Battery Overcharge Safety Device Using Swelling Pressure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery cell overcharge safety devices do not effectively prevent ignition or explosion due to overcharging, as they rely on mechanical disconnection which may not be reliable under swelling pressure.
Innovation Solution
An overcharge safety device that utilizes the expansion pressure of gas produced in a battery cell to disconnect the lead tap from the bus bar through a movable guide member, ensuring current cutoff and preventing further charging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a mechanical disconnection device is used to interrupt current flow, then the device structure is simple, but the reliability of current cutoff under swelling pressure is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful swelling pressure that causes battery failure into a beneficial force that triggers the safety mechanism. When the battery pouch swells due to overcharge or degradation, the expansion pressure moves the guide member, which in turn actuates the switch to disconnect the lead tap from the bus bar, reliably cutting off the current.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide member serves as an intermediary element between the swelling pouch and the switch mechanism. It translates the radial expansion motion of the pouch into linear motion that pushes the movable contact away from the fixed contact, ensuring reliable disconnection without requiring direct mechanical connection between the pouch and switch.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the switch remains connected to ensure continuous current flow, then the electrical connectivity is maintained, but the battery cell may be ignited or exploded when overcharged
Solution Approach 1:
The device implements a passive feedback mechanism where the physical state of the battery (pouch swelling) automatically triggers the safety response (current cutoff). The guide member continuously monitors the pouch expansion and activates the disconnect switch when the swelling reaches a critical level, ensuring the battery protects itself without external intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The safety device enables the battery to self-protect against overcharge dangers. The swelling pouch itself provides the actuation force needed to trigger the disconnect mechanism, eliminating the need for external sensors, power sources, or control systems. The battery system serves its own safety needs through this self-actuating mechanism.
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
Effectively prevents battery cell ignition or explosion by reliably cutting off the current when overcharging occurs, enhancing safety and durability by using the expansion pressure to trigger disconnection.
Implementation Method 1
capable of cutting off a current by using the expansion pressure of gas produced in a battery cell
Data Source
AI summary
An overcharge safety device includes a switch electrically connecting a lead tap of a battery cell with a bus bar, and includes a guide member connected with the switch and movable as a pouch of the battery cell swells. As the pouch of the battery cell swells, the guide member moves toward the bus bar to disconnect the switch from the lead tap.