Pressure compensation device for a housing of an electrochemical device

Abstract

A pressure compensation device for compensating an internal pressure in a housing of an electrochemical device is provided, including at least one gas through-opening and at least one membrane element with a gas-permeable membrane, which is deformable depending on a change in the internal pressure and by which the gas through-opening is blocked, and a protective degassing element, which is configured and arranged in such a way that when a critical deformation of the membrane is reached, it damages the membrane in such a way that the membrane at least partially opens the gas through-opening for protective degassing of the housing. The pressure compensation device allows both reliable pressure compensation between the interior of the housing and the exterior of the housing of an electrochemical device during normal operation of the electrochemical device and also ensures reliable bursting protection in the event of excess internal pressure in the housing.

1 . A pressure compensation device for compensating an internal pressure in a housing of an electrochemical device, comprising at least one gas through-opening and at least one membrane element with a gas-permeable membrane, which is deformable depending on a change in the internal pressure and by which the gas through-opening is blocked, the pressure compensation device comprising a protective degassing element, which is configured and arranged in such a way that when a critical deformation of the membrane is reached, it damages the membrane in such a way that the membrane at least partially opens the gas through-opening for a protective degassing of the housing. 
     
     
         2 . The pressure compensation device according to  claim 1 , wherein the membrane comprises a porous plastics material. 
     
     
         3 . The pressure compensation device according to  claim 1 , wherein the membrane comprises a fluoropolymer material. 
     
     
         4 . The pressure compensation device according to  claim 1 , wherein the pressure compensation device comprises a carrier element and a clamping element, the membrane element being held by clamping between the carrier element and the clamping element. 
     
     
         5 . The pressure compensation device according to  claim 4 , wherein the carrier element and the clamping element are integrally connected to one another. 
     
     
         6 . The pressure compensation device according to  claim 5 , wherein the carrier element and the clamping element are latched to one another. 
     
     
         7 . The pressure compensation device according to  claim 1 , wherein the pressure compensation device comprises a carrier element, in the material of which the membrane element is at least partially embedded. 
     
     
         8 . The pressure compensation device according to  claim 1 , wherein the pressure compensation device is fixable by means of at least one fastening device on the housing of the electrochemical device. 
     
     
         9 . The pressure compensation device according to  claim 8 , wherein the pressure compensation device has at least one fastening flange with at least one fastening device receiver for a fastening device. 
     
     
         10 . The pressure compensation device according to  claim 1 , wherein the pressure compensation device comprises at least one sealing element for sealing between the pressure compensation device and the housing of the electrochemical device. 
     
     
         11 . The pressure compensation device according to  claim 1 , wherein the pressure compensation device comprises at least one protection element, by which an outside of the membrane is protected from mechanical damage from outside the pressure compensation device. 
     
     
         12 . The pressure compensation device according to  claim 11 , wherein the protection element has at least one gas through-opening. 
     
     
         13 . The pressure compensation device according to  claim 1 , wherein the pressure compensation device comprises at least one mechanism for changing the relative position between the protective degassing element and the membrane. 
     
     
         14 . The pressure compensation device according to  claim 13 , wherein the mechanism for changing the relative position comprises an adjusting thread provided on the protective degassing element. 
     
     
         15 . Use of a pressure compensation device for compensating an internal pressure in a housing of an electrochemical device, wherein the pressure compensation device comprises at least one gas through-opening, at least one membrane element with a gas-permeable membrane, which is deformable depending on a change in the internal pressure and by which the gas through-opening is blocked, and a protective degassing element, which is configured and arranged in such a way that when a critical deformation of the membrane is reached, it damages the membrane in such a way that the membrane at least partially opens the gas through-opening for a protective degassing of the housing, in an electrochemical device, which comprises a housing and a plurality of electrochemical cells arranged in the housing, the pressure compensation device being arranged on the housing. 
     
     
         16 . An electrochemical device, comprising a housing, one or more electrochemical cells arranged in the housing and at least one pressure compensation device arranged on the housing for compensating an internal pressure in the housing of the electrochemical device, wherein the pressure compensation device comprises at least one gas through-opening, at least one membrane element with a gas-permeable membrane, which is deformable depending on a change in the internal pressure and by which the gas through-opening is blocked, and a protective degassing element, which is configured and arranged in such a way that when a critical deformation of the membrane is reached, it damages the membrane in such a way that the membrane at least partially opens the gas through-opening for a protective degassing of the housing.