Sealed Battery Protection Circuit Module for Aerosol Heaters
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional protection circuit modules in aerosol-generating devices are vulnerable to malfunction due to exposure to foreign substances, such as moisture or dust, which can lead to battery overheating or explosion, as the circuit elements are directly exposed or protected by inadequate coverings.
Innovation Solution
A protection circuit module with an integrated circuit and passive elements is housed in a sealed package module, connected to a circuit board, ensuring the elements are protected from exposure and securely mounted to the battery, with a connector to an external circuit board for electrical interconnection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If circuit elements are mounted on the printed circuit board surface, then the device complexity is reduced and ease of manufacture is improved, but the reliability deteriorates due to exposure to foreign substances
Solution Approach 1:
The protection circuit module is nested within a sealed package that is integrated into the housing structure. The package contains the printed circuit board with all circuit elements mounted on its surface, creating a nested configuration where the PCB is inside the sealed package, which is inside the housing. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining ease of manufacture through standard PCB mounting while achieving reliability through the nested sealed structure that protects against foreign substances.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealed package acts as an intermediary between the circuit elements and the external environment containing foreign substances. The package includes a sealed cavity with moisture barriers and filtering holes that allow necessary gas exchange while blocking harmful foreign substances. This intermediary structure enables the circuit elements to maintain their simple PCB-mounted configuration while being protected from reliability-threatening contaminants.
2Reliability
If a separate component covers the circuit elements, then the protection against foreign substances is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases due to additional assembly steps
Solution Approach 1:
The housing structure is merged with the package structure to create an integrated sealed enclosure. The package includes a first wall forming part of the housing and a second wall sealed to the first wall, creating a unified structure that combines mechanical support with protective enclosure functions. This merging eliminates the need for separate covering components and reduces assembly complexity while maintaining effective protection against foreign substances.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealed package serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides mechanical support for the PCB, creates a sealed protective environment, enables gas exchange through filtering holes, and integrates with the housing structure. By making the package multi-functional, the design avoids adding separate components for each function, thereby reducing overall device complexity while achieving comprehensive protection.
3Reliability
If the package is hermetically sealed, then the protection against moisture and dust is maximized, but the gas exchange between internal and external environments is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The package structure implements different quality characteristics in different locations: the walls are hermetically sealed to provide maximum protection, while specific localized regions contain filtering holes that permit controlled gas exchange. The filtering holes are strategically positioned and sized to allow necessary gas flow while blocking moisture and dust particles, thus achieving both protection and adaptability through spatial differentiation of structural properties.
Data Source
AI summary
A protection circuit module and an aerosol-generating device including the same are disclosed. The aerosol-generating device of the disclosure includes a heater for heating an aerosol-generating substance, a first circuit board on which a controller for controlling operation of the heater is mounted, a battery for supplying electric power to the heater under the control of the controller, and a protection circuit module electrically connected to the battery to control at least one function of the battery. The protection circuit module includes a package module including an integrated circuit, including multiple active elements and passive elements to protect the battery, in an inner sealed space therein, the package module being in contact with the battery, a connector coupled to the first circuit board, and a second circuit board, on which the connector and the package module are mounted and which electrically interconnects the connector and the package module.