Device for providing a ground path, and high-voltage battery

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for providing a ground path, used for shielding, between a printed circuit board (8) and an electrically conductive housing component (2) having a ground plate (10) which has radially resilient contact elements (14). The device according to the invention is characterised in that the printed circuit board (8) is electrically connected to the ground plate (10) via a screw connection or rivet connection (13), wherein the electrically conductive connection between the ground plate (10) and the housing component (2) is established via the resilient contact elements (14) of the ground plate (10). The device can in particular be used in a high-voltage battery.

Description

[0001] Device for providing a ground path and high-voltage battery

[0002] The invention relates to a device for providing a ground path used for shielding, as defined in more detail in the preamble of claim 1. The invention also relates to a high-voltage battery with such a device.

[0003] Devices for providing a ground path used for shielding are known from the prior art. For example, the

[0004] DE 10 2020 120 306 A1 describes a circular connector with shield connection. In this design, electrical contact with a cable shield is achieved via radially spring-loaded contact elements.

[0005] In contrast, German patent DE 102021 102 566 B4 describes a structure with radially spring-loaded contact elements, which are placed around a round cable and pressed radially towards it to establish electrical contact. This structure can also be implemented with other elements, such as sheet metal with corresponding openings for electrically conductive rivets, screws, or the like.

[0006] Such ground paths for shielding can now be used in various applications. They are used, among other things, in modern electric vehicles to electrically connect circuit boards with mounted electronics to a battery housing, thus shielding the assembly. The batteries used in these applications are currently mostly lithium-ion batteries with a large number of battery cells and are typically referred to as high-voltage batteries. This designation is based on the definition according to ECE 100R, according to which such applications with a DC voltage above 60 V are classified as high-voltage batteries.

[0007] These are referred to as high-voltage applications. CN 2 22 422 427 II and, regarding the operating principle, US 6 017226 A describe a ground path in which a shielding plate with spring elements is attached to a housing, e.g., by screws or rivets. A circuit board inside the housing is then contacted via the spring sections of this shielding plate.

[0008] Shielding plates with radially spring-loaded contact elements are now typically used in areas where, for example, electrical interfaces with integrated circuit boards are mounted on housing components of such high-voltage batteries. The electrical contact is usually achieved via metal elements screwed together or otherwise connected. To ensure reliable electrical contact over the long term, the area must be extensively sealed, requiring, for example, screw sealing elements on the underside of the screw heads and circumferential seals around all elements used for electrical contact. This is complex and expensive to manufacture. Furthermore, assembly is complicated because careful attention must be paid to the correct use of the numerous seals.

[0009] The object of the present invention is to provide an improved device for providing a ground path and an improved high-voltage battery, which in particular avoid these aforementioned disadvantages.

[0010] According to the invention, this problem is solved by a device with the features of claim 1. Furthermore, a high-voltage battery with the features of claim 6 solves the problem. Advantageous embodiments and further developments are described in the dependent subclaims.

[0011] In the device according to the invention, the ground path for shielding is established between a circuit board and an electrically conductive housing component. In the usual manner, a grounding plate with radially spring-loaded contact elements is used for this purpose. The special feature of the invention is that the circuit board is electrically connected to the grounding plate via a screw or rivet connection, and that the electrically conductive connection between the grounding plate and the housing component is established via the spring-loaded contacts of the grounding plate. This design enables a reliable electrical connection of the grounding plate to the circuit board via a screw or rivet connection. This connection is easy to assemble and creates an exceptionally reliable, electrically conductive, and mechanically stable connection between the circuit board and the grounding plate.The ground plate is then connected to the electrically conductive housing component via spring contacts, in a standard and well-known manner. It is therefore sufficient to press this assembly against the housing component on one side to ensure reliable electrical contact via the spring contacts, even compensating for any manufacturing tolerances.

[0012] According to a highly advantageous further development, the circuit board can have a socket or threaded bushing in the area of ​​the screw or rivet connection. Such a socket or threaded bushing in the circuit board, which is electrically connected to the ground path in the circuit board, enables a simple and efficient connection of the grounding plate to the circuit board with correspondingly simple assembly, ensuring a reliable electrical connection. The grounding plate itself can then, according to a highly advantageous embodiment, have an opening, a socket, or a threaded bushing in the area of ​​the screw or rivet connection. The assembly can thus be designed so that, for example, the grounding plate is riveted to a socket in the circuit board via an opening, or screwed in place if a threaded bushing is used.

[0013] It is particularly preferred that the circuit board has a socket and the ground sheet has a threaded socket, which are connected and electrically contacted via a screw.

[0014] According to a very advantageous further development of the device according to the invention, the spring contacts can then be pressed radially outwards against a section of the housing component in order to reliably ensure electrical contact even here, compensating for any manufacturing tolerances.

[0015] In principle, such a device can be used efficiently in various situations and components. It is particularly advantageous for use in a high-voltage battery. The high-voltage battery according to the invention comprises a battery housing and such a device according to the invention, the housing component of which is connected to the battery housing.

[0016] The corresponding housing component serves to connect the ground plate on the one hand and is connected to the battery housing on the other, preferably by riveting. The housing component can, for example, be designed as a reinforcing plate, which is placed on an area of ​​the battery housing (e.g., made of sheet metal) that has been freed from paint or left unpainted, and is riveted to it accordingly.

[0017] The invention also includes assembly in a die-cast housing instead of a housing made of sheet metal.

[0018] According to a particularly advantageous embodiment, the riveting can be achieved using a blind rivet which has a thread for screwing an interface component to the housing. Thus, a blind rivet can be provided which has a thread to which an electronic interface component with its circuit board can be attached to the battery housing. Instead of creating the electrical connection in a complex manner using the aforementioned elaborate sealing via this blind rivet and the components to be contacted with it, the device according to the invention allows the ground connection to be realized entirely within the battery housing between the housing component and the ground plate. This creates a much more efficient and simpler seal, particularly between the interface component and the battery housing, resulting in a tight and reliably functioning ground path over a long period of time.

[0019] According to a very advantageous further development, it can be provided that the interface component includes the grounding plate, for example, it can enclose it inside and connect it to the electrically conductive housing component via the spring contacts in an area sealed by a single seal within the battery housing.

[0020] Further advantageous embodiments of the device according to the invention also become apparent from the exemplary embodiment, which is described in more detail below with reference to the figure. The only accompanying figure shows a part of a battery housing of a high-voltage battery (not shown in its entirety) with a device according to the invention.

[0021] Figure 1 shows a section of a battery housing 1 of a high-voltage battery (not shown in its entirety), which is made of a sheet metal coated with a cathodic dip coating. To achieve a ground connection for this battery housing 1 to shield the high-voltage battery, the structure described here with reference to a schematic sectional view is provided.

[0022] An opening is provided in the sheet metal of the battery housing 1, which, as shown in Figure 1, is reinforced from below by a housing component designated 2, which could, in particular, be designed as a reinforcing plate. The cathodic dip coating typically present around the opening in the battery housing 1 and the reinforcing plate 2 is absent, as indicated here by a thicker line designated 3. The battery housing 1 and the reinforcing plate 2 are connected to each other by a blind rivet 4, which has a non-through hole with a thread 5 on the outside of the battery housing 1, shown here from above. An electronic interface component is fastened in this thread 5 by means of a screw 6, of which a flange designated 7 and a circuit board 8 belonging to this interface component are visible here.The flange 7 is connected to a bushing designated 9, which serves to screw the flange 7 to the blind rivet 4 and thus ultimately to the battery housing 1 of the high-voltage battery.

[0023] To provide a ground path for the shielding, a ground plate 10 is provided, which has a threaded bushing designated 11. A mechanical and electrical connection to a circuit board socket 12 is established via this threaded bushing 11 using a screw 13. The circuit board socket 12 is connected to a ground wire of the circuit board 8, so that when the screw 13 is tightened, the ground plate 10 is electrically connected to the ground of the circuit board 8. The ground plate 10 now projects into the area of ​​the reinforcement plate 2, which is an electrically conductive housing component 2. It rests radially against the outer edge of the reinforcement plate 2 with respect to the central axis of the screw 6 and is contacted with a leg of the reinforcement plate 2 via spring-loaded contact elements 14, for example, several adjacent contact tongues of the ground plate 10. This leg is perpendicular to a leg of the reinforcement plate 2 that runs parallel to the battery housing 1.

[0024] This results in a ground path, shown with a dashed line, starting from the sheet metal of the battery housing 1, via the two legs of the reinforcement sheet or electrically conductive housing component 2, the ground sheet 10 and the circuit board socket 12 to the ground leads of the circuit board 8.

[0025] The fastening of the interface component via screw 6 is not included in this ground path, so a single seal 17, which, for example, can be inserted into a groove of the flange 7 as shown here, is sufficient between the interface component and the battery housing 1 to reliably seal the entire ground path inside the assembly. The interior of the assembly is located below the housing 1 and to the right of the contact point between the sealing element 17 and the housing 1; the exterior is accordingly located above the housing 1 and to the left of the sealing element 17.

Claims

Patent claims 1. Device for providing a ground path used for shielding between a circuit board (8) and an electrically conductive housing component (2) with a ground sheet (10) which has radially spring-loaded contact elements (14), characterized in that the circuit board (8) is electrically connected to the ground sheet (10) via a screw or rivet connection (13), wherein the electrically conductive connection between the ground sheet (10) and the housing component (2) is established via the spring-loaded contact elements (14) of the ground sheet (10).

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the circuit board (8) has a socket (12) or threaded socket connected to its ground wire in the area of ​​the screw or rivet connection (13).

3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the grounding plate (10) has an opening, a bushing or a threaded bushing (11) in the area of ​​the screw or rivet connection (13).

4. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the circuit board (8) has a socket (12) electrically contacted with its ground line and the ground sheet (10) has a threaded socket (11) which are mechanically connected and electrically contacted via a screw (13).

5. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the electrically conductive housing component (2) has a first leg and a second leg perpendicular to it, wherein the spring-loaded contact elements (14) are pressed against the second leg from the side facing away from the first leg.

6. High-voltage battery with a battery housing (1) and a device according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the housing component (2) of the device is electrically connected to the battery housing (1).

7. High-voltage battery according to claim 6, characterized in that the housing component (2) is connected to the battery housing (1) by means of a blind rivet (4).

8. High-voltage battery according to claim 7, characterized in that the housing component (2) is designed as a reinforcing plate (2) for an opening in the battery housing (1) for receiving the blind rivet (4).

9. High-voltage battery according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the blind rivet (4) has a thread (5) for screw connection of an interface component with the battery housing (1).

10. High-voltage battery according to claim 9, characterized in that the interface component comprises the circuit board (8) and the ground plate (10).

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