Module connector with an internal insulating sleeve for a battery module, module pole terminal and connecting arrangement
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- EP · EP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- AUDI AG
- Filing Date
- 2024-07-17
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-17
Smart Images
Figure EP2024070302_13022025_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
[0001] Module connector with internal insulating sleeve for 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 a fastening means with a contacting unit, an electrically conductive busbar with a rail through-opening for at least partially passing through the fastening means in the connection direction and an electrically conductive contact socket which has an 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 through-opening, so that at least part of 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 necessary or advantageous at the electrical interface of high-voltage batteries, the module terminal (also referred to here as the module terminal connection), and their electrical connecting elements (the HV connectors), for example, to avoid the need for expensive protective clothing during battery assembly. Contact protection is typically implemented using several special components such as protective pins, contact sleeves, electrically insulating caps or collars, and so on, on both interface partners. This leads to very complex designs of the connection arrangements and also requires a considerable amount of installation space.
[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] 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 102020 100 919 A1 describes a touch-protected rotary contact with a busbar, with 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 connection axis in a connection direction. An insulating element is arranged in the connection direction between the busbar and the connecting screw, whereby the connecting screw is electrically insulated from the busbar. Such insulating elements are typically made of plastic. The disadvantage of plastics, especially when using screw connections, is that they begin to creep over time, causing the screw connection to loosen.Especially when electrically connecting high-voltage connections, this has the major disadvantage that the resulting increased contact resistance leads to large line losses and additional heating of the busbar, which has a detrimental effect on the operation of the battery modules.
[0008] The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a module connector, a module pole connection and a connection arrangement which enable the simplest and most efficient design possible.
[0009] 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.
[0010] 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 a fastening means with a contacting unit, an electrically conductive busbar with a rail through-opening for at least partially passing through the fastening means in the connection direction, and an electrically conductive contact socket which has an 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 at least part of 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. Furthermore, the module connector comprises an elastic spring element that is compressible and / or expandable in the connection direction. The module connector can be converted from a first state to a second state. In the first state, the contacting unit of the fastening means is held at a distance from the busbar and electrically insulated from it by means of the spring element. In the second state, the contacting unit is arranged on the busbar in an electrically contacting manner under compression of the spring element.The module connector also comprises an insulating element by means of which the fastening means is electrically insulated from the spring element in a state in which it is at least partially passed through the rail passage opening and in the first state of the module connector.
[0011] The invention is based, on the one hand, on the realization that the use or provision of a spring element advantageously makes it possible to realize two different states of such a module connector, such that in a first state there is no electrical contact between the contacting unit of the fastening means and the busbar, and thus also no electrical contact between the fastening means as a whole and the busbar, and in a second state this electrical contact is established between the contacting unit of the fastening means and the busbar. Since in the first state no electrical contact is established with the busbar, there is also no risk of electric shock when touching the fastening means in this first state. This in turn simplifies the design options for the module connector and / or the corresponding module pole connection.This in turn is based on the realization that the fastening means can, for example, be designed in such a way that it partially protrudes from the housing, at least in the first state of the module connector. The spring element nevertheless provides contact protection without the need for areas of the fastening means protruding from the housing to be electrically insulated. Protective caps or insulating collars that are particularly long in the axial direction can therefore advantageously be dispensed with. This allows components and / or material to be saved, and above all installation space to be saved in the axial direction. A further particularly great advantage of the invention is that, despite the possibility of electrically insulating the fastening means from the busbar in the first state, no plastic insulation or the like is required between the fastening means, e.g. its contacting unit, which e.g.a screw head, and the busbar must be provided. This would have the disadvantage that such plastic insulation would then be part of the effective path of the force transmission of the fastening of the module connector to the module pole connection by means of the fastening device. This would result in high forces acting on the plastic, and the fastening would loosen over time due to the creep behavior of typical plastics. This, in turn, would increase the electrical resistance of the overall assembly and lead to increased power loss. The resulting additional heat loss could also be introduced into the battery module and lead to accelerated cell aging or other cell defects and limitations.This can now advantageously be avoided by providing the spring element, since in the second state, which can be achieved by compressing the spring element, a direct, electrically conductive connection can also be established between the busbar and the contacting unit of the fastening means. The effective chain of force transmission for fastening the module connector to the module pole connection can therefore be realized exclusively via metallic components, and the fastening can therefore be provided in a permanently stable manner. A further major advantage is, above all, that the module connector comprises an insulating element, by means of which the fastening means is electrically insulated from the spring element, and in particular also from the busbar, in a state in which it is at least partially passed through the rail through-opening and in the first state of the module connector.This insulating element can therefore advantageously ensure that no electrically conductive contact occurs between the fastening means, in particular between a part of the fastening means passing through the rail through-opening, and the busbar when this part of the fastening means, e.g. a screw neck, is passed through the rail through-opening of the electrically conductive busbar. The insulating element is therefore located between the fastening means and the busbar, in particular viewed in the radial direction. In principle, it would also be possible to arrange the spring element radially within the insulating element and thus between the insulating element and the fastening means in the radial direction.According to the invention, however, it is provided that the insulating element (also) electrically insulates the fastening means from the spring element when the fastening means is in a state in which it is at least partially passed through the rail through-opening and the module connector is in the first state. This advantageously allows a more compact and space-saving design of the module connector or, with the same space requirements, an increase in creepage distances. Particularly in view of the fact that electrically conductive particles could get into the housing of the module connector during assembly or disassembly, e.g. into the area of the busbar, it is advantageous to design such creepage distances as large as possible in order to ensure that the insulation between the fastening means and the busbar cannot be bridged by such particles in the first state of the module connector.In the alternative variant described above, in which the insulating element is located radially between the busbar and the spring element, not only would the creepage distances between the fastening element, e.g., the screw, and the busbar have to be dimensioned as large as possible, but also the creepage distances between the spring element and the busbar, which would only be possible by designing the insulating element with a greater wall thickness in the radial direction. In contrast, in this case, it is sufficient to consider the creepage distances between the contacting unit of the fastening element and the busbar, which is already very large if the contacting unit is held at a distance from the busbar by the spring element in the first state of the module connector.Large creepage distances can be achieved in a significantly more space-efficient manner, as the insulation element can be positioned very close to the fastener, particularly in direct contact with it, and radially enclosing it. This allows large parts of the fastener to be insulated from the spring element and the busbar, even with a thin-walled design. Creepage distances between the busbar and the spring element do not need to be considered, as these two components can be in electrical contact with each other without danger anyway, as they are both electrically insulated from the fastener via the insulation element. This ensures a high level of safety and reliable contact protection while simultaneously saving installation space.
[0012] The module connector is used to electrically connect two module poles of two battery modules. Each of these module poles can be equipped with a module pole connection corresponding to the module connector. The two module poles can then be electrically connected via the busbar if the module connector is properly coupled to these module pole connections. When the module connector is properly operated, current is thus conducted from one battery pole to another battery pole of another battery module via the busbar. The module connector is 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, the fastening means, the insulating element, the spring element, and the insulating collar. Furthermore, the module connector can have another such connection unit, i.e., an additional second connection unit, which can, in principle, be configured 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 each other by a middle part of the busbar and a part of the housing that encloses the middle part of the busbar.
[0013] 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 which provides the socket opening. The contact socket can also be referred to as a contact sleeve, for example.The contact socket can also have openings or slots that penetrate the contact socket in a radial direction, whereby parts of the housing can protrude radially inward through these openings and / or slots to provide a bottom contact flange for the spring element when the connection direction is defined as pointing downwards. In principle, the contact socket, especially on the outer circumference, can be designed with any geometry, e.g., even square.
[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. For the sake of simplicity, the connection direction is defined here from the perspective of the module connector and points from the module connector in the direction in which the module connector is to be moved to establish the plug-in connection. 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, which can be or is at least partially passed through the corresponding through-openings.A radial direction is accordingly perpendicular to this axial direction and directed away from such a central axis, which runs through the corresponding through-openings. The fact that the fastening means can be at least partially passed through the corresponding through-openings means that at least a part of the fastening means can be passed through the corresponding through-openings, e.g. in the case of a screw as the fastening means, a part of a screw neck, whereby the contacting unit, e.g. the screw head, does not have to be passed through and is not possible in the present case. Analogously, a state of the fastening means passed through the respective through-openings should be understood to mean a state in which the fastening means is pushed through the respective through-openings and an end part of the fastening means, e.g.the contacting unit protrudes on one side of the through-openings with respect to the axial direction and an opposite, end-side part of the fastening means protrudes on the opposite side of the through-openings with respect to the axial direction and a respective part of the fastening means, which is arranged between the two end-side parts, is located radially inside the respective through-openings.
[0015] The insulation-free end face with the contact surface is preferably flat or level. The end face lies in a plane perpendicular to the axial direction. This allows surface contact to be established with the corresponding second contact surface of the module terminal connection. Using the fastening device, this contact can be secured and, above all, the corresponding contact surfaces can be pressed together with high contact force.
[0016] The elastic spring element can be designed, for example, as a conventional spring, such as a spiral spring. The module connector can be configured such that the spring element is in a mechanically tensioned state, at least in the second state, due to the compression of the spring element. In contrast, the spring element can be relaxed in the first state of the module connector or can also be under mechanical tension, although this tension is then lower than in the second state of the module connector. In order to compress the spring element and accordingly transfer the module connector from the first to the second state, a corresponding force is required on the module connector, for example on the fastening means, in the connection direction in order to overcome the opposing spring force.Furthermore, the module connector is preferably designed such that the module connector can not only be converted from the first state to the second state by compressing the spring element, but can also be reversibly converted from the second state to the first state by relaxing or elastically expanding the spring element. The module connector thus provides a particularly advantageous and reversible connection option for connecting to the corresponding module terminal.
[0017] In a preferred variant, as explained in more detail later, the fastening means is designed as a screw with a screw head and a screw neck, wherein an optional washer can also be part of the fastening means. According to this example, the screw head and the optional washer are part of the contacting unit or the screw head and the optional washer represent the contacting unit. In principle, however, a fastening means other than a screw can also be used, e.g. a rivet, an element with a clip and / or snap-in connection mechanism or the like. In general, it is preferred that the connecting means has a first section in the axial direction, which comprises the contacting unit, and a second section, which lies below the first section in the connection direction or adjoins it.The second section can be inserted into or through the rail through-opening and into or through the socket opening. The second section is elongated in the axial direction. The first section, in particular the contacting unit, is widened in the radial direction compared to the second section. This widening does not have to be constant, but can also vary in the circumferential direction around the axial direction, e.g. as with a star-shaped screw head. A side of the contacting unit that is at the bottom relative to the connection direction provides a contact surface for contacting the busbar in the second state of the module connector. If the fastening means comprises a screw, the contact surface can be provided, for example, by an underside of the screw head or by an underside of the optional washer.
[0018] According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the module connector comprises an insulating sleeve made of an electrically insulating material as the insulating element. The insulating element thus represents an insulating sleeve. The insulating sleeve can furthermore be arranged in the rail through-opening, in particular also movable in the axial direction relative to the busbar, and is also arranged in the radial direction between the fastening means and the spring element. The fastening means is thus electrically insulated from the busbar and the spring element by means of the insulating sleeve when at least partially passed through the rail through-opening. An insulating sleeve makes it particularly easy to provide complete radial electrical insulation of the fastening means from the busbar and the spring element, which can also be of any length in the axial direction depending on requirements.The insulating sleeve can be in the form of a ring elongated in the axial direction. The insulating sleeve can be arranged in direct mechanical contact with the fastening element, in particular with the screw neck, or more precisely, circumferentially around the screw neck and optionally in contact with it. Various design options are available for the insulating sleeve. For example, it can be manufactured as a separate component from the fastening element. The insulating sleeve can also be movable in the axial direction relative to the fastening element, for example, while the module connector is still disassembled.However, since it is preferred, as explained in more detail later, that when the fastening means is moved in the connection direction, the insulating sleeve is also moved in a corresponding manner, it is also possible for the insulating sleeve to be fixed in relation to the fastening means, for example, to be glued and / or clipped to it and / or for a part of the fastening means, in particular a part of its neck, to be pressed into the insulating sleeve by means of frictional engagement, and / or for the insulating sleeve to be injection-molded or over-molded as a plastic sheath onto a section of the fastening means, e.g. the screw neck. The insulating sleeve can also be coupled to the movement of the fastening means in another way with regard to its movement, e.g.in that a contact flange of the insulating sleeve, which projects outwards in the radial direction and is preferably located in an upper region of the insulating sleeve with respect to the connection direction and which can simultaneously serve as a support for an upper end of the spring element, is clamped in the axial direction between the contacting unit of the fastening means and the spring element. A possibility of movement of the contacting unit against the connection direction can moreover be limited by the housing, in particular an upper housing part of the multi-part housing, in particular by form-fitting. The insulating sleeve is thus pressed upwards by the spring element, ie against the connection direction, against the contacting unit of the fastening means. Upon compression of the spring element, ie when the fastening means is moved in the connection direction, e.g.When the module connector is mounted on the module pole connection using a tool, the insulating sleeve moves in a corresponding manner, as it remains clamped with its contact flange between the contact unit and the spring element in the axial direction.
[0019] According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is therefore provided that the insulating sleeve and the fastening means are arranged relative to one another in such a way that when the fastening means is moved relative to the connection direction, in particular both in and against the connection direction, the insulating sleeve is moved together with the fastening means. This advantageously makes it possible for the insulating sleeve, in the first state of the module connector, to protrude with its upper end facing the contacting unit in the axial direction beyond the contacting area of the busbar, against which the contacting unit comes into contact in the second state of the module connector, without preventing or hindering contact between the busbar and the contacting unit in the second state of the module connector.
[0020] In a further very advantageous embodiment of the invention, the fastening means protrudes from the housing in the connection direction in the first state of the module connector. In the first state of the module connector, the fastening means protrudes from the housing with at least one insulation-free section of the fastening means, e.g., with the insulation-free end of the screw neck opposite the screw head. In other words, there should be no electrical insulation, such as a type of plastic cap or plastic sheath, on this protruding section of the fastening means.This is not necessary because the fastener is not electrically connected to the busbar in its initial state anyway. The fastener is de-energized in its initial state, even if the busbar itself is not de-energized but is already electrically connected to a module terminal, for example, via the other connection unit of the module connector. This eliminates the need for additional insulation measures, such as insulation caps or similar, for the fastener. The same also applies to an insulation cap directly contacting the screw head. Accordingly, this is also not required and is not provided.The fact that the fastening element protrudes from the housing in the connection direction enables easier connection to the module terminal connection and, in some cases, even a significantly simpler design of this module terminal connection. The fact that the fastening element can protrude safely from the housing also allows the aforementioned insulation collar of the housing to be shorter in the axial direction. This, in turn, saves axial space, material, and costs.
[0021] As mentioned above, the fastening element can be a screw, for example, or it can comprise a screw and an optional washer. The module connector can be attached to the corresponding module pole connection using the fastening element. The fastening element is thus partially guided through the rail through-hole and through the socket opening, and its lower end protrudes from the contact socket in the connection direction. Since the fastening element has no electrical contact with the busbar in its initial state, it is now advantageously possible, as already mentioned, for the fastening element to also protrude from the housing in the connection direction.This enables particularly simple screwing into the corresponding module pole connection, without, for example, a plastic protective cap or similar having to be provided on the end of the fastening means facing the module pole connection. This design also has the great advantage that the module connector can be automatically transferred from the first state to the second state by screwing the screw provided by the fastening means into the corresponding module pole connection, since in the process the screw moves in the connection direction when other parts of the module connector, for example the contact socket and / or the housing, are held in position. The spring element can, for example, be supported indirectly on the screw head, e.g. via electrical insulation, such as the contact flange of the insulating element described above, and is thus automatically compressed when screwed in.
[0022] Accordingly, it represents a further advantageous embodiment of the invention if the fastening means is an elongated fastening means in the connection direction, which comprises a head as part of the contacting unit and a neck adjoining the head in the connection direction, wherein the neck is passed through the rail through-opening and the socket opening and the head, in the first state of the module connector, is held at a distance from the busbar and electrically insulated from the busbar by means of the spring element and, in the second state, is electrically conductively connected to the busbar, thereby contacting it directly or indirectly via the electrically conductive washer. The head of the fastening means can, for example, rest directly on the busbar in the second state.Optionally, a washer, in particular a metallic washer, can also be arranged between the head of the fastening means and the busbar. In this case, in the second state of the module connector, the head of the fastening means rests on this metallic washer, which in turn rests directly on the busbar. There are therefore no plastic elements between the head of the fastening means and the busbar that could, over time, impair a stable connection between the module connector and the corresponding module pole connection. Accordingly, it is also very advantageous if the head of the fastening means rests directly on the busbar, or if the module connector comprises a metallic washer that is arranged between the head and the busbar and via which the head and the busbar are electrically connected to one another in the second state.
[0023] If the fastening element includes a screw, its neck can be designed with an external thread. The corresponding module terminal connection can then have a suitable nut with an internal thread into which the screw can be screwed. However, it is also conceivable for the fastening element to have a neck with an internal thread, and for the module terminal connection to have a corresponding screw that can be screwed into this internal thread of the neck of the fastening element of the module connector. However, the former variant enables a significantly more space-saving design of the connection arrangement, especially in the axial direction.
[0024] In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the contact socket is arranged in a permanently electrically contacting manner on the busbar and / or is formed integrally with it, in particular with the insulating collar projecting beyond the contact socket in the connection direction. In this case, the contact socket is arranged in a permanently contacting manner on the busbar. As soon as the busbar is at a certain battery potential, this potential is also present at the contact socket.
[0025] Accordingly, in this case, it is advantageous if the insulating collar is designed so that it extends beyond the contact socket in the connection direction. The insulating collar can advantageously provide contact protection for the contact socket.
[0026] According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the spring element has a first spring end. The spring element can also comprise a second spring end, which lies opposite the first spring end in the axial direction. With respect to the connection direction defined above, the first spring end represents the upper spring end, which therefore faces the contact unit of the fastening means, and the second spring end represents the lower spring end. Furthermore, it is advantageous if the insulating sleeve, in particular in a first sleeve region, which represents an upper sleeve region with respect to the connection direction, has a radially outwardly projecting contact flange, on which the first spring end is supported counter to the connection direction. This provides an advantageous support option for the first spring end.As already described above, this contact flange can be arranged in the axial direction between the contact unit and the upper end of the spring element. As a result, the insulating sleeve is held to the contact unit by the spring element, even when the contact unit is moved in the connection direction. Furthermore, this contact flange can simultaneously provide electrical insulation between the contact unit of the fastening device and the spring element in the axial direction. The contact flange can be formed at the upper end or upper edge of the insulating sleeve. This represents the most space-saving variant. However, the contact flange can also be spaced axially from the upper end of the insulating sleeve.Starting from the contact flange, the insulating sleeve extends at least a little way downwards in the axial direction in order to provide insulation in the radial direction between the spring element and the fastening means.
[0027] Preferably, the spring element can be compressed by moving the contacting unit, e.g. the head of the fastening means, in the connection direction, while the contact socket remains in its position, and the module connector can thus be transferred from the first state to the second state. The fact that the contact socket remains in its position can be defined in particular with reference to a coordinate system which is firmly connected to the corresponding module pole connection. In order to connect the module connector to the module pole connection, the module connector can first be plugged onto a corresponding area of the module pole connection. In this state, the contact surface of the contact socket already rests on a corresponding second contact surface of the module pole connection. This second contact surface will later also be referred to as the contact area of the module pole connection.In this state, the module connector is still in its initial state. The screw head is at a certain distance from the busbar and is therefore not electrically connected to it. When the screw is screwed in, the screw head moves toward the contact socket. This does not move in the connection direction, as it rests on the corresponding contact area of the module terminal. Relatively speaking, however, the contact socket also moves toward the busbar. In other words, screwing in the screw compresses the spring, causing the screw head to rest on the top side of the busbar.
[0028] It is also particularly advantageous if the spring element is designed as a spiral spring that is at least partially inserted or passed through the rail through-opening and is electrically insulated from the busbar by means of the insulating sleeve. If the spring element is designed as a spiral spring, the screw neck with the insulating sleeve can be easily passed through the spiral spring. This stabilizes the spiral spring in the radial direction. This also enables a particularly compact design. The spiral spring, like the screw neck with the insulating sleeve, can therefore be passed through the rail through-opening or at least partially inserted into it, depending on how the end of the spiral spring opposite the screw head is supported.The aforementioned insulating sleeve also electrically insulates the coil spring, which is also preferably made of a metallic material, from the fastening element. Generally, the spring element is preferably made of a metallic material. This makes the spring element particularly stable and robust over time.
[0029] A second, in particular lower, contact flange for the spring element can, as already mentioned above, be provided as part of the housing, which can have one or more insulating webs that project radially inwards and penetrate the contact sleeve, i.e. the contact socket, in the radial direction, and extend further inwards in the radial direction than the contact sleeve. The inner ends of these webs can optionally be connected to one another by an insulating ring, which is also part of the housing and which encloses the insulating sleeve in the radial direction and is movable relative to it in the axial direction, in order to increase the contact surface for the spring and the stability. These configurations have the advantage that one such web or several such webs with the optional insulating ring of the housing simultaneously provide a mounting option for holding the contact socket.This can be designed with corresponding slots on the underside into which these webs are inserted opposite to the connection direction. Underside means that the slots are located in the front side of the contact socket, through which the contact surface for contacting the module pole connection is provided. Such webs can advantageously prevent the contact socket from falling out downwards in the connection direction through the opening in the housing. In principle, it is also conceivable for the contact socket to be materially connected to the busbar. This is easily achieved because the contact socket should preferably not be designed to be displaceable relative to the busbar. In the case of such a materially connected connection, no mounting option for the contact socket is required, as it is firmly connected to the busbar and is thus held in place by it.The busbar and the contact socket can also be provided as a single forged component, for example. In particular, the contact socket and the busbar can be made of the same material, for example, copper. However, this applies regardless of whether the contact socket is permanently and materially bonded to the busbar or not.
[0030] According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, a second contact flange for the spring element can be provided by a part of the contact socket. For this purpose, the contact socket can have a radially inwardly projecting widening, e.g. in the form of a ring, which is formed on the inner surface of the contact socket, which delimits the contact socket in the radially inward direction and which faces the insulating element. The above-mentioned insulating webs as part of the housing can then be dispensed with, in particular if the contact socket is fixed to the busbar, as described above, or they can nevertheless be additionally provided, including the optional insulating ring connecting the webs, e.g. as a holder for the contact socket.
[0031] Furthermore, the invention also relates to a module pole connection for electrical connection to a module connector according to the invention or one of its embodiments.
[0032] In addition, the module pole connection has a module pole busbar and a contacting area provided by the module pole busbar or electrically connected thereto, which can be electrically contacted with the contact surface of the module connector in the connection direction from the perspective of the module pole connection or opposite to the connection direction from the perspective of the module connector.In addition, the module pole busbar comprises a housing, in particular a second housing, which is designed to be electrically insulating and in which the module pole busbar is accommodated, wherein the housing has a housing wall which has a recess region with at least one recess for exposing at least part of the contacting region, wherein the housing wall has a recess edge region which surrounds the recess region in a radial direction and wherein the housing wall comprises an electrically insulating insulation ring radially within the recess region, which is connected to the recess edge region via at least one insulation web.
[0033] The special feature of the design of the module terminal connection is primarily that the housing wall of the second housing of this module terminal connection comprises an inner insulating ring and an outer recess edge region, which are connected by at least one insulating web of the housing wall. The insulating web thus runs through the recess region of the housing wall, which exposes the contact area of the module terminal connection. By providing at least one insulating web, it is now possible not only to provide a single, closed, ring-shaped recess in the recess region to expose the contact area, but also to subdivide or divide this recess into several recess segments, for example. The individual recesses can thus be significantly reduced in size in terms of their dimensions. This, in turn, can provide contact protection, for example.For example, the individual recesses can be made smaller the more connecting webs are provided between the inner insulating ring and the outer recess area. Such insulating webs therefore advantageously make it possible to provide contact protection 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 similar. In order to make contact with this module pole connection, the corresponding module connector can have, for example, a slot or a slot-shaped recess on the front side of the contact socket corresponding to at least one insulating web.These slots can, for example, correspond to the slots already described above, which also accommodate the optional, radially inwardly projecting webs of the first housing of the module connector, which provide a lower contact flange for the spring element. This eliminates the need for additional slots; instead, the slots can simply be provided correspondingly deeper in the axial direction to simultaneously accommodate the webs as housing components of the module connector and the insulating webs as housing components of the module terminal connection. If such module connectors and a corresponding module terminal are then electrically connected to one another, at least one electrically insulating insulating web is located in such a slot of the contact socket.Accordingly, twisting between the module connector and the module pole connection is then no longer possible, or not possible up to a certain torque, because the insulating web counteracts this torque. An insulating web is generally understood to be an elongated component made of an electrically insulating material. The recess edge region, which surrounds the recess region, is particularly 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 area of the housing wall in which the at least one or more recesses are arranged, particularly in the radial direction around the insulating ring. The recess region can be defined by the entirety of the recess. The recesses can be separated by the insulating webs.Therefore, the cutout area does not have to be a continuous area. The cutout area can also be defined such that, in addition to the cutouts, it also includes at least one or more insulating webs. In this case, the cutout area is a continuous area through which the at least one insulating web passes.
[0034] In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the module pole connection comprises a second, in particular annular contact socket with a second socket opening, wherein the contact socket, in particular the contact socket of the module pole connection, which is also referred to below as the second contact socket, provides the contacting area. Furthermore, the module pole busbar has a second busbar through-opening, wherein the second contact socket is arranged in contact with the module pole busbar, so that the second contact socket is arranged coaxially with the second busbar through-opening. The contacting area can be increased by such a contact socket, namely the second contact socket. In the radial direction, the contact socket is surrounded by a corresponding second insulating collar of the second housing of the module pole connection, although there is a distance between this second insulating collar and the second contact socket.The first insulation collar of the module connector housing can be inserted into this gap. This design is particularly advantageous when the contact socket of the module connector is set back from the insulation collar of the module connector in the connection direction.
[0035] The insulation ring, the at least one insulation web, and the recess edge region of the module pole connection can also be raised relative to a base plane of the housing wall. In other words, the housing wall can be made thicker in the region of the insulation ring, the insulation web, and the recess edge region, in particular by means of protruding collars, than in the regions of the housing wall radially adjacent outside the recess edge region. Contact protection can additionally be provided by reducing the size of the opening in the housing wall that must be penetrated in order to make contact with the contacting region of the module pole connection by providing the at least one insulation web. As a result, the elevation of the housing wall in the region of the insulation ring, the at least one insulation web, and the recess edge region can also be smaller, which saves installation space in the axial direction.The insulating ring of the housing wall of the module terminal connection surrounds a circular opening, in particular a central circular opening. A fastening means, for example a screw, can be inserted into this opening, namely the fastening means of the corresponding module connector. This allows the module terminal connection to be fixed, in particular screwed, to the corresponding module connector. In both cases, no additional insulating pin, which is raised further in the axial direction above the base plane of the housing wall, needs to be provided within the insulating ring of the module terminal connection. This, in turn, significantly saves installation space in the axial direction. Furthermore, the invention also relates to a connecting arrangement for a battery module, wherein the connecting arrangement has a module connector according to the invention or one of its embodiments, as well as a module terminal connection according to the invention or one of its embodiments.The above-described advantages of the module connector according to the invention, the module pole connection according to the invention and their configurations apply equally to the connection arrangement according to the invention and its embodiments.
[0036] Furthermore, the invention also relates to a battery for a motor vehicle, in particular a high-voltage battery, which comprises a module connector according to the invention or one of its embodiments and / or a module terminal connection according to the invention or one of its embodiments and / or a connection arrangement according to the invention or one of its embodiments. The battery can also comprise one or more battery modules. The battery modules can in turn comprise one or more battery cells, e.g., lithium-ion cells.
[0037] Furthermore, the invention also relates to a motor vehicle with a battery 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.
[0038] 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 as 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. The invention also encompasses combinations of the features of the described embodiments. The invention therefore also encompasses implementations that each have a combination of the features of several of the described embodiments, unless the embodiments have been described as mutually exclusive.
[0039] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are described below. Shown are:
[0040] Fig. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view and an exploded view of a module connector according to an embodiment of the invention;
[0041] Fig. 2 is a schematic and perspective view of the module connector from Fig. 1;
[0042] Fig. 3 is a schematic and perspective view of a module pole connection according to an embodiment of the invention;
[0043] Fig. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the module pole connection from Fig. 3 according to an embodiment of the invention;
[0044] Fig. 5 is a schematic and perspective view of a connection arrangement with a module pole connection and a module connector according to an embodiment of the invention;
[0045] Fig. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the connecting arrangement of Fig. 5 according to an embodiment of the invention; and Fig. 7 is a further schematic cross-sectional view of the connecting arrangement of Fig. 5 according to an embodiment of the invention.
[0046] 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.
[0047] In the figures, the same reference symbols designate elements with the same function.
[0048] 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.
[0049] The module connector 10 comprises an electrically conductive busbar 14. This, in turn, has a busbar through-opening 14a. Furthermore, the module connector 10 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 has an end face 16e that provides a contact surface 36 for electrically contacting the corresponding module pole connection 12. Furthermore, the contact socket 16 is arranged below the busbar 14 in the connection direction R, specifically such that the busbar through-opening 14a and the socket opening 16a are coaxially aligned or flush with one another. Thus, a part of a fastening means 18, which in this example comprises a screw 20 with an optional washer 22, in particular a metallic washer 22, can be passed through both openings 14a, 16a simultaneously.In this example, the screw 20 comprises a screw neck 20a which passes through the openings 14a, 16.
[0050] In addition to a screw neck 20a, the screw 20 also comprises a head 20b. This is widened in the radial direction compared to the screw neck 20a. In general, the fastening means 18 can comprise a contact unit 18a widened in the radial direction, which in the example of the screw 20 is provided by the screw head 20b and the optional washer 22. Instead of a separate
[0051] Washer 22, the screw head 20b can also be designed with an integrated support flange, which takes on the function of a separate washer 22. The support flange, like the washer 22, serves to more evenly distribute the contact pressure of the screw head 20b on the busbar 14, in particular in a second state Z2 mounted on the module pole connection 12 (cf. Fig. 6 and Fig. 7). Furthermore, the module connector 10 comprises a housing 24, which in this example is designed in several parts and 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 areas, and, for example, a
[0052] Insulation collar 28a which surrounds at least a part of the contact socket 16 and preferably the entire contact socket 16 and a part of the busbar 14 in the radial direction.
[0053] The contact socket 16 has one or more slots 56 on the underside.
[0054] These perform a multiple function. The slots 56 are shown in cross-section in the right-hand illustration in Fig. 1. In other words, the cross-section shown runs through these slots 56. The housing base 28 comprises webs 28b that project radially inward from the collar 28a and penetrate the slots 56. Radially inside the contact socket 16, these webs 28b are connected by an insulating ring that forms a contact flange 28c for the spring element 30, which will be explained in more detail later. The webs 28b, which extend radially inward through the slots 56, can not only provide the contact flange 28c, but optionally also a holder for the contact socket 16, provided that the latter is not fixed to the busbar 14 or formed integrally with it.
[0055] The remaining parts of the housing 24 serve mainly to electrically insulate the busbar 14. The upper housing part 26 can also have a through opening 26a in the area of the screw head 20b to allow access for a screwing tool.
[0056] In this example, the module connector 10 advantageously comprises a spring element 30, in particular a metallic spring element 30, in the form of a spiral spring 32. This spring radially surrounds the screw neck 20a but is electrically insulated from it by an insulating element in the form of an insulating sleeve 34. The spring 32 is also guided through the rail through-opening 14a. Optionally, it can also be inserted a short distance into the socket opening 16a or guided through it, although this is not necessarily the case. This can vary depending on the design of the contact flange 28c, which supports a lower end 32a of the spring 32. Furthermore, the insulating webs 48 of the corresponding module terminal connection 12 (see Fig. 3 and Fig. 4), described in more detail below, can also be accommodated in the slots 56, in particular for mounting the module connector 10 on the module terminal connection 12.To accommodate these insulating webs 48 of the module pole connection 12, the insulating collar 28a also has corresponding slots 28d. The cross-section shown on the right-hand side in Fig. 1 also runs through these. Furthermore, the module connector 10 comprises the aforementioned insulating sleeve 34. This is partially arranged in the rail through-opening 14a and insulates the rail 14, the contact socket 16, which in this example is permanently held or arranged and / or fixed to the busbar 14 in contact therewith, and also the spring 32 from the screw 20. The sleeve 34 can be designed as a separate component from the screw 20 or as a plastic sheathing of the screw neck 20a. However, a separate design simplifies the assembly and formation of the fastening means 18. Nevertheless, the insulating sleeve 34 can be coupled in motion to the fastening means 18.If the fastening means 18 is moved in the connection direction R relative to the busbar 14, the insulating sleeve 34 also moves correspondingly. Optionally, the insulating sleeve can also be arranged in contact with the screw neck 20a. The insulating sleeve 34 comprises a contact flange 34a, which is widened in the radial direction compared to the rest of the sleeve 34. In this example, the contact flange 34a simultaneously forms the upper sleeve end 34b. The second end 32b of the spring 32 is supported upwards by this contact flange 34a of the insulating sleeve 34. The contact flange 34a thus also reliably electrically insulates the spring 32 from the contact unit 18a of the fastening means 18, in this case from the washer 22 and the screw head 20b.In addition, the insulating sleeve 34 can be held by the spring 32 supported on the contact flange 34a and pressed upwards against the contact unit 18a, in this example against the washer 22 and the screw head 20b, or the fastening means 18 can be held by the upper support of the contact unit 18a on the upper sleeve end 34b by the spring 32 supporting the contact flange 34a and above it the entire insulating sleeve 34.
[0057] The spring 32 is supported with its upper end 32b on the contact flange 34a of the insulating sleeve 34 and with its lower end 32a on the
[0058] Contact flange 28c of the housing base 28. The spring 32 is thus clamped between these two contact flanges 34a, 28c, which are movable relative to one another in the axial direction R. In the first state Z1 of the module connector 10 shown here, the spring 32, which, for example, only bears the weight of the screw 20, the washer 22, and the insulating sleeve 34 when the connection direction R points in the direction of gravity, can also be in an at least almost relaxed or slightly compressed state.
[0059] By providing this spring 32, it is advantageously possible, in this example, to keep the screw 20 electrically insulated from the busbar 14 in the first state Z1 of the module connector 10. The spring 32 thus keeps the screw 20, in particular its screw head 20b and the washer 22, 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 20. In this first state Z1 shown here, the screw 20, for example, the screw neck 20a, which protrudes from the circumferential insulating collar 28a in the connection direction R at the end opposite the screw head 20b, can be touched safely, since even when the busbar 14 is live, there is no electrically conductive contact with the screw 20.
[0060] A further major advantage of this design is that the end of the screw 20 opposite the screw head 20b does not have to be equipped with electrical insulation, such as an insulating cap or an electrically insulating sheath, for example made of plastic, or the like. The screw 20 can be designed without insulation as a whole, i.e. also its entire screw neck 20a and in particular the end of the screw 20 protruding from the housing 24. The same applies if another elongated fastening means 18 is selected instead of a screw 20 with a corresponding head and a neck adjoining it in the connection direction R. Since the insulating sleeve 34 is also located radially inside the spring 32, very large creepage distances from the screw head 20b orthe washer 22 to the busbar 14 without having to make the insulating sleeve 34 particularly thick-walled.
[0061] In this example, however, the contact socket 16 is permanently connected to the busbar 14. Accordingly, in this embodiment, it is preferred that the circumferential insulating collar 28a of the housing 24 protrudes beyond the contact socket 16 in the connection direction R. This can provide contact protection for the contact socket 16. Thus, the contact socket does not protrude from the housing 24 in the connection direction R.
[0062] Fig. 2 shows again a schematic and perspective representation of the module connector 10 from Fig. 1.
[0063] 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 representation. This module terminal connection 12 is designed to be electrically contacted with a module connector 10 according to Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, as described above, in particular via a plug connection in the plugging direction or connection direction R.
[0064] The module terminal connection 12 also has a busbar 37, namely a module terminal busbar 37. Furthermore, the module terminal connection 12 comprises a housing 38 that encloses the busbar 37.
[0065] As can be clearly seen in Fig. 4, the module pole connection 12 additionally comprises a second contact socket 37b, which provides a contact area 37a and is arranged on the busbar 37. The contact area 37a can be electrically contacted and contacted with the contact surface 36 of the module connector 10 when the module pole connection 12 is connected to the module connector 10 as intended. This second contact socket 37b is made of metallic material and, for example, has a ring-shaped design. This additional contact socket 37b can be manufactured as a separate component and joined to the busbar 37, or can be forged as a single component together with the busbar 37. The contact socket 37b, like the busbar 37, is preferably made of copper in order to provide particularly good electrical conductivity.
[0066] The busbar 37 also has a through-opening 54. In this area, below the busbar 37, i.e., on the opposite side of the second contact socket 37b, a nut 52 is provided, into which the screw 20 of the module connector 10 can be screwed. The nut 52 can be designed as a press-in nut that is pressed into the through-opening 54 of the busbar 37, or it can be welded to the busbar 37 in the area of the opening 54 or joined in some other way. The nut 52 can be made of steel, for example. In general, the busbar 37 and the nut 52 can be made of different materials. This allows the busbar 37 to be designed to be highly conductive, while the nut 52 can provide the necessary stability and holding force for the screw 20.In other embodiments, the nut 52 may also be another coupling element for coupling to a corresponding fastening means 18 of the module connector 10. In this example, the nut 52 is designed with an internal thread, which, however, is not explicitly shown here. The contact socket 37b is arranged on the busbar 37 such that the through-opening 37c provided by the contact socket 37b is arranged coaxially with the opening 54 in the busbar 37 and the central opening of the nut 52.
[0067] The housing 38 advantageously has a housing wall 40 with a cutout region 40a, which has at least one cutout 42 for exposing at least part of the contact region 37a. Furthermore, the housing wall 40 comprises a cutout edge region 44 in the form of an annular, protruding collar that radially surrounds the cutout region 40a relative to a central axis A'. Furthermore, the housing wall 40 comprises, radially within the cutout region 40a, an electrically insulating insulation ring 46 that is connected to the cutout edge region 44 via at least one insulation web 48, in the present example, two insulation webs 48.
[0068] The cutout edge region 44, the insulating ring 46, and the insulating webs 48 can be raised relative to the surrounding housing wall 40. In this case, the contact protection is primarily provided by the insulating webs 48 and the width of the cutout region 40a. This segments the exposed regions 37a of the contact socket 37b into smaller sub-regions. 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 makes it particularly easy to provide contact protection. Contacting with the module connector 10 is also particularly easy, and a complex geometry of the module pole connection 12 can be dispensed with.
[0069] The inner insulation ring 46 and optionally the recess edge region 44 can also be arranged coaxially aligned with the through-opening 54 of the rail 37. Furthermore, the outer circumference of the contact socket 37b is spaced from the inner wall of the recess edge region 44. This creates a gap 39 between the recess edge region 44 and the second contact socket 37b in the radial direction. The insulation collar 28a of the housing 24 of the module connector 10 can be inserted into this gap 39, as described for Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. At the same time, contact can be established between the corresponding contact surfaces 36, 37a. Fig. 5 shows a schematic and perspective view of a connection arrangement 50 with a module connector 10 according to Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, as well as with a corresponding module pole connection 12, for example according to Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, according to an embodiment of the invention. Fig.Fig. 6 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the connection arrangement 50 from Fig. 5 according to a first cross section, and Fig. 7 according to a second cross section. The module connector 10 and the module pole connection 12 can thus be designed as previously described. The module connector 10 is now in its 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 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 of the module pole connection 12.
[0070] Thus, when the screw 20 is screwed into the nut 52, the screw head 20b and the insulating sleeve 34 move downward, i.e., in the connection direction R, while, for example, the contact socket 16, which rests on the module terminal 12, is held in position. This reduces the distance between the screw head 20b and the contact socket 16 until the washer 22 comes into contact with the busbar 14. This compresses the spring 32. Consequently, contact is made between the screw 20, the busbar 14, and the contact socket 16.
[0071] The touch protection at the module terminal connection 12 can thus be realized by the geometry of the insulating housing 38. The touch protection of the module connector 10 can also be designed very advantageously as described. This allows for a particularly compact
[0072] Connecting arrangement 50 primarily in the axial direction R.
[0073] The touch protection at the module pole, i.e. at the module pole connection 12, can therefore be implemented by the geometry of the insulated housing 38. The high-voltage connector 10, i.e. the module connector 10, can also be designed to be touch-protected. The touch protection at the high-voltage connector 10 is advantageously implemented by the integrated spring element 30 and the insulating sleeve 34. In the first state Z1, a spring element 30 holds 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 connecting element 18 has no electrical connection to the busbar 14 and is therefore touch-protected, or the module connector 10 as a whole can be regarded as being touch-protected.When connecting the high-voltage connector 10 to the electrical interface, i.e., the module terminal connection 12, of the battery, the fastening element 18 is electrically connected and pressed into the busbar 14. This ensures electrical contact in the assembled state. The electrically insulating housing of both the module connector 10 and the module terminal connection 12 also provides contact protection in the assembled state.
[0074] This allows the module terminal 12 to be designed with touch protection in a simple manner and with a minimum number of components. No additional insulation of the connecting elements on the module terminal 12 or on the HV connector 10 is required, and the touch protection is provided by the existing housing 24, 38. Standard connecting elements, such as screws, washers, and press-in nuts, can be advantageously used for screwing.
[0075] 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) for electrically connecting to a module terminal connection (12) of a battery module by establishing a plug connection in a connection direction (R), the module connector (10) comprising: - a fastening means (18, 20) with a contacting unit (18a; 20b, 22), - an electrically conductive busbar (14) with a rail passage opening (14a) for at least partially passing through the fastening means (18, 20) in the connection direction (R); - an electrically conductive contact socket (16) having an end face (16e) providing 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 at least part of the fastening means (18, 20) can be passed through the rail through-opening (14a) and the socket opening (16a) in the connection direction (R) at the same time; - 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 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 contacting unit (18a; 20b, 22) of the fastening means (18, 20) is actuated by means of the spring element (30, 32) is held at a distance from the busbar (14) and electrically insulated therefrom, and in the second state (Z2) is arranged in electrical contact with the busbar (14) under compression of the spring element (30, 32), and - wherein the module connector (10) comprises an insulating element (34) by means of which the fastening means (18, 20) is electrically insulated from the spring element (30, 32) in a state in which it is at least partially passed through the rail passage opening (14a) and in the first state (Z1) of the module connector (10).
2. Module connector (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the module connector (10) comprises, as the insulating element (34), an insulating sleeve (34) made of an electrically insulating material, wherein the insulating sleeve (34) is arranged in the rail through-opening (14a) and is arranged in the radial direction between the fastening means (18, 20) and the spring element (30, 32), wherein the fastening means (18, 20) is electrically insulated from the busbar (14) and the spring element (30, 32) by means of the insulating sleeve (34) in a state in which it is at least partially passed through the rail through-opening (14a), in particular wherein the spring element (30, 32) is designed as a spiral spring (32) which is at least partially inserted or passed through the rail through-opening (14a) and is electrically insulated from the fastening means (18, 20) by means of the insulating sleeve (34).
3. Module connector (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the fastening means (18, 20) protrudes from the housing (24) in the connection direction (R) in the first state (Z1) of the module connector (10).
4. Module connector (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the fastening means (18, 20) comprises a head (20b) as part of the contacting unit (18a; 20b, 22) and a neck (20a) adjoining the head (20b) in the connection direction (R), wherein the neck (20a) is passed through the rail through-opening (14a) and the socket opening (16a), and the head (20b) is held at a distance from the busbar (14) and electrically insulated from the busbar (14) by means of the spring element (30, 32) in the first state (Z1) of the module connector (10), and is electrically conductively connected to the busbar (14) in the second state (Z2).
5. Module connector (10) according to one of the preceding claims, 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 insulation collar (28a) projects beyond the contact socket (16) in the connection direction (R).
6. Module connector (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the insulating sleeve (34) and the fastening means (18, 20) are arranged relative to one another in such a way that when the fastening means (18, 20) is moved relative to the connection direction (R), the insulating sleeve (34) is moved together with the fastening means (18, 20).
7. Module connector (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the spring element (30, 32) has a first spring end (32b), and the insulating sleeve (34), in particular in a first sleeve region, has a radially outwardly projecting contact flange (34a) on which the first spring end (32b) is supported counter to the connection direction (R), in particular wherein the spring element (30, 32) by a movement of the contacting unit (18a; 20b, 22) 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).
8. Module connector (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the housing (24) has a radially inwardly projecting contact flange (28b, 28c) which penetrates the contact socket (16) through a through opening (56) in the contact socket (16), on which flange the spring element (30, 32) is supported in the connection direction (R) with a second spring end (32a).
9. Module pole connection (12) for electrical connection to a module connector (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that - the module pole connection (12) has a module pole busbar (37) and a contacting area (37a) provided by the module pole busbar (37) or electrically conductively connected thereto, which contacting area can be electrically contacted with the contact surface (36) of the module connector (10) in the connection direction (R), 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 region (40a) with at least one recess (42) for exposing at least part of the contacting region (37a), - 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) according to one of claims 1 to 8 and a module pole terminal (12) according to claim 9.