Electrical connection device and battery module for this purpose

Abstract

Electrical connection device usable for multiple stacked battery cells, wherein two ends of each battery cell each have a conductive contact terminal, the electrical connection device comprising the following: several support frames, wherein the underside and the top side of each support frame are each provided with an engagement structure so that adjacent support frames can be stacked on top of each other and fastened together, wherein the top side of each support frame has a receiving recess; and several conductive strips, which are matched to the corresponding support frames and inserted into the receiving recesses of the corresponding support frames and serve for electrical connection with the conductive contact terminals of the battery cells.

Description

Field of invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a connecting device and in particular an electrical connecting device and a battery module therefor, in which the battery cells are attached by stacking them one after the other. State of the art

[0002] In response to the booming market for new energy vehicles, traction batteries have been developed as one of the three core technologies of new energy electric vehicles. The structural protection design and thermal management of traction batteries are considered crucial components of new energy electric vehicles. Simultaneously, low weight and increased energy density are essential trends for improving the range of new energy electric vehicles.

[0003] Current series-connected battery systems are designed so that the battery cells are stacked on top of each other. The protruding conductive contact terminals of the battery cells are then guided through corresponding holes on two sides using holders and bent. Subsequently, the conductive contact terminals are laser-welded to the current busbars of the holders. However, with the demand for high energy density and low weight, the thickness of a battery cell is also becoming increasingly thinner. Nevertheless, the welding process has limitations, meaning it cannot be adapted indefinitely to the thickness of a battery cell. Regarding the distance between the holes of the holders, a specific height must be maintained during laser welding to ensure the conductive contact terminals can be welded.This severely limits the configuration of the battery cells and prevents further increases in overall energy density.

[0004] Furthermore, the above assembly method is characterized by the fact that the conductive contact on one side of each battery cell is inserted through the bore of a bracket, and the conductive contact on the other side of that battery cell is simultaneously inserted through the bore of another bracket. After the conductive contacts have been inserted through the bores, they hang down due to gravity, increasing the risk of a short circuit due to mutual contact. Once the conductive contacts have been bent and are in contact with the corresponding brackets, they are welded to the busbars in the direction of their bend. This simultaneous execution of these steps is rather impractical, which does not improve the efficiency of the overall process.

[0005] To solve this problem, the applicant in Taiwanese patent application No. 112211125 proposed that two mounting brackets form a sliding cavity, with several movable support frames and several conductive strips located on the corresponding support frames within the sliding cavity. The conductive contact terminals of several stacked battery cells are held by the adjacent support frames and the corresponding conductive strips and welded to the conductive strips, thus enabling assembly by sliding. However, due to this design, the height of the entire module is limited by the height of the mounting brackets, which means that the number of battery cells connected in series or parallel cannot be arbitrarily varied.Furthermore, the positive and negative output terminals of the battery module are limited by the design of the mounting brackets, which restricts application flexibility.

[0006] The invention is based on the objective of solving the above-mentioned problem and providing an electrical connection device. Object of the invention

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connection device and a battery module for this purpose, in which the battery cells and the support frames are stacked and assembled layer by layer, and simultaneously the conductive contact terminals provided on two sides of each battery cell are directly welded to the corresponding conductive strips. In this way, the problems of the short-circuit risk caused by stacking and bending the conductive contact terminals, as well as the non-reducible thickness of the battery cells in the conventional structure, can be solved, while at the same time improving safety and ease of assembly. Furthermore, the stacking process allows the number of battery cells connected in series or parallel, as well as the position of the electrical connection terminals, to be adjusted as required, which significantly increases application flexibility.

[0008] The present invention provides an electrical connection device comprising several support frames and several conductive strips, wherein the top of each support frame has a receiving recess, the support frames can be engaged together for stacking and fastening, and the conductive strips can be received in the receiving recesses of the corresponding support frames, so that the battery cell and the support frames can be installed layer by layer from bottom to top and the conductive contact terminals of the battery cells can be welded directly to the corresponding conductive strips from above.The conductive contact terminals do not need to be bent, thus preventing interference from the conductive contacts of adjacent battery cells and avoiding the problem of short circuits between battery cells. This also simplifies and makes the manufacturing process more convenient, increasing safety and ease of assembly. Furthermore, the direct stacking and fastening of the support frames allows the number of series- or parallel-connected battery cells, as well as the position of the electrical output terminals, to be adjusted as needed, significantly increasing application flexibility.

[0009] Furthermore, the present invention discloses a battery module comprising several battery cells, wherein the conductive contact terminals of the several battery cells are attached by means of the electrical connection device described above, the support frames, the conductive strips and the conductive contact terminals of the battery cells are stacked one after the other in layers, and the conductive strips are electrically connected to the corresponding conductive contact terminals.

[0010] To better understand the tasks, technical content, features and advantageous effects of the present invention, specific embodiments are described in detail below. Brief description of the drawings Fig. Figure 1 shows a schematic exploded view of the electrical connection device according to the invention; Fig. 2A and Fig. 2B show schematic views of the support frames of the electrical connection device according to the invention; Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 show schematic views of the assembly of the support frames of the electrical connection device according to the invention with the battery cells; Fig. Figure 5 shows a schematic view in which the electrical connection device according to the invention is used for a battery module; Fig. 6A and Fig. Figure 6B shows schematic views of varied embodiments in which the electrical connection device according to the invention is used for the electrical output terminals of a battery module. Detailed description of the exemplary implementations

[0011] To better understand the advantages, nature, and features of the present invention, exemplary embodiments are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention is described with reference to these exemplary embodiments and the drawings; however, the invention is not limited to these embodiments but only to the claims. These exemplary embodiments are provided solely to make the present disclosure more comprehensive and easier to understand.

[0012] The terminology used herein serves only to describe the exemplary embodiments and is not intended to limit the general concept of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," "an" and "the" are to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) have the same meaning that a person skilled in the art in the field to which the exemplary embodiments belong would ascribe to them. Furthermore, it should be clarified that expressions, e.g.,Those terms that are defined in commonly used dictionaries are to be interpreted as having the meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant technology, and are not to be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense, unless expressly defined herein.

[0013] A reference in this entire specification to "a single embodiment" or "any embodiment" means that a function, structure, or property described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the expressions "in a single embodiment" or "in any embodiment" at various points in this specification do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment, but may refer to different embodiments. Furthermore, as a person with average technical knowledge of this disclosure can infer, the individual functions, structures, or properties may be appropriately combined in one or more embodiments.

[0014] In describing the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "coupled," "connected," and "arranged" are to be understood broadly. For example, they may refer to a mechanical or electrical connection, or to an internal connection between two components, which may be connected directly or via an intermediate medium. The specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention will be clear to a person skilled in the art, depending on the specific situation.

[0015] It will be directed to the Fig. 1, Fig. 2A and Fig. Reference is made to Figure 2B. The electrical connection device 10 according to the invention comprises several support frames 20 and several conductive strips 30, wherein the adjacent support frames 20 have coordinated engagement structures 40 for stacking and fastening, the upper side of each support frame 20 has a receiving recess 21, and the conductive strips 30 are received in the receiving recesses 21 of the corresponding support frames 20. Electrically, the conductive strips 30 perform a similar function to that of the busbars in the prior art, but differ from them in their structure, so that the problems caused by conventional busbars can be avoided. The engagement structures 40 primarily serve for positioning when stacking the support frames 20 in the vertical direction and for limiting their movement in the horizontal direction.Therefore, the engagement structures 40 can be designed such that two male engagement elements 401 are arranged diagonally offset on the top of each support frame 20, and one female engagement element 402 is arranged at the position corresponding to the respective male engagement element 401 on the underside of an adjacent support frame 20, so that the adjacent support frames 20 are stacked on top of each other by the engagement of the male engagement elements 401 with the corresponding female engagement elements 402. The number of male engagement elements 401 and the number of female engagement elements 402 can, however, be adjusted as required. For vertical fastening, a first fastening element 23 is provided, which passes through the multiple first fastening bores 22 of all support frames 20.Furthermore, the engagement structures 40 can also be designed in other ways, as long as the support frames 20 allow vertical and horizontal positioning, locking or fitting between the support frames 20, although the specific design of the engagement structures is not subject to any restrictions.

[0016] It will then go to the Fig. 2A and Fig. Reference is made to 2B. The upper surface of each support frame 20 is provided with a receiving recess 21 which is adapted to the corresponding conductive strip 30 and serves to arrange and receive this conductive strip 30, wherein each conductive strip 30 has a main body connecting section 31 and a side edge connecting section 32, the main body connecting section 31 and the side edge connecting section 32 being perpendicular to each other and electrically connected to each other (here, for example, a one-piece formed construction or a construction in which the main body connecting section 31 and the side edge connecting section 32 are electrically connected to each other by welding can be used), wherein the length of the main body connecting section 31 corresponds approximately to the length of the receiving recess 21, the main body connecting section 31 being arranged in the receiving recess 21,The side-edge connection section 32 extends from one side of the main body connection section 31 both upwards and downwards in the Z-axis direction and is located at a corner of the main body connection section 31, and the positions of the side-edge connection sections 32 of the corresponding conductive strips 30 of the two adjacent support frames 20 are offset from each other (as shown in the figure), with one of the side-edge connection sections 32 being located on the left and the other on the right side to facilitate connection or fastening or to reduce the risk of a short circuit. To ensure that the side-edge connection sections 32 of the conductive strips 30 remain accessible after the support frames 20 have been assembled and stacked,The receiving recess 21 of a respective support frame 20 is provided with a rectangular front recess 212 at the position corresponding to the side-edge connection section 32 of the corresponding conductive strip 30 on the side furthest from the corresponding battery cell 70. That is, at one end of a respective receiving recess 21, a rectangular front recess 212, which allows a view of the corresponding side-edge connection section 32, is provided on the front of a corresponding support frame 20, the vertical height of a respective side-edge connection section 32 providing sufficient area for the arrangement of the corresponding connection terminal 321. In other words, a respective side-edge connection section 32 has a front and a rear opposite it.wherein the front side faces away from the corresponding battery cell and the rear side faces it, and the front side of each side-edge connection section 32 provides sufficient area for the arrangement of the corresponding connection terminal 321. Furthermore, each positioning section 33 located away from the corresponding side-edge connection section 32 is higher than other parts of the corresponding main body connection section 31, the space between each positioning section 33 and the corresponding side-edge connection section 32 serving as a receiving area for the corresponding conductive contact terminal 71 (see , ). Fig. 3) serves and corresponding to the respective side edge connecting section 32, a respective front recess 212 is located on the left or right side of the corresponding conductive strip 30, such that a respective front recess 212 is provided at the left or right end of the corresponding receiving recess 21 (as shown in Fig. 2A shown).

[0017] It will simultaneously refer to the Fig. 1 and Fig. Reference is made to 2A. During assembly, the first through holes 311 of each conductive strip 30 located on two sides of the main body connection section 31 are aligned with the second fastening holes 211 located in the corresponding receiving recess 21, with second fastening elements 35 (such as screws) being fastened in the receiving recess 21 of the corresponding support frame 20 by passing through the first through holes 311 of the corresponding conductive strip 30 and through the second fastening holes 211 of the corresponding receiving recess 21 (of course, the conductive strips 30 and the corresponding support frames 20 can also be joined together by means of an adhesive).

[0018] In applying the present invention to a battery module, several battery cells 70 are attached to one another and electrically connected by means of the electrical connection device 10. The support frames 20 and the conductive strips 30 of the electrical connection device 10 and the conductive contact terminals 71 of the battery cells 70 are stacked successively in layers, with the conductive strips 30 serving to establish an electrical connection with the corresponding conductive contact terminals 71. In the present embodiment, a series connection is shown by way of example (see the Fig. 1 to 4). First, a respective conductive strip 30 is received in the receiving recess 21 of the corresponding support frame 20, with the second fastening elements 35 (e.g. screws) being passed through the first through holes 311 located on two sides of the main body connection section 31 of this conductive strip 30 in order to fasten this conductive strip in the second fastening holes 211 of this receiving recess 21.After stacking two battery cells 70 (the first battery cell and the second battery cell), a respective conductive contact terminal 71 is inserted into the main body connection section 31 of the corresponding conductive strip 30, wherein each battery cell 70 has a conductive contact terminal 71 with opposite polarity at two ends, and the two conductive contact terminals 71 located on the same side of the two stacked battery cells 70 consequently have opposite polarities (e.g., plus and minus).Since each conductive strip 30 is received in the corresponding support frame 20, the two conductive contact terminals 71 located on the same side can be welded directly from above in a vertical direction (i.e., Z-axis direction) to the main body connection section 31 of the corresponding conductive strip 30 in order to attach the two conductive contact terminals 71 to the conductive strip 30 of the corresponding support frame 20 (the conductive contact terminals 71 do not need to be bent) and thus establish an electrical connection (series connection).The main body connection section 31 of each conductive strip 30 can have a protruding positioning section 33 at the end opposite the corresponding side edge connection section 32, to which the corresponding conductive contact terminals 71 can be welded between the corresponding positioning section 33 and the corresponding side edge connection section 32 and thus positioned precisely. The receiving recess 21 of each support frame 20 has a rectangular opening on the rear side of the support frame 20 (towards the battery cell 70) (see . Fig. 2A), wherein the width of the opening is equal to or greater than the length of the corresponding conductive contact terminal 71. Through each opening, the corresponding conductive contact terminal 71 can project into the corresponding receiving recess 21 and be welded to the main body connection section 31 of the corresponding conductive strip 30.

[0019] On the opposite side of a battery cell 70, another battery cell 70 (the third battery cell) is stacked. At this point, the polarities of the two conductive contact terminals 71 located on the same side of the second and third battery cells are different. Similarly, the two conductive contact terminals 71 are welded vertically from above to the main body connection section 31 of the conductive strip 30 located on the corresponding support frame 20, with the upper support frame 20 being stacked onto the lower support frame 20 by means of the corresponding engagement structure 40. Similarly, to assemble further battery cells 70, the support frames 20 with the conductive strips 30 attached to them are stacked, and then a welding operation is carried out successively at both ends of each battery cell 70 to complete the series connection of the battery cells 70.Since the conductive contact terminals 71 are electrically connected to the corresponding conductive strip 30 by welding from above in a vertical direction, and since the conductive contact terminals 71 of the previously assembled support frame 20 are located below another support frame 20, and since the support frames 20 are made of insulating material, the welding of the conductive contact terminals 71 to the corresponding support frames 20 is not impeded, thus preventing short circuits. Subsequently, the support frames 20 (together with the conductive strips 30 attached to them) and the conductive contact terminals 71 of the battery cells 70 are welded and assembled one after the other. It is referred to as... Fig. 1. In contrast to other support frames, in the case of the uppermost cover 50, the second fastening elements 35 (e.g., screws) are passed through the first through-holes 311 of the corresponding conductive strip 30 located on two sides of the corresponding main body connection section 31, in order to fasten them in the second fastening holes 211 of the corresponding receiving recess 21. Furthermore, the uppermost support frame 20 has a third fastening hole 24 on each side of the corresponding second fastening hole 211, through which the corresponding third fastening element 52 passes through the fastening hole for the upper cover 51 of the upper cover 50, thus securing the upper cover 50 in the third fastening hole 24 of the receiving recess 21 of the uppermost support frame 20. The upper cover 50 has an insulating function.After completion, a top shell 60 can be arranged on it for protection, or a shell can be attached to the underside and sides to protect the entire battery structure (not shown). In this way, a battery module is completed that has been assembled using the electrical connection device according to the invention, as shown in . Fig. Figure 5 is shown. It should be particularly noted that the above description is based on the series connection of battery cells 70. Based on the same principle, the battery cells 70 can also be connected in parallel or in a combination of series and parallel connection.

[0020] A heat dissipation material can be arranged between the battery cells 70. The heat dissipation material can be a metal sheet (e.g., aluminum sheet) to improve the heat dissipation effect after the battery cells 70 are stacked. Alternatively, a buffer material can be added between the battery cells 70 to increase the resistance of the entire battery module to external impacts. Since, after assembly, the receiving recess 21 of each support frame 20 has a rectangular front recess 212, the side-edge connection sections 32 are exposed after the support frames 20 are stacked. As shown in Fig. As shown in Figure 5, they are exposed on the front and back of the electrical connection device 10, with each conductive contact terminal 71 being electrically connected to the side-edge connection section 32 of the corresponding conductive strip 30. Therefore, it is very easy to use the connection terminals 321 of the side-edge connection sections 32 for connecting an external cable (not shown) to detect the various electrical properties (including resistance, voltage, etc.) of a single battery cell 70. That is, the connection terminals can be used as connection points for the monitoring and management module of the battery module to monitor the electrical state of all battery cells 70 in real time.

[0021] It will then go to the Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 Reference is made to the conductive strips 30 of the uppermost and lowermost support frames 20, each of which is provided with an outwardly extending electrical terminal 101, 102, these terminals serving as current output terminals (combined positive terminal and combined negative terminal, respectively) of the battery module. Since the electrical terminals 101, 102 are designed as a direct extension of the corresponding conductive strip 30, and this conductive strip 30 is merely housed in the receiving recess 21 of the corresponding support frame 20, the electrical terminals 101, 102 can be configured for a different number of series- or parallel-connected battery cells 70 such that they are located on the same side (see Fig. 6A) or on various pages (see Fig.6B) by simply changing the mounting position of the uppermost and / or lowermost conductive strip 30, which allows for a very flexible application.

[0022] In summary, the present invention provides an electrical connection device in which the battery cells and the support frames with the conductive strips provided thereon are stacked and assembled directly on top of each other, so that they can be continuously assembled and welded vertically from above – at both ends of each battery cell. This solves the prior art problem of short circuits caused by series connection when stacking battery cells. Due to the sequential welding and assembly in the vertical direction, it is ensured not only that the conductive contact connections can be welded without bending them, but also that adjacent battery cells do not interfere with each other during the welding and assembly process, thus improving safety and ease of assembly.Furthermore, the direct stacking of the support frames eliminates the conventional sliding rail design of the mounting brackets, meaning the number of stackable battery cells is no longer limited by the height of the mounting brackets and can be adjusted as needed. At the same time, the elimination of the mounting brackets increases assembly efficiency and reduces the number of components required.

[0023] The foregoing description presents only preferred embodiments of the invention and is not intended to limit the scope of the claims. All equivalent changes and modifications that can be made by a person skilled in the art in this field according to the description and drawings of the invention are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0024] The present invention thus provides an electrical connection device and a battery module for this purpose, comprising several support frames and several conductive strips adapted to them, wherein the conductive strips are received in the receiving recesses of the corresponding support frames and are directly engaged and fastened to one another by means of the engagement structures of the corresponding support frames, so that the conductive contact terminals of the battery cells are clamped one after the other between the corresponding conductive strips and the corresponding support frames and welded and fastened in succession, in order to eliminate the problems that the conventional battery module structure is susceptible to welding short circuits due to the battery density and that the number of battery cells connected in series or parallel cannot be changed arbitrarily, and thus significantly improves safety and ease of assembly. Reference symbol list 10 electrical connection device 101, 102 electrical connection terminal 20 support frames 21. Admission exemption 211 second mounting hole 212 front recess 22 first mounting hole 23 first fastening element 24 third mounting hole 30 conductive strips 31 Main body connection section 311 first through hole 32 Side margin connecting section 321 Connection port 33 Positioning section 35 second fastening element 40 Intervention structure 401 male intervention element 402 female intervention element 50 top cover 51 Mounting hole for the top cover 52 third fastening element 60 Upper shell 70 battery cells 71 conductive contact connection

Claims

[1] Electrical connection device usable for several stacked battery cells, wherein two ends of each battery cell each have a conductive contact terminal, the electrical connection device comprising: several support frames, wherein the underside and the top side of each support frame are each provided with an engagement structure so that adjacent support frames can be stacked on top of each other and fastened together, wherein the top side of each support frame has a receiving recess; and several conductive strips, which are matched to the corresponding support frames and inserted into the receiving recesses of the corresponding support frames and serve for electrical connection with the conductive contact terminals of the battery cells. [2] Electrical connection device according to claim 1, wherein each support frame has a first fastening bore through which a first fastening element is passed to fasten the support frames. [3] Electrical connection device according to claim 1, wherein the support frames have at least one second mounting hole, wherein the conductive strips have at least one first through-hole corresponding to the at least one second mounting hole, wherein the conductive strips are attached to the support frames by passing the several second mounting elements through the first through-hole of the conductive strips and through the second mounting hole of the support frames. [4] Electrical connection device according to claim 1, wherein each conductive strip has a main body connection section and a side edge connection section, the side edge connection section being located at a corner of the main body connection section and the main body connection section and the side edge connection section being electrically connected to each other and being perpendicular to each other. [5] Electrical connection device according to claim 4, wherein a respective main body connection section is clamped between two support frames to provide an electrical connection for the conductive contact terminals of the battery cells. [6] Electrical connection device according to claim 5, wherein the conductive contact terminals of the battery cells are welded to the corresponding main body connection sections to establish an electrical connection. [7] Electrical connection device according to claim 6, wherein the main body connection section of a respective conductive strip is provided with at least one positioning section, wherein a conductive contact connection is arranged between the positioning section and the corresponding side edge connection section and is welded to these two. [8] Electrical connection device according to claim 4, wherein each side edge connection section has a front and a rear opposite it, the front facing away from the corresponding battery cell and the rear facing it, the front being provided with a connection terminal, the receiving recess of each support frame being provided with a front recess, the front recess being arranged on the side of the receiving recess facing away from the corresponding battery cell, so that after stacking the support frames the respective connection terminals are exposed through the corresponding front recesses on the support frames. [9] Electrical connection device according to claim 1, further comprising an upper cover which is attached to the uppermost support frame. [10] Electrical connection device according to claim 9, wherein the upper cover has at least one mounting hole for the upper cover, wherein each support frame has at least one third mounting hole corresponding to the at least one mounting hole for the upper cover, such that the upper cover located on the uppermost support frame is fastened by passing a third fastening element through the mounting hole for the upper cover of the upper cover and through the third mounting hole of this support frame. [11] Electrical connection device according to claim 1, wherein the conductive strips corresponding to the uppermost and lowermost support frames extend outwards and thus each form an electrical connection terminal. [12] Electrical connection device according to claim 11, wherein the respective electrical connection terminals of the uppermost and lowermost support frames are located on the same side. [13] Electrical connection device according to claim 11, wherein the respective electrical connection terminals of the uppermost and lowermost support frames are located on different sides. [14] Electrical connection device according to claim 1, wherein a respective engagement structure has at least one male engagement element located on the top of the corresponding support frame and at least one female engagement element located on the bottom of the support frame and matched to the male engagement element, wherein the adjacent support frames are stacked and fastened on top of each other by the male engagement element and the female engagement element. [15] Battery module comprising: several battery cells, each having a conductive contact terminal at two ends; and an electrical connection device used to fasten the multiple battery cells and comprising the following: several support frames, wherein the underside and the top side of each support frame are each provided with an engagement structure so that the adjacent support frames can be stacked on top of each other and fastened together, wherein the top side of each support frame has a receiving recess; and several conductive strips, which are matched to the corresponding support frames and received in the receiving recesses of the corresponding support frames and serve for electrical connection with the conductive contact terminals of the battery cells; wherein the support frames, the conductive strips and the conductive contact terminals of the battery cells are stacked one on top of the other in layers, and the conductive strips are electrically connected to the corresponding conductive contact terminals to establish an electrical connection.

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