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US 12,633,470 B2Granted
Systems and methods for reducing contactor freezing
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsVivek Kumar, Di Zhu, Sumanth Reddy Dadam
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and systems are provided for reducing contactor freezing. In one example, a system may include a contactor comprising a set of conductors and a phase change material. The phase change material is coupled to a first conductor of the set of conductors and is not positioned between the set of conductors.
Claims17
A contactor, comprising:
- a set of conductors;
- and
- a phase change material coupled to at least a first conductor of the set of conductors, wherein the phase change material is not positioned between the set of conductors, wherein the phase change material is positioned along an outer surface of the first conductor and/or along an outer surface of a second conductor of the set of conductors, and wherein the phase change material is not positioned between the first conductor and the second conductor, wherein the phase change material is contained by an enclosure, wherein a wall of the enclosure is a surface of the first conductor facing away from the second conductor and/or a surface of the second conductor facing away from the first conductor.
A battery circuit, comprising:
- a contactor including a set of conductors;
- and
- a phase change material in thermal contact with the set of conductors of the contactor, and wherein the set of conductors include a first conductor and a second conductor configured to be in face sharing contact when the contactor is activated to a closed position and wherein the phase change material is positioned on a face of the first conductor facing away from the second conductor and/or the phase change material is positioned on a face of the second conductor facing away from the first conductor and wherein the phase change material is contained by an enclosure, wherein a wall of the enclosure is a surface of the first conductor facing away from the second conductor and/or a surface of the second conductor facing away from the first conductor.
A vehicle, comprising:
- a battery pack;
- one or more contactors configured to modulate current flow to and from the battery pack;
- and
- a phase change material coupled to at least one contact of the one or more contactors, the one or more contactors including at least a first conductor facing a second conductor, and wherein the phase change material is within an enclosure, wherein a side of the first conductor facing away from the second conductor or a side of the second conductor facing away from the first conductor forms a wall of the enclosure.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.