Conductive module

Abstract

The light and thin conductive module is realized. The present invention is provided with: a bus bar that is physically and electrically connected to electrode terminals of a pair of battery cells of a battery module; a circuit conductor member provided with a circuit conductor that electrically connects the bus bar and the battery monitoring unit; a first housing provided with a bus bar housing part for housing the bus bar in a housing completion position in a room for each bus bar; the bus bar housing part is provided with a bottom wall which is provided so as to separate a connection part between the bus bar and the electrode terminal and on which the bus bar is placed at a housing completion position, and the first housing is provided with a first engagement part for each bus bar housing part. The second housing has a bus bar holding portion provided for each bus bar housing portion and sandwiching the bus bar at the housing completion position between the bottom wall and the bus bar holding portion, and a second engaging portion provided for each bus bar housing portion and holding the bus bar holding portion at the sandwiching position of the bus bar by engaging with the first engaging portion.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a conductive module. Background Art

[0002] A conductive module is a wiring module that electrically connects a battery module in which a plurality of battery cells are arranged and a battery monitoring unit that monitors the state of the battery cells. The conductive module includes: a bus bar that is physically and electrically connected to an electrode terminal of one or a pair of battery cells of the battery module; a circuit conductor provided for each bus bar that electrically connects the bus bar and the battery monitoring unit; an electrical connection component that physically and electrically connects the bus bar and the circuit conductor; and a housing that houses the above components. Such a conductive module is disclosed, for example, in Patent Document 1 below.

[0003] Prior Art Documents

[0004] Patent Documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2020-119653 Summary of the Invention

[0006] Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] However, the housing has a bus bar housing member that forms a bus bar housing portion for each bus bar, and the bus bar is fixed in the room by a bus bar holding portion in a bus bar housing chamber provided in the bus bar housing portion. For example, a conventional bus bar holding portion has a flexible portion in the shape of a cantilever beam that extends toward the bottom wall in the depth direction of the bus bar housing chamber and a claw portion provided at the free end on the bottom wall side of the flexible portion. The bus bar holding portion holds the bus bar in the room between the claw portion and the bottom wall by bending the flexible portion while inserting the bus bar therebetween. Therefore, in a conventional bus bar housing member, in order to ensure the holding function of the bus bar holding portion, it is necessary to increase the depth of the bus bar housing chamber relative to the body shape in the wall thickness direction of the bus bar. Therefore, there is a limit to the miniaturization of the body shape of the bus bar housing member in the depth direction of the bus bar housing chamber in a conventional conductive module, and there is room for improvement in achieving thinness and lightness.

[0008] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a conductive module that can achieve thinness and lightness.

[0009] Means for Solving the Problems

[0010] The conductive module of the present invention is characterized by having: a bus bar physically and electrically connected to the electrode terminals of a pair of battery cells of a battery module in which a plurality of battery cells are arranged; a circuit conductor component provided with a circuit conductor for electrically connecting the bus bar to a battery monitoring unit; a first housing provided with a bus bar housing portion for each bus bar, the bus bar housing portion housing the bus bar at a housing completion position in the interior; and a second housing provided with a circuit housing portion for housing the circuit conductor component in the interior. The bus bar housing portion has a bottom wall provided with a space between the connection portion of the bus bar and the electrode terminal and placing the bus bar at the housing completion position. The first housing has a first engaging portion provided for each bus bar housing portion. The second housing has: a bus bar holding portion provided for each bus bar housing portion, clamping the bus bar at the housing completion position between the bus bar holding portion and the bottom wall; and a second engaging portion provided for each bus bar housing portion and engaging with the first engaging portion to hold the bus bar holding portion at the clamping position of the bus bar.

[0011] Effect of the Invention

[0012] The conductive module of the present invention adopts a bus bar holding structure having the bus bar holding portion, the first engaging portion, and the second engaging portion. Therefore, the depth of the interior in the bus bar housing portion can be made as shallow as the size of the bus bar in the wall thickness direction. As a result, the conductive module can miniaturize the bus bar housing portion in the depth direction of the interior, and thus can miniaturize the first housing in its depth direction. Therefore, the conductive module of the present invention can achieve thinning. Description of the Drawings

[0013] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the conductive module of the embodiment.

[0014] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the conductive module of the embodiment.

[0015] Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the conductive module of the embodiment, showing the state before assembly of the cover member.

[0016] Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view for explaining the bus bar holding structure.

[0017] Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the battery module.

[0018] Description of Reference Numerals

[0019] 1 Conductive module

[0020] 10 Bus bar

[0021] 20 Circuit conductor component

[0022] 30 First housing

[0023] 30A Bus bar housing component

[0024] 31 Bus bar housing portion

[0025] 32 Bottom wall

[0026] 33 First engaging portion

[0027] 40 Second housing

[0028] 40A Circuit housing component

[0029] 40B Cover component

[0030] 41 Circuit housing portion

[0031] 41a Insertion port

[0032] 42 Bus bar holding portion

[0033] 43 Second engaging portion

[0034] BC Battery cell

[0035] BCb Electrode terminal

[0036] BM Battery module Detailed implementation manners

[0037] Hereinafter, an implementation manner of the conductive module of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings. In addition, the present invention is not limited to this implementation manner.

[0038] Based on Figures 1 to 5 One implementation manner of the conductive module of the present invention will be described.

[0039] Figures 1 to 4 Reference numeral 1 in the attached drawings represents the conductive module of this implementation manner. This conductive module 1 is assembled into a battery module BM in which a plurality of battery cells BC (for example, arranged in a single row) are arranged ( Figure 5) The battery module BM is electrically connected to a battery monitoring unit (not shown), enabling the battery monitoring unit to monitor the battery state of the battery cells BC. The conductive module 1 and the battery module BM together form a battery pack. The battery pack is mounted, for example, on a vehicle (such as a BEV: Battery Electric Vehicle or an HEV: Hybrid Electric Vehicle) having a rotating machine as a drive source and is used for power supply to the rotating machine, etc.

[0040] The battery cell BC includes a cell body BCa and positive and negative electrode terminals BCb ( Figure 5 ). The battery cell BC shown here is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape in which the cell body BCa has six outer wall surfaces. And among the plurality of battery cells BC that make up the battery module BM, the cell bodies BCa adjacent in the arrangement direction are arranged such that one outer wall surface faces each other. The battery module BM includes: one electrode terminal group BCc formed by arranging one electrode terminal BCb in each battery cell BC along the arrangement direction; and another electrode terminal group BCc formed by arranging the other electrode terminal BCb in each battery cell BC along the arrangement direction.

[0041] In this example, each battery cell BC has positive and negative electrode terminals BCb on one of the six outer wall surfaces of the cell body BCa ( Figure 5 ). Therefore, in the battery module BM, two electrode terminal groups BCc are provided on one plane (hereinafter referred to as the "electrode setting plane") ( Figure 5 ).

[0042] However, as the battery cell BC, although not shown, a battery cell BC is known in which a positive electrode terminal BCb is provided on one of the six outer wall surfaces of the cell body BCa and a negative electrode terminal BCb is provided on another of the outer wall surfaces. And in a battery module BM having such battery cells BC, each electrode terminal group BCc is provided on a different plane. This plane refers to the part called the side wall surface in the battery module BM of the previous example. The conductive module 1 of the present embodiment is also applicable to such a battery module BM.

[0043] In addition, the electrode terminal BCb shown here is formed in a flat plate shape and is physically and electrically connected to a bus bar 10 described later by welding or the like. However, the electrode terminal BCb may also be formed in a stud shape having an external thread portion.

[0044] The conductive module 1 includes a bus bar 10 that is physically and electrically connected to the electrode terminals BCb of a pair of battery cells BC in the battery module BM ( Figures 1 to 4 ).

[0045] The bus bar 10 is a plate-shaped conductive member made of metal, and is, for example, press-formed with a metal plate as a base material. The bus bar 10 has: a first electrical connection portion 11 that is physically and electrically connected to one electrode terminal BCb; a second electrical connection portion 12 that is physically and electrically connected to the other electrode terminal BCb; and a bent-shaped connection portion 13 that connects the first electrical connection portion 11 and the second electrical connection portion 12( Figures 1 to 4 ).

[0046] The first electrical connection portion 11 and the second electrical connection portion 12 are formed in a rectangular flat plate shape on the same plane, and are arranged between the side portions of each other with a gap therebetween in the arrangement direction of a pair of adjacent electrode terminals BCb (that is, the arrangement direction of a plurality of battery cells BC). In addition, the cross-sectional shape of the connection portion 13 in the direction orthogonal to the arrangement direction of the first electrical connection portion 11 and the second electrical connection portion 12 and the direction vector of the perpendicular line to the plane of the first electrical connection portion 11 (second electrical connection portion 12) is formed in a U-shaped such as a C shape, and the side portions are connected to each other in a form of filling the gap between the first electrical connection portion 11 and the second electrical connection portion 12. In the connection portion 13, a groove portion extending in the orthogonal direction thereof is formed inside the U-shaped.

[0047] Moreover, the conductive module 1 includes a circuit conductor component 20 provided with a circuit conductor (not shown) that electrically connects the bus bar 10 and the battery monitoring unit( Figure 2 and Figure 3 ). Moreover, the conductive module 1 includes an electrical connection component (not shown, for example, conductive components such as terminal fittings and wires) provided for each bus bar 10, and the electrical connection component is physically and electrically connected to the paired bus bar 10 and the circuit conductor to electrically connect the bus bar 10 and the circuit conductor.

[0048] As the circuit conductor component 20, for example, a flexible printed circuit board (FPC) formed with a conductor pattern as a circuit conductor for each bus bar 10, a rigid substrate formed with a conductor pattern as a circuit conductor for each bus bar 10, a wire for each bus bar 10 having a core wire as a circuit conductor, etc. are used. Here, a flexible printed circuit board is used as the circuit conductor component 20.

[0049] The conductive module 1 includes: a first housing 30 provided with a bus bar housing portion 31 at a housing completed position for housing the bus bar 10 for each bus bar 10; and a second housing 40 provided with a circuit housing portion 41 for housing the circuit conductor component 20 in the room( Figures 1 to 4 ). The first housing 30 and the second housing 40 are formed of an insulating material such as synthetic resin.

[0050] The first housing 30 has a bus bar accommodating member 30A, and the bus bar accommodating member 30A is formed with a bus bar accommodating portion 31 for each bus bar 10( Figures 1 to 4 ). In the first housing 30, the bus bar accommodating portions 31 of each bus bar 10 are arranged along the arrangement direction of the plurality of battery cells BC. The first housing 30 may also have a cover member that covers the interior of each bus bar accommodating portion 31 together with the bus bar 10 at the accommodation completion position.

[0051] The bus bar accommodating portion 31 is formed in a square ring shape and has: a pair of first side walls 31a that are disposed opposite to each other at intervals in the arrangement direction of the plurality of battery cells BC; and a pair of second side walls 31b that are disposed opposite to each other at intervals in the extending direction of the connecting portion 13 in the bus bar 10 at the accommodation completion position( Figure 2 ).

[0052] The bus bar accommodating portion 31 has a bottom wall 32 that is provided with a space from the connection portion between the bus bar 10 and the electrode terminal BCb and on which the bus bar 10 is placed at the accommodation completion position( Figure 2 ). The bottom wall 32 is a connecting wall that connects the pair of second side walls 31b and enters the groove portion inside the U-shaped portion in the connecting portion 13 when the bus bar 10 is in the accommodation completion position. Thus, when the bus bar 10 is located at the accommodation completion position, the bottom of the groove of the connecting portion 13 is placed on the bottom wall 32.

[0053] In the bus bar accommodating portion 31, the bus bar 10 is inserted toward the bottom wall 32 in the axial direction of its square ring shape.

[0054] The second housing 40 has: a circuit accommodating member 40A that is formed with a circuit accommodating portion 41; and a cover member 40B that covers the insertion port 41a in the circuit accommodating portion 41 for inserting the circuit conductor member 20( Figures 1 to 4 ). In the second housing 40, by assembling the circuit accommodating member 40A and the cover member 40B, the insertion port 41a of the circuit accommodating portion 41 is covered with the cover member 40B.

[0055] The second housing 40 may be a housing in which the circuit accommodating member 40A and the cover member 40B are prepared as separate components, or may be a housing in which the circuit accommodating member 40A and the cover member 40B are formed as a single component via a hinge or the like.

[0056] The second housing 40 is disposed adjacent to the bus bar accommodating member 30A in a direction orthogonal to the arrangement direction of the plurality of battery cells BC and the insertion direction of the bus bar 10 toward the bottom wall 32 of the bus bar accommodating portion 31( Figures 1 to 3 ).

[0057] In the conductive module 1, the bus bar housing part 30A of the first housing 30 and the circuit housing part 40A of the second housing 40 can be prepared as separate parts, or the bus bar housing part 30A and the circuit housing part 40A can be formed as one part via a connecting part or the like.

[0058] Here, in the conductive module 1, the bus bar 10 at the housing completion position in the bus bar housing part 30A of the first housing 30 is held in the chamber of the bus bar housing part 31 by the lid part 40B of the second housing 40.

[0059] First, the first housing 30 has a first engaging part 33 ([[]] Figures 1 to 4 ) provided for each bus bar housing part 31. The first engaging part 33 of each bus bar housing part 31 is also formed in the bus bar housing part 30A. Next, the second housing 40 has: a bus bar holding part 42 provided for each bus bar housing part 31, which clamps the bus bar 10 at the housing completion position between the bottom wall 32 of the bus bar housing part 31; and a second engaging part 43 provided for each bus bar housing part 31, which holds the bus bar holding part 42 in the clamping position of the bus bar 10 by engaging with the first engaging part 33 ([[]] Figures 1 to 4 ). The bus bar holding part 42 and the second engaging part 43 are provided on the lid part 40B.

[0060] Specifically, the bus bar holding part 42 is formed in a cantilever beam shape protruding from the lid part 40B toward the bus bar housing part 31 side ([[]] Figures 1 to 4 ). The bus bar holding part 42 protrudes along the extending direction of the connecting part 13 in the bus bar 10 at the housing completion position and the extending direction of the bottom wall 32 of the bus bar housing part 31.

[0061] The second engaging parts 43 are respectively provided at the free end and the fixed end of the bus bar holding part 42 ([[]] Figures 2 to 4 ). The bus bar housing part 31 has a first engaging part 33 paired with the second engaging part 43 at the free end of the bus bar holding part 42 and a first engaging part 33 paired with the second engaging part 43 at the fixed end of the bus bar holding part 42 ([[]] Figures 1 to 4 ). For example, the second engaging part 43 has a piece part 43a protruding from the bus bar holding part 42 and a claw part 43b protruding from the wall surface of the piece part 43a ([[]] Figure 4 ). The first engaging part 33 is formed in a square ring shape, inserts the second engaging part 43 into the ring, and hooks the claw part 43b protruding from the inside of the ring to hold the second engaging part 43 inside the ring.

[0062] In the conductive module 1, the circuit housing member 40A and the cover member 40B are assembled in a state where the bus bar 10 is housed in the bus bar housing portion 31, and the first engaging portion 33 and the second engaging portion 43 are engaged with the free end side and the fixed end side of the bus bar holding portion 42 in the cover member 40B. Thus, in the conductive module 1, the connecting portion 13 of the bus bar 10 is clamped between the bottom wall 32 of the bus bar housing portion 31 and the bus bar holding portion 42, and the bus bar 10 is held in the bus bar housing portion 31 at the housing completion position.

[0063] Since the bus bar holding structure of the present embodiment is adopted in the conductive module 1, the depth of the interior in the bus bar housing portion 31 can be made as shallow as the size corresponding to the thickness direction profile of the bus bar 10. Thus, the conductive module 1 can miniaturize the bus bar housing portion 31 in the depth direction of the interior, and accordingly, the first housing 30 can be miniaturized in this depth direction. Therefore, the conductive module 1 of the present embodiment can achieve thinning. For example, as previously shown, the bus bar holding portion of a conventional conductive module has a flexible portion in the shape of a cantilever beam extending in the depth direction of the interior of the bus bar housing portion, and the bus bar is inserted between the claw portion at the end and the bottom wall while flexing the flexible portion. On the other hand, the bus bar holding portion 42 of the present embodiment does not affect the depth of the interior of the bus bar housing portion 31. Therefore, the conductive module 1 of the present embodiment can achieve miniaturization of the profile compared with the conventional conductive module.

[0064] In addition, in the conventional bus bar holding structure, while sliding the metal bus bar on the synthetic resin flexible portion, the flexible portion is flexed by the bus bar. Therefore, in the conventional bus bar holding portion, in order to alleviate the aggressiveness of the bus bar against the flexible portion, the flexible portion is extended in the extending direction, etc., to reduce the load acting between the bus bar and the flexible portion. However, with the extension of the flexible portion in the conventional bus bar holding portion, the holding force for the bus bar decreases. On the other hand, in the bus bar holding structure of the present embodiment, by engaging the synthetic resin first engaging portion 33 and the synthetic resin second engaging portion 43, a clamping force is generated on the bus bar 10 by the bus bar holding portion 42 and the bottom wall 32 of the bus bar housing portion 31. That is, the bus bar holding structure of the present embodiment can hold the bus bar 10 without causing the bus bar 10 to slide relative to the first engaging portion 33, the second engaging portion 43, and the bus bar holding portion 42. Therefore, compared with the conventional conductive module, the conductive module 1 of the present embodiment can improve the durability of the bus bar holding structure and the holding force for the bus bar 10.

[0065] In addition, in the conductive module 1 of the present embodiment, regarding the electrical connection component that electrically connects the paired bus bars 10 to the circuit conductor, it may also be disposed between the bus bar 10 and the bus bar holding portion 42. In this case, for example, in order to clamp the bus bar 10 via this electrical connection component, the bus bar holding portion 42 is disposed with a gap for sandwiching the electrical connection component between the bus bar 10 placed on the bottom wall 32 of the bus bar housing portion 31. And the second engaging portion 43 is provided at the free end of the bus bar holding portion 42. In this case, since the second engaging portion 43 allows the electrical connection component to pass between the bus bar 10 and the bus bar holding portion 42, it is not provided at the fixed end of the bus bar holding portion 42. Therefore, the bus bar housing portion 31 has the first engaging portion 33 that mates with the second engaging portion 43 at the free end of the bus bar holding portion 42, and does not have the first engaging portion 33 that mates with the second engaging portion 43 at the fixed end of the bus bar holding portion 42.

[0066] In this conductive module 1, for example, an electrical connection component is welded to the connecting portion 13 of the bus bar 10 to physically and electrically connect them. In this conductive module 1, in a state where the bus bar 10 is housed in the bus bar housing portion 31 and the electrical connection component is welded to the connecting portion 13 of the bus bar 10, the circuit housing component 40A and the cover component 40B are assembled. And in this conductive module 1, the first engaging portion 33 and the second engaging portion 43 are engaged on the free end side of the bus bar holding portion 42 in the cover component 40B. Thereby, in this conductive module 1, the connecting portion 13 of the bus bar 10 and the electrical connection component are clamped by the bottom wall 32 of the bus bar housing portion 31 and the bus bar holding portion 42. Therefore, in this conductive module 1, the bus bar 10 is held in the bus bar housing portion 31 at the housing completion position, and the welded portion between the connecting portion 13 of the bus bar 10 and the electrical connection component is covered by the bus bar holding portion 42. Therefore, in this conductive module 1, not only the effects shown before are achieved, but also the exposure of the welding marks between the connecting portion 13 of the bus bar 10 and the electrical connection component can be prevented.

Claims

1. A conductive module, characterized in that, comprising: a bus bar physically and electrically connected to electrode terminals of a pair of battery cells of a battery module in which a plurality of battery cells are arranged; a circuit conductor member provided with a circuit conductor for electrically connecting the bus bar to a battery monitoring unit; a first housing provided with a bus bar accommodating portion for each bus bar, the bus bar accommodating portion accommodating the bus bar at a completed accommodation position inside the housing; and a second housing provided with a circuit accommodating portion for accommodating the circuit conductor member inside the housing, the bus bar accommodating portion having a bottom wall provided so as to separate a connection portion between the bus bar and the electrode terminal and placing the bus bar at the completed accommodation position; the first housing having a first engaging portion provided for each bus bar accommodating portion; the second housing having: a bus bar holding portion provided for each bus bar accommodating portion and clamping the bus bar at the completed accommodation position between the bus bar holding portion and the bottom wall; and a second engaging portion provided for each bus bar accommodating portion and engaging with the first engaging portion to hold the bus bar holding portion at a clamping position for the bus bar.

2. The conductive module according to claim 1, wherein the first housing has a bus bar accommodating member formed with the bus bar accommodating portion provided for each bus bar and the first engaging portion provided for each bus bar accommodating portion, the second housing has: a circuit accommodating member formed with the circuit accommodating portion; and a cover member covering an insertion port of the circuit accommodating portion for inserting the circuit conductor member, the bus bar holding portion and the second engaging portion are provided on the cover member.

3. The conductive module according to claim 2, wherein the second housing is adjacently provided to the bus bar accommodating member in a direction orthogonal to an arrangement direction and an insertion direction of the plurality of battery cells, the insertion direction being an insertion direction in which the bus bar is inserted toward the bottom wall of the bus bar accommodating portion, the bus bar holding portion is formed in a cantilever beam shape protruding from the cover member toward the bus bar accommodating portion side, the second engaging portions are provided at a free end and a fixed end of the bus bar holding portion respectively, the bus bar accommodating portion has: the first engaging portion paired with the second engaging portion at the free end of the bus bar holding portion; and the first engaging portion paired with the second engaging portion at the fixed end of the bus bar holding portion.

4. The conductive module according to claim 2, wherein an electrical connection member is provided for each bus bar, the electrical connection member being physically and electrically connected to the paired bus bars and the circuit conductor to electrically connect the bus bar and the circuit conductor. The second housing is disposed adjacent to the bus bar accommodating member in a direction orthogonal to the arrangement direction and the insertion direction of the plurality of battery cells, and the insertion direction is the insertion direction in which the bus bar is inserted toward the bottom wall of the bus bar accommodating portion. The bus bar holding portion is formed in a cantilever shape protruding from the cover member toward the bus bar accommodating portion side, and in order to clamp the bus bar via the electrical connection member, a gap for sandwiching the electrical connection member is provided between the bus bar holding portion and the bus bar placed on the bottom wall. The free end of the bus bar holding portion is provided with the second engaging portion. The bus bar accommodating portion has the first engaging portion that mates with the second engaging portion at the free end of the bus bar holding portion.

Images