TRACTION BATTERY PACK SOCKET ASSEMBLY

Abstract

A battery pack assembly includes a socket base of a socket assembly. The socket base is connectable to a battery pack enclosure. The socket assembly further includes a grounding link contained within the socket base. The grounding link establishes a grounding path between the battery pack enclosure and one or more vehicle connectors coupled to the socket assembly.

Description

FIELD OF TECHNOLOGYThis disclosure relates generally to a base assembly for a traction battery pack, and more particularly to a base assembly incorporating a ground connector.GENERAL STATE OF THE ARTElectrified vehicles are distinct from conventional motor vehicles because electrified vehicles include a powertrain having one or more electric machines. The electric machines may propel the electrified vehicles instead of or in addition to an internal combustion engine. A battery pack may supply power to the electric machines. The battery pack of an electrified vehicle may include groups of battery cells.SUMMARYIn some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a battery pack assembly including: a base base of a base assembly, the base base connectable to a battery pack enclosure; and a ground connector of the base assembly, the ground connector contained within the base base, the ground connector establishing a ground path between the battery pack enclosure and one or more vehicle connectors coupled to the base assembly.In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a battery pack assembly wherein the base base base is a dielectric.In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a battery pack assembly wherein the base base is made of a polymer-based material.In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a battery pack assembly wherein the ground connector is more conductive than the base base.In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a battery pack assembly wherein the ground connector is a metal or a metal alloy.In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a battery pack assembly that further includes a plurality of mechanical fasteners securing the base base to the battery pack enclosure.In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a battery pack assembly wherein a portion of the ground connector is enclosed between the battery pack enclosure and the base base.In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a battery pack assembly, wherein the battery pack enclosure includes a tray, wherein the base base is connectable to the tray.In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a battery pack assembly wherein the shell is made of a metal or metal alloy.In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a battery pack assembly, the socket assembly including a plurality of socket connectors each having a socket housing and at least one electrical terminal, the socket connectors each configured to be coupled to one of the vehicle connectors.In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a battery pack assembly wherein the socket housings for the socket connectors and the socket base are separate components.In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a battery pack assembly, wherein the base base includes a plurality of recesses and the ground connector includes a plurality of rims, each rim within the plurality of rims surrounding one of the recesses within the plurality of recesses, the base connectors each spanning one of the recesses within the plurality of recesses.In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a battery pack assembly, wherein the ground connector includes a plurality of legs each extending from one of the rims within the plurality of rims to the battery pack enclosure when the base base is connected to the battery pack enclosure.In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a battery pack assembly wherein a plurality of mechanical fasteners secure the plurality of socket connectors to the socket base.In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a battery pack assembly wherein the socket housings for the socket connectors and the socket base are portions of the same structure.In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a battery pack assembly further including the battery pack enclosure and a battery bank maintained in an interior region of the battery pack enclosure.In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a battery pack connection method including: securing a socket base of a socket assembly to a battery pack enclosure such that the socket base is disposed over an opening in the battery pack enclosure and includes a portion of a ground connector abutting the battery pack enclosure, the ground connector establishing a ground path between the battery pack enclosure and one or more vehicle connectors coupled to the socket assembly.In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a battery pack connection method further including securing the base base to the battery pack enclosure using at least one mechanical fastener.In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a battery pack connection method further including securing a plurality of socket connectors to the socket base, each of the socket connectors each having a socket housing and at least one electrical terminal, the ground connector being electrically coupled to the at least one electrical terminal.In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a battery pack connection method further including coupling the one or more vehicle connectors to the socket connectors to electrically couple a vehicle to the battery pack.The embodiments, examples and alternatives of the preceding paragraphs, the claims or the following description and drawings, which include any of their various aspects or respective individual features, may be considered independently of one another or in any combination. Features described in connection with an embodiment are applicable to all embodiments, unless such features are incompatible.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURESThe various features and advantages of the disclosed examples will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the detailed description. The figures attached to the detailed description may be briefly described as follows: FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of an electrified vehicle having a traction battery pack. FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of a traction battery pack of the electrified vehicle of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 illustrates a close-up of a base assembly of the traction battery pack of FIG. 2. FIG. 4 illustrates an exploded perspective view of the socket assembly of FIG. 2. FIG. 5 illustrates a rear side of the socket assembly when connected to a case of the battery pack, the case being shown in dashed lines.DETAILED DESCRIPTIONA socket assembly may provide one or more interfaces for connecting connectors to a battery pack. This disclosure describes example sockets that include a ground connector within a polymer-based base. In the past, header connectors have been made of a highly conductive material such as aluminum.Referring to FIG. 1, an electrified vehicle 10 includes a battery pack 14, an electric machine 18, and wheels 22. The battery pack 14 may be a relatively high voltage battery.The battery pack 14, in the exemplary embodiment, is secured and grounded to an underbody 26 of the electrified vehicle 10. The battery pack 14 could be elsewhere on the electrified vehicle 10 in other examples.The electrified vehicle 10 is a fully electric vehicle. In other examples, the electrified vehicle 10 is a hybrid electric vehicle that selectively drives wheels using torque provided by an internal combustion engine instead of or in addition to an electric machine. In general, the electrified vehicle 10 could be any type of vehicle that includes a traction battery pack.Referring now to FIG. 2, the battery pack 14 includes a plurality of battery banks 30 supported within a case assembly 34. In the exemplary embodiment, the enclosure assembly 34 includes an enclosure cover 38 and an enclosure tray 42. the enclosure cover 38 is secured to the enclosure tray 42 to provide an interior region 44 that houses the plurality of battery banks 30. The enclosure cover 38, enclosure shell 42, or both may be made of a metal or metal alloy, such asThe battery banks 30 each include a plurality of battery cells 50 (or simply "cells") stacked side-by-side relative to one another. The battery cells 50 serve to supply electrical power to various components of the electrified vehicle 10.Although a specific number of cells 50 and banks 30 are illustrated in the various figures of this disclosure, the battery pack 14 could include any number of banks 30 having any number of cells 50. In other words, this disclosure is not limited to the specific configuration shown in FIG. 2.Other components 54 are housed within the enclosure assembly 34. Examples of the other components 54 may include control modules. In particular, the other components housed within the enclosure assembly 34 may include a bused electrical center (BEC), a battery electronic control module (BECM), and a battery pack sensor module (BPSM).The battery pack 14 includes a base assembly 58 that provides multiple connection interfaces for coupling connectors to the traction battery pack 14. The connection interfaces may be connected to vehicle connectors to transmit power outside of the battery pack 14, communicate information to and from the battery pack 14 to power components inside of the battery pack 14, or a combination thereof.Referring now to FIGS. 3-5, and with continued reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, in this example, the socket assembly 58 includes a socket base 62, a ground connector 66, and at least one socket connector 70. the socket assembly 58 is secured to the enclosure assembly 34 and is disposed over an opening in the enclosure assembly 34.A plurality of mechanical fasteners 74 secure the example socket assembly 58 to an outer surface of the enclosure shell 42. the fasteners 74 extend through the enclosure shell 42 to threadably engage the socket base 62.The socket connectors 70 each include a housing 82 and at least one terminal 86 in this example. Power, signals, or both may flow to and from the battery pack 14 through the connection between the socket connector 70 and the vehicle connector 90 when the vehicle connector 90 is operatively connected to the one of the socket connectors 70. The housing 82 may be made of a polymer-based material, such as polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), nylon 66 (polyamide, PA 66), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polypropylene (PP), polycarbonate (PC), nylon 12 (polyamide, PA 12), or cross-linked polyolefin (XLPO). The terminal 86 may be made of a metal or metal alloy.The terminals 86 within the socket connectors 70 may be pins that are received within corresponding sockets provided by terminals in the vehicle connector 90. The terminals 86 may instead be sockets that receive pins in the vehicle connector 90.The base base 62 is made of a polymer-based material such as polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), nylon 66 (polyamide, PA 66), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polypropylene (PP), polycarbonate (PC), nylon 12 (polyamide, PA 12), or cross-linked polyolefin (XLPO).In this example, the housing 82 of the socket connector 70 is separated from the socket base 62 and secured to the socket base 62 by a plurality of fasteners 94. In another example, the fasteners 94 may be omitted and the socket connector 70 and the socket base 62 could be a single component formed together. That is, the socket connectors 70 and the socket base 62 could be parts of the same structure.Because the base socket 62 is a polymer-based component, the base socket 62 can be considered a dielectric. Accordingly, the base assembly 58 integrates the ground connector 66 to establish a ground path between the terminals 86 within the base connectors 70 and the enclosure assembly 34.In this example, the ground connector 66 is made of a more conductive material than the socket base 62. The ground connector 66 may be made of, for example, a metal or a metal alloy. In some examples, the ground connector 66 is made of copper, aluminum, or steel. The material selection for the ground connector 66 may be based at least in part on electromagnetic compatibility.The example ground connector 66 includes a plurality of rims 100 and a plurality of legs 104. When assembled, each of the rims 100 surrounds a recess 108 within the base 62 and the base connectors 70 each span one of the recesses 108 when connected to the base 62. The socket connectors 70 are connected to the socket base 62 such that terminals 86 of these socket connectors 70 contact the associated rim 100 of the ground connector 66.The legs 104 each extend away from one of the rims 100 in the direction of the wrapping assembly 34, here the wrapping tray 42.The ends of the legs 104 include recesses 112. When the base base 62 is connected to the enclosure assembly 34, the fasteners 74 extend through one of the recesses 112. Thus, when the base base 62 is connected to the enclosure assembly 34 via the fasteners 74, portions of the legs 104 of the ground connector 66 are captured between the base base 62 and the enclosure assembly 34.Enclosing portions of the legs 104 brings the legs 104 into direct contact with the enclosure assembly 34 made of a metal or metal alloy. Thus, after the base assembly 58 is assembled with the enclosure assembly 34, the ground connector 66 establishes a ground path from the terminals 86 within the base connectors 70 to the enclosure assembly 34 that is grounded to the underbody 26 of the vehicle 10.The legs 104 may be added or removed depending on design considerations such as electromagnetic compatibility. The ground connector 66 provides sufficient routes to limit impedances, and generally, adding legs 104 reduces the impedance of the ground connector 66.The example ground connector 66 is coupled to the base base 62 via the fasteners 74. In other examples, the ground connector 66 could instead or additionally be embedded within the socket base 62.While the ground connector 66 is grounding the battery pack 14, in other examples, the ground connector 66 could be used to ground other components.Features of the disclosed examples include a socket assembly having a base that is a dielectric. To establish a ground path, a ground connector is included within the socket base. The ground connector is more conductive than the socket base.The foregoing description is exemplary and not limiting in nature. Variations and modifications of the disclosed examples may occur to those skilled in the art that do not necessarily depart from the gist of this disclosure. Accordingly, the scope of protection afforded by this disclosure may be determined only by studying the following claims.

Claims

A battery pack assembly, comprising: a base base of a base assembly, the base base being connectable to a battery pack enclosure; and a ground connector of the base assembly, the ground connector being contained within the base base, the ground connector establishing a ground path between the battery pack enclosure and one or more vehicle connectors coupled to the base assembly.The battery pack assembly of claim 1, wherein the base base is a dielectric.The battery pack assembly of claim 1, wherein the base base is made of a polymer-based material.The battery pack assembly of claim 1, wherein the ground connector is more conductive than the base base.The battery pack assembly of claim 1, wherein the ground connector is a metal or a metal alloy.The battery pack assembly of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of mechanical fasteners securing the base base to the battery pack enclosure, and optionally wherein a portion of the ground connection is enclosed between the battery pack enclosure and the base base.The battery pack assembly of claim 1, wherein the battery pack enclosure includes a shell, wherein the base base is connectable to the shell, and optionally wherein the shell is made of a metal or a metal alloy.The battery pack assembly of claim 1, wherein the socket assembly includes a plurality of socket connectors each having a socket housing and at least one electrical terminal, wherein the socket connectors are each configured to be coupled to one of the vehicle connectors, and optionally wherein the socket housings are separate components for the socket connectors and the socket base.The battery pack assembly of claim 8, wherein the base base includes a plurality of recesses and the ground connector includes a plurality of rims, each rim within the plurality of rims surrounding one of the recesses within the plurality of recesses, the base connectors each spanning one of the recesses within the plurality of recesses.The battery pack assembly of claim 9, wherein the ground connector includes a plurality of legs each extending from one of the rims within the plurality of rims to the battery pack enclosure when the base base is connected to the battery pack enclosure, and optionally wherein a plurality of mechanical fasteners secure the plurality of base connectors to the base base.The battery pack assembly of claim 8, wherein the socket housings for the socket connectors and the socket base are parts of the same structure.The battery pack assembly of claim 1, further comprising: the battery pack enclosure; and a battery bank maintained within an interior region of the battery pack enclosure.A battery pack connection method, comprising: securing a base base of a base assembly to a battery pack enclosure such that the base base is disposed over an opening in the battery pack enclosure and includes a portion of a ground connector abutting the battery pack enclosure, wherein the ground connector establishes a ground path between the battery pack enclosure and one or more vehicle connectors coupled to the base assembly.The battery pack connection method of claim 13, further comprising securing the base base to the battery pack enclosure using at least one mechanical fastener.The battery pack connection method of claim 13, further comprising securing a plurality of socket connectors to the socket base, each of the socket connectors each having a socket housing and at least one electrical terminal, the ground connector being electrically coupled to the at least one electrical terminal, and optionally further comprising coupling the one or more vehicle connectors to the socket connectors to electrically couple a vehicle to the battery pack.

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