Module connector for electrically connecting to a module pole connection of a battery module, module pole connection, and connecting assembly

Abstract

The invention relates to a module connector (10) for electrically connecting to a module pole connection (12) in a connecting direction (R), wherein the module connector (10) has a busbar (14) with a busbar through-opening (14a) and a contact socket (16) which provides an end face (16e) with a contact surface (36) for electrically contacting the module pole connection (12), and the contact socket (16) has a socket opening (16a) which is arranged below the busbar (14) with respect to the connecting direction (R) and coaxially to the busbar through-opening (14a) such that a securing means (18, 20) can be guided simultaneously through the busbar through-opening (14a) and the socket opening (16a) in the connecting direction (R). The module connector (10) additionally comprises a housing (24) with an insulation collar (28a) which surrounds at least one part of the busbar (14) and at least one part of the contact socket (16) in a radial direction. An insulation-free socket part (16d) of the contact socket (16) which comprises the end face (16e) with the contact surface (36) protrudes out of the housing (24) in the connecting direction (R).

Description

[0001] Module connector for electrical connection to a module terminal connection of a battery module, module terminal connection and connection arrangement

[0002] DESCRIPTION:

[0003] The invention relates to a module connector for electrically connecting to a module pole connection of a battery module by establishing a plug-in connection in a connection direction, wherein the module connector has an electrically conductive busbar with a rail through-opening for passing through a fastening means in the connection direction and an electrically conductive contact socket which has an insulation-free socket part with an insulation-free end face which provides a contact surface for electrically contacting the module pole connection, and wherein the contact socket has a socket opening which is arranged below the busbar with respect to the connection direction and is aligned coaxially with the rail opening, so that the fastening means can be passed through the rail through-opening and the socket opening simultaneously in the connection direction.Furthermore, the module connector comprises an electrically insulating housing with an insulating collar that surrounds at least part of the busbar and at least part of the contact socket in a radial direction. Furthermore, the invention also relates to a module terminal connection and a connection arrangement.

[0004] To protect people from electric shock, contact protection is advantageous at the electrical interface of high-voltage batteries, the module terminal, and their electrical connecting elements, also referred to as high-voltage connectors and, in this case, module connectors. This simplifies assembly and enables installation without the need for special protective clothing. Contact protection in existing connection systems is typically implemented using several special components such as protective pins, contact sleeves, electrically insulating collars, or caps on both interface partners.

[0005] For example, DE 20 2018 100 111 U1 describes a module connector with two connecting parts which can be connected to one another in an electrically conductive manner, to each of which a conductor element can be attached to a conductor point, and which each have a mutually compatible fastening element, wherein each connecting part is provided on its connection side facing the other connecting part with a contact guard which has an outer electrically insulating collar and an electrically insulating protective pin surrounded by the collar, wherein in at least one connecting part between the collar and the protective pin there is a current bridge which electrically connects the two conductor points and is projected over by the collar and the protective pin, wherein the current bridge is designed as a contact sleeve.

[0006] To provide touch protection, contact elements are often surrounded by insulating collars in the radial direction and projected above them. This typically requires a complex design of both interface partners to be connected and also requires a considerable amount of installation space in the connection direction, as the corresponding insulating parts must extend considerably beyond the contact surfaces to provide adequate touch protection. A similar connection arrangement is also described in EP 3419 119 B1, DE 10 2020 212 760 A1, and DE 10 2020 208 149 A1.

[0007] Furthermore, DE 10 2020 100 919 A1 describes a touch-protected rotary contact with a busbar, comprising a connecting screw having a threaded portion and a fastening portion, and extending through a busbar recess in the busbar from a first side to a second side of the busbar along a connecting axis in a connecting direction. An insulating element is arranged in the connecting direction between the busbar and the connecting screw, whereby the connecting screw is electrically insulated from the busbar.

[0008] Such insulation elements are typically made of plastic. The disadvantage of plastic, especially when used with screw connections, is that they begin to creep over time, causing the screw connection to loosen. Especially in the electrical connection of high-voltage terminals, this has the major disadvantage that the resulting increased contact resistance leads to significant line losses and additional heating of the busbar, which has a detrimental effect on the operation of the battery modules.

[0009] The object of the present invention is to provide a module connector, a module pole connection and a connection arrangement which enable the most efficient and simple design possible.

[0010] This object is achieved by a module connector, a module terminal connection, and a connection arrangement having the features according to the respective independent patent claims. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent patent claims, the description, and the figures.

[0011] A module connector according to the invention for electrically connecting to a module pole connection of a battery module by establishing a plug connection in a connection direction has an electrically conductive busbar with a rail through-opening for passing through a fastening means in the connection direction, and an electrically conductive contact socket which has an insulation-free socket part with an insulation-free end face which provides a contact surface for electrically contacting the module pole connection, wherein the contact socket has a socket opening which is arranged below the busbar with respect to the connection direction and is aligned coaxially with the rail opening, so that the fastening means can be passed through the rail through-opening and the socket opening simultaneously in the connection direction.The module connector further comprises an electrically insulating housing with an insulating collar that surrounds at least part of the busbar and at least part of the contact socket in a radial direction. The insulation-free socket part of the contact socket, which includes the front side with the contact surface, protrudes from the housing in the connection direction.

[0012] This means that the insulation-free socket part of the contact socket, which comprises the front side with the contact surface, is in principle designed to be touchable. The invention is based on several findings: Firstly, the invention makes use of the finding that there are installation situations in which no contact protection needs to be provided by the module connector itself, since, for example, in such an installation situation there is no possibility of touching the insulation-free, protruding socket part due to the space constraints. In other words, the installation situation itself can provide appropriate contact protection, which then does not have to be additionally implemented by the module connector itself. Furthermore, the invention is based on the finding that module connectors are used to connect two module poles of two battery modules.As long as such a module connector is not coupled to any of the module poles, no voltage is present on the busbar. Even in this situation, touch protection is not required, as the uninsulated part of the contact socket is not live anyway. Installation on a first module pole connection is therefore particularly simple. In the installed state, i.e., when the module pole connection is properly connected and secured to the module connector, sufficient and complete touch protection is provided by the electrically insulating housing of the module connector and / or by a corresponding electrically insulating housing of the module pole connection.Furthermore, the invention is based on the discovery that it is possible to optionally design the contact socket so that it is electrically insulated from the busbar, at least when not mounted, as will be explained in more detail later. In this case, the contact socket is also not live, since there is no contact with the busbar, and therefore does not need to be additionally protected against contact. These discoveries, in turn, make it possible to design the contact socket so that the insulation-free socket part, with its end face and contact surface, protrudes from the housing. This, in turn, has the major advantage of significantly simplifying the contact to the module terminal connection and, above all, the structural design of the module terminal connection itself.This makes it much easier to insert the contact surface protruding from the housing into a corresponding recess provided by the module terminal connection in order to establish electrical contact with a corresponding second contact surface of the module terminal connection. The recess can, for example, be provided by a small opening in the second housing of the module terminal connection in order to partially expose the module terminal busbar accommodated in this second housing. Insulating collars that protrude very far in the axial direction can be dispensed with, both on the module connector side and the module terminal connection side, which in turn can save enormous installation space in the axial direction. All this enables a particularly simple yet efficient design of a module connector, and in particular of the corresponding module terminal connection.

[0013] The module connector is used to electrically connect two module terminals of two battery modules. Each of these module terminals can be equipped with a corresponding module terminal connection. The two module terminals can then be electrically connected via the busbar if the module connector is properly coupled to these module terminal connections. When the module connector is properly operated, current is thus conducted from one battery terminal to another battery terminal of another battery module via the busbar. The module connector is also preferably used in the high-voltage range. The module connector can be designed to carry very high currents.Furthermore, the module connector can, for example, have a first connection area that encompasses a portion of the electrically conductive busbar with the busbar through-opening, as well as the electrically conductive contact socket with the socket opening and the insulating collar. Furthermore, the module connector can have yet another such connection unit, i.e., an additional second connection unit, which can, in principle, be designed entirely analogously to that described for the first connection unit. The first connection unit can then, for example, be electrically conductively contacted with a first module pole connection, and the second connection unit can be electrically conductively contacted in a corresponding manner with a second module pole connection. The two connection units are then connected to one another by a central portion of the busbar and a portion of the housing that encloses the central portion of the busbar.The electrically insulating housing can be made of an electrically insulating material, for example a plastic. This also applies to all electrically insulating components described below. The busbar is made of an electrically conductive material, in particular a metallic material, for example copper. The busbar through-opening can be designed as a hole in the busbar. This is preferably circular. The socket opening can also be designed as a hole in the contact socket. The socket opening also preferably has a circular cross-section perpendicular to the connection direction. The contact socket can be designed as a metallic annular component with a central through-opening that provides the socket opening. The contact socket can also be referred to as a contact sleeve, for example. In principle, the contact socket, especially on the outer circumference, can be designed with any geometry, e.g.also angular, be formed.

[0014] The connection direction is defined such that a plug-in connection between the module connector and a corresponding module pole connection is possible by plugging these two components together in this connection direction. The connection direction can also correspond to an axial direction or run parallel to an axial direction that runs through a center of the rail through-opening and the socket opening. The axial direction extends essentially parallel to an axis of the fastening means that can be passed through the corresponding through-openings. A radial direction is correspondingly perpendicular to this axial direction and points away from such a central axis that runs through the corresponding through-openings. The insulation-free end face with the contact surface is preferably flat or planar.The front face lies in a plane perpendicular to the axial direction. This allows for surface contact with the corresponding second contact surface of the module terminal. Using a fastening device (explained in more detail later), this contact can be secured and, most importantly, the corresponding contact surfaces can be pressed together with high contact force.

[0015] In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the module connector has an elastic spring element which is compressible and / or expandable in the connection direction, wherein the module connector can be transferred from a first state to a second state, wherein in the first state the contact socket is held at a distance from the busbar and electrically insulated from it by means of the spring element and in the second state rests against the busbar in an electrically contacting manner under compression of the spring element.

[0016] This design has the great advantage that even if the busbar is already live, the contact socket is voltage-free because it is electrically insulated from the busbar in the first state. In the first state, there is no electrically conductive contact between the contact socket and the busbar. In the second state, however, there is, which makes it possible to conduct electrical current via the busbar and accordingly the contact socket to the module pole connection or analogously in the opposite direction, depending on the current direction. By means of the spring element, the contact socket can advantageously be kept at an appropriate distance from the busbar in order to maintain the electrical insulation between these components. The contact socket therefore does not have to be electrically insulated because it has no electrically conductive connection to the busbar.This is only established when the module connector is already arranged as intended on the module pole connection, so that in this situation the contact protection is already provided by the housing of the module connector and / or that of the module pole connection, and touching the contact socket is no longer possible in this situation anyway.

[0017] In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the module connector comprises an insulating sleeve made of an electrically insulating material, wherein the insulating sleeve is arranged in the rail through-opening, in particular on an opening wall that delimits the rail through-opening in the radial direction, wherein the fastening means, when passed through the rail through-opening, is electrically insulated from the busbar by means of the insulating sleeve. The fastening means can thus also advantageously be passed through the busbar in an electrically insulated manner. An electrically conductive contact between the fastening means and the contact socket is then correspondingly unproblematic, since the fastening means can also be easily designed to be electrically insulated from the busbar.

[0018] Another great advantage of the insulating sleeve used, which is also made of an electrically insulating material, for example a plastic, is that the spring element can also be passed through the rail passage opening in an electrically insulated manner from the busbar.

[0019] The insulating sleeve is generally optional, and electrical insulation can be provided in other ways, if necessary at all. The insulating sleeve is advantageous, for example, if the spring element is made of an electrically conductive material. However, the insulating sleeve is not necessary if the spring element and / or the rail through-hole have an electrically insulating coating and / or the spring element is made of a non-electrically conductive material.

[0020] Therefore, a further very advantageous embodiment of the invention is that the spring element is designed as a spiral spring that passes through the rail through-opening and is electrically insulated from the busbar by means of the insulating sleeve. The spring element is preferably also made of a metallic material. As a result, it is subject to significantly fewer fatigue phenomena over its service life. Due to the possibility of easily electrically isolating the spring element from the busbar, the spring element itself can advantageously also be made of a metallic material. The design of the spring element as a spiral spring is also very advantageous.On the one hand, this is possible in a particularly simple and cost-effective way, and on the other hand, it allows for a particularly simple, efficient, and space-saving arrangement of the spring element, which, as a spiral spring, can, for example, also run around a neck of the fastener. In other words, the fastener can be guided through the spiral spring. The spiral spring thus surrounds, for example, the neck of the fastener in a radial direction, with the spiral spring in turn initially being surrounded in a radial direction by the insulating sleeve at the level of the busbar, to which the busbar then adjoins in a radial direction.

[0021] In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the contact socket has a radially inwardly projecting contact flange, on which the spring element is supported in the connection direction with a first spring end. As described in more detail below, the other, second spring end can be supported on a screw head or generally on a widened point of the fastening means. The spring element or the spiral spring can therefore first be passed through the rail through-opening and the insulating sleeve in the connection direction and then inserted a short distance into the socket opening of the contact socket, namely up to the contact flange, on which the first spring end rests in a supported manner. The spring element is therefore not passed completely through the socket opening. In particular, the spring element does not protrude from the underside of the socket opening in the connection direction.In the radial direction, the spring element is partially supported by the inner wall of the bushing opening and by the insulating sleeve within the rail passage opening. This advantageously prevents lateral slippage, even under mechanical stress.

[0022] The first state of the module connector can, for example, be defined such that in this state the spring element is in a relaxed state, i.e. the spring element is not or hardly under any mechanical stress. To transfer the module connector to the second state, the spring element is compressed accordingly in the connection direction. In the second state, the spring element is correspondingly under mechanical stress. It is also conceivable that the spring element is partially under mechanical stress when the module connector is in the first state. In this case, however, the mechanical stress is to be considered lower than in the second state of the module connector, since the mechanical stress is then additionally increased by compression of the spring element.

[0023] Furthermore, it is very advantageous if the insulation collar has a radially inward-projecting holding flange and the contact socket has a radially outward-projecting contact flange that rests on the holding flange, whereby the contact socket is held to the housing and cannot be moved out of the housing in the connection direction. The maximum diameter of the contact flange is therefore larger than the inner diameter of the holding flange. This advantageously holds the contact socket within the insulation collar. Falling out is then advantageously impossible. The spring element additionally presses the contact socket onto the holding flange of the insulation collar. In other words, moving the contact flange away from the holding flange increases the tension force of the spring. The spring element can therefore further stabilize the position of the contact socket.

[0024] In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the module connector has the fastening means, which comprises a fastening means which is elongated in the connection direction and has a head and a neck adjoining the head in the connection direction, wherein the neck is passed through the rail opening and the socket opening, and wherein the fastening means has an end opposite the head, in particular which protrudes from the housing in the connection direction. The fastening means can be designed, for example, as a screw. The head then represents a screw head which is wider than the screw neck, while the screw neck corresponds to the neck of the fastening means. Such a screw can, for example, be provided with an external thread. This extends over at least a section of the screw neck.The module terminal connection can be designed with a corresponding nut into which the screw of the module connector can be screwed. However, the reverse is also conceivable, for example, for the neck of the fastening element to be designed with an internal thread into which a screw can be screwed as part of the module terminal connection. In any case, however, it is advantageous if the fastening element is elongated in the connection direction and has a head that is wider than the neck. The head prevents slipping through the aforementioned openings, namely the rail through-hole and the socket opening.

[0025] In a further very advantageous embodiment of the invention, in the first state of the module connector, the head is held at a distance from the busbar and insulated from the busbar by means of the spring element, and in the second state the head is electrically conductively connected to the busbar, in particular the head rests directly on the busbar, or the module connector comprises a metallic washer which is arranged between the head and the busbar and via which the head and the busbar are electrically conductively connected to one another in the second state. Similarly to what was described for the contact socket, the fastening means can therefore also be electrically insulated from the busbar in the first state, while in the second state an electrically conductive contact is established between the fastening means and the busbar. This is again achieved by the same spring element as already described.This, too, has several advantages, particularly numerous: Firstly, the end of the fastening element opposite the head does not need to be electrically insulated or fitted with an electrically insulating protective cap or similar, even if this cap protrudes from the underside of the module connector housing. Furthermore, this simplifies the structural design, as electrically conductive contact between the fastening element and the contact socket, for example via the spring, is then also unproblematic. A particularly significant advantage of this design is that the fastening element, and in particular the head, is not permanently electrically insulated from the busbar, for example by means of a plastic washer between the head and the busbar.This makes it possible to avoid the resulting disadvantages described at the beginning, namely that plastic insulation in screw connections does not last permanently due to the high forces involved and leads to loosening of the connection due to the creep behavior of the plastic. These configurations, which were described within the scope of the invention, advantageously make it possible to create hard screw joints without any intermediate plastic parts as part of such a screw connection. In the second state, in which the fastening means is electrically connected to the busbar or is in contact with it, the screw head, for example, rests directly on the busbar or it rests directly on a metal washer, which in turn rests directly on the busbar. This makes it possible to create a particularly stable and, above all, permanently stable screw connection.An increase in the contact resistance in the current-carrying components can thus advantageously be avoided or at least contact resistance can be minimized.

[0026] In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the contact socket is arranged on the busbar in a permanently electrically contacting manner and / or is formed integrally therewith, and in particular, the fastening means is also permanently electrically connected to the busbar. According to this embodiment, the spring element described above can therefore be omitted. In this embodiment, the contact socket and the fastening means are in a permanently contacting state with the busbar. Therefore, if voltage is applied to the busbar, the contact socket and the fastening means are also under voltage.This design has the advantage of enabling a particularly simple configuration of the module pole connection, as is also possible with the previously described variants of the module connector with the spring element, while simultaneously enabling an even simpler design of the module connector itself. This design of the module connector is particularly suitable when, for example, the installation situation prevents contact with the contact socket at all, so that corresponding contact protection can be dispensed with, or when, in a corresponding installation situation, the busbar is not yet energized, so that in this case, too, no contact protection for the contact socket is required.

[0027] As described above, a module connector can have two connection units, one of which can each be coupled to a corresponding module pole connection of a respective battery module. These two connection units of the module connector can also be designed differently. One of these connection units can, for example, be designed with a contact socket that permanently contacts the busbar, and the other of the two connection units can instead be designed with a spring element that holds the contact socket at an electrically insulating distance from the busbar in the first state of the module connector and only establishes electrical contact with the busbar after it has been transferred to the second state. The various embodiments described in connection with the module connector can therefore also be combined by a single module connector.

[0028] In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the spring element has a second spring end that is supported on the head of the fastening means and / or on the washer. In particular, the spring element can be compressed by moving the head of the fastening means in the connection direction, while the contact socket remains in its position, and the module connector can be transferred from the first state to the second state. This has the great advantage that the module connector is automatically transferred from the first to the second state as soon as the module connector is attached to the corresponding module pole connection by means of the fastening means.If the fastening element is a screw, the module connector is automatically transferred from the first to the second state by screwing this screw into a corresponding nut of the module terminal connection. This is because screwing in the screw moves the screw head in the connection direction, and in particular, it moves it toward the contact socket, while the contact socket remains in position by contacting a corresponding contact element of the module terminal connection. The screwing movement therefore moves the head toward the contact socket, compressing the spring tensioned between the screw head and the contact socket, thereby tensioning it or adding additional tension.The screw can be screwed in until the screw head finally makes electrical contact with the busbar, particularly by directly resting on the busbar or via the washer, and until the contact socket also makes direct electrical contact with the busbar. The spring does not have to be in its maximum compression state in this second state. Preferably, the second state is reached before the spring has reached its maximum compression state. This ensures electrical contact between the contact socket and the busbar in the second state.

[0029] Furthermore, the invention also relates to a module terminal connection for electrically connecting to a module connector according to the invention or one of its embodiments. The module terminal connection according to the invention is thus designed to be electrically coupled to and electrically connected to a previously described module connector.

[0030] The module pole connection has a module pole busbar with a contacting region that can be electrically contacted with the contact surface of the module connector in the connection direction, and a housing that is electrically insulating and in which the module pole busbar is accommodated, wherein the housing has a housing wall that has a recess region with at least one recess for exposing at least part of the contacting region of the module pole busbar, wherein the housing wall has a recess edge region that surrounds the recess region in a radial direction, and wherein the housing wall comprises an electrically insulating insulation ring radially inside the recess region, which is connected to the recess edge region via at least one insulation web.

[0031] This enables a particularly simple and advantageous and, above all, space-efficient design of the module pole connection.

[0032] By providing at least one insulating web extending from a central insulating ring to the recess edge region of the housing surrounding the recess region, it is possible to reduce the effective recess area or to subdivide it into individual segments, whereby contact protection can advantageously also be provided in a significantly more space-saving manner than, for example, in the form of a circumferential insulating collar projecting far in the axial direction or a central insulating pin projecting far in the axial direction or the like. In order to be able to make contact with this module connection, the corresponding module connector can have a slot or a slot-shaped recess on the front side of the contact socket corresponding to the at least one web.If such a module connector and a corresponding module connection are electrically connected to each other, at least one electrically insulating insulation bar is located in this slot of the module connector. Twisting between the module connector and the module connection is then no longer possible, or not possible up to a certain torque, because the insulation bar counteracts this torque. This, in turn, means that a screw connection between such a module connection and the corresponding module connector can be implemented with significantly higher torque, which in turn allows a significantly stronger contact force to be achieved between the contact surfaces of the module connection and the module connector. This also minimizes contact resistance and increases efficiency.This also reduces the heat input into the cell module, which in turn has a positive effect on service life and performance. Even over the service life, this can provide a significantly more stable connection between such a module connection and the corresponding module connector. Another major advantage is that no additional, separate connection is required to make contact with the contact area of ​​the module pole busbar in order to provide the necessary elevation. Such an elevation is not necessary because the module connector is designed with a contact socket protruding from the housing. In general, a particularly simply designed module pole connection can be provided here, which nevertheless makes it possible to provide touch protection while doing so in a particularly space-saving and efficiency-enhancing manner.

[0033] An insulating bar is generally understood to be an elongated component made of an electrically insulating material. The cutout edge region, which surrounds the cutout region, is in particular directly adjacent to the cutout region in the radial direction. The cutout edge region, so to speak, delimits the cutout region in the radial direction. The cutout region represents the region of the housing wall in which the at least one or more cutouts are arranged, in particular in the radial direction around the insulating ring. The cutout region can be defined by the entirety of the cutouts. The cutouts can be separated by insulating bars. This means that the cutout region does not have to be a continuous area. The cutout region can also be defined such that, in addition to the cutouts, it also comprises the at least one or more insulating bars.In this case, the recess area is a continuous area through which at least one insulation web passes.

[0034] The housing wall can be essentially flat. This can have a slight elevation in the area of ​​the insulating ring, the recess edge region and the at least one insulating web, but the insulating ring, the insulating web and also the recess edge region do not have to be significantly elevated above a base plane of the housing wall in order to provide contact protection. The insulating ring, the at least one insulating web and the recess edge region can therefore be elevated above the base plane of the housing wall, with this elevation being, for example, of the same order of magnitude as the thickness of the housing wall in a non-raised region. In other words, the housing wall can be approximately twice as thick in the area of ​​the insulating ring, the insulating web and the recess edge region as in the areas of the housing wall radially outside the recess edge region.The overall elevation is therefore particularly small. Rather, the contact protection can be provided by reducing the size of the opening in the housing wall, which must be penetrated in order to make contact with the contacting area, by providing at least one insulating strip. The insulating ring of the housing wall surrounds a circular opening, in particular a central circular opening. A fastening means, such as a screw, can be inserted into this opening to fix the module pole connection to the corresponding module connector. Therefore, no additional insulating pin, which is raised axially far above the base plane of the housing wall, needs to be provided within the insulating ring. This, in turn, significantly saves installation space.

[0035] The module terminal connection can be part of a battery module. A battery module, in particular for a high-voltage battery of a motor vehicle, can have two such module terminal connections. Each of these two module terminal connections can be assigned to one of the two potentials of such a battery module, namely a positive potential and a negative potential. A high-voltage battery for a motor vehicle can comprise several battery modules. These can be electrically connected to one another via corresponding module connectors and wired accordingly. For this purpose, for example, a first module terminal connection of a first battery module can be electrically connected to a second module terminal connection of a second battery module via such a module connector.

[0036] The at least one recess is formed as a perforation in the housing wall. In other words, a recess is understood to be an opening in the housing wall. As a result, when the module pole busbar is in its intended state in the housing, the contact area of ​​this busbar is accessible from outside the housing through this recess and can thus be contacted by a corresponding second contact area of ​​the module connector.

[0037] By providing at least one insulating bar, it is now possible not only to create a single, closed, ring-shaped recess in the recess area, but also to subdivide and divide this recess into several recess segments, for example. The individual recesses can thus be significantly reduced in size. This can, for example, increase contact protection, but also the maximum torque that can be supported by the individual insulating bars as a whole.

[0038] Furthermore, the invention also relates to a connection arrangement for a battery module, wherein the connection arrangement comprises a module connector according to the invention or one of its embodiments, as well as a module pole connection according to the invention or one of its embodiments.

[0039] The advantages described above apply equally to the connecting arrangement according to the invention and its embodiments.

[0040] Furthermore, the invention also relates to a battery for a motor vehicle, in particular a high-voltage battery, which has a connection arrangement according to the invention or one of its embodiments. The battery can also have one or more battery modules. The battery modules can in turn comprise one or more battery cells.

[0041] Furthermore, the invention also relates to a motor vehicle with a battery according to the invention or one of its embodiments.

[0042] The invention also includes further developments of the module terminal connection according to the invention and the connection arrangement according to the invention, which have features already described in connection with the further developments of the module connector according to the invention. For this reason, the corresponding further developments of the module terminal connection according to the invention and the connection arrangement according to the invention are not described again here.

[0043] The motor vehicle according to the invention is preferably designed as a motor vehicle, in particular as a passenger car or truck, or as a passenger bus or motorcycle.

[0044] The invention also encompasses combinations of the features of the described embodiments. The invention therefore also encompasses implementations that each comprise a combination of the features of several of the described embodiments, unless the embodiments are described as mutually exclusive.

[0045] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are described below. Shown are:

[0046] Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of a module connector according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0047] Fig. 2 is a schematic and perspective view of the module connector from Fig. 1;

[0048] Fig. 3 is a schematic and perspective view of a module pole connection according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0049] Fig. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a module terminal connection from Fig. 3 according to an embodiment of the invention; Fig. 5 is a schematic and perspective view of a connection arrangement with a module terminal connection and a module connector according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0050] Fig. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the connecting arrangement of Fig. 5 according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0051] Fig. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a module connector according to a further embodiment of the invention; and

[0052] Fig. 8 is a schematic representation of a connection arrangement with the module connector from Fig. 7 according to a further embodiment of the invention.

[0053] The exemplary embodiments explained below are preferred embodiments of the invention. In the exemplary embodiments, the described components of the embodiments each represent individual features of the invention that can be considered independently of one another, each of which also develops the invention independently of one another. Therefore, the disclosure is intended to encompass combinations of the features of the embodiments other than those shown. Furthermore, the described embodiments can also be supplemented by further features of the invention already described.

[0054] In the figures, the same reference symbols designate elements with the same function.

[0055] Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of a module connector 10 according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. The module connector 10 is shown in a cross-sectional view on the right-hand side of Fig. 1 and in an exploded view on the left-hand side of Fig. 1. The module connector 10 is designed to establish an electrically conductive plug-in connection with a module pole terminal 12 (cf. Fig. 3 and Fig. 4) in a connection direction R that is aligned parallel to an axis A of the module connector 10. The connection direction R can accordingly also be referred to as the axial direction. A radial direction is defined perpendicular to this axis A.

[0056] The module connector 10 comprises an electrically conductive busbar 14. This, in turn, has a busbar through-opening 14a. The module connector 10 also has an electrically conductive contact socket 16. This also has a socket opening 16a in the form of a through-opening 16a in the connection direction R. The contact socket 16 is arranged below the busbar 14 in the connection direction R, in such a way that the busbar through-opening 14a and the socket opening 16a are coaxially aligned or flush with one another. Thus, a fastening means 18, in this example a screw 20 with its screw neck 20a, can be passed through both openings 14a, 16a simultaneously. In addition to a screw neck 20a, the screw 20 also comprises a head 20b. This head is widened in the radial direction compared to the screw neck 20a. Optionally, a washer, in particular a metallic washer 22, can also be provided.This serves to more evenly distribute the pressure across the screw head 20b onto the busbar 14. The module connector 10 also comprises a housing 24, which in this example comprises an upper housing part 26 and a lower housing part 28. These can, for example, be clipped together to form the housing 24. The lower housing part 28 can be further divided into individual sections and, for example, comprise an insulating collar 28a which radially surrounds at least part of the contact socket 16 and the busbar 14. The remaining parts of the housing 24 mainly serve to electrically insulate the busbar 14. The upper housing part 26 can also have a through-opening 26a in the region of the screw head 20b to allow access for a screwing tool. The module connector 10 in this example advantageously has a spring element 30 in the form of a spiral spring 32. This spiral spring 32 radially surrounds the screw neck 20a.Furthermore, this spring 32 is located between the contact socket 16 and the screw head 20b. The spring 32 is also guided through the rail through-opening 14a and also inserted partially into the socket opening 16a. In this example, the contact socket 16 has a contact flange 16b that projects radially inward into the socket opening 16a and on which the spring 32 is supported downwardly with a spring end 32a, so that the spring 32 cannot fall downward, i.e., in the connection direction R, through the contact socket 16.

[0057] The opposite second end 32b of the spring 32 is supported in this example by the washer 22. If this is not present, the spring 32 can be supported analogously on the screw head 20b. Furthermore, the module connector 10 comprises an insulating sleeve 34. This is arranged in the rail through-opening 14a and insulates the rail 14 from the screw 20 and the spring 32. The sleeve 34 can be clipped into the through-opening 14a of the busbar 14, for example. The sleeve 34 can be held in the opening 14a by frictional engagement and / or positive engagement.

[0058] In addition, the insulation collar 28a also includes a support flange 28b that projects radially inward for a short distance, and the contact socket 16 has a support flange 16c that rests on the support flange 28b of the housing 28. This allows the contact socket 16 to be held in the housing 26, particularly in the insulation collar 28a, and prevents it from falling out downward, i.e., in the connection direction R.

[0059] By providing this spring 32, it is now advantageously possible for the contact socket 16, and in this example also the screw 20, to be electrically insulated from the busbar 14 in a first state Z1 of the module connector 10, which is shown in Fig. 1. The spring 32 holds the contact socket 16, on the one hand, at a certain distance from the busbar 14, so that there is no electrically conductive contact between the contact socket 16 and the busbar 14. Correspondingly, the spring 32 also holds the screw 20, in particular the screw head 20b, at a certain distance from the busbar 14, so that there is no electrically conductive contact between the screw 20 and the busbar 14. The insulating sleeve 34 also ensures electrical insulation between the spring 32 and the screw neck 20a, on the one hand, and the busbar 14, on the other.In this first state Z1 shown here, both the screw 20 and the contact socket 16 can be touched safely, since even if the busbar 14 is live, there is no electrically conductive contact with the screw 20 and the contact socket 16.

[0060] The contact socket 16 has an insulation-free socket part 16d, which encompasses the end face 16e of the contact socket 16, wherein the end face 16e simultaneously provides a contact surface 36. This socket part 16d protrudes beyond the housing 26, in particular the insulation collar 28a, in the connection direction R, at least in the first state Z1 and in particular also in the second state Z2, albeit to a reduced extent. In other words, the insulation-free socket part 16d protrudes from the housing 16. This in turn enables a significantly simpler design of the corresponding module pole connection 12, as explained in more detail below. In this example, touching the contact socket 16 nevertheless poses no risk of electric shock, since the contact socket 16 is electrically insulated from the busbar 14 in the first state Z1.In this example, the screw 20 could also protrude a little further down from the contact socket 16 without the need for additional contact protection.

[0061] This is because the screw 20 is also electrically insulated from the rail 14 in the first state Z1 of the module connector 10. Fig. 2 shows another schematic perspective view of the module connector 10 from Fig. 1.

[0062] Fig. 3 shows a schematic representation of a module terminal connection 12 according to an embodiment of the invention, and Fig. 4 shows the module terminal connection 12 from Fig. 3 in a schematic cross-sectional view. This module terminal connection 12 is designed to be electrically contacted with a module connector 10, as described above, in particular via a plug connection in the plugging direction R.

[0063] The module pole connection 12 also has a busbar 37, namely a module pole busbar 37. Furthermore, the module pole connection 12 comprises a housing 38 that encloses the busbar 37. The busbar 37 also has a contacting region 37a that can be electrically contacted with the contact surface 36 of the module connector 10 and is contacted when the module pole connection 12 is connected to the module connector 10 as intended. The housing 38 advantageously has a housing wall 40 with a recess region 40a that has at least one recess 42 for exposing at least part of the contacting region 37a of the module pole busbar 37. Furthermore, the housing wall 40 comprises a recess edge region 44 that encloses the recess region 40a in the radial direction relative to a central axis A'.In addition, the housing wall 40 comprises, radially within the recess region 40a, an electrically insulating insulation ring 46 which is connected to the recess edge region 44 via at least one insulation web 48, in the present example two insulation webs 48.

[0064] The recess edge region 44, the insulating ring 46, and the insulating webs 48 can be designed to be slightly raised relative to the surrounding housing wall 40. However, this elevation is on the order of magnitude of the wall thickness of the housing wall 40, as can be seen in Fig. 4. In other words, this design does not require a particularly large amount of installation space in the axial direction A'. The contact protection is made possible by the insulating webs 28. This segments the exposed areas 37a into smaller sub-areas. In principle, additional webs 48 can be provided between the surrounding edge region 44 and the insulating ring 46, and a total of, for example, three or four or more webs 48 can be provided. This allows contact protection to be provided in a particularly simple manner.Contacting the module connector 10 can also be made particularly easy by having the contact socket 16 with its insulation-free socket part 16d protrude from the housing 24. Thus, a complex geometry of the module terminal connection 12 can be dispensed with to enable contact with the contact socket 16.

[0065] Fig. 5 shows a schematic and perspective view of a connection arrangement 50 with a module connector 10 and a module pole connection 12 in a connected state according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. The module connector 10 and the module pole connection 12 can be designed as previously described. Fig. 6 shows the connection arrangement 50 again in a schematic cross-sectional view. The module connector 10 is in a second state Z2, in which the spring 32 is now compressed or at least further compressed than in the first state Z1, which is shown in Fig. 1. In this second state Z2, there is now an electrically conductive contact between the contact socket 16 and the busbar 14, as well as between the screw 20, in particular the screw head 20b, the washer 22 and the busbar 14.The transition from the first state Z1 to the second state Z2 is achieved in a simple manner by plugging the module connector 10 onto the module pole connection 12 in the connection direction R as intended and then screwing the screw 20 into the corresponding nut 52, which is provided as part of the module pole connection 12. This nut 52 can also be flanged onto the busbar 37 in the region of a through-opening 54 of this busbar 37, or pressed in, welded on, or fastened in some other way. The nut 52 can be made of steel, for example, while the busbar 37 is preferably made of copper. In particular, the busbar 37 and nut 52 can be made of different materials. As a result, the busbar 37 can be designed to be very conductive, while the nut 52 can provide the necessary stability and holding force for the screw 20.Thus, when screw 20 is screwed into nut 52, screw head 20b moves downward, i.e., in the connection direction R, while, for example, contact socket 16, which rests on module terminal 12, is held in position. This reduces the distance between screw head 20b and contact socket 14, compressing spring 32. This results in contact between screw 20, busbar 14, and contact socket 16.

[0066] In addition, the contact socket 16 can be provided with slots 56 on its end face 16e (see Fig. 2). The corresponding webs 48 of the module terminal connection 12 can then be accommodated in these slots.

[0067] The touch protection at the module terminal, i.e., at the module terminal connection 12, can thus be implemented through the geometry of the insulated housing 38. Due to the design of the high-voltage connector described here, i.e., the module connector 10, no additional components are required at the module terminal, i.e., at the module terminal connection 12, to ensure touch protection. With this implementation of the touch protection at the module connector 10, the touch protection at the module terminal 12 of the high-voltage battery can be implemented very easily and with few individual parts. The high-voltage connector 10 can also be designed with touch protection. The touch protection at the high-voltage connector 10 is advantageously implemented by an integrated spring element 30.In the first state Z1, a spring element 30 holds the contact socket 16 and the connecting element, i.e., the fastening means 18, 20 and, if present, the disk 22, away from the busbar 14. As a result, the contact socket 16 and the connecting element 18 have no electrical connection to the busbar and are therefore touch-protected, or the module connector 10 as a whole can be considered touch-protected. When the high-voltage connector 10 is connected to the electrical interface, i.e., the module pole connection 12, of the battery, the contact socket 16 is connected to the busbar 14 and pressed together. This ensures electrical contact in the assembled state. The electrically insulating housing of both the module connector 10 and the module pole connection 12 also provides touch protection in the assembled state.

[0068] Although the contact socket 16 on the high-voltage connector 10 protrudes beyond the housing 26 when not installed, the contact protection is provided by the spring element 30. This allows the module terminal 12 to be designed with contact protection simply and with few components. No additional insulation of the connecting elements on the module terminal 12 or on the HV connector 10 is necessary, and the contact protection is provided by the existing housing 26, 38. Standard connecting elements, such as screws, washers, and press-in nuts, can advantageously be used for screwing.

[0069] Fig. 7 shows a schematic representation of a module connector 10' according to a further embodiment of the invention in a cross-sectional view, and Fig. 8 shows a schematic representation of a connection arrangement 50' according to a further embodiment of the invention, which comprises the module connector 10' according to Fig. 7. In this example, the previously described spring element 30 has been omitted. In particular, the module connector 10' can be designed as described above, except for the differences now described below. In this example, the screw 20 on the one hand and the contact socket 16 on the other hand have permanent electrically conductive contact with the busbar 14. The module connector 10 therefore does not have a first and second state as described above. The insulating sleeve 34 can also be omitted. In this case, too, the contact socket 16 projects downwards a short distance, iein the connection direction R, out of the housing 24, in particular the insulation collar 28a of the housing lower part 28. The module pole connection 12, to which this module connector 10' can be coupled, can, however, be designed as previously described. In other words, this module connector 10' can also be electrically connected, for example, to a module pole connection 12 as shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4. Fig. 8 shows the module connector 10' in a state coupled to such a module pole connection 12. This embodiment of the module connector 10' also advantageously enables a very simple design of the module pole connection 12. In the uninstalled state, as shown in Fig. 7, however, there is no contact protection for the lower part of the screw 20 and the contact socket 16.Such a module connector 10' is suitable, for example, for installation situations that themselves provide appropriate contact protection, i.e., make contact with the screw 20 and / or the contact socket 16 impossible from a space-saving perspective, or for installation situations in which the busbar 14 is not yet live. In the assembled state, as shown in Fig. 8, however, contact protection is again ensured by the housings 24, 38.

[0070] Overall, the examples show how the invention can provide a contact protection interface for high-voltage connectors and high-voltage batteries according to advantageous embodiments.

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS: 1 . Module connector (10, 10') for electrically connecting to a module terminal connection (12) of a battery module by establishing a plug connection in a connection direction (R), wherein the module connector (10, 10') comprises: - an electrically conductive busbar (14) with a rail passage opening (14a) for the passage of a fastening means (18, 20) in the connection direction (R); - an electrically conductive contact socket (16) having an insulation-free socket part (16d) with an insulation-free end face (16e) which provides a contact surface (36) for electrically contacting the module pole connection (12), wherein the contact socket (16) has a socket opening (16a) which is arranged below the busbar (14) and coaxially aligned with the rail through-opening (14a) with respect to the connection direction (R), so that the fastening means (18, 20) can be passed through the rail through-opening (14a) and the socket opening (16a) simultaneously in the connection direction (R); - an electrically insulating housing (24) with an insulating collar (28a) which surrounds at least part of the busbar (14) and at least part of the contact socket (16) in a radial direction; characterized in that the insulation-free socket part (16d) of the contact socket (16), which comprises the end face (16e) with the contact surface (36), protrudes from the housing (24) in the connection direction (R).

2. Module connector (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that - the module connector (10) has an elastic spring element (30, 32) which is compressible and / or expandable in the connection direction (R), - wherein the module connector (10) can be transferred from a first state (Z1) to a second state (Z2), - wherein in the first state (Z1) the contact socket (16) is held at a distance from the busbar (14) and electrically insulated from it by means of the spring element (30, 32), and in the second state (Z2) it rests against the busbar (14) in an electrically contacting manner under compression of the spring element (30, 32).

3. Module connector (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the module connector (10) comprises an insulating sleeve (34) made of an electrically insulating material, wherein the insulating sleeve (34) is arranged in the rail through-opening (14a), in particular on an opening wall delimiting the rail through-opening (14a) in the radial direction, wherein the fastening means (18, 20) is electrically insulated from the busbar (14) by means of the insulating sleeve (34) in a state in which it is passed through the rail through-opening (14a), in particular wherein the spring element (30, 32) is designed as a spiral spring (32) which is passed through the rail through-opening (14a) and is electrically insulated from the busbar (14) by means of the insulating sleeve (34).

4. Module connector (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the contact socket (16) has a radially inwardly projecting contact flange (16b) on which the spring element (30, 32) is supported in the connection direction (R) with a first spring end (32a).

5. Module connector (10, 10') according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the module connector (10, 10') has the fastening means (18, 20) which is an elongated in the connection direction (R) Fastening means (18, 20) with a head (20b) and a neck (20a) adjoining the head (20b) in the connection direction (R), wherein the neck is passed through the rail passage opening (14a) and the socket opening (16a), and wherein the fastening means (18, 20) has an end opposite the head (20b), in particular which protrudes from the housing (24) in the connection direction (R).

6. Module connector (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the head (20b) in the first state (Z1) of the module connector (10) is held at a distance from the busbar (14) and electrically insulated from the busbar (14) by means of the spring element (30, 32), and in the second state (Z2) is electrically conductively connected to the busbar (14), in particular rests directly on the busbar (14), or the module connector (10) comprises a metallic washer (22) which is arranged between the head (20b) and the busbar (14) and via which the head (20b) and the busbar (14) are electrically conductively connected to one another in the second state (Z2).

7. Module connector (10') according to one of claims 1, 5 or 6, characterized in that the contact socket (16) is arranged in a permanently electrically contacting manner on the busbar (14) and / or is formed integrally therewith, and in particular wherein the fastening means (18, 20) is permanently electrically conductively connected to the busbar (14).

8. Module connector (10) according to one of claims 2 to 7, characterized in that the spring element (30, 32) has a second spring end (32b) which is supported on the head (20b) of the fastening means (18, 20) and / or on the washer (22), in particular wherein the spring element (30, 32) is moved by a movement of the head (20b) of the Fastening means (18, 20) in the connection direction (R), while the contact socket (16) remains in its position, is compressible and the module connector (10) can be transferred from the first state (Z1) to the second state (Z2).

9. Module pole connection (12) for electrical connection to a module connector (10, 10') according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that - the module pole connection (12) has a module pole busbar (37) with a contacting area (37a) which can be electrically contacted in the connection direction (R) with the contact surface (36) of the module connector (10), and - a housing (38) which is electrically insulating and in which the module pole busbar (37) is accommodated, - wherein the housing (38) has a housing wall (40) which has a recess area (40a) with at least one recess (42) for exposing at least part of the contacting area (37a) of the module pole busbar (37), - wherein the housing wall (40) has a recess edge region (44) surrounding the recess region (40a) in a radial direction, and - wherein the housing wall (40) comprises an electrically insulating insulation ring (46) radially within the recess region (44), which is connected to the recess edge region (44) via at least one insulation web (48).

10. A connection arrangement (50) for a battery module, wherein the connection arrangement (50) comprises a module connector (10, 10') according to one of claims 1 to 8 and a module pole terminal (12) according to claim 9.

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