Battery Protection Circuit With Fusible Solder for Trigger Cell Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing battery modules face challenges in detecting a trigger cell from which heat propagates without using temperature sensors, leading to difficulties in managing heat propagation and increasing manufacturing costs.

Innovation Solution

A protection circuit module with a substrate, wire, solder, and cover design that includes a metal with a lower melting point to detect and block heat propagation from a trigger cell, utilizing a migration path for vaporized metal and a heat-resistant cover to maintain structural integrity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If temperature sensors are applied to all battery cells to detect trigger cells, then detection accuracy is improved, but manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetrigger cell detection accuracyVSAvoidmanufacturing cost
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the temperature sensing function from dedicated temperature sensors and implements it through the existing wire structure. The wire includes a low-melting-point metal segment that melts at a specific temperature to detect thermal conditions, eliminating the need for separate temperature sensors on each battery cell while maintaining detection capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The wire structure is designed to serve multiple functions: electrical connection and temperature detection. By incorporating the low-melting-point metal into the wire, the same component performs both electrical conduction and thermal sensing, reducing the total number of components and manufacturing complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If temperature sensors are applied to all battery cells to detect trigger cells, then heat propagation management is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheat propagation managementVSAvoidsensor system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the temperature sensing function from dedicated temperature sensors and implements it through the existing wire structure. The wire includes a low-melting-point metal segment that melts at a specific temperature to detect thermal conditions, eliminating the need for separate temperature sensors on each battery cell while maintaining detection capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The wire structure is designed to serve multiple functions: electrical connection and temperature detection. By incorporating the low-melting-point metal into the wire, the same component performs both electrical conduction and thermal sensing, reducing the total number of components and manufacturing complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Measurement precision

If a low-melting-point metal is used in the wire to detect heat, then trigger cell detection capability is improved, but wire structural integrity may worsen

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvethermal detection capabilityVSAvoidwire structural integrity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by creating a localized low-melting-point metal segment within the wire rather than making the entire wire from low-melting-point material. This segment acts as a thermal indicator while the rest of the wire maintains its original high-strength, high-conductivity material properties, preserving overall wire integrity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The wire is designed as a composite structure combining different materials: a low-melting-point metal segment for thermal detection and high-strength, high-conductivity material for the remainder of the wire. This composite approach allows the wire to simultaneously achieve thermal sensitivity and mechanical strength.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Enables detection of a trigger cell without temperature sensors, reducing manufacturing costs while effectively blocking heat propagation and ensuring safety performance.

Implementation Method 1

a solder including a second metal having a melting point lower than a melting point of the first metal

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectMelting: Melting

Implementation Method 2

provides a migration path for vaporized second metal upon vaporization of the second metal

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectVaporization: Evaporation

Implementation Method 3

a cover forming at least one hole and covering at least a portion of the solder

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPhysical containment: Physical Containment

Implementation Method 4

a solder including a second metal having a melting point lower than a melting point of the first metal and the second metal being inserted into at least a portion of the opening to join ends of the wire separated by the opening

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSoldering: Soldering

Data Source

PatentEP4614665A1Protection circuit module and battery module comprising the same
Publication Date: 2025.09.10 SAMSUNG SDI CO LTD
  • EP4614665A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4614665A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4614665A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Disclosed are a protection circuit module and a battery module capable of detecting a trigger cell in which heat propagation occurs within the battery module, even when heat propagation occurs in a battery cell that does not have a temperature sensor. The protection circuit module includes: a substrate; a wire disposed on the substrate to form an opening in at least a portion of the wire and the wire including a first metal; a solder including a second metal having a melting point lower than a melting point of the first metal and the second metal being inserted into at least a portion of the opening to join end of the wire separated by the opening; and a cover forming at least one hole and covering at least a portion of the solder.