Fuse and battery pack containing the fuse
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A battery pack comprising:
- a plurality of batteries having terminal electrodes, said batteries being arranged parallel to each other; and
a plurality of fuses connecting said batteries in series via said terminal electrodes, each of said fuses comprising a laminate comprising a plurality of metal plates having different thermal expansion coefficients laminated together, wherein said metal plates have melting portions which are melted and cut off when an overcurrent flows through said fuse, and wherein said fuses are connect to said terminal electrodes such that when said fuses are melted and cut off by heat generated by the overflow current, a mechanical deforming force caused by the different thermal expansion coefficients of said metal plates is applied to said melted portions of said fuses such that said melting portions of said fuses are deformed in a direction away from said batteries so as to be separated from said batteries.
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Abstract
A fuse is melted and cut off when an overcurrent flows through the fuse. The fuse has a different thermal expansion coefficient metal laminate obtained by laminating a plurality of different thermal expansion coefficient metal plates. When the fuse is melted and cut off by heat of the overcurrent, a mechanical deforming force is applied to a melting portion of the fuse. The mechanical force is caused by the difference between thermal expansion coefficients of the different thermal expansion coefficient metal plates.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. A battery pack comprising:
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a plurality of batteries having terminal electrodes, said batteries being arranged parallel to each other; and
a plurality of fuses connecting said batteries in series via said terminal electrodes, each of said fuses comprising a laminate comprising a plurality of metal plates having different thermal expansion coefficients laminated together, wherein said metal plates have melting portions which are melted and cut off when an overcurrent flows through said fuse, and wherein said fuses are connect to said terminal electrodes such that when said fuses are melted and cut off by heat generated by the overflow current, a mechanical deforming force caused by the different thermal expansion coefficients of said metal plates is applied to said melted portions of said fuses such that said melting portions of said fuses are deformed in a direction away from said batteries so as to be separated from said batteries. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
said laminate further comprises a thin copper plate of a Cu—
Ni—
Mn alloy sandwiched between said low thermal expansion coefficient plate and said high thermal expansion coefficient plate.
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10. A battery pack according to claim 1, wherein each of said fuses is shaped such that opposite end potions on opposite sides of said melting portion are wider than said melting portion.
Specification