Modularized terminal assembly and top cover assembly

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of cell terminal assemblies, and discloses a modular terminal assembly and top cover assembly.The modular terminal assembly and top cover assembly comprises an assembly ring, an injection molding insulating part and a pole which are connected into a whole, the assembly ring is sequentially provided with an annular connecting part, a transition part and a supporting part from bottom to top, and the injection molding insulating part is arranged between the assembly ring and the pole in an injection molding mode; the injection molding insulating part upwards bypasses the supporting part and is glued at the outer side position of the transition part; a plurality of first notches are formed in the inner side of the supporting part in the circumferential direction. A pole flange is arranged at the bottom end of the pole; the outer diameter of the pole flange is greater than the inner diameter of the supporting part; according to the modularized terminal assembly structure, a pole riveting connection mode is canceled, and the prefabricated terminal assembly and the assembling groove are directly subjected to laser welding, so that the installation process is simplified. In addition, an upper pressing plate is omitted in the modularized terminal assembly structure, the problem that the number of parts is too large at present is solved, and the cross section overcurrent capacity is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of battery terminal assemblies, and in particular to a modular terminal assembly and a top cover assembly. Background Art

[0002] Power batteries have been widely used in automobiles, and the battery cover assembly is an important part of power batteries. At present, the battery top cover structure on the market usually uses the pole riveting method to connect the positive pole and the cover substrate. For the riveting method: it is mainly through the upper pressure plate with the upper plastic, the pole with the sealing ring, the lower plastic connection substrate and the upper pressure plate, the upper plastic, which requires the combination of pole riveting + laser welding. The number of parts is large, which increases the cost on the one hand, and the installation process is more complicated on the other hand; in addition, under the same cover conditions, the current capacity of traditional riveting is limited by the pole cross-section. Because it is necessary to consider the upper pressure plate connected to the battery pack connector, its current capacity is limited by the two, making the current capacity of the traditional riveting method lower. Summary of the invention

[0003] In view of the shortcomings of the prior art, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a modular terminal assembly and a top cover assembly, which eliminates the connection method of pole riveting and directly adopts the prefabricated terminal assembly and the assembly groove laser welding, thereby simplifying the installation process. In addition, the modular terminal assembly structure eliminates the upper pressure plate, solves the current problem of too many parts, and improves the cross-sectional current capacity.

[0004] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is implemented through the following technical solutions:

[0005] In a first aspect, a modular terminal assembly comprises an integrally connected assembly ring, an injection-molded insulating part and a pole, wherein the assembly ring is sequentially arranged from bottom to top as an annular connecting part, a transition part and a supporting part, and the injection-molded insulating part is injection-molded between the assembly ring and the pole, and the injection-molded insulating part goes around the supporting part upward and is glued to the outer side of the transition part; a plurality of first notches are arranged along the annular direction on the inner side of the supporting part to improve the torsional resistance of the injection-molded insulating part; the bottom end of the pole is arranged as a pole flange, and the outer diameter of the pole flange is larger than the inner diameter of the supporting part.

[0006] As a further implementation method, the outer diameters of the connecting portion, the transition portion and the supporting portion decrease successively, the cross-sectional shape of the transition portion is a bending type, and the upper and lower ends of the transition portion are connected to the assembly ring and the pole through a bending structure; the transition portion is used for glue collection of injection-molded insulating parts, and the bent structural state of the transition portion can improve the overall strength through strain hardening, so that the terminal can be subjected to more reasonable force.

[0007] As a further implementation manner, the top surfaces of the connecting portion and the supporting portion are of a planar structure. The outer periphery of the connecting portion is used for welding with the assembly groove on the cover plate, and the supporting portion is used to provide a binding force to ensure the structural strength.

[0008] As a further implementation manner, the thickness of the connecting portion is less than the depth of the assembly groove; the terminal assembly includes a positive terminal assembly and a negative terminal assembly with different sizes.

[0009] As a further implementation manner, a plurality of second notches are provided on the pole column flange. The notches penetrate through the pole column flange, and the injection-molded insulating part fills the notch part. The bottom surface of the pole column flange is higher than the bottom surface of the connecting portion, and the injection-molded insulating part can extend to the edge position of the bottom surface of the pole column flange.

[0010] As a further implementation manner, the outer diameter of the supporting portion is larger than the outer diameter of the pole column flange.

[0011] As a further implementation manner, the top of the pole column flange is a connecting column, and the top surface of the connecting column is flush with or staggered from the top surface of the injection-molded insulating part.

[0012] In a second aspect, a top cover assembly includes a light aluminum plate, a lower plastic, and the modular terminal assembly as described in any one of the above.

[0013] As a further implementation manner, two groups of assembly grooves are provided on the light aluminum plate for assembling the positive terminal assembly and the negative terminal assembly; a circular opening is provided at the center of the assembly groove for cooperating with a sealing ring, and the edge part of the assembly groove is used for welding connection with the connecting portion of the terminal assembly.

[0014] As a further implementation manner, the sealing ring is of an annular structure. The inner side edge of the annular structure is downwardly provided with an annular protrusion to form a stepped structure for clamping at the circular opening. The annular structure serves as a sealing area and can be compressed by the pole column flange to achieve sealing; the outer side of the annular protrusion serves as a positioning area, and the inner side surface can be in sealed contact with the outer side surface of the positioning ring of the lower plastic.

[0015] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0016] 1. The modular terminal assembly structure proposed by the present invention cancels the connection method of pole column riveting and directly uses the prefabricated terminal assembly for laser welding with the assembly groove, simplifying the installation process. In addition, the modular terminal assembly structure cancels the upper pressing plate. On the one hand, it solves the current problem of excessive number of parts. On the other hand, for the overcurrent capacity, it can be completely released to the pole column, improving the cross-sectional overcurrent capacity. It can provide overcurrent for itself, and the top of the pole column can also be used for battery pack connection.

[0017] 2. The terminal assembly of the present invention is composed of three structural components: an assembly ring, an injection-molded insulating part, and a positive terminal post, and is an integrated modular structure. When assembling the terminal assembly, the outer periphery of the assembly ring can be directly welded to the assembly groove to achieve rapid assembly and simplify the process steps.

[0018] 3. The transition part of the present invention is a bent structure for the injection-molded insulating part to receive glue. Moreover, the overall strength can be enhanced through strain hardening in the structural state of the bent transition part, making the force on the terminal more reasonable; a first notch is provided on the support part, and a second notch is provided on the terminal post flange. The notches can be filled with the injection-molded insulating part, improving the torsional resistance of the injection-molded insulating part and the terminal post, and making the overall structure of the modular terminal assembly more reliable. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] The accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention. The schematic embodiments of the present invention and their descriptions are used to explain the present invention and do not constitute an improper limitation to the present invention.

[0020] Figure 1 is an exploded view of the structure of the top cover assembly in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 is a front view schematic diagram of the top cover assembly in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 3 is an exploded view of the structure of the modular terminal assembly in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] FIG. 4(a) is a cross-sectional view of the modular terminal assembly in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] FIG. 4(b) is a cross-sectional view of the modular terminal assembly in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the assembly ring in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the positive terminal post in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the sealing ring in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 8 is a partial enlarged view of the top cover assembly in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] In the figures: The distances or dimensions between each part are exaggerated for showing the positions of each part, and the schematic diagrams are only for illustration.

[0030] Wherein: 1. Positive terminal component; 2. Negative terminal component; 101. Assembly ring; 102. Injection-molded insulating part; 103. Positive electrode post; 1011. Connection part; 1012. Transition part; 1013. Support part; 10131. First notch; 1031. Second notch for torsional resistance of injection-molded part; 1032. Electrode post flange; 1033. Connection post; 3. Sealing ring; 301. Sealing area; 302. Positioning area; 303. Inner side surface of positioning area; 4. Light aluminum plate; 41. Assembly groove; 42. Step structure; 43. Circular opening; 5. Lower plastic; 51. Positioning ring. Detailed implementation mode

[0031] It should be noted that the following detailed descriptions are all illustrative and are intended to provide further explanations of the present invention. Unless otherwise specified, all technical and scientific terms used in the present invention have the same meaning as commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present invention belongs.

[0032] Embodiment 1

[0033] In a typical implementation mode of the present invention, referring to Figures 1-8 As shown, a modular terminal component includes a positive terminal component 1 and a negative terminal component 2. The positive terminal component 1 and the negative terminal component 2 have the same structural form, and both include an integrally connected assembly ring 101, an injection-molded insulating part 102, and an electrode post. The assembly ring 101, the injection-molded insulating part 102, and the electrode post are prefabricated into an integral structure in advance. During assembly, the assembly ring 101 is directly welded to the light aluminum plate 4, and the assembly of the terminal component can be quickly realized.

[0034] As Figure 3 shown, taking the positive terminal component 1 as an example, it includes an assembly ring 101, an injection-molded insulating part 102, and a positive electrode post 103. The injection-molded insulating part 102 is injection-molded between the assembly ring 101 and the electrode post.

[0035] As Figure 3 and Figure 5 shown, the assembly ring 101 is sequentially provided with an annular connection part 1011, a transition part 1012, and a support part 1013 from bottom to top, and the outer diameters of the connection part 1011, the transition part 1012, and the support part 1013 decrease in sequence, so that the overall shape of the assembly ring is similar to a truncated cone-shaped structure.

[0036] The cross-sectional shape of the transition part 1012 is a bent type. The upper and lower ends of the transition part 1012 are connected to the assembly ring 101 and the electrode post through a bent structure. The injection-molded insulating part 2 bypasses the support part 1013 upward and the glue is collected outside the transition part 1012. As shown in Figure 4(b), during injection, the injection-molded insulating part 2 wraps the support part 1013 upward and extends to the top position of the transition part 1012.

[0037] The transition part 1012 of this embodiment is used for the plastic injection insulating part to collect glue, and the bent structural state of the transition part 1012 can improve the overall strength through strain hardening, making the force on the terminal more reasonable.

[0038] As shown in FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b), the top surfaces of the connecting part 1011 and the supporting part 1013 of the assembly ring 101 are planar structures, and the part of the plastic injection insulating part 2 covered on the top of the supporting part 1013 is also a planar structure. The outer periphery of the connecting part 1011 is used for welding with the assembly groove 41 on the cover plate, and the supporting part 1013 is used to provide binding force to ensure the structural strength.

[0039] The positive electrode post 103 includes a post flange 1032 at the bottom and a connecting post 1033 above the post flange 1032. In an assembled form, the connecting post 1033 is arranged at the axis of the assembly ring, and the top end of the connecting post 1033 is located at the top opening of the assembly ring 101. After the plastic injection insulating part 2 is formed by collecting glue, the top end of the connecting post 1033 is flush with the top surface of the injection insulating part 2; in other examples, the top end of the connecting post 1033 is higher than the top surface of the injection insulating part 2, or lower than the top surface of the injection insulating part 2. The top end structure of the connecting post 1033 protrudes upward from the terminal assembly.

[0040] In this embodiment, the bottom surface of the post flange 1032 is higher than the bottom surface of the connecting part 1011, so that the plastic injection insulating part 2 can extend to the edge position of the bottom surface of the post flange 1032, realizing partial coverage of the post flange 1032, and can better define the position of the positive electrode post 103.

[0041] As a limiting and supporting structure, the supporting part 1013 can prevent the positive electrode post 103 from moving upward and provide a binding force platform. Its projection in the height direction overlaps at least a part of the projection of the top surface of the post flange 1032. After the plastic injection insulating part is filled, a greater binding force can be provided, that is, the outer diameter of the post flange 1032 is larger than the inner diameter of the supporting part and smaller than the outer diameter of the supporting part 1013, so that the supporting part 1013 can better limit the position of the positive electrode post 103 through the plastic injection insulating part 2.

[0042] As Figure 5 shown, a plurality of first notches 10131 are arranged along the circumferential direction on the inner side of the supporting part 1013. The first notches 10131 are not limited to waist-shaped notches, and can also be circular-shaped, rectangular, triangular, etc. The first notches 10131 penetrate through the supporting part 1013; during glue injection, the first notches 10131 can be filled with the plastic injection insulating part 2, so that the first notches 10131 can provide torsional resistance for the plastic injection insulating part 2 and make the structure of the entire terminal assembly more reliable.

[0043] As Figure 6As shown, the outer diameter of the terminal post flange 1032 is greater than that of the connecting post 1033. A number of second notches 1031 are provided on the terminal post flange 1032. The second notches 1031 are located at the outer peripheral position of the terminal post flange 1032. The second notches 1031 can be specifically set according to the situation. The second notches 1031 penetrate through the terminal post flange 1032, enabling the injection-molded insulating part 2 to fill part of the second notches 1031, providing a reliable anti-torsion ability for the entire positive terminal post 103. It is worth mentioning that the injection-molded insulating part 2 covers at least a part of the upper and lower flanges of the positive terminal post 103, restricting the degree of freedom in the height direction thereof, as shown in Figure 4(b). Since then, the heights and axial degrees of freedom among the assembly ring 101, the injection-molded insulating part 102, and the positive terminal post 103 are completely restricted, and the entire structure becomes an integral whole, ensuring safety for end use.

[0044] The above positive terminal component 1 as a whole is a modular terminal component structure. During assembly, the entire modular terminal component can be directly fitted with the assembly groove 41 of the light aluminum plate 4. Specifically, the edge of the assembly ring 101 is welded to the inner side surface position of the assembly groove 41 to form an integral structure.

[0045] The proposed modular terminal component structure in this embodiment cancels the connection method of riveting the terminal post and directly uses laser welding of the prefabricated terminal component to the assembly groove 41, simplifying the installation process. In addition, the modular terminal component structure cancels the upper pressure plate. On the one hand, it solves the problem of excessive number of parts currently existing. On the other hand, for the overcurrent capacity, it can be completely released to the terminal post, improving the cross-sectional overcurrent capacity. It can not only provide overcurrent for itself, but also the top of the terminal post can be used for connecting the battery pack.

[0046] The connecting part 1011 of this embodiment mainly functions to connect with the light aluminum plate 4 and support the entire terminal. It is worth mentioning here that the outer diameter dimensions of the connecting parts of the assembly rings 1 of the positive terminal component 1 and the negative terminal component 2 are designed differently. The negative terminal side is 1 - 3 mm smaller than the positive terminal side, and vice versa. This can avoid the possibility of misassembling the positive and negative terminal posts during the assembly process, prevent mistakes physically, improve the accuracy of assembly, and reduce the risk of product defects.

[0047] The thickness of the connecting part 1011 is less than the depth of the assembly groove of the light aluminum plate 4, avoiding the risk of poor appearance caused by the body and weld seam exceeding the outer surface of the light aluminum plate after assembly. Preferably, the thickness of the connecting part 1011 is 0.2 mm smaller than the depth of the assembly groove of the light aluminum plate 4.

[0048] The terminal component of this embodiment is composed of three structural parts: the assembly ring 101, the injection-molded insulating part 102, and the positive terminal post 103, and is an integrated modular structure. When assembling the terminal component, the outer periphery of the assembly ring 101 can be directly welded and connected to the assembly groove 41, realizing rapid assembly and simplifying the process steps.

[0049] Embodiment 2

[0050] In a typical implementation manner of the present invention, with reference to Figures 1-8 as shown, a top cover assembly includes a light aluminum plate 4, a lower plastic 5, and the modular terminal assembly described in Embodiment 1.

[0051] As Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown, two sets of assembly grooves 41 are provided on the light aluminum plate 4, which are respectively used for assembling the positive terminal assembly 1 and the negative terminal assembly 2. The edge part of the assembly groove 41 is used for welding connection with the connection part of the terminal assembly. A circular opening 43 is opened in the center of the assembly groove 41 for cooperating with the sealing ring 3. A step structure 42 is formed at the edge of the circular opening 43 for positioning the sealing ring.

[0052] Two sets of corresponding positioning rings 51 are provided on the lower plastic 5. The lower plastic 5 is assembled upward from below the light aluminum plate 4. After assembly, the positioning ring 51 passes through the circular opening 43.

[0053] As Figure 7 shown, the main body of the sealing ring 3 is a ring structure. The inner side of the ring structure is downwardly provided with a ring-shaped protrusion to form a step structure corresponding to the step structure 42 as the positioning area 302. The ring structure serves as the sealing area 301 and can be compressed by the pole column flange to achieve sealing, playing an insulating and sealing role.

[0054] The outer side of the ring-shaped protrusion serves as the positioning area. The step structure formed between the positioning area 302 and the sealing area 301 is used for being clamped at the step structure 42 of the circular opening to realize the positioning of the installation of the sealing ring, so that the radial direction of the sealing ring 3 is restricted. The inner side surface of the ring-shaped protrusion, that is, the inner side surface 303 of the positioning area, can be in sealing contact with the outer side surface of the positioning ring 51 of the lower plastic 5.

[0055] As Figure 1 shown, the positive and negative terminal assemblies, the sealing ring 3, and the light aluminum plate 4 are fixed to a suitable thickness by an external support fixture, and then the assembly ring 101 is welded and fixed to the assembly groove 41 of the light aluminum plate 4 by laser welding; it is worth mentioning that the outer diameters of the outer rings of the positive and negative assembly rings are different, and the diameters of the matching cover plate assembly grooves 41 are also different, so assembly errors are fundamentally avoided and anti-fooling is physically achieved.

[0056] As Figure 8As shown, during assembly, the bottom of the terminal component is in full contact with the bottom surface of the assembly groove 41. When constrained as a whole by laser welding, the sealing ring 3 is located below the pole flange 1032 and is compressed accordingly to play a sealing role. The stepped structure inside the assembly groove 41 is filled by the annular protrusion of the sealing ring 3. As the pole is pressed down on the sealing ring 3 during assembly, the stepped structure 42 is completely sealed, and the positioning ring 51 of the lower plastic 5 can limit the annular protrusion from extending towards the inside of the circular opening.

[0057] This embodiment innovates the structural form of the terminal component. Through the special modular terminal structure and its assembly method, the overcurrent capacity is improved, the manufacturing process difficulty is reduced, and the cost is lowered.

[0058] The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. For those skilled in the art, the present invention can have various modifications and changes. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A modular terminal assembly, characterized in that, It includes an assembly ring, an injection-molded insulating part, and a pole column that are connected as a single unit. The assembly ring is sequentially provided with an annular connecting part, a transition part, and a supporting part from bottom to top. The injection-molded insulating part is injection-molded between the assembly ring and the pole column, and the injection-molded insulating part bypasses the supporting part upward and is glued at the outer position of the transition part. A number of first notches are provided along the circumferential direction on the inner side of the supporting part. The bottom end of the pole column is provided with a pole column flange, and the outer diameter of the pole column flange is greater than the inner diameter of the supporting part.

2. The modular terminal assembly according to claim 1, wherein, The outer diameters of the connecting part, the transition part, and the supporting part decrease in sequence. The cross-sectional shape of the transition part is a bent type, and the upper and lower ends of the transition part are connected to the assembly ring and the pole column through a bent structure.

3. The modular terminal assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that, The top surfaces of the connecting part and the supporting part are flat structures. The outer circumference of the connecting part is used for welding with the assembly groove on the cover plate, and the supporting part is used to provide binding force to ensure the structural strength.

4. A modular terminal assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The thickness of the connecting part is less than the depth of the assembly groove. The terminal assembly includes a positive terminal assembly and a negative terminal assembly with different sizes.

5. A modular terminal assembly according to claim 4, wherein A number of second notches are provided on the pole column flange, and the notches penetrate through the pole column flange. The injection-molded insulating part fills the notch part. The bottom surface of the pole column flange is higher than the bottom surface of the connecting part, and the injection-molded insulating part can extend to the edge position of the bottom surface of the pole column flange.

6. The modular terminal assembly according to claim 1, wherein The outer diameter of the supporting part is greater than the outer diameter of the pole column flange.

7. A modular terminal assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that, The top of the pole column flange is a connecting column, and the top surface of the connecting column is flush or staggered with the top surface of the injection insulating part.

8. A top cover assembly, characterized in that, It includes a light aluminum plate, a lower plastic, and the modular terminal assembly according to any one of claims 1-7.

9. The top cover assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that, Two groups of assembly grooves are provided on the light aluminum plate for assembling the positive terminal assembly and the negative terminal assembly. A circular opening is provided at the center of the assembly groove for cooperating with the sealing ring, and the edge part of the assembly groove is used for welding connection with the connecting part of the terminal assembly.

10. A top cover assembly according to claim 9, characterized in that, The sealing ring is an annular structure. The inner side edge of the annular structure is downwardly provided with an annular protrusion to form a stepped structure for clamping at the circular opening. The annular structure serves as a sealing area and can be compressed by the pole column flange to achieve sealing. The outer side of the annular protrusion serves as a positioning area, and the inner side surface can be in sealed contact with the outer side surface of the positioning ring of the lower plastic.

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