Thermally-activated switch for short-circuiting a battery cell

• US 5,898,356 A
• Filed: 07/29/1996
• Issued: 04/27/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Agence Spatiale Europeenne
• Original Assignee: Agence Spatiale Europeenne
• Inventors: Dudley, Geoffrey John, Gascoyne, Peter Ffrecheville
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gandhi, Jayprakash N.
• Application Number:
  US08/687,955
• Time in Patent Office: 1,002 Days
• Field of Search: 337/14, 337/15, 337/17, 337/21, 337/298, 337/300, 337/308, 337/309, 337/327, 337/329, 337/331, 337/125
• US Class Current: 337/15
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2037/768 characterised by the composition of the fusible material
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 37/323 making use of shape memory materials in thermal relays H01H61/0107; release mechanism H01H71/145; treatment of SMF alloys C22F1/006; for control of temperature G05D23/024
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 37/767 Normally open
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 79/00 Protective switches in which excess current causes the closing of contacts, e.g. for short-circuiting the apparatus to be protected H01H39/004 takes precedence

Abstract

A thermally activated short-circuit switch for connection in parallel with a battery cell has first and second contact elements (6; 3) which are distinct from the electrodes of a diode, and thermally activatable means (45) for short-circuiting the first and second contact elements (6; 3). The first and second contact elements have respective first and second regions (6; 3) facing each other, and said thermally activatable means (45) is mechanically linked to the first contact element (6).

Claims

1. A thermally activated short-circuiting switch designed to be connected in parallel with a battery cell comprising;

first and second contact elements, thermally activatable means for causing the first and second contact elements to be short-circuited, the switch having a first state in which it is not activated and a second state in which it is activated and forms a short circuit between the first and second contact elements, the first and second contact elements have first and second regions which face each other, and said thermally activatable means being mechanically linked at least to said first contact element in said first state of the switch;

said first contact element including a housing and a mass of metal disposed therein constituting said thermally activatable means, said first and second regions of the first and second contact elements are spaced apart such that dome of liquid which tends to form upon melting of the mass of metal produces a short-circuit between said first and second regions.

2. A switch according to claim 1, wherein said first and second regions are separated by a cavity having a height that is smaller than the height of the dome of liquid that the mass of metal housed in the first contact element would tend to form in an empty space.

3. A switch according to claim 2, wherein the housing includes an annular ring and a plane face within the annular ring and facing the second contact element.

4. A switch according to claim 2, wherein the housing includes an outline coated in a material that is not wettable by said mass of metal when the metal is in a liquid state.

5. A switch according to claim 1, wherein the housing includes an annular ring and a plane face within the annular ring and facing the second contact element.

6. A switch according to claim 1, wherein the housing includes an outline coated in a material that is not wettable by said mass of metal when the metal is in a liquid state.