Waterproof connector and battery module including the same

Abstract

The waterproof connector according to the present invention is characterized in that it includes a connector housing having at least one connector terminal and a connection portion provided on the front portion to allow other connectors to be connected, the connector housing having an opening portion on the rear portion that forms an open space so that the connector terminal is exposed, a connector cable connected to one side of the connector terminal exposed through the opening portion, and a back mold member that is an injection part and encases and seals the opening portion.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a connector, and more particularly to a waterproof connector and a battery module including the same. This application claims priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2021-0176160, filed on December 9, 2021, and the entire contents disclosed in the specification and drawings of that application are incorporated herein by reference. [Background technology]

[0002] Currently widely used types of secondary batteries include lithium-ion batteries, lithium polymer batteries, nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, and nickel-zinc batteries. The operating voltage of such unit secondary battery cells, i.e., unit battery cells, is approximately 2.5V to 4.5V. Therefore, battery packs are installed in devices that require high output voltage and capacity, such as electric vehicles.

[0003] The battery pack generally includes one or more battery modules in which a plurality of battery cells are connected in series and / or parallel, and the battery module or battery pack also includes a sensing element for measuring the voltage and temperature of the plurality of battery cells, a battery management system (BMS) for controlling voltage balancing and temperature control, and cables and connectors for transmitting voltage and temperature information from the sensing element to the BMS.

[0004] On the other hand, because the battery pack of an electric vehicle may be exposed to various environmental conditions, various electrical components must be designed to be able to withstand these conditions. For example, it is preferable to configure the battery module with electrical components that have a certain level of waterproofing so that the battery module can operate normally even in snowy or rainy environments or very humid environments.

[0005] In particular, in a battery module, as shown in FIG. 1, connector 1 extends from the inside to the outside of the module case, potentially creating a path for moisture to leak in. For this reason, it is preferable to use a connector with waterproof functionality. However, there are currently not many waterproof connector products being developed. Furthermore, even if an attempt is made to replace a non-waterproof connector in an existing battery module with a new waterproof connector, it is not easy to install the new waterproof connector in the location of the existing non-waterproof connector due to the structural differences between the existing non-waterproof connector and the new waterproof connector. For this reason, a solution is needed that allows existing non-waterproof connectors to be used while still being waterproof. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to add a waterproof structure to the structure of an existing non-waterproof connector, so that the existing non-waterproof connector can be used as a waterproof connector.

[0007] However, the technical problems that the present invention aims to solve are not limited to the above-mentioned problems, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the invention given below. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, there can be provided a waterproof connector including: at least one connector terminal; a connector housing having a connection portion on its front surface that allows other connectors to be connected thereto, and having an opening portion on its rear surface that forms an open space so that the connector terminal is exposed; a connector cable connected to one side of the connector terminal exposed through the opening portion; and a back mold member that is an injection molded object and that encases and seals the opening portion.

[0009] The back mold member may be injection molded to fill the open space and cover the rear portion of the connector housing.

[0010] The connector cable may be configured to extend through the back mold member to the exterior of the back mold member.

[0011] The back mold member may be made of a waterproof material.

[0012] The back mold member may be configured to be disposed on the rear portion of the connector housing by injection molding and to wrap around one side of the connector cable.

[0013] The connector housing and the back mold member may be bi-injected.

[0014] According to another aspect of the present invention, there can be provided a method for manufacturing a waterproof connector, the method including the steps of: preparing a connector housing having a connection portion on a front portion and an opening portion on a rear portion; assembling electrical connection terminals into the connector housing; and injection-molding a back mold member onto the rear portion of the connector housing so that the opening portion is sealed.

[0015] The electrical connection terminal may include a metal connector terminal, a portion of which is fixedly mounted within the connector housing and the remaining portion of which is exposed through the opening, and a connector cable connected to one side of the connector terminal.

[0016] The connector cable passes through the back mold member, and the back mold member may be injection molded onto the rear portion of the connector housing so as to wrap around one side of the connector cable.

[0017] According to another aspect of the present invention, there can be provided a battery module including the above-described waterproof connector. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to one aspect of the present invention, a waterproof structure can be added to the structure of an existing non-waterproof connector, thereby enabling the existing non-waterproof connector to be used as a waterproof connector.

[0019] For example, in a battery module that uses an existing non-waterproof connector, when the non-waterproof connector is to be replaced with a connector with a waterproof function, the existing non-waterproof connector can be reused as a waterproof connector by attaching a back mold member to the non-waterproof connector, as in the present invention.

[0020] In addition to the above, various other effects can be achieved by various embodiments of the present invention. Such various effects of the present invention will be explained in the section of each embodiment, and explanations of effects that can be easily understood by those skilled in the art will be omitted. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a conventional non-waterproof connector applied to a battery module; [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic perspective view of a battery module to which a waterproof connector according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied; [Figure 3] 1 is a diagram illustrating a battery cell housed inside a module case according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] 1 shows the rear portion of a waterproof connector before application of a back mold member according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B show the rear portion of the waterproof connector after application of a back mold member according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6]1 is a diagram showing a schematic cross section of a waterproof connector according to one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Prior to this, the terms and words used in the specification and claims should not be construed as being limited to their general meanings or dictionary meanings, but should be construed as having meanings and concepts corresponding to the technical ideas of the present invention, in accordance with the principle that the inventors themselves can appropriately define the concepts of terms in order to best explain the invention.

[0023] Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described in this specification and the configurations shown in the drawings are merely the most preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not represent the entire technical idea of ​​the present invention, and that there may be various equivalents and modifications that can be substituted therefor at the time of this application.

[0024] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a battery module to which a waterproof connector according to one embodiment of the present invention is applied, and FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing battery cells housed inside a module case according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] 2, a battery module 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a module case 100 and a waterproof connector 200 attached to one side of the module case 100. In addition, although not shown for ease of illustration, the battery module 10 further includes battery cells BC, a sensing unit for sensing the voltage and / or temperature of the battery cells BC, bus bars for electrically connecting the battery cells BC, a cooling unit, etc.

[0026] For example, the battery cell BC may be a pouch-type secondary battery having a thin, plate-shaped body. The pouch-type secondary battery includes a pouch exterior, an electrode assembly accommodated in the pouch exterior, and an electrolyte. For example, the pouch exterior may be composed of two sheets, at least one of which may have a recessed internal space. The electrode assembly may be accommodated in the internal space of the pouch. The two sheets may be fused together at their peripheries to seal the internal space accommodating the electrode assembly. An electrode lead BL may be attached to the electrode assembly, and the electrode lead BL may be interposed between the fused portions of the pouch exterior and exposed to the outside of the pouch exterior to function as an electrode terminal of the pouch-type secondary battery. Such pouch-type secondary batteries may be arranged vertically and stacked horizontally to form a stack structure and collectively accommodated in the module case 100, as shown in FIG. 3 .

[0027] Needless to say, unlike the present embodiment, cylindrical secondary batteries or prismatic secondary batteries whose exterior materials are metal cans may also be used as the battery cells BC. In other words, a wide variety of battery cells BC known at the time of filing the present invention can be used in the battery module 10 of the present invention.

[0028] The module case 100 includes a main housing 110, a front cover 120, and a rear cover .

[0029] The main housing 110 may have a predetermined length (along the X-axis direction) and may be formed in the shape of a roughly rectangular parallelepiped tube with open front and rear ends along the longitudinal direction. The main housing 110 may be made of a metal or non-metal material with excellent mechanical rigidity to protect the cell assembly from external physical and chemical elements.

[0030] For reference, in the main housing 110, when the portions covering the upper and lower portions of the cell stack made up of the battery cells BC are defined as an upper plate and a lower plate, respectively, and the portions covering both side surfaces of the cell stack are defined as a left side plate and a right side plate, the main housing 110 of this embodiment has a so-called monoframe shape in which the upper plate, lower plate, left side plate, and right side plate are all integrated. As an alternative to the monoframe main housing 110, a main housing 110 may be used in which the lower plate is combined by welding or other methods with a so-called U-shaped frame in which the upper plate, left side plate, and right side plate are integrated.

[0031] Since the main housing 110 has a structure in which four sides are sealed, moisture and other foreign matter cannot flow into the main housing 110 from the outside of the battery module 10 .

[0032] The front cover 120 and the rear cover 130 are structures that are respectively assembled to the front and rear of the opened main housing 110 and serve to shield the electrode leads BL and bus bars from exposure. In a pouch-type secondary battery, the electrode leads BL are welded to bus bars (not shown) in a predetermined pattern for electrical connection and are inserted into the main housing 110. At this time, the electrode leads BL and a plurality of bus bars are positioned on the front and rear sides of the main housing 110. Then, the front cover 120 and the rear cover 130 are assembled to the front and rear of the main housing 110, respectively, thereby shielding the electrode leads BL and bus bars from being exposed to the outside.

[0033] Although not shown for ease of illustration, a sensing component for sensing the status (voltage, temperature) of the battery cell BC may be further provided inside the module case 100, and the sensing component may be configured to be electrically connected to the waterproof connector 200.

[0034] The waterproof connector 200 is disposed on one side of the module case 100 (located on the upper side of the front cover 120 in this embodiment) so that a portion of the waterproof connector 200 is located inside the module case 100 and the remaining portion is exposed to the outside of the module case 100. Another connector (for example, if the waterproof connector 200 in this embodiment is a female connector, the other connector means a male connector) is connected to the waterproof connector 200, and status information of the battery cell BC is transmitted to a control device outside the module case 100.

[0035] Meanwhile, the waterproof connector 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention has a waterproof structure that prevents moisture and other foreign matter from entering the interior of the module case 100. The configuration of the waterproof connector 200 will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6.

[0036] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the waterproof connector 200 includes at least one connector terminal 210, a connector housing 220, a connector cable 230, and a back mold member 240.

[0037] The connector terminal 210 is a connection terminal for transmitting an electrical signal and can be made of a metal material such as copper or aluminum.

[0038] The connector terminal 210 can be configured to be inserted and fixed inside the connector housing 220 with one side facing the connection portion 221 of the connector housing 220 described below and the other side facing the open portion 223 of the connector housing 220.

[0039] 4, the connector terminal 210 includes a connection pin 211 disposed on the open portion 223 side and protruding from the body in a cantilever shape. The connection pin 211 can be used to connect a connector cable 230 to the connector terminal 210. For example, one end 231 of the connector cable 230, from which the coating has been stripped, can be soldered to the connection pin 211 of the connector terminal 210 to electrically connect the connector terminal 210 and the connector cable 230. With this structure, the waterproof connector 200 of this embodiment is configured so that five connector terminals 210 are connected to five connector cables 230. The five connector cables 230 can extend to a circuit board (sensing component) located at a specific position inside the module case 100.

[0040] The connector housing 220 includes a connection portion 221 on the front portion 220F to which other connectors can be connected, an opening portion 223 on the rear portion 220R that forms an open space so that the connector terminals 210 are exposed, and a mounting plate 225 that protrudes from the outer surface in a direction intersecting with the connection portion 221.

[0041] The mounting plate 225 has fastening holes H at its end for fastening bolts, and is used to fix the waterproof connector 200 to one side of the module case 100 .

[0042] The connector housing 220 can be made by injection molding and is preferably made from high hardness plastic.

[0043] The connection portion 221 is configured, for example, with a plug-in structure so that a portion of another connector can be inserted therein, and for example, when the waterproof connector 200 is assembled to the module case 100, it can be exposed to the outside of the module case 100 as shown in FIG. 2.

[0044] That is, the rear portion 220R of the waterproof connector 200 is inserted from the outside to the inside of the module case 100 through the connector mounting hole provided in the front cover 120, and the mounting plate 225 is caught on the outer surface of the front cover 120 to restrict insertion, so that the connection portion 221 is exposed to the outside of the front cover 120. Bolts are inserted into each of the fastening holes H of the mounting plate 225 and tightened to the front cover 120 to fix the mounting plate 225. With this configuration, the waterproof connector 200 is stably fixed to the outer wall of the module case 100, and the front portion 220F of the waterproof connector 200 can be disposed outside the module case 100, and the rear portion 220R of the waterproof connector 200 can be disposed inside the module case 100.

[0045] Returning to Figure 4, the open portion 223 of the connector housing 220 refers to a portion of the rear portion 220R of the connector housing 220 that is opened to an extent corresponding to the arrangement width of the connector terminals 210, in order to facilitate the assembly of the connector terminals 210 and the soldering or welding of the connector terminals 210 to the connector cable 230.

[0046] On the other hand, since connector housing 220 has a structure in which open portion 223 and connection portion 221 described above are connected to each other, there is a risk that moisture or foreign matter may enter connection portion 221 and flow into module case 100 via open portion 223. To prevent this, waterproof connector 200 of the present invention has a structure in which open portion 223 is completely enclosed and sealed by back mold member 240, as shown in FIG. 5.

[0047] The back mold member 240 may be provided on the rear portion 220R of the connector housing 220 by injection molding.

[0048] For example, the connector housing 220 may be inserted into a mold (mold for the back mold member 240) with the connector cables 230 connected to each other, and the back mold member 240 may be integrated with the rear surface 220R of the connector housing 220 by insert injection molding. The resin for forming the back mold member 240 may be a resin with excellent waterproof properties, such as polyurethane resin or silicone resin.

[0049] The back mold member 240 according to one embodiment of the present invention is integrated with the connector housing 220 so as to completely fill the open space formed in the opening 223 of the connector housing 220 and cover the rear portion 220R of the connector housing 220, and the connector cable 230 may be configured to pass through the back mold member 240 and extend to the outside of the back mold member 240.

[0050] 5, the back mold member 240 is completely filled with resin not only on its surface but also inside thereof covering the rear surface 220R of the connector housing 220. For reference, in this embodiment, in order to maximize the waterproof function, the inside of the back mold member 240 covering the rear surface 220R of the connector housing 220 is also completely filled with resin, but as an alternative to this embodiment, the back mold member 240 may be configured in the shape of a hollow cover.

[0051] Also, referring to FIG. 6, the back mold member 240 is configured to tightly wrap around one side of the connector cable 230, thereby ensuring airtightness at the point where the connector cable 230 passes.

[0052] That is, when the back mold member 240 is injection-molded on the rear surface 220R of the connector housing 220, polyurethane resin or silicone resin completely envelops one side of the connector cable 230 and hardens, thereby bonding one side of the connector cable 230 to the back mold member 240. Here, the one side of the connector cable 230 refers to the area from one end of the connector cable 230 (where the sheath has been stripped) to the point where it is pulled out to the outside of the back mold member 240. Therefore, there is no problem with the structure or waterproofing of the connector cable 230 extending outward through the back mold member 240, and because one side of the connector cable 230 is bonded to the back mold member 240, the (soldered) connection between the connector cable 230 and the connector terminal 210 will not be broken, even when subjected to a strong impact, for example.

[0053] According to the above-described configuration of the present invention, even if moisture gets into connector housing 220, it is blocked by back mold member 240 and does not flow into module case 100. Furthermore, during injection molding, resin is packed into the spaces between connector terminals 210, so connector terminals 210 are not corroded by moisture.

[0054] Next, a method for manufacturing the waterproof connector 200 as described above will be briefly explained.

[0055] A method for manufacturing a waterproof connector 200 according to one embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of preparing a connector housing 220 having a connection portion 221 on a front portion 220F and an opening portion 223 on a rear portion 220R, assembling electrical connection terminals into the connector housing 220, and injection molding a back mold member 240 on the rear portion 220R of the connector housing 220 so that the opening portion 223 is sealed.

[0056] In the step of preparing the connector housing 220, the connector housing 220 may be manufactured by injection molding, or an existing connector housing 220 without a waterproof function may be used as is.

[0057] The electrical connection terminal includes a metal connector terminal 210, a portion of which is fixedly mounted within the connector housing 220 and the remaining portion of which is exposed through the opening 223, and a connector cable 230 connected to one side of the connector terminal 210.

[0058] That is, the electrical connection terminal may refer to the connector terminal 210 and connector cable 230. Before the back mold member 240 is injection molded, the connector terminal 210 is assembled into the opening 223 of the connector housing 220, and then the coating of one end of the connector cable 230 is stripped and soldered to the connection pin 211 of the connector terminal 210.

[0059] Next, with the connector cables 230 connected to each other, the connector housing 220 is placed in a mold (a mold for the back mold member 240), and polyurethane resin or silicone resin is injected to injection-molde the back mold member 240 onto the rear portion 220R of the connector housing 220.

[0060] According to the method for manufacturing a waterproof connector as described above, a waterproof structure can be added to the structure of an existing non-waterproof connector, thereby enabling the existing non-waterproof connector to be used as a waterproof connector. For example, when replacing an existing non-waterproof connector in a battery module using the non-waterproof connector with a connector with a waterproof function, the existing non-waterproof connector can be reused as a waterproof connector by attaching a back mold member to the non-waterproof connector as in the present invention.

[0061] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and it goes without saying that anyone with ordinary knowledge in the field to which the present invention pertains can make various modifications thereto without departing from the gist of the present invention as claimed in the claims, and such modifications can be said to be within the scope of the claims.

[0062] On the other hand, although directional terms such as up, down, left, and right are used in this specification, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art of the present invention that these terms are used merely for ease of explanation and may differ depending on the position of the object in question, the position of the observer, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 210 Connector terminal 220 Connector Housing 221 Connection 223 Open area 230 connector cable 240 Back mold material

Claims

1. A battery cell; a module case that houses the battery cells; a waterproof connector, a portion of which is fitted from the outside to the inside of the module case through a connector mounting port provided on one side of the module case; A battery module comprising: The waterproof connector is at least one connector terminal; a connector housing having a connection portion on a front surface thereof for connecting another connector, and an opening portion on a rear surface thereof for forming an open space so that the connector terminals are exposed; a connector cable connected to one side of the connector terminal exposed through the opening; a back mold member that is an injection mold and that encloses and seals the opening; Including, the back mold member is injection molded to fill the open space and cover the rear portion of the connector housing; The connector housing includes: a mount plate provided in a boundary region between the front portion and the rear portion and protruding from an outer surface of the connector housing, the mount plate being configured to limit a depth of insertion into the module case through the connector mounting opening, the connection portion being exposed to the outside of the module case, and the rear portion being disposed inside the module case; The back mold member is The battery module is configured so that the outer surface of the back mold member contacts the circumferential surface of the connector mounting opening and passes through the connector mounting opening.

2. The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the connector cable passes through the back mold member and extends to the outside of the back mold member.

3. The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the back mold member is made of a waterproof material.

4. The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the back mold member is disposed on the rear surface of the connector housing by injection molding and is configured to wrap around one of the connector cables.

5. The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the connector housing and the back-mold member are double-injected.

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