Interlock pin and battery pack having the same

• US 9,397,429 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2014
• Issued: 07/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung SDI Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Samsung SDI Company Limited
• Inventors: Kim, Myung-Chul
• Primary Examiner(s): Riyami, Abdullah
• Assistant Examiner(s): Burgos-Guntin, Nelson R
• Application Number:
  US14/475,208
• Publication Number:
  US 20150064983A1
• Time in Patent Office: 686 Days
• Field of Search: 439/692, 439/181, 439/507, 439/511, 439/512, 439/513
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/145 Structure borne vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/12 Recording operating variables ; Monitoring of operating variables
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/04 Pins or blades for co-operation with sockets
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/41 by frictional grip in grommet, panel or base
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/707 interlocked with contact members or counterpart
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An interlock pin includes a pin portion and a body portion. The pin portion includes a plurality of electrical input/output pins. The body portion accommodates at least a portion of the pin portion. In the interlock pin, the pins of the pin portion extend from the body portion along a first direction and, a furthest point from one end of the body portion is further along the first direction than a physical contact point between the body portion and the pin portion.

Claims

1. An interlock pin comprising:

a pin portion comprising a plurality of electrical input/output pins; and

a body portion accommodating at least a portion of the pin portion,

wherein the pins of the pin portion extend from a first end of the body portion in a first direction, and

a furthest point of the first end of the body portion from a second end of the body portion opposite the first end is further along the first direction than a furthest physical contact point between the body portion and the pin portion from the second end of the body portion along the first direction.

2. The interlock pin of claim 1, wherein one or more grooves are adjacent the physical contact point between the body portion and the pin portion.

3. The interlock pin of claim 2, wherein ones of the grooves are between the pins and at respective outer sides of the pins.

4. The interlock pin of claim 2, wherein the grooves extend around a perimeter of each of the pins.

5. The interlock pin of claim 2, wherein an upper surface of each of the grooves is upwardly curved.

6. The interlock pin of claim 1, wherein the body portion comprises protruding portions extending from a surface thereof, and the protruding portions are spaced from the pins.

7. The interlock pin of claim 6, wherein the protruding portions are at respective outer sides of the pins.

8. The interlock pin of claim 1, wherein the pin portion comprises an input pin, an output pin, and a connecting portion, the connecting portion coupling the input and output pins to each other.

9. The interlock pin of claim 1, wherein the pin portion comprises an input pin and an output pin, and

wherein the body portion comprises a conductive material and couples the input and output pins to each other.

10. A battery pack comprising:

an interlock pin comprising;

a pin portion comprising a plurality of input/output pins; and

a body portion accommodating at least a portion of the pin portion such that the pins of the in portion extend from a first end of the body portion in a first direction; and

a battery management system (BMS) comprising a control portion configured to accommodate the input/output pins,

wherein the BMS is configured to be electrically connected or disconnected by inserting or removing the input/output pins of the interlock pin into or from the control portion,

a physical contact point between the pin portion and the body portion is spaced from the control portion, and

a furthest point of the first end of the body portion from a second end of the body portion opposite the first end is further along the first direction than a furthest physical contact point between the body portion and the pin portion from the second end of the body portion along the first direction.

11. The battery pack of claim 10, further comprising:

a pack housing configured to accommodate one or more batteries and the BMS, the pack housing having an opening portion through which at least a portion of the control portion of the BMS is exposed; and

a cover portion configured to cover the opening portion, the cover portion having an interlock pin accommodating portion configured to accommodate at least a portion of the interlock pin.

12. The battery pack of claim 11, wherein a synthetic resin is between the interlock pin accommodating portion and the interlock pin.

13. The battery pack of claim 10, wherein the interlock pin has a groove at the physical contact point between the pin portion and the body portion and/or a protruding portion extending from a surface of the body portion.

14. The battery pack of claim 13, wherein a sum of a depth of the groove and a length of the protruding portion is greater than a width of the input/output pins.