Degassing unit and electronics housing, in particular battery housing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11245156-B2
Application number	US-202015930500-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 13, 2020
Priority date	May 13, 2019
Publication date	Feb 8, 2022
Grant date	Feb 8, 2022

Abstract

A degassing unit for an electronics housing has a base body to be connected fluid-tightly to a rim of a pressure compensation opening of the electronics housing. The base body has a gas passage opening covered by a semipermeable membrane that enables passage of gaseous media but prevents passage of liquid and solids. A fluid-permeable protective screen with screen openings is arranged at an inner side of the base body across the gas passage opening. The base body has a thread engagement region for screw-connecting the degassing unit to the electronics housing. The protective screen has a screw through opening aligned with the thread engagement region of the base body. At the screw through opening, a thread engagement region of the protective screen is provided that fixes the protective screen by a threaded fastening element immediately relative to the electronics housing in a mounted state of the degassing unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A degassing unit for an electronics housing, the degassing unit comprising:
a base body configured to be connected fluid-tightly to a rim of a pressure compensation opening of the electronics housing, the base body comprising at least one gas passage opening;
a semipermeable membrane covering the at least one gas passage opening, wherein the semipermeable membrane enables passage of gaseous media from an environment into the electronics housing and from the electronics housing to the environment, but prevents passage of liquid media and solids;
a protective screen configured to be fluid-permeable and comprising a plurality of screen openings, wherein the protective screen is arranged at an inner side of the base body and at least partially engages across the at least one gas passage opening;
wherein the base body comprises a thread engagement region configured to screw-connect the degassing unit to the electronics housing;
wherein the protective screen comprises a screw through opening substantially aligned with the thread engagement region of the base body;
wherein, in a region of the screw through opening of the protective screen, a thread engagement region of the protective screen is provided that is configured to fix the protective screen by a threaded fastening element immediately relative to the electronics housing in a mounted state of the degassing unit at the electronics housing.

2. The degassing unit according to claim 1 , wherein the semipermeable membrane is disposed at the inner side of the base body and is engaged at least partially from behind by the protective screen.

3. The degassing unit according to claim 1 , wherein the thread engagement region of the base body comprises a bore that is open toward the inner side of the base body and is configured to receive the threaded fastening element from the inner side of the base body.

4. The degassing unit according to claim 3 , wherein the bore is a blind bore.

5. The degassing unit according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one thread engagement region of the base body is configured to be free of metal.

6. The degassing unit according to claim 1 , wherein the protective screen is a sheet metal part.

7. The degassing unit according to claim 6 , wherein the thread engagement region of the protective screen is embodied as one piece together with the protective screen.

8. The degassing unit according to claim 7 , wherein the thread engagement region of the protective screen is an engagement section projecting radially into the screw through opening of the protective screen and comprising at least one engagement tab configured to produce, in the mounted state of the degassing unit at the electronics housing, a form-fit contact with the threaded fastening element.

9. The degassing unit according to claim 1 , wherein the protective screen is at least fixed relative to the base body.

10. The degassing unit according to claim 9 , wherein the protective screen comprises a securing tongue projecting in a direction toward the base body and received in a corresponding securing opening of the base body so that the protective screen is fixed relative to the base body.

11. The degassing unit according to claim 10 , wherein the securing tongue is pressed into the corresponding securing opening and/or thermally connected to the corresponding securing opening.

12. The degassing unit according to claim 10 , wherein the securing tongue comprises a toothing.

13. The degassing unit according to claim 10 , wherein the securing tongue is a part of a bulge provided at the protective screen and comprising a predetermined diameter.

14. The degassing unit according to claim 13 , wherein the bulge comprises substantially a shape of a spherical cap or of a cupola, wherein the securing tongue is at least partially formed by a slot in the bulge, wherein the bulge comprises a central through opening.

15. The degassing unit according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of said thread engagement region of the base body are provided and surround the at least one gas passage opening and wherein, correspondingly, a plurality of said screw through opening and a plurality of said thread engagement region of the protective screen are provided.

16. The degassing unit according to claim 15 , wherein said plurality of said thread engagement region of the base body, said plurality of said screw through opening, and said plurality of said thread engagement region of the protective screen are arranged in regular angular spacings relative to each other, respectively.

17. The degassing unit according to claim 1 , wherein the semipermeable membrane is connected circumferentially to a rim of the at least one gas passage opening of the base body.

18. The degassing unit according to claim 17 , wherein the semipermeable membrane is connected circumferentially to the rim of the at least one gas passage opening of the base body by welding.

19. The degassing unit according to claim 1 , further comprising a cover connected to the base body, wherein the cover comprises at least one venting opening.

20. The degassing unit according to claim 19 , wherein the cover is fastened by a locking element to the base body.

21. The degassing unit according to claim 1 , further comprising a housing seal surrounding circumferentially the at least one gas passage opening of the base body at the inner side.

22. An electronics housing comprising at least one housing wall with a pressure compensation opening, wherein the pressure compensation opening is closed by a degassing unit according to claim 1 .

23. The electronics housing according to claim 22 , wherein the degassing unit is connected from an interior space of the electronics housing by a threaded fastening element to the at least one housing wall, wherein the threaded fastening element engages directly the thread engagement region of the protective screen.

24. The electronics housing according to claim 22 , wherein the at least one housing wall comprises at an outer side a sealing surface circumferentially extending about the pressure compensation opening, wherein the degassing unit comprises a housing seal surrounding circumferentially the at least one gas passage opening of the base body at the inner side, wherein the housing seal is resting against the sealing surface in the mounted state of the degassing unit at the electronics housing.

25. The electronics housing according to claim 22 , wherein the electronics housing is a battery housing.

26. The electronics housing according to claim 22 , wherein the threaded fastening element is a self-tapping screw.

Assignees

• Mann & Hummel Gmbh

Inventors

• Zbiral Robert
• Muench Peter

Classifications

• H01M50/394 Primary

  Gas-pervious parts or elements · CPC title

• H01M2220/20

  Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane · CPC title

• Y02E60/10

  Energy storage using batteries · CPC title