Lithium Ion Battery Safety Device with Segmented Vent Holes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Lithium ion batteries face safety issues due to potential short-circuits and overheating, which can lead to burning or explosion, as the conventional safety devices with a single air exhaust hole may block the vent passage when the rupture plate deforms, exacerbating the risk of ignition or explosion.
Innovation Solution
A safety device with a top cover featuring a central hole and multiple peripheral holes, a rupture plate connected to a vent plate via an insulating gasket, and a stepped vent plate design that allows air to vent even if the rupture plate blocks the central hole, ensuring prompt disconnection of the circuit and prevention of further pressure buildup.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single air exhaust hole is provided in the top cover, then the structure is simple, but the rupture plate may block the vent passage when it deforms upward under air pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The air exhaust hole is segmented into multiple peripheral holes arranged around the central area. This segmentation ensures that even if the rupture plate deforms and blocks the central region, air can still escape through the distributed peripheral holes, preventing complete vent passage blockage while maintaining structural simplicity.
2Reliability
If the rupture plate is made large to ensure sealing, then the sealing performance is improved, but the deformed rupture plate is more likely to block the air exhaust hole
Solution Approach 1:
The air exhaust function is segmented into multiple peripheral holes distributed around the top cover. This allows the rupture plate to maintain large sealing area while the venting function is distributed to multiple locations, reducing the probability that deformation will block all exhaust paths simultaneously.
3Volume of moving object
If the rupture plate is positioned close to the top cover for compact design, then the device size is reduced, but the deformed rupture plate can more easily block the air exhaust hole
Solution Approach 1:
The air exhaust holes are segmented into multiple peripheral openings distributed around the compact top cover. This segmentation ensures that even in a compact design where the rupture plate is positioned close to the cover, the distributed hole arrangement prevents complete blockage of the vent passage.
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 design enhances safety performance by preventing the rupture plate from blocking the air vent passage and allowing air to escape, reducing the risk of ignition or explosion, while the stepped vent plate facilitates prompt disconnection under pressure, effectively cutting off the current path and improving overall safety.
Implementation Method 1
When the lithium ion battery is overcharged or short-circuited, the expanded air in the lithium ion battery acts on the rupture plate via the air hole and urges the rupture plate to deform upwardly
Implementation Method 2
urges the rupture plate to deform upwardly
Implementation Method 3
an insulating gasket for electrically insulating the rupture plate from the vent plate except the soldering point
Implementation Method 4
electrically connected with the rupture plate via soldering or riveting
Implementation Method 5
If the air pressure in the lithium ion battery further increase, the rupture plate will break. The air can vent into the surroundings via the air exhaust hole
Data Source
AI summary
A safety device for use in a lithium ion battery includes a top cover defining a central hole and a number of peripheral holes set around the central hole, a rupture plate fixed to the bottom surface of the top cover and sealing the peripheral holes and the central hole, and a vent plate defining an air hole electrically connected to the rupture plate via an electrical connection point. Other part of the rupture plate is electrically insulated from the vent plate via an insulating gasket. The central hole and the peripheral holes around the central hole can prevent the deformed rupture plate from blocking the air vent passage of the lithium ion battery to improve the safety performance of the lithium ion battery.