A battery module includes a first battery including a first terminal, a second battery including a second terminal, a bus bar located above the first and second batteries, and a cover member located below the bus bar. The bus bar includes a first part connected to the first terminal, a second part connected to the second terminal, and a fuse part positioned between the first part. The fuse part is meltable by a lower current than the first and second parts. The cover member is insulative. The cover member includes a cover part and a support part located on the cover part. In a state in which the fuse part has melted, the support part supports the first part so that a position of an end portion of the first part is higher than a position of an end portion of the second part.

A battery block includes assembled batteries that are arranged in parallel to each other, and the plurality of assembled batteries are each formed of a plurality of batteries as a unit. Each of the batteries has a positive-electrode terminal and a negative-electrode terminal on one end portion of the battery. The assembled battery includes: the plurality of batteries which are arranged in a row with one end portions of the batteries directed in the same direction; an insulation holder which is arranged on one end portion side of the batteries and holds the batteries; and a positive-electrode bus bar and a negative-electrode bus bar arranged on one end portions of the batteries. The positive-electrode bus bar and the negative-electrode bus bar are respectively held by holding portions which are formed on the insulation holder along a row direction and in parallel to each other.

According to the present invention, a dummy terminal is provided on a sensing substrate and the sensing substrate may be thus commonly used on both side surfaces of a battery module, and as a result, since only one type of sensing substrate provided with the dummy terminal needs to be manufactured instead of manufacturing two types of sensing substrates having different arrangements of the substrate terminals, mass productivity of the sensing substrate and the battery module including the same may be significantly improved.

A battery system according to the present invention includes: a plurality of battery cells electrically connected to each other; cell voltage sensing lines connected to ends of the battery cells, respectively; a battery management system sensing voltages of the battery cells through the respective cell voltage sensing lines; fuses connected to the cell voltage sensing lines, respectively, to cut off a flow of an excessive current exceeding a rated current when the excessive current flows through the cell voltage sensing lines; and emergency preventing switches connected to the cell voltage sensing lines, respectively, so as to be turned on at the time of sensing the voltage of the battery cell, and turned off in a case when a short circuit between the cell voltage sensing lines occurs.

A battery module can include multiple cell tubes, a first conductive plate, and multiple first spacers. The multiple cell tubes can accommodate multiple battery cells within the multiple cell tubes so that individual of the multiple battery cells are positioned within individual of the multiple cell tubes. The first conductive plate can include multiple first holes and electrically connect first terminals of the multiple cells. The multiple first spacers can be mounted in the multiple first holes and support the multiple tubes and the multiple cells with respect to the first conductive plate, the multiple first spacers being configured to provide thermal and electrical isolation between the multiple battery cells and the first conductive plate.

An electrode assembly includes a first electrode; a second electrode; and a separator, the first electrode, the second electrode, and the separator wound about an axis defining a core and an outer circumference of the electrode assembly. The first electrode has a pair of first sides and a pair of second sides, a first portion extending between the pair of first sides, and a second portion extending between the pair of first sides, the first portion being coated with an active material, and at least a part of the second portion includes an electrode tab. The second portion includes a first part adjacent to the core of the electrode assembly, a second part adjacent to the outer circumference of the electrode assembly, and a third part between the first part and the second part. The first or second part has a smaller height than the third part.

An electronic circuit breaker for a vehicle, comprising: an input configured to be connected to a DC power supply; an output configured to be connected to a load; said input connected to said output via a semiconductor switch with a linear region of operation, and a saturated region of operation, said semiconductor switch comprises a switch control input; a switch driver configured to control the semiconductor switch and comprising a switch control output; wherein said switch control output is connected to the switch control input via a pre-charge circuit comprising a turn-“ON” branch which is configured to cause the semiconductor switch to operate in the linear region of operation during turn-“ON”; and a turn-“OFF” branch which is configured to cause the switch to turn-“OFF”.

A battery module includes a lower housing and a plurality of battery cells. The plurality of battery cells are electrically coupled together to produce a voltage. The module also includes an assembly disposed over the battery cells and coupled to the lower housing. The assembly may include a lid and a plurality of bus bar interconnects mounted on the lid. The module also includes a printed circuit board (PCB) assembly disposed on and coupled to the assembly. The PCB assembly may include a PCB. The module also includes a cover disposed over and coupled to the lower housing to hermetically seal the battery module. Also disclosed is a method of manufacturing the battery module.

A thermal fuse may comprise an electrode and a conductor separated by a phase change material. The electrode may be formed from a conductive material that generates hydrogen when exposed to water or hydrogen peroxide. The phase change material may release water or hydrogen peroxide at or above an activation temperature.

For indicating that a battery is fully discharged to a decommissioned state, methods, apparatus, and systems are disclosed. One apparatus includes a battery that powers an electronic device, a battery state module that comprises a non-reversible indicator, a control module coupled to the battery, and a decommission module. The decommission module receives a discharge signal from the control module and discharges the battery to a fully discharged state, where discharging the battery causes the non-reversible indicator to indicate the fully discharged state.