Wiring structure and battery pack

Abstract

This suppresses wear in areas of the wiring substrate that are close to the roughened surface. [Solution] The wiring structure 300 comprises a wire 310, a bracket 320 having a weld mark 322, and a projection 324 protruding from the bracket 320. The projection 324 supports the wire 310 such that the portion of the wire 310 that is close to the weld mark 322 is moved away from the weld mark 322.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a wiring structure and a battery pack.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, various wiring structures have been developed. The wiring structure includes wirings such as a wire harness.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a bus bar module. The bus bar module includes a wire routing path for routing a voltage detection line and a terminal housing portion for housing connection terminals. The wire routing path has a bottom plate located between the terminal housing portion and the voltage detection line.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In a wiring structure, a part of the wiring may be close to a roughened portion such as a welding mark or burr of a base material such as a bracket. When the roughened portion of the base material and the portion of the wiring close to the roughened portion are close to each other, it may be difficult to suppress wear of the portion of the wiring close to the roughened portion due to rubbing between the roughened portion of the base material and the portion of the wiring close to the roughened portion of the base material.

[0006] An example of the object of the present invention is to suppress wear of a portion of the wiring close to a roughened portion of the base material. Other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the description herein.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] One aspect of the present invention is as follows. 1. Wiring and, A substrate having a roughened portion, A protrusion extending from the substrate, Equipped with, The wiring structure wherein the projection supports the wiring such that the portion of the wiring close to the roughened portion is moved away from the roughened portion. 2. The wiring structure according to 1, wherein the surface of the projection that supports the wiring is at least partially rounded. 3. The wiring structure according to 1. or 2., wherein the roughened portion and the portion of the base material that overlaps with the wiring are offset from each other. 4. The wiring structure according to any one of 1. to 3., wherein the height of the projection is higher than the height of the roughened portion. 5. A battery pack comprising the wiring structure described in any one of items 1 to 4. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the above embodiment of the present invention, wear of the portion of the wiring substrate adjacent to the roughened portion can be suppressed. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a top view of the battery pack according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a magnified view of region α shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view along line AA in Figure 2. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In all drawings, similar components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions are omitted where appropriate.

[0011] Figure 1 is a top view of a battery pack 10 according to an embodiment.

[0012] For illustrative purposes, Figure 1 shows the X, Y, and Z axes, respectively. In Figure 1, the white circle with a black dot indicating the Z axis indicates that the Z-axis arrow is pointing towards the viewer. Hereafter, unless otherwise specified, the Z direction is the vertical direction, the X direction is one of the horizontal directions perpendicular to the vertical direction, and the Y direction is another horizontal direction perpendicular to both the vertical and X directions. Hereafter, unless otherwise specified, the direction in which the Z-axis arrow is pointed is assumed to be the upper side of the vertical direction. However, the relationships between the X, Y, Z directions, vertical direction, and horizontal direction are not limited to those described herein.

[0013] Unless otherwise specified, the +X side refers to the side to which the X-axis arrow is pointed, and the -X side refers to the opposite side from which the X-axis arrow is pointed. Unless otherwise specified, the +Y side refers to the side to which the Y-axis arrow is pointed, and the -Y side refers to the opposite side from which the Y-axis arrow is pointed. Unless otherwise specified, the +Z side refers to the side to which the Z-axis arrow is pointed, and the -Z side refers to the opposite side from which the Z-axis arrow is pointed.

[0014] The battery pack 10 according to this embodiment comprises a plurality of battery modules 100, a housing 200, and a wiring structure 300.

[0015] In the example shown in Figure 1, four battery modules 100 are arranged in two rows and two columns in the Y and X directions, respectively. The number and arrangement of battery modules 100 are not limited to the example shown in Figure 1. The battery pack 10 may have, for example, only one battery module 100. Each battery module 100 has multiple battery cells (not shown) that are electrically connected to each other, for example, in series, parallel, or a combination of series and parallel.

[0016] The housing 200 houses multiple battery modules 100 and wiring structures 300. In Figure 1, the housing 200 is shown with the uprate covering the upper +Z side of the multiple battery modules 100 omitted.

[0017] The wiring structure 300 is located on the +Z side with respect to at least some of the battery modules 100. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the wiring structure 300 at least partially overlaps in the Z direction with two battery modules 100 arranged on the -X side. The position of the wiring structure 300 with respect to the plurality of battery modules 100 is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 1.

[0018] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the region α shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A of FIG. 2. In FIG. 3, the white circle with a black dot indicating the X-axis shows that the arrow of the X-axis is directed in front of the paper surface. In FIG. 3, the solid line between the welding mark 322 indicated by hatching and the protrusion 324 indicated by hatching shows the outline of the portion located behind the -X side of the cross-section of the protrusion 324 along the line A-A.

[0019] The wiring structure 300 has wiring 310 and a bracket 320. In FIG. 1, for the sake of explanation, the wiring 310 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is omitted.

[0020] The wiring 310 is, for example, at least a part of a wire harness. The wiring 310 is used together with the battery module 100 and is housed in the housing 200 together with the battery module 100. The wiring 310 may or may not be electrically connected to the battery module 100.

[0021] The bracket 320 is made of a conductor such as metal. The bracket 320 is a base material that at least partially overlaps with the wiring 310. By at least partially overlapping the wiring 310 and the bracket 320 in the Z direction, the wiring 310 can be arranged above the +Z side of the bracket 320. The bracket 320 is arranged substantially perpendicular to the Z direction. The bracket 320 has a thickness substantially parallel to the Z direction. The shape of the bracket 320 is not limited to the examples shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

[0022] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, a weld mark 322 is formed on the upper surface of the bracket 320 on the +Z side. The weld mark 322 is formed, for example, by spot welding of the bracket 320. This spot welding is performed, for example, to weld the housing 200 and the bracket 320 together. The weld mark 322 is a roughened portion with a surface roughness greater than the surface roughness of the portion located around the weld mark 322 on the upper surface of the bracket 320 on the +Z side. Therefore, friction between the wiring 310 and the weld mark 322 can cause wear of the wiring 310. In the example shown in Figure 2, the cross-section of the weld mark 322 is schematically illustrated as a projection extending upward from the +Z side surface of the bracket 320 on the +Z side. The cross-sectional shape of the weld mark 322 is not limited to the example shown in Figure 2.

[0023] As shown in Figure 2, a projection 324 is provided on the upper surface of the bracket 320 on the +Z side, near the weld mark 322. In the example shown in Figure 2, when viewed from the Z direction, the projection 324 extends in a curved shape and is roughly C-shaped. However, the shape of the projection 324 is not limited to the example shown in Figure 2. For example, when viewed from the Z direction, the projection 324 may extend in a straight line. As shown in Figure 3, the projection 324 protrudes upward on the +Z side relative to the upper surface of the bracket 320 on the +Z side. In this embodiment, the projection 324 is formed by press working of the bracket 320. The method of forming the projection 324 is not limited to press working of the bracket 320. For example, a member corresponding to the projection 324 may be added to the bracket 320 by joining such as welding.

[0024] As shown in Figure 3, the wiring 310 is positioned above the +Z side relative to the +Z side upper surface of the bracket 320. As shown in Figure 2, when viewed from the Z direction, the wiring 310 overlaps with the two support portions of the projection 324, the first support portion 324a and the second support portion 324b. As shown in Figure 2, the portion of the wiring 310 located between the first support portion 324a and the second support portion 324b is close to the weld mark 322. If the projection 324 were not provided and the wiring 310 were directly mounted on the +Z side upper surface of the bracket 320, when the wiring 310 rattles due to factors such as vibration, the weld mark 322 and the portion of the wiring 310 close to the weld mark 322 are more likely to rub against each other, making it difficult to suppress wear on the portion of the wiring 310 close to the weld mark 322. However, in this embodiment, the first support portion 324a and the second support portion 324b support the portion of the wiring 310 located between the first support portion 324a and the second support portion 324b so as to move it away from the weld mark 322. Specifically, as shown in Figure 2, the portion of the wiring 310 located between the first support portion 324a and the second support portion 324b is lifted by the first support portion 324a and the second support portion 324b from the upper surface on the +Z side of the bracket 320 upwards on the +Z side. Therefore, even if the wiring 310 rattles due to factors such as vibration, in this embodiment, compared to the case where the projection 324 is not provided and the wiring 310 is directly mounted on the upper surface on the +Z side of the bracket 320, the weld mark 322 and the portion of the wiring 310 close to the weld mark 322 are less likely to rub against each other, and wear of the portion of the wiring 310 close to the weld mark 322 can be suppressed.

[0025] As shown in Figure 3, the upper surface on the +Z side of the cross-section of the projection 324 is at least partially rounded. In the example shown in Figure 3, the upper surface on the +Z side of the cross-section of the projection 324 is approximately hemispherical. The cross-sectional shapes of the first support portion 324a and the second support portion 324b are also approximately the same as the cross-sectional shape of the projection 324 along line AA in Figure 3. Therefore, in this embodiment, the surface of the projection 324 that supports the wiring 310 is at least partially rounded. Thus, compared to the case where the surface of the projection 324 that supports the wiring 310 is angular, wear of the wiring 310 due to contact between the wiring 310 and the projection 324 can be suppressed. The cross-sectional shape of the projection 324 is not limited to the example shown in Figure 3.

[0026] In this embodiment, the surface roughness of the surface of the projection 324 that supports the wiring 310 is less than the surface roughness of the weld marks 322. Therefore, the surface of the projection 324 that supports the wiring 310 is relatively smooth. Consequently, compared to the case where the surface of the projection 324 that supports the wiring 310 is roughened, wear of the portion of the wiring 310 supported by the projection 324 due to friction between the wiring 310 and the surface of the projection 324 that supports the wiring 310 can be suppressed.

[0027] In the examples shown in Figures 2 and 3, the weld mark 322 and the portion of the bracket 320 that overlaps with the wiring 310 in the Z direction are offset from each other in a direction perpendicular to the Z direction. Therefore, compared to the case where the wiring 310 and the weld mark 322 overlap each other in the Z direction, it is possible to suppress contact between the weld mark 322 and the portion of the wiring 310 that is close to the weld mark 322, and it is possible to suppress wear on the portion of the wiring 310 that is close to the weld mark 322. However, the wiring 310 and the weld mark 322 may overlap each other at least partially in the Z direction.

[0028] In the example shown in Figure 3, the height of the projection 324 in the Z direction is greater than the height of the weld mark 322 in the Z direction. Therefore, compared to the case where the height of the projection 324 in the Z direction is less than or equal to the height of the weld mark 322 in the Z direction, it is possible to suppress contact between the weld mark 322 and the portion of the wiring 310 that is close to the weld mark 322, and thus it is possible to suppress wear on the portion of the wiring 310 that is close to the weld mark 322. However, the height of the projection 324 in the Z direction may be less than or equal to the height of the weld mark 322 in the Z direction.

[0029] In the embodiment, the suppression of wear of the wiring 310 due to friction between the wiring 310 and the weld marks 322 was described. Factors contributing to wear of the wiring 310 include not only weld marks but also burrs. In one example, the bracket 320 may have a roughened portion formed by burrs. In this example, even if a portion of the wiring 310 is close to the burrs, the projection 324 supports the wiring 310 in the same manner as in the embodiment, thereby suppressing wear of the portion of the wiring 310 that is close to the burrs and moving it away from the burrs.

[0030] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, but these are merely examples of the present invention, and various other configurations can also be adopted. [Explanation of symbols]

[0031] 10 Battery pack, 100 Battery module, 200 Housing, 300 Wiring structure, 310 Wiring, 320 Bracket, 322 Weld marks, 324 Protrusion, 324a First support part, 324b Second support part

Claims

1. Wiring and, A substrate having a roughened portion, A protrusion extending from the substrate, Equipped with, The wiring structure wherein the projection supports the wiring such that the portion of the wiring close to the roughened portion is moved away from the roughened portion.

2. The wiring structure according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the projection that supports the wiring is at least partially rounded.

3. The wiring structure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the roughened portion and the portion of the base material that overlaps with the wiring are offset from each other.

4. The wiring structure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the height of the projection is higher than the height of the roughened portion.

5. A battery pack comprising the wiring structure described in claim 1 or 2.

Images