Battery Switching Contacts With Interlock Against Short Circuits
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery switching devices are prone to short-circuiting due to mechanical deformation or improper contact alignment, particularly when switching between series and parallel connections.
Innovation Solution
A battery switching device with a first and second contact device, each comprising movable contacts and parallel/series contacts, and a connection restriction mechanism to prevent simultaneous connection of specific contacts, ensuring safe and reliable switching between series and parallel configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single changeover-contact switch or relay is used to switch between series and parallel connection of batteries, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability deteriorates due to risk of short-circuiting when the switch or relay is fixed or deformed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the switching function into multiple independent contact devices (first changeover-contact switch and second changeover-contact switch) instead of using a single switch or relay. Each contact device controls specific contacts independently, so that if one device is fixed or deformed, it will not cause short-circuiting of the battery system. This segmentation of the switching function resolves the contradiction by maintaining reliability while accepting increased device complexity.
2Ease of operation
If a relay with movable body is used for switching, then the ease of operation is improved through automated switching, but the reliability worsens when the movable body is retracted to neutral position and contacts face each other with space, allowing deformation to cause contact and short-circuiting
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the contact devices such that the contacts are positioned and oriented in advance to face away from each other when the movable body is in the neutral position. This preliminary positioning prevents the possibility of short-circuiting due to deformation, as the contacts are not in a state where they can accidentally contact each other. The switching mechanism maintains automated operation while ensuring safety through this preliminary spatial arrangement.
3Reliability
If multiple contact devices are used to prevent short-circuiting, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases with more switching components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the switching functions for series and parallel connections into two dedicated changeover-contact switches, where each switch handles specific contact pairs. This merging of related switching functions into specialized components achieves reliable short-circuit prevention while minimizing the total number of components needed, compared to using multiple independent switches or a complex single relay system.
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a battery switching device including: a first contact device including a first movable contact and a first parallel contact to which the first movable contact is connected or disconnected; and a second contact device including a second movable contact, a series contact to which the second movable contact is connected or disconnected, and a second parallel contact to which the second movable contact is connected or disconnected; and a connection restriction unit configured to prevent the second movable contact from being connected to the series contact in a state where the first movable contact is connected to the first parallel contact and prevent the first movable contact from being connected to the first parallel contact in a state where the second movable contact is connected to the series contact.