Protective Element Concave Heating Body for Battery Modules

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional protective elements for secondary batteries, such as lithium ion batteries, face challenges in maintaining a reduced height while ensuring reliable blowout of low-melting point metal on a current path due to increased thickness and protruding portions, which can interrupt the flow of the metal when heated.

Innovation Solution

A protective element with a substrate having a concave portion, a heating body, and a second insulating member covering the heating body, along with electrodes and a low-melting point metal, where the heating body electrode is positioned at the same or lower height as the electrodes, allowing precise adjustment of the heating body and low-melting point metal positions to facilitate a reliable blowout without protrusion, thus maintaining a reduced height.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a conventional protective element structure with heating body, insulating layer and electrode is layered on substrate, then the protective function is achieved, but the entire thickness of the product is increased

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprotective functionVSAvoidthickness

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLength of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The heating body electrode is merged with the current path electrodes by positioning them at the same height level, eliminating the need for separate electrode structures and reducing overall thickness while maintaining protective functionality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The heating body is positioned in a concave portion of the substrate, utilizing vertical dimensionality to accommodate the heating function without increasing the horizontal footprint or overall thickness of the protective element

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Device complexity

If a comparative large protruding portion is formed on gap between electrodes to which low-melting point metal is connected, then the structure is simplified, but upon heating the low-melting point metal to be allowed to flow, the flux is interrupted that may cause a longer period of time for blowout

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovestructureVSAvoidblowout time

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of forming a protruding portion that interrupts flux, the heating body electrode is positioned at the same or lower level as the electrodes, creating a flat or recessed configuration that allows uninterrupted flux flow and faster blowout response

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The heating body is locally positioned in the concave portion of the substrate, providing targeted heating function without creating global structural protrusions that would interrupt the flux path

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

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 configuration enables a reliable and efficient blowout of the low-melting point metal on the current path by heat, reducing the overall thickness of the protective element and preventing flux interruption, thereby enhancing the protective element's performance and compactness.

Implementation Method 1

a heating body layered on the concave portion of the substrate... a low-melting point metal that is layered from the heating body electrode toward the first and second electrodes to cause a blowout of a current path between the first electrode and the second electrode by heating

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectJoule heating: Joule Heating

Implementation Method 2

a low-melting point metal that is layered from the heating body electrode toward the first and second electrodes to cause a blowout of a current path between the first electrode and the second electrode by heating

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMelting: Melting

Data Source

PatentUS9337671B2Protective element, protective element fabrication method, and battery module in which protective element is embedded

Publication Date: 2016.05.10 DEXERIALS CORP

AI summary

A protective element including a substrate having a first insulating member and a concave portion formed thereon, a heating body layered on the concave portion of the substrate, a second insulating member layered on the substrate so as to cover at least covering the heating body, first and second electrodes layered on a surface of the substrate on which the second insulating member is layered, a heating body electrode layered on the second insulating member so as to be superimposed with the heating body, and electrically connected to a current path between the first and the second electrodes as well as onto and the heating body, and a low-melting point metal layered from the heating body electrode toward the first and the second electrodes configured to cause a blowout of the current path between the first and the second electrodes by heating.