Battery module with fusible conductors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016111757-A1
Application number	US-201514670756-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 27, 2015
Priority date	Oct 20, 2014
Publication date	Apr 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A battery module including at least one battery cell, a shunt resistor above a safety vent of the battery cell, and a plurality of fusible conductors connecting the shunt resistor to a charging/discharging current path. The shunt resistor measures a charging/discharging current of the battery cell. The fusible conductors include a material which melts when heated by a gas discharged through the safety vent.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A battery module, comprising:
at least one battery cell; a shunt resistor above a safety vent of the battery cell, the shunt resistor to measure a charging/discharging current of the battery cell; and a plurality of fusible conductors connecting the shunt resistor to a charging/discharging current path, the fusible conductors including a material which melts when heated by a gas discharged through the safety vent.

2 . The battery module as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
a protective circuit between the battery cell and the shunt resistor.

3 . The battery module as claimed in claim 2 , further comprising:
a conductive pattern on the protective circuit and including the charging/discharging current path, and the fusible conductors connect the shunt resistor to the conductive pattern.

4 . The battery module as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the protective circuit includes:
a circuit board including an opening, wherein the shunt resistor directly faces the safety vent through the opening.

5 . The battery module as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the fusible conductors are around the opening.

6 . The battery module as claimed in claim 2 , wherein:
the battery module includes first and second battery cells the first and second battery cells include first and second output terminals having opposite polarities, and a connection wiring is connected to the protective circuit to conduct a charging/discharging current from the first or second output terminal.

7 . The battery module as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the connection wiring includes a protrusion integrally protruding from the first or second output terminal toward the protective circuit.

8 . The battery module as claimed in claim 2 , wherein detection wiring is connected to the protective circuit for collecting a voltage detection signal from the battery cell.

9 . The battery module as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the detection wiring extends from a bus bar electrically connecting a plurality of battery cells.

10 . The battery module as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the detection wiring includes a protrusion integrally protruding from the bus bar toward the protective circuit.

11 . The battery module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the fusible conductors include solder.

12 . A battery module, comprising:
at least one battery cell; a sensor to measure a current of the battery cell; a circuit breaker connected between the sensor and a current path, wherein the current of the battery cell flows through the current path and wherein the circuit breaker disrupts the current path when pressure inside the battery cell exceeds a predetermined level.

13 . The battery module as claimed in claim 12 , wherein:
the circuit breaker includes a conductor, and the conductor includes a material which melts when heated.

14 . The battery module as claimed in claim 13 , wherein:
the at least one battery cell includes a vent, the vent is to release heated gas when the pressure inside the battery cell exceeds the predetermined level, and the conductor is to melt by the heated gas to disrupt the current path.

15 . The battery module as claimed in claim 14 , further comprising:
a circuit board between the vent and the sensor, wherein the circuit board includes a hole and wherein the circuit breaker is adjacent the hole to receive the heated gas.

16 . The battery module as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the sensor includes a resistor.

17 . The battery module as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the current is a discharge current or a charging current.

18 . The battery module as claimed in claim 12 , further comprising:
a plurality of battery cells, and at least one spacer to separate adjacent ones of the battery cells by a predetermined distance.

19 . The battery module as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the circuit breaker is between terminals of the at least one battery cell.

20 . A battery cell, comprising:
a vent; terminals; a sensor to measure a current between the terminals; and a circuit breaker connected between the sensor and a current path, wherein the current of the battery cell flows through the current path and wherein the circuit breaker includes a conductor which is to melt when heated gas is released from the vent, the heated gas to be released from the vent when pressure inside the battery cell exceeds a predetermined level, the melting of the conductor to disrupt the current path.

Assignees

• Samsung Sdi Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Sukkyum
• Kwon Byungdon

Classifications

• H01M10/482

  for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially · CPC title

• H01M50/553

  Terminals adapted for prismatic, pouch or rectangular cells · CPC title

• H01M50/55

  on the same side of the cell · CPC title

• H01M50/507

  comprising an arrangement of two or more busbars within a container structure, e.g. busbar modules · CPC title

• H01M50/519

  comprising printed circuit boards [PCB] · CPC title