The present invention relates to a battery, in particular for a motor vehicle, which includes a housing and battery cells received in the housing, each of which comprises an electrical cell contact for picking up a monitoring signal.
As rechargeable electric energy source, a battery serves for electrically supplying a multiplicity of possible applications. In a motor vehicle the battery can serve for example for driving the motor vehicle. Such batteries generally comprise multiple battery cells which are arranged next to one another. Generally, the battery cells are received in a housing of the battery. In order to monitor the electrical supply by means of the battery and/or monitor the state of the battery, a monitoring of the battery cells is generally provided. Here, a signal, in the following also referred to as monitoring signal, is picked up from an electrical contact of the battery cells and evaluated by means of an evaluation unit. The evaluation unit generally includes a main board and components for evaluating the monitoring signal picked up from the battery. This requires an electrical connection between the cell contacts and the main board. Such an electrical connection can be realised more easily and flexibly by a flexible conductor track which is electrically connected to the cell contacts and the main board.
A stable electrical connection between the flexible conductor track and the main board can be achieved by way of wire-bonding. For this purpose, high mechanical forces which act on the conductor track and the main board are necessary for producing the respective wire-bond. Since these forces can lead to the flexible conductor track being damaged, the conductor track is usually supported on the main board by means of a support plate, on which it is supported. In order to avoid relative movements between the support plate and the main board the support plate is generally fastened to the main board. In addition, the flexible conductor track is fastened to the support plate. In order to fix the structure consisting of main board, support plate and flexible conductor track in the battery, the main board, further, is fixed to the housing by means of a connection which is again separate. This leads to a complex production of the battery.
The present invention therefore deals with the object of stating for a battery of the type mentioned at the outset an improved or at least another embodiment which is characterised in particular by a simplified production and assembly.
According to the invention, this object is solved through the subject of the independent claim(s). Advantageous embodiments are subject of the dependent claim(s).
The present invention is based on the general idea of electrically connecting to the main board in a battery a flexible conductor track for electrically connecting electrical contacts of battery cells to a main board for evaluating signals originating from the battery cells, in the following also referred to as monitoring signals, by means of wire-bonds and providing a support plate between the flexible conductor track and the main board, wherein a common connection mechanically fastens the conductor track to the support plate, the support plate to the main board and the structure consisting of main board, support plate and flexible conductor track to a holder within the battery. Thus, in particular separate connections each for fixing the conductor track to the support plate, for fastening the support plate to the main board and for fastening the structure to the holder can be omitted. This leads to a substantial simplification of the assembly and the production of the battery.
According to the inventive idea, the battery includes the battery cells which are consecutively arranged. The respective battery cell comprises an electrical cell contact for picking up a monitoring signal. The main board is arranged spaced apart from the battery cells, in particular from the cell contacts and comprises for at least two of the cell contacts an associated electrical contact each, which in the following is also referred to as board contact. The board is provided with at least one electrical component which during the operation processes the monitoring signal originating from at least one cell contact. Further, the battery includes the flexible conductor track by means of which at least two cell contacts are each electrically connected to the associated board contact. The flexible conductor track, also known to the person skilled in the art as flexible printed circuit or FPC in brief, comprises a portion connected to the cell contacts which in the following is also referred to as cell portion, and a portion connected to the main board, in the following also referred to as board portion. The flexible conductor track practically comprises for the respective cell contact and the associated board contact an associated electrical conductor which in the cell portion is electrically connected to the associated cell contact and in the board portion to the associated board contact. The electrical connection of at least one of the conductors, advantageously of the respective conductor to the associated board contact is effected by means of wire-bonds. Here, a support plate is arranged between the board portion of the conductor track and the main board on which the board portion is supported and mechanically stabilised. According to the invention, at least one common mechanical connection fastens the board portion, the support plate and the main board to the holder.
Practically, the flexible conductor track, besides the electrical conductors, comprises a flexible carrier which is practically electrically insulating.
Practically, the holder is fixed within the battery, in particular relative to the battery cells, in particular on the battery cells.
Practically, the battery comprises a housing in which the battery cells, preferentially in addition the flexible conductor track and/or the main board, are received.
The battery cell can be of any type.
In particular, at least one of the battery cells, advantageously the respective battery cell, can be a round cell or a prismatic cell.
Preferably, at least two of the battery cells, in particular all battery cells are formed identically.
The main board and the at least one component practically form a unit in which at least an evaluation of the picked-up monitoring signals takes place. Practically, the main board and the at least one component are part of a controller also known as cell module controller to the person skilled in the art or CMC in brief.
Basically, the respective wire-bond can be realised in any way. For this purpose, ultrasound and/or laser are/is employed for example. The wire-bond can thus be in particular an ultrasound bond and/or laser bond.
During wire-bonding, a wire bridge, advantageously a sheet metal wire, is electrically connected to the associated board contact and the associated conductor of the flexible conductor track by means of ultrasound and/or laser.
The respective connection for jointly fastening the board portion, the support plate and the main board to one another and to the holder can basically be configured in any way.
Preferably, at least one of the connections, advantageously the respective connection, is a screw connection. This means that a common screw connection fastens the board portion, the support plate and the main board to one another and to the holder. This leads to a particularly simple and mechanically stable fastening. For this purpose, the board portion, the support plate and the main board comprise screw openings aligned with one another, through which a screw is passed and screwed to the holder. In the process, the screw preloads the board portion, the support plate and the main board against one another and against the holder.
Advantageously, the cell contacts are arranged on a longitudinal side of the battery whereas the main board is arranged on a transverse side of the battery running transversely to the longitudinal side. Here, the cell portion of the flexible conductor track practically runs along the longitudinal side and the board portion along the transverse side. Further, the conductor track comprises a portion arranged between the cell portion and the board portion, which in the following is also referred to as bending portion. The bending portion connects the cell portion to the board portion and abuts between the longitudinal side and the transverse side. Thus, a simple and insulation space-saving design of the battery is achieved.
Embodiments, in which the main board on the transverse side delimits with the holder a hollow space for introducing a bonding tool are considered advantageous. Advantageously, the hollow space is laterally open here. This means that the hollow space is open transversely to the spacing direction of the main board to the support plate or the main board to the transverse side. Here, the bonding tool can be easily and effectively introduced laterally into the hollow space between the main board and the holder. This leads to a simple production of the wire-bonds.
It is preferred when the support plate and the board portion are arranged on the side of the main board facing away from the holder. This means that the main board is preferably next adjacent to the holder. Thus, the electrical connection between the board portion and the main board can be produced by means of the wire-bonds in a simplified manner and an increased mechanical stability achieved at the same time.
Basically, the flexible conductor track can comprise a single board portion.
It is also conceivable that the conductor track comprises at least two board portions spaced apart from one another. Here, an associated such common connection is advantageously provided for the respective board portion.
It is preferable when for the respective board portion an associated support plate is provided.
Basically, the holder of the battery can be configured in any way. In particular, the holder can be at least partially produced from plastic. It is also conceivable that the holder is a plastic holder.
It is to be understood that the battery can also comprise two or more such flexible conductor tracks. Here, a common connection of the type described above and to be explained in the following is advantageously provided for the respective board portion of the respective conductor track.
The battery can be basically employed in any application.
In particular, the battery is employed in a motor vehicle and in the motor vehicle can serve for driving the motor vehicle.
Further important features and advantages of the invention are obtained from the subclaims, from the drawings and from the associated figure description by way of the drawings.
It is to be understood that the features mentioned above and still to be explained in the following cannot only be used in the respective combination stated but also in other combinations or by themselves without leaving the scope of the present invention.
A preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings and is explained in more detail in the following description, wherein same reference numbers relate to same or similar or functionally same components.
It shows, in each case schematically
A battery 1, as is shown in the
A common mechanical connection 15 fastens the respective board portion 13, the associated support plate 14 and the main board 5 to one another and to a holder 4 in the housing 2. In the shown exemplary embodiment, a single common connection 15 each fastens the respective board portion 13, the associated support plate 14 and the main board 5 to one another and to the holder 4. As a consequence, further separate mechanical fastenings of the main board 5, of the support plate 14 and of the respective board portion 13 are not required. The result is a simplified design and production as well as assembly of the battery 1, wherein at the same time there is a high mechanical stabilisation of the electrical connections. Here, the respective support plate 14 and the respective board portion 13 are arranged on the side of the main board 5 facing away from the holder 4.
In the shown exemplary embodiment and preferably the respective connection 15 is realised as a screw connection 16. For establishing the respective screw connection 16, the board portion 13, the support plate 14 and the main board 5 comprise screw openings 17 (see
In the shown exemplary embodiment, the cell contacts 7 and the main board 5 are arranged on sides 19, 20 of the battery 1 in particular of the battery cells 3 that are spaced apart from one another and run transversely to one another. This means that the cell contacts 7 are arranged on a side 19, which in the following is also referred to as longitudinal side 19, and the main board 5 on a side 10 running transversely to the longitudinal side 19, which in the following is also referred to as transverse side 20. Consequently, the cell portion 12 of the respective conductor track 9 runs along the longitudinal side 19 and the respective board portion 13 along the transverse side 20. The cell portion 12 and the at least one board portion 13 of the respective conductor track 9 are connected to one another by a portion 21 arranged between the cell portion 12 and the at least one board portion 13 and interconnecting these, in the following also referred to as bending portion 21. Here, the bending portion 21 abuts on the holder 4 between the longitudinal side 19 and the transverse side 20 and is bent over.
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As is evident from
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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102021207235.6 | Jul 2021 | DE | national |