U.S. patent application number 15/361826 was filed with the patent office on 2017-08-10 for ultra capacitor module.
The applicant listed for this patent is LS Mtron Ltd.. Invention is credited to Jung-Gul LEE, Yong-Hyeon YOO.
Application Number | 20170229254 15/361826 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 59411139 |
Filed Date | 2017-08-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20170229254 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
YOO; Yong-Hyeon ; et
al. |
August 10, 2017 |
ULTRA CAPACITOR MODULE
Abstract
An ultra capacitor module includes a first ultra capacitor
having a first polar terminal provided with a screw thread A formed
on an outer peripheral surface, a second ultra capacitor having a
second polar terminal provided with a screw thread A formed on an
outer peripheral surface, and a connecting member having a screw
hole B formed corresponding to the screw thread A on an inner
peripheral surface through which the first polar terminal is
inserted from one side and the second polar terminal is inserted
from the other side to connect the first and second ultra
capacitors in series and having a gas emission hole formed from a
center to an outer surface.
Inventors: |
YOO; Yong-Hyeon; (Incheon,
KR) ; LEE; Jung-Gul; (Anyang-si, KR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
LS Mtron Ltd. |
Anyang-si |
|
KR |
|
|
Family ID: |
59411139 |
Appl. No.: |
15/361826 |
Filed: |
November 28, 2016 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
14910057 |
Feb 4, 2016 |
|
|
|
15361826 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H05K 2201/10015
20130101; H01G 11/10 20130101; H02J 7/345 20130101; Y02E 60/13
20130101; H01G 11/76 20130101; H05K 2201/10272 20130101; H01G 11/82
20130101; H05K 1/184 20130101; H05K 2201/09063 20130101; H05K 1/181
20130101; H01R 4/34 20130101; H05K 2201/09027 20130101; H01G 11/78
20130101; H02J 7/0016 20130101 |
International
Class: |
H01G 11/78 20060101
H01G011/78; H01G 11/76 20060101 H01G011/76; H01R 12/62 20060101
H01R012/62; H01G 11/10 20060101 H01G011/10; H02J 7/00 20060101
H02J007/00; H05K 1/18 20060101 H05K001/18 |
Claims
1. An ultra capacitor module comprising: a terminal formed at one
side of an ultra capacitor body; a polar terminal disposed on the
terminal and having a screw thread formed on an outer peripheral
surface; a printed circuit board (PCB) having, at a center, a hole
through which the polar terminal and the terminal are inserted and
penetrate; a nut having a screw hole corresponding to the screw
thread on an inner peripheral surface and coupled with the polar
terminal; and an elastic member having, at a center, a hole through
which the polar terminal and the terminal are inserted and
penetrate and disposed between the ultra capacitor body and the
PCB.
2. The ultra capacitor module according to claim 1, further
comprising: a busbar having, at a center, a hole through which the
polar terminal is inserted and penetrates and disposed between the
nut and the PCB; and a metal member disposed between the nut and
the PCB to separate the busbar from the PCB.
3. The ultra capacitor module according to claim 1, wherein the PCB
has a cell balancing function of controlling voltage of the ultra
capacitor.
4. The ultra capacitor module according to claim 1, wherein a
connector is provided at one side of the PCB.
5. The ultra capacitor module according to claim 1, wherein the
elastic member is a wave washer.
6. The ultra capacitor module according to claim 1, wherein a
groove is formed on an outer surface of the PCB to facilitate the
rotation of the PCB.
7. The ultra capacitor module according to claim 1, wherein a
diameter of the elastic member is greater than a diameter of the
hole formed at the center of the PCB and smaller than a diameter of
the PCB.
8. The ultra capacitor module according to claim 1, wherein the nut
has a gas emission hole formed from a center to an outer
surface.
9. The ultra capacitor module according to claim 1, further
comprising: a busbar having a central hole portion formed curved
vertically in a direction coming into contact with the PCB.
10. The ultra capacitor module according to claim 2, wherein the
PCB has a cell balancing function of controlling voltage of the
ultra capacitor.
11. The ultra capacitor module according to claim 2, wherein a
connector is provided at one side of the PCB.
12. The ultra capacitor module according to claim 2, wherein the
elastic member is a wave washer.
13. The ultra capacitor module according to claim 2, wherein a
groove is formed on an outer surface of the PCB to facilitate the
rotation of the PCB.
14. The ultra capacitor module according to claim 2, wherein a
diameter of the elastic member is greater than a diameter of the
hole formed at the center of the PCB and smaller than a diameter of
the PCB.
15. The ultra capacitor module according to claim 2, wherein the
nut has a gas emission hole formed from a center to an outer
surface.
16. The ultra capacitor module according to claim 8, wherein the
gas emission hole is formed from a center of an upper surface of an
electrode in a lengthwise direction abutting the gas emission hole
towards an outer surface along a predetermined distance and is then
bent to go straight through to a side surface of the connecting
member, or the gas emission hole is formed such that it goes from a
center of an upper surface of an electrode in a lengthwise
direction abutting the gas emission hole straight through to a side
surface of the connecting member.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)
[0001] This application is a division of U.S. patent application
Ser. No. 14/910,057, filed Feb. 4, 2016, which was National Stage
entry from International Application No. PCT/KR2014/007321, filed
Aug. 7, 2014, which claimed priority to Korean Patent Application
Nos. 10-2013-0093635, filed Aug. 7, 2013, 10-2013-0100930, filed
Aug. 26, 2013, 10-2014-0101308, filed Aug. 6, 2014, and
10-2014-0101312, filed Aug. 6, 2014, the disclosures of which are
incorporated in their entireties herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present disclosure relates to an ultra capacitor module,
and more particularly, to an ultra capacitor module allowing easy
connection between ultra capacitors and with an improved connecting
structure of a balancing board.
[0004] 2. Description of Related Art
[0005] Generally, a battery and a capacitor are a typical device
for storing electrical energy.
[0006] An ultra capacitor, also known as a super capacitor, has
intermediate characteristics between an electrolytic condenser and
a secondary battery, and due to high efficiency and semi-permanent
life characteristics, is considered the next-generation energy
storage device as an alternative to a secondary battery or usable
in combination with a secondary battery.
[0007] In the application of an ultra capacitor, a high voltage
module of several thousands of Farads (F) or several hundreds of
voltages V is needed for use as a high voltage battery. A high
voltage module is implemented as a high voltage ultra capacity
assembly including as many ultra capacitors, also called unit
cells, as needed connected in series. In this instance, the high
voltage ultra capacity assembly is made by connecting the plurality
of ultra capacitors by a busbar and fastening them with a nut.
[0008] However, the foregoing-structured ultra capacity assembly
needs a plurality of busbars and nuts to connect a plurality of
ultra capacitors. For example, to connect three ultra capacitors in
series, one busbar and two nuts are needed to connect an anode
terminal of a first ultra capacitor to a cathode terminal of a
second ultra capacitor. Also, one busbar and two nuts are needed to
connect an anode terminal of the second ultra capacity to a cathode
terminal of a third ultra capacitor. Thus, to connect three ultra
capacitors in series, two busbars and four nuts are needed in
total. That is, to connect N ultra capacitors, N-1 busbars and
2*(N-1) nuts are needed.
[0009] This ultra capacitor module has a drawback in that as the
number of ultra capacitors connected in series increases,
production costs rise and product assembly operations increase in
number with the increasing number of components. Also, since the
entire connecting structure increases in resistance due to the
presence of the contact resistance between the busbar and the ultra
capacitor, there is a problem of a large amount of heat being
generated.
[0010] Also, the high voltage ultra capacitor module made by
connecting in series is susceptible to cell voltage imbalance
during charge, standby or discharge due to a characteristic
parameter difference. Through this, cell aging is accelerated and
the life of the module is shortened, for example, a capacity of a
state of charge (SOC) of the module is reduced. Also, in some
cases, a certain cell may break down or explode due to its
overvoltage.
[0011] Generally, a balancing board having a balancing function
controls the cell voltage by connecting to a harness and a bolting
part formed on an outer surface of a nut connecting adjacent
cells.
[0012] However, the above-mentioned configuration has a
disadvantage in that production costs are subject to increase due
to an additional process of forming the bolting part on the nut.
Also, to ease the connection of the harness connecting the bolting
part and the balancing board, the bolting part must run in a fixed
direction; however, there is a drawback in that it is difficult to
fix the bolting part in one direction.
[0013] Also, there is a disadvantage in that a separate structure
is needed to fix the balancing board.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0014] The present disclosure is designed to solve the above
problems, and therefore the present disclosure is directed to
providing an ultra capacitor module that may prevent production
costs from rising with the increasing number of components for
coupling when connecting a plurality of ultra capacitors in series
and may reduce the operation time of product assembly, while
improving heat transfer performance.
[0015] Also, the present disclosure is directed to providing an
ultra capacitor module having a structure of providing a balancing
board formed at one side of an ultra capacitor and rotating the
balancing board.
[0016] These and other objects and aspects of the present
disclosure can be understood by the following description, and will
become apparent from the embodiments of the present disclosure.
Also, it should be understood that these and other objects and
aspects of the present disclosure may be achieved by any means in
the scope of the disclosure and combinations thereof.
[0017] To achieve the above objects, an ultra capacitor module
according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a first
ultra capacitor having a first polar terminal provided with a screw
thread A formed on an outer peripheral surface, a second ultra
capacitor having a second polar terminal provided with a screw
thread A formed on an outer peripheral surface, and a connecting
member having a screw hole B formed corresponding to the screw
thread A on an inner peripheral surface through which the first
polar terminal is inserted from one side and the second polar
terminal is inserted from the other side to connect the first and
second ultra capacitors in series and having a gas emission hole
formed from a center to an outer surface.
[0018] The ultra capacitor module may further include a printed
circuit board (PCB) having, at a center, a hole through which the
second polar terminal of the second ultra capacitor and a terminal
having the second polar terminal are inserted and penetrate, and an
elastic member having, at a center, a hole through which the second
polar terminal of the second ultra capacitor and the terminal
having the second polar terminal are inserted and penetrate, and
disposed between the second ultra capacitor body and the PCB.
[0019] A height of the connecting member may be greater than a sum
of lengths of the first polar terminal and the second polar
terminal.
[0020] The PCB may have a cell balancing function of controlling
voltage of the ultra capacitor.
[0021] A connector may be provided at one side of the PCB, and a
harness may be connected to the connector.
[0022] The elastic member may push up the PCB to come into contact
with the connecting member and allow rotation of the PCB.
[0023] The elastic member may be a wave washer.
[0024] A groove may be formed on an outer surface of the PCB to
facilitate the rotation of the PCB.
[0025] A diameter of the elastic member may be greater than a
diameter of the hole formed at the center of the PCB and smaller
than a diameter of the PCB.
[0026] To achieve the above objects, an ultra capacitor module
according to another aspect of the present disclosure includes a
terminal formed at one side of an ultra capacitor body, a polar
terminal disposed on the terminal and having a screw thread formed
on an outer peripheral surface, a printed circuit board (PCB)
having, at a center, a hole through which the polar terminal and
the terminal are inserted and penetrate, a nut having a screw hole
corresponding to the screw thread on an inner peripheral surface
and coupled with the polar terminal, and an elastic member having,
at a center, a hole through which the polar terminal and the
terminal are inserted and penetrate and disposed between the ultra
capacitor body and the PCB.
[0027] The ultra capacitor module may further include a busbar
having, at a center, a hole through which the polar terminal is
inserted and penetrates and disposed between the nut and the PCB,
and a metal member disposed between the nut and the PCB to separate
the busbar from the PCB.
[0028] The PCB may have a cell balancing function of controlling
voltage of the ultra capacitor.
[0029] A connector may be provided at one side of the PCB.
[0030] The elastic member may be a wave washer.
[0031] A groove may be formed on an outer surface of the PCB to
facilitate the rotation of the PCB.
[0032] A diameter of the elastic member may be greater than a
diameter of the hole formed at the center of the PCB and smaller
than a diameter of the PCB.
[0033] The nut may have a gas emission hole formed from a center to
an outer surface.
[0034] The ultra capacitor module may further include a busbar
having a central hole portion formed curved vertically in a
direction coming into contact with the PCB.
[0035] The gas emission hole is formed from a center of an upper
surface of an electrode in a lengthwise direction abutting the gas
emission hole towards an outer surface along a predetermined
distance and is then bent to go straight through to a side surface
of the connecting member, or the gas emission hole is formed such
that it goes from a center of an upper surface of an electrode in a
lengthwise direction abutting the gas emission hole straight
through to a side surface of the connecting member.
[0036] The gas emission hole is formed at a side central portion of
the connecting member, and is formed to run through the inside and
outside of the connecting member.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0037] The accompanying drawings illustrate a preferred embodiment
of the present disclosure and together with the foregoing
disclosure, serve to provide further understanding of the technical
spirit of the present disclosure, and thus, the present disclosure
is not construed as being limited to the drawings.
[0038] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an ultra capacitor module
coupled by a nut according to an exemplary embodiment of the
present disclosure.
[0039] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of section A of FIG. 1.
[0040] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a heat transfer performance
difference between an ultra capacitor module (a) according to a
related art and the ultra capacitor module (b) of FIG. 1.
[0041] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an ultra capacitor module
according to another exemplary embodiment of the present
disclosure.
[0042] FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of section B of FIG. 4.
[0043] FIG. 6 is a plane view of a printed circuit board (PCB) and
an elastic member of FIG. 4.
[0044] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an assembly process of an
elastic member (a), a PCB (b), and a connecting member (c) of FIG.
4.
[0045] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an ultra capacitor module
according to still another exemplary embodiment of the present
disclosure.
[0046] FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of section C of FIG. 8,
illustrating a gas emission hole of various shapes formed in a
connecting member.
[0047] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an ultra capacitor module
according to yet another exemplary embodiment of the present
disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0048] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure
will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying
drawings. Prior to the description, it should be understood that
the terms used in the specification and the appended claims should
not be construed as limited to general and dictionary meanings, but
interpreted based on the meanings and concepts corresponding to
technical aspects of the present disclosure on the basis of the
principle that the inventor is allowed to define terms
appropriately for the best explanation. Therefore, the description
proposed herein is just a preferable example for the purpose of
illustrations only, not intended to limit the scope of the
disclosure, so it should be understood that other equivalents and
modifications could be made thereto without departing from the
spirit and scope of the disclosure.
[0049] Also, in the description of the present disclosure, when it
is deemed that specific explanation of related well-known
constructions or functions may obscure the essence of the
invention, their detailed description is omitted.
[0050] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an ultra capacitor module
coupled by a nut according to an exemplary embodiment of the
present disclosure, and FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of section A of
FIG. 1.
[0051] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the ultra capacitor module
according to the present disclosure may include a plurality of
ultra capacitors 100 and 200 and a connecting member 300.
[0052] The ultra capacitor corresponds to an energy storage device
having fast charge and discharge characteristics, and may include a
cathode terminal formed on one surface and an anode terminal on the
other surface and have a cylindrical shape.
[0053] The ultra capacitor is used instead of a storage battery in
the application requiring fastidious maintenance and repair and a
long-term service life. Also, the ultra capacitor is used as an
auxiliary power source of mobile communication information
equipment such as mobile phones, laptop computers, personal digital
assistances (PDAs), and the like. Also, the ultra capacitor is
quite suitable and widely used as a main or auxiliary power source
of an electric vehicle or hybrid vehicle requiring high capacity, a
power supply for a solar cell, an uninterruptible power supply
(UPS), and the like.
[0054] Because voltage of the ultra capacitor is just 3V or less, a
plurality of ultra capacitors may be connected in series for high
voltage applications. In this instance, adjacent ultra capacitors
may be connected by one connecting member 300.
[0055] That is, such connection may be established by coupling a
cathode terminal 110 formed on one surface of the first ultra
capacitor 100 to an anode terminal 210 formed on the other surface
of the second ultra capacitor 200 using the connecting member 300.
To connect a plurality of ultra capacitors, for example, at least
two ultra capacitors, the above process may be repetitively
performed, so that the ultra capacitors may be connected in
series.
[0056] Specifically, a screw thread A is formed along outer
peripheral surfaces of the cathode terminal 110 and the anode
terminal 210 of the ultra capacitors, and a screw hole B having a
shape corresponding to the screw thread A of the cathode terminal
110 and the anode terminal 210 is formed along an inner peripheral
surface of the connecting member 300. The screw thread A and the
screw hole B are formed in the same direction.
[0057] The cathode terminal 110 of the first ultra capacitor may be
connected to one side of the connecting member 300 and the anode
terminal 210 of the second ultra capacitor 200 may be connected to
the other side of the connecting member 300, and by rotating in the
same direction, the ultra capacitors may be connected in series in
a lengthwise direction along which the cathode terminal and the
anode terminal are formed. That is, because the screw hole B formed
on the inner peripheral surface of the connecting member is formed
in the same direction, when connecting two ultra capacitors in
series, coupling may be made by placing the ultra capacitors at
both sides of a bolt, and in this state, rotating only the bolt in
one direction, thereby easing a coupling operation.
[0058] However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and
the screw threads A formed on the cathode terminal and the anode
terminal of the ultra capacitors may be formed in a different
direction from one another. Accordingly, the cathode terminal 110
of the first ultra capacitor may be connected to one side of the
connecting member 300 and the anode terminal 210 of the second
ultra capacitor 200 may be connected to the other side of the
connecting member 300, and by rotating in the opposite directions,
the ultra capacitors may be connected in series in a lengthwise
direction along which the cathode terminal and the anode terminal
are formed.
[0059] A gas emission hole 310 may be formed at one side of the
connecting member 300.
[0060] The gas emission hole 310 according to this exemplary
embodiment may be formed at a side central portion of the
connecting member 300, and may be formed to run through the inside
and outside of the connecting member 300.
[0061] Gas is generated during charging and discharging of the
plurality of ultra capacitors, and in this instance, if the gas is
not emitted outside, an explosion may occur.
[0062] Accordingly, the gas emission hole 310 serves to emit gas
generated during charging and discharging of the ultra
capacitors.
[0063] As described in the foregoing, the ultra capacitor module
made by connecting in series is susceptible to voltage imbalance of
the cells or the ultra capacitors during charge, standby or
discharge due to a characteristic parameter difference. Thereby,
aging of the ultra capacitors may be accelerated and the life of
the module such as S(X may be shortened. Also, in some cases, a
certain ultra capacitor may break down or explode due to its
overvoltage. Accordingly, the ultra capacitor module according to
the present disclosure may include a printed circuit board (PCB)
(500 of FIG. 4) having a cell balancing function to control the
voltage of the cells or the ultra capacitors.
[0064] A detailed description of the PCB will be provided below
with reference to FIGS. 4 through 6.
[0065] As shown in FIG. 2, when the connection of the plurality of
ultra capacitors is completely established, a height (H) of the
connecting member 300 is greater than a sum (L+L') of a length of
the cathode terminal 110 of the first ultra capacitor 100 and a
length of the anode terminal 210 of the second ultra capacitor 200.
This is taken into consideration because a short circuit occurs
when the plurality of ultra capacitors, after being connected, come
into direct contact with one another, resulting in explosion as
well as failure to function as an electrode.
[0066] Preferably, the connecting member 300 may be a nut made of a
metal material having electrical conductivity.
[0067] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a heat transfer performance
difference between an ultra capacitor module (a) according to a
related art and the ultra capacitor module (b) of FIG. 1.
[0068] Referring to FIG. 3, the ultra capacitor module (a)
according to the related art may include, when connecting a
plurality of ultra capacitors, a plurality of busbars for
connection and nuts for fixing the coupling of the busbars.
[0069] Meanwhile, in the ultra capacitor module of FIG. 1, all the
adjacent ultra capacitors are connected in series in a lengthwise
direction along which the cathode terminal and the anode terminal
are formed, as described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. In this
embodiment, first and second ultra capacitor assemblies are made by
connecting each three ultra capacitors as described in the
foregoing, and the first and second ultra capacitor assemblies are
connected to one another using a busbar. In this instance, the
busbar may be coupled to the first and second ultra capacitor
assemblies by a nut or welding.
[0070] This embodiment was intended to investigate a heat transfer
performance difference by connecting six ultra capacitors in total,
and the result of the experiment is shown in Table 1.
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Temperature (a) (b) Max 45.8 42.7 Min 31.6
29.3
[0071] That is, when connecting ultra capacitors according to a
related art, besides a nut, a busbar may also be included to
connect two adjacent ultra capacitors ((a) of FIG. 3). In this
instance, the busbar generates the contact resistance which
increases the resistance of the entire connection structure, that
is, the module, and thus, when an electric current flows through
the module, higher heat may be generated.
[0072] On the contrary, when connecting ultra capacitors according
to the present disclosure ((b) of FIG. 3), only one connecting
member, that is, a nut is included to connect two adjacent ultra
capacitors. Therefore, it can be seen that the present disclosure
has an effect of improving the heat transfer performance in
comparison to the related art as shown in Table 1 when an electric
current flows through the entire structure, that is, the module, by
reducing the resistance of the module (heat transfer improvement
effect by about 5% or more when compared to the related art).
[0073] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an ultra capacitor module
according to another exemplary embodiment of the present
disclosure, and FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of section B of FIG.
4.
[0074] In the description of FIGS. 4 and 5, because elements
denoted by the same reference numerals as those of FIGS. 1 and 2
are described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, their description is
omitted herein.
[0075] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the ultra capacitor module
according to the present disclosure may include a PCB 500 and an
elastic member 600.
[0076] The PCB 500 is disposed below the connecting member 300 to
perform a cell balancing function of controlling the voltage of the
cells or the ultra capacitors. Specifically, the PCB 500 has a hole
corresponding to a terminal 230 formed at one side of the ultra
capacitor body at the center thereof, and may be coupled to the
terminal 230 formed at one side of the ultra capacitor body. In
this instance, the elastic member 600, that is, a member having an
elastic property, preferably, a wave washer, may be provided below
the PCB 500, and when the adjacent ultra capacitors are connected
by the connecting member 300, the PCB 500 is pushed up to the side
of the connecting member 300 by the elastic property of the elastic
member 600 so that the PCB 500 comes into contact with the
connecting member 300. Meanwhile, for the PCB 500 pushed up to the
side of the connecting member 300 by the elastic member 600 to come
into contact with the connecting member 300 in a proper manner, a
diameter of the connecting member 300 should be larger than a
diameter of the hole formed at the center of the PCB 500.
Otherwise, if the diameter of the hole formed at the center of the
PCB 500 is larger than the diameter of the connecting member 300,
the PCB 500 is pushed up to the side of the connecting member 300
by the elastic property of the elastic member 600 and gets out of
the connecting member 300, resulting in failure to contact with the
connecting member 300.
[0077] Preferably, the elastic member 600 has, at the center, a
hole corresponding to the terminal 230 formed at one side of the
ultra capacitor body. Thus, as the terminal 230 is inserted and
penetrates through the hole formed at the center of the elastic
member 600, coupling is made.
[0078] In this instance, to push up the PCB 500, a diameter of the
elastic member 600 should be greater than a diameter of the hole
formed at the center of the PCB 500. Also, to minimize the
interference of an operator and a harness during an operation, the
diameter of the elastic member 600 should be smaller than a
diameter of the PCB 500.
[0079] In this instance, the diameter of the hole formed at the
center of the elastic member should be greater than a diameter of
the terminal and smaller than the diameter of the hole formed at
the center of the PCB 500.
[0080] The reason is to push up the PCB 500 to come into contact
with the connecting member when the elastic member 600 is inserted
into the terminal 230 and located under the PCB.
[0081] Also, because the PCB 500 is not coupled directly by the
connecting member 300, the PCB 500 can be rotated, and thus,
placement of a connector 510 formed at one side of the PCB 500 may
be set to one direction.
[0082] A groove 610 is formed on an outer surface of the PCB 500,
and when an operator rotates the PCB 500 using the groove 610 with
a hand or a tool, the connector 510 may be aligned in one
direction. The connector 510 formed at one side of the PCB 500
allows the connection of the PCBs 500 by connecting to a harness
400, so a cell balancing function of controlling the voltage of the
cells or the ultra capacitors may be performed.
[0083] FIG. 6 is a plane view of the PCB and the elastic member of
FIG. 4, and FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an assembly process of
the elastic member (a), the PCB (b), and the connecting member (c)
of FIG. 4.
[0084] As shown in FIG. 7, the elastic member 600, the PCB 500, and
the connecting member 300 are coupled in a sequential order to the
terminal 230 formed at one side of the second ultra capacitor body.
Also, the cathode terminal 110 of the first ultra capacitor 100 is
coupled to the other surface of the connecting member 300. Thereby,
the adjacent first and second ultra capacitors 100 and 200 may be
connected in series in a lengthwise direction in which the anode
terminal 210 and the cathode terminal 110 are formed.
[0085] In this instance, because the PCB 500 has the groove 610
formed in a certain part of the outer surface as shown in (a) of
FIG. 6, a user may easily rotate the PCB 500 using the groove 610
with a hand or a tool.
[0086] Also, as shown in FIG. 5, when the connection of the
plurality of ultra capacitors is completely established, a height
(H1) of the connecting member 300 is greater than a sum (L1+L1') of
a length of the cathode terminal 110 of the first ultra capacitor
100 and a length of the anode terminal 210 of the second ultra
capacitor 200. This is taken into consideration because a short
circuit occurs when the plurality of capacitors, after being
connected, come into direct contact with one another, resulting in
explosion as well as failure to function as an electrode.
[0087] In the present disclosure, the connecting member 300
preferably may be a nut made of a metal material having electrical
conductivity.
[0088] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an ultra capacitor module
according to still another exemplary embodiment of the present
disclosure, and FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of section C of FIG. 8,
illustrating a gas emission hole of various shapes formed in a
connecting member.
[0089] In the description of FIGS. 8 and 9, because elements
denoted by the same reference numerals as those of FIGS. 1 and 2
and FIGS. 4 and 5 are described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 and
FIGS. 4 and 5, their description is omitted herein.
[0090] Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, the ultra capacitor module
according to still another exemplary embodiment of the present
disclosure may include a busbar 800 and a metal member 810.
[0091] The busbar 800 may connect a first ultra capacitor and a
second ultra capacitor by arranging the ultra capacitors in
parallel and connecting in series.
[0092] The busbar 800 may be in a shape of a plate, and may have
holes at left and right sides symmetrically with respect to the
center to connect adjacent ultra capacitors in series.
[0093] Specifically, coupling is made by arranging an anode
terminal of a first ultra capacitor and a cathode terminal of an
adjacent second ultra capacitor in parallel, and inserting and
passing the electrode terminals through the holes formed at the
center on the left and right sides of the busbar 800. In this
instance, the coupling may be tightened by using the terminals
extending out beyond the busbar 800 in conjunction with the
connecting member 300, that is, a nut.
[0094] According to the description of FIGS. 4 and 5, the PCB 500
is disposed under the connecting member 300, that is, a nut, and as
shown in (b) of FIG. 6, the elastic member 600, for example, a wave
washer is disposed under the PCB 500.
[0095] However, as shown in FIG. 8, according to still another
exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the busbar 800 is
present under the connecting member 300, that is, a nut, to connect
in series the plurality of ultra capacitors arranged in parallel.
Thus, when the PCB 500 is disposed immediately under the busbar
800, the PCB 500 cannot rotate and a circuit on the PCB 500, that
is, a circuit of a part coming into contact with the busbar 800 may
be damaged.
[0096] Accordingly, the metal member 810 may be disposed between
the busbar 800 and the PCB 500.
[0097] The metal member 810 may be disposed between the busbar 800
and the PCB 500 to serve to assist the rotation of the PCB 500 and
keep the PCB 500 from directly coming into contact with the busbar
800 thereby preventing damage to the circuit on the PCB 500, that
is, the circuit of the part coming into contact with the busbar
800.
[0098] In this instance, the metal member 810 may be a metal
material having an elastic property and electrical conductivity,
and may be in a form of a circular ring of a plate shape.
[0099] The reason that the metal member 810 has electrical
conductivity is to electrically connect the PCB 500 to the busbar
800.
[0100] Thus, a diameter of the metal member 810 should be greater
than the diameter of the hole formed at the center of the PCB 500
and smaller than the diameter of the PCB 500.
[0101] Accordingly, the PCB 500 pushed up to the metal member 810
by the elastic member 600 may come into contact with the metal
member 810 properly. In contrast, if the diameter of the hole
formed at the center of the PCB 500 is greater than the diameter of
the metal member 810, the PCB 500 is pushed up to the metal member
810 by the elastic force of the elastic member 600 and goes through
the metal member 810, as a consequence, the contact with the metal
member 810 is not achieved.
[0102] Also, if the diameter of the metal member 810 is greater
than the diameter of the PCB 500, the circuit of the PCB 500 may be
damaged.
[0103] Accordingly, the diameter of the metal member 810 should be
smaller than the diameter of the PCB 500 and should not depart from
a predetermined peripheral area including the hole formed at the
center of the PCB 500 to prevent the circuit of the PCB 500 from
being damaged. In this instance, the predetermined peripheral area
including the hole formed at the center of the PCB 500 does not
have a circuit therein and is made of a conductive material to
allow for an electrical connection.
[0104] Also, the connecting member 300 may have a gas emission hole
311 formed from the center of an upper surface of the electrode in
the lengthwise direction abutting the gas emission hole 311 towards
the outer surface.
[0105] During charging and discharging of the plurality of ultra
capacitors, gas is generated, and in this instance, if the gas is
not emitted outside, an explosion may occur.
[0106] Accordingly, the gas emission hole 311 serves to emit gas
generated during charging and discharging of the ultra
capacitors.
[0107] In this instance, the reason that the gas emission hole 311
is formed from the center of the upper surface of the electrode in
the lengthwise direction abutting the gas emission hole 311 towards
the outer surface is that gas generated during charging and
discharging of the ultra capacitors is emitted through the hole
formed at the center of the electrode.
[0108] However, the gas emission hole 311 is not limited thereto,
and as shown in (a) and (b) of FIG. 9, the gas emission hole 311
may be formed in various shapes. More specifically, as shown in (a)
of FIG. 9, the gas emission hole 311 is formed from the center of
an upper surface of the electrode in the lengthwise direction
abutting the gas emission hole 311 towards the outer surface along
a predetermined distance and is then bent to go straight through to
the side surface of the connecting member 300. Also, as shown in
(b) of FIG. 9, the gas emission hole 311 is formed such that it
goes from the center of an upper surface of the electrode in the
lengthwise direction abutting the gas emission hole 311 straight
through to the side surface of the connecting member 300. That is,
the gas emission hole 311 may have any shape of emitting gas
generated during charging and discharging of the electrode outside
of the connecting member 300.
[0109] Also, as shown in (c) of FIG. 9, the connecting member 300
may have, at the center, a hole through which the electrode
terminal is inserted and penetrates, that is, a hollow, to emit gas
generated during charging and discharging of the electrode, without
forming a separate gas emission hole.
[0110] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an ultra capacitor module
according to yet another exemplary embodiment of the present
disclosure.
[0111] In the description of FIG. 10, because elements denoted by
the same reference numerals as those of FIG. 9 are described with
reference to FIG. 9, their description is omitted herein.
[0112] Referring to FIG. 10, a busbar 1010 according to the present
disclosure may have a central hole portion formed curved vertically
which comes into contact with the PCB 500.
[0113] That is, the busbar 1010 may be formed such that an area
corresponding to the metal member 810 of FIG. 8 and the busbar 1010
are integrally formed and a central hole portion of the busbar 1010
is vertically curved.
[0114] As described in the foregoing, the ultra capacitor module
according to the present disclosure includes the PCB 500 having a
cell balancing function below the connecting member 300 connecting
adjacent ultra capacitors, thereby eliminating the need for a
separate structure for fixing the PCB 500.
[0115] Also, as the elastic member 600, that is, a member having an
elastic property such as, for example, a wave washer, is provided
below the PCB 500, the PCB 500 is pushed up to the side of the
connecting member 300 and comes into contact with the connecting
member 300, and because the PCB 500 avoids direct connection and
contact by the connecting member, the PCB 500 can be rotated.
Accordingly, there is an advantage in that it is easy to set the
direction of the connector 510 in one direction to allow the
connection of the PCBs 500 by connecting to the harness 400.
[0116] As described in the foregoing, according to one aspect of
the present disclosure, only a nut is used to connect ultra
capacitors in series, and thus, when connecting a plurality of
ultra capacitors, component saving results in curtailment of
production costs and reduction in operation time.
[0117] Also, the resistance reduces and the heat transfer
performance is improved, leading to longer product life.
[0118] Also, gas generated during charging and discharging of ultra
capacitors is emitted, thereby preventing an explosion.
[0119] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there
is no need for separate processing of a bolting part to connect a
harness to a connecting member, resulting in reduced manufacturing
costs of products.
[0120] Also, a member having an elastic property is provided under
a printed circuit board (PCB) so that the PCB may rotate in contact
with a connecting member, which makes it easy to set a connector in
one direction, the connector to which a harness is to be
connected.
[0121] According to still another aspect of the present disclosure,
a PCB is fixed while being inserted into a terminal of a connector,
so the need for a separate structure for fixing the PCB is
eliminated.
[0122] The present disclosure has been described in detail.
However, it should be understood that the detailed description and
specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the
disclosure, are given by way of illustration only, since various
changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the
disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art from
this detailed description.
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