Busbar brackets, battery modules and vehicles

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a busbar bracket, a battery assembly and a vehicle. The busbar bracket includes: a support portion for supporting a busbar structure; a busbar structure, which can be connected to at least one battery cell; and a bending portion, which is connected to the support portion at an angle relative to the support portion, wherein the angle is adapted to the angle between two adjacent sides of at least one battery cell. Thus, the busbar bracket can be quickly installed and removed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of batteries, and in particular to a busbar bracket, a battery assembly and a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] As energy becomes increasingly scarce, the development of the vehicle battery field has received more and more attention, and the relevant technologies of vehicle batteries are also constantly updated and developed. Battery group technology is one of the important directions. The battery module is an integration of battery cells, and these battery cells are connected by busbars. The busbar structure in the related technology is relatively complex, and it is usually difficult to maintain the connection of the battery cells for a long time. Summary of the invention

[0003] The object of the present disclosure is to provide a busbar bracket, a battery assembly and a vehicle, which have a simple structure, are easy to install and / or can achieve stable connection.

[0004] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a busbar bracket is provided, comprising: a supporting portion for supporting a busbar structure; a busbar structure capable of being connected to at least one battery cell; and a bending portion, the bending portion being connected to the supporting portion at an angle relative to the supporting portion, wherein the angle is adapted to an angle between two adjacent sides of the at least one battery cell.

[0005] Preferably, the angle between the bent portion and the supporting portion is in the range of 80° to 100°, and particularly preferably 90°.

[0006] Preferably, the busbar structure comprises a plurality of busbar members for electrically connecting to terminals of the at least one battery cell.

[0007] Preferably, the busbar support further comprises an alignment structure for aligning the busbar structure with a terminal of the at least one battery cell.

[0008] Preferably, the alignment structure is arranged to protrude from a lower end of the support portion, and the alignment structure is aligned with one of the at least one battery cell, respectively.

[0009] Preferably, the busbar support comprises two alignment structures, and the two alignment structures are aligned with two outermost battery cells respectively connected to the busbar structure.

[0010] Preferably, the busbar holder is formed in one piece, for example, is formed in one piece from plastic or metal.

[0011] Preferably, when the busbar support is integrally formed of metal, the metal surface is insulated.

[0012] Preferably, the angle between the bent portion and the supporting portion can be adjusted to adapt to the angle between the side where the terminal of the at least one battery cell is located and an adjacent side.

[0013] Preferably, the busbar structure is fixedly connected to the support portion by bonding, welding or screwing.

[0014] Preferably, the bending portion and the supporting portion have different widths or thicknesses.

[0015] The busbar bracket according to the present disclosure can achieve reliable connection with the battery cell, and can maintain a firm connection between the battery cells and / or between the battery cell and the busbar during long-term use (for example, in a vibrating or impacted environment). In addition, the busbar bracket according to the present disclosure can be quickly and firmly installed to and removed from the battery cell. Since the connection with the battery cell is achieved without welding and therefore without the presence of welds, the busbar bracket according to the present disclosure not only avoids stress concentration at the weld, but also helps to improve the overall capacity of the battery assembly.

[0016] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a battery assembly is provided, comprising: a busbar bracket according to the first aspect of the present disclosure, wherein the bent portion of the busbar bracket is abutted against one side of at least one battery cell; and at least one battery cell, wherein the at least one battery cell is arranged adjacent to each other and has an interference fit with the busbar structure.

[0017] Preferably, the busbar structure comprises a plurality of busbar components, and the busbar components are respectively electrically connected to terminals of different numbers of battery cells.

[0018] The battery assembly according to the present disclosure can achieve simpler assembly and maintenance, and has better anti-impact and anti-vibration performance.

[0019] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle is provided, comprising the busbar holder according to the first aspect of the present disclosure and / or the battery assembly according to the second aspect of the present disclosure.

[0020] The vehicle according to the present disclosure may have a battery assembly with higher stability and larger capacity, and thus may provide users with better driving performance and safety assurance. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The accompanying drawings exemplarily illustrate the embodiments and constitute a part of the specification, and together with the text description of the specification, are used to explain the exemplary implementation of the embodiments. The embodiments shown are for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the scope of the claims. In all drawings, the same reference numerals refer to similar but not necessarily identical elements.

[0022] Figure 1is a schematic diagram of a busbar support according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0023] Figure 2 is a schematic side view of a busbar support according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0024] Figure 3 is a partial schematic diagram of a busbar support according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0025] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a battery cell according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0026] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a battery assembly according to an exemplary embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] In the present disclosure, unless otherwise specified, the use of the terms "first", "second", etc. to describe various elements is not intended to limit the positional relationship, timing relationship, or importance relationship of these elements, and such terms are only used to distinguish one element from another element. In some examples, the first element and the second element may refer to the same instance of the element, and in some cases, based on the description of the context, they may also refer to different instances.

[0028] The terms used in the description of various examples in this disclosure are only for the purpose of describing specific examples and are not intended to be limiting. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, if the number of elements is not specifically limited, the element can be one or more. In addition, the term "and / or" used in this disclosure covers any one of the listed items and all possible combinations.

[0029] There is a related art that connects the busbars between the battery cells by welding. The disadvantage of this related art is that the thermal resistance at the welding position is large, and the weld seam is usually 0.3mm-0.5mm, which limits the overall capacity of the battery. In addition, stress is easily concentrated at the welded connection, making the welded connection prone to failure in a vibration or impact environment, which may be a potential risk factor in vehicle applications.

[0030] In addition, there is a related art that connects the busbar between the battery cells by threaded connection. The disadvantage of this related art is that the threaded connection is easy to loosen in long-term vibration or impact and is therefore no longer reliable. For example, after a certain service life (for example, after a certain mileage in the case of vehicle applications), the tightening force of the thread between the busbar and the battery cell may decrease, and even completely fail in the case of further impact or vibration.

[0031] Therefore, a reliable connected battery assembly can be achieved by using the busbar bracket according to the present disclosure, which can maintain a firm connection between the battery cells and / or between the battery cells and the busbar during long-term use (for example, in a vibrating or impacted environment). Advantageously, the busbar bracket according to the present disclosure can be quickly and securely installed and disassembled, which improves the overall installation efficiency of the battery assembly and thus reduces manufacturing costs. Also advantageously, the busbar bracket according to the present disclosure achieves connection with the battery cell without the need for welding and therefore without the presence of welds, which not only avoids stress concentration at the welds, but also helps to improve the overall capacity of the battery assembly.

[0032] In the present disclosure, a "battery assembly" may be, for example, but not limited to, a battery module, but a collection of any type of battery cells. In the present disclosure, a "battery cell" may be, for example, but not limited to, a battery cell, but any unit capable of providing electrical energy, which can be connected together by a busbar to form a battery assembly. In the present disclosure, a "busbar support" is any structure used to support a busbar and capable of being connected to one or more battery cells in a battery assembly.

[0033] Below, refer to Figures 1 to 3 The structure of the busbar support 100 according to the present disclosure will be described in detail.

[0034] The busbar support 100 may include a supporting portion 110 and a bending portion 130 , and a busbar structure 120 is disposed on the supporting portion 110 , wherein the supporting portion 110 is connected to the bending portion 130 at one end thereof.

[0035] As a preferred embodiment, the support portion 110 and the bent portion 130 are integrally formed, that is, the support portion 110 transitions to the bent portion 130 at one end thereof in an integrally formed manner. This integrally formed construction method can make the busbar support 100 have a relatively large overall structural strength. Here, the busbar support 100 is, for example, integrally formed of plastic or metal. In the case of using metal (such as steel) to form the busbar support 100, an insulation treatment can be performed on its surface, for example, an insulation layer is further provided to play an insulating role at the non-electrical connection position.

[0036] As an alternative, the supporting portion 110 and the bending portion 130 may also be manufactured separately and then connected together, for example, by welding, bonding, hinged connection, screw connection, etc.

[0037] Here, although the busbar support 100 includes a support portion 110 and a bending portion 130 as an example, an embodiment including multiple support portions 110 or multiple bending portions 130 can also be envisioned. As an example, the bending portions 130 are respectively connected to the opposite ends of the support portion 110, thereby the busbar support can be more firmly fixed on the opposite sides of the battery assembly. As another example, the bending portions 130 can be provided on each side of the support portion 110, so that the encapsulation at one end of the battery assembly can be achieved.

[0038] exist Figure 1 and Figure 2 As can be seen in the figure, the support portion 110 and the bend portion 130 may have approximately equal thickness and width, which allows the busbar support 100 to be manufactured at low cost and more easily. Here, it is also conceivable that the support portion 110 and the bend portion 130 may have different thicknesses and / or widths. For example, the support portion 110 is provided only on the width required for connection with the terminal 210 of the battery cell, while the bend portion 130 is provided on the width of the entire battery assembly. On the one hand, it saves unnecessary width material of the support portion 110, thereby saving material costs and being more environmentally friendly. On the other hand, a wider bend portion 130 can maintain a more stable close connection on the battery assembly.

[0039] The busbar structure 120 is used for interference fit with one or more battery cells 200. Here, the busbar structure 120 may include one or more busbar members 121 for electrically connecting to the terminals 210 of the battery cells 200, and these busbar members 121 are connected (for example, welded, bonded or screwed) to one side of the support portion 110. Figure 2 As shown, the busbar member 121 is connected to the side of the support portion 110 facing the battery cell, and the bent portion 130 is located above the busbar member 121. This arrangement structure is beneficial for the bent portion 130 to play a certain protective role on the busbar member 121 when the busbar support 100 has not been installed on the battery cell, so as to prevent the busbar member 121 from being damaged due to inadvertent collision or to prevent contaminants from entering therein and affecting the connection effectiveness.

[0040] Depend on Figure 2 It can be seen that the bus structure 120 protrudes from the supporting portion 110 at the side. This structure is relatively simple, and due to this protruding structure, after the bus bracket 100 is installed on the battery cell 200, there is a certain gap between the battery cell 200 and the supporting portion 110, which is beneficial to the dissipation of heat, which is further beneficial to the durable and effective connection between the bus component 121 and the terminal 210.

[0041] Of course, a structure (not shown) in which the busbar structure 120 does not substantially protrude from the surface of the support portion 110 can also be envisioned. For example, a mounting groove is pre-set at the position of the support portion 110 where the busbar structure 120 is to be mounted, and then the busbar structure 120 is embedded in the mounting groove, so that the surface of the busbar structure 120 is substantially flush with the side of the support portion 110. This surface-flush structure is conducive to the stacking storage of multiple busbar holders 100. In addition, since the surface area of ​​the side of the busbar holder 100 that contacts the battery cell becomes larger, the stability of the busbar holder 100 and the entire battery assembly 1000 in the assembled state is also improved.

[0042] In order to ensure effective connection with the terminals 210 of the battery cells 200, the busbar members 121 are respectively located at positions capable of covering the terminals 210 connected thereto. Figure 1 and Figure 3 , a busbar structure 120 including four busbar members 121 is shown, however, the busbar structure 120 may include any number of busbar members 121, such as one, three, five or six, etc., and the number of busbar members 121 may depend, for example, on the capacity and size of the entire battery assembly, the number and arrangement of battery cells or terminals to be connected, etc. Preferably, the busbar structures 120 are also aligned with each other when the terminals 210 to which they are connected are aligned with each other, which can help reduce manufacturing costs and facilitate installation.

[0043] In addition, Figure 1 and Figure 2 As can be seen in FIG. 1 , an angle θ may exist between the supporting portion 110 and the bending portion 130 .

[0044] As an example, the angle θ may be in the range of 80° to 100°, and is particularly preferably about 90°. Figure 2 As shown, the angle θ between the support portion 110 and the bent portion 130 makes the side of the entire busbar bracket 100 roughly L-shaped. This L-shaped structure can provide a preload between the busbar structure 120 and the terminal 210 of the battery cell during assembly. When the angle θ is smaller, the preload is greater, which is more conducive to the stability of the connection. In addition, in order to increase the preload, a threaded connector can be additionally provided between the busbar structure 120 and the battery cell 200, thereby ensuring a stable electrical connection and a lower contact resistance between the busbar member 121 and the terminal 210.

[0045] The angle θ may be adapted to the angle β between two adjacent sides of the battery cell 200 on which the busbar support 100 is to be mounted (in Figure 4). In the present disclosure, "adapted to" means equal or approximately equal, or means that its size can be changed accordingly. As an example, when the angle β is 90°, the angle θ can be about 90°, for example, in the range of 80° to 100°. Preferably, the angle θ is within the range of angle β±20°, particularly preferably, the angle θ is within the range of angle β±10°, and particularly preferably, the angle θ is within the range of angle β±5°.

[0046] The adaptability of the angle θ of the busbar support 100 and the angle β of the battery cell enables the busbar support 100 to be reliably and firmly mounted on the battery cell 200. Even in a relatively unstable environment (e.g., under vibration or impact), a firm connection between the battery cells and / or between the battery cell and the busbar can be maintained.

[0047] Here, as a preferred embodiment, the angle θ is variable, that is, the angle θ is adjustable. The adjustability of the angle θ is easier to achieve, for example, when the support portion 110 and the bending portion 130 are formed separately and then connected (for example, hinged or threaded). When the support portion 110 and the bending portion 130 are integrally formed and have a certain flexibility at their connection, the adjustability of the angle θ can also be achieved. The adjustability of the angle θ allows the busbar bracket 100 to fit more closely with the battery cell, so that the support portion 110 (for example, with the help of the busbar structure 120) and the bending portion 130 can be completely or partially attached to the battery cell 200. This further makes the connection between the battery cells and / or between the battery cell and the busbar more secure and shock / vibration resistant.

[0048] As a preferred embodiment, the busbar support 100 further includes one or more alignment structures 140 .

[0049] Here, the alignment structure 140 protrudes from the lower end of the support portion 110 and is aligned with the battery cell 200 when the busbar holder 100 is mounted to the battery cell 200 , thereby achieving alignment of the busbar structure 120 with the terminal 210 of the battery cell.

[0050] Preferably, the busbar support 100 may include two alignment structures 140, which are located on both sides of the support portion 110 and are respectively aligned with the two outermost battery cells 200 to be connected when the busbar support 100 is installed. This ensures that the busbar structure 120 is installed in the correct position, for example, between the correct plurality of battery cells 200 to be connected.

[0051] Here, the alignment structure 140 is schematically configured as two vertical protrusions. Of course, other numbers or forms of alignment structures 140 are also conceivable, such as one or more dot-shaped protrusions or grooves at the lower edge of the support portion 110, as long as they can achieve the marking or positioning function of the busbar structure 120.

[0052] It can also be understood that the arrangement position of the alignment structure 140 is not limited, and it can be arranged not only at the lower edge of the support portion 110, but also, for example, directly on the outer side of the support portion, or even on the bent portion 130. Here, only the corresponding relationship between the alignment structure 140 and the terminals 210 to be marked (for example, the two outermost terminals to be connected) is important, which will play a role in position guidance and adjustment during the installation of the busbar support 100 to the battery unit 200, thereby simply and accurately realizing different connection combinations of each battery unit 200.

[0053] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of an exemplary battery cell 200 is shown. Here, the battery cell 200 may be, but is not limited to, plate-shaped or sheet-shaped. Preferably, the plurality of battery cells have the same shape, for example, all battery cells have a rectangular parallelepiped shape, to facilitate the assembly of the battery assembly and the overall size design. Of course, it is also conceivable that battery cells have different shapes from each other, for example, battery cells with complementary shapes are combined into a battery assembly in order to adapt to the spatial installation requirements of other adjacent components.

[0054] Here, a plurality of battery cells 200 are arranged in parallel with each other, and terminals 210 are provided on the same side of these battery cells 200. Preferably, each terminal 210 has the same size and is aligned with each other, so that the busbar structure 120 matched therewith can have a relatively simple structure, such as a long strip. Of course, it is also conceivable to have battery cells 200 with terminals 210 that are not aligned with each other (for example, staggered in height) to meet different parallel connection requirements between each battery cell 200. Accordingly, the busbar structure 120 matched with these terminals 210 will also adaptively change its shape, for example, having a zigzag or other curved shape or a discontinuous shape.

[0055] like Figure 4 It can be seen that the angle β between two adjacent sides of the battery cell 200 (i.e., the side where the terminal 210 is located and the side adjacent thereto) can be approximately 90°. As discussed above with respect to the angle θ, the angle β can also be a non-right angle, such as any angle that matches the angle θ, which will not be described again here.

[0056] Figure 5A schematic diagram of a battery assembly 1000 according to the present disclosure is shown. The battery assembly 1000 may include a busbar support 100 and one or more battery cells 200.

[0057] Here, a plurality of battery cells 200 are arranged adjacent to each other side by side, the bent portion 130 of the busbar support 100 can be attached to the upper side of these battery cells 200 , and the support portion 110 of the busbar support 100 can be connected to the terminals 210 of the battery cells 200 , for example, via the busbar structure 120 .

[0058] As a preferred embodiment, each busbar component 121 of the busbar structure 120 is electrically connected to the same number of terminals 210, and each busbar component 121 is electrically connected to two terminals 210. This uniform connection method simplifies the design and manufacturing process of the busbar structure 120. However, the busbar components 121 can also be electrically connected to different numbers of terminals 210.

[0059] Next, we will refer to Figure 5 A preferred embodiment of the battery assembly 1000 is described in detail.

[0060] like Figure 5 As shown, a busbar support 100 which is generally L-shaped (here, the angle θ and the angle β are respectively about 90°) is installed on nine battery cells 200 arranged side by side to form a battery assembly 1000. Here, the bent portion 130 of the busbar support 100 is abutted against the top side of these battery cells 200, and the support portion 110 is connected to the front side (i.e., the side provided with the terminal 210) of the battery cell 200 through the busbar structure 120. In this example, the busbar structure 120 includes four busbar members 121, and each busbar member 121 is respectively connected to two adjacent terminals 210. Two alignment structures 140 are provided at the bottom of the support portion 110, which are configured as vertical protrusions protruding from the bottom side of the support portion 110 and are respectively aligned with the first (from the left) battery cell and the eighth battery cell, thereby marking that the busbar structure 120 is connected between the first battery cell and the eighth battery cell. When it is necessary to adjust the connection relationship between these battery cells 200, the alignment structure 140 can be used to assist in guiding and adjusting the position of the bus bracket 100. For example, when the bus bracket 100 is translated to the right a certain distance and when the two alignment structures 140 are aligned with the second battery cell and the ninth battery cell respectively, the leftmost battery cell will no longer be connected by the bus structure 120, but the second to ninth battery cells will be connected, thereby accurately and quickly realizing simple adjustment of the battery cell connection combination.

[0061] In addition, the present disclosure also relates to a vehicle (not shown), which may be an electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle or a conventional vehicle. The vehicle may include any combination or variation of the above-mentioned battery assembly 1000 and / or the above-mentioned busbar support 100 .

[0062] Although the embodiments or examples of the present disclosure have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the above-mentioned methods, systems and devices are merely exemplary embodiments or examples, and the scope of the present invention is not limited by these embodiments or examples, but only by the claims after authorization and their equivalent scope. Various elements in the embodiments or examples can be omitted or replaced by their equivalent elements. In addition, each step can be performed in an order different from that described in the present disclosure. Further, the various elements in the embodiments or examples can be combined in various ways. It is important that with the evolution of technology, many elements described herein can be replaced by equivalent elements that appear after the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A busbar support, characterized in that: include: A supporting portion, used for supporting the busbar structure; A busbar structure, the busbar structure being connectable to at least two battery cells; as well as A bent portion is connected to the support portion at an angle relative to the support portion, wherein the angle is adapted to an angle between two adjacent sides of the at least two battery cells.

2. The busbar support according to claim 1, characterized in that: An angle between the bent portion and the supporting portion is in a range of 80° to 100°.

3. The busbar support according to claim 1, characterized in that: The busbar structure includes a plurality of busbar members for electrically connecting to terminals of the at least two battery cells.

4. The busbar support according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The busbar support further includes an alignment structure for aligning the busbar structure with the terminals of the at least two battery cells.

5. The busbar support according to claim 4, characterized in that: The alignment structures are arranged to protrude from a lower end of the support portion, and the alignment structures are respectively aligned with one of the at least two battery cells.

6. The busbar support according to claim 4, characterized in that: The busbar support includes two alignment structures, and the two alignment structures are aligned with two outermost battery cells respectively connected to the busbar structure.

7. The busbar support according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The busbar holder is designed to be integrally formed.

8. The busbar support according to claim 7, characterized in that: When the busbar support is integrally formed of metal, the metal surface is insulated.

9. The busbar support according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The angle between the bent portion and the supporting portion can be adjusted to match the angle between the side where the terminals of the at least two battery cells are located and the adjacent side.

10. The busbar support according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The busbar structure is fixed to the support portion by bonding, welding or screwing.

11. The busbar support according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The bending portion and the supporting portion have different widths or thicknesses.

12. The busbar support according to claim 2, characterized in that: The angle between the bending portion and the supporting portion is 90°.

13. The busbar support according to claim 7, characterized in that: The busbar holder is formed in one piece from plastic or metal.

14. A battery assembly, characterized in that: include: The busbar support according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the bent portion of the busbar support is in contact with one side of at least two battery cells; as well as The at least two battery cells are arranged adjacent to each other and are interference fit with the busbar structure.

15. The battery assembly according to claim 14, characterized in that: The busbar structure includes a plurality of busbar members, and the busbar members are respectively electrically connected to terminals of different numbers of battery cells.

16. A vehicle, characterized in that: Comprising a battery assembly according to claim 14 or 15.

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