Patent attributes
Embodiments described herein relate to current interrupt devices (CIDs) for electrochemical cells that use a thermal trigger (e.g., shape memory and/or bi-metallic materials) to open an electrical circuit just prior to a thermal runaway or during short-circuit event to prevent catastrophic failure of the electrochemical cell. Embodiments include CIDs comprising a housing, a bus bar coupled to the housing, and a thermal trigger operably coupled to the bus bar. In some embodiments, the bus bar can include an engineered fracture site. In some embodiments, the thermal trigger is dimensioned and configured to deform at a predetermined temperature to break the bus bar at the engineered fracture site. In some embodiments, a portion of the bus bar travels about a hinge, opening the electrical circuit and preventing overcharging, thermal runaway, and/or other catastrophic failure events.
