Fusible link design for lithium-ion 18650 cells
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorGreg R. Day
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Aspects disclosed herein provide a fusible link system and/or method configured to protect an electrical system/circuit, e.g., a battery comprising a plurality of cells, from a current overload. To that end, the fusible link system comprises a conductive substrate and one or more first terminals that electrically connected to the conductive substrate. Each of the one or more first terminals comprises one or more structural properties configured to maintain an electrical connection with the conductive substrate when a current load on the first terminal is less than a predetermined maximum and sever the electrical connection with the conductive substrate when the current load on the first terminal equals or exceeds the predetermined maximum.
Claims20
A fusible link system comprising:
- a conductive substrate;
- and
- one or more first terminals electrically connected to the conductive substrate;
- one or more second terminals electrically connected to the conductive substrate;
- one or more conductors spaced from the conductive substrate and each corresponding to one of the one or more first terminals and to one of the one or more second terminals:
- wherein each of the one or more first terminals comprises one or more structural properties configured to:
- maintain an electrical connection with the conductive substrate when a current load on the first terminal is less than a predetermined maximum;
- and
- sever the electrical connection with the conductive substrate when the current load on the first terminal equals or exceeds the predetermined maximum;
- wherein each of the one or more second terminals comprises one or more structural properties configured to:
- maintain the electrical connection with the conductive substrate when the current load on the second terminal is less than the predetermined maximum;
- and
- sever the electrical connection with the conductive substrate when the current load on the second terminal equals or exceeds the predetermined maximum.
A method of protecting a battery comprising a plurality of cells from a current overload, the method comprising:
- aligning a fusible link system with the battery to align a first contact of a corresponding one of the plurality of cells with a corresponding first terminal of the fusible link system, the fusible link system comprising:
- a conductive substrate comprising a plurality of openings with each of the openings comprising:
- a conductor that is spaced from the conductive substrate;
- one or more first terminals electrically connected to the conductive substrate and to the conductor;
- and
- one or more second terminals electrically connected to the conductive substrate and to the conductor;
- electrically connecting each of one or more of the conductors to the first contact of a corresponding one of the plurality of cells;
- wherein each of the one or more first terminals comprises one or more structural properties configured to:
- maintain the electrical connection with the conductive substrate when a current load on the first terminal is less than a predetermined maximum;
- and
- sever the electrical connection with the conductive substrate when the current load on the first terminal equals or exceeds the predetermined maximum.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.