Short-circuit element and a circuit using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9953792-B2
Application number	US-201514819061-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 5, 2015
Priority date	Feb 5, 2013
Publication date	Apr 24, 2018
Grant date	Apr 24, 2018

Abstract

A bypass avoiding only abnormal cells or abnormal electronic components in an electronic appliance having a plurality of battery cells or electronic components is formed to decrease resistance while keeping functionality.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A short-circuit element comprising:
an insulating substrate;
a first and a second heat-generating resistors formed on the insulating substrate;
a first and a second electrodes arranged adjacently to each other on the insulating substrate;
a third electrode arranged adjacently to the first electrode on the insulating substrate and electrically connected to the first heat-generating resistor;
a fourth electrode arranged adjacently to the second electrode on the insulating substrate and electrically connected to the second heat-generating resistor;
a first meltable conductor arranged between the first and third electrodes to constitute a current path capable of being blown by a heat generated by the first heat-generating resistor; and
a second meltable conductor arranged between the second and fourth electrodes to constitute a current path capable of being blown by a heat generated by the second heat-generating resistor,
wherein the first and second meltable conductors are melted by the heat from the first and second heat-generating resistors and gather on the first and second electrodes to short-circuit the first and second electrodes.

2. The short-circuit element according to claim 1 , wherein one of the first and second meltable conductors is blown prior to the other.

3. The short-circuit element according to claim 2 further comprising an insulating layer laminated on the insulating substrate,
wherein the first to fourth electrodes are arranged on the insulating layer, and
wherein the first and second heat-generating resistors are disposed within the insulating layer or between the insulating layer and the insulating substrate.

4. The short-circuit element according to claim 2 , wherein the first and second heat-generating resistors are disposed within the insulating substrate.

5. The short-circuit element according to claim 2 , wherein the first and second heat-generating resistors are disposed on a surface of the insulating substrate opposite to an electrode-forming surface.

6. The short-circuit element according to claim 2 , wherein the first and second heat-generating resistors are disposed on an electrode-forming surface of the insulating substrate.

7. The short-circuit element according to claim 2 , wherein surfaces of the first electrode and the second electrode are coated with one of Ni/Au plating, Ni/Pd plating and Ni/Pd/Au plating.

8. The short-circuit element according to claim 2 , wherein the first electrode has an area wider than that of the third electrode, and the second electrode has an area wider than that of the fourth electrode.

9. The short-circuit element according to claim 2 further comprising:
a covering member arranged on the insulating substrate for internal protection; and
a covering member electrode arranged on an inner surface of the covering member,
wherein the covering member electrode is arranged at a position which overlaps the first electrode and the second electrode.

10. The short-circuit element according to claim 2 further comprising a protective resistor arranged on the insulating substrate and connected to one of the first electrode and the second electrode.

11. The short-circuit element according to claim 2 , wherein the first and second meltable conductors are a Pb free solder consisting essentially of Sn.

12. The short-circuit element according to claim 2 ,
wherein the first and second meltable conductors contain a low melting point metal and a high melting point metal, and
wherein the low melting point metal is melted by a heat generated by the heat-generating resistor and erodes the high melting point metal.

13. The short-circuit element according to claim 12 ,
wherein the low melting point metal is a solder, and
wherein the high melting point metal is Ag, Cu or an alloy consisting essentially of Ag or Cu.

14. The short-circuit element according to claim 12 , wherein the first and second meltable conductors have a coated structure in which the low melting point metal constitutes an inner layer and the high melting point metal constitutes an outer layer.

15. The short-circuit element according to claim 12 , wherein the first and second meltable conductors have a coated structure in which the high melting point metal constitutes an inner layer and the low melting point metal constitutes an outer layer.

16. The short-circuit element according to claim 12 , wherein the first and second meltable conductors have a laminated structure in which the low melting point metal and the high melting point metal are laminated.

17. The short-circuit element according to claim 12 , wherein the first and second meltable conductors have a multi-layered structure having four or more layers in which the low melting point metal and the high melting point metal are alternately laminated.

18. The short-circuit element according to claim 12 , wherein the first and second meltable conductors have a stripe-shaped structure in which the high melting point metal partially overlaps a surface of the low melting point metal.

19. The short-circuit element according to claim 12 , wherein the first and second meltable conductors are constituted of a high melting point metal having a plurality of openings and a low melting point metal inserted in the openings.

20. The short-circuit element according to claim 12 , wherein, in the first and second meltable conductors, the volume of the low melting point metal is larger than that of the high melting point metal.

21. The short-circuit element according to claim 2 ,
wherein a first external connecting electrode continuous with the first electrode on the same surface as the meltable conductor, one or more first external connecting terminals provided on the first external connecting electrode, a second external connecting electrode continuous with the second electrode, and one or more second external connecting terminals provided on the second external connecting electrode are formed on the insulating substrate, and
wherein a combined resistance of the first external connecting terminal and the second external connecting terminal is lower than a conduction resistance between the first and second external connecting electrodes when the first electrode and the second electrode are short-circuited.

22. The short-circuit element according to claim 21 , wherein the external connecting terminal is one of a metal bump and a metal post.

23. The short-circuit element according to claim 22 , wherein in the metal bump or metal post, a low melting point metal layer is formed on a high melting point metal surface.

24. The short-circuit element according to claim 23 , wherein the high melting point metal consists essentially of copper or silver, and the low melting point metal is a lead-free solder consisting essentially of tin.

25. The short-circuit element according to claim 21 , wherein the external connecting terminal is a metal bump made of a lead-free solder consisting essentially of tin.

26. The short-circuit element according to claim 2 , wherein one of the first and second meltable conductors is narrower than the other such that the narrower one is blown prior to the other.

27. The short-circuit element according to claim 26 further comprising an insulating layer laminated on the insulating substrate,
wherein the first to fourth electrodes are arranged on the insulating layer, a

Assignees

• Dexerials Corp

Inventors

• Yoneda Yoshihiro

Classifications

• H01M10/482

  for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially · CPC title

• H01H37/767

  Normally open · CPC title

• H01M10/441

  for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially · CPC title

• H01M2200/108

  Normal resistors · CPC title

• H01H85/055 Primary

  Fusible members · CPC title