Housing for a module pole terminal for providing electric shock protection, module pole terminal, connecting arrangement and battery module for a motor vehicle
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- EP · EP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-05-07
- Publication Date
- 2026-03-25
Smart Images
Figure EP2024062592_21112024_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
[0001] Housing for a module terminal connection for providing contact protection, module terminal connection, connection arrangement and battery module for a motor vehicle
[0002] DESCRIPTION:
[0003] The invention relates to a housing for a module pole connection for providing contact protection for the module pole connection, which housing has a module pole busbar with a contacting area and which can be connected to a module connector in a connection direction and can be electrically contacted via the contacting area. The housing is electrically insulating and is designed to accommodate the module pole busbar, wherein the housing has a first housing wall which has a recess area with at least one cutout for exposing at least part of the contacting area of the module pole busbar when the module pole busbar is in a state accommodated in the housing as intended, wherein the first housing wall has a cutout edge area which surrounds the cutout area in the radial direction.Furthermore, the invention also relates to a module terminal connection, a connection arrangement and a battery module for a motor vehicle.
[0004] In order for such a module terminal connection to be electrically contacted with a corresponding module connector, especially via a plug-in connection, it is generally necessary for the corresponding contact surface or contact area of the module connector to be exposed so that electrical contact can be established with a corresponding contact element provided by the module connector. Particularly in the high-voltage range, it is important to ensure sufficient safety for assembly personnel during the assembly and installation of battery modules, particularly during the electrical wiring and when plugging the corresponding module connectors together with the module terminal connections. The electrical contacts should therefore be provided with contact protection if possible. There are different definitions and standards for such contact protection, depending on the application.With adequate contact protection, for example, assembly personnel do not need to wear protective clothing, which simplifies assembly. To protect people against electric shock, contact protection at the electrical interface is therefore advantageous. Contact protection in existing connection systems is usually implemented using multiple components, particularly special components such as protective pins, contact sleeves, electrically insulating caps, etc., at both interface parameters. This makes the corresponding connection systems very complex and also requires a relatively large amount of installation space. Another aspect that should be considered when designing such connection arrangements between a module terminal connection and a module connector is to configure them in such a way that electrical losses are minimized.This increases efficiency, which is particularly relevant in connection with high-voltage storage systems, especially for motor vehicles, since energy losses reduce the range of the vehicle in which such a high-voltage storage system is used. Furthermore, the consequence of increased contact resistance is a correspondingly increased heat input via the high-voltage connectors connected to the cell module. This, in turn, has a negative impact on service life and performance and should therefore also be avoided wherever possible. To achieve the lowest possible contact resistance in a small installation space, the screw connection, for example, has become established. Here, high forces can be introduced into the contact via the screw, which enables high surface pressure and thus low contact resistance to be achieved.DE 202018 100 111 U1 describes a module connector for batteries of electric-drive vehicles, wherein the module connector is designed with two electrically interconnectable connecting parts, to each of which a conductor element can be attached to a conductor point and which each have a mutually compatible fastening element. Each connecting part is provided on its connection side facing the other connecting part with a contact guard comprising an outer electrically insulating collar and an electrically insulated protective pin surrounded by the collar. At least one connecting part has a current bridge between the collar and the protective pin, which electrically connects the two conductor points and is projected beyond the collar and protective pin. The current bridge is designed as a contact sleeve.
[0005] At least the connection part with the additional contact sleeve is complexly designed and, on the one hand, requires a lot of installation space in the axial direction due to the protruding collar and the insulating pin. Furthermore, a coding can be provided radially outside the outer insulating collar, which significantly increases the required installation space in the radial direction.
[0006] Further connection arrangements with contact protection are described, for example, in DE 10 2015 216 543 A1 and in DE 10 2020 208 149 A1.
[0007] The object of the present invention is to provide a housing for a module pole connection, a module pole connection, a connection arrangement and a battery module, which enable a contact protection for a module pole connection to be provided in the most space-saving way possible, but nevertheless efficiently.
[0008] This object is achieved by a housing, a module terminal connection, a connection arrangement, and a battery module with the configurations according to the respective independent patent claims. Advantageous configurations of the invention are the subject of the dependent patent claims, the description, and the figures.
[0009] A housing according to the invention for a module pole connection for providing contact protection for the module pole connection, which housing has a module pole busbar with a contacting area and which can be connected to a module connector in a connection direction and can be electrically contacted via the contacting area, is electrically insulating and designed to accommodate the module pole busbar. Furthermore, the housing comprises a first housing wall, which has a cutout area with at least one cutout for exposing at least part of the contacting area of the module pole busbar when the module pole busbar is in a state in which it is accommodated in the housing as intended. Furthermore, the first housing wall has a cutout edge area that surrounds the cutout area in the radial direction.In addition, the first housing wall comprises an electrically insulating insulation ring radially within the recess area, which is connected to the recess edge area via at least one insulation web.
[0010] The invention is based, on the one hand, on the finding that 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 collar projecting far in the axial direction or a central insulating pin or the like. Furthermore, the invention is based on the finding that one or more such insulating webs can provide further advantageous functions, in addition to contact protection, in a space-saving manner and can be integrated into the housing.On the one hand, this makes it possible to provide additional torque support, in particular for a screwing process for connecting the module connection to the corresponding module connector. As explained in more detail later, in order to be able to make contact with a module connection comprising such a housing, the module connector can have a slot or a slot-shaped recess corresponding to at least one web at its corresponding contact point. If such a module connector and a corresponding module connection are electrically conductively connected to one another, the at least one electrically insulating insulation web 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 web counteracts this torque.This, in turn, means that a screw connection between such a module connection and the corresponding module connector can be implemented more easily due to the simplified positioning. This leads to increased efficiency during assembly. Over the entire service life, this ensures a stable connection between such a module connection and the corresponding module connector, and prevents unwanted twisting between the module connector and the module pole connection. Another major advantage is that such a bar can optionally be used to implement position coding in a particularly simple manner, especially when multiple insulation bars are provided.Such coding is therefore not implemented radially outside the contact area or, with respect to the housing, radially outside the recess area, but can be integrated directly into the recess area, which in turn saves enormous space, especially in the radial direction. Furthermore, no additional, separate contact sleeve is required, which must be contacted with the contact area of the module pole busbar. In general, a particularly simply designed housing for a module pole connection and, in addition, a particularly simply designed module pole connection can be provided, which nevertheless make it possible to provide touch protection while simultaneously doing so in a particularly space-saving and efficiency-enhancing manner.
[0011] In order to make the housing electrically insulating, the housing can be made from an electrically insulating material. A design with an electrically conductive core that is, for example, covered on all sides with an electrically insulating material would also be conceivable. However, a design of the housing completely from an electrically insulating material is preferred, as this significantly simplifies manufacture of the housing. In particular, this can be achieved, for example, using an injection molding process or similar. The housing can generally be designed as a single piece or in multiple pieces, with a design with as few parts as possible being preferred. A two-piece design with an upper and lower shell, as described in more detail below, is advantageous in order to enable easy accommodation of the module pole busbar and, if applicable, other components, as explained in more detail below.The first housing wall and the recess geometry for providing the contact protection can be formed in one piece. In other words, the insulating ring, the at least one insulating web, the recess edge region around the recess region, and the remaining first housing wall can be formed in one piece, for example, in an injection molding process.
[0012] An insulating bar is generally understood to be an elongated component made of an electrically insulating material. The recess edge region, which surrounds the recess region, is in particular directly adjacent to the recess region in the radial direction. The recess edge region, so to speak, delimits the recess region in the radial direction. The recess region represents the region of the first housing wall in which the at least one or more recesses are arranged, in particular in the radial direction around the insulating ring. The recess region can be defined by the entirety of the recesses. The recesses can be separated by insulating bars. Thus, the recess region does not have to be a continuous area. The recess region can also be defined such that, in addition to the recesses, 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.
[0013] According to one exemplary embodiment, the first housing wall can be substantially flat. While it can have a slight elevation in the region of the insulating ring, the recess edge region, and the at least one insulating web, the insulating ring, the insulating web, and the recess edge region do not need to be significantly elevated relative to a base plane of the first housing wall in order to provide contact protection. The insulating ring, the at least one insulating web, and the recess edge region can thus be elevated relative to the base plane of the first housing wall, with this elevation being, for example, of the same order of magnitude as the thickness of the first housing wall in a non-elevated region.In other words, the first housing wall can be approximately twice as thick in the area of the insulating ring, the insulating web, and the recess edge area as in the areas of the first housing wall radially adjacent outside the recess edge area. The increase is therefore particularly small overall. Instead, the contact protection can be provided by reducing the opening in the first housing wall, which must be penetrated in order to make contact with the contacting area, by providing at least one insulating web. The insulating ring of the first housing wall surrounds a circular opening, in particular a central circular opening. As explained in more detail below, a fastening means, for example a screw, can be inserted into this opening in order to fix the module connection to a corresponding module connector.This eliminates the need for an additional insulation pin within the insulation ring, which is raised axially far above the base plane of the first housing wall. This, in turn, significantly saves installation space.
[0014] According to a further embodiment, the insulating ring and / or the recess edge region and / or the at least one insulating web can also be raised, in particular significantly more than described above, relative to the surrounding housing wall. This can, for example, provide even better contact protection or increase the distance between the insulating webs in the circumferential direction and / or the radial distance between the insulating ring and the recess edge region while maintaining the same level of contact protection.
[0015] The module terminal connection for which the housing is provided is 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.Such a module connector can essentially also be formed with a busbar which is encased in electrical insulation, in particular except for the corresponding contacting areas via which the busbar is to be contacted with the corresponding module pole connections.
[0016] The at least one recess is formed as a perforation in the first housing wall. In other words, a recess is understood to be an opening in the first housing wall. As a result, when the module pole busbar is in a properly accommodated 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.
[0017] 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 provide torque support via the individual insulating bars.
[0018] Therefore, a further particularly preferred embodiment of the invention is provided if the first housing wall comprises a plurality of insulating webs that connect the insulating ring and the recess edge region to one another, so that the recess region is divided by the insulating webs into a plurality of recess segments, each of which provides a recess. The recess region thus has a plurality of recesses separated from one another by the insulating webs. Each recess area is significantly smaller than the area of the entire recess area, thereby increasing contact protection. Likewise, significantly better torque support can be achieved.
[0019] The insulation webs can be designed as elongated connecting elements that extend from the central insulation ring to the edge region of the recess surrounding the recess region. The insulation webs can run in a radial direction. The radial direction, as preferably defined within the scope of the present invention, refers, for example, to the center or the centre of the recess region or of the insulation ring. If, for example, the module connection is intended to be connected to a module connector and fixed, for example, via a screw connection, the axis of this screw connection can run through this centre of the recess region or through the centre or the middle of the insulation ring. The radial direction is therefore defined starting from this centre of the insulation ring.Accordingly, an axial direction can be defined perpendicular to the radial direction and, for example, essentially perpendicular to the base plane of the housing wall. The axial direction is parallel to the connection direction in which the module pole connection can be connected to the module connector. The axial direction can run along a central axis of a screw connection between the module connection and the module connector. Since, as described above, the use of a screw connection is extremely advantageous for fixing a module pole connection to a corresponding module connector, it is preferred that the opening surrounded by the insulating ring is circular. The outer side of the insulating ring facing the recess edge region of the first housing wall can, in principle, be designed with any desired geometry, including an angular geometry, for example, square or n-sided.Here, too, a circular geometry has proven particularly space-efficient, allowing for the largest possible contact area in a minimal installation space. Accordingly, the recess area as a whole is preferably designed in a ring shape, although any geometric shape would be possible here, too.
[0020] Therefore, a further advantageous embodiment of the invention provides that the cutout region is annular and the respective cutout segments are designed as circular ring sectors. The annular design of the cutout region or the circular ring sector-shaped design of the cutout segments allows the contact area to be maximized while simultaneously providing contact protection in a minimal installation space. In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, at least two of the plurality of cutout segments are different sizes and / or have a different geometric shape. This advantageously allows coding or protection against accidentally incorrect connection to the module connector to be provided at the same time. The primary function of this coding is to ensure that the two module connections usually present on a battery module cannot be mixed up.In other words, a first module connector designed for coupling to a first module terminal of a battery module should not be able to be connected to the second module terminal of this battery module. This can advantageously be prevented by the aforementioned coding, which can be provided by the size and / or shape of the recess segments. Two module terminals or the corresponding housings of the module terminals of a battery module can differ with regard to the geometric design of their recess segments. This advantageously prevents the module terminals from being mixed up and incorrectly connected. At the same time, such coding can also ensure that the module connector can only be coupled to the module terminal by means of a plug-in connection in a specific position relative to the module terminal.This also advantageously allows for correct alignment of the module connector relative to the module connection. This, in turn, facilitates the correct positioning of the module connector relative to the module connection, optimizing the installation space.
[0021] In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the insulating webs extend radially and subdivide the full angle around an imaginary central axis through a center of the insulating ring into circular sectors, each with associated center angles. To provide the aforementioned coding, it is particularly advantageous, for example, if the insulating webs are arranged relative to one another in such a way that the center angles associated with the resulting circular sectors are of different sizes. To provide coding, it is sufficient if at least two of these center angles are of different sizes. This allows position coding to be provided in a particularly simple and reliable manner.
[0022] In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the housing has a first housing component, in particular an upper shell, which comprises the first housing wall, and a second housing component, in particular a lower shell, which can be arranged or is arranged on the first housing component to form an interior space of the housing in which the module pole busbar can be accommodated. The two housing components are preferably manufactured as separate components and can be connected to one another by a suitable joining connection to provide the housing, for example by clipping. The respective housing components, namely the first and the second housing component, are each preferably formed in one piece. The number of components required to provide a module connection can thus be reduced or even minimized.This means that the module pole busbar can also be easily arranged in the housing, for example by inserting it between the two housing components and then connecting the housing components to one another, for example by clipping them together.
[0023] Furthermore, the invention also relates to a module terminal connection with a housing according to the invention or one of its embodiments. The advantages described for the housing according to the invention and its embodiments apply equally to the module terminal connection according to the invention.
[0024] In a further very advantageous embodiment of the invention, the module pole connection comprises a module pole busbar with a contacting area, and the module pole connection can be connected to a module connector in a connection direction and electrically contacted via the contacting area. Furthermore, the module pole busbar is arranged in an interior of the housing, so that at least part of the contacting area is exposed by the at least one recess in the recess area of the housing.
[0025] In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the module pole busbar has a through-opening which is surrounded in the radial direction by the contacting area and through which a fastening means, in particular a screw, for fastening the module pole connection to a module connector can be passed. This advantageously enables a fixation between the module pole connection and a corresponding module connector to be realized, wherein this fastening is preferably designed as a screw connection. The fastening means is preferably designed to be elongated in the axial direction. The connection between the module pole connection and a module connector is most easily achieved if the fastening means is designed as a screw. Such a screw can therefore be designed with an external thread at least in some regions along its screw neck.In particular, the lower part of the screw, which is opposite the screw head, is designed with such an external thread. In principle, however, it is also conceivable for the fastening element to be designed as a screw device with an internal thread, for example, within an internal thread provided in the screw neck. However, such a design requires more installation space in the axial direction, especially on the side of the module terminal connection. The design as a screw with an external thread enables a particularly simple design of the coupling counterpart at the module terminal connection, which can then be designed, in particular, as a nut.
[0026] According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the module pole connection comprises a coupling element, in particular a nut, for coupling to the fastening means, wherein the coupling element is arranged on a side of the module pole busbar facing away from the contacting area and the first housing wall of the housing and is fixed to the module pole busbar. This fixation can be achieved, for example, by pressing in or welding the coupling element to the module pole busbar. The module pole busbar is preferably made of copper. This enables particularly good, low-loss current conduction. The coupling element, which is in particular made of metal, is preferably not made of copper, i.e., of a different metallic material than the module pole busbar, for example, steel. This enables a significantly more stable screw connection due to the significantly greater hardness of steel compared to, for example, copper.
[0027] The fastening means described above is also preferably made of a metallic material. In particular, the fastening means is preferably made of steel. This allows for a particularly stable connection between the module terminal connection and the module connector, which remains stable over a long period of time, particularly over the lifetime of a battery module. Due to the creep properties of plastic, it is preferred that no plastic components are involved in this screw connection between the module terminal connection and the module connector. The frictional connection of the screw connection is thus realized exclusively via metallic components.
[0028] Furthermore, the invention also relates to a connection arrangement with a module terminal connection according to the invention or one of its embodiments. The advantages described for the module terminal connection according to the invention and its embodiments, and in particular the advantages described with regard to the housing according to the invention and its embodiments, apply equally to the connection arrangement according to the invention.
[0029] Furthermore, it is advantageous if the connection arrangement has a module connector which can be connected and electrically contacted in a connection direction with the module pole connection via the contacting area, in particular wherein the contacting area of the module pole connection represents a first contacting area and the module connector has a, in particular annular, second contacting area which can be electrically contacted with the first contacting area, wherein the second contacting area has at least one slot-shaped recess into which the at least one insulating web of the housing is received when the module connector is connected to the module pole connection.
[0030] The second contacting area of the module connector can therefore be formed with a corresponding number of slot-shaped recesses, just as the housing of the module pole connection has insulating webs. The insulating webs and the slot-shaped recesses of the second contacting area also correspond to one another in terms of their geometric arrangement. This advantageously makes it possible for the first and second contacting areas to be electrically conductively contacted with one another by plugging the module pole connection together with the module connector, i.e., in particular, to be in surface contact. Using the screw connection described above, which can preferably also be part of the connection arrangement, the two contacting areas can be additionally fixed to one another and pressed together when in contact with one another. This reduces contact resistance and maximizes line efficiency.
[0031] The module connector can also comprise a busbar. The second contacting region can be provided by this busbar. In other words, the second contacting region and the remaining busbar can be formed as a single piece and integrally, for example, by forging. Furthermore, the busbar can also be encased in a housing. This housing has a corresponding recess, for example, a circular recess, in the region of the second contacting region. The second contacting region, which can be formed, for example, as an annular region segmented by the recess and raised relative to the housing plane of the module connector, thus protrudes slightly beyond the housing of the module connector.This makes it easy to insert the second contact area, especially the individual contact sections, into the corresponding recesses in the module terminal housing and thus contact the first contact area. This eliminates the need for an additional contact sleeve, which in turn saves components.
[0032] Furthermore, the invention also relates to a battery module for a motor vehicle, which has at least one module pole connection according to the invention or one of its embodiments. The advantages described for the module pole connection according to the invention and the housing according to the invention and their embodiments therefore also apply in the same way to the battery module according to the invention. Preferably, the battery module has two module pole connections according to the invention or two module pole connections according to embodiments of the invention. These preferably differ in the geometry and / or size of their respective recess segments, so that a module connector which can be connected to a first of the two module pole connections and can be electrically contacted with its contacting area cannot be electrically contacted with the contacting area of a second module pole connection of the two module pole connections.This advantageously prevents the connections from being mixed up, as already described above.
[0033] The invention also includes further developments of the module terminal connection according to the invention, the connection arrangement according to the invention, and the battery module according to the invention, which have features as already described in connection with the further developments of the housing according to the invention. For this reason, the corresponding further developments of the module terminal connection according to the invention, the connection arrangement according to the invention, and the battery module according to the invention are not described again here.
[0034] The invention also includes a motor vehicle with a battery module according to the invention or one of its embodiments. 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.
[0035] 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.
[0036] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are described below. Shown are:
[0037] Fig. 1 is a schematic and perspective cross-sectional view of a module pole connection according to an embodiment of the invention;
[0038] Fig. 2 is a schematic and perspective view of a module pole connection in a plan view obliquely from above according to an embodiment of the invention;
[0039] Fig. 3 is a schematic and perspective view of a module pole connection to illustrate the torque support function according to an embodiment of the invention;
[0040] Fig. 4 is a schematic and perspective view of a module terminal connection with a coding implemented by the contact protection according to a further embodiment of the invention; Fig. 5 is a schematic and perspective view of a module connector for a connection arrangement according to an embodiment of the invention; and
[0041] Fig. 6 is a schematic and perspective cross-sectional view of a connection arrangement with a module pole terminal and a module connector, which are electrically conductively coupled to one another, according to an embodiment of the invention.
[0042] 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.
[0043] In the figures, the same reference symbols designate elements with the same function.
[0044] Fig. 1 shows a schematic and perspective cross-sectional view of a module pole connection 10 according to an embodiment of the invention. The module pole connection 10 has a housing 12 according to an embodiment of the invention. The housing 12 can, for example, comprise an upper housing part 12a and a lower housing part 12b, which are designed as separate components in order to simplify the integration of a module pole busbar 14, which is also part of the module pole connection 10. When arranged relative to one another, as shown in Fig. 1, the upper housing part 12a and the lower housing part 12b form a corresponding interior space 16 in which the aforementioned module pole busbar 14 is arranged.
[0045] In this case, the top side is defined with respect to the z-direction shown. However, the installation positions of the module terminal connection 10 and, in particular, the module connector 32 may deviate from this in any specific application.
[0046] The module pole busbar 14 is made of an electrically conductive material, for example, copper. The housing 12, on the other hand, is designed to be electrically insulating, for example, made of an electrically insulating material, such as a plastic. The module pole connection 10 also has a coupling element 18, which in this example is designed as a nut 20, which is arranged on the underside, i.e., on a side 14b of the module pole busbar 14 facing the housing lower part 12b, for example, pressed into the module pole busbar 14 or a central opening 14c provided thereby, or welded thereto. This nut 20, or generally this coupling element 18, also provides a central opening 18a, which can therefore be designed as a nut 20 with an internal thread into which a corresponding screw 22 (see Fig. 5 and Fig. 6) can be screwed.For stability reasons, the coupling element 18 can be made of a different material than the busbar 14, for example, steel. The busbar 14 has a contacting area 14a. The housing 12 has a housing wall 24, which was previously also referred to as the first housing wall 24, and which is part of the housing upper part 12a. In addition to this first housing wall 24, the housing 12 can also have other housing walls, which are not designated in more detail here. This first housing wall 24 comprises a recess area 24a, in which at least one recess 24b, in this example a plurality of recesses 24b, are arranged, which expose the contacting area 14a of the busbar 14.The special feature of this housing 12 is that the first housing wall 24 comprises an insulating ring 26, which is arranged radially within the recess region 24a, and has at least one insulating web 28, in the present example a plurality of insulating webs 28, which connect this central insulating ring 26 to a recess edge region 30, which surrounds the recess region 24a in the radial direction and is also part of the first housing wall 24. The recess edge region 30, the insulating ring 26, and the at least one insulating web 28 can be slightly raised relative to a base plane E or the remaining region of the first housing wall 24, which is arranged directly radially outside the recess edge region 30 and borders it. The base plane E runs parallel to the xy plane of the coordinate system shown here.
[0047] The aforementioned insulating webs 28, which extend radially outward from the insulating ring 26 to the circumferential recess edge region 30 and are spaced apart from one another in the circumferential direction, can now advantageously provide contact protection, as this allows the recess region 24a to be subdivided into several small recess segments, which are provided by the individual recesses 24b. Furthermore, these webs 28 can perform other advantageous functions.
[0048] Fig. 2 shows a schematic and perspective view of the module pole connection 10 from Fig. 1. This can be designed as described for Fig. 1. In this perspective view, it can be seen that the housing 12 in this example comprises four such insulating webs 28. In principle, however, more or fewer than four such insulating webs 28 are also conceivable. For example, only one such insulating web 28, but preferably at least two such insulating webs 28, or three insulating webs 28 can be provided. More than four insulating webs 28 are also conceivable, for example five or six such webs. Fig. 3 again shows a schematic and perspective view of the module pole connection 10 from Fig. 2. The insulating webs 28 not only advantageously provide insulation protection in a particularly space-saving manner, but also additionally provide torque support.If the aforementioned screw 22 is screwed to establish the connection between the module terminal connection 10 and a corresponding module connector 32 (see Fig. 5), a certain torque, illustrated by arrow 34, is exerted on the module terminal connection 10 via the screw 22. This torque 34 can now be counteracted by a certain counterforce, illustrated by arrows 36, by the individual insulation webs 28.
[0049] This makes it easier to establish the screw connection, as the module terminal connection 10 can be securely held in position relative to the module connector 32. The torque support can thus be used to enable or facilitate maintaining the correct position during assembly.
[0050] In addition, the insulating webs 28 do not have to be equally spaced from one another in the circumferential direction, as shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, but can also be spaced from one another at different distances in order to provide coding, as is illustrated in Fig. 4. The insulating webs 28 subdivide the full angle around a central axis A, which is parallel to a connecting direction R (cf. Fig. 6), into individual circular sectors, each of which is assigned a central angle α, β. At least two of these central angles α and β differ. In this example, three of these central angles α are the same, while one of these central angles β is smaller than the others. This results in recesses 24b of different sizes.
[0051] Fig. 5 shows a schematic representation of a corresponding
[0052] Module connector 32, which is used in particular for connecting and electrical
[0053] Contacting of the module pole connection 10 from Fig. 4. This also comprises a busbar 42 encased in a housing 40, wherein the housing 40 comprises a circular recess 44 through which part of the busbar 42 is exposed, specifically that part of the busbar 42 which provides a second contacting surface 46. The first contacting surface 14a of the module pole busbar 14 is contacted via this contacting surface 46 when the module pole connection 10 and the module connector 32 are arranged and connected to one another as intended, as illustrated in a schematic and perspective cross-sectional view in Fig. 6. The second contacting region 46 is likewise subdivided into individual segments 48. This can be seen in Fig. 5.The individual segments 48 are separated from one another by slot-shaped recesses 50 or spaced apart from one another in the circumferential direction. The corresponding insulating webs 28 of the module terminal connection 10 can be received in these recesses 50. Thus, if the module terminal connection 10 and the module connector 32 are connected to one another as intended, as shown in Fig. 6, the insulating webs 28 are received in the corresponding recesses 50 of the module connector 32.
[0054] The module connector 32 has a central through-opening 52 centered relative to this second contacting area 46, which can be seen particularly in cross-section in Fig. 6. Through this opening, the aforementioned screw 22 can be passed with its screw neck 22a, which is provided with an external thread in some areas, at least at the lower end opposite the screw head 22b.
[0055] Fig. 6 shows a connection arrangement 58 with a module pole connection 10 and a module connector 32, which can be designed in particular as previously described, wherein the screw 22 is now in a state in which it is passed through the through-opening 52 of the module connector 32, and in particular in a state in which it is screwed to the nut 20 of the module pole connection 10. The housing 40 of the module connector 32 can also have an opening in the region of the screw head 22b to enable the screw 22 to be screwed in. This opening 54 can be radially enclosed by an insulating collar 56, which is provided as part of the housing 40. This provides contact protection for the screw 22. For reasons of clarity, the housing lower part 12b is not explicitly shown in Fig. 6.
[0056] Overall, the examples demonstrate how the invention provides a touch-protected module pole with implementation of torque support and coding in insulation of the current-carrying interface. This advantageously eliminates the need for a central protective pin on the module pole. Furthermore, the described embodiments make it possible to continue to ensure touch protection in accordance with IPXXB at the module pole, i.e., at the module pole connection, by designing or modifying the insulating housing in such a way that touch protection is still provided even without an additional cap. This is made possible by the described insulating bars. A suitable design of this insulating housing for the current-carrying interface, i.e., the module pole connection, implements torque support and thus also anti-twist protection.Optional coding can also be implemented through a suitable design of the insulating housing of the current-carrying interface, i.e., the module terminal connection. This allows for a space- and material-saving implementation of a torque support, as well as a space- and material-saving implementation of a coding. At the same time, contact protection according to IPXXB can be implemented at the module terminal connection in an advantageous and space-saving manner. Contact protection at the module terminal can be achieved through a suitable extension of the insulating housing.According to advantageous embodiments, the solution can be implemented with only a few components, such as the busbar accommodated in the housing, which serves as a power guide and interface to the high-voltage connector, the threaded sleeve into which the screw can be screwed and with which the high-voltage connector can be screwed to the module pole, and the insulating housing, which, ideally as a one-piece solution or with a one-piece upper shell, can provide contact protection for the module pole. By appropriately designing the contact protection on the module pole, the torque support function when screwing in the high-voltage connector can be realized. The forces can then be absorbed by the insulating housing. Coding can be implemented by using different geometric shapes and / or sizes for the passage through or to the high-voltage connector interface.This can be used to prevent incorrect installation. The mating interface on the high-voltage connector can then also be provided with this coding. The coding can be implemented directly in the busbar.
Claims
PATENT CLAIMS:
1. Housing (12) for a module pole connection (10) for providing contact protection for the module pole connection (10), which has a module pole busbar (14) with a contacting area (14a) and which can be connected in a connection direction (R) to a module connector (32) and can be electrically contacted via the contacting area (14a), - wherein the housing (12) is electrically insulating, - wherein the housing (12) is designed to accommodate the module pole busbar (14), - wherein the housing (12) has a first housing wall (24) which has a recess region (24a) with at least one recess (24b) for exposing at least part of the contacting region (14a) of the module pole busbar (14) when the module pole busbar (14) is in a state in which it is accommodated in the housing (12) as intended, - wherein the first housing wall (24) has a recess edge region (30) which surrounds the recess region (24a) in a radial direction, characterized in that the first housing wall (24) comprises an electrically insulating insulation ring (26) radially inside the recess region (24a), which is connected to the recess edge region (30) via at least one insulation web (28).
2. Housing (12) according to claim 1, characterized in that the first housing wall (24) comprises a plurality of insulating webs (28) which connect the insulating ring (26) and the recess edge region (30) to one another, so that the recess region (24a) is divided by the insulating webs (28) into a plurality of recess segments (4b), each of which provides a recess (24b).
3. Housing (12) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the recess region (24a) is annular and the respective recess segments (24b) are formed as circular ring sectors (24b).
4. Housing (12) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least two of the plurality of recess segments (24b) are of different sizes and / or have a different geometric shape.
5. Housing (12) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the housing (12) has a first housing component (12a), in particular an upper shell (12a), which comprises the first housing wall (24), and a second housing component (12b), in particular a lower shell (12b), which can be arranged or is arranged on the first housing component (12a) to form an interior space (16) of the housing (12) in which the module pole busbar (14) can be accommodated.
6. Module pole connection (10) with a housing (12) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the module pole connection (10) has a module pole busbar (14) with a contacting region (14a) and can be connected to a module connector (32) in a connection direction (R) and can be electrically contacted via the contacting region (14a), wherein the module pole busbar (14) is arranged in an interior space (16) of the housing (12) such that at least part of the contacting region (14a) is exposed by the at least one cutout (24b) of the cutout region (24a) of the housing (12).
7. Module pole connection (10) according to claim 6, characterized in that the module pole busbar (14) has a through-opening (14c) which is surrounded in the radial direction by the contacting area (14a) and through which a fastening means (22), in particular a screw (22), for fastening the module pole connection (10) to a module connector (32) can be passed.
8. Module pole connection (10) according to one of claims 6 or 7, characterized in that the module pole connection (10) has a coupling element (18, 20), in particular a nut (20), for coupling to the fastening means (22), wherein the coupling element (18, 20) is arranged at least in part on a side (14b) of the module pole busbar (14) facing away from the contacting area (14a) and the first housing wall (24) of the housing (12) and is fixed to the module pole busbar (14).
9. Connection arrangement (58) with a module pole connection (10) according to one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the connection arrangement (58) has a module connector (32) which can be connected and electrically contacted in a connection direction (R) with the module pole connection (10) via the contacting area (14a), in particular wherein the contacting area (14a) of the module pole connection (10) represents a first contacting area (14a) and the module connector (32) has a, in particular annular, second contacting area (46) which can be electrically contacted with the first contacting area (14a), wherein the second contacting area (46) has at least one slot-shaped recess (50) into which, in a state of the module connector connected to the module pole connection (10), (32) which accommodates at least one insulating web (28) of the housing (12).
10. Battery module for a motor vehicle, wherein the battery module has at least one module pole connection (10) according to one of claims 6 to 8, in particular wherein the battery module has two module pole connections (10) according to one of claims 6 to 8, which differ in the geometry and / or size of their respective recess segments (24b), so that a module connector (32) which can be connected to a first of the two module pole connections (10) and can be electrically contacted with its contacting area (14a) cannot be electrically contacted with the contacting area (14a) of a second module pole connection (10) of the two module pole connections (10).