Bus Bar Structure Integrating Fuse Case to Reduce PCB Area
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional bus bar structures in battery packs limit the size and volume of printed circuit boards (PCBs) due to the placement of fuses on the PCB, which restricts the reduction of the area occupied by the PCB and subsequently the battery pack.
Innovation Solution
A bus bar structure with a fuse case between the bus bars, where the fuse wire is integrated within the fuse case and exposed to contact the bus bars, allowing for a more compact design by removing the need for fuses on the PCB, with various configurations such as grooves, 'U' shaped, hollow rectangular, and rectangular pillar shapes to facilitate contact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If fuses are arranged on the PCB in one-to-one correspondence with bus bars, then overcurrent protection is achieved, but the area occupied by the PCB cannot be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The fuse is extracted from the PCB and integrated into the bus bar structure itself. The fuse case is formed as part of the bus bar assembly, allowing the fuse wire to be positioned between the bus bars without requiring separate PCB mounting space for fuses. This extraction resolves the contradiction by maintaining overcurrent protection functionality while eliminating the area occupation on the PCB.
Solution Approach 2:
The fuse function is merged with the bus bar structure. The fuse case is integrated into the bus bar assembly, and the fuse wire is positioned to contact both bus bars directly. This merging allows the protective function to be combined with the conductive structure, eliminating the need for separate fuse mounting on the PCB and thereby reducing PCB area.
2Reliability
If fuses are arranged on the PCB, then electrical path protection is achieved, but the volume of the battery pack cannot be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The fuse case is merged with the bus bar structure to form an integrated assembly. The fuse wire is positioned between the bus bars and contacts them directly, combining the protective function with the electrical connection structure. This integration eliminates separate components and reduces the overall volume of the battery pack while maintaining electrical path protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The fuse is nested within the bus bar structure. The fuse case is formed as part of the bus bar assembly, and the fuse wire is positioned within the space between the bus bars. This nesting approach allows the fuse to be housed within the existing structural envelope of the bus bar assembly, minimizing additional volume requirements and thereby reducing battery pack volume.
3Reliability
If fuses are arranged on the PCB, then current monitoring is achieved, but the PCB area occupied is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The fuse is extracted from the PCB and repositioned within the bus bar structure. The fuse wire directly contacts the bus bars to monitor and protect against overcurrent, while the fuse case is integrated into the bus bar assembly. This extraction eliminates the need for fuse mounting on the PCB, thereby reducing PCB area while maintaining current monitoring capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The fuse wire acts as an intermediary between the bus bars and the protection circuit. By positioning the fuse wire to directly contact the bus bars within the integrated structure, current monitoring is achieved through the fuse's inherent properties without requiring separate PCB-mounted components, thus reducing PCB area.
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
This design reduces the size and area occupied by the PCB, thereby minimizing the volume of the battery pack by integrating the fuse within the bus bar structure, allowing for a more compact and efficient battery pack configuration.
Implementation Method 1
The fuse cuts off overcurrent which sequentially passes through the battery cell and the bus bar, and flows into the PCB
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided is a bus bar structure which may be suitable for reducing an occupied area of a printed circuit board (PCB) by removing a fuse from the PCB in an interconnect board (ICB) assembly of a battery pack. According to the present disclosure, the bus bar structure may include: bus bars which face each other and are arranged below the PCB in the ICB assembly of the battery pack; and a fuse case between the bus bars, wherein the fuse case includes a fuse wire therein and is configured to bring the fuse wire into contact with the bus bars via at least one end thereof.