Compact thermal protection for lithium batteries used in ultra-thin portable consumer electronics

     As ultra-thin laptops and other portable consumer electronics powered by high-capacity lithium polymers and column batteries must meet increasingly stringent safety standards, TE Circuit Protection, a business unit of TE Connectivity, has introduced a new HPP-TAM family of devices to help battery application designers accomplish this task. The HPP-TAM series devices feature ultra-low side height (Max length: 5.8mm x width: 3.85mm x height: The 1.15mm) package and high voltage rating (9VDC) feature, as well as two different current-carrying capacities and multiple cutoff temperature rating options, help designers meet the demanding peak current requirements of consumer electronics, making it a space-saving thermal cutoff (TCO) solution.

     The HPP-TAM device uses an innovative metal hybrid PPTC (MHP) technology that connects a PPTC device and a bimetal sheet protector in parallel. In battery applications, the HPP-TAM helps provide resettable overheat protection, turning off the battery when a fault is detected and resetting it when the fault is eliminated. The HPP-TAM family of devices has different opening temperatures ranging from 72°C to 90°C(typical value), suitable for the battery market. They also provide two holding current levels: low current (approximately 6A at 25°C) and high current (approximately 15A at 25°C).

     Amy Chu, Product Manager, TE Circuit Protection, said: "To help meet the thermal protection needs of lithium polymer battery applications, our new HPP-TAM devices have been tested to withstand some of the toughest wet conditions in the battery industry. As Oems are tightening component reliability requirements for lithium polymer battery packs for consumer product applications, high reliability is important. For the past 30 years, TE Circuit Protection has been a leader in delivering high-reliability battery protection solutions using PPTC technology. "With the addition of the new HPP-TAM family of devices, TE Circuit Protection provides designers with more options for selecting the best protection devices for today's consumer electronics."