Battery Housing

Abstract

A housing is disclosed. The housing contains one or more components, where at least one of the components is an electrical component and where the components do not fill the housing completely and a cavity remains within the housing. One or more filling elements are provided in the cavity which fill more than half of the cavity on contact with water.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising: a housing; one or more components disposed in the housing, wherein at least one of the one or more components is an electrical component and wherein the one or more components do not fill the housing completely and a cavity remains within the housing; and one or more filling elements disposed in the cavity which fill more than half of the cavity on contact with water.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the one or more filling elements are foamed bodies, hollow bodies, or bodies filled with air or gas.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the one or more filling elements are substances that increase a volume of the substances on contact with water.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the one or more filling elements fill more than 70% of the cavity on contact with water.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a density of the one or more filling elements is less than 500 kg/m.sup.3.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the housing is formed such that a volume of the cavity is minimized.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electrical component is a battery or an accumulator.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the accumulator contains lithium ions.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electrical component is an electric motor or an electric control unit or an electric regulation unit or an electronic control unit or an electronic regulation unit.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the housing has a predetermined breaking point.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the housing has an aperture which is closed by a spring-loaded shutoff device.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a hydrogen sensor, an evaluation unit and an actuator are disposed in the housing, wherein signal connections are provided between the hydrogen sensor and the evaluation unit, and between the evaluation unit and the actuator, and wherein the actuator creates an aperture in the housing if a hydrogen concentration exceeding a minimal value is detected by the hydrogen sensor.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the actuator is a pyrotechnic element, an electromagnetic element, a thermic element, or a chemical element.

14. The apparatus according to claim. 1, wherein at least a portion of the housing is formed from a non-waterproof material.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the one or more filling elements consist at least in part of more than 70% by volume of expanded polypropylene or consist of 100% of expanded polypropylene.

16. A boat containing an apparatus according to claim 1.

17. A method for filling a cavity in a housing, wherein one or more components are disposed in the housing, wherein at least one of the one or more components is an electrical component, wherein the one or more components do not fill the housing completely such that the cavity is formed in the housing, and wherein one or more filling elements are disposed in the cavity; and comprising the steps of: contacting the one or more filling elements with water; increasing a volume of the one or more filling elements by the step of contacting with water; and filling more than half of the cavity by the step of increasing the volume.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the housing according to the invention;

[0041] FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of the invention in the dry state; and

[0042] FIG. 3 shows the second embodiment after contact with water.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0043] FIG. 1 shows a housing 1 which serves to accommodate a battery 2 and further electrical or electronic components 3, 4, 5 on board a boat. The housing 1 has a cuboid design. The battery 2 and the components 3, 4, 5 do not fill the entire interior of the housing 1. In some places there is a cavity between the individual components, between the wall of the housing and the components 3, 4, 5, and/or between the wall of the housing and the battery 2. The cavity is filled with small filling bodies 6. Foam beads or polystyrene beads are for example used as filling bodies 6.

[0044] FIG. 2 shows a further embodiment of the invention. In all Figures, elements which are identical are designated with the same reference numbers.

[0045] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, filling bodies 7a, 7b, 7c, 7d, 7e, 7f are introduced in the cavities between the components 3, 4, 5, the battery 2 and the walls of the housing, not filling the cavities completely in a dry state. The filling bodies 7a, 7b, 7c, 7d, 7e, 7f consist in full or in part of foamed materials which foam up and increase their volume on contact with water.

[0046] FIG. 3 shows the same housing after its interior has been penetrated by water and the filling bodies 7a, 7b, 7c, 7d, 7e, 7f have become wet. Filling bodies 7a, 7b, 7c, 7d, 7e, 7f have foamed up, and have increased their volume to the extent that almost all cavities in the housing 1 have been filled.

[0047] If for example the housing 1 with the battery 2 and the components 3, 4, 5 falls into water, the filling bodies 7a, 7b, 7c, 7d, 7e, 7f foam up and the interior of the housing 1 is almost completely filled. There is little remaining space for water to penetrate into the housing 1, and/or water that is already in the housing 1 is forced out of the housing 1.

[0048] The filling bodies 7a, 7b, 7c, 7d, 7e, 7f have a low density of less than 100 kg/m.sup.3. The specific total weight of the housing 1 with the battery 2, the components 3, 4, 5 and the filling bodies 7a, 7b, 7c, 7d, 7e, 7f is thereby lower than that of the water, with the result that the housing 1 floats. The housing 1 according to the invention can therefore be used to particular advantage on a boat.

[0049] The foregoing disclosure has been set forth merely to illustrate the invention and is not intended to be limiting. Since modifications of the disclosed embodiments incorporating the spirit and substance of the invention may occur to persons skilled in the art, the invention should be construed to include everything within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof.