Patent Application
20190072436
The present invention relates generally to temperature sensing devices. More specifically, the present invention relates to a temperature sensing tape having a plurality of integrated temperature sensing elements formed of variable resistance material.
Electrical devices can be damaged by overtemperature and overcurrent conditions if such conditions are allowed to persist. Thus, it is common for electrical devices to be equipped with temperature sensing devices that can be used to measure temperature variations at discrete locations on the surface of an electrical device. If a measured temperature exceeds a predetermined threshold, the electrical device may be automatically shut off until the overtemperature/overcurrent condition subsides or is remedied, thereby mitigating damage to the electrical device.
Some electrical devices have large surface areas or include numerous interconnected components that may individually experience overtemperature and/or overcurrent conditions. In such devices, it may be necessary to measure temperatures at various discrete locations on the surface of an electrical device, or to measure temperatures on the surfaces of a plurality of components of an electrical device in a distributed manner. However, implementing a plurality of traditional, discrete temperature sensing elements in a single electrical device can be prohibitively expensive and/or may require an amount of space that is not available in a given device form factor.
It is with respect to these and other considerations that the present improvements may be useful.
This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.
An exemplary embodiment of a temperature sensing tape in accordance with the present disclosure may include an electrically insulating substrate, a first conductor disposed on the substrate and terminating in a first electrode, a second conductor disposed on the substrate and terminating in a second electrode, wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are disposed in a confronting, spaced-apart relationship to define a gap therebetween, and a variable resistance material disposed within the gap and connecting the first electrode to the second electrode.
Another exemplary embodiment of a temperature sensing tape in accordance with the present disclosure may include a flexible, electrically insulating substrate, a plurality of temperature sensing elements disposed on the substrate, each temperature sensing element including a first electrode and a second electrode arranged in a confronting, spaced-apart relationship to define a gap therebetween, and a variable resistance material disposed within the gap and connecting the first electrode to the second electrode, wherein the first electrode of at least one of the temperature sensing elements is connected to the second electrode of an adjacent temperature sensing element by a flexible electrical conductor.
Exemplary embodiments of a temperature sensing tape in accordance with the present disclosure will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. The temperature sensing tape may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will convey certain exemplary aspects of the temperature sensing tape to those skilled in the art.
Referring to
A plurality of temperature sensing elements 14 may be disposed on the substrate 12 and may be spaced apart from one another along a length of the substrate 12. Each of the temperature sensing elements 14 may include a quantity of variable resistance material 16 bridging a pair of adjacent, interdigitated electrodes as further described below. By way of example, the tape 10 is shown in
The tape 10 may further include a plurality of flexible conductors 18 disposed on the substrate 12. The flexible conductors 18 may extend between, and may be electrically connected to, the temperature sensing elements 14 as further described below. The flexible conductors 18 may be formed of elongated segments of flexible, electrically conductive material that may be adhered to, printed on, or otherwise applied to the substrate 12. Examples of such materials include, but are not limited to, copper mesh, silver epoxy, various types of metal wire or ribbon, conductive ink, etc.
Referring to
The temperature sensing element 14 may include electrodes 20a, b that are disposed on the substrate 12 in a confronting arrangement and that are electrically connected to ends of adjacent flexible conductors 18 (e.g., with solder, conductive adhesive, etc.). Each of the electrodes 20a, b may include a plurality of fingers or tines 22a, b. The tines 22a of the electrode 20a may be disposed in an interdigitated, spaced-apart relationship with the tines 22b of the electrode 20b to define a serpentine, tortuous gap 24 therebetween. In some embodiments of the tape 10, the electrodes 20a, b may be disposed on an intermediate substrate (e.g., a segment of FR-4) which may in-turn be disposed on, and adhered to, the substrate 12. In other embodiments of the tape 10, the electrodes 20a, b may be integral, contiguous portions of the flexible conductors 18. For example, confronting ends of the adjacent flexible conductors 18 may be cut, printed, or otherwise formed to define the interdigitated tines 22a, b. In other embodiments of the tape 10, the tines 22a, b may be omitted, and the adjacent ends of the flexible conductors 18 may instead terminate in flat edges or in edges having various other contours or shapes, the edges being spaced apart from one another and disposed in a confronting relationship to define a gap therebetween.
The variable resistance material 16 may be disposed on the tines 22a, b and may bridge and/or fill the gap 24, thus connecting the tines 22a to the tines 22b. In various embodiments, the variable resistance material 16 may be a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) material having an electrical resistance that may increase sharply when the variable resistance material 16 reaches a predefined “activation temperature.” In other embodiments, the variable resistance material 16 may be a negative temperature coefficient (NTC) material having an electrical resistance that may decrease sharply when the variable resistance material 16 reaches a predefined “activation temperature.” In a specific, non-limiting embodiment, the variable resistance material 16 may be a polymeric positive temperature coefficient (PPTC) material formed of conductive particles (e.g., conductive ceramic particle) suspended in a polymer resin. In some embodiments, the variable resistance material 16 (either PTC or NTC) may be applied to the tines 22a, b as a fluidic ink or as a compound that may be subsequently cured to form a solid mass that partially covers and/or envelopes the tines 22a, b.
It is contemplated that the tape 10 can be rolled and stored in the manner of a conventional roll of tape, and that a desired length of the tape 10 can be dispensed (i.e., unrolled) and cut from the roll for use in an application.
Referring to
The tape 10 may be adhered to the battery 110, with the temperature sensing elements 14 disposed on surfaces of respective cells 112 of the battery 110. Particularly, each of the temperature sensing elements 14 may be positioned so as to be under the thermal influence of a respective one of the cells 112 such that an increase in a temperature of one of the cells 112 may cause an increase in a temperature of a respective one of the temperature sensing elements 14 disposed thereon.
The electrical device 100 may further include a control element 116 (e.g., a digital control element such as an ASIC, a microprocessor, etc.) that may be electrically connected to the flexible conductors 18 of the tape 10 and that may be configured to monitor a resistance in the tape 10 as further described below. The control element 116 may also be operatively connected to a disconnect switch 118 (e.g., a FET, a relay, etc.) that may be connected in electrical series intermediate the battery 110 and the load 114.
During normal operation of the electrical device 100, the battery 110 may supply electrical power to the load 114, and the temperatures of the cells 112 may be within a normal operating range (e.g., less than 80 degrees Celsius). However, upon the occurrence of an overtemperature or overcurrent condition, the temperature of one or more of the cells 112 may increase above the normal operating range, which may in-turn cause the temperatures of respective temperature sensing elements 14 of the tape 10 to increase. If the temperature of one or more of the temperature sensing elements 14 increases above the activation temperature, the resistance in the tape 10 may increase sharply (if the variable resistance material 16 is a PTC material) or decrease sharply (if the variable resistance material 16 is a NTC material). An increase in the temperatures of the cells 112 may result from exposure to an external heat source (e.g., the electrical device 100 sitting out in the sun), or from an overcurrent condition caused by an internal fault in the battery 110, for example.
The control element 116 may be configured to monitor a resistance of the tape 10 and to control operation of the device 100 accordingly. For example, assuming the variable resistance material 16 is a PTC material, if the control element 116 measures a relatively low resistance in the tape 10, indicating that the temperatures of the temperature sensing elements 14 are below the activation temperature, the control element 116 may determine that the temperatures of the cells 112 are within a normal, safe operating range. However, if the control element 116 measures a relatively high resistance in the tape 10, indicating that the temperature of one of more of the temperature sensing elements 14 is above the activation temperature, the control element 116 may determine that the temperature of one or more of the cells 112 has exceeded the normal, safe operating range. If the control element 116 determines that the temperature of one or more of the cells 112 has exceeded the normal, safe operating range, the control element 116 may open the disconnect switch 118, thereby arresting the flow of current in the electrical device 100 and preventing or mitigating damage that could otherwise result if the overtemperature or overcurrent condition were allowed to persist.
It will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the tape 10 can be manufactured and implemented in an electrical device at a lower cost and with less complexity relative to traditional temperature sensing devices.
As used herein, an element or step recited in the singular and proceeded with the word “a” or “an” should be understood as not excluding plural elements or steps, unless such exclusion is explicitly recited. Furthermore, references to “one embodiment” of the present disclosure are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features.
While the present disclosure makes reference to certain embodiments, numerous modifications, alterations and changes to the described embodiments are possible without departing from the sphere and scope of the present disclosure, as defined in the appended claim(s). Accordingly, it is intended that the present disclosure not be limited to the described embodiments, but that it has the full scope defined by the language of the following claims, and equivalents thereof.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/554,088, filed Sep. 5, 2017, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62554088 | Sep 2017 | US |
