CN116632582A - Connector assembly for battery pack and battery pack including the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a connector assembly for a battery pack and a battery pack including the same, the connector assembly for a battery pack including: a first housing supporting the first terminal; a second housing supporting a second terminal configured to be electrically connected to the first terminal, and coupled to the first housing; and a fixing member detachably coupled to the second housing, the fixing member being configured to be selectively positionable in a first position aligning the second housing and the second terminal and a second position preventing the first housing and the second housing from being separated from each other.

Description

Connector assembly for battery pack and battery pack including the same

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a connector assembly for a battery pack and a battery pack including the same.

Background

Unlike a primary battery, a secondary battery (battery cell) has convenience in being chargeable and dischargeable, and thus the secondary battery has been attracting attention as a power source for various mobile devices, electric vehicles, and the like. The battery module is modularized by connecting a plurality of battery units, and the battery pack forms a high-capacity energy storage device by connecting a plurality of battery modules and/or battery units.

As described above, since a plurality of battery modules (or battery cells) are provided in the energy storage device, connectors for stably transmitting power and signals between components are applied.

The conventional connector is susceptible to vibration or impact applied to the energy storage device, and thus there is a problem in that the connection of the connector is easily released.

According to the conventional connector, a fixing structure for solving the above-described drawbacks and a reinforcing structure for securing the coupling stability of the connector itself are additionally required, however, in this case, the number of parts of the connector is increased, and thus there is a problem in that the manufacturing process efficiency is low in assembling them with each other.

Disclosure of Invention

First, the technical problem to be solved

The present invention has been made to solve at least some of the problems of the prior art as described above, and provides a connector assembly for a battery pack, which can have a simple and stable connection structure, and a battery pack including the same.

In addition, it is an object of the present invention to provide a connector assembly for a battery pack, which can increase coupling force and space efficiency of a connector using an integrated fixture, and a battery pack including the same.

In addition, it is an object of the present invention to provide a connector assembly for a battery pack, which increases assemblability using a fixing device having a multi-stage assembly structure, and a battery pack including the same.

(II) technical scheme

To achieve the above object, an embodiment of the present invention provides a connector assembly for a battery pack, including: a first housing supporting the first terminal; a second housing supporting a second terminal configured to be electrically connected to the first terminal, and coupled to the first housing; and a fixing member detachably coupled to the second housing, the fixing member being configured to be selectively located at a first position where the second housing and the second terminal are aligned with each other and a second position where the first housing and the second housing are prevented from being separated from each other.

In an embodiment, the fixing member may include: the first guide part is engaged with the second housing to prevent the fixing member from being separated from the first position.

In an embodiment, the first guide portion may have a groove shape, and the second housing may include an insertion protrusion inserted into the first guide portion.

In an embodiment, the fixing member may further include: and a second guide portion engaged with the insertion protrusion to prevent the fixing member from being separated from the second position.

In an embodiment, the fixing member may be configured to be coupled to the second housing in the first direction, and the first guide portion and the second guide portion may be disposed along the first direction.

In an embodiment, the second housing may include an opening portion accommodating the second terminal, and the fixing member may further include a first insertion portion inserted into the opening portion at the first position and the second position.

In an embodiment, the second housing may include: a main body portion accommodating the second terminal; and a locking portion configured to be elastically deformable and engaged with the first housing.

In an embodiment, the locking part may include: a clasp configured to be engageable with the first housing; and a handle connected to the clasp.

In an embodiment, the fixing member may further include: and a second insertion portion inserted into the partitioned space between the handle and the main body portion to prevent movement of the handle.

In an embodiment, the fixing member may have a state in which the second insertion portion is not inserted into the partitioned space in the first position, and may have a state in which the second insertion portion is inserted into the partitioned space in the second position.

In an embodiment, the first housing may include a snap-fit protrusion that engages with the snap-fit.

In an embodiment, the second housing may include a locking portion configured to be engaged with the first housing, and the fixing member may include: a first insertion portion configured to contact the second terminal; and a second insertion portion configured to be in contact with the locking portion, the first insertion portion and the second insertion portion may be integrally formed.

In an embodiment, the fixing member may be configured to be coupled to the second housing in a first direction, and the first and second insertion portions may be disposed in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

In an embodiment, the length of the first insertion portion in the first direction may be longer than the length of the second insertion portion in the first direction

In an embodiment, the first insertion portion may be inserted into the second housing before the second insertion portion when the fixing member is inserted in the first direction.

In an embodiment, the length of the first insertion portion in the first direction may be greater than the length of the second insertion portion in the first direction.

In an embodiment, there is provided a battery pack including: the connector assembly for a battery pack described above; and a plurality of battery cells electrically connected to the first terminal.

In an embodiment, there is provided a battery pack, further comprising: a battery module including a module case accommodating a plurality of battery cells; and a battery pack case accommodating the battery module, the first case and the second case having a state of being exposed to the outside of the module case.

(III) beneficial effects

The connector assembly for a battery pack and the battery pack including the same according to the embodiments may have a simple and stable connection structure.

In addition, the connector assembly for the battery pack and the battery pack including the same can increase coupling force and space efficiency of the connector using the integrated fixture.

In addition, a connector assembly for a battery pack and a battery pack including the same may increase assemblability using a fixing device having a multi-stage assembly structure.

Drawings

Fig. 1 exemplarily shows a battery module and a battery pack including the same.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a connector assembly for a battery pack.

Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a connector assembly for a battery pack.

Fig. 4a exemplarily shows a state before the second housing and the fixing member are coupled to each other.

Fig. 4b exemplarily shows a state before the first case and the second case are coupled to each other.

Fig. 4c exemplarily shows a state in which the first case and the second case are coupled to each other.

Fig. 4d exemplarily shows a state in which the first case and the second case are coupled to each other.

Fig. 5 is a combined cross-sectional view of a connector assembly for a battery pack.

Fig. 6 is a top view of a connector assembly for a battery pack.

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of section III-III' of fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the IV-IV' section of fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is a top view of a connector assembly for a battery pack.

Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the V-V' portion of fig. 9.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the VI-VI' part of FIG. 9.

Description of the reference numerals

1: battery pack 10: connector assembly

20: battery pack case 30: control unit

40: battery module 41: module shell

42: battery cell 111: first terminal

121: second terminal 200: first shell body

220: the engaging protrusion 300: second shell

310: body portion 320: locking part

321: clasp 322: handle

330: opening 340: insertion projection

400: the fixing member 410: a first insertion part

420: a second insertion portion 431: first guide part

432: second guide part

Detailed Description

Before explaining the present application in detail, terms or words used in the present specification and claims should not be interpreted restrictively as usual or dictionary meanings, and should be interpreted as meanings and concepts conforming to technical ideas of the present application in light of the principle that the inventor can appropriately define the concepts of terms to explain the present application by an optimal method. Therefore, the embodiments described in the present specification and the structures shown in the drawings are only the most preferable embodiments of the present application and do not represent all technical ideas of the present application, and therefore it should be understood that the present application may include various equivalents and modifications that may replace the embodiments.

The same reference numerals or symbols in the drawings attached hereto denote parts or components performing substantially the same functions. For ease of illustration and understanding, the same reference numerals or symbols may be used in the different embodiments. That is, even though components having the same reference numerals are shown in multiple figures, the multiple figures do not all represent one embodiment.

In the following description, it is to be understood that the singular includes the plural unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms "comprises" or "comprising" are intended to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, or groups thereof, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, or groups thereof.

In the following description, the expressions upper, lower, side, front, rear, etc. are expressed with reference to the directions shown in the drawings, and when the directions of the respective objects are changed, they may be expressed differently.

Furthermore, in the present specification and claims, terms including ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" may be used to distinguish between components. These ordinal numbers are used to distinguish the same or similar components from each other and the meaning of the terms should not be construed restrictively by using these ordinal numbers. For example, components associated with such ordinal numbers should not be construed restrictively to use order or to arrange order, etc., due to such numbers. Each ordinal number may be used interchangeably with each other as desired.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the idea of the invention is not limited to the presented embodiments. For example, those skilled in the art who understand the concepts of the present invention may suggest other embodiments that are included within the scope of the inventive concepts by adding, changing, or deleting components, etc., but are also included within the scope of the inventive concepts. The shape and size of the components in the drawings may be exaggerated for clarity of illustration.

Fig. 1 exemplarily shows a battery module 40 and a battery pack 1 including the battery module.

The battery pack 1 according to the embodiment may include a plurality of battery modules 40 and a battery pack case 20 accommodating the plurality of battery modules.

The battery pack case 20 provides a space in which the battery module 40 can be accommodated.

The battery pack case 20 may be constructed of a material having sufficient rigidity to be able to protect the battery module 40 from external impacts. For example, at least a part of the battery pack case 20 may be formed of a metal material such as aluminum. When the battery pack case 20 includes aluminum, an effect that heat energy generated in the battery module 40 is rapidly emitted to the outside of the battery pack 1 can be expected due to the excellent heat conductivity of aluminum.

The battery module 40 may include a plurality of battery cells 42 and a module case 41 having an inner space accommodating the battery cells 42.

The battery module 40 may include one or more battery cells 42 that may be charged and discharged to store or release electrical energy. For example, the battery module 40 may include a plurality of battery cells 42 configured of secondary batteries such as lithium ion batteries or nickel hydrogen batteries.

The battery cells 42 included in the battery module 40 may be composed of an electrode assembly and an exterior material accommodating the electrode assembly. For example, the battery cell 42 may be a pouch-type battery cell 42 in the form of an electrode assembly received in the interior of an aluminum plated pouch. Alternatively, the battery cell 42 may be a square battery cell 42 in the form of an electrode assembly housed inside a metal can. However, the specific shape of the battery cell 42 is not limited to the above, and may be provided in any shape as long as it can be accommodated inside the battery module 40.

The battery cells 42 may be stacked in one direction. For example, as shown in fig. 1, a plurality of battery cells 42 may be stacked in the Y-axis direction inside the module case 41 and electrically connected to each other.

The battery module 40 may include a module case 41 having an inner space accommodating the battery cells 42. The module case 41 may include a material having rigidity to protect the battery cells 42 from the environment outside the battery module 40.

The module case 41 has a structure surrounding at least a portion of the battery cells 42, and at least a portion (e.g., a lower surface) of the battery cells 42 may be exposed to the outside of the module case 41.

The battery pack 1 may further include a control unit 30 capable of controlling the battery modules 40 accommodated in the battery pack case 20. For example, the control unit 30 may include a battery management system (Battery Management System, BMS), which may function to monitor the thermal and electrical states of the battery module 40 and control the charge or discharge conditions of the battery module 40. Alternatively, the control unit 30 may include a power relay assembly (Power Relay Assembly, PRA), which may function to supply the power of the battery module 40 to the outside of the battery pack 1 or prevent the power of the battery module 40 from being supplied to the outside of the battery pack 1.

The battery pack 1 may include a connector assembly 10 for a battery pack connected to a battery module 40. For example, as shown in fig. 1, one side of the module case 41 may be provided with a connector assembly 10 for a battery pack.

In the following description, the connector assembly 10 for a battery pack may also be simply referred to as "connector assembly 10".

The connector assembly 10 may be used to electrically connect the battery module 40 and various components included in the battery pack 1. For example, the connector assembly 10 may be a control connector for electrically connecting the control unit 30 of the battery pack case 20 and the battery module 40. Alternatively, the connector assembly 10 may be an electrical connector for electrically connecting any two battery modules 40.

The battery module 40 may transmit and receive electrical signals to and from various components included in the battery pack 1 through the connector assembly 10. For example, the thermal state, the electrical state of the battery module 40 sensed by a sensing module (not shown) included in the battery module 40 may be transmitted to the outside of the battery module 40 (e.g., the control unit 30) through the connector assembly 10. Alternatively, the control signal of the control unit 30 may be transmitted to the battery module 40 through the connector assembly 10.

The connector assembly 10 is configured to be attachable and detachable so as to be able to electrically connect or disconnect the battery module 40 with or from other components according to the needs of a user.

On the other hand, fig. 1 shows the structure of the battery pack 1 by way of example only, and thus the specific structure of the components of the battery pack 1 (e.g., the battery module 40 or the control unit 30, etc.) is not limited thereto.

Hereinafter, the connector assembly 10 for a battery pack according to an embodiment is described in detail with reference to fig. 2 and 3.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the connector assembly 10 for a battery pack.

Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the connector assembly 10 for a battery pack.

The connector assembly 10 for a battery pack illustrated in fig. 2 and 3 corresponds to the connector assembly 10 for a battery pack of fig. 1 described above, and thus duplicate description may be omitted.

The connector assembly 10 may include a first housing 200 and a second housing 300 that are detachably coupled.

In addition, the connector assembly 10 may include a first terminal 111 and a second terminal 121 formed of a conductive material.

The first housing 200 is configured to support the first terminal 111, and the second housing 300 is configured to support the second terminal 121. For example, the first terminal 111 may be accommodated inside the first case 200, and the second terminal 121 may be accommodated inside the second case 300.

Each of the housings 200, 300 may include an opening 230, 330 to be able to expose the terminals 111, 121 accommodated inside. For example, the first terminal 111 may be exposed to the outside of the first case 200 through the first opening 230 of the first case 200. In addition, the second terminal 121 may be exposed to the outside of the second housing 300 through the second opening 330 of the second housing 300. With the combination of the first and second cases 200 and 300, the first and second terminals 111 and 121 may be electrically connected to each other.

The first case 200 and the second case 300 may have structures that are engaged and coupled with each other. For example, the first housing 200 and the second housing 300 may be respectively composed of a Male housing (Male housing) and a Female housing (Female housing) to be assembled and coupled to each other. However, this is merely an example, and the first housing 200 may be formed of a female housing and the second housing 300 may be formed of a male housing.

As the first housing 200 and the second housing 300 of the connector assembly 10 are coupled to each other, the first terminal 111 and the second terminal 121 may be electrically connected. In contrast, when the combined first and second cases 200 and 300 are separated from each other, the electrical connection between the first and second terminals 111 and 121 may be disconnected.

That is, the user may electrically connect or disconnect any one of the battery modules 40 and other components of the battery pack 1 (e.g., other battery modules 40 or the control unit 30, etc.) by coupling or uncoupling the first and second housings 200 and 300 of the connector assembly 10.

The first terminal 111 and the second terminal 121 may have a structure that can contact each other. For example, referring to fig. 3, the first and second terminals 111 and 121 may be configured as pins (pins) extending in a first direction (X-axis direction) which is a coupling direction of the first and second cases 200 and 300, so as to contact each other when the first and second cases 200 and 300 are coupled.

However, the specific shapes of the first terminal 111 and the second terminal 121 are not limited to those shown in the drawings. The first terminal 111 and the second terminal 121 may also be changed into various shapes according to the coupling manner of the first case 200 and the second case 300.

The first terminal 111 and the second terminal 121 may be connected to the cables 112, 122, respectively. For example, a first cable 112 drawn from any one of the battery modules 40 may be connected to the first terminal 111, and a second cable 122 drawn from one side of the battery pack case 20 may be connected to the second terminal 121. When the first housing 200 and the second housing 300 of the connector assembly 10 are coupled to each other, a circuit connected by the first cable 112, the first terminal 111, the second terminal 121, and the second cable 122 may be formed.

On the other hand, the first and second housings 200 and 300 may be formed of an insulating material (e.g., plastic) to prevent a user from electrically contacting the first and second terminals 111 and 121 during the user's operation of the connector assembly 10.

The connector assembly 10 may have a locking structure capable of preventing the coupling of the first housing 200 and the second housing 300 from being accidentally released by an external force.

For example, the second housing 300 may include a body portion 310 accommodating the second terminal 121 and a locking portion 320 connected to the body portion 310 and preventing the first housing 200 from being detached. Correspondingly, the first housing 200 may include a snap protrusion 220 configured to engage with the locking portion 320 of the second housing 300.

Referring to fig. 3, the locking protrusion 220 may be configured to protrude from one surface of the body portion 210 of the first housing 200 to be able to be locked with the locking portion 320 of the second housing 300. However, the specific shape of the catching protrusion 220 is not limited to that shown in the drawings. The engagement protrusion 220 may be configured to be engageable with a catch 321 of the second housing 300.

The locking part 320 may include a catch 321 configured to be engaged to the catching protrusion 220 of the first housing 200 and a lever 322 connected to the catch 321.

The locking part 320 may be configured to be elastically deformed during the coupling of the first and second cases 200 and 300 to each other to be capable of being coupled to the first case 200. For example, when the first and second housings 200 and 300 are combined in a state where the user presses the handle 322, the catch 321 connected to the handle 322 is opened, so that the catching protrusion 220 of the first housing 200 can easily enter inside the catch 321. Thereafter, when the external force applied to the handle 322 is removed, the catch 321 is restored to the original position, thereby being engaged with the catching protrusion 220. The operation of the locking portion 320 will be described below with reference to fig. 5.

Continuing to refer to fig. 2 and 3, when the locking part 320 receives an unexpected external force due to continuous vibration or strong impact, etc., there is a risk that the first and second cases 200 and 300 are separated from each other due to deformation of the locking part 320. To prevent this, the connector assembly 10 may further include a fixing member 400 detachably coupled to the second housing 300 to limit deformation of the locking part 320.

The fixing member 400 may include a plurality of insertion parts 410, 420 inserted into the second housing 300. For example, the fixing member 400 may include a first insertion portion 410 inserted into the opening portion of the second housing 300 and a second insertion portion 420 inserted between the locking portion 320 and the body portion 310 of the second housing 300.

The first insertion portion 410 of the fixing member 400 may be inserted into the second housing 300 to guide the second terminal 121 to be aligned at a precise position inside the second housing 300.

For example, when the fixing member 400 is coupled to the second housing 300, the first insertion portion 410 may be inserted into the inside of the second housing 300 and contact the second terminal 121. At this time, the first insertion portion 410 may apply a predetermined pressure in a state of being in contact with the second terminal 121, thereby guiding the second terminal 121 to be fixed at a designated position inside the second housing 300.

That is, the second terminal 121 may be stably supported inside the second housing 300 when the fixing member 400 is inserted into the second housing 300, and may be connected to the first terminal 111 without being detached from the home position during the coupling of the first housing 200 and the second housing 300.

The second insertion portion 420 of the fixing member 400 may be inserted between the locking portion 320 and the body portion 310 to prevent the locking portion 320 from being elastically deformed. For example, the second insertion part 420 may be inserted into the separation space g between the stem 322 of the locking part 320 and the body part 310 to prevent the stem 322 from moving toward the body part 310 due to an external force. That is, when the second insertion part 420 is inserted into the second housing 300, the movement of the stem 322 is restricted, so that the clasp 321 connected to the stem 322 can be prevented from being opened.

In the following description, a state in which the second insertion portion 420 is inserted into the second housing 300 to restrict the deformation of the locking portion is defined as "fixing" of the locking portion 320. That is, if the second insertion portion 420 is not inserted into the second housing 300 such that the locking portion 320 is in a state of being elastically deformable by an external force, it may be regarded that the locking portion 320 is not fixed. In addition, a state in which the locking portion 320 is deformed by an external force and is not engaged with the first housing 200 is defined as "release" of the locking portion 320.

The first and second insertion parts 410 and 420 may be provided as one or more, respectively. For example, the first insertion portion 410 may be provided in plurality corresponding to the number of the second terminals 121. In addition, the second insertion portion 420 may be provided in plurality to be able to sufficiently fill the separation space g between the locking portion 320 and the body portion 310.

The plurality of first insertion portions 410 and the plurality of second insertion portions 420 may be disposed side by side in a second direction (Y-axis direction) perpendicular to the first direction (X-axis direction), respectively.

In addition, the first and second insertion portions 410 and 420 may be provided to be formed in two layers in a third direction (Z-axis direction) perpendicular to the first direction (X-axis direction) and the second direction (Y-axis direction). For example, referring to fig. 3, a plurality of first insertion parts 410 may be disposed in a second direction (Y-axis direction), and a plurality of second insertion parts 420 may be disposed in the second direction (Y-axis direction) in a state of being spaced apart from the first insertion parts 410 in a third direction (Z-axis direction).

However, the specific arrangement and shape of the first and second insertion portions 410 and 420 are not limited to that shown in the drawings. The first insertion portion 410 and the second insertion portion 420 may be any shape that can be inserted into the second housing 300, and may be deformed into various shapes corresponding to the shape of the second housing 300.

The fixing member 400 may be configured to be coupled to the second case 300 in a first direction (X-axis direction), and the first and second insertion portions 410 and 420 of the fixing member 400 may be configured to extend in directions parallel to the first direction (X-axis direction), respectively. Accordingly, the first and second insertion parts 410 and 420 may be naturally inserted into the second housing 300 during the insertion of the fixing member 400 into the second housing 300.

Wherein the lengths in the first direction (X-axis direction) of the first insertion portion 410 and the second insertion portion 420 may be different. For example, the first insertion portion 410 may be formed longer than the second insertion portion 420 in the first direction (X-axis direction). Accordingly, the first insertion part 410 may be inserted into the second housing 300 prior to the second insertion part 420 during the insertion of the fixing member 400 into the second housing 300.

That is, the connector assembly 10 according to the embodiment may have a multi-stage coupling structure in which the first insertion part 410 and the second insertion part 420 are sequentially inserted into the second housing 300 with a time difference in the process of inserting the fixing member 400 into the second housing 300 in the first direction (X-axis direction).

According to the structure as described above, the user may appropriately change the relative positions of the fixing member 400 and the second housing 300 to insert only the first insertion part 410 into the second housing 300 without inserting the second insertion part 420 into the second housing 300, or may insert both the first insertion part 410 and the second insertion part 420 into the second housing 300. In other words, the user may appropriately change the relative positions of the fixing member 400 and the second housing 300 to fix the locking portion 320 of the second housing 300 or to release the locking portion 320.

With the connector assembly 10 according to the embodiment, in a state where only at least a portion of the first insertion portion 410 of the fixing member 400 is inserted into the second housing 300 and the second insertion portion 420 is not inserted into the second housing 300, this case is defined as the fixing member 400 being located at the "first position". In addition, in a state where both the first insertion portion 410 and the second insertion portion 420 of the fixing member 400 are inserted into the second housing 300, this is defined as the fixing member 400 being located at the "second position".

In the case where the fixing member 400 is located at the first position, the second terminal 121 may be aligned at a prescribed position inside the second housing 300 according to the first insertion portion 410 of the fixing member 400, and on the other hand, the locking portion 320 of the second housing 300 is not yet fixed. Accordingly, the user can couple the first and second housings 200 and 300 to each other with the locking portion 320 released, thereby easily connecting the first and second terminals 111 and 121.

When the fixing member 400 is located at the second position, the locking portion 320 of the second housing 300 may be restrained from being elastically deformed by the second insertion portion 420. That is, since the locking portion 320 of the second housing 300 is fixed, even if the connector assembly 10 is vibrated or impacted by the external force applied to the locking portion 320 by the user or due to environmental factors, the state in which the first housing 200 and the second housing 300 are coupled to each other can be stably maintained.

The fixing member 400 may further include a guide portion 430, and the guide portion 430 may maintain the relative positions of the fixing member 400 and the second housing 300 unchanged even if an external force of a predetermined degree or less acts on the fixing member 400. For example, the fixing member 400 may include a first guide portion 431 preventing detachment from the first position and a second guide portion 432 preventing detachment from the second position.

Referring to fig. 3, the first and second guide parts 431 and 432 may be respectively provided in a groove shape and configured to be engaged with the insertion protrusion 340 provided at the second housing 300. That is, when the fixing member 400 is located at the first position, the first guide portion 431 may be engaged with the insertion protrusion 340 of the second housing 300 to prevent the fixing member 400 from being accidentally detached from the first position. In addition, when the fixing member 400 is located at the second position, the second guide 432 may be engaged with the insertion protrusion 340 of the second housing 300 to prevent the fixing member 400 from being accidentally detached from the second position.

On the other hand, a side of the insertion protrusion 340 of the second housing 300 facing the fixing member 400 is configured as an inclined surface and an opposite side thereof is configured to be perpendicular to the main body portion 310, so that the fixing member 400 is easily entered into the second housing 300 and is difficult to be disengaged in a direction opposite to the entering direction.

The first and second guide parts 431 and 432 of the fixing member 400 may be disposed along the first direction (X-axis direction). Accordingly, as the fixing member 400 is gradually inserted deep into the second housing 300, the first guide portion 431 and the second guide portion 432 may be sequentially engaged to the insertion protrusion 340 of the second housing 300.

However, although fig. 3 shows the case where the fixing member 400 has both the first guide portion 431 and the second guide portion 432, the fixing member 400 may have only the first guide portion 431 or only the second guide portion 432. For example, when the fixing member 400 has only the first guide portion 431, the fixing member 400 may be configured to be interference-fitted into the second housing 300 to be fixed at the second position.

Hereinafter, a coupling process of the connector assembly 10 for a battery pack will be described with reference to fig. 4a to 4 d.

Fig. 4a exemplarily shows a state before the second housing 300 and the fixing member 400 are coupled to each other.

Fig. 4b exemplarily shows a state before the first case 200 and the second case 300 are coupled to each other.

Fig. 4c exemplarily shows a state in which the first case 200 and the second case 300 are coupled to each other.

Fig. 4d exemplarily shows a state in which the first case 200 and the second case 300 are coupled to each other.

The connector assembly 10 illustrated in fig. 4a to 4d corresponds to the connector assembly 10 illustrated in fig. 1 to 3 described above, and thus a repetitive description may be omitted.

Fig. 4a to 4d may be views sequentially showing the coupling process of the connector assembly 10. For example, fig. 4a may be a diagram showing a state in which the fixing member 400 has not been inserted into the second housing 300. In addition, fig. 4b may be a view showing a state in which the fixing member 400 is disposed at the first position and the first and second housings 200 and 300 are not yet coupled. Fig. 4c may be a view showing a state in which the first housing 200 and the second housing 300 are coupled in a state in which the fixing member 400 is disposed at the first position. Fig. 4d is a state in which the fixing member 400 is inserted deeper into the second housing 300 to be disposed at the second position in a state in which the first housing 200 and the second housing 300 are coupled, and may be a diagram showing a state in which coupling of the connector assembly 10 is completed.

Referring first to fig. 4a and 4b, the user may insert the fixing member 400 into the second housing 300 to the first position to align the positions of the second terminals 121 before the first and second housings 200 and 300 are combined.

When the fixing member 400 is located at the first position, a portion of the first insertion portion 410 may be inserted into the second housing 300, and the second insertion portion 420 may not be inserted into the second housing 300. At this time, a portion of the first insertion portion 410 inserted into the second housing 300 may align the second housing 300 and the second terminal 121 with each other. For example, the first insertion portion 410 may contact the second terminal 121 to guide the second terminal 121 to be fixed in a position capable of being connected to the first terminal 111.

On the other hand, in the first position, the second insertion portion 420 of the fixing member 400 is in a state in which it has not been inserted into the second housing 300, and thus the locking portion 320 of the second housing 300 may be elastically deformed according to an external force.

In a state where the second terminal 121 is fixedly aligned inside the second housing 300, the user may apply an external force to the locking portion 320 of the second housing 300 to release the locking portion 320, and may join the second housing 300 and the first housing 200 so that the first terminal 111 and the second terminal 121 can be sufficiently connected.

Thereafter, when the user removes the external force applied to the locking part 320, as shown in fig. 4c, the first housing 200 may be engaged to the locking part 320 of the second housing 300. Accordingly, the first and second cases 200 and 300 can be stably maintained in a coupled state with each other.

Referring to fig. 4d, the user may move the fixing member 400 located at the first position to the second position to fix the locking part 320.

When the fixing member 400 is located at the second position, the first and second insertion parts 410 and 420 may each be inserted into the second housing 300. In particular, the second insertion portion 420 may enter the spaced-apart space g between the locking portion 320 and the body portion 310 of the second housing 300 to prevent the locking portion 320 from being released. Therefore, even if vibration or impact is received, or an external force is applied accidentally by a user, the coupling of the first case 200 and the second case 300 can be prevented from being separated.

For the connector assembly 10, the securing member 400 may be selectively located in a first position as shown in fig. 4c or a second position as shown in fig. 4 d. For example, the fixing member 400 may sequentially pass through the first position and the second position during the gradual deep insertion into the second housing 300.

The user may selectively place the fixing member 400 at the first position or the second position to release or fix the locking part 320 of the second housing 300.

During the insertion of the fixing member 400 into the second housing 300, the first insertion part 410 may be inserted into the second housing 300 prior to the second insertion part 420. For example, during the insertion of the fixing member 400 through the first position to the second position of the second housing 300, the first insertion part 410 may be inserted into the second housing 300 prior to the second insertion part 420.

The state of the connector assembly 10 in each of the bonding steps shown in fig. 4a to 4d is described in more detail below with reference to fig. 5 to 11.

The connector assembly 10 of fig. 5 to 11 corresponds to the connector assembly 10 of fig. 1 to 4d described previously, and the description of fig. 1 to 4d may therefore be equally applicable to the connector assembly 10 shown in fig. 5 to 11.

First, fig. 5 is a combined cross-sectional view of the connector assembly 10 for a battery pack.

Fig. 5 may be a state in which the first case 200 and the second case 300 are fastened to each other during the steps of fig. 4b and 4 c. For example, the upper end of fig. 5 may be a view showing a state before an external force is applied to the second housing 300 to release the locking part 320 and the second housing 300 is coupled to the first housing 200, and the lower end of fig. 5 may be a view showing a state in which the external force is removed after the first housing 200 and the second housing 300 are coupled to each other to engage the locking part 320 with the engagement protrusion 220 of the first housing 200.

As described above with reference to fig. 3, the locking portion 320 of the second housing 300 may be configured to be elastically deformable.

For example, it may be configured that when a user presses the handle 322 of the locking part 320, the catch 321 connected to the handle 322 is opened, and when the external force applied to the handle 322 is removed, the handle 322 and the catch 321 are restored to the original positions according to the elasticity possessed by the material.

The user may combine the first housing 200 and the second housing 300 with pressing the handle 322 of the second housing 300 such that the catching protrusion 220 of the first housing 200 enters the inside of the catching protrusion 321, and then release the handle 322 to catch the catching protrusion 220 with the catching protrusion 321. Thereafter, unless an external force pressing the handle 322 is applied, the first housing 200 may be engaged with the catch 321 of the second housing 300 without being disengaged from the second housing 300.

According to the coupling structure as described above, the connector assembly 10 can stably maintain the state in which the first housing 200 and the second housing 300 are coupled to each other without being separated.

In this process, the fixing member 400 may be located at the first position. At least a portion of the first insertion portion 410 of the fixing member 400 may be inserted into the opening portion 330 of the second housing 300 to align the second terminal 121 at a prescribed position inside the second housing 300. For example, the first insertion portion 410 may press the second terminal 121 to prevent the second terminal 121 from being separated from the fixed position during the coupling of the first and second housings 200 and 300. Accordingly, in a state where the second terminals 121 are aligned by the fixing member 400, the second terminals 121 can be stably connected to the first terminals 111 of the first housing 200.

In addition, when the fixing member 400 is located at the first position, the second insertion portion 420 is in a state that it has not been inserted into the separation space g between the body portion 310 and the locking portion 320, and thus the locking portion 320 can be elastically deformed without interfering with the second insertion portion 420.

Fig. 6 is a top view of the connector assembly 10 for a battery pack.

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of section III-III' of fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the IV-IV' section of fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is a top view of the connector assembly 10 for a battery pack.

Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the V-V' portion of fig. 9.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the VI-VI' part of FIG. 9.

For example, fig. 6 to 8 are top views or cross-sectional views of fig. 4c, respectively, and may be a state in which the first case 200 and the second case 300 are coupled to each other in a state in which the fixing member 400 is disposed at the first position.

For example, fig. 9 to 11 are top views or cross-sectional views of fig. 4d, respectively, and may be a state in which the first case 200 and the second case 300 are coupled to each other in a state in which the fixing member 400 is disposed at the second position.

The fixing member 400 may be inserted into the second housing 300 in a first direction (X-axis direction), and the first and second insertion parts 410 and 420 may be configured to extend in the first direction (X-axis direction).

The length of the first insertion part 410 in the first direction (X-axis direction) may be greater than or equal to the length of the second insertion part 420 in the first direction (X-axis direction). For example, referring to fig. 8, for the first insertion part 410 and the second insertion part 420 disposed up and down in the second direction (Y-axis direction), the first insertion part 410 may be formed to have a longer length in the first direction (X-axis direction) than the second insertion part 420. Accordingly, when the fixing member 400 is disposed at the first position, it may have a state in which only the first insertion portion 410 is inserted into the second housing 300. After that, when the fixing member 400 moves in the first direction (X-axis direction) and is disposed at the second position, as shown in fig. 11, there may be a state in which both the first insertion portion 410 and the second insertion portion 420 are inserted into the second housing 300.

In the first position, the first guide portion 431 of the fixing member 400 may be engaged with the insertion protrusion 340 of the second housing 300 to prevent the fixing member 400 from being easily detached from the first position.

In the second position, the second guide 432 of the fixing member 400 may be engaged with the insertion protrusion 340 of the second housing 300 to prevent the fixing member 400 from being easily separated from the second position.

In the first position, the first insertion portion 410 of the fixing member 400 may enter the opening portion 330 of the second housing 300 to align the second terminals 121. On the other hand, the second insertion portion 420 may be disposed at a position that does not interfere with the elastic deformation of the locking portion 320. That is, the second insertion part 420 may have a state of not entering the separation space g between the body part 310 and the locking part 320 of the second housing 300 in the first position, and thus the user may easily open the catch 321 by pressing the handle 322.

In this state, the user may bond the first and second housings 200 and 300 to each other, or may easily separate the bonded first and second housings 200 and 300.

The user can move the fixing member 400 from the first position to the second position in the first direction (X-axis direction). The fixing member 400 may be inserted deeper into the second housing 300 in the second position than in the first position.

In the second position, the first insertion portion 410 of the fixing member 400 may enter the opening portion 330 of the second housing 300 to align the second terminals 121. On the other hand, the second insertion part 420 may be inserted into the separation space g between the locking part 320 and the body part 310 of the second housing 300 to prevent the stem 322 of the locking part 320 from being pressed.

On the other hand, the first terminal 111 is omitted in fig. 7, 8, 10 and 11, however, with reference to the above description, it should be understood that the first terminal 111 and the second terminal 121 are in a state of being electrically connected to each other in the above drawings.

The connector assembly 10 according to the embodiment can combine the first housing 200 and the second housing 300 in a state in which the fixing member 400 is located at the first position, and thus the first terminal 111 and the second terminal 121 can be more stably connected.

In addition, in the connector assembly 10, the fixing member 400 is configured to fix the locking portion 320 at the second position, and thus it is possible to fundamentally prevent the first and second housings 200 and 300 from being separated due to vibration of the vehicle, external impact, or carelessness of the user, etc., and thus to electrically separate the first and second terminals 111 and 121.

The connector assembly 10 according to the embodiment may include the fixing member 400 selectively disposed at the first position or the second position, and thus may firmly couple the housing after stably connecting the terminals.

In particular, in the connector assembly 10, the first insertion portion 410, which can support the second terminal 121, and the second insertion portion 420, which can fix the locking portion 320 of the second housing 300, may be integrally formed. Therefore, the number of components constituting the connector assembly 10 can be reduced as compared to a structure in which each component for fixing performs the functions of the first insertion portion 410 and the second insertion portion 420 separately.

As the number of parts is reduced, the process time required for manufacturing or bonding the connector assembly 10 is reduced, and thus, the manufacturing efficiency of the connector assembly 10 and the battery module 40 including the connector assembly 10 can be increased.

According to the connector assembly 10 of the embodiment, a simple and stable connection structure can be achieved in terms of the electrical connection of the battery module 40 or the battery pack 1.

On the other hand, the scope of the right of the connector assembly 10 for a battery pack according to the embodiment is not limited to use as one of the components of the battery pack 1. That is, the connector assembly 10 for a battery pack may also be widely used for electrical connection between other electronic products (e.g., electronic devices operated by power supply and power output from the power supply) than the battery pack 1 described above.

While various embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the scope of the claims of the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention as described in the claims, which will be apparent to those skilled in the art. In addition, the implementation may be performed by deleting some components in the above embodiments, and may also be implemented by combining the respective embodiments.

Claims (17)

1. A connector assembly for a battery pack, comprising:

a first housing supporting the first terminal;

a second housing supporting a second terminal configured to be electrically connected to the first terminal, and coupled to the first housing; and

a fixing member detachably coupled to the second housing,

the fixing member is configured to be selectively located at a first position where the second housing and the second terminal are aligned with each other and a second position where the first housing and the second housing are prevented from being separated from each other.

2. The connector assembly for a battery pack according to claim 1, wherein,

the fixing member includes:

a first guide engages the second housing to prevent the securing member from being disengaged from the first position.

3. The connector assembly for a battery pack according to claim 2, wherein,

the first guide portion has a groove shape,

the second housing includes an insertion protrusion inserted into the first guide portion.

4. The connector assembly for a battery pack according to claim 3, wherein,

the fixing member further includes:

and a second guide portion engaged with the insertion protrusion to prevent the fixing member from being separated from the second position.

5. The connector assembly for a battery pack according to claim 4, wherein,

the fixing member is configured to be coupled to the second housing in a first direction,

the first guide portion and the second guide portion are disposed along the first direction.

6. The connector assembly for a battery pack according to claim 1, wherein,

the second housing includes an opening portion accommodating the second terminal,

the fixing member further includes a first insertion portion inserted into the opening portion at the first position and the second position.

7. The connector assembly for a battery pack according to claim 1, wherein,

the second housing includes:

a main body portion accommodating the second terminal; and

a locking portion configured to be elastically deformable and engaged with the first housing.

8. The connector assembly for a battery pack according to claim 7, wherein,

the locking portion includes:

a clasp configured to be engageable with the first housing; and

a handle connected to the clasp.

9. The connector assembly for a battery pack according to claim 8, wherein,

the fixing member further includes:

and a second insertion portion inserted into a separate space between the handle and the body portion to prevent movement of the handle.

10. The connector assembly for a battery pack according to claim 9, wherein,

the fixing member has a state in which the second insertion portion is not inserted into the partitioned space in the first position and a state in which the second insertion portion is inserted into the partitioned space in the second position.

11. The connector assembly for a battery pack according to claim 8, wherein,

the first housing includes a snap projection that engages the snap.

12. The connector assembly for a battery pack according to claim 1, wherein,

the second housing includes a locking portion configured to engage the first housing,

the fixing member includes:

a first insertion portion configured to contact the second terminal; and

a second insertion portion configured to contact the locking portion,

the first insertion portion and the second insertion portion are integrally formed.

13. The connector assembly for a battery pack according to claim 12, wherein,

the fixing member is configured to be coupled to the second housing in a first direction,

the first insertion portion and the second insertion portion are disposed along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

14. The connector assembly for a battery pack according to claim 13, wherein,

the first insertion portion is inserted into the second housing before the second insertion portion when the fixing member is inserted in the first direction.

15. The connector assembly for a battery pack according to claim 13, wherein,

the length of the first insertion portion in the first direction is greater than the length of the second insertion portion in the first direction.

16. A battery pack, comprising:

the connector assembly for a battery pack of claim 1; and

a plurality of battery cells electrically connected to the first terminal.

17. The battery pack of claim 16, further comprising:

a battery module including a module case accommodating the plurality of battery cells; and

a battery pack case accommodating the battery modules,

the first housing and the second housing have a state of being exposed to the outside of the module housing.