Switching board of novel structure, and battery module containing the same

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a switching board having switching elements for temperature measurement mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB) having a circuit electrically connected to a unit cell constituting a battery module, the switching board including an upper board having a pair of switching elements, a temperature detection element, and one or more vertical through holes, the switching elements being electrically connected to the circuit, the temperature detection element and the vertical through holes being disposed between the switching elements, and a lower board having a heating pad at a position corresponding to the vertical through holes and the temperature detection element.

Claims

1. A switching board having switching elements for temperature measurement mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB) having a circuit electrically connected to a unit cell constituting a battery module, the switching board comprising: an upper board having a pair of switching elements, a temperature detection element, and one or more vertical through holes, the switching elements being electrically connected to the circuit, the temperature detection element and the vertical through holes being disposed between the switching elements; and a lower board having a heating pad at a position corresponding to the vertical through holes and the temperature detection element, wherein the heating pad is configured to sense heat generated from the switching elements and to transmit the sensed heat to the temperature detection element.

2. The switching board according to claim 1, wherein the switching elements are field effect transistor (FET) elements and are disposed directly on the upper board.

3. The switching board according to claim 1, wherein the upper board and the lower board are integrated.

4. The switching board according to claim 1, wherein the heating pad is formed of a material exhibiting thermal conductivity.

5. The switching board according to claim 1, wherein the temperature detection element is a chip thermistor.

6. A battery module comprising a switching board according to claim 5.

7. A battery pack comprising a battery module according to claim 6.

8. The battery pack according to claim 7, wherein the battery pack is used as a power source of a device.

9. The battery pack according to claim 8, wherein the device is an electric vehicle, a hybrid electric vehicle, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, or a power storage system.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

(1) The above and other objects, features and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a portion of a conventional switching board;

(3) FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a switching board according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

(4) FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a portion of the switching board shown in FIG. 2.

BEST MODE

(5) Now, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted, however, that the scope of the present invention is not limited by the illustrated embodiments.

(6) FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a switching board 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a portion of the switching board 100 shown in FIG. 2.

(7) Referring to these drawings, the switching board 100 includes an upper board 110 and a lower board 120. At the upper board 110 are formed a pair of field effect transistor (FET) elements 111, a chip thermistor element 112, and one or more vertical through holes 115. The chip thermistor element 112 and the vertical through holes 115 are disposed between the FET elements 111. For the convenience of description, the upper board 110 and the lower board 120 are shown as being separated from each other in FIG. 2. As previously described, however, the upper board 110 and the lower board 120 may be integrated in various manners.

(8) At the lower board 120 is mounted a heating pad 125 formed of a material exhibiting high thermal conductivity such that the heating pad 125 corresponds to the vertical through holes 115 and the chip thermistor element 112.

(9) The heating pad 125 senses heat generated from the FET elements 111 and transmits the sensed heat to the chip thermistor element 112. Consequently, it is possible for the heating pad 125 to accurately measure temperatures of the FET elements 111 without a heat transfer coefficient being affected.

(10) Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.