Terminal cooling structure and high-voltage connector

Abstract

The utility model provides a terminal cooling structure and a high-voltage connector, the terminal cooling structure is used for cooling at least one terminal, each terminal is provided with an inner connecting end connected with a copper bar and an outer connecting end penetrating through and extending to the outside of a battery pack shell, the terminal cooling structure comprises a heat conduction piece, a cooling piece and a cooling piece, the plurality of heat conduction pieces are arranged to be in one-to-one correspondence with the terminals, and the heat conduction pieces are connected between the inner connecting ends and the cooling device, so that heat transfer is formed between the terminals and the cooling device; the heat conduction piece comprises a heat conduction part connected with the inner connection end and an insulation part connected with the cooling device. According to the terminal cooling structure disclosed by the utility model, the heat conduction piece is arranged between the inner connecting end of each terminal and the cooling device, so that heat transfer is formed between each terminal and the cooling device, the cooling device is used for cooling the terminals, the terminals are prevented from being overheated, and the safety of a battery pack is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of charging equipment, and in particular to a terminal cooling structure. The utility model also relates to a high-voltage connector provided with the terminal cooling structure. Background Art

[0002] With the country's planning and support for the development of the new energy vehicle industry, the market share of new energy vehicles has continued to increase. At present, electric vehicles are the mainstream of new energy vehicles on the market. However, existing electric vehicles have problems such as long recharging time and short driving range. In order to shorten the recharging time of battery vehicles and improve consumers' driving experience, major manufacturers have proposed battery replacement solutions and high-power fast charging solutions. Compared with the battery replacement solution, the high-power fast charging solution requires less investment and has become the mainstream solution on the market.

[0003] The so-called high-power fast charging solution is to increase the charging voltage and charging current at the same time, improve the charging power of the battery pack, and thus shorten the recharging time of the electric vehicle. At present, during the charging process of the battery pack, a large current passes through the high-voltage connector of the battery pack and is input into each battery module in the battery pack. When the current flowing through the high-voltage connector is too large, the terminals in the high-voltage connector will generate a lot of resistance heat, causing the temperature of the terminal itself to rise. When the terminal temperature is too high, it will not only cause the charging efficiency of the battery pack to decrease, but also cause damage to the high-voltage connector, and even cause the battery pack to catch fire due to high temperature, thereby reducing the safety of the battery pack. Utility Model Content

[0004] In view of this, the utility model aims to provide a terminal cooling structure, which can cool the terminal to prevent the terminal from overheating, thereby improving the safety of the battery pack.

[0005] In order to achieve the above object, the technical solution of the utility model is implemented as follows:

[0006] A terminal cooling structure is used to cool at least one terminal, each of the terminals has an inner connection end connected to a copper busbar, and an outer connection end that penetrates and extends to the outside of a battery pack shell, the terminal cooling structure comprises: a heat conductive member, which is arranged in a plurality of correspondences with each of the terminals, each of the heat conductive members is connected between each of the inner connection ends and a cooling device, so that heat transfer is formed between the terminal and the cooling device; the heat conductive member comprises a heat conductive portion connected to the inner connection end, and an insulating portion connected to the cooling device.

[0007] Furthermore, the cooling device is a liquid cooling plate, and the liquid cooling plate is integrated on the top wall or the bottom wall of the battery pack shell.

[0008] Furthermore, each of the heat conducting members is embedded in a connecting seat.

[0009] Furthermore, a mounting portion is formed on the connecting seat, and the mounting portion is fixedly connected to the crossbeam of the battery pack shell.

[0010] Furthermore, the mounting portion includes a support arm and at least one reinforcing rib provided between the support arm and the connecting seat, and the support arm is overlapped on the crossbeam.

[0011] Furthermore, a protective cover is buckled on the connecting seat, and a clamping portion is provided between the protective cover and the connecting seat.

[0012] Furthermore, the clamping portion includes a protrusion arranged on the side of the connecting seat, and an opening arranged on the protective cover, and the protrusion is clamped into the opening.

[0013] Furthermore, at least two opposite sides of the connecting seat are respectively provided with the clamping parts.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the utility model has the following advantages:

[0015] The terminal cooling structure described in the utility model forms heat transfer between each terminal and the cooling device by arranging a heat conductive member between the inner connecting end of each terminal and the cooling device, so that the cooling device cools down the terminal to avoid overheating of the terminal, thereby improving the safety of the battery pack.

[0016] The cooling device is a liquid cooling plate, and the liquid cooling plate is integrated in the battery pack shell, which can effectively cool the terminals, while reducing the space occupied by the battery pack and improving the compactness of the battery pack.

[0017] Each heat conducting member is embedded in a connection seat, and each heat conducting member is connected to each other to form a whole, which can improve the connection stability of each heat conducting member. At the same time, during the assembly process, compared with the installation method of sequentially installing each heat conducting member between each inner connection end and the liquid cooling plate, the installation operation is simplified, the labor intensity of the assembler is reduced, and thus the assembly of the heat conducting member is facilitated.

[0018] A mounting portion is formed on the connecting seat, and the connecting seat can be fixed on the crossbeam of the battery pack shell through the setting of the mounting portion, thereby improving the stability of the connecting seat and the heat conducting member.

[0019] The mounting portion includes a support arm and at least one reinforcing rib arranged between the support arm and the connecting seat, and the support arm is overlapped on the crossbeam.

[0020] The mounting part is composed of a support arm and a reinforcing rib, and the arrangement of the reinforcing rib can improve the structural strength of the mounting part and prevent it from breaking with the connecting seat. At the same time, the support arm is overlapped on the crossbeam, with a larger connection area, thereby improving the connection strength.

[0021] The connection base is buckled with a protective cover to protect the inner connection end and the copper bar of the terminal. The side of the connection base and the opening on the protective cover form a clamping part, and the clamping part is respectively arranged on two opposite sides of the connection base, which improves the stability of the connection between the protective cover and the connection base and can prevent the protective cover from falling off.

[0022] Another objective of the present invention is to provide a high voltage connector.

[0023] The high-voltage connector includes a base disposed on a battery pack housing, two terminals embedded in the base, and the terminal cooling structure as described above.

[0024] Furthermore, a temperature sensor is embedded in the base, and the temperature sensor is used to detect the temperature of the two terminals.

[0025] The high-voltage connector of the utility model can cool the two terminals inside the high-voltage connector through the terminal cooling structure, reduce the working temperature of the high-voltage connector, avoid overheating of the high-voltage connector, and improve the safety of the battery pack. A temperature sensor is embedded in the base to monitor the working temperature of the terminal and ensure the normal operation of the high-voltage connector. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] The accompanying drawings constituting a part of the present invention are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention. The illustrative embodiments of the present invention and their descriptions are used to explain the present invention and do not constitute an improper limitation on the present invention. In the accompanying drawings:

[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram of the terminal cooling structure according to the first embodiment of the present utility model;

[0028] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the connection between the terminal and the battery pack housing according to the first embodiment of the present utility model;

[0029] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the terminal cooling structure connected to the terminal and the copper busbar according to the first embodiment of the present utility model;

[0030] Figure 4 This is a structural schematic diagram of a high voltage connector according to Embodiment 2 of the present utility model;

[0031] Figure 5 It is a structural schematic diagram of the high voltage connector according to the second embodiment of the present utility model from another perspective;

[0032] Figure 6 An exploded view of the high voltage connector according to an embodiment of the utility model;

[0033] Description of reference numerals:

[0034] 1. Terminal; 101, internal connection terminal; 102, external connection terminal;

[0035] 2. Copper busbar;

[0036] 3. heat conducting member; 301. heat conducting part; 302. insulating part; 303. bolt;

[0037] 4. Liquid cooling plate;

[0038] 5. Connecting seat; 501. Support arm; 502. Reinforcement rib; 503. Protrusion;

[0039] 6. Protective cover; 601. Opening;

[0040] 7. battery pack housing; 701. crossbeam;

[0041] 8. Base; 801. Sealing ring; 802. Anti-fool structure; 803. Signal line. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the embodiments of the present invention and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0043] In the following description, specific details such as specific system structures, technologies, etc. are provided for the purpose of illustration rather than limitation, so as to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the present application. However, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that the present application may also be implemented in other embodiments without these specific details. In other cases, detailed descriptions of well-known systems, devices, circuits, and methods are omitted to prevent unnecessary details from obstructing the description of the present application.

[0044] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that if there are terms such as "upper", "lower", "inner", "outer" and the like indicating orientation or positional relationship, they are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention. In addition, if there are terms such as "first" and "second", they are also used for descriptive purposes only, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0045] In addition, in the description of the present invention, unless otherwise clearly defined, the terms "installation", "connection", "connection" and "connector" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood in combination with specific circumstances.

[0046] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and in combination with embodiments.

[0047] Embodiment 1

[0048] This embodiment relates to a terminal cooling structure, which is used to cool at least one terminal 1. Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, each terminal 1 to be cooled has an inner connection end 101 connected to the copper bus 2 , and an outer connection end 102 penetrating through and extending to the outside of the battery pack housing 7 .

[0049] The terminal cooling structure of this embodiment includes a heat conducting member 3, which is provided in a plurality corresponding to each terminal 1, and each heat conducting member 3 is connected between each inner connecting terminal 101 and the cooling device, so that heat transfer is formed between the terminal 1 and the cooling device. In addition, the heat conducting member 3 includes a heat conducting portion 301 connected to the inner connecting terminal 101, and an insulating portion 302 connected to the cooling device.

[0050] It is understandable that, since the inner connecting end 101 of the terminal 1 is connected to the copper busbar 2 in the battery pack shell 7, when a large current flows through the terminal 1, the heat generated by the terminal 1 is large. When the temperature of the terminal 1 is too high, the electrical conductivity of the terminal 1 will decrease. The heat conductor 3 can transfer the heat of the terminal 1 to the cooling device, so that the cooling device can cool the terminal 1 and part of the copper busbar 2 connected to the terminal 1. The heat conducting part 301 of the heat conductor 3 plays a role in transferring heat, while the insulating part 302 can play an insulating role to prevent the current on the terminal 1 from flowing to the cooling device, which may cause leakage inside the battery pack.

[0051] As described above, by arranging a heat conductor 3 between the inner connecting end 101 of each terminal 1 and the cooling device, heat transfer is formed between each terminal 1 and the cooling device, so that the cooling device cools down the terminal 1 to avoid overheating of the terminal 1, thereby improving the safety of the battery pack.

[0052] Based on the above overall introduction, specifically, the inner connecting end 101 of the terminal 1 of this embodiment is constructed as a flat structure to facilitate overlapping connection with the copper busbar 2 in the battery pack shell 7. In addition, the heat conducting portion 301 of the heat conducting member 3 of this embodiment can be made of metal materials, such as aluminum alloy, copper and other metal materials, to improve the thermal conductivity of the heat conducting member 3, so as to improve the cooling effect of the cooling device on the terminal 1.

[0053] Meanwhile, the heat conducting part 301 made of metal material can be conveniently connected to the inner connecting end 101 of the terminal 1. Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, through holes may be provided on the copper bus 2 and the inner connecting end 101, and a screw hole matching the bolt 303 is provided on the heat conducting part 301 made of metal. A bolt 303 passes through the through hole and is connected to the screw hole, so that the copper bus 2 and the inner connecting end 101 of the terminal 1 are pressed tightly against the heat conducting part 301 of the heat conducting member 3, ensuring that the copper bus 2, the terminal 1 and the heat conducting part 301 are closely fitted, thereby improving the heat conducting performance.

[0054] The copper bar 2, the inner connecting end 101 and the heat conducting member 3 can be detachably connected to facilitate maintenance of the terminal cooling structure of this embodiment. Of course, the copper bar 2, the inner connecting end 101 and the heat conducting portion 301 of the heat conducting member 3 can also be connected by welding, as long as the connection between the three has good thermal conductivity and connection stability. In addition, the heat conducting portion 301 of this embodiment can adopt other structures with good thermal conductivity, such as heat pipes, heat spreaders, etc., as long as the heat conducting portion 301 has good thermal conductivity.

[0055] In addition, in this embodiment, the thickness of the insulating portion 302 is relatively small, thereby ensuring good insulation performance while improving the heat conduction effect of the heat conducting member 3. In a specific implementation, the insulating portion 302 can be made of thermally conductive silicone to have good insulation and thermal conductivity.

[0056] In order to facilitate the cooling device to cool down the terminal 1, the cooling device of this embodiment is a liquid cooling plate 4, and the liquid cooling plate 4 is integrated on the top wall or bottom wall of the battery pack shell 7. The cooling effect of the liquid cooling plate 4 is good, and the terminal 1 can be effectively cooled down. At the same time, the liquid cooling plate 4 is integrated on the battery pack shell 7, which can reduce the internal space occupied by the battery pack and improve the compactness of the battery pack. In addition, through the setting of the liquid cooling plate 4, in addition to cooling down the terminal 1 of this embodiment, the battery module set inside the battery pack shell 7 can also be cooled and dissipated, thereby improving the working efficiency of the battery module.

[0057] According to the number of terminals 1, a plurality of heat conducting members 3 are arranged between each terminal 1 and the cooling device, that is, the liquid cooling plate 4. In order to ensure the connection stability between the heat conducting member 3 and the terminal 1 and the liquid cooling plate 4, and to facilitate the assembly operation of the heat conducting member 3, each heat conducting member 3 of the present embodiment is embedded in a connecting seat 5. Through the setting of the connecting seat 5, each heat conducting member 3 can be connected to each other and form a whole. Compared with the isolated setting of each heat conducting member 3 between each inner connecting end 101 and the liquid cooling plate 4, the stability of each heat conducting member 3 can be improved. At the same time, during the assembly process, through the setting of the connecting seat 5, compared with the installation method of sequentially installing each heat conducting member 3 between each inner connecting end 101 and the liquid cooling plate 4, the installation operation is simplified, the labor intensity of the assembler is reduced, and the assembly of the heat conducting member 3 is facilitated.

[0058] In the specific implementation, in order to ensure that the heat-conducting parts 3 are insulated from each other, a plurality of installation channels corresponding to the heat-conducting parts 3 are formed inside the connection seat 5 of this embodiment. The heat-conducting parts 3 are arranged in the installation channels, which can separate the heat-conducting parts 3, and avoid the heat-conducting parts 3 being connected to each other and causing a short circuit between the terminals 1. On this basis, the material used to constitute the connection seat 5 of this embodiment should have good insulation performance. At the same time, since the heat-conducting parts 3 are used to transfer heat from the terminals 1, the material used for the connection seat 5 should also have a certain heat resistance, such as polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), liquid crystal polymer (LCP) or high-temperature nylon. In addition, the connection seat 5 extends upward on both sides of each heat-conducting part 3, thereby forming a plurality of groove structures for accommodating the inner connecting end 101 and the copper bus 2 of the terminal 1, so as to facilitate the connection and fixation of the terminal cooling structure with each terminal 1.

[0059] Since both ends of each heat conducting member 3 are only connected to the inner connecting end 101 and the liquid cooling plate 4, in order to further improve the stability of the fixing of the heat conducting member 3, as shown in FIG. Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, a mounting portion is formed on the connection seat 5 of this embodiment, and the mounting portion is fixedly connected to the crossbeam 701 of the battery pack housing 7. By setting the mounting portion, the connection seat 5 can be fixed on the battery pack housing 7, thereby improving the stability of the connection seat 5 and the heat conducting member 3.

[0060] Specifically, the mounting portion includes a support arm 501 and at least one reinforcing rib 502 disposed between the support arm 501 and the connection seat 5. The arrangement of the reinforcing rib 502 can improve the structural strength of the mounting portion, and prevent the rib 502 from breaking with the connection seat 5, which would otherwise reduce the connection stability of the heat conducting member 3. At the same time, the support arm 501 is overlapped on the crossbeam 701, and has a larger connection area, thereby improving the fixing effect of the connection seat 5. In a specific implementation, two spaced reinforcing ribs 502 are disposed on one end face of the support arm 501, which has good structural strength. At the same time, the support arm 501 can be connected to the crossbeam 701 using bolts 303 to improve the connection strength.

[0061] In order to protect the terminal 1 and the copper busbar 2, a protective cover 6 is buckled on the connection base 5 of this embodiment, and in order to improve the stability of the fixing of the protective cover 6, a clamping portion is provided between the protective cover 6 and the connection base 5. Through the provision of the clamping portion, the protective cover 6 can be stably connected to the connection base 5 to prevent the protective cover 6 from falling off.

[0062] Specifically, the clamping portion of this embodiment includes a protrusion 503 provided on the side of the connection base 5, and an opening 601 provided on the protective cover 6, and the protrusion 503 is clamped into the opening 601 to achieve clamping and fixing of the protective cover 6 and the connection base 5, thereby improving the connection stability and being able to effectively protect the inner connection end 101 of the terminal 1 and the copper bus 2. In a specific implementation, the protrusion 503 is provided with an inclined guide surface on one side facing the protective cover 6, and the guide surface can guide the protective cover 6 to be clamped on the protrusion 503.

[0063] In order to further improve the connection stability between the protective cover 6 and the connecting base 5, in the present embodiment, at least two opposite sides of the connecting base 5 are respectively provided with a clamping portion. In a specific implementation, the two opposite sides of the connecting base 5 are respectively facing the terminal 1 and the copper bus 2, while the other two opposite sides can be provided with the above-mentioned clamping portions. By setting the two clamping portions, the connection stability between the protective cover 6 and the connecting base 5 is further improved.

[0064] In summary, the terminal cooling structure of this embodiment forms heat transfer between each terminal 1 and the cooling device by setting a heat conductor 3 between the inner connecting end 101 of each terminal 1 and the cooling device, so that the cooling device cools down the terminal 1 and avoids overheating of the terminal 1, thereby improving the safety of the battery pack and having good practicality.

[0065] Embodiment 2

[0066] This embodiment relates to a high-voltage connector for transmitting electric energy to a battery pack. The overall structure is as follows: Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 6As shown, the high-voltage connector of this embodiment includes a base 8 arranged on a battery pack housing 7, two terminals 1 embedded in the base 8, and a terminal cooling structure as described in the first embodiment.

[0067] Specifically, the two terminals 1 are respectively a positive terminal 1 and a negative terminal 1, and the external connection ends 102 of the two terminals 1 are used to connect to the charging circuit outside the battery pack. The terminal cooling structure is connected to the above-mentioned terminal 1 to cool the terminal 1.

[0068] As shown in the above structure, through the setting of the terminal cooling structure, the two terminals 1 inside the high-voltage connector can be cooled, the operating temperature of the high-voltage connector can be reduced, the overheating of the high-voltage connector can be avoided, and the safety of the battery pack can be improved.

[0069] Based on the above overall introduction, the base 8 of this embodiment is arranged on the outside of the battery pack shell 7, and a sealing ring 801 is arranged around the two terminals 1 between the battery pack shell 7 and the base 8. The sealing ring 801 can fill the gap between the battery pack shell 7 and the base 8, improve the sealing of the battery pack, and ensure the normal operation of the battery pack. In addition, the base 8 is also provided with an anti-fool structure 802, which can prevent the external charging current connector from being incorrectly connected to the external connection ends 102 of the two terminals 1, thereby ensuring the normal operation of the high-voltage connector.

[0070] In order to ensure the normal operation of the high-voltage connector, the base 8 of this embodiment is embedded with a temperature sensor, which is used to detect the temperature of the two terminals 1. The temperature sensor is electrically connected to the battery management system (BMS) of the battery pack through the signal line 803. The temperature sensor converts the temperature into an electrical signal and inputs it into the microprocessor unit in the BMS. The BMS can determine whether the temperature of the two terminals 1 is normal based on the above electrical signal. When the temperature of the terminal 1 is too high, the BMS can alarm and inform the driver of the vehicle. In this way, the temperature sensor can monitor the temperature of the two terminals 1 to ensure the normal operation of the high-voltage connector.

[0071] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A terminal cooling structure for cooling at least one terminal, each of the terminals having an inner connection end connected to a copper busbar and an outer connection end penetrating and extending to the outside of a battery pack housing, characterized in that: The terminal cooling structure comprises: A plurality of heat conducting members are provided, each corresponding to each of the terminals, each of the heat conducting members is connected between each of the inner connecting ends and the cooling device, so that heat transfer is formed between the terminal and the cooling device; The heat conducting member comprises a heat conducting portion connected to the inner connecting end, and an insulating portion connected to the cooling device.

2. The terminal cooling structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cooling device is a liquid cooling plate, and the liquid cooling plate is integrated on the top wall or the bottom wall of the battery pack shell.

3. The terminal cooling structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each of the heat conducting members is embedded in a connecting seat.

4. The terminal cooling structure according to claim 3, characterized in that: A mounting portion is formed on the connecting seat, and the mounting portion is fixedly connected to the crossbeam of the battery pack shell.

5. The terminal cooling structure according to claim 4, characterized in that: The mounting portion includes a support arm and at least one reinforcing rib arranged between the support arm and the connecting seat, and the support arm is overlapped on the crossbeam.

6. The terminal cooling structure according to any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that: A protective cover is buckled on the connecting seat, and a clamping portion is provided between the protective cover and the connecting seat.

7. The terminal cooling structure according to claim 6, characterized in that: The clamping portion includes a protrusion arranged on the side of the connecting seat and an opening arranged on the protective cover, and the protrusion is clamped into the opening.

8. The terminal cooling structure according to claim 6, characterized in that: The clamping parts are respectively disposed on at least two opposite sides of the connecting base.

9. A high voltage connector, characterized in that: The high-voltage connector includes a base disposed on a battery pack housing, two terminals embedded in the base, and a terminal cooling structure according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The high voltage connector according to claim 9, characterized in that: A temperature sensor is embedded in the base, and the temperature sensor is used to detect the temperatures of the two terminals.

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