Flat flexible cable, electrical connector and method of forming the same, battery management system

Abstract

The application provides a flat flexible cable for interconnecting electrical elements, comprising a cable body, the cable body comprising a plurality of signal conductors, at least one tab conductor arranged spaced apart from the plurality of signal conductors, and an insulation layer covering the plurality of signal conductors and the tab conductor, a plurality of bridge conductors being arranged on the insulation layer, at least part of the bridge conductors being electrically connected to one of the tab conductors through the insulation layer at one end and to one of the plurality of signal conductors through the insulation layer at the other end. The application also provides an electrical connector comprising the flat flexible cable, a method of forming the electrical connector, and a battery management system having the electrical connector.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a flat, flexible cable, particularly but not limited to electrical connections for battery cells in battery systems, and especially suitable for the automotive field. The invention further relates to a method of manufacturing an electrical connector for interconnecting electrical components. The invention also relates to an electrical connector for interconnecting electrical components, and a battery management system comprising the electrical connector. Background Technology

[0002] Traditional electrical connectors used in battery management systems, such as those in electric vehicles, typically consist of flexible printed circuits formed by etching or flexible die-cut parts formed by milling. They can be more than 2 meters long and are used to electrically interconnect the controller of the battery management system with the vehicle's battery cells.

[0003] Because the various signal lines from the battery management system to the battery cell have branching structures, a large amount of unused space appears on the substrate of the flexible printed circuit. This necessitates cutting and discarding this substrate during processing, resulting in significant waste. Given that this substrate is typically made of polyimide, the cost is prohibitively high.

[0004] Furthermore, the required size of the electrical connectors makes manufacturing challenging. Manufacturing flexible printed circuits exceeding 1 meter in length is inherently difficult; in addition, automating assembly is challenging, and packaging and shipping the electrical connectors also present problems. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, the object of the present invention is to reduce or substantially eliminate the above-mentioned problems by using alternative materials to construct long electrical connectors.

[0006] In a first aspect, this application provides a flat flexible cable for interconnecting electrical components, comprising a cable body, the cable body including a plurality of signal conductors, at least one splice conductor spaced apart from the plurality of signal conductors, and an insulating layer covering the plurality of signal conductors and the splice conductor, wherein a plurality of bridging conductors are disposed on the insulating layer, at least one end of a portion of the bridging conductors passing through the insulating layer and electrically connected to one of the splice conductors, and the other end passing through the insulating layer and electrically connected to one of the plurality of signal conductors.

[0007] The flat, flexible cable features a robust and compact structure and can be wound onto a reel for roll-to-roll processing. It offers numerous advantages in manufacturing, packaging, and installation compared to flexible printed circuits or milling solutions. The integrated contact conductors eliminate the need for separately soldering the contacts to electrical connectors. Furthermore, the flat, flexible cable is highly versatile, allowing individual cables to be interchanged between different projects.

[0008] The technical solution of this application may also include a combination of technical features from one or more of the following embodiments.

[0009] Optionally, the flat flexible cable is provided with two splice conductors, which are respectively disposed at intervals on both sides of the plurality of signal conductors.

[0010] By incorporating contact conductors on both sides of the electrical connector, a more compact connector structure can be achieved, allowing for more efficient arrangement of electrical components such as battery cells. This effect can be achieved by using two or more contact conductors.

[0011] Optionally, the flat flexible cable is provided in reel form.

[0012] Reel cables are more economical to transport and are more efficient to process than other types of electrical connectors through roll-to-roll technology.

[0013] Optionally, the flat flexible cable further includes several safety elements, which are electrically connected to the several bridging conductors or signal conductors respectively.

[0014] Optionally, the safety element includes a fuse or a thermistor.

[0015] Different construction methods can be achieved by incorporating bridging conductors on the insulation surface. Safety elements can be added because dedicated gaps can be pre-drilled in the surface to install interconnected safety elements. This facilitates the mass production of flat, flexible cables, followed by final assembly of additional components in the field.

[0016] Optionally, the width and / or thickness and / or volume of the conductive material of the patch conductor is greater than the width and / or thickness and / or volume of the conductive material of any of the signal conductors.

[0017] The patch conductor can be designed with optimal connection performance for connections to subsequent electrical components or buses, for example, by laser welding.

[0018] Alternatively, each bridging conductor may be disposed on the insulating layer as a conductive trace.

[0019] Using conductive traces allows for an increase in the amount of conductive material used while maintaining the rollability of flat, flexible cables. Ask Secondly, this application provides a method for forming an electrical connector for interconnecting electrical components, the method comprising the following steps: a. providing a flat flexible cable having a cable body, the cable body including a plurality of signal conductors, at least one contact conductor, and an insulating layer covering the plurality of signal conductors and the contact conductor; b. applying a plurality of bridging conductors on the insulating layer, at least one end of a portion of the bridging conductors passing through the insulating layer and electrically connected to one of the contact conductors, and the other end passing through the insulating layer and electrically connected to one of the plurality of signal conductors; and c. dividing the contact conductor to form at least one conductive contact capable of electrically connecting to an electrical component. Compared to existing technologies, the manufacturing process for electrical connectors using this method offers several advantages. First, compared to assembling electrical connectors using flexible printed circuits, this process significantly reduces material waste. Simultaneously, its production process is more environmentally friendly, eliminating the need for chemical etching. Furthermore, because the flat flexible cable incorporates exposed, dedicated contact conductors, there is no need to solder additional contact pieces, thus eliminating this step.

[0020] Optionally, the method further includes a step prior to step b: removing a portion of the insulation layer at the location where the signal conductor and patch conductor will be electrically connected to the plurality of bridging conductors during step b.

[0021] By exposing the conductors, the bridging conductors can be printed without chemical etching, thereby improving the environmental friendliness of the resulting electrical connectors.

[0022] Optionally, during step b, the plurality of bridging conductors are applied to the insulating layer in the form of printed conductive traces.

[0023] Printed conductive traces can increase the manufacturing speed of electrical connectors.

[0024] Optionally, the method further includes step b1, which is after step b and before step c: applying an additional insulating layer on the plurality of bridging conductors.

[0025] Adding an extra layer of insulation to the bridging conductor can protect the connection between the patch conductor and the signal conductor.

[0026] Optionally, the method further includes a step prior to step c: removing a portion of the insulating layer at the contact conductor where the conductive contact will be formed.

[0027] Exposing conductors before electrically connecting electrical components is the simplest way to achieve an electrical connection.

[0028] Optionally, step b is performed using a roll-to-roll process.

[0029] Roll-to-roll processes can be implemented much faster than equivalent chemical etching processes associated with traditional printed circuit board manufacturing. Compared to other methods, roll packaging is also more efficient and economical to transport, and roll-based installation offers a higher level of automation.

[0030] Thirdly, this application provides an electrical connector for interconnecting electrical components, comprising a flat flexible cable, the flat flexible cable comprising a cable body, the cable body comprising a plurality of signal conductors, at least one contact conductor spaced apart from the plurality of signal conductors, and an insulating layer covering at least the plurality of signal conductors, characterized in that: a plurality of bridging conductors are disposed on the insulating layer, at least one end of a portion of the bridging conductors passing through the insulating layer and electrically connected to one of the contact conductors, and the other end passing through the insulating layer and electrically connected to one of the plurality of signal conductors.

[0031] The electrical connector can be formed using a roll-to-roll processing method, as its overall shape remains largely flat after the bridging conductors are printed. This results in a highly versatile product that can be easily cut to the required size by the installer.

[0032] Fourthly, this application provides a battery management system including the electrical connector described in the third aspect.

[0033] This invention is well-suited for battery management systems where electrical components may be geographically dispersed. The electrical connector of this invention can be formed with an extended conductor structure, and its molding process is simpler than that of flexible printed circuits. Attached Figure Description

[0034] Figure 1A A partial plan view of a first embodiment of a flat flexible cable according to the first aspect of this application is shown.

[0035] Figure 1B It shows Figure 1A A schematic diagram of the cross-section along line AA.

[0036] Figure 2 A partial plan view of a second embodiment of a flat flexible cable according to the first aspect of this application is shown.

[0037] Figure 3 It shows the formation Figure 2 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of the prefabricated flat flexible cable prior to the flat flexible cable.

[0038] Figure 4 It shows Figure 3 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of a prefabricated flat flexible cable, in which part of the insulation layer is removed to form the contact portion of the signal conductor and the splice conductor.

[0039] Figure 5A perspective view of a flat flexible cable according to the first aspect of this application is shown, wherein the flat flexible cable passes through... Figure 4 The prefabricated flat flexible cable shown is formed by integrating several bridging conductors.

[0040] Figure 6 It shows Figure 5 The diagram shows a three-dimensional representation of a flat, flexible cable, which includes an additional insulation layer covering several bridging conductors.

[0041] Figure 7 It shows Figure 6 The diagram shows a three-dimensional representation of a flat, flexible cable, further including indicator markings printed on its surface.

[0042] Figure 8 It shows Figure 7 The diagram shows a three-dimensional representation of a flat flexible cable, in which the insulation layer around the conductive contacts has been removed.

[0043] Figure 9 It shows Figure 8 The schematic diagram of the flat flexible cable shown is the final outline of the electrical connector formed from the flat flexible cable in accordance with the third aspect of this application.

[0044] Figure 10 It shows Figure 9 The three-dimensional schematic diagram of the flat flexible cable shown further includes safety elements disposed on the surface of the flat flexible cable.

[0045] Figure 11 A partial perspective view of an electrical connector according to a third aspect of this application is shown, the connector being composed of... Figure 10 The flat, flexible cable shown is formed.

[0046] Figure 12 It shows Figure 11 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of the electrical connector shown. Detailed Implementation

[0047] To facilitate understanding of this application, a more complete description will be provided below with reference to the accompanying drawings. One or more embodiments of this application are exemplarily shown in the drawings to provide a more accurate and thorough understanding of the technical solutions disclosed herein. However, it should be understood that this application can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described below.

[0048] Furthermore, the technical solutions of the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but only if they are based on the ability of those skilled in the art to implement them. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be considered that such combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection claimed in this application.

[0049] refer to Figure 1A and Figure 1B The diagram shows the end of a flat flexible cable 10 according to a first embodiment, which is suitable for forming an electrical connector, particularly for battery management systems, and more specifically for battery management systems in the automotive industry. However, it should be understood that the electrical connector formed according to the invention may have a variety of applications.

[0050] The flat flexible cable 10 includes a cable body 12, which includes: a plurality of signal conductors 14, at least one and more preferably two splice conductors 16 spaced apart from the plurality of signal conductors 14, and an insulation layer 18 covering the plurality of signal conductors 14 and the splice conductors 16.

[0051] The signal conductor 14 referred to herein is a conductive component, typically made of copper or other similar conductive metal, preferably passing through the flat flexible cable 10 in the form of a wire. It is typically used for direct connection to the controller or processor of the electrical system employing the flat flexible cable 10. Therefore, the signal conductor 14 is primarily suitable for transmitting low-voltage control signals.

[0052] The signal conductor 14, which may also be referred to as the inner conductor depending on its position on the cable body 12, may be selected to have the same spacing in order to match the selected interconnect configuration, such as a battery management system.

[0053] The contact conductor 16, as referred to herein, is a conductive component that is not directly connected to the controller. Instead, it forms a connection with the electrical system connected by the flat flexible cable 10, typically via a bus 20 acting as an intermediary to the controlled electrical components. The contact conductor 16 may be made of copper, nickel, or other similar conductive metals and preferably extends through the flat flexible cable 10 in the form of a wire. Because it may withstand higher voltages and / or currents than the signal conductor 14, the contact conductor 16 is preferably larger in width and / or thickness and / or volume of conductive material within the flat flexible cable 10 than the signal conductor 14.

[0054] The spacing, material, width, and / or thickness of the contact conductors 16 can be varied to accommodate laser welding to battery cells, similar electrical components, or busbars.

[0055] Before any processing is carried out to form the subsequent electrical connector, the insulation layer 18 covers all the signal conductors 14 and the contact conductors 16, and typically has exposed contacts only on the two side edges 22 of the cable body 12.

[0056] Common flat flexible cables in this field typically only have a few signal conductors within the insulated cable body. Flat flexible cables with additional splice conductors are not well known.

[0057] The insulating layer 18 can be connected and positioned to the plurality of signal conductors 14 and contact conductors 16 via one or more adhesive layers 24, such as Figure 1B As shown. It should be noted that, for the sake of simplicity, the insulating layer 18 is shown in the figure as a continuous layer covering the signal conductor 14 and the contact conductor 16. However, it is also possible to set two insulating layers, upper and lower, during the manufacturing process to cover the signal conductor 14 and the contact conductor 16 and fix them as one piece.

[0058] The flat flexible cable 10 is used to transmit electrical signals from the signal conductor 14, i.e., the controller, to the patch conductor 16, i.e., the electrical components of the system. However, since the signal conductor 14 and the patch conductor 16 are spaced apart from each other, further electrical connections are necessary.

[0059] For this purpose, a bridging conductor 26 is also provided on the insulating layer 18. The two ends of the bridging conductor 26 pass through the insulating layer 18 and are electrically connected to one of the contact conductors 16 and one of the signal conductors 14.

[0060] Figure 1A Through-holes 28a and 28b penetrating the insulating layer 18 are shown. These through-holes 28a and 28b expose the underlying signal conductor 14 and contact conductor 16, facilitating electrical connections. The through-holes 28a and 28b are formed by etching the insulating layer 18, which may be made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or a similar dielectric material.

[0061] The bridging conductor 26 extends between the through holes 28a and 28b for interconnecting a signal conductor 14 with a patch conductor 16. Figure 1A and Figure 1B Only one bridging conductor 26 is shown, but in practical applications, several of the bridging conductors 26 will obviously be provided.

[0062] The bridging conductor 26 can be disposed on the surface 30 of the insulating layer 18 in the form of a conductive line, and an additional insulating layer 32 can be coated to prevent the conductive parts from being exposed.

[0063] Safety elements may be disposed on the bridging conductor 26. For example, a fuse 34 and / or a thermistor 36, such as a negative temperature coefficient NTC thermistor, may be configured to provide thermal and surge protection for the signal conductor 14 and further for the controller. Safety elements may be fabricated using additive manufacturing processes, such as printed electronics, particularly suitable for the integration of the thermistor 36. The fuse 34 may be mounted using surface mount technology (SMT). The thermistor 36 is not necessarily connected to the bridging conductor 26; it may also connect to different components, such as several signal conductors 14. In the embodiment shown, the thermistor 36 may be disposed on another bridging conductor 26', which interconnects the two signal conductors 14.

[0064] exist Figure 1A In the illustrated embodiment, the conductive contacts 38 of the connector conductor 16 remain exposed. The flat flexible cable 10 is processed to divide the main body of the connector conductor 16 into several conductive contacts 38 (described in detail below), which can be connected to the corresponding busbar 20 or electrical components by means of welding or other methods.

[0065] Figure 2 A second embodiment of a flat flexible cable is shown, generally designated 110. Features identical or similar to those in the first embodiment described above will be referred to by the same or similar reference numerals, and for the sake of brevity, further detailed descriptions will be omitted.

[0066] The flat flexible cable 110 includes a cable body 112, several signal conductors 114, and two connector conductors 116. From the beginning, the insulation layer 118 completely covers the signal conductors 114 and the connector conductors 116. The bridging conductor 126 has been isolated, and a removable portion 140 is provided on the cable body 112, which, when removed, forms the final electrical connector 142 (see [link]). Figure 11 , 12 The removable part 140 has a disconnectable connection structure 144 between it and the cable body 112, so that the removable part 140 can be easily removed during installation, and the presence of the removable part 140 can protect the conductive contact 138 during transportation.

[0067] The breakable connection structure 144 is provided as a breakable portion of the cable body 112 to separate the removable portion 140 of the cable body 112 from the substrate constituting the electrical connector 142. The size design of the removable portion 140 allows sufficient movement space for the conductive contact 138 after the breakable connection structure 144 is cut and before the electrical connector 142 is installed.

[0068] Figures 3 to 12 The sequential fabrication process of the flat flexible cable 110 is shown, as well as its shaping into an electrical connector 142 suitable for electrical systems such as battery management systems.

[0069] Figure 4 In this process, a portion 146 of the insulating layer 118 is removed by etching to form vias 128a and 128b at the signal conductor 114 and the patch conductor 116, respectively. This step can be achieved by etching, either mechanically or chemically, or by, for example, precision laser cutting.

[0070] Figure 5 In this embodiment, bridging conductor 126 is applied to the surface 130 of insulating layer 118 in the form of printed conductive traces, connecting vias 128a and 128b, thereby forming the basis for the electrical interconnection between signal conductor 114 and patch conductor 116. In the illustrated embodiment, bridging conductor 126 is formed as silver traces, but other conductive metals may also be used.

[0071] The bridging conductor 126 can be printed onto the flat flexible cable 110 using a roll-to-roll process. In other words, the flat flexible cable 110 can be first wound onto a spool, and the printing of the bridging conductor 126 can be completed during the process of unwinding and rewinding onto another spool.

[0072] The bridging conductor 126 may be provided with strategic gaps 148 to allow for the installation of safety components. The bridging conductor 126 itself may have a wavy profile, which helps to enhance the strength of the bridging structure formed after the flat flexible cable 110 is cut and shaped, and also helps with heat dissipation.

[0073] Figure 6 An additional insulating layer 132 is shown covering the bridging conductor 126. Similarly, the additional insulating layer 132 can be applied via a roll-to-roll printing process. To facilitate subsequent installation of safety components, the bridging conductor 126 is partially exposed at strategic gaps 148.

[0074] Figure 7 Indicator markings 150 are shown that can be applied to the surface 130 of the insulation layer 118, which help identify the installation location of the safety element, suitable for both manual installation and automated installation by visual identification.

[0075] Subsequently, by further removing the insulating layer 118 at specific locations, the conductive contact 138 is exposed, such as... Figure 8 As shown. It is worth noting that at this stage of the process, the conductive contacts 138 on any given contact conductor 116 remain electrically connected because these conductive contacts 138 are formed from the uncut contact conductor 116. In the illustrated embodiment, all conductive contacts 138 are arranged parallel to each other, and the conductive contacts 138 formed from the same contact conductor 116 are arranged coaxially.

[0076] Figure 9The cutting process of conductive contact 138 is shown. The final outline of electrical connector 142 is cut from the flat flexible cable 110, as shown... Figure 11 and Figure 12 As shown, this simultaneously severs the connection between adjacent conductive contacts 138 within the same contact conductor 116. This process is typically performed using precision laser cutting, which requires precise adherence to the contours of the bridging conductor 126.

[0077] Although the conductive contact 138 is exposed only after the printed bridging conductor 126 in the process described above, it should be noted that there is no specific order requirement, and the embodiments shown are merely illustrative.

[0078] From a process sequence perspective, the key steps are: the signal conductor 114 and / or the patch conductor 116 must be exposed before the bridging conductor 126 is applied to the insulation layer 118, and the additional insulation layer 132 can only be applied after the bridging conductor 126 has been applied. Apart from this, the remaining steps can be performed in any suitable order that is efficient for the manufacturer.

[0079] Figure 10 The diagram illustrates the installation of a fuse 134 and a thermistor 136 on a flat flexible cable 110. Because the safety element has a certain height, it is unsuitable for winding, making roll-to-roll mounting no longer feasible. The safety element can be installed at a designated location on the flat flexible cable 110 by welding or other electrical fixing methods.

[0080] Figure 11 and Figure 12 The final formed electrical connector 142 is shown. The main body 152 of the cable body 112 has been reduced to a region containing the signal conductor 114, while the bridging conductor 126 and the conductive contact 138 form the flexible side 154. Because the flexible side 154 is thinner than the main body 152, it has greater positional tolerance when connected to a bus or electrical component.

[0081] Figure 12 The dimensions of a typical electrical connector 142 used in a battery management system are shown. This connector 142 may be between 1 and 3 meters long, extending from the battery management system through the vehicle chassis to the battery cells of the electric vehicle.

[0082] Such electrical connectors 142 extend from the controller end 156 that interfaces with the controller of the battery management system, and their conductive contacts 138 are directly or indirectly connected to the cells of the battery system controlled by the battery management system.

[0083] Although the conductor group, which is part of the flat flexible cable, is entirely linear in the arrangement shown in this invention, an alternative flat flexible cable structure can be provided, which includes a non-linear conductor group. This could provide an alternative for circuit design, but might make roll-to-roll manufacturing more complex.

[0084] Furthermore, although the splice conductors shown in this invention are located on the side edge of the flat flexible cable, in some applications it may be preferable to place the splice conductors between the signal conductors. Therefore, the arrangement of the splice conductors or signal conductors should be selected according to the requirements of the electrical connector to be manufactured.

[0085] Therefore, this application provides a highly versatile flat flexible cable that can be used in a variety of different electrical systems. Compared to equivalent flexible printed circuits or die-cut boards, this flat flexible cable has a simpler and more robust structure and can be used for roll-to-roll processing. This allows for the formation of a long and stable electrical connector with integrated conductive contacts, further simplifying connector installation compared to flexible printed circuits.

[0086] It should be understood that certain features of the invention described separately in different embodiments for clarity may also be combined in a single embodiment. Conversely, features of the invention described in a single embodiment for brevity may also be provided separately or in any suitable sub-combination.

[0087] The above embodiments are provided as examples only. For those skilled in the art, various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A flat, flexible cable for interconnecting electrical components, comprising a cable body, the cable body including a plurality of signal conductors, at least one splice conductor spaced apart from the plurality of signal conductors, and an insulating layer covering the plurality of signal conductors and the splice conductor, characterized in that: A plurality of bridging conductors are provided on the insulating layer. At least one end of a portion of the bridging conductors passes through the insulating layer and is electrically connected to a contact conductor, and the other end passes through the insulating layer and is electrically connected to a signal conductor among the plurality of signal conductors.

2. The flat flexible cable as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The flat flexible cable is provided with two connector conductors, which are respectively disposed at intervals on both sides of the plurality of signal conductors.

3. The flat flexible cable as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The flat, flexible cable is provided in reel form.

4. The flat flexible cable as described in claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes several safety elements, which are electrically connected to the several bridging conductors or signal conductors respectively.

5. The flat flexible cable as described in claim 4, characterized in that: The safety element includes a fuse or a thermistor.

6. The flat flexible cable as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The width and / or thickness and / or volume of the conductive material of the patch conductor is greater than the width and / or thickness and / or volume of the conductive material of any of the signal conductors.

7. The flat flexible cable as described in claim 1, characterized in that: Each bridging conductor is set as a conductive trace on the insulating layer.

8. A method for forming an electrical connector for interconnecting electrical components, characterized in that: The method includes the following steps: a. providing a flat, flexible cable having a cable body including a plurality of signal conductors, at least one patch conductor, and an insulating layer covering the plurality of signal conductors and the patch conductor; b. applying a plurality of bridging conductors on the insulating layer, at least one end of a portion of the bridging conductors passing through the insulating layer and electrically connected to one of the patch conductors, and the other end passing through the insulating layer and electrically connected to one of the plurality of signal conductors; and c. dividing the patch conductor to form at least one conductive contact capable of being electrically connected to an electrical component.

9. The method as described in claim 8, characterized in that: The method also includes a step prior to step b: removing a portion of the insulation layer at the locations where the signal conductor and patch conductor will be electrically connected to the plurality of bridging conductors during step b.

10. The method as described in claim 8, characterized in that: During step b, the plurality of bridging conductors are applied to the insulating layer in the form of printed conductive traces.

11. The method as described in claim 8, characterized in that: It also includes step b1, which is after step b and before step c: applying an additional insulating layer on the plurality of bridging conductors.

12. The method as described in claim 8, characterized in that: It also includes a step prior to step c: removing part of the insulating layer at the contact conductor where the conductive contact will be formed.

13. The method as described in claim 8, characterized in that: Step b is performed using a roll-to-roll process.

14. An electrical connector for interconnecting electrical components, comprising a flat flexible cable, the flat flexible cable including a cable body, the cable body including a plurality of signal conductors, at least one contact conductor spaced apart from the plurality of signal conductors, and an insulating layer covering at least the plurality of signal conductors, characterized in that: A plurality of bridging conductors are provided on the insulating layer, at least one end of a portion of the bridging conductors passing through the insulating layer and electrically connected to a contact conductor, and the other end passing through the insulating layer and electrically connected to one of the plurality of signal conductors.

15. A battery management system, characterized in that: Including the electrical connector as described in claim 14.

Images