Power storage module and power storage module manufacturing method
Patent Information
- Application Number
- KR1020250206796
- Authority / Receiving Office
- KR · KR
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2025-02-04
- Filing Date
- 2025-12-22
- Publication Date
- 2026-08-11
Smart Images
Figure PAT00003_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technology Field
[0001] The present disclosure relates to a capacitor module and a method for manufacturing a capacitor module. Background Technology
[0002] For example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2018-181780, a storage module is known in which a plurality of storage cells (e.g., lithium-ion batteries) are connected by a conductive member (such as a busbar) to form a power supply. In such a storage module, in order to suppress heat generation of the busbar due to the generation of a large current, it is required to reduce the current-carrying distance of the busbar and also increase the current-carrying cross-section.
[0003] However, if the current-carrying cross-section is increased, the rigidity of the conductive member increases as a barrier, assembly of the conductive member becomes difficult, and fatigue resistance also decreases.
[0004] Therefore, it is required to connect the conductive member accurately to the capacitor cell without positional misalignment. The problem to be solved
[0005] The present disclosure provides a capacitor module that enables accurate connection of a conductive member to an electrode terminal without positional misalignment while increasing the current-carrying cross-section of the conductive member, and a method for manufacturing the same. means of solving the problem
[0006] A method for manufacturing a capacitor module according to a first embodiment is a method for manufacturing a capacitor module by assembling and welding a conductive member, which includes an electrical connection portion connected to an electrode terminal, to a capacitor cell having an electrode terminal. In the state where the assembly is completed, when viewed from a direction in which the conductive member and the electrode terminal face each other, the electrical connection portion has a first portion in which its periphery edge portion is located inwardly to the periphery edge portion of the electrode terminal, and a second portion in which it is located outwardly to the periphery edge portion of the electrode terminal. This manufacturing method comprises a step of aligning the conductive member with respect to the capacitor cell in a direction along the plane of the conductive member such that the electrode terminal is visible from the first portion and not visible from the second portion, and a step of aligning the conductive member with respect to the capacitor cell in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the conductive member by irradiating a measurement light through an inspection hole penetrating the conductive member. According to this manufacturing method, it is possible to increase the surface area of the conductive member for the electrode terminal while accurately connecting the conductive member to the electrode terminal without positional misalignment.
[0007] The manufacturing method of the second embodiment, in the manufacturing method of the first embodiment, comprises the step of aligning the conductive member with respect to the capacitor cell in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the conductive member, which includes irradiating a measurement light through the inspection hole and simultaneously irradiating the measurement light toward the surface of the conductive member to measure the distance from a predetermined position to the surface of the conductive member and the distance from the predetermined position to the electrode terminal. According to this, the distance between the conductive member and the electrode terminal can be accurately measured, thereby enabling accurate alignment of the conductive member in the vertical direction.
[0008] A capacitor module of a third embodiment comprises a capacitor cell having electrode terminals and a conductive member including an electrical connection portion connected to the electrode terminals. When viewed from the direction in which the conductive member and the electrode terminals face each other, the electrical connection portion includes a first portion whose periphery edge portion is located inwardly to the periphery edge portion of the electrode terminals and a second portion located outwardly to the periphery edge portion of the electrode terminals. According to this, it is possible to increase the surface area of the conductive member relative to the electrode terminals while accurately connecting the conductive member to the electrode terminals without positional misalignment.
[0009] In the fourth embodiment of the capacitor module, the electrical connection portion of the third embodiment may be provided with an inspection hole configured to penetrate at a position opposite to the electrode terminal and to allow a measurement light for displacement measurement to pass through. By irradiating the measurement light through the inspection hole, position alignment with respect to the electrode terminal can be performed.
[0010] In addition, the capacitor module of the fifth embodiment, in the fourth embodiment, may include an electrode terminal comprising a main body portion and an electrical contact portion protruding from the main body portion, and the conductive member may be such that the main body portion is visible from the first portion and the position of the inspection hole and the position of the electrical contact portion coincide. According to this configuration, by verifying the first portion and the inspection hole, it becomes possible to perform position alignment of the conductive member with respect to the electrode terminal more precisely.
[0011] In the capacitor module of the sixth embodiment, in the fifth embodiment, the first part may be formed on the first side of the electrical connection part and on the second side intersecting the first side. According to this embodiment, it becomes possible to perform positional alignment between the conductive member and the electrode terminal more accurately.
[0012] In addition, the capacitor module of the seventh embodiment may be such that, in any capacitor module described above, the conductive member comprises a laminated structure connecting a plurality of electrical connection portions. Here, the laminated structure may be formed by loosely laminating a plurality of conductive films, and the electrical connection portion may be formed by laminating the plurality of conductive films more densely than the laminated structure. According to this embodiment, assembly of the conductive member to the capacitor cell can be made easier. Effects of the invention
[0013] According to the present disclosure, a capacitor module and a method for manufacturing the same can be provided, which enable the conductive member to be accurately connected to the electrode terminal without positional misalignment while increasing the area of the conductive member for the electrode terminal. Brief explanation of the drawing
[0014] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the following drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view of a capacitor cell (10) used in the capacitor module of the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a capacitor module configured by electrically connecting a plurality of capacitor cells (10) by a bus bar (20). FIG. 3 is a plan view and a cross-sectional view that explain the structure of the busbar (20) in more detail. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a laminated structure part (21) and an electrical connection part (22) as shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating the horizontal position alignment of the busbar (20). Specific details for implementing the invention
[0015] The embodiments thereof will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings, functionally identical elements may be indicated by the same number. Furthermore, while the accompanying drawings illustrate embodiments and implementation examples based on the principles of the present disclosure, they are intended for understanding the present disclosure and are by no means intended to restrictively interpret the present disclosure. The descriptions in this specification are merely typical examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the claims or applications of the present disclosure in any sense.
[0016] Although the present embodiments are described in sufficient detail for those skilled in the art to practice the present disclosure, it is necessary to understand that other implementations and forms are possible, and that changes in configuration and structure or substitutions of various elements are possible without departing from the scope and spirit of the technical concept of the present disclosure. Therefore, the following description should not be interpreted as being limited to this.
[0017] With reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a capacitor module related to the embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a plan view of a capacitor cell (10) used in the capacitor module of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of capacitor cells (10) (in FIG. 2, five capacitor cells (10A to 10E)) are electrically connected by a bus bar (20) as a conductive member, thereby forming a capacitor module in which a plurality of capacitor cells (10) are connected in series.
[0018] As shown in FIG. 1, the capacitor cell (10) has a generally rectangular shape as a whole, and has a positive electrode terminal (Ep) on one side and a negative electrode terminal (En) on the opposite side. In the example of FIG. 1, two positive electrode terminals (Ep) are formed in a row on one side, and likewise two negative electrode terminals (En) are formed in a row on the opposite side, but the number and arrangement of the electrode terminals are not limited to the example shown.
[0019] As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of capacitor cells (10) (10A to 10E) are arranged such that adjacent capacitor cells (10) are oriented in opposite directions, and the positive electrode terminals (Ep) and negative electrode terminals (En) are aligned on the same side. By connecting the positive electrode terminals (Ep) and negative electrode terminals (En) aligned on the same side to the electrical connection part of the bus bar (20), the plurality of capacitor cells (10) can be connected in series. The bus bar (20) has a roughly rectangular shape in a plan view connecting the four electrode terminals of two adjacent capacitor cells (10). In other words, the bus bar (20) is made of a conductive member with a large current-carrying area that spans two positive electrode terminals (Ep) and two negative electrode terminals (En) arranged in a vertical direction. On the other hand, by having the shape described below, the rigidity is suppressed to be small despite the size of the current-carrying area, and the structure is designed to facilitate assembly of the capacitor cell (10) and have high fatigue resistance. In addition, both the positive electrode terminal (Ep) and the negative electrode terminal (En) are provided with a rectangular main body (31) and an electrical contact part (32) protruding from the center of the main body (31). The electrical contact part (32) can be electrically connected to the busbar (20) by welding. The length of one side of the main body (31) is, for example, about 10 to 20 mm.
[0020] With reference to FIG. 3, the structure of the busbar (20) is described in more detail. FIG. 3 shows a plan view of the busbar (20) in the center, and cross-sectional views AA, BB, and CC in the plan view on the side and top of the plan view. The busbar (20) is configured to have a laminated structure part (21), an electrical connection part (22), a vertical bend (23), a horizontal bend (24), and a rectangular slit (25). The vertical bend (23) and the horizontal bend (24) form part of the laminated structure part (21). Also, in FIG. 3, the symbol WD indicates the shape of a weld mark formed near the electrical contact part (32). The size of the weld mark can be, for example, about 6 to 7 mm, which is slightly larger than the electrical contact part (32).
[0021] The laminated structure (21) is made of a conductive metal (copper, aluminum, etc.) and constitutes the main part of the busbar (20). The electrical connection part (22) is a part that connects to the electrical contact part (32) of the electrode terminal (Ep, En) of the capacitor cell (10), and is also made of a conductive metal. The vertical bend (23) and the horizontal bend (24) are part of the laminated structure (21) and are formed by bending a conductive metal as described below. A rectangular slit (25) is formed near the boundary between the laminated structure (21) and the electrical connection part (22). The rectangular slit (25) is formed by processing through a metal plate and is formed for processing the vertical bend (23) and the horizontal bend (24).
[0022] The busbar (20) is composed of a plurality of conductive films stacked as a whole. Both the stacked structure part (21) and the electrical connection part (22) are composed of a plurality of conductive films stacked, but the size of the gaps between the plurality of conductive films differs. As shown in FIG. 4, the stacked structure part (21) is configured such that the plurality of conductive films have a certain gap between them without diffusion bonding, etc. On the other hand, the electrical connection part (22) is integrated in such a way that the plurality of conductive films are compressed by diffusion bonding, etc., and substantially no gaps are left between them. In other words, the stacked structure part (21) is composed of a plurality of conductive films stacked loosely, and the electrical connection part (22) is composed of a plurality of conductive films stacked more densely than the stacked structure part (21).
[0023] In the example of FIG. 3, the electrical connection part (22) is formed by dividing it into four parts at the four corners of the rectangular shape of the bus bar (20) (positions corresponding to the positive electrode terminal (Ep) and the negative electrode terminal (En), and the stacked structure part (21) (including a vertical bend (23) and a horizontal bend (24)) is formed in a roughly cross shape to divide the electrical connection part (22), but is not limited thereto. The electrical connection part (22) is formed at the position of the bus bar (20) corresponding to the position of the electrode terminals (Ep, En), and the stacked structure part (21) may be formed at other positions. The structure exemplified in FIG. 3 is a structure corresponding to the arrangement of electrode terminals as in FIG. 1, and if the number and arrangement of electrode terminals are different, the arrangement or shape of the stacked structure part (21) and the electrical connection part (22) may also be different.
[0024] The laminated structure (21) has higher flexibility than the electrical connection part (22) in that it is formed to leave a gap between the conductive films, and thus the bus bar (20) is easily assembled to the capacitor cell (10), and fatigue resistance is also improved. Fatigue resistance is improved by absorbing the damage from expansion and contraction caused by the deterioration of the capacitor cell (10) or fluctuations in the charge rate in the laminated structure (21).
[0025] A bending process is performed on the conductive film between the laminated structure part (21) and the electrical connection part (22), thereby forming a horizontal bend (24) at the boundary between the laminated structure part (21) and the electrical connection part (22). The horizontal bend (24) is bent from the laminated structure part (21) toward the electrical connection part (22), and in the example of FIG. 3, the laminated structure part (21) is higher when viewed from the capacitor cell (10) and the electrical connection part (22) is lower when viewed from the capacitor cell (10), so the horizontal bend (24) is bent to connect them (see CC cross-sectional view).
[0026] Additionally, the laminated structure (21) is also bent in the vertical direction, and thus a vertical bend (23) is formed as part of the laminated structure (21) in the vicinity of the horizontal center of the bus bar (20). In the example of FIG. 3, the vertical bend (23) is formed to be convex downward near the center of the bus bar (20) and protrudes toward the capacitor cell (10) during assembly, and is formed to be convex upward at the position between the upper and lower pair of electrical connection parts (22) and protrudes in a direction away from the capacitor cell (10) during assembly (see cross-sectional view BB, AA). Because of this, the vertical bend (23) is divided by a rectangular slit (25) near the boundary between the laminated structure (21) and the electrical connection part (22). However, the structure is not limited to this, and for example, the vertical curved portion (23) may be configured to be convex upward throughout. However, as shown in FIG. 3, by making the shape convex downward near the center of the busbar (20) and convex upward at the position between the upper and lower pair of electrical connection portions (22), the thickness and deposition of the capacitor module can be reduced (energy density can be increased).
[0027] A cutout (26) is formed on the outer edge of the electrical connection part (22) so that, when assembling the busbar (20) to the capacitor cell (10), a portion of the positive electrode terminal (Ep) and the negative electrode terminal (En) is visible from the front. The depth from the outer edge of the cutout (26) can be, for example, about 1 to 3 mm. In the part other than the cutout (26), the positive electrode terminal (Ep) and the negative electrode terminal (En) are covered by the electrical connection part (22), and when viewed from the direction in which the busbar (20) and the electrode terminals face each other, the positive electrode terminal (Ep) and the negative electrode terminal (En) are not visible. In other words, when viewed from the direction in the state where the assembly of the capacitor cell (10) of the bus bar (20) is completed, the electrical connection part (22) has a first part (cut-out part (26)) whose periphery edge part is located inward from the periphery edge part of the electrode terminal (main body part (31)), and a second part (part other than the cut-out part (26)) which is located outward from the periphery edge part of the electrode terminal. By forming such a cut-out part (26), it becomes possible to determine the position between the electrode terminal (Ep, En) and the bus bar (20) with high precision before welding.
[0028] Additionally, the cut-out section (26) may be formed on both sides (L1) (first side) and the bottom side (L2) (second side intersecting the first side) of the electrical connection section (22), as in the example of FIG. 3, or may be formed on only one side. By forming cut-outs on both sides of the side and the bottom side, it becomes possible to more accurately align the position of the bus bar (20) with respect to the electrode terminals (Ep, En). Additionally, multiple cut-out sections may be formed on one side. Furthermore, the shape of the cut-out section (26) is not limited to a trapezoidal shape as shown in the illustration; it is sufficient if the lower main body section (31) is visible through the cut-out section (26) when aligned, and may be, for example, an arc, a triangle, etc.
[0029] Additionally, an inspection hole (27) is formed in the electrical connection part (22) at a position corresponding to the positive electrode terminal (Ep) and the negative electrode terminal (En). The inspection hole (27) is formed to penetrate the electrical connection part (22) and is formed to a size such that laser light can pass through and be reflected back from the electrode terminals. As an example, the diameter of the inspection hole (27) can be about 2 to 4 mm.
[0030] When manufacturing a capacitor module by assembling and welding a busbar (20) to a capacitor cell (10), a horizontal alignment (a direction along the plane of the busbar (20)) is performed for the positive electrode terminal (Ep) and the negative electrode terminal (En), and a vertical alignment is also performed. As shown in FIG. 5, the horizontal alignment of the busbar (20) is performed by a camera not shown, and the alignment is performed so that the positive electrode terminal (Ep) and the negative electrode terminal (En) are visible from the cut-out section (26), while they are not visible from outside the cut-out section (26).
[0031] The vertical alignment of the busbar (20) can be performed by irradiating a laser beam (measurement beam) from an unillustrated laser displacement meter toward the surface of the inspection hole (27) and the electrical connection part (22) of the busbar (20). The distance (D1) from the head of the unillustrated laser displacement meter to the upper surface of the busbar (20) and the distance (D2) from the head of the laser displacement meter to the upper surface of the electrode terminal are measured. Considering the thickness (d) of the electrical connection part (22) of the busbar, the vertical position of the busbar (20) can be adjusted so that D2-D1-d becomes a desired value, and welding can be performed. Additionally, the reference position for measuring the distance (D) is not limited to the position of the head of the laser displacement meter, but may be another predetermined position.
[0032] Although embodiments have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above and includes various modifications. For example, the embodiments described above are described in detail merely to facilitate understanding of the present disclosure and are not necessarily limited to having all the described configurations. Furthermore, it is possible to substitute some of the configurations of the above embodiments with other configurations, and it is also possible to add other configurations to the configurations of the above embodiments.
Claims
Claim 1 A method for manufacturing a capacitor module by assembling and welding a conductive member, which includes an electrical connection portion connected to the electrode terminal, for a capacitor cell having an electrode terminal, wherein, in a state where the assembly is completed, when viewed from a direction in which the conductive member and the electrode terminal face each other, the electrical connection portion comprises a first portion in which the periphery edge portion is located inwardly to the periphery edge portion of the electrode terminal and a second portion in which the periphery edge portion of the electrode terminal is located outwardly to the periphery edge portion of the electrode terminal, and the manufacturing method comprises a step of aligning the conductive member with respect to the capacitor cell in a direction along the plane of the conductive member such that the electrode terminal is visible from the first portion and not visible from the second portion, and a step of aligning the conductive member with respect to the capacitor cell in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the conductive member by irradiating a measurement light through an inspection hole penetrating the conductive member. Claim 2 A method for manufacturing a capacitor module according to claim 1, wherein the step of aligning the conductive member with respect to the capacitor cell in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the conductive member comprises irradiating the measuring light through the inspection hole and irradiating the measuring light toward the surface of the conductive member to measure the distance from a predetermined position to the surface of the conductive member and the distance from the predetermined position to the electrode terminal. Claim 3 A capacitor module comprising a capacitor cell having electrode terminals and a conductive member including an electrical connection portion connected to the electrode terminals, wherein, when viewed from a direction in which the conductive member and the electrode terminals face each other, the electrical connection portion includes a first portion whose periphery edge portion is located inwardly to the periphery edge portion of the electrode terminals and a second portion located outwardly to the periphery edge portion of the electrode terminals. Claim 4 In claim 3, the electrical connection portion comprises an inspection hole that penetrates at a position opposite to the electrode terminal and is configured to allow a measurement light for displacement measurement to pass through. Claim 5 In claim 4, the electrode terminal comprises a main body portion and an electrical contact portion protruding from the main body portion, and the conductive member is a capacitor module in which the main body portion is visible in the first portion and the position of the inspection hole and the position of the electrical contact portion coincide. Claim 6 In claim 5, the first part is a capacitor module formed on the first side of the electrical connection part and on the second side intersecting the first side. Claim 7 A capacitor module according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the conductive member comprises a laminated structure connecting a plurality of electrical connection parts, the laminated structure is formed by loosely laminating a plurality of conductive films, and the electrical connection part is formed by laminating the plurality of conductive films more densely than the laminated structure.