Battery Housing Pressure Relief Closure With Reusable Clamp Release
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing protection devices for sealed housings, such as battery systems, face challenges in managing rapid pressure increases due to temperature fluctuations or defects, leading to mechanical stress and potential burst or collapse, with current solutions like rupture disks being expensive, non-reusable, and difficult to adapt to changing pressures.
Innovation Solution
A protection device with a closure member that transitions between sealed and open states without destruction, featuring a clamping member with spring legs that decouple to allow pressure release at a predetermined pressure, enabling easy testing and repeated use, and incorporating a membrane for pressure compensation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If rupture disks are used to release pressure, then pressure can be reduced rapidly, but the device cannot be reused and requires expensive replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The closure member transitions from a static sealed state to a dynamic open state through controlled displacement. The spring-loaded closure member can be reset and reused, unlike traditional rupture disks. The system dynamically responds to pressure changes while maintaining reusability through the elastic deformation and recovery of the spring mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of discarding the entire pressure relief device after one use (as with rupture disks), the invention recovers and reuses the closure member. The spring mechanism allows the closure member to return to its original position after pressure release, enabling multiple cycles of use without replacement.
2Manufacturing precision
If rupture disks are manufactured with precise opening pressure, then pressure control is accurate, but manufacturing costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The opening pressure is controlled by adjusting the spring force parameter rather than requiring precise manufacturing tolerances on the disk itself. The spring constant and pre-load can be adjusted to achieve the desired opening pressure, providing a more cost-effective and flexible manufacturing approach compared to precision-controlled rupture disk thickness or material properties.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If membranes are used for pressure compensation, then the housing is protected from environmental influences, but the flow rate is limited and cannot handle rapid pressure build-up
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure relief function is segmented into two distinct mechanisms: the membrane provides continuous low-rate pressure compensation and environmental protection, while the spring-loaded closure member provides high-rate emergency pressure relief. This segmentation allows each component to optimize its specific function without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring-loaded closure member acts as an intermediary mechanism between the membrane and the external environment. When pressure exceeds the spring force, the closure member opens to provide a large flow cross-section for rapid pressure equalization, while the membrane remains intact to maintain environmental protection after pressure relief.
4Reliability
If the closure member is held firmly by the clamping member, then sealing is reliable, but pressure release is delayed
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical connection between the clamping member and closure member is replaced with a spring-based elastic connection. This allows the closure member to be held firmly during normal operation while enabling rapid release when pressure exceeds the spring force, eliminating the delay associated with mechanical unclamping mechanisms.
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
The solution effectively reduces relative pressure within the housing, preventing mechanical stress and allowing for reliable and repeatable operation, while being cost-effective and adaptable to different pressure settings.
Implementation Method 1
the spring leg, in particular a first portion of the spring leg, abuts against a first abutment surface of the closure member. The first abutment surface is configured so that, upon displacement of the closure member in the displacement direction to the second operating state, to displace and/or deform at least part of the spring leg
Implementation Method 2
These membranes allow for air passage into and/or out of the housing while protecting the interior of the housing from entry of water and dirt
Data Source
AI summary
A protection device for discharging pressure from a housing has a closure that seals an opening of the housing in a first operating state. A bearing guides the closure to a second operating state without destruction. A clamp is coupled to the closure in the first operating state and positions the closure on the housing. The closure releases the opening of the housing in the second operating state so that the clamp is decoupled from the closure member. In the first operating state, a spring leg of the clamp abuts a first abutment surface of the closure, and the first abutment surface is configured, upon displacement of the closure in the displacement direction to the second operating state, to displace the spring leg such that the spring leg contacts a guide of the bearing and is displaced by the guide such that the spring leg is decoupled from the closure.