked state (e.g., a state in which current is not supplied to the battery).

[0068] Therefore, for example, when the circuit breaker is not operated and current is supplied to the battery, the unit door (300) is set to be locked so that the user cannot open the unit door (300), and when the circuit breaker is operated and current is not supplied to the battery, the unit door (300) is unlocked so that the user can open the unit door (300). Therefore, in this case, the user can open the unit door (300) coupled 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, etc., flowing in the main body (100).

[0069]

[0070] Battery protection unit

[0071] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state in which the unit door (300) is unlocked in the battery protection unit according to the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a state in which the unit door (300) is set in the lock state in the battery protection unit according to the present invention. That is, in the case of FIG. 4, the door handle (210) is facing downwards and then rotates counterclockwise about 90° as indicated by the arrow, thereby opening the unit door (300) and unlocking the lock state. On the other hand, in the case of FIG. 5, the door handle (210) is rotated clockwise about 90° and the unit door (300) is closed, thereby setting the lock state.

[0072] FIG. 6A is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the coupling structure of a locking member (230) in a 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), and a shaft insertion groove (233) may be formed in the second member (232) into which a shaft assembly (130, for example, see FIG. 7A) to be described later is inserted.

[0073] For example, the first member (231) is configured to be fixedly connected to the unit door (300), and when the handle assembly (200) is connected to the locking member (230), the first member (231) can be provided on the outside of the rotating body (220).

[0074] The second member (232) is configured such that the shaft assembly (130) is inserted as the unit door (300) approaches the main body (100), and a shaft insertion groove (233) may be formed in the second member (232). In this case, as the shaft assembly (130) inserted into the shaft insertion groove (233) rotates, the unit door (300) can be locked or unlocked. In addition, the second member (232) may include a configuration in which the shaft assembly (130) rotated in one direction is inserted 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 inserted into the configuration, and thus the unit door (300) can be unlocked. Meanwhile, when the rotating body (220) is fastened to the locking member (230), the second member (232) can be provided on the inside of the rotating body (220).

[0075] The connecting member (235) is configured to connect the first member (231) and the second member (232), and one or more may be formed between the first member (231) and the second member (232). The empty 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 that guides the rotation of the rotating body (220) when the rotating body (220) is fastened to the locking member (230).

[0076] 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.

[0077] 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 hole (224) may be formed between the first body (221) and the second body (222).

[0078] For example, the first body (221) is configured to be located outside the unit door (300) when the handle assembly (200) is installed in the unit door (300), and a door handle (210) can be coupled to the first body (221). In addition, the second body (222) is configured to be located inside the unit door (300) when the handle assembly (200) is installed in the unit door (300), and the second body (222) can be coupled to the first body (221) with a locking member (230) therebetween.

[0079] The connecting member insertion hole (224) between the first body (221) and the second body (222) is a through hole through which the connecting member (235) of the locking member (230) is inserted when the locking member (230) and the rotating body (220) are fastened. The connecting member insertion holes (224) may be formed in a number corresponding to the number of connecting members (235). In addition, since the connecting member (235) rotates together with the rotation of the rotating body (220), the connecting member insertion hole (224) may be formed to extend to one side so that the rotating connecting member (235) can pass through.

[0080] Fig. 7a is a perspective view showing a state in which the unit door is open in a battery protection unit according to the present invention, and Fig. 7b is an enlarged view of part A of Fig. 7a.

[0081] Referring to FIGS. 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.

[0082] Meanwhile, the first shaft (131) may have a prism shape, and the opening (223) formed in the second body (222) may have a shape corresponding to the prism shape of the first shaft (131) so that the first shaft (131) can be fitted therein. In this case, the shape of the opening (223) corresponds to the angular bottom shape of the first shaft (131), so that there is an advantageous effect in that torque due to rotation of the second body (222) is effectively transmitted to the first shaft (131).

[0083] The protrusion (133) is formed on the second shaft (132) and may be formed to protrude in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the second shaft (132) extends. 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 engaging groove (234) formed on the inside of the shaft insertion groove (223) and configured to allow the protrusion (133) to be inserted or removed depending on the rotational direction of the shaft assembly (130).

[0084] In this case, the unit door (300) is locked as the protrusion (133) is fitted into the protrusion engaging groove (234), and is unlocked as the protrusion (133) is removed from the protrusion engaging groove (234), so there is an advantage in that the unit door (300) can be locked or unlocked with a relatively simple structure.

[0085] FIG. 8 is a drawing explaining a process of locking the unit door as the shaft assembly (130) rotates after being inserted into the handle assembly (200) in the battery protection unit according to the present invention. For example, FIG. 8a is a longitudinal sectional view showing the moment when the shaft assembly (130) is inserted into the handle assembly (200), and FIG. 8b is a longitudinal sectional view showing the shaft assembly (130) being completely inserted into the handle assembly (200). FIG. 8c is a longitudinal sectional view showing the shaft assembly (130) rotating as the handle assembly (200) rotates, and FIG. 8d is a longitudinal sectional view showing the unit door (300) being set to a locked state as the shaft assembly (130) rotates. Finally, FIG. 8e is a cross-sectional view showing the unit door (300) being set to a locked state as the shaft assembly (130) rotates.

[0086] First, FIGS. 8a and 8b are longitudinal cross-sectional views illustrating a process in which a shaft assembly (130) is inserted into a handle assembly (200). In the process of closing the unit door (300), the handle assembly (200) installed in the unit door (300) approaches the main body (100) and gradually gets closer to the shaft assembly (130) protruding from the main body (100). Thereafter, in the case of closing the unit door (300) where the unit door (300) meets the main body (100), the shaft assembly (130) is inserted into the shaft insertion groove (223) formed in the handle assembly (200). Here, a protrusion engaging groove (234) is formed in the shaft insertion groove (233), but the protrusion (133) of the shaft assembly (130) is not fitted into the protrusion engaging groove (234), so that the user can open the unit door (300) by pulling the handle assembly (200). That is, at this stage, the unit door (300) is not yet locked.

[0087] Next, FIGS. 8c and 8d are longitudinal cross-sectional views illustrating a process in which the unit door (300) is locked as the shaft assembly (130) rotates in one direction. When the user rotates the door handle (210) in one direction, the rotary body (220) coupled to the door handle (210) also rotates in the same direction. Here, the first shaft (131) is fitted into the opening (223) of the rotary body (220), so that the shaft assembly (130) rotates in the same direction as the rotary body (220). That is, the shaft assembly (130) is dependent on the rotation of the door handle (210), and rotates in the same amount as the door handle (210) rotates. Thereafter, when the door handle (210) rotates by a certain angle (e.g., 90 degrees), the protrusion (133) of the shaft assembly (130) is fitted into 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) is locked.

[0088] Fig. 8e is a cross-sectional view showing the protrusion (133) fitted into the protrusion engaging groove (234). Since the protrusion (133) is fitted into the protrusion engaging groove (234), the user cannot open the unit door by pulling the handle assembly (200). Meanwhile, the user can turn the door handle (210) in the other direction by a certain angle (e.g., 90 degrees) to detach the protrusion (133) from the protrusion engaging groove (234). In this case, the unit door (300) is unlocked, and the user can open the unit door (300) by pulling the handle assembly (200).

[0089] Figure 9a is an enlarged view of part B of Figure 8b, and Figure 9b is an enlarged view of part C of Figure 8e.

[0090] Referring to FIGS. 9A and 9B, the positional relationship between the protrusion (133) and the protrusion engaging groove (234) in the unlocked and locked states of the unit door (300), respectively, is illustrated. FIG. 9A illustrates a case where the unit door (300) is not locked, and the protrusion (133) is not fitted into the protrusion engaging groove (234). FIG. 9B illustrates a case where the unit door (300) is locked, and the protrusion (133) is fitted into the protrusion engaging groove (234).

[0091] FIG. 10 is a drawing illustrating the operating principle of a circuit breaker (120) in a battery protection unit according to the present invention. For example, FIG. 10a is a drawing schematically illustrating the connection structure of a door handle assembly and a circuit breaker switch, FIG. 10b is a drawing illustrating a switch-on operation, and FIG. 10c is a drawing illustrating a switch-off operation.

[0092] As illustrated in FIG. 10A, the circuit breaker (120) may include a switch (122) that is installed in a power supply circuit (121) that supplies power from a battery and turns the power supply circuit (121) on / 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 may 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) may be turned on, and when the switch lever (125) moves to the switch-off position, the switch (122) may be turned off.

[0093] A battery protection unit (10) according to the present invention includes a circuit breaker (120) for blocking current supplied to a battery, a main body (100) for accommodating the circuit breaker (120), a unit door (300) coupled to the main body (100), a handle assembly (200) for opening and closing the unit door (300) according to a rotation operation, and a shaft assembly (130) that is formed to protrude from the main body (100) and is fastened to the handle assembly (200) so as to rotate together when the handle assembly (200) rotates. Here, the circuit breaker (120) is connected to the shaft assembly (130) and can block or release the current supplied to the battery according to the rotation direction of the shaft assembly (130).

[0094] According to the battery protection unit (10) according to the present invention having the above structure, a user can control the operation of the circuit breaker (120) by rotating the handle assembly (200), and thus can control 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 accommodates the circuit breaker (120), and thus has the advantageous effect of preventing an electric shock accident caused by static electricity, etc., flowing in the circuit breaker (120).

[0095] The handle assembly (200) locks or unlocks the unit door (300) according to a rotation operation, and can have various configurations. For example, the handle assembly (200) may include a door handle (210) that is provided to be externally rotatable, a rotating body (220) that rotates together according to the rotation operation of the door handle (210), and a locking member (230) that is fastened to the handle unit door (300) and participates in locking and unlocking the unit door (300).

[0096] For example, the door handle (210) may have various configurations as it is provided to enable rotational operation from the outside. For example, as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, the door handle (210) may have a rod-shaped handle structure coupled to a rotation body (220).

[0097] The rotating body (220) is coupled with the door handle (210) and rotates together with the rotation of the door handle (210). An opening (223) into which a shaft assembly (130) described later is fitted may be formed in the rotating body (220). In this case, as the unit door (300) approaches the main body (100), the shaft assembly (130) is fitted into the opening (223), and thereafter, as the rotating body (220) rotates in accordance with the rotation operation of the door handle (210), the shaft assembly (130) may also rotate together.

[0098] The locking member (230) locks or unlocks the unit door (300) depending on the rotational direction of the shaft assembly (130), and may include a configuration in which the shaft assembly (130) rotated in one direction is fitted to lock the unit door (300). At this time, when the shaft assembly (130) rotates in the other direction, the shaft assembly (130) is no longer fitted to the configuration, so that the unit door (300) can be unlocked.

[0099] 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), so that the shaft assembly (130) inside the device can be rotated by rotating the door handle (210) from the outside of the device. The door handle (210) can lock the unit door (300) by rotating in one direction, and can unlock the unit door (300) by rotating in the other direction. FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate a scene where the door handle (210) is rotated counterclockwise to lock the unit door (300) and is rotated clockwise to unlock the unit door (300). Meanwhile, unlike as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, it is also possible to unlock the unit door (300) by rotating the door handle (210) clockwise, and to lock the unit door (300) by rotating the door handle (210) counterclockwise.

[0100] In particular, the shaft assembly (130) is connected to a circuit breaker (120) inside the device and can operate the circuit breaker (120) by rotating it, so that the user can operate the circuit breaker (120) inside the device by rotating the door handle (210) outside the device, which has the advantageous effect.

[0101] Meanwhile, the locking member (230) can be fixedly connected to the unit door (300), and the rotating body (220) can be rotatably connected to the locking member (230). In this case, since the locking member (230) is fixedly connected to the unit door (300), the locking member (230) can be fixed in place even when the rotating body (220) rotates.

[0102] The battery protection unit (10) according to the present invention has the advantageous effect of firmly fastening a door handle (210) that can be rotated from the outside and a rotary body (220) that rotates together with the rotation of the door handle (210) to the unit door (300) by including a locking member (230) having the above structure.

[0103] As described above, the shaft assembly (130) rotates together with the rotation of the door handle (210), and the power supply circuit (121) can be turned on / off by the rotation operation of the door handle (210). In this case, the user can operate the circuit breaker (120) by rotating the door handle (210) from the outside, so the power supply circuit (121) can be turned on / off without being directly exposed to the circuit breaker (120). In particular, the circuit breaker (120) is electrically connected to the power supply circuit (121), and thus a small amount of current or static electricity can flow. In this case, there is an advantage in that electric shock accidents can be prevented.

[0104] The switch (122) may include a fixed contactor (123) and a movable contactor (124). Here, the fixed contactor (123) is installed in a fixed position, and the movable contactor (124) may include one end (124a) fixedly installed in 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. At this time, the other end (124b) may come into contact with the fixed contactor (123) when the switch lever (125) moves to the switch-on position, and may be separated from the fixed contactor (123) when the switch lever (125) moves to the switch-off position.

[0105] The switch lever (125) is coupled to the shaft assembly (130) and can turn on / off the switch (122) by rotating in a direction different from the rotation axis direction of the shaft assembly (130) when the shaft assembly (130) rotates. The central axis of the switch lever (125) and the rotation axis of the shaft assembly (130) can be perpendicular. In particular, as shown in FIGS. 10b and 10c, the switch lever (125) can have a shaft shape extending in a direction perpendicular to the rotation 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 that locks the unit door (300), and can move to a switch-off position when the shaft assembly (130) rotates in a direction that unlocks the unit door (300).

[0106] Meanwhile, the switch lever (125) is located inside the main body (100), is coupled to the first shaft (131) of the shaft assembly (130), and can move to the switch-on position or the switch-off position according to the rotation of the first shaft (131).

[0107] The main body (100) may be formed with one or more handle parts (110), in which case, there is an advantageous effect of improving user convenience while carrying the main body (100). Meanwhile, there is no particular limitation on the formation location and number of handle parts (110) on the main body (100).

[0108] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to limited embodiments and drawings, the present invention is not limited thereto, and various embodiments are possible within the scope equivalent to the technical idea of ​​the present invention and the patent claims to be described below by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains.

[0109]

[0110] [Explanation of symbols]

[0111] 10: Battery protection unit

[0112] 20: Battery compartment

[0113] 30: Rack door

[0114] 100: Main body

[0115] 110: Handle

[0116] 120: Circuit breaker

[0117] 121: Power supply circuit

[0118] 122: Switch

[0119] 123: Fixed contact

[0120] 124: Movable contact

[0121] 124a: First part

[0122] 124b: Other end

[0123] 125: Switch lever

[0124] 130: Shaft assembly

[0125] 131: First shaft

[0126] 132: Second shaft

[0127] 133: Protrusion

[0128] 200: Handle assembly

[0129] 210: Door handle

[0130] 220: Rotating body

[0131] 221: First Body

[0132] 222: Second Body

[0133] 223: Aperture

[0134] 224: Connecting member insertion hole

[0135] 230: Locking absence

[0136] 231: First Absence

[0137] 232: Second Absence

[0138] 233: Shaft insertion groove

[0139] 234: Groove for joining the protrusion

[0140] 235: Absence of connection

[0141] 300: Unit Door

Claims

1. Battery loading section where batteries are loaded; a rack door coupled to the above battery loading section; and It includes a battery protection unit installed on one side of the battery loading section and controlling charging and discharging of the battery. The above battery protection unit, A circuit breaker that cuts off the power supplied to the above battery; A main body that accommodates the circuit breaker; and A battery storage system characterized by including a unit door coupled to the main body of the circuit breaker.

2. In claim 1, A battery storage system characterized in that the battery protection unit controls the operation of the circuit breaker depending on whether the unit door for the main body is locked.

3. In claim 2, A battery storage system characterized in that the battery protection unit stops the operation of the circuit breaker when the unit door is in a locked state and operates the circuit breaker when the unit door is in an unlocked state.

4. In claim 1, A battery storage system characterized in that the unit door is controlled to open and close separately from the rack door.

5. Circuit breaker that cuts off the current supplied to the battery; A main body that accommodates the above circuit breaker; A unit door coupled to the above main body; A handle assembly for opening and closing the unit door according to a rotation operation; and A shaft assembly is formed by protruding from the main body and is connected to the handle assembly and rotates together when the handle assembly rotates. A battery protection unit characterized in that the circuit breaker is connected to the shaft assembly and blocks or releases the current supplied to the battery depending on the rotational direction of the shaft assembly.

6. In claim 5, The above handle assembly, Door handles provided for rotational operation; A rotating body coupled with the door handle and rotating together with the rotation of the door handle, the rotating body having an opening into which the shaft assembly is fitted and rotating the shaft assembly; It is fixedly connected to the unit door and includes a locking member that locks or unlocks the unit door depending on the rotation direction of the shaft assembly. A battery protection unit, characterized in that the above rotating body is rotatably connected to the locking member.

7. In claim 6, The above locking member is, A first member provided on the outside of the above rotating body and fixedly connected to the unit door; A second member provided on the inside of the above rotating body and locking or unlocking the unit door according to the rotation direction of the shaft assembly; and A battery protection unit characterized by including a connecting member connecting the first member and the second member.

8. In claim 7, The above rotating body, A first body to which the door handle is coupled; A second body is included that is coupled to the first body with the locking member interposed therebetween, A battery protection unit characterized in that a connecting member insertion hole into which the connecting member is inserted is formed between the first body and the second body.

9. In claim 8, A battery protection unit characterized in that the above connecting member insertion port is formed to extend to one side by the rotation radius of the above rotating body.

10. In claim 7, The above shaft assembly, A first shaft formed by protruding from the main body; a second shaft extending from the first shaft toward the unit door; and A battery protection unit characterized by including a protrusion formed on the second shaft in a direction different from the direction in which the second shaft extends.

11. In claim 10, The above first shaft has a cylindrical shape, A battery protection unit, characterized in that the above opening has a shape corresponding to the cylindrical shape of the first shaft so that the first shaft can be fitted.

12. In claim 10, A battery protection unit characterized in that the above protrusion is formed to protrude in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the second shaft extends.

13. In claim 12, The second member is provided with a shaft insertion groove into which the shaft assembly is inserted and a projection engaging groove formed on the inside of the shaft insertion groove and arranged so that the projection is inserted or removed depending on the rotational direction of the shaft assembly. A battery protection unit characterized in that the unit door is locked when the protrusion is fitted into the protrusion engaging groove, and is unlocked when the protrusion is removed from the protrusion engaging groove.

14. In claim 6, The above circuit breaker is, A switch connected to a power supply circuit that supplies power to the battery and turns the power supply circuit on / off; and A battery protection unit characterized by including a switch lever that is coupled to the shaft assembly so as to extend in a direction different from the rotational axis direction of the shaft assembly, rotates together with the 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.

15. In claim 14, The above switch is, Fixed contacts installed in fixed locations; and One end is fixed to the power supply circuit, and the other end is coupled to the switch lever and includes a movable contactor that moves together when the switch lever is rotated. A battery protection unit characterized in that the other end comes into contact with 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. In claim 15, A battery protection unit characterized in that the shaft assembly rotates in a direction that locks the unit door to move the switch lever to the switch-on position, and rotates in a direction that unlocks the unit door to move the switch lever to the switch-off position.

17. In claim 5, A battery protection unit characterized in that at least one handle portion is formed on the main body portion.

Images