Battery monitoring device

Abstract

A battery monitoring device (100) is provided with: a wiring substrate (10) in which a part of wiring (12) is provided on a substrate surface (S1); circuit components (21, 22) which are surface-mounted on the substrate surface (S1) and which are connected to the wiring (12); and a connector (30) that electrically connects the wiring board (10) and at least the battery. The connector (30) has a terminal (31) connected to a mounting pad (13a), which is a part of wiring provided on the substrate surface (S1), and a connector housing (33) in which the terminal is provided. The wiring board (10) is provided with a cutout part (14) which is depressed from the periphery in a part of the side surface, and at least a part of the connector housing (33) is disposed in the cutout part (14).

Description

Citation of related applications

[0001] This application is based on patent application No. 2022-163496 filed in Japan on October 11, 2022, and the contents of the basic application are cited as a whole by reference. Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a battery monitoring device. Background Art

[0003] As an example of a battery monitoring device, there is a technology disclosed in Patent Document 1. The battery monitoring device includes: a battery information input terminal electrically connected to a battery status detection member, a battery status monitoring unit that inputs a battery status detection signal via the battery information input terminal, an output terminal that outputs monitoring information of the battery status corresponding to the battery status detection signal to an external operation processing device, and a circuit substrate on which these components are mounted. In addition, the battery monitoring device uses a through-type terminal that penetrates the circuit substrate as the battery information input terminal. Prior art literature Patent Literature

[0004] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-133846 Summary of the invention

[0005] Since the battery monitoring device uses a through-type terminal, the terminal protrudes in the thickness direction of the circuit substrate. Therefore, the battery monitoring device has a problem of increasing the size in the thickness direction. In addition, in the above viewpoints or other viewpoints not mentioned, further improvements are required for the battery monitoring device.

[0006] An object of the disclosure is to provide a battery monitoring device that is compact in size.

[0007] The battery monitoring device disclosed herein monitors the state of a battery installed in a vehicle, and the battery monitoring device comprises: A wiring substrate having a portion of wiring arranged on one side thereof; A circuit component, the circuit component being surface mounted on one side and connected to the wiring; and A connector member that electrically connects a wiring substrate to at least a battery and includes a terminal connected to a pad that is a part of wiring provided on one surface and a housing in which the terminal is provided, The wiring substrate has a recessed portion recessed relative to a periphery in a portion of a side surface, and at least a portion of the housing is disposed in the recessed portion.

[0008] In this way, the terminals of the battery monitoring device are connected to the pads provided on one side of the wiring substrate. In addition, the battery monitoring device is provided with at least a portion of the housing in the recess provided on the side of the wiring substrate. Therefore, the battery monitoring device can be miniaturized in the thickness direction of the wiring substrate.

[0009] The multiple methods disclosed in this specification use different technical means to achieve various purposes. The claims and the symbols in brackets recorded in the claims exemplarily represent the correspondence between the parts of the embodiments described later and are not intended to limit the technical scope. The purpose, features and effects disclosed in this specification can be more clearly understood by referring to the subsequent detailed description and drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram showing an installation example of a battery monitoring device. Figure 2 It is a perspective view showing a schematic structure of a battery monitoring device. Figure 3 It is a plan view showing a schematic structure of a wiring board. Figure 4 It is along Figure 3 A cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV. Figure 5 It is along Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of line VV. Figure 6 It is a plan view showing a schematic structure of a wiring board in a state where a connector member is not mounted. Figure 7 1 is a plan view showing a schematic structure of a wiring board in Modification 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0011] Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, a plurality of embodiments for implementing the present disclosure will be described. In each embodiment, sometimes the same reference numerals are given to portions corresponding to matters described in a previous embodiment, and repeated descriptions are omitted. When only a portion of a structure is described in each embodiment, other portions of the structure are applied with reference to other embodiments described previously.

[0012] In addition, below, three directions orthogonal to each other are represented as X direction, Y direction, and Z direction. In addition, a plane defined by the X direction and the Y direction is represented as an XY plane. Unless otherwise specified, a top view represents a view when viewed from the Z direction.

[0013] <Battery Pack> First, the battery pack 300 equipped with the battery monitoring device 100 is described. The battery pack 300 is arranged under the seat of the vehicle. In addition, the battery pack 300 can also be arranged in other places such as the engine room, the trunk room, and the bottom of the floor of the vehicle. The vehicle is an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle that runs using the power stored in the battery pack 300. That is, the battery pack 300 is installed in the vehicle as a driving power source of the vehicle.

[0014] The battery pack 300 includes a plurality of battery modules 200 each having a plurality of battery cells. Each battery cell is composed of a lithium-ion secondary battery or a nickel-metal hydride secondary battery. In addition, a lithium-ion secondary battery is a secondary battery that uses lithium as a charge carrier, and in addition to a general lithium-ion secondary battery in which the electrolyte is a liquid, it can also include a so-called all-solid battery using a solid electrolyte. The battery module 200 is equivalent to a battery.

[0015] The battery pack 300 (battery module 200) is configured to store power for driving the vehicle's driving motor in the battery cells, and can supply power to the driving motor. The battery pack 300 receives power generated by the driving motor for charging when the driving motor generates regenerative power, such as when the vehicle is braking. The driving motor is equivalent to the motor that drives the vehicle.

[0016] like Figure 1 As shown, the battery pack 300 includes a plurality of battery modules 200, a plurality of battery monitoring devices 100, and a battery frame for housing them. The battery pack 300 is configured with two battery modules 200 along the left-right direction LD of the vehicle. However, the battery pack 300 may also configure a plurality of battery modules 200 along the front direction FD of the vehicle. In addition, the battery pack 300 may also configure three or more battery modules 200 along the left-right direction LD of the vehicle. Therefore, the battery pack 300 may also configure the plurality of battery modules 200 in two or more columns and two or more rows. The plurality of battery modules 200 may also be arranged in a manner as follows: Figure 1 The battery pack 300 is configured in a state rotated 90°. That is, the battery pack 300 may also be configured with multiple battery modules 200 and battery monitoring devices 100 arranged along the front direction FD. One battery monitoring device 100 may be provided for multiple battery modules 200, or one battery module 200. The dimension of the battery pack 300 in the left-right direction LD is limited by the side collision protection requirements. In addition, the front direction FD is parallel to the front-rear direction of the vehicle.

[0017] In addition, the battery pack 300 is connected to a vehicle control device or a power control unit. The power control unit performs bidirectional power conversion between the battery pack 300 and the driving motor according to a control signal from the vehicle control device. The power control unit includes, for example, an inverter for driving the driving motor and a converter for boosting the DC voltage supplied to the inverter to a voltage higher than the output voltage of the battery pack 300.

[0018] The vehicle control device includes a CPU, a ROM and a RAM, an input / output port for inputting and outputting various signals, etc. The CPU expands the program stored in the ROM to the RAM and executes it. The processing of the vehicle control device is recorded in the program stored in the ROM. The vehicle control device obtains battery information described later from the battery monitoring device 100, for example, and controls the power control unit. Thus, the driving of the driving motor and the charging and discharging of the battery pack 300 are controlled.

[0019] <Battery monitoring device> The battery monitoring device 100 includes a wiring board 10 , circuit components 21 , 22 , a connector 30 , a base 41 , a cover 42 , etc. The battery monitoring device 100 is a device for monitoring the state of a battery module 200 (battery cell) mounted in a vehicle. The battery monitoring device 100 is provided in a battery pack 300 .

[0020] <Wiring boards and circuit components> like Figure 3 , Figure 4 As shown, the wiring substrate 10 has an insulating insulating substrate 11 with a resin as a main component and a conductive wiring 12 with a metal such as copper as a main component. In this embodiment, as an example of the wiring substrate 10, a multilayer substrate in which the wiring 12 is stacked via the insulating substrate 11 is used. That is, the wiring substrate 10 forms the wiring 12 in a plurality of insulating layers constituting the insulating substrate 11. And the wiring substrate 10 is constituted by stacking the plurality of insulating layers. For example, the wiring substrate 10 can use a substrate with several layers of insulating layers stacked. However, the wiring substrate 10 is not limited to a multilayer substrate.

[0021] The wiring substrate 10 is roughly rectangular (roughly rectangular) when viewed from above. The long side direction of the wiring substrate 10 is consistent with the X direction, and the short side direction is consistent with the Y direction. The wiring substrate 10 has a substrate surface S1 and the opposite side of the substrate surface S1, namely, the substrate back side S2. The substrate surface S1 and the substrate back side S2 are surfaces roughly parallel to the XY plane. The substrate surface S1 and the substrate back side S2 are roughly rectangular. Hereinafter, the long side direction of the wiring substrate 10 will also be simply recorded as the long side direction, and the width direction of the wiring substrate 10 will be simply recorded as the short side direction. In addition, the substrate surface S1 is equivalent to one side, and the substrate back side S2 is equivalent to the opposite side.

[0022] The wiring substrate 10 has side surfaces S3 to S6 connected to the substrate surface S1 and the substrate back surface S2. As the side surfaces S3 to S6, the wiring substrate has short side surfaces S4 and S6 along the short side direction and long side surfaces S3 and S5 along the long side direction. The side surfaces S3 to S6 are substantially perpendicular to the XY plane. In addition, Figure 3 The CL in FIG. 1 is a center line passing through the center in the long side direction and along the short side direction. The center line CL is a line shown virtually.

[0023] The wiring substrate 10 is provided with a portion of the wiring 12 on the substrate surface S1. In addition, in the present embodiment, an example is adopted in which the wiring 12 is provided not only on the substrate surface S1 but also inside the insulating substrate 11. The wiring 12 includes a mounting pad 13a as a portion provided on the substrate surface S1 of the wiring substrate 10. The mounting pad 13a is a portion of the wiring 12 exposed to the substrate surface S1 side. The mounting pad 13a is equivalent to a pad. In addition, Figure 4 In FIG. 1 , a portion of the wiring 12 to which the element terminal 21 a is connected is a portion of the wiring 12 exposed to the substrate surface S1 side, and can also be said to be a circuit mounting pad.

[0024] like Figure 3 As shown, the wiring substrate 10 has a fixing pad 13b for fixing a connector 30 (fixing member 32) to be described later. The fixing pad 13b is provided on the substrate surface S1. The fixing pad 13b is made of the same material as the wiring 12. However, the fixing pad 13b is electrically separated from the wiring 12. The fixing pad 13b fixes the fixing member 32 by solder.

[0025] In addition, the fixing pads 13b are provided around the cutout portion 14 where the connector housing 33 described later is provided. Here, as an example, the fixing pads 13b are provided adjacent to both sides of the cutout portion 14 in the long side direction. The fixing pads 13b are formed into a rectangular shape in which the length in the long side direction is shorter than the length in the short side direction when viewed from above.

[0026] However, the length of the fixing pad 13b in the long side direction when viewed from above may be longer than the above-mentioned length. By extending the length in the long side direction, the fixing pad 13b can improve the fixing strength with the fixing member 32. Thus, the fixing pad 13b can improve the durability against the stress applied when the other connector is inserted and removed (pulled out) relative to the connector 30. Hereinafter, this stress is also referred to as the insertion and extraction stress.

[0027] like Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 6As shown, the wiring substrate 10 is provided with a cutout portion 14 that is recessed relative to the periphery in a portion of the side surfaces S3 to S6. The cutout portion 14 is a portion where the connector 30 is disposed. Specifically, the cutout portion 14 is a portion where the connector housing 33 that is a portion of the connector 30 is disposed. In addition, the cutout portion 14 can also be said to be a portion where the connector housing 33 is mounted. It can also be said that the connector housing 33 is disposed in the space defined by the cutout portion 14.

[0028] Therefore, the cutout 14 can also be called a connector configuration portion or a configuration recess, etc. In addition, it can also be said that the cutout 14 is formed as a through hole from the substrate surface S1 to the substrate back surface S2 of the long side surface S3. In addition, it can also be said that the cutout 14 is composed of three connected surfaces of the wiring substrate 10. These three surfaces are connection surfaces that connect two opposite surfaces along the Y direction and two opposite surfaces along the X direction. The cutout 14 is equivalent to a recess.

[0029] In the present embodiment, as an example, a wiring substrate 10 is used in which a cutout portion 14 is provided on the long side surface S3. That is, the cutout portion 14 is a portion of the long side surface S3 that is recessed relative to the periphery of the cutout portion 14. In addition, in the present embodiment, as an example, a wiring substrate 10 is used in which the cutout portions 14 are provided at four locations on the long side surface S3. Therefore, when the wiring substrate 10 is viewed from the Y direction, the recesses as the cutout portions 14 are provided at intervals at four locations.

[0030] The cutout portion 14 is formed in a shape corresponding to the outer shape of the connector housing 33 when viewed from above. In other words, the shape of the cutout portion 14 in the XY plane is the same as the shape of the connector housing 33 in the XY plane. In addition, the area of ​​the cutout portion 14 in the XY plane is substantially the same as the area of ​​the connector housing 33 in the XY plane. That is, the cutout portion 14 may be of a size that allows the connector housing 33 to be disposed.

[0031] However, the cutout 14 is not limited to the above, and the cutout 14 may be provided on the side surfaces S4 to S6 different from the long side surface S3. In addition, the present disclosure may provide the cutout 14 at only one location, two locations, three locations, or five or more locations. In addition, the length of the cutout 14 in the short side direction of the cutout 14 may be shorter than the length of the connector housing 33 in the short side direction. In this case, the connector housing 33 protrudes from the long side surface S3 when arranged in the cutout 14.

[0032] like Figure 3As shown, the wiring substrate 10 is provided with a fixing hole 15. The fixing hole 15 is a through hole for screwing the wiring substrate 10 to the base 41 described later. That is, the wiring substrate 10 is fixed to the base 41 by a screw. The fixing hole 15 is provided at least at a position sandwiching the cutout portion 14. That is, it can be said that the wiring substrate 10 is provided with fixing holes 15 adjacent to each other on both sides of the cutout portion 14 in the long side direction. Thereby, the insertion and extraction stress can be suppressed from being transmitted to the wiring substrate 10. Therefore, the wiring substrate 10 can reduce the stress applied to the battery monitoring IC 21 described later. The fixing hole 15 is equivalent to the fixing portion.

[0033] In addition, in the present embodiment, an example is adopted in which the cutout portion 14 is provided in addition to the position sandwiching the cutout portion 14. In addition, the wiring substrate 10 may be fixed to the base 41 by a method other than screw fixing. Examples of methods other than screw fixing include adhesive fixing, fitting fixing, heat caulking, and a method of pressing and fixing using the base 41 and the cover 42.

[0034] In addition, if Figure 5 As shown, in the present embodiment, a wiring substrate 10 is used which is warped into a convex shape on the substrate surface S1 side due to the difference in linear expansion coefficient between the insulating substrate 11 and the wiring 12. In addition, as described above, since the wiring substrate 10 is provided with the cutout portion 14, it is easy to warp. That is, the length of the short side direction of the wiring substrate 10 is partially different according to the cutout portion 14. Therefore, the wiring substrate 10 is easy to warp at a portion where the length in the short side direction is shorter. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this, and a wiring substrate 10 which is warped into a concave shape on the substrate surface S1 side may also be used.

[0035] The portion with a shorter length in the short side direction is called the relative area OA. The relative area OA is an area adjacent to the cutout portion 14 of the substrate surface S1 along the short side direction. In addition, the relative area OA can also be said to be an area opposite to the cutout portion 14 in the short side direction when viewed from above. The relative area OA can also be said to be an area on the substrate surface S1 that is parallel to the cutout portion 14. The relative area OA can also be said to be a part of the substrate surface S1 in the relative area in the short side direction of the cutout portion 14. The length of the relative area OA in the long side direction is consistent with the length of the cutout portion 14 in the long side direction. The relative area OA is equivalent to a narrow area.

[0036] like Figure 3 , Figure 4 As shown, the wiring substrate 10 has a plurality of circuit components 21 and 22 mounted on the substrate surface S1. That is, the circuit components 21 and 22 are surface mounted chips such as BGA or QFP. BGA is the abbreviation of Ball Grid Array. QFP is the abbreviation of Quad Flat Package.

[0037] The battery monitoring device 100 is equipped with a battery monitoring IC 21 and a circuit element 22 different from the battery monitoring IC 21 as circuit components. The circuit element 22 is, for example, a circuit component constituting a communication circuit or a circuit component for providing other functions.

[0038] The battery monitoring IC 21 is an IC chip that has at least the function of monitoring the voltage of the battery module 200. In detail, the battery monitoring IC 21 obtains battery information from each battery cell that constitutes the battery module 200. The battery information includes at least the voltage information of each battery cell. In addition, the battery information may also include temperature information, current information, self-diagnosis information, etc. of each battery cell. In addition, the self-diagnosis information refers to, for example, information related to the operation confirmation of the battery monitoring device 100, that is, information related to the abnormality or failure of the battery monitoring device 100, etc. The battery monitoring IC 21 may also be called a cell monitoring circuit (CSC: Cell Supervising Circuit).

[0039] like Figure 4 As shown, the battery monitoring IC 21 has an element terminal 21a. The element terminal 21a is connected to the wiring 12 via the solder 16. In addition, the circuit element 22 is also connected to the wiring 12 in the same manner. That is, each circuit component 21, 22 is connected to a part of the wiring 12 via the solder 16. Thus, the circuit components 21, 22 and the wiring 12 together constitute a circuit.

[0040] In addition, in this embodiment, the circuit components 21 and 22 connected to the wiring 12 by reflow soldering are adopted. In addition, the connector 30 described later is also connected to the wiring 12 by reflow soldering. The terminal 31 of the connector 30 and the mounting pad 13a and the fixing member 32 and the fixing pad 13b are connected by reflow soldering. The circuit components 21 and 22 and the connector 30 are connected to the wiring 12 and the like in the same reflow soldering process.

[0041] like Figure 3 As shown, the battery monitoring IC 21 is mounted so that at least a part of it is arranged in the opposing area OA. As described above, the opposing area OA is a part where the wiring substrate 10 is easily warped. In addition, the battery monitoring IC 21 is a chip larger than other circuit elements 22. Moreover, the battery monitoring IC 21 is also a chip heavier than other circuit elements 22.

[0042] Therefore, the battery monitoring device 100 suppresses (reduces) the warping of the wiring substrate 10 by using the weight of the battery monitoring IC 21 by configuring a part of the battery monitoring IC 21 in the relative area OA. It can also be said that the battery monitoring device 100 can suppress the warping of the wiring substrate 10 at the portion where the battery monitoring IC 21 is mounted. In addition, preferably, when viewed from above, the entire battery monitoring IC 21 is configured in the relative area OA. Thereby, the warping of the wiring substrate 10 can be further reduced. In addition, here, as an example, a battery monitoring device 100 having a wiring substrate 10 that is warped to a convex shape on the substrate surface S1 side in a state where the warping is suppressed by the weight of the battery monitoring IC 21 is used. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. The battery monitoring device 100 may also include a wiring substrate 10 that is warped to a concave shape on the substrate surface S1 side in a state where the warping is suppressed by the weight of the battery monitoring IC 21. In addition, the battery monitoring device 100 may also include a wiring substrate 10 whose substrate surface S1 becomes flat in a state where the warping is suppressed by the weight of the battery monitoring IC 21.

[0043] The battery monitoring device 100 can reduce the stress applied to the battery monitoring IC 21 by reducing the warping of the wiring substrate 10. Similarly, the battery monitoring device 100 can reduce the stress applied to the connection portion between the battery monitoring IC 21 and the wiring substrate 10. In addition, the battery monitoring device 100 can reduce the poor installation of the battery monitoring IC 21 accompanied by the warping of the wiring substrate 10. The stress here is the stress accompanied by the warping of the wiring substrate 10, also called the warping stress. The connection portion is the element terminal 21a, the solder 16, and the wiring 12.

[0044] However, the battery monitoring IC 21 sometimes deforms when the warping stress of the wiring substrate 10 is applied. As a result, the battery monitoring IC 21 has a technical problem of reduced voltage monitoring accuracy. That is, in the battery monitoring IC 21, the warping stress of the wiring substrate 10 has a great influence on the monitoring accuracy. On the other hand, the requirements for voltage monitoring accuracy are extremely high for safety and to extend the cruising range. Therefore, it is also possible to consider providing a reinforcing member for suppressing the warping of the wiring substrate 10. However, the battery monitoring device 100 has a technical problem of increased cost due to the reinforcing member.

[0045] In order to solve such a technical problem, the present disclosure configures a part of the battery monitoring IC 21 in the opposing area OA. As a result, the battery monitoring device 100 can suppress the warping of the wiring substrate 10 as described above, and reduce the warping stress applied to the battery monitoring IC 21. Therefore, the battery monitoring device 100 can suppress the reduction in the monitoring accuracy of the voltage of the battery monitoring IC 21. That is, the battery monitoring device 100 can accurately monitor the voltage information which is one of the battery information sent to the vehicle control device.

[0046] Then, the vehicle control device controls the driving of the driving motor and the charging and discharging of the battery pack 300 via the power control unit based on the battery information. Therefore, the vehicle control device can perform control based on accurate voltage information. Therefore, the battery monitoring device 100 can extend the cruising range of the vehicle while ensuring safety. In addition, since the battery monitoring device 100 does not require a reinforcing member, etc., it is possible to suppress the cost increase.

[0047] In addition, in this embodiment, as an example, a wiring substrate 10 is used in which more circuit components 21 and 22 are mounted on the substrate surface S1 than on the substrate back surface S2. Thus, it is sufficient to ensure the insulation distance (space) between each circuit component 21 and 22 and the base 41 and the cover 42 only on the substrate surface S1 side. Therefore, the thickness of the battery monitoring device 100 in the Z direction can be reduced.

[0048] In addition, the wiring substrate 10 may be warped so that the substrate surface S1 side is convex and the vertex of the convex shape is along the center line CL. In particular, the wiring substrate 10 having a plurality of cutouts 14 formed in the long side direction is prone to such warping. Therefore, the battery monitoring device 100 may also be configured with the battery monitoring IC 21 on the center line CL. In this way, the warping of the wiring substrate 10 can also be suppressed.

[0049] <Connector> The connector 30 is an external connection component for connecting the wiring substrate 10 to an external device provided outside the wiring substrate 10. The connector 30 electrically connects the wiring substrate 10 to at least the battery module 200. In other words, the battery monitoring device 100 includes at least one connector 30 that electrically connects the wiring substrate 10 to the battery module 200. Therefore, the battery monitoring device 100 may also include a connector 30 that electrically connects the wiring substrate 10 to an external device other than the battery module 200. The battery module 200 is an example of an external device. As an external device, a vehicle control device or a power control unit may also be included.

[0050] like Figure 4 As shown in the figure, the connector 30 has a terminal 31 connected to a mounting pad 13a which is a part of the wiring 12 provided on the substrate surface S1, and a connector housing 33 provided with the terminal 31. In addition, the connector 30 has a fixing member 32. In addition, the connector 30 is equivalent to a connector member. The fixing member 32 is equivalent to a fixing terminal. The connector housing 33 is equivalent to a housing.

[0051] The terminal 31 is a conductive member mainly composed of metal. The connector housing 33 is an insulating member mainly composed of resin. The fixing member 32 is made of the same material as the terminal 31. The terminal 31 and the fixing member 32 are provided in the connector housing 33 by, for example, insert molding.

[0052] The connector 30 connects a part of the terminal 31 to the mounting pad 13a through the solder 16. The mounting pad 13a is provided on the substrate surface S1 as described above. That is, the connector 30 does not insert the terminal 31 into the wiring substrate 10, but connects the terminal 31 to a part of the wiring 12 on the surface of the wiring substrate 10. Therefore, the connector 30 can be said to be a surface mounting type connector. However, the connector 30 does not configure the connector housing 33 on the substrate surface S1, but is fixed to the wiring substrate 10. This point will be described later.

[0053] The connector housing 33 is, for example, in a box shape that is open in one direction. That is, the connector housing 33 is configured to have five wall portions. As surfaces of two opposing wall portions, the connector housing 33 has a connector surface S11 and a connector back surface S12. The connector back surface S12 is a surface on the opposite side of the connector surface S11. The connector back surface S12 is equivalent to the bottom surface of the housing.

[0054] The connector housing 33 is formed with an insertion port 34 surrounded by its wall. The insertion port 34 is a portion for inserting a mating connector. The connector housing 33 is configured to be able to remove the mating connector inserted into the insertion port 34. The mating connector is inserted and removed from the connector 30 along the Y direction.

[0055] The terminals 31 are provided in the connector housing 33 so as to protrude from both sides of one wall portion. Part of the terminals 31 is arranged in the insertion port 34. The wall portion provided with the terminals 31 is a portion facing the connection surface when the connector housing 33 is arranged in the cutout portion 14.

[0056] The connector 30 is mounted so that at least a portion of the connector housing 33 is disposed in the cutout portion 14. That is, a portion between the connector surface S11 and the connector back surface S12 of the connector housing 33 of the connector 30 is disposed in the cutout portion 14. Therefore, it can be said that the connector housing 33 is not disposed on the substrate surface S1.

[0057] In this embodiment, as an example, a connector 30 is used in which the connector back surface S12 is arranged at the same position as the substrate back surface S2 in the board thickness direction of the wiring substrate 10. That is, it can be said that the connector housing 33 does not protrude from the substrate back surface S2 in the Z direction, but protrudes toward the substrate surface S1 side. As a result, compared with a structure in which the connector housing 33 is mounted on the substrate surface S1 or the substrate back surface S2 of the wiring substrate 10, the battery monitoring device 100 can be miniaturized in the board thickness direction. In addition, the board thickness direction coincides with the Z direction.

[0058] As described above, the wiring substrate 10 needs to maintain an insulating distance with the cover 42 on the substrate surface S1 side. That is, in the battery monitoring device 100, the interval between the substrate surface S1 and the cover 42 is wider than the interval between the substrate back surface S2 and the base. Therefore, even when the battery monitoring device 100 includes the base 41 and the cover 42, the connector housing 33 protrudes toward the substrate surface S1 side, and the body in the board thickness direction is not easy to become larger. Therefore, compared with a structure in which the connector housing 33 protrudes toward both sides of the substrate surface S1 and the substrate back surface S2, the battery monitoring device 100 can be miniaturized in the board thickness direction.

[0059] However, the positional relationship between the connector 30 and the wiring board 10 is not limited to the above. For example, the present disclosure may adopt a structure in which the connector housing 33 protrudes toward both the board surface S1 and the board back surface S2.

[0060] like Figure 3 As shown in the figure, the connector 30 is provided with a fixing member 32 on the side wall of the connector housing 33. The fixing member 32 is connected to the fixing pad 13b as described above. The connector 30 is fixed to the wiring substrate 10 by connecting the fixing member 32 to the fixing pad 13b when arranged in the cutout portion 14. That is, the connector 30 is not fixed to the wiring substrate 10 by deforming at least a part of the connector housing 33 by fitting or the like, but is fixed to the wiring substrate 10 by solder.

[0061] Thus, the battery monitoring device 100 can firmly fix the connector 30 to the wiring substrate 10. The battery monitoring device 100 can suppress the insertion and extraction stress applied to the terminal 31 and the connection portion between the terminal 31 and the mounting pad 13a. In addition, the battery monitoring device 100 can suppress the substrate displacement (deformation) of the wiring substrate 10 caused by the insertion and extraction stress, and suppress the reduction in the monitoring accuracy of the voltage in the battery monitoring IC 21.

[0062] In addition, it can be said that the connector housing 33 is arranged only in the cutout portion 14 in a plan view. That is, the connector housing 33 is not arranged in a position where the cutout portion 14 is not formed in a plan view.

[0063] <Frame> like Figure 2 As shown, the battery monitoring device 100 has a base 41 and a cover 42 as a frame. The base 41 and the cover 42 are mainly composed of metal such as aluminum. The base 41 is fixed with the wiring substrate 10 as described above. The cover 42 is mounted on the base 41, and together with the base 41, forms a storage space for the wiring substrate 10. The fixing method of the base 41 and the cover 42 is not particularly limited. In addition, the base 41 and the cover 42 may also be mainly composed of resin. In addition, the base 41 and the cover 42 may be mainly composed of resin on one side and metal on the other side.

[0064] In the storage space, not only the wiring substrate 10 but also a part of the circuit component 21 and the connector 30 are stored. The connector 30 is stored in a manner that the insertion port 34 is exposed to the outside of the storage space. As a result, the battery monitoring device 100 can be electrically connected to an external device via the connector 30. In this way, in the battery monitoring device 100, the wiring substrate 10 and the like are covered by the base 41 and the cover 42. Therefore, the battery monitoring device 100 can suppress the attachment or collision of foreign matter to the wiring substrate 10 and the like. In addition, the battery monitoring device 100 can suppress the electrical adverse effects propagating from the outside of the storage space to the wiring substrate 10. In other words, the battery monitoring device 100 can ensure the insulation of the wiring substrate 10 on which the circuit components 21 and 22 are mounted.

[0065] <Battery monitoring device configuration example> like Figure 1 As shown, the battery monitoring device 100 is arranged between the battery modules 200 in the left-right direction LD. In this embodiment, the front direction FD coincides with the X direction, and the left-right direction LD coincides with the Z direction. Therefore, the wiring substrate 10 is arranged such that the short side direction is along the left-right direction LD and the long side direction is along the front direction FD, and is arranged between the plurality of battery modules 200 in the left-right direction LD.

[0066] In addition, the battery monitoring device 100 may be disposed between the battery modules 200 in the forward direction FD. In addition, the battery monitoring device 100 may be disposed between the battery module 200 and the vehicle seat.

[0067] <Effect> As described above, the terminal 31 of the battery monitoring device 100 is connected to the mounting pad 13a provided on the substrate surface S1 of the wiring substrate 10. In addition, the battery monitoring device 100 is provided with at least a portion of the connector housing 33 at the cutout portion 14 provided on the long side surface S3 of the wiring substrate 10. Therefore, the battery monitoring device 100 can be miniaturized in the board thickness direction of the wiring substrate 10. In other words, the battery monitoring device 100 can be low-profile in the board thickness direction of the wiring substrate 10.

[0068] In addition, the battery monitoring device 100 can simultaneously achieve low profile and suppress the reduction of voltage monitoring accuracy caused by the warping of the wiring substrate 10 by arranging at least a part of the battery monitoring IC 21 in the opposing area OA. The battery monitoring device 100 can simultaneously achieve low profile and suppress the reduction of voltage monitoring accuracy caused by the displacement of the wiring substrate 10 by connecting the fixing member 32 to the fixing pad 13b.

[0069] The size of the battery pack 300 in the left-right direction LD is limited by the side impact protection requirement. However, as described above, the battery monitoring device 100 can achieve a low profile in the plate thickness direction of the wiring substrate 10. Moreover, in the battery monitoring device 100, the plate thickness direction of the wiring substrate 10 is consistent with the left-right direction LD. Therefore, the battery monitoring device 100 can suppress the reduction in the number of installed battery modules 200 in the left-right direction LD. That is, the battery monitoring device 100 can ensure the number of installed battery modules 200 while satisfying the collision protection requirement. In addition, since the battery monitoring device 100 is arranged between the battery modules 200 in the left-right direction LD, it is possible to suppress the narrowing of the living space of the vehicle.

[0070] In addition, as described above, the battery monitoring device 100 can achieve a low profile in the thickness direction of the wiring substrate 10. Therefore, in a structure in which the battery monitoring device 100 is arranged between the battery modules 200 in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, the number of battery modules 200 installed in the front-rear direction of the vehicle can be suppressed from being reduced. In addition, in a structure in which the battery monitoring device 100 is arranged between the battery module 200 and the vehicle seat, the living space of the vehicle can be suppressed from being narrowed.

[0071] In addition, the battery monitoring device 100 does not require a reinforcing member for suppressing the warping of the wiring substrate 10. Therefore, the battery monitoring device 100 can reduce the cost. In addition, the battery monitoring device 100 can extend the cruising distance by reducing the weight.

[0072] (Variant 1) use Figure 7 , the wiring substrate 10a of the modification 1 is described. The battery monitoring device 100 includes the wiring substrate 10a having the cutout portion 14 provided at only one location. That is, the battery monitoring device 100 includes only one connector 30. Thus, the battery monitoring device 100 can also achieve the same effects as described above.

[0073] In addition, the present embodiment adopts the cutout portion 14 as a hole that is recessed in part of the long side surface S3 and reaches from the substrate surface S1 to the substrate back surface S2. That is, in the battery monitoring device 100, when the connector 30 is mounted on the wiring substrate 10, the wiring substrate 10 is not provided in the area facing the connector housing 33 in the Z direction. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this.

[0074] The battery monitoring device 100 may also adopt a concave cutout portion 14 that does not reach the substrate back surface S2 from the substrate surface S1. That is, the cutout portion 14 is a portion that is provided with an opening along the substrate surface S1 and an opening along the long side surface S3, and the substrate back surface S2 side is closed. In this case, the battery monitoring device 100 is provided with a portion of the wiring substrate 10 in the opposing region of the connector housing 33 in the Z direction when the connector 30 is mounted on the wiring substrate 10. Even with such a structure, the battery monitoring device 100 can be miniaturized in the board thickness direction. In addition, the battery monitoring device 100 may be provided with the connector housing 33 in the cutout portion 14 in a state where the connector housing 33 is in contact with a portion of the wiring substrate 10 provided in the opposing region in the Z direction. Thereby, the mounting strength of the connector 30 with respect to the wiring substrate 10 can be improved.

[0075] Although the present disclosure is described based on the embodiments, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments and structures. The present disclosure also includes various modifications and modifications within the equivalent range. In addition, although various combinations and methods are shown in the present disclosure, further including only a single element, other combinations and methods above or below on this basis also belong to the scope and thought range of the present disclosure.

[0076] (Disclosure of technical ideas) This specification discloses multiple technical ideas recorded in the following multiple items. Some items are sometimes recorded by selectively referring to a multiple dependent form of a previous item in a subsequent item. In addition, some items are sometimes recorded by referring to a multiple dependent form of an item in another multiple dependent form. These items recorded in multiple dependent forms define multiple technical ideas.

[0077] (Technical Thought 1) A battery monitoring device, The battery monitoring device monitors the state of a battery installed in a vehicle, and the battery monitoring device comprises: A wiring substrate (10) having a portion of wiring (12) disposed on one side (S1); circuit components (21, 22) surface-mounted on the one side and connected to the wiring; and a connector member (30) electrically connecting the wiring substrate to at least the battery and having a terminal (31) connected to a pad (13a) which is a portion of the wiring disposed on the one side and a housing (33) in which the terminal is disposed, wherein a recess (14) which is recessed relative to the periphery is disposed on a portion of a side surface of the wiring substrate, and at least a portion of the housing is disposed in the recess.

[0078] (Technical Thought 2) The battery monitoring device as described in technical idea 1, wherein: In the connector member, a bottom surface (S12) of the housing is arranged at the same position as a surface (S2) opposite to the one surface of the wiring substrate in a plate thickness direction of the wiring substrate.

[0079] (Technical Thought 3) A battery monitoring device as described in technical idea 1 or 2, wherein: As the side surface, the wiring substrate has short side surfaces (S4, S6) along the short side direction of the one surface and long side surfaces (S3, S5) along the long side direction of the one surface and provided with the recessed portion, At least a portion of the circuit component is disposed in a narrow area (OA) adjacent to the recessed portion on the one surface in the short-side direction.

[0080] (Technical Thought 4) A battery monitoring device as described in technical idea 3, wherein: The battery supplies power to the electric motor that drives the vehicle. The circuit component has a function of monitoring the voltage of the battery.

[0081] (Technical Thought 5) A battery monitoring device as described in technical idea 3 or 4, wherein: The wiring substrate is warped so that the one surface side is convex.

[0082] (Technical Thought 6) A battery monitoring device as described in technical idea 3 or 4, wherein: The circuit components and the connector member are connected to the wiring by reflow soldering.

[0083] (Technical Thought 7) A battery monitoring device as described in any one of technical concepts 1 to 6, wherein: The wiring substrate is provided with the recessed portions at a plurality of locations on the side surface, and the housing is arranged in each of the recessed portions.

[0084] (Technical Thought 8) A battery monitoring device as described in any one of technical concepts 1 to 7, wherein: The invention also includes: a base (41) on which the wiring substrate is fixed; and a cover (42) which is mounted on the base and forms a storage space for the wiring substrate together with the base. The wiring substrate is provided with a fixing portion (15) fixed relative to the base at a position sandwiching the recess.

[0085] (Technical Thought 9) A battery monitoring device as described in any one of technical concepts 1 to 8, wherein: The wiring board is arranged such that the short side of the one surface is along the left-right direction of the vehicle and the long side of the one surface is along the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and is arranged between the plurality of batteries arranged in the left-right direction.

[0086] (Technical Thought 10) A battery monitoring device as described in any one of technical concepts 1 to 8, wherein: The wiring substrate is provided with a fixing pad (13b) around the concave portion on the one side. The connector component is provided with a fixing terminal (32) on the side wall of the housing, and the fixing terminal is connected to the fixing pad.

Claims

1. A battery monitoring device, the battery monitoring device monitoring the state of a battery installed in a vehicle, the battery monitoring device comprising: A wiring substrate (10) having a portion of wiring (12) disposed on one side (S1); A circuit component (21, 22), the circuit component being surface mounted on the one side and connected to the wiring; as well as a connector member (30) which electrically connects the wiring substrate to at least the battery and has a terminal (31) connected to a pad (13a) which is a part of the wiring provided on the one side and a housing (33) in which the terminal is provided, The wiring substrate is provided with a recessed portion (14) recessed relative to the periphery at a portion of the side surface, and at least a portion of the housing is arranged in the recessed portion.

2. The battery monitoring device according to claim 1, characterized in that In the connector component, the bottom surface (S12) of the housing is arranged at the same position as the opposite surface (S2) of the one surface of the wiring substrate in the plate thickness direction of the wiring substrate.

3. The battery monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein: As the side surface, the wiring substrate has short side surfaces (S4, S6) along the short side direction of the one surface and long side surfaces (S3, S5) along the long side direction of the one surface and provided with the recessed portion, At least a portion of the circuit component is arranged in a narrow area (OA) adjacent to the recessed portion in the one surface along the short side direction.

4. The battery monitoring device according to claim 3, characterized in that The battery supplies electric power to a motor that drives the vehicle. The circuit component has a function of monitoring the voltage of the battery.

5. The battery monitoring device according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that: The wiring substrate is warped so that the one surface side is convex.

6. The battery monitoring device according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that: The circuit components and the connector member are connected to the wiring by reflow soldering.

7. The battery monitoring device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The wiring substrate is provided with the recessed portions at a plurality of locations on the side surface, and the housing is arranged in each of the recessed portions.

8. The battery monitoring device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The invention also includes: a base (41) to which the wiring substrate is fixed; and a cover (42) which is mounted on the base and forms a storage space for the wiring substrate together with the base. The wiring substrate is provided with a fixing portion (15) fixed relative to the base at a position sandwiching the recessed portion.

9. The battery monitoring device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The wiring board is arranged such that the short side of the one surface is along the left-right direction of the vehicle and the long side of the one surface is along the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and is arranged between the plurality of batteries arranged along the left-right direction.

10. The battery monitoring device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The wiring substrate is provided with a fixing pad (13b) around the concave portion in the one surface. The connector component is provided with a fixing terminal (32) on the side wall of the housing, and the fixing terminal is connected to the fixing pad.

Images