Wiring Module

Abstract

To provide a wiring module.SOLUTION: A wiring module is assembled to a battery multilayer body formed by stacking a plurality of laminate type batteries and including a bonding part where electrode leads of the batteries are overlapped and bonded together, in an assembling direction that is orthogonal to a plate thickness direction of the bonding part, and includes a terminal, a wire connected to the terminal, and a protector that holds those. The protector includes a terminal accommodation part and a protector side engagement part that holds the terminal in such a way that the terminal can move in the plate thickness direction between a first position and a second position with respect to the terminal accommodation part. The second position exists on one side of the first position in the plate thickness direction and the electrode lead forming the bonding part is a bonding electrode lead. The terminal includes an electrode connection part to be electrically connected to the bonding electrode lead, and a terminal side engagement part that is provided continuing to the electrode connection part and is engaged with an inclined surface inclined so as to exist more on one side in the plate thickness direction to the depth in the assembling direction and a protector side engagement part. When the terminal is at the first position, the inclined surface is disposed so as to cover the range of the position in the plate thickness direction where the bonding electrode lead can be disposed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a wiring module. [Background technology]

[0002] High-voltage battery packs used in electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, and the like typically have a large number of stacked battery cells electrically connected in series or parallel by a wiring module. A known example of such a wiring module is described in JP-A-2020-527848 (Patent Document 1 below). The battery module described in Patent Document 1 includes a cell assembly in which a plurality of battery cells, each having electrode leads at its front and rear ends, are stacked in the left-right direction; a module housing configured to house the cell assembly in an internal space defined by four side walls (top, bottom, left, and right); and end frames attached to the front and back of the cell assembly to connect the cell assembly to an external device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2020-527848 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above configuration, the cell assembly has a portion where the electrode leads of adjacent battery cells are bent close to each other, overlapped, and electrically connected, eliminating the need for a bus bar to connect the electrode leads. The electrode leads are electrically connected to module terminals provided on the end frame. However, the portion where the electrode leads are connected is prone to large manufacturing tolerances, particularly in the front-to-rear direction, due to the bending of the electrode leads and the welding of the electrode leads.

[0005] When the end frame is moved from top to bottom to assemble the cell assembly as described above, manufacturing tolerances in the front-to-back direction of the electrode leads may cause the module terminals to interfere with the electrode leads, which may result in damage to the module terminals or the electrode leads. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The wiring module of the present disclosure is constructed by stacking a plurality of laminated type batteries each having an electrode lead, and is assembled to a battery stack having a joint where the electrode leads of the laminated type batteries are overlapped and joined, in an assembly direction perpendicular to the plate thickness direction of the joint, and includes terminals, electric wires connected to the terminals, and a protector that holds the terminals and the electric wires, the protector including a terminal housing portion that houses the terminals, and a protector-side engaging portion that holds the terminals relative to the terminal housing portion so that the terminals can move in the plate thickness direction between a first position and a second position, the second position being a forward position. the terminal is arranged on one side in the plate thickness direction of the first position, the electrode lead that constitutes the joint is a joining electrode lead, the terminal includes an electrode connection portion electrically connected to the joining electrode lead, an inclined surface that is connected to the electrode connection portion and inclined so as to be positioned on one side in the plate thickness direction as it extends deeper in the assembly direction, and a terminal-side engaging portion that engages with the protector-side engaging portion, and when the terminal is arranged at the first position, the inclined surface is arranged to include a range of positions in the plate thickness direction where the joining electrode lead can be arranged. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a wiring module that can be assembled into a battery stack so that the terminals and electrode leads do not interfere with each other. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the electricity storage module according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a front view of the electricity storage module. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an enlarged front view of the electricity storage module showing the periphery of the terminal accommodating portion. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a rear view of the electricity storage module. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the electricity storage module showing the periphery of the terminal accommodating portion. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the protector showing the periphery of the terminal accommodating portion. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the terminal. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a battery stack. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 shows how the wiring module is assembled to the battery stack in the assembly direction. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a view showing a state in which the end of the joining electrode lead is located deeper in the assembly direction than the inclined surface in the BB cross section of FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a view showing a state in which the end of the joining electrode lead is engaged with the inclined surface in the cross section taken along the line BB in FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along CC in FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD in FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line E-E in FIG. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a state in which the end of the joining electrode lead is located further back in the assembly direction than the terminal protection piece when the joining electrode lead is arranged closer to the terminal protection piece than the range of positions in the plate thickness direction in which the joining electrode lead can be arranged in the B-section of FIG. [Figure 18]Figure 18 is a diagram showing the state in which the joining electrode lead and the electrode connection portion are connected when the joining electrode lead is arranged on the terminal protection side outside the range of positions in the plate thickness direction in which the joining electrode lead can be arranged in the BB cross section of Figure 3. [Figure 19] Figure 19 is a diagram showing a state in which the end of the joining electrode lead is located further back in the assembly direction than the inclined surface when the joining electrode lead is arranged on the inclined surface side than the range of positions in the plate thickness direction in which it can be arranged in the BB cross section of Figure 3. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is a diagram showing a state in which the joining electrode lead and the electrode connection portion are connected when the joining electrode lead is arranged on the inclined surface side of the range of positions in the plate thickness direction in which the joining electrode lead can be arranged in the BB cross section of FIG. [Figure 21] FIG. 21 is an enlarged front view of the electricity storage module showing the periphery of the terminal accommodating portion according to the second embodiment. [Figure 22] FIG. 22 is a view showing how a joining electrode lead having a bent outer side of the joining portion is assembled to a wiring module in the FF cross section of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] [Description of the embodiments of the present disclosure] First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described.

[0010] (1) The wiring module of the present disclosure is configured by stacking a plurality of laminated type batteries each having an electrode lead, and is assembled to a battery stack having a joint where the electrode leads of the laminated type batteries are overlapped and joined, in an assembly direction perpendicular to the plate thickness direction of the joint, and includes terminals, electric wires connected to the terminals, and a protector that holds the terminals and the electric wires, the protector including a terminal housing that houses the terminals, and a protector-side engaging portion that holds the terminals relative to the terminal housing so that they can move in the plate thickness direction between a first position and a second position, and the second position is , is arranged on one side of the first position in the plate thickness direction, and the electrode leads that constitute the joint are joined electrode leads, and the terminal includes an electrode connection portion that is electrically connected to the joined electrode lead, an inclined surface that is connected to the electrode connection portion and inclined so as to be positioned on one side in the plate thickness direction as it goes deeper in the assembly direction, and a terminal-side engaging portion that engages with the protector-side engaging portion, and when the terminal is arranged at the first position, the inclined surface is arranged to include a range of positions in the plate thickness direction where the joined electrode lead can be arranged.

[0011] With this configuration, when the wiring module is assembled to the battery stack, the inclined surface engages with the front end of the joining electrode lead in the assembly direction, allowing the terminal to move in the plate thickness direction relative to the joining electrode lead, thereby suppressing interference between the terminal and the joining electrode lead.

[0012] (2) It is preferable that the terminal accommodating portion has a terminal protective piece arranged opposite the electrode connection portion in the plate thickness direction, and the inclined surface is inclined so as to move away from the terminal protective piece as it goes deeper in the assembly direction, and the joining electrode lead is arranged between the electrode connection portion and the terminal protective piece in the plate thickness direction.

[0013] With this configuration, the terminal can be protected by the terminal protection piece, and the joining electrode lead disposed between the electrode connection portion and the terminal protection piece can also be protected.

[0014] (3) It is preferable that the rear end of the terminal protection piece in the assembly direction is provided with a protector-side inclined surface that inclines toward the other side in the plate thickness direction as it goes rearward in the assembly direction.

[0015] With this configuration, even if the joining electrode lead is arranged on the terminal protection piece side beyond the range of positions in the plate thickness direction at which the joining electrode lead can be arranged, the joining electrode lead can easily be arranged between the electrode connection portion and the terminal protection piece.

[0016] (4) The direction perpendicular to the plate thickness direction and the assembly direction is the terminal width direction, and it is preferable that the dimension of the inclined surface in the terminal width direction is smaller than the dimension of the electrode connection portion in the terminal width direction.

[0017] With this configuration, the work of electrically connecting the electrode connection portion and the joining electrode lead can be easily performed.

[0018] (5) It is preferable that the inclined surface is arranged at the center position of the electrode connection portion in the terminal width direction, the electrode connection portion is connected to the inclined surface via a trapezoidal portion whose dimension in the terminal width direction decreases as it goes deeper in the assembly direction, the trapezoidal portion has a symmetrical shape in the terminal width direction, and the dimension in the terminal width direction of the deepest end of the trapezoidal portion in the assembly direction is the same as the dimension of the inclined surface in the terminal width direction.

[0019] With this configuration, interference between the joining electrode lead and the electrode connection portion on the outer side of the inclined surface in the terminal width direction can be suppressed.

[0020] (6) It is preferable that the terminal accommodating portion includes a locking portion that prevents the terminal from slipping out of the terminal accommodating portion in the thickness direction.

[0021] With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the terminal from coming off the terminal accommodating portion.

[0022] (7) It is preferable that the terminal accommodating portion includes a first displacement suppression portion that suppresses displacement of the terminal in the assembly direction, and a second displacement suppression portion that suppresses displacement of the terminal in the plate thickness direction and the terminal width direction perpendicular to the assembly direction.

[0023] With this configuration, the terminal can be positioned relative to the terminal accommodating portion in both the assembly direction and the terminal width direction.

[0024] (8) It is preferable that the terminal side engaging portion is plate-shaped and arranged perpendicular to the joint portion, and that the protector side engaging portion abuts against the rear and front sides of the terminal side engaging portion in the assembly direction, thereby also serving as the first displacement suppression portion.

[0025] With this configuration, the terminal-side engaging portion is a plate-like portion perpendicular to the joint, which makes it easier to distribute the force acting on the terminals in the assembly direction when assembling the wiring module to the battery stack. In addition, the protector-side engaging portion also serves as the first displacement suppression portion, which simplifies the configuration of the terminal accommodating portion.

[0026] (9) It is preferable that the protector has a protector body, and the terminal accommodating portion is coupled to the protector body via a hinge portion so as to be freely movable.

[0027] With this configuration, even if the joining electrode lead is arranged outside the range of positions in the plate thickness direction where the joining electrode lead can be arranged, it is easy to arrange the joining electrode lead between the electrode connection portion and the terminal protection piece.

[0028] [Details of the embodiments of the present disclosure] The present disclosure will be described below with reference to exemplary embodiments. The present disclosure is not limited to these examples, but is defined by the scope of the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0029] <Embodiment 1> A first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 20. An energy storage module 10 including a wiring module 20 of this embodiment is mounted on a vehicle such as an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle and used as a drive source for the vehicle. In the following description, when multiple identical components are used, only some of the components may be designated by reference numerals, and the reference numerals for other components may be omitted. In the following description, the direction indicated by arrow X is defined as downward, the direction indicated by arrow Y is defined as leftward, and the direction indicated by arrow Z is defined as forward.

[0030] [Battery stack] The energy storage module 10 includes a battery stack 11L shown in Fig. 8 and wiring modules 20 attached to the front and rear sides of the battery stack 11L as shown in Fig. 9. As shown in Figs. 1 and 9, the energy storage module 10 of this embodiment also includes a housing 14 that covers the battery stack 11L from all four sides: top, bottom, left, and right. The housing 14 includes a bottom 15 located below the battery stack 11L, a ceiling 16 located above the battery stack 11L, and a pair of side sections 17 that connect the bottom 15 and ceiling 16 on both the left and right sides.

[0031] [Assembly direction] As shown in Fig. 9, the wiring module 20 of this embodiment is designed to be assembled to the battery stack 11L housed in the housing 14 in an assembly direction (the direction indicated by the arrow X) (details will be described later). For convenience, the direction indicated by the arrow X is uniformly set to downward, and the assembly direction is described as downward, but the battery stack 11L and the wiring module 20 may be positioned so that the assembly direction is forward or leftward, for example. Furthermore, the direction corresponding to the direction indicated by the arrow X in the specification (the width direction of the electrode leads 12) does not have to be the same when the wiring module 20 is assembled to the battery stack 11L and when the energy storage module 10 is in use.

[0032] [Laminated battery, electrode lead] As shown in FIG. 8, the battery stack 11L is constructed by stacking multiple laminated batteries 11 (eight in this embodiment) in the left-right direction. The laminated batteries 11 are long in the front-rear direction and flat in the left-right direction. An electricity storage element (not shown) is housed inside the laminated battery 11. A pair of electrode leads 12 are arranged on both sides of the laminated battery 11 in the front-rear direction, protruding in opposite directions. The pair of electrode leads 12 are plate-shaped and have opposite polarities.

[0033] [Joint, joining electrode lead, plate thickness direction, terminal width direction] As shown in Figure 8, the battery stack 11L has joints 13 where the electrode leads 12 of adjacent laminated batteries 11 are electrically connected. That is, the electrode leads 12 are bent at right angles to the left or right, overlapped, and joined by laser welding to form the joints 13. The thickness direction of the joints 13 (the direction of arrow Z) is the front-to-rear direction. The direction perpendicular to the thickness direction and assembly direction of the joints 13 is the terminal width direction (the direction of arrow Y, which is the left-to-right direction in this embodiment). Of the electrode leads 12, those that form the joints 13 are joined electrode leads 12A.

[0034] The process of forming the joint 13 includes bending the electrode lead 12, laser welding, etc., and therefore the tolerance in the thickness direction of the joint 13 (and the joined electrode lead 12A) is likely to be large. For example, in this embodiment, the tolerance in the thickness direction of the joint 13 (and the joined electrode lead 12A) is larger than the thickness of the electrode lead 12.

[0035] As shown in Figure 8, the electrode leads 12 other than the joining electrode leads 12A, i.e., those that do not form the joining portions 13, are called end electrode leads 12B. The end electrode leads 12B are arranged at both ends of the battery stack 11L and protrude forward. The end electrode leads 12B form the positive or negative electrodes of the entire battery stack 11L.

[0036] [Wiring module] As shown in Fig. 2, the wiring module 20 of this embodiment includes a terminal 30 connected to the joining electrode lead 12A, a bus bar 40 connected to the end electrode lead 12B, an electric wire 45 connected to the terminal 30 or the bus bar 40, and a protector 50 that holds the terminal 30, the bus bar 40, and the electric wire 45. The configuration of the wiring module 20 disposed on the front side of the battery stack 11L is described in detail below. As shown in Fig. 4, the wiring module 20 disposed on the rear side of the battery stack 11L is configured similarly to the wiring module 20 disposed on the front side of the battery stack 11L, except that it does not include a bus bar 40.

[0037] [Protector] 1, the protector 50 is made of insulating synthetic resin and has a plate shape. The protector 50 includes a protector body 51 that is positioned relative to the housing 14 (and the battery stack 11L). While detailed configuration will not be described here, the protector body 51 and the housing 14 have concave and convex shapes that extend in the assembly direction and engage with each other, guiding the assembly of the wiring module 20 to the battery stack 11L.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 2, electrode receiving portions 54 are provided in parallel in the left-right direction in the vertical center of the protector body 51. The electrode receiving portions 54 are formed to penetrate in the front-to-rear direction and have a rectangular shape that is long vertically. The electrode receiving portions 54 are composed of a joining electrode receiving portion 54A that receives the joining portion 13 and joining electrode lead 12A, and an end electrode receiving portion 54B that receives the end electrode lead 12B. As shown in FIG. 10, the lower side of the electrode receiving portion 54 is also open downward so that the electrode lead 12 does not interfere with the electrode receiving portion 54 when the wiring module 20 is assembled.

[0039] As shown in Fig. 2, busbar holding portions 55 for holding busbar 40 are provided above and below end electrode receiving portion 54B. A bolt fastening portion 55A for fastening busbar 40 with a bolt is provided near upper busbar holding portion 55. As shown in Fig. 6, a terminal accommodating portion 56 for accommodating terminal 30 is provided above joining electrode receiving portion 54A. Terminal accommodating portion 56 is connected to protector body 51 via hinge portion 57.

[0040] 11 to 14 and 17 to 20, which will be referred to in the following description, for ease of viewing, the joining portion 13 (joining electrode lead 12A), terminal 30, terminal accommodating portion 56, hinge portion 57, etc., including cross sections, are illustrated, and the background of part of the end electrode lead 12B, bus bar 40, etc. is not illustrated.

[0041] [Hinge] As shown in FIG. 17 , the hinge portion 57 includes a protruding piece 58 protruding forward from the protector body 51 and an extension piece 59 extending from the protruding piece 58 toward the rear (downward) in the assembly direction and connected to the terminal accommodating portion 56. The hinge portion 57 includes thin-walled portions 60 that are thinner in the thickness direction than the surrounding area at the joint between the terminal accommodating portion 56 and the extension piece 59, the joint between the extension piece 59 and the protruding piece 58, and the joint between the protruding piece 58 and the protector body 51. The thin-walled portions 60 are formed in a U-shaped groove shape in a side view and extend in the left-right direction. The thin-walled portions 60 provided at the joint between the terminal accommodating portion 56 and the extension piece 59 and the joint between the extension piece 59 and the protruding piece 58 are defined as first thin-walled portions 60A. The thin-walled portions 60 provided at the joint between the protruding piece 58 and the protector body 51 are defined as second thin-walled portions 60B. The first thin portion 60A is formed to be even thinner than the second thin portion 60B.

[0042] 18 and 20, when a force is applied to the terminal accommodating portion 56, the thin portion 60 functions as a fold, so that the hinge portion 57 can bend and deform. In other words, the deformation of the hinge portion 57 allows the terminal accommodating portion 56 to move freely relative to the protector body 51. As will be described later, the hinge portion 57 is easily deformed by bending at the first thin portion 60A, which is particularly thin.

[0043] [Terminal housing] As shown in Fig. 6, the terminal accommodating portion 56 includes a barrel accommodating recess 61 coupled to the hinge portion 57, a terminal protection piece 62 disposed on the rear side in the assembly direction, and a central frame portion 63 disposed between the barrel accommodating recess 61 and the terminal protection piece 62. The barrel accommodating recess 61 extends in the assembly direction and has a gate shape recessed rearward. As shown in Fig. 5, the wire barrel portion 35A, the insulation barrel portion 35B, and a portion of the electric wire 45 of the terminal 30 are accommodated in the barrel accommodating recess 61.

[0044] [Terminal protection piece] As shown in Figure 11, the terminal protection piece 62 is a plate-shaped member and is arranged behind the electrode connection portion 31 of the terminal 30. The terminal protection piece 62 extends downward from the lower end of the central frame portion 63 and is tilted slightly forward. A protector-side inclined surface 62A is provided at the lower end of the terminal protection piece 62, which is inclined so that it is positioned more rearward as it extends downward. The terminal protection piece 62 near the upper end of the protector-side inclined surface 62A is formed as a rear locking portion 62B that can come into contact with the electrode connection portion 31 and prevents the terminal 30 from being displaced rearward.

[0045] 14 and 16, a protector-side engagement portion 64 is provided inside the central frame portion 63 to hold the terminal 30 movably in the front-rear direction relative to the terminal accommodating portion 56. The protector-side engagement portion 64 is composed of a lower abutment portion 64A and an upper abutment portion 64B that are spaced apart in the vertical direction. The lower abutment portion 64A is arranged so as to abut from below against the vicinity of the center in the left-right direction of the terminal-side engagement portion 33 of the terminal 30. The upper abutment portion 64B is arranged so as to abut from above against both left-right ends of the terminal-side engagement portion 33. Therefore, the protector-side engagement portion 64 also serves as a first displacement suppression portion 65 that suppresses displacement of the terminal 30 in the vertical direction.

[0046] As shown in Figure 14, a downwardly protruding locking protrusion 66 is provided on the front portion of the upper contact portion 64B. The locking protrusion 66 has an engagement surface 66A that slopes downward toward the rear, and a front locking portion 66B that is disposed perpendicular to the terminal-side engagement portion 33 and serves as the rear end surface of the locking protrusion 66. The terminal 30 can be easily accommodated in the terminal accommodating portion 56 by sliding the rear end portion of the terminal-side engagement portion 33 along the engagement surface 66A. The front locking portion 66B engages with the front end portion of the terminal-side engagement portion 33, thereby preventing the terminal 30 from being displaced forward.

[0047] The front locking portion 66B (see FIG. 14) and the rear locking portion 62B (see FIG. 11) form a locking portion 67 that prevents the terminal 30 from slipping out of the terminal accommodating portion 56 in the front-rear direction.

[0048] As shown in Fig. 6, second displacement suppression portions 68 are provided in the shape of cutouts in the lower wall of the central frame portion 63. As shown in Fig. 5 and Fig. 15, the second displacement suppression portions 68 are arranged so as to be able to come into contact with the electrode connection portions 31 of the terminals 30 from both the left and right sides, and are configured to suppress displacement of the terminals 30 in the left-right direction.

[0049] Terminal As shown in Fig. 7, the terminal 30 is formed by processing a conductive metal plate. The terminal 30 includes a rectangular electrode connection portion 31, an inclined surface 32 extending downward from the electrode connection portion 31, and a terminal-side engagement portion 33 extending rearward from the upper end of the electrode connection portion 31. A wire connection portion 35 is connected to the rear end of the terminal-side engagement portion 33 via a connecting portion 34. The wire connection portion 35 includes a wire barrel portion 35A that is crimped to a core wire 46 of the electric wire 45, and an insulation barrel portion 35B that is crimped to an insulating coating 47 of the electric wire 45.

[0050] 13, the terminal 30 is configured to be connected to the joint 13 or a part of the joining electrode lead 12A that constitutes the joint 13. In other words, the terminal 30 is not a member for connecting adjacent joining electrode leads 12A, but a member for connecting a pre-connected joining electrode lead 12A (joint 13) to an electric wire 45. For this reason, the vertical dimension of the terminal 30 may be smaller than the vertical dimension of the joining electrode lead 12A.

[0051] [Electrode connection, first position] As shown in FIG. 11 , in the wiring module 20, the electrode connection portion 31 is located in front of the terminal protection piece 62, and a lower portion of the electrode connection portion 31 serves as a rear locked portion 36 that abuts against the rear locking portion 62B. The position of the terminal 30 shown in FIG. 11 is set to a first position. The first position is the rearmost position at which the terminal 30 can move in the front-rear direction relative to the terminal accommodating portion 56. As shown in FIG. 13 , when the wiring module 20 is assembled to the battery stack 11L, the joining electrode lead 12A is arranged between the electrode connection portion 31 and the terminal protection piece 62 in the front-rear direction. The electrode connection portion 31 is electrically connected to the joining electrode lead 12A by laser welding.

[0052] [Terminal side engaging part, 2nd position] As shown in FIG. 14 , the terminal-side engaging portion 33 has a plate-like shape with its thickness extending vertically and is arranged perpendicular to the joint portion 13. In the wiring module 20, the terminal-side engaging portion 33 is arranged between the lower contact portion 64A and the upper contact portion 64B and is able to slide against the protector-side engaging portion 64. The terminal-side engaging portion 33 slides against the protector-side engaging portion 64, thereby holding the terminal 30 in the terminal accommodating portion 56 so that it can move in the front-rear direction. As shown in FIG. 7 , notched front engaging portions 37 are provided at the front end portions on both the left and right sides of the terminal-side engaging portion 33. As shown in FIG. 14 , the front engaging portions 37 are arranged so as to be able to engage with the front engaging portion 66B. The position of the terminal 30 when the front engaging portions 37 and the front engaging portion 66B are engaged is referred to as the second position. The second position is the forwardmost position at which the terminal 30 can move in the front-rear direction relative to the terminal accommodating portion 56.

[0053] [Slope] As shown in FIG. 11 , the inclined surface 32 is inclined so that it is positioned more forward as it extends downward. That is, the inclined surface 32 is inclined so that it moves further away from the terminal protection piece 62 in the front-to-rear direction as it extends downward. When the wiring module 20 is assembled to the battery stack 11L, with the terminal 30 in the first position, the inclined surface 32 is positioned to include a range of positions in the front-to-rear direction (hereinafter referred to as the normal position range) WT in which the joining electrode lead 12A can be positioned. Here, the normal position range WT refers to the range from the front-to-rearmost position to the rear-most position in which the joining electrode lead 12A can be positioned, taking into account the tolerance of the joining electrode lead 12A in the front-to-rear direction. In other words, the joining electrode lead 12A positioned within the expected tolerance in the front-to-rear direction will abut the inclined surface 32 when the terminal 30 is in the first position (details will be described later).

[0054] 3, the inclined surface 32 is formed continuous with the lower end of the left-right center position of the electrode connection portion 31, and a left-right dimension D1 of the inclined surface 32 is smaller than a left-right dimension D2 of the electrode connection portion 31. Therefore, when the electrode connection portion 31 and the joining electrode lead 12A are brought into close contact with each other using a jig (not shown) and laser welding is performed, the center of the electrode connection portion 31 can be welded while holding both left and right ends of the electrode connection portion 31 with the jig, avoiding the inclined surface 32.

[0055] [Busbar] The busbar 40 has a plate-like shape and is formed by processing a conductive metal plate. As shown in FIG. 2, the busbar 40 is held by the busbar holding portion 55 of the protector 50 so that the plate thickness direction is the left-right direction. As shown in FIG. 1, the center portion of the busbar 40 is a busbar main body 41 to which the end electrode lead 12B is connected. When connecting the busbar main body 41 and the end electrode lead 12B, the end electrode lead 12B may be bent appropriately so as to abut against the busbar main body 41. A busbar-side connection portion 42 bent to the left or right relative to the busbar main body 41 is provided at the top of the busbar 40.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 2, the busbar-side connection portion 42 has a through-hole (not shown) through which a bolt 42A is inserted, and is bolted to a bolt-fastening portion 55A of the protector 50. As shown in FIG. 1, an external connection terminal 43 and a relay terminal 44 are placed on top of the busbar-side connection portion 42 and are bolted together with the busbar-side connection portion 42. This electrically connects the busbar-side connection portion 42 to the external connection terminal 43 and the relay terminal 44. The external connection terminal 43 is a conductive metal plate that protrudes to the left or right of the energy storage module 10 and is used to connect the energy storage module 10 to an external device (not shown). The relay terminal 44 is made of a conductive metal plate and is used to connect the busbar-side connection portion 42 to an electric wire 45. The relay terminal 44 is connected to the electric wire 45 in the same way as the terminal 30.

[0057] [Electric wire] As shown in Fig. 3, the electric wire 45 has a core wire 46 (not shown except in Figs. 3 and 7) and an insulating coating 47 that covers the core wire 46. As shown in Fig. 2, one end of the electric wire 45 is connected to the terminal 30 or the relay terminal 44, and the other end of the electric wire 45 is bundled together and connected to a connector 48. The electric wire 45 is arranged in a predetermined position in the protector 50 by means of a routing projection 69, an electric wire retainer 70, a routing groove 71, and the like that are provided on the upper side of the protector 50.

[0058] The connector 48 is made of insulating synthetic resin and is block-shaped as shown in Figure 1. A female terminal (not shown) is housed inside the connector 48. The connector 48 is designed to mate with a mating connector (not shown) having a male terminal. The mating connector is connected to an external ECU (Electronic Control Unit) or the like via an electric wire (not shown). The ECU is equipped with a microcomputer, elements, etc., and has a well-known configuration that includes functions such as detecting the voltage, current, temperature, etc. of each laminated battery 11 and controlling the charging and discharging of each laminated battery 11.

[0059] This embodiment is configured as described above. The movement of the terminals 30 when the wiring module 20 is attached to the battery stack 11L will now be described.

[0060] First, with reference to FIGS. 11 to 14, a case where the joining electrode lead 12A is positioned within the normal position range WT will be described. In FIGS. 11 to 14, the joining electrode lead 12A is positioned at the frontmost position within the normal position range WT. As shown in FIG. 11, before the wiring module 20 is assembled to the battery stack 11L (hereinafter referred to as the pre-assembly state), if the terminal 30 is in the first position, the upper end of the joining electrode lead 12A abuts the inclined surface 32. When the joining electrode lead 12A and the inclined surface 32 come into contact, a force is applied to the terminal 30 toward the front (upward) in the assembly direction. As shown in FIGS. 14 and 16, the terminal-side engaging portion 33 is in surface contact with the protector-side engaging portion 64 in the vertical direction, so that the upward force applied to the terminal 30 can be distributed and received by the terminal accommodating portion 56. Furthermore, since the terminal accommodating portion 56 is allowed to move freely relative to the protector body 51 by the hinge portion 57, the hinge portion 57 bends mainly at the second thin portion 60B, thereby absorbing the upward force acting on the terminal accommodating portion 56 (see Figure 6).

[0061] As shown in Fig. 12, as the wiring module 20 moves downward, the upper end of the bonding electrode lead 12A slides against the inclined surface 32, causing the terminal 30 to move forward. When the wiring module 20 is further moved downward, the electrode connection portion 31 is positioned in front of the bonding electrode lead 12A, as shown in Fig. 13. Here, as shown in Fig. 14, when the bonding electrode lead 12A is positioned at the frontmost position within the normal position range WT, the front locked portion 37 of the terminal 30 and the front locking portion 66B of the terminal accommodating portion 56 are locked (reaching the second position). In other words, as long as the bonding electrode lead 12A is positioned within the normal position range WT, the forward movement of the terminal 30 is not hindered.

[0062] Furthermore, before assembly, if the terminal 30 is located further forward than the first position, the upper end of the joining electrode lead 12A either abuts against the inclined surface 32 as described above, or passes directly between the electrode connection portion 31 and the terminal protection piece 62 without abutting against the inclined surface 32. Therefore, when the wiring module 20 is assembled to the battery stack 11L, interference between the terminal 30 and the joining electrode lead 12A can be suppressed.

[0063] Furthermore, in this embodiment, even if the joining electrode lead 12A is not positioned within the normal position range WT, when the wiring module 20 is assembled to the battery stack 11L, the terminal accommodating portion 56 moves relative to the protector body 51, making it easier for the joining electrode lead 12A to be positioned between the electrode connection portion 31 and the terminal protection piece 62, as described below.

[0064] 17 and 18, a case will be described in which the joining electrode lead 12A is disposed on the terminal protection piece 62 side (i.e., rear side) outside the normal position range WT. When the upper end of the joining electrode lead 12A abuts against the protector-side inclined surface 62A of the terminal protection piece 62, as the wiring module 20 moves downward, the upper end of the joining electrode lead 12A slides against the protector-side inclined surface 62A, applying a rearward force to the terminal accommodating portion 56. Here, as shown in FIG. 18, the hinge portion 57 bends mainly at the first thin portion 60A, and the terminal accommodating portion 56 moves rearward to match the position of the joining electrode lead 12A in the front-rear direction. Therefore, the joining electrode lead 12A is disposed between the electrode connection portion 31 and the terminal protection piece 62 without interfering with the terminal protection piece 62.

[0065] 19 and 20, a case will be described in which the joining electrode lead 12A is disposed on the inclined surface 32 side (i.e., the front side) outside the normal position range WT. When the upper end of the joining electrode lead 12A abuts the inclined surface 32, the upper end of the joining electrode lead 12A slides against the inclined surface 32 as the wiring module 20 moves downward, causing the terminal 30 to move forward. Because the joining electrode lead 12A is disposed forward of the normal position range WT, while the joining electrode lead 12A slides against the inclined surface 32, the front locked portion 37 and the front locking portion 66B are locked, preventing the terminal 30 from moving forward relative to the terminal accommodating portion 56 (see FIG. 14). Therefore, a forward force is applied to the terminal accommodating portion 56. Here, as shown in FIG. 20, the hinge portion 57 bends at the first thin portion 60A, causing the terminal accommodating portion 56 to move forward in accordance with the position of the joining electrode lead 12A in the front-rear direction. Therefore, the joining electrode lead 12A is disposed between the electrode connecting portion 31 and the terminal protection piece 62 without interfering with the inclined surface 32.

[0066] [Effects of the First Embodiment] According to the first embodiment, the following actions and effects are achieved. The wiring module 20 according to the first embodiment is constructed by stacking a plurality of laminated batteries 11 each having an electrode lead 12, and is assembled to a battery stack 11L having joints 13 where the electrode leads 12 of the laminated batteries 11 are overlapped and joined, in an assembly direction perpendicular to the plate thickness direction of the joints 13, and is equipped with terminals 30, electric wires 45 connected to the terminals 30, and a protector 50 that holds the terminals 30 and the electric wires 45, and the protector 50 has terminal accommodating sections 56 that accommodate the terminals 30, and a protector side engaging member that holds the terminals 30 so that they can move in the plate thickness direction between a first position and a second position relative to the terminal accommodating section 56. a joint portion 64, and the second position is arranged on one side in the plate thickness direction of the first position, and the electrode lead 12 that constitutes the joint portion 13 is a joined electrode lead 12A, and the terminal 30 comprises an electrode connection portion 31 electrically connected to the joined electrode lead 12A, an inclined surface 32 that is connected to the electrode connection portion 31 and inclined so as to be positioned on one side in the plate thickness direction as it goes deeper in the assembly direction, and a terminal side engaging portion 33 that engages with the protector side engaging portion 64, and when the terminal 30 is arranged at the first position, the inclined surface 32 is arranged to include a range WT of positions in the plate thickness direction where the joined electrode lead 12A can be arranged.

[0067] According to the above configuration, when the wiring module 20 is assembled to the battery stack 11L, the inclined surface 32 engages with the front end of the joining electrode lead 12A in the assembly direction, allowing the terminal 30 to move in the plate thickness direction relative to the joining electrode lead 12A, thereby suppressing interference between the terminal 30 and the joining electrode lead 12A.

[0068] In embodiment 1, the terminal accommodating portion 56 is provided with a terminal protection piece 62 arranged opposite the electrode connection portion 31 in the plate thickness direction, and the inclined surface 32 is inclined so as to move away from the terminal protection piece 62 as it goes deeper in the assembly direction, so that the joining electrode lead 12A is arranged between the electrode connection portion 31 and the terminal protection piece 62 in the plate thickness direction.

[0069] According to the above configuration, the terminal 30 can be protected by the terminal protection piece 62. Furthermore, the joining electrode lead 12A arranged between the electrode connection portion 31 and the terminal protection piece 62 can be protected.

[0070] In the first embodiment, the terminal protection piece 62 has a protector-side inclined surface 62A at its end on the rear side in the assembly direction, which is inclined so as to be positioned on the other side in the plate thickness direction as it goes rearward in the assembly direction.

[0071] According to the above configuration, even if the joining electrode lead 12A is arranged on the terminal protection piece 62 side beyond the range WT of positions in the plate thickness direction where the joining electrode lead 12A can be arranged, the joining electrode lead 12A can be easily arranged between the electrode connection portion 31 and the terminal protection piece 62.

[0072] In the first embodiment, the direction perpendicular to the plate thickness direction and the assembling direction is the terminal width direction, and the dimension D1 of the inclined surface 32 in the terminal width direction is smaller than the dimension D2 of the electrode connection portion 31 in the terminal width direction.

[0073] According to the above configuration, the work of electrically connecting the electrode connection portion 31 and the joining electrode lead 12A can be easily performed.

[0074] In the first embodiment, the terminal accommodating portion 56 includes a locking portion 67 that prevents the terminal 30 from slipping out of the terminal accommodating portion 56 in the plate thickness direction.

[0075] According to the above configuration, the terminal 30 can be prevented from coming off the terminal accommodating portion 56.

[0076] In embodiment 1, the terminal accommodating portion 56 includes a first displacement suppression portion 65 that suppresses displacement of the terminal 30 in the assembly direction, and a second displacement suppression portion 68 that suppresses displacement of the terminal 30 in the plate thickness direction and the terminal width direction perpendicular to the assembly direction.

[0077] According to the above configuration, the terminal 30 can be positioned relative to the terminal accommodating portion 56 in the assembly direction and the terminal width direction.

[0078] In embodiment 1, the terminal side engaging portion 33 is plate-shaped and arranged perpendicular to the joint portion 13, and the protector side engaging portion 64 abuts against the rear and front sides of the terminal side engaging portion 33 in the assembly direction, thereby also serving as the first displacement suppression portion 65.

[0079] With the above configuration, the terminal-side engaging portion 33 has a plate shape perpendicular to the joint portion 13, which makes it easier to distribute the force applied to the terminals 30 in the assembly direction when assembling the wiring module 20 to the battery stack 11L. In addition, the protector-side engaging portion 64 also serves as the first displacement suppression portion 65, which simplifies the configuration of the terminal accommodating portion 56.

[0080] In the first embodiment, the protector 50 includes a protector body 51, and the terminal accommodating portion 56 is coupled to the protector body 51 via a hinge portion 57 so as to be freely movable.

[0081] According to the above configuration, even if the joining electrode lead 12A is arranged outside the range WT of positions in the plate thickness direction where the joining electrode lead 12A can be arranged, the joining electrode lead 12A can be easily arranged between the electrode connection portion 31 and the terminal protection piece 62.

[0082] <Embodiment 2> A second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 21 and 22. A wiring module 120 according to the second embodiment is configured similarly to the wiring module 20 of the first embodiment, except that the terminals 130 include trapezoidal portions 138. Hereinafter, the same components as those in the first embodiment will be assigned the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment, and descriptions of the same configurations, functions, and effects as those in the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0083] [Trapezoidal section] As shown in FIG. 21 , the terminal 130 has a trapezoidal portion 138 disposed between the inclined surface 32 and the electrode connection portion 31. The trapezoidal portion 138 is flush with the electrode connection portion 31. The dimension of the trapezoidal portion 138 in the terminal width direction (left-right direction) decreases toward the back (downward) of the trapezoidal portion 138 in the assembly direction. The trapezoidal portion 138 has a shape that is symmetrical in the left-right direction. The lower end of the trapezoidal portion 138 is disposed in the center of the electrode connection portion 31 in the left-right direction and is continuous with the inclined surface 32. The dimension D3 of the lower end of the trapezoidal portion 138 in the left-right direction is the same as the dimension D1 of the inclined surface 32 in the left-right direction. The trapezoidal portion 138 has an outer edge 138A that continuously connects both left and right ends of the inclined surface 32 to both left and right ends of the upper part of the electrode connection portion 31.

[0084] Consider a case where the outer portion 12C of the joining electrode lead 12A, which is positioned so as not to abut against the inclined surface 32, is warped toward the terminal 130 (front side), as shown in Fig. 22. Note that Fig. 22 shows a state in which the wiring module 120 is being assembled to the battery stack 11L, before the upper end of the joining electrode lead 12A abuts against the terminal 130. If the terminal 30 of Embodiment 1 were used, the inclined surface 32 and the electrode connection portion 31, which have different dimensions in the left and right directions, would be connected without a trapezoidal portion (see Fig. 3), and therefore the outer portion 12C of the joining electrode lead 12A would likely interfere with the lower end of the electrode connection portion 31 when the wiring module 20 is assembled to the battery stack 11L.

[0085] However, in this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 21 , a trapezoidal portion 138 (electrode connection portion 31) is provided between the inclined surface 32 and the electrode connection portion 31 so as to extend continuously in the left-right direction. Therefore, when the wiring module 120 is assembled to the battery stack 11L, as shown in Fig. 22 , the outer portion 12C of the joining electrode lead 12A and the outer edge portion 138A of the trapezoidal portion 138 come into sliding contact with each other, thereby suppressing interference between the joining electrode lead 12A and the electrode connection portion 31.

[0086] [Effects of Embodiment 2] According to the second embodiment, the following actions and effects are achieved. In embodiment 2, the inclined surface 32 is arranged at the center position in the terminal width direction of the electrode connection portion 31, and the electrode connection portion 31 is connected to the inclined surface 32 via a trapezoidal portion 138 whose dimension in the terminal width direction decreases as it goes deeper in the assembly direction, and the trapezoidal portion 138 has a symmetrical shape in the terminal width direction, and it is preferable that the dimension D3 in the terminal width direction of the deeper end of the trapezoidal portion 138 in the assembly direction is the same as the dimension D1 in the terminal width direction of the inclined surface 32.

[0087] According to the above configuration, interference between the electrode connection portion 31 and the joining electrode lead 12A (outer portion 12C) on the outer side of the inclined surface 32 in the terminal width direction can be suppressed.

[0088] <Other embodiments> (1) In the above embodiment, the joint 13 is configured by joining two electrode leads 12, and the laminated battery 11 is connected in series, but this is not limited to this. The joint may be configured by joining three or more electrode leads, and the laminated battery may be connected in parallel. (2) In the above embodiment, the terminal accommodating portion 56 is provided with the terminal protection piece 62, but this is not limitative, and the terminal accommodating portion does not necessarily have to be provided with the terminal protection piece. (3) In the above embodiment, the terminal accommodating portion 56 is configured to be freely movable connected to the protector body 51 via the hinge portion 57, but this is not limited to this, and the terminal accommodating portion may be configured so as not to be able to move freely relative to the protector body. (4) In the above embodiment, the power storage module 10 is configured to include the housing 14, but this is not limitative, and the power storage module may be configured without a housing. [Explanation of symbols]

[0089] 10: Energy storage module 11: Laminated battery 11L: Battery stack 12: Electrode lead 12A: Bonding electrode lead 12B: Terminal electrode lead 12C: Outer part of the bonded electrode lead 13: Joint 14: Housing 15: Bottom 16: Ceiling 17: Lateral part 20,120: Wiring module 30,130: Terminal 31: Electrode connection part 32: Slope 33: Terminal side engagement part 34: Connection part 35: Wire connection 35A: Wire barrel part 35B: Insulation barrel part 36: Rear locked part 37: Front locked part 40: Busbar 41: Busbar body 42: Busbar side connection 42A: Bolt 43: External connection terminal 44: Relay terminal 45: Electric wire 46: Core wire 47: Insulation coating 48: Connector 50: Protector 51: Protector body 54: Electrode holder 54A: Bonding electrode receiving part 54B: End electrode receiving part 55: Busbar holder 55A: Bolted joint 56: Terminal housing 57: Hinge part 58: Projecting piece 59: Extension piece 60: Thin section 60A: First thin section 60B: Second thin section 61: Barrel receiving recess 62: Terminal protection piece 62A: Protector side inclined surface 62B: Rear locking part 63: Central frame 64: Protector side engagement part 64A: Lower contact part 64B: Upper contact part 65: First displacement restraint section 66: Locking protrusion 66A: Engagement surface 66B: Front locking part 67: Locking part 68: Second displacement restraint section 69: Routing protrusion 70: Wire fastening part 71: Cable routing groove 138: Trapezoidal section 138A: Outer edge of trapezoid D1: Dimension of the inclined surface in the terminal width direction D2: Dimension of the electrode connection part in the terminal width direction D3: Dimension in the terminal width direction of the innermost end of the trapezoidal part in the assembly direction WT: Range of positions in the thickness direction where the joining electrode lead can be placed (normal position range)

Claims

1. A wiring module is assembled to a battery stack including a plurality of laminated batteries each having an electrode lead, the battery stack including a joint where the electrode leads of the laminated batteries are overlapped and joined, in an assembly direction perpendicular to the plate thickness direction of the joint, The terminal and an electric wire connected to the terminal; a protector that holds the terminal and the electric wire, the protector includes a terminal accommodating portion that accommodates the terminal, and a protector-side engaging portion that holds the terminal movably in the plate thickness direction between a first position and a second position relative to the terminal accommodating portion, The second position is disposed on one side of the first position in the plate thickness direction, The electrode lead constituting the joint portion is a joint electrode lead, the terminal includes an electrode connection portion electrically connected to the joining electrode lead, an inclined surface provided continuous with the electrode connection portion and inclined so as to be positioned on one side in the plate thickness direction as it extends deeper in the assembling direction, and a terminal-side engaging portion that engages with the protector-side engaging portion, a wiring module, wherein the inclined surface is arranged to include a range of positions in the plate thickness direction at which the joining electrode lead can be arranged when the terminal is arranged at the first position;

2. the terminal accommodating portion includes a terminal protection piece disposed opposite the electrode connecting portion in the plate thickness direction, The inclined surface is inclined so as to move away from the terminal protection piece as it goes deeper in the assembly direction, The wiring module according to claim 1 , wherein the joining electrode lead is arranged between the electrode connection portion and the terminal protection piece in the plate thickness direction.

3. The wiring module of claim 2, wherein the end of the terminal protection piece on the rear side in the assembly direction is provided with a protector-side inclined surface that inclines so as to be positioned on the other side in the plate thickness direction as it moves toward the rear in the assembly direction.

4. The direction perpendicular to the plate thickness direction and the assembly direction is the terminal width direction, The wiring module according to claim 1 , wherein a dimension of the inclined surface in the terminal width direction is smaller than a dimension of the electrode connection portion in the terminal width direction.

5. the inclined surface is disposed at a central position in the terminal width direction of the electrode connection portion, the electrode connection portion is connected to the inclined surface via a trapezoidal portion whose dimension in the terminal width direction decreases toward the rear in the assembly direction, The trapezoidal portion has a shape that is symmetrical with respect to the terminal width direction, The wiring module according to claim 4 , wherein a dimension of the trapezoidal portion in the terminal width direction at an end portion on a rear side in the assembly direction is the same as a dimension of the inclined surface in the terminal width direction.

6. The wiring module according to claim 1 , wherein the terminal accommodating portion includes a locking portion that prevents the terminal from coming out of the terminal accommodating portion in the thickness direction.

7. 4. The wiring module according to claim 1, wherein the terminal accommodating portion comprises a first displacement suppression portion that suppresses displacement of the terminal in the assembly direction, and a second displacement suppression portion that suppresses displacement of the terminal in the plate thickness direction and the terminal width direction perpendicular to the assembly direction.

8. the terminal-side engaging portion is plate-shaped and disposed perpendicular to the joint portion, The wiring module according to claim 7 , wherein the protector-side engaging portion abuts against a rear side and a front side in the assembly direction of the terminal-side engaging portion, thereby also serving as the first displacement suppressing portion.

9. The protector includes a protector body, The wiring module according to claim 1 , wherein the terminal accommodating portion is coupled to the protector body via a hinge portion so as to be freely movable.

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