Conductive module

Abstract

To improve assembling workability of a cover member.SOLUTION: A conductive module includes: a plurality of bus bars 10 that electrically connect a plurality of battery cells BC in a battery module BM; a circuit conductor component 20 that includes a circuit conductor for each of the bus bars that electrically connects the bus bar to a battery monitoring unit, the circuit conductor component being formed flat with flexibility; a housing member 40 that houses the bus bar and the circuit conductor component through an opening; and a cover member 50 that is assembled to the housing member and closes the opening. The circuit conductor component includes: a trunk line portion 21 in which the circuit conductor for each of the bus bars is wired, the trunk line portion being housed at a prescribed position in the housing member; and a branch portion 22 that is obtained by branching the circuit conductor for each of the bus bars from the trunk line portion and is bent and routed in a prescribed shape within an elastic range between the trunk line portion at the prescribed position and the bus bar. The housing member is provided with a trunk line locking portion 42 that locks the trunk line portion at the prescribed position in a state where the branch portion is bent into the prescribed shape.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a conductive module. [Background technology]

[0002] A conductive module electrically connects multiple battery cells using multiple bus bars in a battery module in which multiple battery cells are arranged. The conductive module electrically connects each bus bar to a battery monitoring unit via a flexible, flat circuit conductor component provided with a circuit conductor for each bus bar. The circuit conductor component is, for example, a flexible printed circuit board including a sheet-like insulating layer and a conductor layer provided with multiple circuit conductors. The circuit conductor component is housed together with the bus bars in a housing member and covered with a cover member. The circuit conductor component has a trunk portion in which the circuit conductors for each bus bar are wired, and branch portions in which the circuit conductors for each bus bar branch from the trunk portion. The circuit conductors of the branch portions are electrically connected to the bus bars. This type of conductive module is disclosed, for example, in Patent Document 1 listed below. In the conductive module of Patent Document 1, the circuit conductors of the branch portions are electrically connected to the bus bars via terminal fittings. In the conductive module of Patent Document 1, the branch portions are arranged by being bent within their elastic range between the trunk portion and the terminal fittings. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-173610 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In a conductive module, for example, the end of a branch portion or a terminal fitting fixed to the end of the branch portion is fixed to a bus bar positioned within a housing member, and then the branch portion is bent into a specified shape and a cover member is attached to the housing member. Therefore, in the circuit conductor component, a reaction force caused by the bending of the branch portion acts on the bus bar or the terminal fitting. This reaction force is then returned from the bus bar or the terminal fitting to the branch portion, causing the branch portion to return to its original shape before being bent, lifting the trunk portion. For this reason, conventional conductive modules may reduce the ease of assembling the cover member.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a conductive module that can improve the workability of assembling a cover member. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention provides a battery module comprising: a plurality of bus bars that electrically connect a plurality of battery cells in a battery module; circuit conductors for each of the bus bars that electrically connect the bus bars to a battery monitoring unit; a circuit conductor component that is formed flat and flexible; an accommodating member that accommodates the bus bars and the circuit conductor component through an opening; and a cover member that is attached to the accommodating member and closes the opening. The circuit conductor component has a trunk portion to which the circuit conductors for each of the bus bars are wired and that is accommodated at a specified position in the accommodating member; and branch portions that branch the circuit conductors from the trunk portion for each of the bus bars and are arranged by being bent into a specified shape within an elastic range between the trunk portion at the specified position and the bus bar. The accommodating member is provided with a trunk locking portion that locks the trunk portion at the specified position when the branch portion is bent into the specified shape. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] In the conductive module according to the present invention, the trunk wire is held in a specified position by the trunk wire locking portion, preventing it from floating up. Therefore, in the conductive module according to the present invention, the cover member can be assembled to the housing member without considering the state of the trunk wire, thereby improving the workability of assembling the cover member to the housing member. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a conductive module according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the conductive module of the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a plan view of a part of the conductive module with the cover member and the circuit cover member removed, showing the main line locking portion locking the main line portion in a specified position. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line X1-X1 of FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line X2-X2 of FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a battery module together with a bus bar. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a plan view of a portion of the conductive module with the cover member and the circuit cover member removed, showing the main line locking portion in the unlocked position. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line X2-X2 of FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a plan view of a part of the conductive module with the cover member removed. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line X3-X3 in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of a conductive module according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment.

[0010] [Embodiment] One embodiment of a conductive module according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0011] Reference numeral 1 in Figures 1 to 5 indicates a conductive module of this embodiment. This conductive module 1 is assembled to a battery module BM (Figure 6) in which a plurality of battery cells BC are arranged (for example, arranged in a single row), and electrically connects the plurality of battery cells BC in this battery module BM. This conductive module 1 also electrically connects this battery module BM to a battery monitoring unit (not shown), allowing the battery monitoring unit to monitor the battery state of the battery cells BC. This conductive module 1, together with the battery module BM, constitutes a battery pack. The battery pack is mounted, for example, on a vehicle (such as a BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle) or HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle) that has a rotating machine as its driving source, and is used to supply power to the rotating machine.

[0012] Each battery cell BC includes a cell body BCa and positive and negative electrode terminals BCb (FIG. 6). The battery cell BC shown here has a cell body BCa formed in a rectangular shape with six outer wall surfaces. In the battery module BM, adjacent cell bodies BCa in the arrangement direction are arranged with one outer wall surface facing each other. This battery module BM includes one electrode terminal group BCc in which one electrode terminal BCb of each battery cell BC is arranged along the arrangement direction, and another electrode terminal group BCc in which the other electrode terminals BCb of each battery cell BC are arranged along the arrangement direction (FIG. 6).

[0013] Hereinafter, when the term "arrangement direction" is used without any particular mention, it refers to the arrangement direction of a plurality of battery cells BC or the arrangement direction of a plurality of electrode terminals BCb in an electrode terminal group BCc.

[0014] In this example, each battery cell BC has a positive and negative electrode terminal BCb on one of the six outer wall surfaces of the cell body BCa (FIG. 6). Therefore, in the battery module BM, two electrode terminal groups BCc are provided on one plane (FIG. 6).

[0015] The electrode terminal BCb shown here is formed in a flat plate shape and is physically and electrically connected to the bus bar 10 (described later) by welding or the like (FIG. 6). However, the electrode terminal BCb may be formed in a pole column shape with a male screw portion. In this case, the bus bar 10 is fixed to the electrode terminal BCb by screwing a female screw member into the male screw portion of the electrode terminal BCb.

[0016] The conductive module 1 includes a plurality of bus bars 10 that electrically connect a plurality of battery cells BC in a battery module BM (FIG. 6). The conductive module 1 includes circuit conductors for each bus bar 10 that electrically connect the bus bars 10 to a battery monitoring unit, and includes flexible, flat circuit conductor components 20 (FIGS. 1 to 5). The conductive module 1 of this embodiment also includes terminal fittings 30 for each bus bar 10 that electrically connect the circuit conductors to the bus bars 10 to be connected (FIGS. 2 and 3). The conductive module 1 includes a housing member 40 that houses the bus bars 10 and the circuit conductor components 20 through openings, and a cover member 50 that is assembled to the housing member 40 and closes the opening (FIGS. 1 and 2). The conductive module 1 also includes a circuit cover member 60 that is assembled to the housing member 40 and is interposed between the circuit conductor components 20 and the cover member 50 to cover the circuit conductor components 20 (FIG. 2). Here, for example, the terminal fittings 30 for each bus bar 10 are attached to the circuit conductor component 20 in advance, and the circuit conductor component 20 with the terminal fittings 30 attached thereto is accommodated in the accommodating member 40 .

[0017] The busbar 10 and the terminal fitting 30 are made of a conductive material such as metal. The circuit conductor component 20 is made of a conductive material such as metal and an insulating material such as synthetic resin. The accommodating member 40, the cover member 50, and the circuit cover member 60 are made of an insulating material such as synthetic resin.

[0018] The bus bar 10 is a metal plate-shaped conductive component, and is formed by press-forming, for example, a metal plate as a base material. The bus bar 10 shown here is formed in a rectangular flat plate shape.

[0019] The conductive module 1 includes, as the busbars 10, one that is physically and electrically connected to adjacent electrode terminals BCb of a pair of battery cells BC in the battery module BM, one that is physically and electrically connected to the electrode terminal BCb that serves as the total negative electrode in the battery module BM, and one that is physically and electrically connected to the electrode terminal BCb that serves as the total positive electrode in the battery module BM.

[0020] As the circuit conductor component 20, for example, a flexible printed circuit board (FPC) in which a conductor pattern as a circuit conductor is formed for each bus bar 10 is used.

[0021] This circuit conductor component 20 has a trunk portion 21 in which the circuit conductors for each bus bar 10 are wired and which is housed at a specified position in the housing member 40, and branch portions 22 in which the circuit conductors are branched from this trunk portion 21 for each bus bar 10 and which are arranged by being bent into a specified shape within an elastic range between the trunk portion 21 at the specified position and the bus bar 10 (Figures 2 to 4).

[0022] The trunk portion 21 extends in the arrangement direction and is arranged side by side with respect to each of the bus bars 10 to be connected, in a direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction. In this trunk portion 21, the circuit conductors of each bus bar 10 are wired along the arrangement direction. The branch portion 22 branches off from the trunk portion 21 together with the circuit conductors of the bus bars 10 to be connected. In this branch portion 22, the circuit conductors are wired up to the tip.

[0023] The trunk portion 21 shown here is formed in a rectangular sheet shape with one side along the arrangement direction placed on the side of each bus bar 10 to be connected, and the other side along the arrangement direction serves as a branching starting point, from which branch portions 22 are branched for each bus bar 10. The branch portions 22 shown here are formed in a rectangular sheet shape.

[0024] When viewed from the branch portion 22 side, the main line portion 21 can be said to be a cantilever beam with the other side (i.e., the branch starting point side) where the branch portion 22 is branched as a fixed end. Also, when viewed from the main line portion 21 side, the branch portion 22 can be said to be a cantilever beam with the branch starting point side as a fixed end.

[0025] Branch portion 22 is bent in a U-shape from the branch starting point side of branch portion 22 in main portion 21 so as to slip between main portion 21 and the bottom of housing member 40 (FIG. 4). In other words, branch portion 22 branches off from the other side of main portion 21 inside housing member 40, passes between main portion 21 and the bottom of housing member 40, and is folded back toward one side of main portion 21.

[0026] A terminal fitting 30 of the busbar 10 to be connected is attached to the tip of each branch portion 22 (FIG. 4). The terminal fitting 30 is a metal plate-shaped conductive part, and is formed, for example, by press-forming a metal plate. The terminal fitting 30 is attached to the tip of the branch portion 22 for each busbar 10, and is physically and electrically connected to the circuit conductor of the branch portion 22. The terminal fitting 30 is physically and electrically connected to the circuit conductor of the branch portion 22 by, for example, welding or the like.

[0027] The tip of branch portion 22 shown here is disposed between main line portion 21 and the bottom of accommodating member 40 within accommodating member 40 (FIG. 4). Also, terminal fitting 30 shown here is disposed closer to the bottom of accommodating member 40 than the tip of branch portion 22 within accommodating member 40 (FIG. 4). Therefore, terminal fitting 30 is attached to the tip of branch portion 22 between main line portion 21 and the bottom of accommodating member 40. Terminal fitting 30 shown here is attached to the tip of branch portion 22 in advance.

[0028] The terminal fitting 30 extends from an attachment position with the tip of the branch portion 22 inside the accommodating member 40 toward the bus bar 10 to be connected, and is physically and electrically connected to the bus bar 10 at the end of the extension. The terminal fitting 30 is placed on the bus bar 10 inside the accommodating member 40 and is physically and electrically connected to the bus bar 10 by, for example, welding.

[0029] The circuit conductor component 20 shown here includes a trunk portion 21 and an assembly of branch portions 22 for each bus bar for each electrode terminal group BCc (FIGS. 2 and 3).

[0030] The circuit conductor component 20 has a circuit assembly 23 that connects the respective ends of the trunk line portion 21 of one electrode terminal group BCc and the trunk line portion 21 of the other electrode terminal group BCc in the arrangement direction, and gathers the multiple circuit conductors of both trunk line portions 21 in one place (FIG. 2). In the circuit conductor component 20, this circuit assembly 23 is electrically connected to the battery monitoring unit.

[0031] In this circuit conductor component 20, the trunk portions 21 of one electrode terminal group BCc and the trunk portions 21 of the other electrode terminal group BCc are connected by connecting portions 24 (FIG. 2). One or more connecting portions 24 are provided depending on the length of the trunk portions 21 in the arrangement direction.

[0032] In the conductive module 1, the bus bars 10 are accommodated in the respective bus bar accommodating chambers 41a (FIGS. 2 to 5, 7, and 8) of the main body 41 of the accommodating member 40, and the terminal fittings 30 are placed on the bus bars 10, and the bus bars 10 and the terminal fittings 30 are physically and electrically connected to each other by welding or the like. In the conductive module 1, the circuit conductor components 20 are attached to the respective terminal fittings 30. Therefore, in the conductive module 1, even if an attempt is made to bend each branch portion 22 into a specified shape (the aforementioned U-shape) and position the trunk portion 21 in a specified position, the reaction force caused by the bending of each branch portion 22 returns the trunk portion 21 from the specified position toward its original position, causing the trunk portion 21 to float up.

[0033] Therefore, the housing member 40 is provided with main wire locking portions 42 that lock the main wire portions 21 in a specified position when the branch portions 22 are bent into a specified shape (FIGS. 3 to 5, 7 and 8). The main wire locking portions 42 extend in a direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction and cover a portion of the main wire portions 21 in the direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction (i.e., the width direction of the main wire portions 21) (FIGS. 3 to 5). The main wire locking portions 42 are provided at multiple locations in the arrangement direction.

[0034] The housing member 40 has a rotation axis provided on the branch starting point side of the trunk line portion 21, and has a hinge portion 43 that rotates the trunk line locking portion 42 between a locking position and an unlocking position for the trunk line portion 21 (FIGS. 3 to 5, 7 and 8). The hinge portion 43 is provided at one end of the trunk line locking portion 42. Here, the position of the trunk line locking portion 42 in FIGS. 7 and 8 is the unlocking position where the trunk line portion 21 is not locked by the trunk line locking portion 42. Note that in FIG. 7, for convenience of illustration, the trunk line 21 is positioned at a specified position.

[0035] The main wire locking portion 42 is rotated from the non-locking position to the locking position around the rotation axis of the hinge portion 43. Then, the main wire locking portion 42 rotates to the locking position while pressing down on the main wire portion 21 (FIG. 8), which tries to return to its original position due to the reaction force caused by the bending of each branch portion 22, and keeps the main wire portion 21 in the specified position at the locking position.

[0036] The main line locking portion 42 may be molded as a separate part from the housing member 40 and assembled to the housing member 40, or may be formed as a part of the housing member 40. In this example, the main line locking portion 42 is formed as a part of the housing member 40. Therefore, the hinge portion 43 is formed as a living hinge that connects the main body 41 and one end of the main line locking portion 42.

[0037] The housing member 40 has a first engagement portion 44a provided at the other end of the main line locking portion 42 and a second engagement portion 44b that engages with the first engagement portion 44a to keep the main line 21 locked in a specified position by the main line locking portion 42 (FIGS. 5 and 8). The first engagement portion 44a and the second engagement portion 44b constitute a locking mechanism 44 that keeps the main line 21 locked in a specified position by the main line locking portion 42 (FIGS. 3 and 5).

[0038] For example, the first engagement portion 44a has a flexible cantilever-shaped flexible piece 44a1 that protrudes from the other end of the main line locking portion 42 and has a claw portion 44a2 that protrudes from the free end of the flexible piece 44a1 (FIGS. 5 and 8). The second engagement portion 44b is provided on the periphery of a through-hole 44c of the main body 41 (FIGS. 5 and 8). The first engagement portion 44a is inserted into the through-hole 44c. When the main line locking portion 42 is in the locked position, the claw portion 44a2 that passes through the through-hole 44c is locked by the second engagement portion 44b on the periphery of the through-hole 44c.

[0039] When the main wire locking portion 42 is in the locking position, the first engagement portion 44a is disposed at a position on one side (i.e., the free end side) of the main wire portion 21 in the specified position, away from the one side (free end) ( FIG. 5 ). As a result, the first engagement portion 44a and the second engagement portion 44b, in their engaged state, cover the one side (free end) of the main wire portion 21 in the specified position from the busbar 10 side. Therefore, the position of the one side (free end) of the main wire portion 21 in the specified position is restricted by the first engagement portion 44a and the second engagement portion 44b in their engaged state.

[0040] The circuit cover member 60 is assembled to the housing member 40 with the main line locking portion 42 in the locking position, the first engaging portion 44a, and the second engaging portion 44b holding the main line portion 21 in a specified position (FIG. 9). The circuit cover member 60 is a cover member that covers the circuit conductor component 20 together with the main line locking portion 42 in the locking position, and is disposed between one electrode terminal group BCc and the other electrode terminal group BCc.

[0041] This circuit cover member 60 has a first cover engaging portion 61 that is disposed at a position away from one side portion (free end) of the main line portion 21 in a specified position when the circuit cover member 60 is in a state where assembly to the accommodating member 40 is complete (FIGS. 9 and 10). The accommodating member 40 also has a second cover engaging portion 45 that engages the first cover engaging portion 61 to maintain the circuit cover member 60 in a state where assembly to the accommodating member 40 is complete (FIGS. 9 and 10).

[0042] For example, the first cover engagement portion 61 has a pair of flexible shafts 61a in a cantilever shape that can be bent and are arranged facing each other with a gap in the arrangement direction, and a connecting portion 61b that connects the free ends of the pair of flexible shafts 61a (FIGS. 9 and 10). The second cover engagement portion 45 has a flexible cantilever-shaped flexible piece 45a that hangs down from the bottom side of the main body 41 of the accommodating member 40 and has a claw portion 45b that protrudes from the flexible piece 45a (FIGS. 9 and 10). In the second cover engagement portion 45, the claw portion 45b is inserted into a space surrounded by the pair of flexible shafts 61a and the connecting portion 61b of the first cover engagement portion 61, and the claw portion 45b is hooked onto the connecting portion 61b to maintain the engagement state with the first cover engagement portion 61.

[0043] The first cover engaging portion 61 and the second cover engaging portion 45 are engaged by assembling the circuit cover member 60 to the accommodating member 40. In the engaged state, the first cover engaging portion 61 and the second cover engaging portion 45 are disposed between one side (free end) of the main line portion 21 at a specified position and the bus bar 10. As described above, the main line portion 21 is held in a specified position by the main line locking portion 42, preventing it from lifting up. The position of one side (free end) of the main line portion 21 at the specified position is restricted by the engaged first engaging portion 44a and second engaging portion 44b. Therefore, in the conductive module 1, when assembling the circuit cover member 60 to the accommodating member 40, the main line portion 21 does not get caught between the first cover engaging portion 61 and the second cover engaging portion 45. Therefore, the circuit cover member 60 can be assembled to the accommodating member 40 without considering the state of the main line portion 21.

[0044] As described above, the conductive module 1 of this embodiment can improve the workability of assembling the circuit cover member 60 to the accommodating member 40. Furthermore, in the conductive module 1 of this embodiment, the cover member 50 is placed over the circuit cover member 60, and the cover member 50 is assembled to the accommodating member 40. In the conductive module 1 of this embodiment, the main line portion 21 is already held in a specified position by the main line locking portion 42 while being prevented from floating up, just as when assembling the circuit cover member 60. Therefore, in the conductive module 1 of this embodiment, the cover member 50 can be assembled to the accommodating member 40 without considering the state of the main line portion 21, thereby improving the workability of assembling the cover member 50 to the accommodating member 40. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 1 Conductive Module 10 Bus Bar 20 Circuit conductor parts 21 Main Line 22 Branch 40 Storage member 42 Main line locking part 43 Hinge part 44a First engaging part 44b Second engaging part 45 Second cover engagement portion 50 Cover member 60 Circuit cover member 61 first cover engagement portion BC battery cell BM battery module

Claims

1. a plurality of bus bars that electrically connect the plurality of battery cells in the battery module; a circuit conductor part that includes a circuit conductor for each bus bar that electrically connects the bus bar to a battery monitoring unit, and that is formed flat and flexible; a housing member that houses the bus bar and the circuit conductor component through an opening; a cover member attached to the housing member and closing the opening; Equipped with The circuit conductor component includes a trunk portion to which the circuit conductors for each bus bar are wired and which is accommodated at a specified position in the accommodation member, and branch portions to which the circuit conductors for each bus bar are branched from the trunk portion and which are arranged by being bent into a specified shape within an elastic region between the trunk portion at the specified position and the bus bar, The conductive module is characterized in that the housing member is provided with a main line locking portion that locks the main line portion in the specified position when the branch portion is bent into the specified shape.

2. the branch portion is bent in a U-shape from a branch starting point side of the branch portion in the trunk portion so as to be inserted between the trunk portion and a bottom portion of the accommodating member, The conductive module described in claim 1, characterized in that the accommodating member has a rotation axis provided on the branch starting point side of the main line portion and a hinge portion that rotates the main line engaging portion between an engaging position and an unengaging position of the main line portion.

3. The hinge portion is provided at one end of the main line locking portion, The conductive module described in claim 2, characterized in that the accommodating member has a first engaging portion provided at the other end of the main line locking portion, and a second engaging portion that engages with the first engaging portion to maintain the main line locked in the specified position by the main line locking portion.

4. the trunk portion is a cantilever beam having a fixed end on the branch starting point side where the branch portion is branched, a circuit cover member that is assembled to the housing member and is interposed between the circuit conductor component and the cover member to cover the circuit conductor component together with the main line locking portion in the locking position; the circuit cover member has a first cover engaging portion that is disposed at a position away from the free end of the trunk portion at the specified position when the circuit cover member is completely assembled to the accommodating member, The conductive module according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the accommodating member has a second cover engaging portion that engages with the first cover engaging portion to maintain the circuit cover member in a state where it is completely assembled to the accommodating member.

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