MODULE CONNECTORS AND METHOD FOR CONNECTING MODULES

Description

[0001] The subject matter relates to a module connector, in particular a battery cell connector, and a method for connecting modules. A module connector in question can be formed as an assembly and can be configured for the electrically conductive connection of a first module of a first electrochemical (battery) cell of an electrochemical device to a second module of a second electrochemical (battery) cell of the electrochemical device. An electrochemical device is, in particular, a battery, preferably a motor vehicle battery. Such a battery can, for example, be a battery of a drive train of a motor vehicle.

[0002] In purely battery-powered electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), especially automobiles, two-wheelers, ships, airships, and the like, batteries are increasingly being used in which a large number of electrochemical cells are connected in series and / or parallel. Each individual cell has an inherently low storage capacity and a low cell voltage, for example, 4.8 V. However, by interconnecting several cells, high battery capacities and high voltages can be achieved. Battery cells can be lithium-ion battery cells, for example.

[0003] Due to the high current flows in vehicles, for example when batteries are used as energy storage for the drive train, it is necessary to connect the battery cells to each other with low contact resistance. So-called battery cell connectors are particularly suitable for this.

[0004] Plug-in battery cell connectors and screw-in battery cell connectors are known from the prior art, for example, from EP 2 882 011 A1 or JP2003092101A. However, the plug-in battery cell connectors known from the prior art have only a limited current-carrying capacity, whereas the screw-in battery cell connectors known from the prior art require additional tools for assembly and disassembly. Since the additional tools used for assembly and disassembly often must have certain high-voltage properties, the use of such additional tools is cost-intensive.

[0005] Accordingly, the object of the invention was to provide a module connector and a method for connecting modules which can be assembled and / or disassembled without additional tools, have a high current-carrying capacity and can be manufactured economically.

[0006] This object is achieved by a module connector according to claim 1 and by a method according to claim 11.

[0007] The contact socket can be connected either to the housing part or to a module arranged in the housing part and / or to a (battery) cell arranged in the housing part. It is preferred that the contact forces act substantially transversely to the contact socket, in particular substantially transversely to the contact blades of the contact socket, thereby reducing the risk of damage to the contact socket.

[0008] In particular, such a module connector, thanks to its geometric design, offers sufficiently large contact surfaces between the contact socket and the contact pin, so that the contact forces acting on the contact segments can be sufficiently high and essentially constant. This allows a module connector to provide sufficient current-carrying capacity without the use of tools. Furthermore, it is preferred that the contact forces can be adjusted, for example, by additional screwing.

[0009] The contact socket is preferably produced from a sheet metal strip by means of a punching process, wherein the contact blades are formed into the contact plate after the punching process at an angle of substantially 70° to 90°, in particular at an angle of 75° to 85°.

[0010] Preferably, the housing part is made of a functional base material, in particular plastic. However, it is also possible for the housing part to have metal parts or a metal coating.

[0011] According to the invention, the housing part has at least one projection that essentially surrounds the contact socket in a cylindrical shape. Such a projection can serve as an assembly aid for the connecting part or a connecting part. On the other hand, a projection that surrounds the contact socket in a cylindrical shape also offers increased assembly reliability, since the projection can prevent unintentional contact with the contact socket.

[0012] According to the invention, it is proposed that the module connector comprises a connecting part which has an outer, cylindrical region and an inner, cylindrical region, and which can be connected to the projection, and that the inner, cylindrical region and / or the inner circumferential surface of the projection are designed such that a connection of the connecting part to the projection leads to a narrowing of space within the projection. It is preferred that the space within the projection increasingly narrows with increasing connection of the connecting part to the projection. In this case, it is preferred that a narrowing of space takes place in particular in the transverse direction to the contact blades of the contact socket within the projection. As a result, the contact forces acting on the contact blades can be increased depending on the connection.In particular, this can enable readjustment of the contact forces acting on the contact lamellas by increasing the connection.

[0013] According to the invention, it is proposed that the wall thickness of the inner, cylindrical region tapers toward the housing part and / or that the wall thickness of the projection tapers toward the connecting part. This allows a wedge effect to be achieved when the connecting part is connected to the housing part, whereby contact forces can be exerted on the contact lamellas in the form of surface pressure, thus minimizing the contact resistance.

[0014] According to one embodiment, it is proposed that the connecting part be formed integrally with the terminal part or that the connecting part be connectable to the terminal part by means of a snap-in connection. In addition to a snap-in connection, other types of connection for connecting the connecting part to the terminal part are also conceivable, such as a screw and / or a clamp connection. It is preferred that the snap-in connection between the terminal part and the connecting part can be produced without tools. Furthermore, in such a case, it is preferred that the connecting part is already pre-assembled on the housing part. This improves assembly reliability, as unintentional contact with the contact socket can be prevented.

[0015] According to one embodiment, it is proposed that the projection has a thread on its outer surface and that the connecting part can be screwed to the projection. The thread is preferably formed as an external thread and arranged on the outer surface of the projection. Furthermore, it is preferred that an internal thread corresponding to the thread of the projection is formed on the inner surface of the outer, cylindrical region. It is preferred that the two cylindrical regions are connected to one another by means of an annular web arranged on the end face of the connecting part. The connecting part can be formed from a metallic material or from plastic. The outer surface on which the thread is arranged can be laminated or coated with a metallic material, so that the thread is metallic.

[0016] According to one exemplary embodiment, it is proposed that increasing screw tightness of the connecting part to the projection leads to an increasing narrowing of the space in the transverse direction to the contact blades of the contact socket within the projection, and that increasing contact forces act on the outer surface of the contact blades with increasing screw tightness. With a screw connection, high torques can be achieved, so that loosening of the housing and connection part can be reliably prevented. It is also possible to connect the connecting part and the housing part to one another using another connection method rather than a thread. For example, snap-in and / or clamp connections can be used for this purpose.

[0017] According to one embodiment, it is proposed that the connecting part can be connected to the projection by means of a snap-in connection, that the inner, cylindrical region of the connecting part is designed as a resilient element to establish the snap-in connection, and that the resilient element exerts contact forces on the outer surface of the contact blades when the snap-in connection is established. It is preferred that the resilient element is designed as a spring ring and / or that the resilient element is preferably made of metal and / or plastic. When the connecting part and the connection part are plugged into one another, the contact blades of the contact socket are pressed against the contact bolt by means of the contact forces, whereby the contact socket and the contact bolt are connected to one another in a form-fitting and force-fitting manner. Furthermore, it is preferred that the resilient element has a substantially U-shaped cross-section.

[0018] According to one embodiment, it is proposed that the contact stud and / or the contact socket comprise an electrically conductive base material, in particular copper, and that the base material is at least partially enclosed by a further material. It is preferred that the further material has advantageous corrosion-resistant and / or advantageous electrically conductive properties. By using a further material, the properties of the contact socket and the contact stud can be adapted to the specific application.

[0019] According to one embodiment, it is proposed that the contact bolt and the connecting part are integrally connected to one another by means of at least one weld seam, in particular by means of an ultrasonic weld seam or by means of a resistance weld seam.

[0020] According to one embodiment, it is proposed that the housing part is integrally connected to the battery module by means of at least one weld seam, in particular by means of an ultrasonic weld seam, by means of a laser beam weld seam or by means of a friction stir spot weld seam.

[0021] According to one embodiment, it is proposed that the contact pin and the contact socket be connected to each other without the need for tools. This reduces assembly time and avoids the costs of the corresponding tools.

[0022] According to one embodiment, it is proposed that the connection part comprises one or more material layers and / or that the connection part is formed as a stranded conductor or as a busbar conductor. In the single-layer or multi-layer design of the connection part, it is preferred that the connection part or the layers of the connection part are formed from a solid material whose base material is electrically conductive. If the connection part has multiple material layers, it is preferred that these are arranged relative to one another in such a way that compensating effects are achieved for the contact points between the connection part and the contact pin. If the connection part is formed as a stranded conductor, it is preferred that the strands of the stranded conductor are arranged relative to one another in such a way that length compensation for the contact points between the connection part and the contact pin can be ensured.For the purposes of the application, multi-layered refers to both a laminate and a braid. Even in a braid, the individual strands lie on top of each other and are multi-layered.

[0023] The subject matter is explained in more detail below using a drawing showing exemplary embodiments. The drawing shows: Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of a module connector with a non-connected connection and housing part in a schematic representation, Fig. 2 shows the Fig. 1 shown embodiment of the module connector with interconnected connection and housing part in a schematic representation, Fig. 3 another embodiment of a module connector with non-interconnected connection and housing part in a schematic representation, Fig. 4 the in Fig. 3 shown embodiment of the module connector with interconnected connection and housing part in a schematic representation, Fig. 5 another embodiment of a module connector with non-interconnected connection and housing part in a schematic representation, Fig. 6 a schematic representation of an embodiment of a bus bar conductor and Fig. 7 a schematic plan view of a contact socket before the forming process.

[0024] In Fig. 1 An embodiment of a module connector 2 with a connecting part 4 and a housing part 6 that are not connected to one another is shown in a schematic representation.

[0025] The connecting part 4 has an elongated busbar conductor 8, which is integrally connected, in particular by means of an ultrasonic weld, to a contact pin 10. The contact pin 10 is cylindrical and has a circumferential, flange-like projection 12 on its side facing the busbar conductor 8. The connecting part 4 is not connected to the housing part 6.

[0026] The housing part 6 accommodates a module 14, in particular a battery cell, wherein the module 14 has a substantially cylindrical bulge 16. The cylindrical bulge 16 is surrounded by a cylindrical, shaft-like projection 18. The projection 18 has an external thread 20 on at least part of its outer surface. It can be seen that the wall thickness of the projection 18 decreases in the direction of the module 14, in that the inner surface of the projection 18 tapers in a wedge-like manner. A contact socket 22 is materially connected to the end face of the bulge 16. The contact socket 22 has a contact plate 24 and contact blades 26 that are cylindrically arranged on the contact plate 24 at an angle of 70° to 90°.

[0027] A connecting part 28 is connected to the projection 18. The connecting part 28 is nut-shaped and has an outer, cylindrical region 30 and an inner, cylindrical region 32. The connecting part 28 is screwed to the projection 18 by means of a thread 34 arranged on the inner surface of the outer region 30. The two cylindrical regions 30 and 32 are connected to one another by means of an annular web 36 arranged on one end face of the connecting part. Starting from the web 36, the wall thickness of the inner, cylindrical region 32 tapers. By screwing the connecting part 28 to the projection 18, unintentional contact with the contact socket 22 can be avoided, thereby increasing assembly reliability.

[0028] In Fig. 2 is that in Fig. 1 The embodiment shown of the module connector 2 with the connecting part 4 and housing part 6 connected to one another is shown in a schematic representation. It is preferred that the connecting part 4 is first inserted into the contact socket 22 of the housing part 6 by means of the contact bolt 10. By screwing the connecting part 28, the space in the transverse direction to the contact blades 26 can be reduced due to the wedge-like design of the inner, cylindrical region 32 and the inner circumferential surface of the projection 18, whereby the contact forces exerted by the connecting part 28 on the contact blades 26 of the contact socket 22 are increased. As a result, the contact blades 26 lie completely and essentially fully enclosingly around the contact bolt 10 to produce a positive and non-positive connection between the contact socket 22 and the contact bolt 10.By means of the screw connection, a process-reliable connection between the connecting part 4 and the housing part 6 can be ensured by means of the connecting part 28.

[0029] In Fig. 3 A further embodiment of a module connector 2 with a non-connected connection part 4 and housing part 6 is shown in a schematic representation. The connection part 4 is essentially identical to the one shown in the Fig. 1 and 2 shown connecting part 4. It additionally has a connecting means 11, with which the connecting part 4 can be locked to the connecting part 28. The projection 18 of the housing part 6 is, in contrast to the Fig. 1 and 2 Projection 18 has a stepped cross-section. The end face of projection 18 is also beveled inward, simplifying the connection of connecting part 28 to projection 18.

[0030] The design of the connecting part 28 differs significantly. The connecting part 28 also has an outer, cylindrical region 30 and an inner, cylindrical region 32, which are connected to one another by an annular web 36. However, the inner, cylindrical region 32 is formed as a resilient element 32 in the form of a spring ring. The resilient element 32 has a substantially U-shaped cross-section. A circumferential, annular flange 38 is also formed on the inside of the transition between the resilient element 32 and the web 36.

[0031] The connecting part 28 is plugged onto the projection 18, which can prevent unintentional contact with the contact socket 22. When the connecting part 4 is plugged into the housing part 6, the connecting part 4 engages with the connecting part 28 by means of the connecting means 11, and the projection 12 comes to rest on a circumferential collar 13 of the connecting part 28, so that the connecting part 4 and the connecting part 28 are further plugged into the housing part 6 as a unit. As the connecting part 4 and the connecting part 28 are increasingly plugged into the housing part 6, increasing contact forces are exerted on the contact blades 26 of the contact socket 22 due to the wall thickness of the projection 18 increasing towards the housing part 6, by pressing the resilient element 32 against the contact blades.As a result, the contact blades 26 lie completely and essentially completely enclosing the contact bolt 10 to create a positive and non-positive connection between the contact socket 22 and the contact bolt 10. If a previously defined plug-in position is reached, the unit consisting of the connection part 4 and the connecting part 28 locks into the housing part 6. Such a state is shown in . Fig. 4 shown.

[0032] In Fig. 5 A further embodiment of a module connector 2 with a connecting part 4 and housing part 6 that are not connected to each other is shown in a schematic representation. Fig. 5 The embodiment shown differs from the one shown in the Fig. 3 and 4In the exemplary embodiments shown, the connecting part 28 and the connecting part 4 are formed in one piece. For example, the connecting part 28 and the connecting part 4 can already be made of the same material or can be connected to one another during the manufacturing process, for example, by means of a material bond.

[0033] Fig. 6 shows a schematic representation of an embodiment of a connection part 4 comprising a busbar conductor 8, wherein the busbar conductor 8 has two contact pins 10, which are integrally connected to the busbar conductor 8 by means of a weld seam 40, in particular by means of an ultrasonic weld seam. It can be seen that the busbar conductor 8 is designed in multiple layers.

[0034] Fig. 7 shows a schematic plan view of a contact socket 22 before the forming process. It can be seen that the contact blades 26 extend substantially radially from the contact plate 24. The Fig. 7The contact socket 22 shown can be manufactured, for example, from a sheet metal or sheet metal strip by means of a stamping process. After the stamping process, the contact blades 26 are reshaped to the contact plate by means of a forming process at an angle of 70° to 90°, in particular at an angle of substantially 80°.

[0035] After the punching and forming process, the contact plate 24 can be connected to the module 14 by means of a joining process, in particular by means of a welding process.

Claims

1. Module connector, in particular battery cell connector, - for connecting at least one connection part (4) and at least one housing part (6), - having at least one contact socket (22) associated with the housing part (6) and at least one contact bolt (10) arranged on the connection part (4), - wherein the connection part (4) and the housing part (6) being formed for the attachment and / or for the accommodation of at least one module (14), in particular at least one battery module, - wherein the contact socket (22) having contact lamellae (26) arranged essentially in the form of a ring and a contact plate (24) bounding the contact socket (22) on the end face, and - wherein the connection part (4) and the housing part (6) can be connected to one another in a form-fitting and force-fitting manner by means of a plug connection between the contact bolt (10) and the contact socket (22), in that contact forces act on the outer lateral surface of the contact lamellae (26) and the contact forces press the contact lamellae (26) against the contact bolt (10) characterized in - that the housing part (6) has at least one projection (18) surrounding the contact socket (22) in an essentially cylindrical manner, - that the module connector has a connecting part (28) having an outer cylindrical region (30) and an inner cylindrical region (32) and which can be connected to the projection (18), and - that the wall thickness of the inner cylindrical region (32) tapers in the direction of the housing part (6) and / or the wall thickness of the projection (18) tapers in the direction of the connecting part (28).

2. Module connector according to claim 1, characterized in - that the connecting part (28) is formed integrally with the connection part (4) or - that the connecting part (28) can be connected to the connection part (4) by means of a latching connection.

3. Module connector according to one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in - that the projection (18) has a thread (32) on its outer surface and - that the connecting part (28) can be screwed to the projection (18).

4. Module connector according to claim 3, characterized in - that an increasing screw connection of the connecting part (28) to the projection (18) leads to an increasing constriction of the space in the transverse direction of the contact lamellae (26) of the contact socket (22) within the projection (18), and - that increasing contact forces act on the outer lateral surface of the contact lamellae (26) as the screw connection increases.

5. Module connector according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in - that the connecting part (28) can be connected to the projection (18) by means of a latching connection, - that the inner cylindrical region of the connecting part (28) is formed as a resilient element (32) for producing the latching connection, and - that the resilient element (32) exerts contact forces on the outer lateral surface of the contact lamellae (26) when the latching connection is made.

6. Module connector according to one of the claims 1 to 5, characterized in - that the contact bolt (10) and / or the contact socket (22) comprise an electrically conductive base material, in particular copper, and - that the base material is at least partially surrounded by a further material.

7. Module connector according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in - that the contact bolt (10) and the connection part (4) are connected to one another in a materially integral manner by means of at least one weld seam, in particular by means of an ultrasonic weld seam or by means of a resistance weld seam.

8. Module connector according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in - that the housing part (6) is connected in a materially integral manner to the battery module by means of at least one weld seam, in particular by means of an ultrasonic weld seam, by means of a laser beam weld seam or by means of a friction stir spot weld.

9. Module connector according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in - that the contact bolt (10) and the contact socket (22) can be connected to one another without the use of tools.

10. Module connector according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in - that the connection part (4) comprises one or more material layers and / or - that the connection part (4) is formed as a stranded conductor or as a busbar conductor.

11. Method for connecting modules, in particular for connecting a connection part and a housing part, by means of a device according to one of claims 1 to 10, comprising the steps of: - connecting a contact socket to the housing part and connecting a contact bolt to the connection part, - producing a form-fitting and force-fitting plug connection between the contact socket and the contact bolt by exerting contact forces on the outer lateral surface of the contact socket and pressing against the contact bolt.