Voltage monitoring module, battery module, and support case

Abstract

To provide a voltage monitoring module capable of easily achieving a structure in which a connection terminal can follow movement of a cell terminal due to contraction or expansion of a battery cell.SOLUTION: A voltage monitoring module is a voltage monitoring module that monitors a state of a voltage of a cell stacked body including a plurality of stacked battery cells, and includes a flexible printed circuit board having a plurality of wirings, and a supporting case 10 that supports the flexible printed circuit board, in which the supporting case 10 includes a first case 20 and a second case 30 that has a main body mounting portion on which a main body portion of the flexible printed circuit board is mounted and is provided so as to be movable in a first direction with respect to the first case 20, and includes a movement restricting portion that restricts movement of the second case 30 with respect to the first case 20 at a final set position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 14

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a voltage monitoring module, a battery module, and a support case. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a voltage monitoring module (busbar module in the same document) that monitors the voltage state of a cell stack (battery assembly in the same document) that includes a plurality of stacked battery cells (cells in the same document). The voltage monitoring module in the same document includes a flexible printed circuit board (flexible substrate in the same document) that has a plurality of wirings. The flexible printed circuit board has a main body portion (main line in the same document) and a branch portion (branch line in the same document) that includes an extension portion that branches from the main body portion and extends in a first direction that is the longitudinal direction of the main body portion, and the branch portion has a connection terminal at its tip side that is connected to a cell terminal that is a terminal of a battery cell. In the technology of Patent Document 1, the branching portion of the flexible printed circuit board is a folded portion having a folded shape, which allows the connection terminal to follow the movement of the cell terminal as the battery cell contracts or expands. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-013766 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, with the technology of Patent Document 1, it is necessary to connect the connection terminals to the cell terminals in a state where a folded portion is formed at the branch portion of the flexible printed circuit board, which makes the assembly work of the flexible printed circuit board complicated.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and provides a voltage monitoring module, a battery module, and a support case that can easily realize a structure in which the connection terminals can follow the movement of the cell terminals that accompanies the contraction or expansion of the battery cells. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to the present invention, there is provided a voltage monitoring module for monitoring the voltage state of a cell stack including a plurality of stacked battery cells, comprising: a flexible printed circuit board having a plurality of wirings; a support case that supports the flexible printed circuit board; Equipped with The flexible printed circuit board is a main body; a branch portion including an extension portion branching from the main body portion and extending in a first direction which is a longitudinal direction of the main body portion; and the branch portion has a connection terminal at a tip end portion thereof that is connected to a cell terminal that is a terminal of the battery cell, The support case is The first case and a second case having a main body mounting portion on which the main body portion is mounted and provided so as to be movable in the first direction relative to the first case; a movement restriction portion that restricts movement of the second case relative to the first case at a final set position that is a position after the second case has moved in the first direction relative to the first case; A voltage monitoring module is provided, comprising:

[0007] According to the present invention, there is also provided a voltage monitoring module of the present invention, The cell stack; A battery module comprising: At an initial set position, which is the position before the second case moves in the first direction relative to the first case, the main body portion is mounted on the main body mounting portion and each connection terminal of the flexible printed circuit board is connected to the corresponding cell terminal of the cell stack, and then the second case moves in the first direction relative to the first case to the final set position, thereby providing a battery module in which the extension portion bends in a direction perpendicular to its surface.

[0008] Further, according to the present invention, there is provided a first case, a second case having a main body mounting portion on which a main body portion of a flexible printed circuit board is mounted, the second case being movable relative to the first case in a first direction which is a longitudinal direction of the main body portion; a movement restriction portion that restricts movement of the second case relative to the first case at a final set position that is a position after the second case has moved in the first direction relative to the first case; A support case is provided comprising: [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to easily realize a structure in which the connection terminals can follow the movement of the cell terminals that accompanies the contraction or expansion of the battery cells. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the battery module according to the embodiment, showing a state in which the second case of the support case is placed in an initial setting position. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of a flexible printed circuit board that constitutes a voltage monitoring module according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a support case that constitutes the voltage monitoring module according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a voltage monitoring module according to an embodiment. [Figure 5]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the battery module according to the embodiment, showing a state in which the second case of the support case is placed in the final installation position. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the battery module according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] Figure 8(a) is a perspective view of the first case of the support case, Figure 8(b) is a plan view of the first case, Figure 8(c) is a side view of the first case, and Figure 8(d) is a side cross-sectional view of the first case (cross-sectional view along line AA in Figure 8(b)). [Figure 9] FIG. 9(a) is a perspective view of the second case of the support case, and FIG. 9(b) is a perspective view of the second case as viewed from the rear side. [Figure 10] Figure 10(a) is a plan view of the second case, Figure 10(b) is a side view of the second case (viewed in the direction of arrow B in Figure 10(a)), Figure 10(c) is a bottom view of the second case, Figure 10(d) is a side view of the second case from the opposite side (viewed in the direction of arrow D in Figure 10(a)), and Figure 10(e) is a side cross-sectional view of the second case (cross-sectional view along line AA in Figure 10(a)). [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing an initial stage of assembling a first case and a second case of the support case (a stage before the second case is placed in the initial set position). [Figure 12] 10 is a perspective view showing a state in which the first and second cases of the support case are assembled and the second case is moved to an initial set position. FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a state in which the first and second cases of the support case are assembled and the second case is moved to a final set position. [Figure 14] Figures 14(a), 14(b), and 14(c) are enlarged side cross-sectional views (cross-sectional views at a position corresponding to line CC in Figure 3) of the main parts showing the movement restriction part of the support case, of which Figure 14(a) corresponds to the state in Figure 11, Figure 14(b) corresponds to the state in Figure 12, and Figure 14(c) corresponds to the state in Figure 13. [Figure 15]Figure 15(a) is an enlarged front cross-sectional view of a key part showing the linear guide structure of the support case (cross-sectional view along line BB in Figure 3), and Figure 15(b) is an enlarged oblique cross-sectional view of a key part showing the linear guide structure (oblique cross-sectional view at a position along line AA in Figure 3). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In all the drawings, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted where appropriate.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1, the voltage monitoring module 100 of this embodiment is a voltage monitoring module 100 that monitors the voltage state of a cell stack 200 that includes a plurality of stacked battery cells 210, and includes a flexible printed circuit board 50 having a plurality of wirings (not shown) and a support case 10 that supports the flexible printed circuit board 50. As shown in FIG. 2, the flexible printed circuit board 50 has a main body portion 51 and a branch portion 52 including an extension portion 52b that branches off from the main body portion 51 and extends in a first direction (left-right direction in FIG. 2), which is the longitudinal direction of the main body portion 51, and the branch portion 52 has a connection terminal 53 at its tip end portion that is connected to a cell terminal 220 (FIG. 1), which is a terminal of the battery cell 210. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the support case 10 comprises a first case 20 and a second case 30 having a main body mounting portion (plate-shaped portion 31a described later) on which the main body portion 51 is mounted and being movable in a first direction relative to the first case 20. The support case 10 is provided with a movement restriction portion (composed of an engaging portion 22 and an engaging portion 34 described later) that restricts the movement of the second case 30 relative to the first case 20 at the final set position (position in Figures 5 and 6), which is the position after the second case 30 has moved in the first direction relative to the first case 20.

[0013] According to this embodiment, at the initial set position (position in Figure 1), which is the position before the second case 30 moves in the first direction relative to the first case 20, the main body portion 51 is mounted on the main body mounting portion of the second case 30 and each connection terminal 53 of the flexible printed circuit board 50 is connected to the corresponding cell terminal 220 of the cell stack 200, and then the second case 30 is moved in the first direction relative to the first case to the final set position, causing the extension portion 52b to bend in the direction perpendicular to its surface (see Figure 6). This allows the extension portion 52b to easily expand and contract in the first direction. Therefore, the connection terminal 53 can smoothly follow the movement of the corresponding cell terminal 220 as the battery cell 210 contracts or expands. That is, by increasing or decreasing the amount of bending of the extension portion 52b, the connection terminal 53 can smoothly follow the movement of the corresponding cell terminal 220. Furthermore, since the flexible printed circuit board 50 can be mounted on the main body mounting portion of the second case 30 with each extension portion 52b extending flat (see FIG. 4), attachment of the flexible printed circuit board 50 to the second case 30 is easy. After each connection terminal 53 is connected to the corresponding cell terminal 220, the second case 30 is moved in the first direction relative to the first case 20 to the final set position, causing the extension portion 52b to bend in the direction perpendicular to its surface. Furthermore, the support case 10 includes a movement restriction portion that restricts movement of the second case 30 relative to the first case 20 at the final set position, which is the position after the second case 30 has moved in the first direction relative to the first case 20. Therefore, each extension portion 52b can be maintained in a bent state (FIGS. 5 and 6). As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to easily realize a structure in which the connection terminal 53 can follow the movement of the cell terminal 220 that accompanies the contraction or expansion of the battery cell 210.

[0014] The battery module 300 according to this embodiment is a battery module 300 including the voltage monitoring module 100 according to this embodiment and the cell stack 200. At the initial set position, which is the position before the second case 30 moves in the first direction relative to the first case 20, the main body portion 51 is mounted on the main body mounting portion and each connection terminal 53 of the flexible printed circuit board 50 is connected to the corresponding cell terminal 220 of the cell stack 200, and then the second case 30 moves in the first direction relative to the first case 20 to the final set position, causing the extension portion 52b to bend in the direction perpendicular to its surface.

[0015] The support case 10 according to this embodiment is the support case 10 for the voltage monitoring module 100 according to this embodiment. That is, the support case 10 comprises a first case 20, a second case 30 having a main body mounting portion on which the main body portion 51 of the flexible printed circuit board 50 is mounted and which is movable relative to the first case 20 in a first direction which is the longitudinal direction of the main body portion 51, and a movement restriction portion which restricts movement of the second case 30 relative to the first case 20 at a final set position which is the position after the second case 30 has moved in the first direction relative to the first case 20.

[0016] This will be explained in more detail below.

[0017] The voltage monitoring module 100 is arranged along the cell stack 200 so that the longitudinal direction (i.e., the first direction) of the main body 51 of the flexible printed circuit board 50 is aligned with the stacking direction of the battery cells 210, and each connection terminal 53 is connected to a corresponding cell terminal 220. When the cell stack 200 is discharged, each of the plurality of battery cells 210 contracts in the stacking direction. As the plurality of battery cells 210 contract, the arrangement intervals of the cell terminals 220 in the first direction become narrower. Accordingly, the arrangement intervals of the connection terminals 53 in the first direction also become narrower. On the other hand, when the cell stack 200 is being charged, each of the plurality of battery cells 210 expands in the stacking direction. As the plurality of battery cells 210 expands, the spacing between the cell terminals 220 in the first direction increases, and the spacing between the connection terminals 53 in the first direction also increases.

[0018] 1, the battery module 300 includes, for example, a plurality of bus bars 70, and the plurality of battery cells 210 are connected in series by these bus bars 70. However, the present invention is not limited to this example, and the bus bars 70 may connect some of the plurality of battery cells 210 in parallel. The bus bar 70 is disposed so as to straddle the cell terminals 220 of the adjacent battery cells 210, and is connected to these cell terminals 220 (for example, by laser welding). The shape of the bus bar 70 is not particularly limited, but the bus bar 70 may be, for example, a flat metal member.

[0019] The flexible printed circuit board 50 is, for example, equipped with a connector and is connected to a measuring device that performs various controls via the connector, thereby enabling voltage monitoring. The flexible printed circuit board 50 is used to monitor voltage by, for example, connecting the wiring of the flexible printed circuit board 50 to a bus bar 70 that connects multiple battery cells 210. The planar shape of the main body 51 of the flexible printed circuit board 50 is not particularly limited, but is formed in a generally rectangular shape that is elongated in the first direction, for example, as shown in FIG. The branch portion 52 has, for example, a protruding portion 52a that protrudes laterally (upward or downward in Figure 2) from the end portion in the width direction of the main body portion 51, and an extending portion 52b that extends in a first direction from the tip side portion of the protruding portion 52a in the protruding direction. A connection terminal 53 is provided at the tip of the extension portion 52b. The extending portion 52b extends, for example, linearly in a plan view. The entire flexible printed circuit board 50, including the main body portion 51 and the branch portion 52, is formed flat (so as to be positioned on the same plane) in a normal state. However, when the flexible printed circuit board 50 is mounted on the second case 30 of the support case 10 and each connection terminal 53 is connected to the cell terminal 220, the second case 30 moves in a first direction relative to the first case 20, causing the extension portion 52b of each branch portion 52 to bend in a direction perpendicular to its surface.

[0020] As shown in Figure 2, the multiple branch portions 52 include multiple branch portions 52 whose protrusions 52a protrude from one side edge of the main body portion 51 to one side (downward in Figure 2), and multiple branch portions 52 whose protrusions 52a protrude from the other side edge of the main body portion 51 to the other side (upward in Figure 2). The direction in which the extending portion 52b extends from the protruding portion 52a is the same as the direction in which the second case 30 moves relative to the first case 20 from the initial set position toward the final set position. In the present invention, it is not necessary that multiple branch portions 52 are formed on both side edges of the main body portion 51, and for example, a branch portion 52 may be formed on only one side edge of the main body portion 51. The plurality of wires extend from inside the main body 51 to the tip of each branch 52. For example, one wire is arranged for each branch 52. One connection terminal 53 is formed at the tip of the extension 52b of each branch 52, and the tip of each wire is connected to the corresponding connection terminal 53.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 3, the support case 10 is configured to include a first case 20 and a second case 30 that is assembled to the first case 20. The first case 20 and the second case 30 are each integrally molded as a whole from, for example, a hard resin material. The second case 30 is disposed on top of the first case 20 and is movable relative to the first case 20 in the first direction. As shown in FIG. 4, a main body 51 of a flexible printed circuit board 50 is fixed onto the second case 30. The first case 20 of the support case 10, in which the flexible printed circuit board 50 is fixed to the second case 30, is fixed (for example, installed) to the housing 310 of the battery module 300 (described later). On the other hand, second case 30 is held by first case 20 so as to be movable in the first direction, but is not directly fixed to housing 310. Therefore, even when first case 20 is fixed to housing 310, second case 30 can move in the first direction relative to first case 20.

[0022] 1, the connection terminals 53 at the tip of each branch portion 52 of the flexible printed circuit board 50 fixed to the support case 10 are fixed to the bus bar 70. As a result, each connection terminal 53 is electrically connected to the cell terminal 220 of the battery cell 210 via the bus bar 70. In this state, by moving the second case 30 in a first direction (diagonally upward to the left in FIG. 1) relative to the first case 20, the extending portion 52b of each branch portion 52 is bent in a direction perpendicular to its surface (for example, downward) as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. That is, the extending portion 52b is bent in a downwardly convex arc shape (U-shape).

[0023] As shown in Fig. 7, the battery module 300 includes, for example, a housing 310 that houses the cell stack 200. In Fig. 7, the housing 310 is indicated by a two-dot chain line. The housing 310 is formed, for example, in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped box, and includes four walls surrounding the four sides, namely a first wall 311, a second wall 312, a third wall 313, and a fourth wall 314. The first wall portion 311 and the second wall portion 312 face each other in parallel. The third wall portion 313 and the fourth wall portion 314 are parallel to each other and face each other. The third wall portion 313 and the fourth wall portion 314 are perpendicular to the first wall portion 311 and the second wall portion 312, respectively. The battery module 300 may also include a thermistor (not shown) for detecting the temperature of the cell stack 200, and wiring (not shown) for connecting the thermistor to a measuring device that performs various controls. The first case 20 of the support case 10 is fixed to the housing 310. The method for fixing the first case 20 to the housing 310 is not particularly limited. For example, first case 20 may be fixed to housing 310 via a fixing member (not shown), or first case 20 may be fixed directly to housing 310. In the latter case, first case 20 may be enlarged to fit the size of housing 310 (extended in the left-right direction in FIG. 7), and first case 20 may be fixed to housing 310 using a fixing portion formed on first case 20 (for example, a hook portion that fits into housing 310). The support case 10 is, for example, installed between the first wall portion 311 and the second wall portion 312 and positioned horizontally above the cell stack 200 (with the plate surfaces of the plate-shaped portion 31a and the main body portion 21 described later being horizontal).

[0024] Each of the plurality of battery cells 210 is a secondary battery. Each of the plurality of battery cells 210 is formed in a rectangular flat plate shape when viewed from the side, and each of the plurality of battery cells 210 is set to have the same shape and dimensions as one another. Each of the plurality of battery cells 210 has, for example, a pair of left and right cell terminals 220. Each of the pair of left and right cell terminals 220 stands upright, for example, from the upper end surface of the corresponding battery cell 210. The shape of the cell terminal 220 is not particularly limited, but as an example, it is formed in a cylindrical shape with an axial direction extending in the vertical direction. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to this example, and the cell terminal 220 may be formed in the shape of a flat plate, for example. The cell terminals 220 of the battery cells 210 adjacent to each other in the stacking direction are connected via bus bars 70, and the connection terminals 53 are connected to each bus bar 70.

[0025] The structure of the support case 10 will be described in more detail below.

[0026] First, the first case 20 will be described with reference to FIGS. 8(a) to 8(d). The first case 20 includes, for example, a flat main body portion 21 that is elongated in the first direction, an engagement portion 22 and a guide portion 23 formed on the upper surface of the main body portion 21, and a bending direction regulating portion 24 formed on the side edge of the main body portion 21. However, the present invention is not limited to this example, and the engaging portion 22 and the guide portion 23 may be formed on the second case 30 instead of the first case 20. In this case, the engaging portion 34 and the guide portion 35, which will be described later, are formed on the first case 20 instead of the second case 30. The main body 21 is disposed horizontally.

[0027] The engagement portion 22 is a portion that protrudes upward from the main body portion 21 at the center of the width direction of the main body portion 21 and has a gate-shaped (inverted U-shaped) front cross-sectional shape, and together with the engagement portion 34 of the second case 30 (Figure 9(b), etc.), it forms a movement restriction portion. The number of engaging portions 22 provided on the first case 20 is not particularly limited, but for example, the first case 20 includes two engaging portions 22 arranged spaced apart from each other in the first direction.

[0028] The guide portion 23 is disposed in the center of the main body portion 21 in the width direction thereof, protruding upward from the main body portion 21. The guide portion 23 has an inverted L-shaped front cross section. The guide portions 23 are disposed in pairs on the left and right. The pair of guide portions 23 are formed to have bilaterally symmetrical shapes. The guide portion 23, together with the guide portion 35 of the second case 30 (see FIG. 9(b), etc.), constitutes a linear guide structure. The number of guide portions 23 provided in the first case 20 is not particularly limited, but for example, the first case 20 includes three pairs of guide portions 23 arranged spaced apart from each other in the first direction. The guide portion 23 and the engagement portion 22 are disposed at different positions in the first direction.

[0029] The bending direction restricting portion 24 restricts the bending direction of the extending portion 52b to one direction perpendicular to the surface of the main body portion 51 while the second case 30 moves in the first direction relative to the first case 20 to the final set position. For this reason, the bending direction restricting portions 24 are arranged corresponding to the respective branch portions 52 of the flexible printed circuit board 50. That is, the bending direction restricting portions 24 include a plurality of bending direction restricting portions 24 formed on one side edge of the main body portion 21 and a plurality of bending direction restricting portions 24 formed on the other side edge of the main body portion 21.

[0030] The bending direction regulating portion 24 has an outer upstanding wall 24b that stands in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the main body portion 51 outside the outline of the flexible printed circuit board 50 when viewed in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the main body portion 51, and a protruding piece 24c that protrudes from the outer upstanding wall 24b toward the inside of the outline and covers the extension portion 52b. As a result, the presence of the extending portion 52b can restrict the bending direction of the extending portion 52b downward (prevent the extending portion 52b from bending upward).

[0031] More specifically, the bending direction regulating portion 24 has a protruding portion 24a that protrudes laterally from the side edge of the main body portion 21, and an outer upright wall 24b rises vertically upward from the end of the protruding direction side of the protruding portion 24a. The protruding piece 24c is a horizontally disposed flat plate-like portion, and covers the upper side of the extending portion 52b between the connection terminal 53 and the protruding portion 52a.

[0032] Next, the second case 30 will be described with reference to FIGS. 9(a) to 10(e). The second case 30 includes a main body 31 that is long in the first direction. The main body 31 has, for example, a flat plate-like portion 31a that is long in the first direction, and a side peripheral wall portion 31b that hangs down from the entire periphery of the peripheral edge portion of the plate-like portion 31a. The plate-like portion 31a is disposed horizontally.

[0033] The second case 30 further includes a plurality of protrusions 32 that protrude laterally from the side edges of the main body 31 . The protruding portion 32 is a portion to which the protruding portion 52a of the branching portion 52 is fixed. Therefore, the protrusions 32 are arranged corresponding to the protrusions 52a of each branch portion 52 of the flexible printed circuit board 50. That is, the protrusions 32 include a plurality of protrusions 32 formed on one side edge of the main body portion 31 and a plurality of protrusions 32 formed on the other side edge of the main body portion 31. The upper surface of the protruding portion 32 is disposed flush with the upper surface of the plate-like portion 31a.

[0034] The second case 30 further includes a pressing portion 33 that receives an operation to move the second case 30 relative to the first case 20 in the first direction. The pressing portion 33 is, for example, a plate-shaped portion protruding laterally from the side edge of the main body portion 31, and its plate surface faces in a first direction (particularly, the opposite direction to the movement direction of the second case 30 from the initial set position to the final set position). The number of pressing portions 33 provided on the second case 30 is not particularly limited, but in the case of this embodiment, for example, the second case 30 has two pressing portions 33 arranged at a distance from each other in the first direction. Protrusions 32 are arranged at positions adjacent to the pressing portions 33 in the first direction (particularly positions adjacent to the direction of movement of the second case 30 from the initial set position to the final set position). This allows the protruding portion 32 to bear the load when pressing the pressing portion 33, thereby preventing damage to the pressing portion 33 due to the load pressing the pressing portion 33. Furthermore, the protruding portion 32 (referred to as protruding portion 32a for distinction) disposed adjacent to the pressing portion 33 has a larger dimension in the first direction than the other protruding portions 32. This allows the protruding portion 32a to more suitably bear the load when pressing the pressing portion 33.

[0035] The second case 30 further includes an engagement portion 34 and a guide portion 35 formed on the lower surface of the plate-shaped portion 31a.

[0036] The engaging portion 34 has a hook structure with an L-shaped side surface, which is disposed in the center in the width direction of the plate-shaped portion 31a and protrudes downward from the plate-shaped portion 31a. The engaging portion 34 constitutes a movement restricting portion together with the engaging portion 22 of the first case 20. Therefore, the engaging portion 34 is disposed at a position corresponding to the engaging portion 22. The number of engaging portions 34 provided on the second case 30 is not particularly limited, but for example, the second case 30 has three engaging portions 34 arranged spaced apart from each other in the first direction. As described above, since there are two engaging portions 22, one of the three engaging portions 34 is left over.

[0037] The guide portion 35 is disposed at the center of the plate-shaped portion 31a in the width direction thereof, protruding downward from the plate-shaped portion 31a. The guide portion 35 has an inverted L-shaped front cross section. The guide portions 35 are disposed in pairs on the left and right. The pair of guide portions 35 are formed to have symmetrical shapes. The guide portion 35 constitutes a linear guide structure together with the guide portion 23 of the first case 20. Therefore, the guide portion 35 is disposed at a position corresponding to the guide portion 23. The number of guide portions 35 provided in the second case 30 is not particularly limited, but for example, the second case 30 includes three pairs of guide portions 35 arranged spaced apart from each other in the first direction. The guide portion 35 and the engagement portion 34 are disposed at different positions in the first direction.

[0038] The first case 20 and the second case 30 can be assembled together, for example, as follows. Here, among the first directions, the direction in which the second case 30 moves relative to the first case 20 from the initial set position toward the final set position is referred to as the "forward direction," and the direction opposite to the "forward direction" is referred to as the "reverse direction."

[0039] First, the second case 30, which is disposed above the first case 20, is lowered toward the first case 20. Then, the corresponding engaging portions 34 are positioned adjacent to the engaging portions 22 on the opposite side. The state at this time is as shown in FIG. 11 and FIG. 14(a). At this time, the corresponding pairs of guide portions 35 are located at positions close to the respective pairs of guide portions 23 on the opposite side.

[0040] Next, the second case 30 is moved in the first direction (leftward in FIG. 14(a)) relative to the first case 20, and the second case 30 is placed in the initial set position. The state at this time is as shown in FIG. 12 and FIG. 14(b). At this time, the engaging portions 34 are inserted into the interiors of the engaging portions 22, and the engaging portions 22 and the engaging portions 34 are engaged with each other. At this time, each pair of guide parts 23 is engaged with the corresponding pair of guide parts 35 (see FIGS. 15(a) and 15(b)).

[0041] In this way, the first case 20 and the second case 30 can be assembled together. The timing for fixing the flexible printed circuit board 50 to the second case 30, i.e., the timing for fixing the main body portion 51 to the upper surface of the plate-shaped portion 31a and the protrusion portion 52a to the upper surface of the protrusion portion 32, may be when the second case 30 is placed in the initial set position as shown in Figures 12 and 14(b), or may be at a stage before the second case 30 is placed in the initial set position, or may be at a stage before the second case 30 is placed on the first case 20 as shown in Figures 11 and 14(a).

[0042] Furthermore, with the second case 30 placed in the initial set position, the connection terminals 53 of the flexible printed circuit board 50 fixed to the second case 30 are connected to the corresponding bus bars 70, respectively. Thereafter, the second case 30 is further moved in the first direction (leftward in FIG. 14(b)) relative to the first case 20, and the second case 30 is placed in the final set position. The state at this time is shown in FIG. 13 and FIG. 14(c). At this time, the engaging portions 34 are inserted deeper into the engaging portions 22, and the engaging portions 22 and the engaging portions 34 are engaged with each other. At this time, the corresponding pair of guide portions 35 are engaged with each pair of guide portions 23.

[0043] Here, the structure of the movement restricting portion (configured by the engaging portion 22 and the engaging portion 34) will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 14(a) to 14(c).

[0044] As described above, the engagement portion 22 has a gate-shaped (inverted U-shaped) front cross section. That is, the engaging portion 22 has a through-hole that penetrates from front to back. The engagement portion 22 has a ceiling portion 221 disposed at a position spaced above the upper surface of the main body portion 21 . The end of the lower surface 222 of the ceiling portion 221 on the reverse direction side is a first inclined surface 224 that is inclined downward toward the forward direction side. Further, a recess 226 recessed upward is formed on the lower surface 222 at a position spaced apart from the first inclined surface 224 in the forward direction. The inner surface of the opposite end of the recess 226 forms a first upright surface 225 that stands vertically. The inner surface of the forward direction side end of the recess 226 forms a second inclined surface 227 that slopes downward toward the forward direction side. The end face of the ceiling portion 221 on the forward direction side is a second upright face 228 that stands vertically.

[0045] On the other hand, the engaging portion 34 has a hanging portion 341 hanging downward from the lower surface of the plate-shaped portion 31a of the main body portion 31, and a horizontal extending portion 342 extending from the lower end of the hanging portion 341 in the forward direction. A hook portion 343 that engages with the engaging portion 22 is formed on the end portion of the horizontal extending portion 342 on the extending direction side (end portion on the forward direction side). The hook portion 343 is an arrowhead-shaped portion that protrudes upward from the remaining portion of the horizontal extending portion 342 other than the hook portion 343 . The end face of the hook portion 343 on the opposite side is a first upright face 345 that stands upright. The hook portion 343 has an upper surface 346 that extends horizontally from the upper edge of the first upright surface 345 toward the forward direction. The hook portion 343 has an inclined surface 347 that slopes downward from the edge of the upper surface 346 on the forward direction side toward the forward direction side. The end face of the hook portion 343 on the forward direction side is a vertically standing tip face 348 . The lower surface of the horizontally extending portion 342 including the hook portion 343 is entirely flat and horizontal.

[0046] Next, the operation will be described. As shown in Figure 14(a), after placing the second case 30 on the first case 20, when the pressing portion 33 is pressed forward to move the second case 30 forward relative to the first case 20, for example, the inclined surface 347 of the hook portion 343 of the engaging portion 34 comes into contact with the first inclined surface 224 of the engaging portion 22, and then the inclined surface 347 and the upper surface 346 slide against the first inclined surface 224 and the lower surface 222, and the engaging portion 34 bends downward. Thereafter, when the first upright surface 345 moves over the first upright surface 225 in the forward direction, the engaging portion 34 elastically restores its original shape, causing the hook portion 343 to spring upward and enter the recess 226 . In this state, as shown in Figure 14(b), the first upright surface 345 of the hook portion 343 engages with the first upright surface 225 of the recess 226, thereby preventing the engagement portion 34 from moving in the opposite direction relative to the engagement portion 22. Furthermore, since the second inclined surface 227 exists on the forward direction side of the inclined surface 347, the state of FIG. 14(c) will not be reached unless the hook portion 343 climbs over the second inclined surface 227. That is, in the state shown in FIG. 14(b), the second case 30 is held in the initial set position.

[0047] With the second case 30 held in the initial set position, the support case 10 with the flexible printed circuit board 50 fixed to the second case 30 is fixed to the housing 310, and further, each connection terminal 53 of the flexible printed circuit board 50 is connected to the corresponding bus bar 70.

[0048] Thereafter, when the pressing portion 33 is pressed forward to move the second case 30 further forward relative to the first case 20, the inclined surface 347 of the hook portion 343 of the engaging portion 34 comes into contact with the second inclined surface 227 of the engaging portion 22, and then the inclined surface 347 and the upper surface 346 slide against the second inclined surface 227 and the lower surface 222, and the engaging portion 34 bends downward. Thereafter, when the first upright surface 345 overcomes the second upright surface 228 in the forward direction, the engaging portion 34 elastically recovers, causing the hook portion 343 to bounce upward, and the first upright surface 345 of the hook portion 343 engages with the second upright surface 228 of the engaging portion 22. In this state, as shown in FIG. 14(c), the engaging portion 34 is restricted from moving in the opposite direction relative to the engaging portion 22. That is, in the state shown in FIG. 14(c), the second case 30 is held in the final set position.

[0049] As described above, in the process of moving the second case 30 to the final set position, the extending portion 52b of each branch portion 52 bends in the direction perpendicular to its surface (see Figure 6), so that the extending portion 52b can easily expand and contract in the first direction.

[0050] In this way, the movement direction of the second case 30 relative to the first case 20 is to one side (forward direction side) in the first direction, and the movement restricting portion comprises a first engagement portion (in this embodiment, the second upright surface 228) of the first case 20 and a second engagement portion (the first upright surface 345 of the hook portion 343) of the second case 30. Then, at the final set position, the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion engage with each other, thereby restricting the second case 30 from moving relative to the first case 20 in the opposite direction to the one side (opposite direction side). Therefore, the extending portion 52b of each branch portion 52 is preferably maintained in a state where it is bent in the direction perpendicular to the surface.

[0051] Also, in the state of Figure 14(b), the movement restricting portion (engagement portion 22 and engagement portion 34) maintains the position of the second case 30 relative to the first case 20 in the first direction while allowing the second case 30 to move to one side relative to the first case 20 in the initial set position, which is the position before the second case 30 moves to one side (forward direction side) relative to the first case 20. Therefore, in the initial set position, each connection terminal 53 of the flexible printed circuit board 50 can be stably connected to the corresponding bus bar 70. In the initial set position, the flexible printed circuit board 50, including the main body portion 51 and the branch portion 52, is entirely flat (the extending portion 52b is not yet bent).

[0052] In addition, the movement restricting portion has a third engagement portion (for example, recess 226 of first case 20) that the first case 20 or second case 30 has, and by engaging the first engagement portion or second engagement portion with the third engagement portion in the initial set position (in this embodiment, by engaging the second engagement portion with the third engagement portion), the position of the second case 30 relative to the first case 20 in the first direction is maintained while allowing the second case 30 to move to one side relative to the first case 20. In other words, the first engaging portion or the second engaging portion (in this embodiment, the second engaging portion) used to realize the engaged state at the final set position is also used to realize the engaged state at the initial set position, which allows the structure of the movement restricting portion to be simplified.

[0053] In this embodiment, the first case 20 has a third engagement portion (recess 226), and the second engagement portion engages with the third engagement portion in the initial set position, thereby maintaining the position of the second case 30 relative to the first case 20 in the first direction while allowing the second case 30 to move to one side relative to the first case 20.

[0054] The present invention is not limited to this example, and second case 30 may have a third engagement portion, and by engaging the first engagement portion with the third engagement portion in the initial set position, the position of second case 30 relative to first case 20 in the first direction may be maintained while allowing second case 30 to move to one side relative to first case 20. For example, engagement portion 34 may have two hook portions spaced apart from each other in the first direction, with the hook portion on the forward direction side being the third engagement portion, the hook portion on the reverse direction side being the second engagement portion, and recess 226 of engagement portion 22 being the first engagement portion.

[0055] Next, the linear guide structure (composed of the guide portion 23 and the guide portion 35) will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 15(a) and 15(b). The linear guide structure is a structure that guides the second case 30 relative to the first case 20 so that the second case 30 can slide linearly in the first direction. By providing the voltage monitoring module 100 with a linear guide structure, the second case 30 can be moved linearly in the first direction, thereby preventing problems such as the extension portion 52b twisting when being bent.

[0056] As described above, the guide portions 23 are arranged in pairs on the left and right. Of the pair of guide portions 23, one guide portion 23 has an upright portion 23a that stands upward from the top surface of the main body portion 21, and a horizontal protrusion portion 23b that protrudes from the upper end of the upright portion 23a toward the other guide portion 23 (inward in the width direction of the support case 10). Similarly, of the pair of guide portions 23, the other guide portion 23 has an upright portion 23a that stands upward from the top surface of the main body portion 21, and a horizontal protrusion 23b that protrudes from the upper end of the upright portion 23a toward the one guide portion 23 (inward in the width direction of the support case 10).

[0057] The guide portions 35 are also arranged in pairs on the left and right. Of the pair of guide portions 35, one guide portion 35 has a hanging portion 35a hanging downward from the underside of the plate-shaped portion 31a of the main body portion 31, and a horizontal protruding portion 35b protruding from the lower end of the hanging portion 35a toward the opposite side to the other guide portion 35 (outward in the width direction of the support case 10). Similarly, of the pair of guide portions 35, the other guide portion 35 has a hanging portion 35a hanging downward from the underside of the plate-shaped portion 31a of the main body portion 31, and a horizontal protruding portion 35b protruding from the lower end of the hanging portion 35a toward the opposite side to the one guide portion 35 (outward in the width direction of the support case 10).

[0058] One guide portion 23 and one guide portion 35 are engaged with each other, and the other guide portion 23 and the other guide portion 35 are engaged with each other. More specifically, the tip surface of the horizontal protrusion 35b of one guide portion 35 is close to or abuts against the inner surface (the surface facing the center in the width direction of the support case 10) of the standing portion 23a of one guide portion 23. Furthermore, the upper surface of the horizontal protrusion 35b of one guide portion 35 is close to or abuts against the lower surface of the horizontal protrusion 23b of one guide portion 23. Furthermore, the horizontal protrusion 35b of one guide portion 35 is sandwiched from above and below by the horizontal protrusion 23b of one guide portion 23 and the main body portion 21. Similarly, the tip surface of the horizontal protrusion 35b of the other guide portion 35 is close to or abuts against the inner surface (the surface facing the center in the width direction of the support case 10) of the standing portion 23a of the other guide portion 23. Furthermore, the upper surface of the horizontal protrusion 35b of the other guide portion 35 is close to or abuts against the lower surface of the horizontal protrusion 23b of the other guide portion 23. Furthermore, the horizontal protrusion 35b of the other guide portion 35 is sandwiched from above and below by the horizontal protrusion 23b of the other guide portion 23 and the main body portion 21. Therefore, the second case 30 is guided linearly in the first direction relative to the first case 20 by the linear guide structure formed by the pair of guide portions 23 and the pair of guide portions 35. In this embodiment, the linear guide structure is composed of multiple pairs (e.g., three pairs) of guide portions 23 and multiple pairs (e.g., three pairs) of guide portions 35, making it possible to guide the second case 30 linearly with greater precision.

[0059] In this way, the linear guide structure comprises a first guide portion (for example, composed of guide portion 23 and main body portion 21) possessed by one of the first case 20 and the second case 30, and a second guide portion (for example, guide portion 35) possessed by the other of the first case and the second case, and the first guide portion clamps the second guide portion from both sides in a direction perpendicular to the surface direction of the main body portion 51 (i.e., the up-and-down direction), thereby guiding the second guide portion so that it can slide linearly in the first direction. In this embodiment, since the upright portion 23a and the tip surface of the horizontal protrusion 35b are close to or in contact with each other, it is possible to prevent the first case 20 and the second case 30 from being displaced relative to each other in the width direction.

[0060] Furthermore, since the main body 51 of the flexible printed circuit board 50 is fixed not only to the upper surface of the plate-shaped portion 31a but also the protrusion 52a is fixed to the upper surface of the protrusion 32, only the extension portion 52b can bend (flex) when the second case 30 is moved to the final set position.

[0061] Although the embodiments have been described above with reference to the drawings, these are merely examples of the present invention, and various other configurations can also be adopted.

[0062] The present embodiment encompasses the following technical ideas. (1) A voltage monitoring module for monitoring the voltage state of a cell stack including a plurality of stacked battery cells, a flexible printed circuit board having a plurality of wirings; a support case that supports the flexible printed circuit board; Equipped with The flexible printed circuit board is a main body; a branch portion including an extension portion branching from the main body portion and extending in a first direction which is a longitudinal direction of the main body portion; and the branch portion has a connection terminal at a tip end portion thereof that is connected to a cell terminal that is a terminal of the battery cell, The support case is The first case and a second case having a main body mounting portion on which the main body portion is mounted and provided so as to be movable in the first direction relative to the first case; a movement restriction portion that restricts movement of the second case relative to the first case at a final set position that is a position after the second case has moved in the first direction relative to the first case; A voltage monitoring module comprising: (2) The direction of movement of the second case relative to the first case is one side of the first direction, the movement restricting portion includes a first engaging portion included in the first case and a second engaging portion included in the second case; A voltage monitoring module as described in (1), wherein, in the final set position, the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion engage with each other, thereby restricting the second case from moving in the opposite direction to the one side relative to the first case. (3) The movement restricting unit maintains the position of the second case relative to the first case in the first direction while allowing the second case to move to the one side relative to the first case in an initial set position, which is the position before the second case moves to the one side relative to the first case. (2) The voltage monitoring module described in (2). (4) The movement restricting portion includes a third engaging portion provided on the first case or the second case, A voltage monitoring module as described in (3), wherein the first engagement portion or the second engagement portion engages with the third engagement portion in the initial set position, thereby maintaining the position of the second case relative to the first case in the first direction while allowing the second case to move to one side relative to the first case. (5) the first case has the third engagement portion, A voltage monitoring module as described in (4), wherein the second engagement portion and the third engagement portion engage with each other in the initial set position, thereby allowing the second case to move to one side relative to the first case while maintaining the position of the second case relative to the first case in the first direction. (6) A voltage monitoring module according to any one of (1) to (5), comprising a linear guide structure that guides the second case so that the second case can slide linearly in the first direction relative to the first case. (7) The linear guide structure includes a first guide portion included in one of the first case and the second case, and a second guide portion included in the other of the first case and the second case, The voltage monitoring module of claim (6), wherein the first guide portion clamps the second guide portion from both sides in a direction perpendicular to the surface direction of the main body portion, thereby guiding the second guide portion so that it can slide linearly in the first direction. (8) A voltage monitoring module according to any one of (1) to (7), The cell stack; A battery module comprising: A battery module in which, at an initial set position before the second case moves in the first direction relative to the first case, the main body portion is mounted on the main body mounting portion and each connection terminal of the flexible printed circuit board is connected to the corresponding cell terminal of the cell stack, and then the second case moves in the first direction relative to the first case to the final set position, causing the extension portion to bend in a direction perpendicular to its surface. (9) The first case has a bending direction regulating portion that regulates the bending direction of the extension portion to one direction perpendicular to the surface of the main body portion as the second case moves in the first direction relative to the first case to the final set position. (10) The bending direction restricting portion is an outer upstanding wall that stands in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the main body portion, on the outside of an outline of the flexible printed circuit board when viewed in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the main body portion; a protruding piece that protrudes from the outer upright wall toward the inside of the outline and covers the extension portion; The battery module according to (9) above, (11) Case 1 and a second case having a main body mounting portion on which a main body portion of a flexible printed circuit board is mounted, the second case being movable relative to the first case in a first direction which is a longitudinal direction of the main body portion; a movement restriction portion that restricts movement of the second case relative to the first case at a final set position that is a position after the second case has moved in the first direction relative to the first case; A supporting case. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 10 Support Case 20 Case 1 21 Main body 22 Engagement portion 221 Ceiling 222 Bottom surface 224 1st slope 225 1st standing plane 226 Recess 227 Second slope 228 2nd upright plane 23 Guide section 23a Standing part 23b Horizontal protrusion 24 Bending direction control section 24a Protrusion 24b External standing wall 24c protruding piece 30 Case 2 31 Main body 31a Plate-shaped part 31b Side peripheral wall 32, 32a protrusion 33 Pressing section 34 Engagement portion 341 Drooping part 342 Horizontal extension 343 Hook part 344 Bottom surface 345 1st standing plane 346 Top surface 347 Slope 348 Tip surface 35 Guide section 35a hanging part 35b Horizontal protrusion 50 Flexible Printed Circuit Board 51 Main body 52 Branch 52a Protrusion 52b Extension 53 Connection terminal 70 Busbar 100 Voltage Monitoring Module 200 cell stack 210 battery cells 220 Cell terminal 300 Battery Module 310 Case 311 1st wall section 312 2nd wall section 313 Third wall section 314 4th wall

Claims

1. A voltage monitoring module for monitoring the voltage state of a cell stack including a plurality of stacked battery cells, a flexible printed circuit board having a plurality of wirings; a support case that supports the flexible printed circuit board; Equipped with The flexible printed circuit board is a main body; a branch portion including an extension portion branching from the main body portion and extending in a first direction that is a longitudinal direction of the main body portion; and the branch portion has a connection terminal at a tip end portion thereof that is connected to a cell terminal that is a terminal of the battery cell, The support case is The first case and a second case having a main body mounting portion on which the main body portion is mounted and provided so as to be movable in the first direction relative to the first case; a movement restriction portion that restricts movement of the second case relative to the first case at a final set position that is a position after the second case has moved in the first direction relative to the first case; A voltage monitoring module comprising:

2. a moving direction of the second case relative to the first case is a direction to one side in the first direction, the movement restricting portion includes a first engaging portion included in the first case and a second engaging portion included in the second case, 2. The voltage monitoring module of claim 1, wherein in the final set position, the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion engage with each other, thereby restricting the second case from moving in the opposite direction to the one side relative to the first case.

3. 3. The voltage monitoring module of claim 2, wherein the movement restricting unit maintains the position of the second case relative to the first case in the first direction while allowing the second case to move to the one side relative to the first case in an initial set position, which is the position before the second case moves to the one side relative to the first case.

4. the movement restricting portion includes a third engaging portion provided on the first case or the second case, 4. The voltage monitoring module of claim 3, wherein the first engaging portion or the second engaging portion engages with the third engaging portion in the initial set position, thereby maintaining the position of the second case relative to the first case in the first direction while allowing the second case to move to one side relative to the first case.

5. the first case has the third engagement portion, 5. The voltage monitoring module of claim 4, wherein the second engagement portion and the third engagement portion engage with each other in the initial set position, thereby maintaining the position of the second case relative to the first case in the first direction while allowing the second case to move to one side relative to the first case.

6. The voltage monitoring module according to claim 1 , further comprising a linear guide structure that guides the second case so that the second case can slide linearly in the first direction relative to the first case.

7. the linear guide structure includes a first guide portion included in one of the first case and the second case, and a second guide portion included in the other of the first case and the second case, 7. The voltage monitoring module of claim 6, wherein the first guide portion clamps the second guide portion from both sides in a direction perpendicular to the surface direction of the main body portion, thereby guiding the second guide portion so that it can slide linearly in the first direction.

8. A voltage monitoring module according to any one of claims 1 to 5; The cell stack; A battery module comprising: A battery module in which, at an initial set position which is a position before the second case moves in the first direction relative to the first case, the main body portion is mounted on the main body mounting portion and each connection terminal of the flexible printed circuit board is connected to the corresponding cell terminal of the cell stack, and then the second case moves in the first direction relative to the first case to the final set position, thereby causing the extension portion to bend in a direction perpendicular to its surface.

9. 9. The battery module of claim 8, wherein the first case has a bending direction restricting portion that restricts the bending direction of the extension portion to one direction perpendicular to the surface of the main body portion during the process in which the second case moves in the first direction relative to the first case to the final set position.

10. The bending direction restricting portion is an outer upstanding wall that stands in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the main body portion, on the outside of an outline of the flexible printed circuit board when viewed in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the main body portion; a protruding piece that protrudes from the outer upright wall toward the inside of the outline and covers the extension portion; The battery module according to claim 9 , comprising:

11. The first case and a second case having a main body mounting portion on which a main body portion of a flexible printed circuit board is mounted, the second case being movable relative to the first case in a first direction which is a longitudinal direction of the main body portion; a movement restriction portion that restricts movement of the second case relative to the first case at a final set position that is a position after the second case has moved in the first direction relative to the first case; A supporting case.

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