Safety valve for a housing, and energy store for storing electric energy

Abstract

A safety valve for a housing, for releasing a housing opening of the housing if a defined burst pressure is reached or exceeded in the housing. It is provided here that in a base body of the safety valve including an elastomer, a receptacle groove that is continuous in the circumferential direction is formed for the formfitting accommodation of a retaining web of the housing. The disclosure furthermore relates to an energy accumulator for storing electric energy.

Claims

1. A safety valve for releasing a housing opening of a housing when a predefined burst pressure in the housing is reached or exceeded, the safety valve comprising: a base body formed from an elastomer, a receptacle groove formed for a formfitting accommodation of a retaining web of the housing, the receptacle groove extending continuously in a circumferential direction, and a pressure relief opening comprising multiple elastically deformable closing elements, which close the pressure relief opening in a first position and release flow in a second position, wherein the closing elements are initially connected to one another and held in the first position by a membrane.

2. The safety valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the receptacle groove is formed to open inwardly in a radial direction or outwardly in the radial direction.

3. The safety valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the retaining web is an edge of a wall of the housing or a formfitting projection of a receptacle nozzle of the housing.

4. The safety valve as claimed in claim 3, wherein, when viewed longitudinally, the receptacle groove is delimited by a first web and a second web, the second web spaced apart longitudinally from the first web, wherein both the first and second webs extend from the base body, and wherein a ramp bevel is formed on the first web which deflects when the safety valve is pushed into the housing opening or onto the receptacle nozzle.

5. The safety valve as claimed in claim 4, wherein a seal web is provided adjacent to and radially outward of the second web, and wherein the seal web at least partially overlaps the receptacle groove when viewed longitudinally.

6. The safety valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the multiple closing elements has, on a side facing away from the base body, two elastically interconnected webs which merge into one another towards the base body.

7. The safety valve as claimed in claim 6, wherein, in the first position, the elastically interconnected webs of adjacent closing elements abut one another and are connected to one another via the membrane.

8. An energy accumulator for storing electric energy comprising at least one battery cell arranged in a closed housing and at least one of the safety valve according to claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention is explained in greater detail hereinafter on the basis of the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings, without restricting the invention. In the figures:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of a safety valve for a housing in a first embodiment;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a schematic sectional illustration of the safety valve in the first embodiment;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a schematic illustration of the safety valve in a second embodiment;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a schematic illustration of the safety valve in a third embodiment;

(6) FIG. 5 shows a schematic illustration of the third embodiment of the safety valve in another illustration;

(7) FIG. 6 shows a schematic illustration of a fourth embodiment of the safety valve.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(8) FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of a safety valve 1 for a housing in a first embodiment. The safety valve 1 has a base body 2, in which a pressure relief opening 3 (not visible here) is formed. In the exemplary embodiment shown here, multiple closing elements 4, for example, four closing elements 4, start from the base body 2. The closing elements 4 are formed in one piece and of the same material with the main body 2. The closing elements 4 are shown in a first position, in which they close the pressure relief opening 3. In the first position, they are connected to a membrane 5, which is formed in one piece and of the same material with them and with the base body 2.

(9) The membrane 5 holds the closing elements 4 in the first position, thus initially preventing the pressure relief opening 3 from being released by the closing elements 4. The membrane 5 is designed such that it tears at a defined burst pressure, so that the closing elements 4 are subsequently permitted to move out of the first position in the direction of the second position, in which the pressure relief opening 3 is released.

(10) It can be seen that the closing elements 4 each consist here of two elastically interconnected webs 6 and 7, which are angled to one another, so that each of the closing elements 4 essentially has a V shape. The webs 6 and 7 of each of the closing elements 4 are elastically interconnected and merge into one another in the direction of the base body 2. The membrane 5 is formed on the safety valve such that each of the webs 6 connects to the respective adjacent web 7 of the corresponding closing element 4 in the first position of the closing elements 4.

(11) To achieve sufficient sealing of the housing by means of the safety valve 1, the safety valve 1 has a seal web 8 that is formed continuously in the circumferential direction with respect to a longitudinal center axis 9 (not shown here) of the safety valve 1. The seal web 8 thus forms a seal ring.

(12) FIG. 2 shows a schematic longitudinal sectional view of the safety valve 1 along the longitudinal center axis 9. It is apparent that a receptacle groove 10 that is continuous in the circumferential direction is formed in the base body 2 for the formfitting accommodation of a retaining web of a housing. The receptacle groove 10 is provided here between a first web 11 and a second web 12. The webs 11 and 12 are formed by the base body 2 and, in the exemplary embodiment shown here, project in the direction facing away from the pressure relief opening 3. They are arranged and designed such that the receptacle groove 10 is open in the direction facing away from the pressure relief opening 3.

(13) It is clearly apparent that the first web 11 comprises a ramp bevel 13, which enables easy installation of the safety valve 1, because the first web 11 is deflected inward in the radial direction by the retaining web of the housing during the installation of the safety valve 1, until the retaining web has reached the receptacle groove 10. It is furthermore apparent that the seal web 8 starts from the second web 10 in the exemplary embodiment illustrated here, namely extends outward in the radial direction. The seal web 8 is arranged and aligned here such that, viewed in the axial direction, it completely overlaps the receptacle groove 10 and at least partially overlaps the first web 11. It is ensured by such a design of the seal web 8 that the seal web 8 abuts the housing or the wall of the housing to form a reliable seal after the installation of the safety valve 1 on the housing.

(14) FIG. 3 shows a schematic illustration of the safety valve 1 in a second embodiment. This is fundamentally similar to that described above, so that reference is made to the above statements and only the differences are discussed hereinafter. These are that the receptacle groove 10 is now no longer open in the direction facing away from the pressure relief opening 3, but rather in the direction of the pressure relief opening 3. Accordingly, the safety valve 1 shown here in the second embodiment is designed to be attached to a receptacle nozzle, wherein the retaining web is formed on the receptacle nozzle. In addition, there is no seal web 8, although this can optionally be formed, of course. The functioning of the safety valve 1 in the second embodiment is identical or at least essentially identical to the safety valve 1 according to the first embodiment.

(15) FIG. 4 shows a schematic sectional illustration of a third embodiment of the safety valve 1. In principle, reference is again made to the above statements and only the differences are discussed hereinafter. These are that instead of the closing elements 5, only one single closing element 14 is provided, which is connected via the membrane 5 to the base body 2, in particular the second web 12. As in the above-described second embodiment, the receptacle groove 10 is open inward in the radial direction, i.e., in the direction of the pressure relief opening 3.

(16) The seal web 8, which is again provided, extends outward in the radial direction, namely starting from the base body 2. It overlaps the first web 11 completely in the axial direction to ensure that the seal web 8 reliably abuts the housing or the wall of the housing. Of course, the safety valve 1 of the fourth embodiment can alternatively also be designed similarly to the first embodiment with respect to the alignment of the receptacle groove 10, so that the receptacle groove 10 opens outward in the radial direction. The webs 11 and 12 are also designed in this case in accordance with the corresponding statements for the first embodiment.

(17) FIG. 5 shows a further schematic illustration of the third embodiment of the safety valve 1. It is apparent that the membrane 5 does not overlap the closing element 14 completely in the circumferential direction, but rather only partially. In this way, the closing element is connected to the base body 2 independently of the membrane 5 in a linkage region 15, in particular is connected in an elastically pivotable manner via a pivotable bearing. If the membrane 5 tears because the burst pressure is reached, the closing element 14 does not detach completely from the main body 2, but rather is held thereon.

(18) On the one hand, loss of the closing element 14 and, on the other hand, damage to other elements or injuries due to a detaching closing element 14 is reliably prevented. For example, the membrane 5 encloses the closing element in the circumferential direction by at least 315°, at least 330°, or at least 345° and the linkage region accordingly at most 45°, at most 30°, or at most 15°.

(19) FIG. 6 shows a fourth embodiment of the safety valve 1. It corresponds to the first embodiment with respect to the alignment of the receptacle groove 10, so that reference is made in principle to the corresponding statements. Alternatively, of course, an alignment of the receptacle groove 10 inward in the radial direction is also implementable according to the second and the third embodiment. Reference is also made in this regard to the corresponding statements.

(20) In contrast to the other embodiments, however, the fourth embodiment does not comprise a pressure relief opening 3, closing elements 4 or closing element 14, nor a membrane 5. Rather, the safety valve 1 is inserted like a plug into the housing opening, where it is held by the interaction of the receptacle groove 10 or the webs 11 and 12, on the one hand, and the retaining web, on the other hand. The sealing web 8 abuts the housing to form a seal here, so that outstanding leak-tightness is effectuated.

(21) When the burst pressure is reached or exceeded, the base body 2 elastically deforms such that the formfitting connection is released. Accordingly, the burst pressure can displace the safety valve 1 as a whole out of the housing opening. The safety valve 1 can basically have any shape when viewed in cross section. However, it is preferably round or oval.

(22) The described designs of the safety valve 1 are distinguished, on the one hand, by their cost-effective production and, on the other hand, by their simple and sealed installation on the housing. At least the base body 2, the closing elements 4 and 14, and the membrane 5 consist of an elastomer, preferably of EPDM. The entire safety valve 1 particularly preferably consists of the elastomer. The safety valve 1 can be in the form of an injection molded part, that is to say it can be formed by injection molding. This ensures particularly simple and cost-effective production of the safety valve 1.