The present application claims priority to and incorporates by reference the entire contents of Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-074528 filed in Japan on Apr. 27, 2021.
The present invention relates to a conductive module and a conductive system.
Conventionally, in a vehicle (an electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, or the like) that uses a rotating machine as a driving source, a battery pack including a battery module that supplies power to the rotating machine, and a conductive module electrically connected to a plurality of battery cells that form the battery module is mounted. For example, the conductive module causes a battery monitoring unit to monitor the battery status of the battery cells, by electrically connecting the battery cells and the battery monitoring unit. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2018-26311 discloses such a conductive module that uses a conductive part (flexible printed circuit board and the like) provided with a flat laminated body formed of a plurality of conductors and an insulator.
In recent years, to improve the electricity consumption and to extend the cruising range of vehicles, an improvement in the energy density of a battery pack is sought after. Thus, in the battery pack, an increase in the size of the battery pack due to an increase in the energy density of battery cells has become a matter of concern, and a reduction in the size of the battery pack is also sought after to improve the mountability to a vehicle. A reduction in the size of the conductive module is also sought after without exception.
Thus, an object of the present invention is to provide a conductive module and a conductive system capable of reducing the size.
In order to solve the above mentioned problem and achieve the object, a conductive module according to one aspect of the present invention includes a conductive part that is a part to be mounted on a battery module in which a plurality of battery cells are arranged in an arrangement direction, and is provided with a flat laminated body formed of a plurality of conductors and an insulator having flexibility, wherein the conductive part includes a first conductor that is configured to electrically connect the battery cells to a battery monitoring unit for monitoring a battery status of the battery cells, and a second conductor that is configured to electrically connect the battery monitoring unit to electrical equipment housed in an external electrical connection box, as the conductors, and includes a first connector that is fitted and connected to a counterpart connector of the battery monitoring unit and that is configured to electrically connect the first conductor and the second conductor to the battery monitoring unit, and a second connector that is configured to be fitted and connected to a counterpart connector disposed on the electrical connection box side and is configured to electrically connect the second conductor to the electrical equipment.
In order to achieve the object, a conductive module according to another aspect of the present invention includes a conductive part that is a part to be mounted on each battery module in which a plurality of battery cells are arranged in an arrangement direction, and is provided with a flat laminated body formed of a plurality of conductors and an insulator having flexibility, wherein the conductive part includes a first conductor that is configured to electrically connect the battery cells to a battery monitoring unit for monitoring a battery status of the battery cells as one of the conductors, and includes a first connector that is configured to be fitted and connected to a counterpart connector of the battery monitoring unit and is configured to electrically connect the first conductor to the battery monitoring unit, and one of a plurality of the conductive parts further includes a second conductor that is configured to electrically connect the battery monitoring unit to electrical equipment housed in an external electrical connection box as one of the conductors, includes a second connector that is configured to be fitted and connected to a counterpart connector disposed on the electrical connection box side and is configured to electrically connect the second conductor to the electrical equipment, and is configured to electrically connect the second conductor to the battery monitoring unit via the first connector provided in the conductive part.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, in the conductive module, is preferable that the conductive module includes a conductor member that is a connection part configured to electrically connect a plurality of electrode terminals of the battery cells adjacent to each other in the arrangement direction, and that is provided for each combination of two adjacent electrode terminals arranged in the arrangement direction, wherein the first conductor is provided for each conductor member.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, in the conductive module, it is preferable that the laminated body is a flexible printed circuit board.
In order to achieve the object, a conductive system according to still another aspect of the present invention includes a conductive module; an electrical connection box in which electrical equipment is housed; and an electrical connection tool that electrically connects the conductive module and the electrical equipment, wherein the conductive module includes a conductive part that is a part to be mounted on a battery module in which a plurality of battery cells are arranged in an arrangement direction, and is provided with a flat laminated body formed of a plurality of conductors and an insulator having flexibility, and the conductive part includes a first conductor that is configured to electrically connect the battery cells to a battery monitoring unit for monitoring a battery status of the battery cells, and a second conductor that is configured to electrically connect the battery monitoring unit to the electrical equipment via the electrical connection tool, as the conductors, and includes a first connector that is configured to be fitted and connected to a counterpart connector of the battery monitoring unit and is configured to electrically connect the first conductor and the second conductor to the battery monitoring unit, and a second connector that is configured to be fitted and connected to a counterpart connector of the electrical connection tool and is configured to electrically connect the second conductor to the electrical equipment.
In order to achieve the object, a conductive system according to still another aspect of the present invention includes a conductive module; an electrical connection box in which electrical equipment is housed; and an electrical connection tool that electrically connects the conductive module and the electrical equipment, wherein the conductive module includes a conductive part that is a part to be mounted on each battery module in which a plurality of battery cells are arranged in an arrangement direction, and is provided with a flat laminated body formed of a plurality of conductors and an insulator having flexibility, the conductive part includes a first conductor that is configured to electrically connect the battery cells to a battery monitoring unit for monitoring a battery status of the battery cells as one of the conductors, and includes a first connector that is configured to be fitted and connected to a counterpart connector of the battery monitoring unit and is configured to electrically connect the first conductor to the battery monitoring unit, and one of a plurality of the conductive parts further includes a second conductor that is configured to electrically connect the battery monitoring unit to the electrical equipment via the electrical connection tool as one of the conductors, includes a second connector that is configured to be fitted and connected to a counterpart connector of the electrical connection tool and is configured to electrically connect the second conductor to the electrical equipment, and electrically connect the second conductor to the battery monitoring unit via the first connector provided in the conductive part.
The above and other objects, features, advantages and technical and industrial significance of this invention will be better understood by reading the following detailed description of presently preferred embodiments of the invention, when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings.
Hereinafter, an embodiment of a conductive module and a conductive system according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the invention is not limited to the embodiment.
One of the embodiments of the conductive module and the conductive system according to the present invention will be described with reference to
The reference numeral 1 in
The battery module BM includes a plurality of battery cells BC arranged in an arrangement direction (
The battery cells BC are arranged side by side in one direction, with one of the electrode terminals BC1 and the other electrode terminal BC1 arranged side by side in a line. Thus, in the battery module BM, there are two electrode terminal groups including the electrode terminals BC1 arranged side by side in a line (
In the battery module BM, for each electrode terminal group, the battery cells BC are connected in series or parallel, when the electrode terminals BC1 are electrically connected in a predetermined combination by a terminal connection part. In the battery module BM illustrated in this example, in each electrode terminal group, the electrode terminals BC1 that are adjacent to each other in the arrangement direction are electrically connected by the terminal connection part 10, which will be described below. Moreover, in the battery module BM illustrated in this example, there are two electrode terminals BC1 that are not connected by the terminal connection part 10, and one of such electrode terminals BC1 is a total positive electrode, and the other electrode terminal BC1 is a total negative electrode.
The battery pack BP includes at least one battery module BM. The conductive module is assembled to the battery module BM provided in the battery pack BP, and is electrically connected to each of the battery cells BC of the battery module BM. The battery pack B illustrated in this example includes two battery modules BM. Then, the two battery modules BM are arranged side by side in the arrangement direction of the positive and negative electrode terminals BC1 of the battery cells BC.
Therefore, the conductive module 1 illustrated in this example is assembled to the two battery modules BM, and electrically connected to each of the battery cells BC of each of the battery modules BM.
First, the conductive module 1 includes the conductor member (hereinafter referred to as the “terminal connection part”) 10 to be electrically connected to the electrode terminal BC1 of each battery cell BC (
As the terminal connection part 10, the conductive module 1 includes a first terminal connection part 10A that is a connection part configured to electrically connect the electrode terminals BC1 of the battery cells BC adjacent to each other in the arrangement direction, and that is provided for each combination of two adjacent electrode terminals BC arranged in the arrangement direction (
The terminal connection part 10 (10A, 10B) is formed of a conductive material such as metal. The terminal connection part 10 is what is called a bus bar formed of a metal plate as a base material, and the main body is formed in a substantially rectangular flat plate shape. The terminal connection part 10 illustrated in this example is welded (laser welded or the like) to one of the plane surfaces of the electrode terminal BC1, and thus the terminal connection part 10 is physically and electrically connected to the electrode terminal BC1. For example, the first terminal connection part 10A is welded to each of the electrode terminals BC1 adjacent to each other in the arrangement direction. On the other hand, the second terminal connection part 10B is welded to one electrode terminal BC1 to be connected.
The conductive part 20 includes a flat laminated body 30 formed of a plurality of conductors 31 and an insulator 32 having flexibility (
The laminated body 30 has a main body 30a formed in a rectangular sheet shape, and a branch body 30b branched from the main body 30a (
As the conductor 31, the laminated body 30 includes the first conductor 31A that is configured to electrically connect the battery cells BC to a battery monitoring unit 40 (
The battery monitoring unit 40 is a device for monitoring the battery status (voltage, current, temperature, and the like) of the battery cells BC. For example, in the case where the battery pack BP includes the battery modules BM, the battery monitoring unit 40 monitors the battery status of each battery cell BC of all the battery modules BM. The battery monitoring unit 40 illustrated in this example monitor the battery status of each battery cell BC of the two battery modules BM. Then, the battery monitoring unit 40 illustrated in this example is assembled to the side wall of the battery module group formed of the two battery modules BM. In this example, in the battery module group, the battery monitoring unit 40 is assembled to one of the side walls in the arrangement direction of the battery cells BC.
For example, the first conductor 31A is provided for each terminal connection part 10 in the conductive part 20. Each of a plurality of the first conductors 31A is formed from the main body 30a to the branch body 30b for each terminal connection cart 10. Then, the first conductor 31A is physically and electrically connected to the terminal connection part 10. For example, the first conductor 31A is physically and electrical connected to the terminal connection part 10, by soldering the exposed portion of the branch body 30b to the terminal connection part 10.
The conductive part 20 includes a first connector 21 that is configured to electrically connect the first conductor 31A to the battery monitoring unit 40 (
In this example, in the case where the battery pack BP includes only one battery module BM, the conductive module 1 includes only one conductive part 20 corresponding to the battery module BM. In this case, as the conductor 31, the laminated body 30 includes the second conductor 31B that is configured to electrically connect the battery monitoring unit 40 to electrical equipment 51 (
For example, the electrical connection box 50 houses various types of electrical equipment 51 such as an electronic control device that controls braking and driving force of a vehicle or the like, and an electrical connection member such as a bus bar (not illustrated). Then, for example, the electrical connection box 50 is fixed to the body of a vehicle or the like. For example, the electrical equipment 51 serving as an electronic control device controls the driving force of a rotating machine of the vehicle, based on a detection signal of the battery status of the battery cells BC transmitted from the battery monitoring unit 40 via the second conductor 31B.
The second conductor 31B is formed from the side part, which is one of the short sides of the main body 30a, to the side part, which is the other short side of the main body 30a. For example, in this case, the laminated body 30 includes a circuit pattern layer having all the first conductors 31A, a circuit pattern layer having the second conductor 31B, an insulator layer between the two circuit pattern layers, and two insulator layers sandwiching these three layers from each circuit pattern layer side.
The second conductor 31B is electrically connected to the battery monitoring unit 40 via the first connector 21. Therefore, the first connector 21 also includes a terminal metal fitting for the second conductor 31B (not illustrated), and the terminal metal fitting is fitted and connected to a counterpart terminal metal fitting for the second conductor 31B (not illustrated) in the counterpart connector of the battery monitoring unit 40.
Furthermore, in this case, the conductive part 20 includes a second connector 22 that is configured to electrically connect the second conductor 31B to the electrical equipment 51 (
For example, between the conductive module 1 and the electrical equipment 51, there is an electrical connection tool 60 configured to electrically connect the conductive module 1 and the electrical equipment 51 (
In the case where a single battery module BM as described above is provided, the conductive module 1, the electrical connection box 50, and the electrical connection tool 60 form a conductive system that detects the battery status information of the battery cells BC of the single battery module BM and that transmits the battery status information to the electrical equipment 51. The conductive system may also include the battery monitoring unit 40 as a component of the system.
Subsequently, in the case where the battery pack BP includes a plurality of the battery modules BM, as described above, the conductive module 1 includes the conductive part 20 for each of the battery modules BM.
In this case, one of a plurality of the conductive parts 20 (hereinafter referred to as a “first conductive part 20A”) is configured the same as the conductive part 20 that includes the second conductor 31B and the second connector 22 as in the above-described example (
On the other hand, the remaining of the conductive parts 20 (hereinafter referred to as a “second conductive part 20B”) includes the first conductor 31A for each terminal connection part 10 corresponding to the battery cell BC of the battery module BM to which the second conductive part 20B is assembled, and the first connector 21 that is configured to electrically connect all the first conductors 31A to the battery monitoring unit 40 (
In the case where a plurality of the battery modules BM as described above are provided, the conductive module 1, the electrical connection box 50, and the electrical connection tool 60 form a conductive system that detects the battery status information of the battery cells BC of the battery modules BM and that transmits the battery status information to the electrical equipment 51. The conductive system may also include the battery monitoring unit 40 as a component of the system.
As described above, in the conductive module 1 and the conductive system of the present embodiment, not only the first conductor 31A that is configured to electrically connect the battery cells BC and the battery monitoring unit 40, but also the second conductor 31B that is configured to electrically connect the battery monitoring unit 40 to the electrical equipment 51 of the electrical connection box 50 is provided as the conductor 31 of the conductive part 20 (first conductive part 20A). Then, in the conductive module 1 and the conductive system, the first conductor 31A and the second conductor 31B are electrically connected to the counterpart connector of the battery monitoring unit 40 via the first connector 21, and the second conductor 31B is electrically connected to the counterpart connector on the electrical connection box 50 side via the second connector 22. Thus, the conductive module 1 and the conductive system do not need to arrange a conductor such as an electric wire that is configured to electrically connect the battery monitoring unit 40 and the electrical equipment 51 of the electrical connection box 50 on a path different from that of the conductive part 20. Consequently, it is possible to reduce the size. Furthermore, because the conductive module 1 and the conductive system do not require a connector dedicated to the conductor, there is no need to prepare a counterpart connector in the battery monitoring unit 40 to fit and connect the connector. Consequently, it is also possible to reduce the size of the battery monitoring unit 40. Thus, the conductive module 1 and the conductive system of the present embodiment can reduce the size of the battery pack BP, by reducing the size of the conductive module 1 and the conductive system, and reducing the size of the battery monitoring unit 40. Consequently, it is possible to improve the mountability of the battery pack IBP to a vehicle.
In the conductive module and the conductive system according to the present embodiment, not only the first conductor that is configured to electrically connect the battery cells and the battery monitoring unit, but also the second conductor that is configured to electrically connect the battery monitoring unit to the electrical equipment of the electrical connection box is provided as the conductor of the conductive part (first conductive cart). Then, in the conductive module and the conductive, system, the first conductor and the second conductor are electrically connected to the counterpart connector of the battery monitoring unit via the first connector, and the second conductor is electrically connected to the counterpart connector on the electrical connection box side via the second connector. Thus, the conductive module and the conductive system do not need to arrange a conductor such as an electric wire that is configured to electrically connect the battery monitoring unit and the electrical equipment of the electrical connection box on a path different from that of the conductive part. Consequently, it is possible to reduce the size. Furthermore, because the conductive module and the conductive system do not require a connector dedicated to the conductor, there is no need to prepare a counterpart connector in the battery monitoring unit to fit and connect the connector.
Consequently, it is also possible to reduce the size of the battery monitoring unit. Thus, the conductive module and the conductive system according to the present embodiment can reduce the size of the battery pack, by reducing the size of the conductive module and the conductive system, and reducing the size of the battery monitoring unit. Consequently, it is possible to improve the mountability of the battery pack to a vehicle.
Although the invention has been described with respect to specific embodiments for a complete and clear disclosure, the appended claims are not to be thus limited but are to be construed as embodying all modifications and alternative constructions that may occur to one skilled in the art that fairly fall within the basic teaching herein set forth.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2021-074528 | Apr 2021 | JP | national |