JP2011258412A - Battery connection plate - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a battery connection plate which is capable of preventing short-circuit in a connecting portion of an overcurrent interruption element and a wire while decreasing the number of components.SOLUTION: A battery connection plate 10 includes: a connecting part for connecting electrode terminals of adjacent unit cells of a battery module; a terminal 20 provided with an overcurrent interruption element, the terminal having an overcurrent interruption element 28 connected to a terminal 30A of a wire 30, an element connecting part 23 connected to the overcurrent interruption element 28, a terminal part 26 connected to the electrode terminal, and a terminal body 21 in which a wire fixing part 22 is provided. The terminal 30A of the wire 30 is used as a conductor exposed part 33 where a conductor 31 is exposed by removing an insulation sheath 32. The connecting part and an insulating part 17, which keeps the terminal body 21 and the conductor exposed part 33 of the wire 30 insulated, are integrally disposed.

Description

  The present invention relates to a battery connection plate.

In a current circuit from a power source such as a battery to an electrical component, a terminal including an overcurrent cutoff element for protecting an electric wire connecting the power source and the electrical component from an overcurrent may be used.
Overcurrent interrupting element indirectly protects the circuit from overcurrent by increasing the resistance of the element itself due to the heat generated by the overcurrent when the overcurrent flows through the wire, and reducing or interrupting the current value. It has a function.
As a structure in which a terminal including such an overcurrent interruption element is connected to a battery, for example, a structure described in Patent Document 1 is known.

Japanese Patent No. 3990960

By the way, since the connection portion of the electric wire with the overcurrent interruption element is in a state where the conductor is exposed, due to the backlash of the battery, the exposed portion of the electric conductor of the electric wire, such as a terminal arranged in the vicinity thereof, etc. Contact with the member may cause a short circuit between the electric wire and the overcurrent interrupting element.
When a short circuit occurs between the electric wire and the overcurrent cutoff element, the current to be detected does not flow through the overcurrent cutoff element, or the amount of electricity to be detected flowing through the overcurrent cutoff element decreases. The effect (overcurrent interruption effect) due to the operation cannot be obtained sufficiently.

  Therefore, for example, as described in Patent Document 1, a member made of a synthetic resin provided with an accommodating portion for accommodating an overcurrent interruption element and an electric wire connected to the overcurrent interruption element (upper cover, Patent Document 1). 4) is attached to the plate body to protect the connection portion between the overcurrent interrupting element and the electric wire.

  However, in such a configuration, since a member different from the plate body that connects the battery electrode terminals is required, the number of parts increases. As a result, with such a configuration, there is a problem that it takes time and cost because it is necessary to attach another member to the plate body.

  The present invention has been completed based on the above circumstances, and provides a battery connection plate capable of preventing a short circuit at a connection portion between an overcurrent interrupting element and an electric wire while reducing the number of components. With the goal.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a battery having a connection part for electrically connecting the electrode terminals of the adjacent unit cells in a battery module in which a plurality of unit cells having positive and negative electrode terminals are arranged. A connection plate, connected to the end of an electric wire that electrically connects the battery module and the load, and when an overcurrent flows through the electric wire or when the temperature of the electric wire exceeds a set temperature An overcurrent interrupting element for interrupting, an element connecting part connected to the overcurrent interrupting element, a terminal part connected to the electrode terminal, and a terminal body provided with an electric wire fixing part for crimping and fixing the electric wire; The electric wire has a conductor and an insulating coating covering the conductor, and the end of the electric wire is exposed by removing the insulating coating. It is a conductor exposed portion, having the characteristics and the connection portion, and an insulating portion for holding said terminal body and the conductor exposed portion of the electric wire insulated, where provided integrally.

In the battery connection plate of the present invention, the connection part for electrically connecting the electrode terminals of adjacent unit cells and the insulation part for holding the conductor exposed part of the electric wire and the terminal body in an insulated state are integrally formed. Since it is provided, it is not necessary to separately prepare a member for preventing a short circuit at the connecting portion between the overcurrent interrupting element and the electric wire.
Therefore, according to this invention, the battery connection plate which can prevent the short circuit of the connection part of an overcurrent interruption | blocking element and an electric wire can be provided, reducing a number of parts.

  Further, in the present invention, the terminal body connected to the power source, the wire fixing portion for fixing the electric wire, and the element connecting portion connected to the overcurrent interrupting element are provided in the terminal body which is one member. Since each member is integrated by crimping and connecting, the number of parts can be reduced, and the operation of connecting the overcurrent interrupting element can be simplified.

The present invention may have the following configurations.
The said insulation part may be equipped with a pair of clamping piece which clamps and fixes the said electric wire from the direction which cross | intersects the length direction of the said electric wire.
Since it can prevent that an electric wire moves to the direction which cross | intersects a length direction if it is such a structure, the short circuit prevention effect can be heightened.

  The insulating part may include a pair of insulating walls standing on both sides in the width direction of the conductor exposed part of the electric wire. With such a configuration, it is possible to prevent contact with the terminal main body due to movement of the conductor exposed portion of the electric wire in the width direction, and thus it is possible to enhance the short-circuit prevention effect.

  You may provide the element holding part which hold | maintains and fixes the said overcurrent interruption | blocking element. With such a configuration, it is possible to prevent the overcurrent cutoff element itself from moving, so that the short-circuit prevention effect can be ensured.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the battery connection plate which can prevent the short circuit of the connection part of an overcurrent interruption | blocking element and an electric wire can be provided, reducing a number of parts.

Top view of the battery connection plate of Embodiment 1 Perspective view of terminals with overcurrent interrupting elements placed on the battery connection plate Sectional drawing in the AA line of FIG. Sectional drawing in the BB line of FIG. The perspective view of the terminal with an overcurrent interruption element arranged in the battery connection plate explained in another embodiment (1) The perspective view of the terminal with an overcurrent interruption | blocking element arrange | positioned in the battery connection plate of the form different from FIG. 5 demonstrated in other embodiment (1).

<Embodiment 1>
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The battery connection plate of this embodiment is attached to the battery module 1 such as an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle.
The battery connection plate 10 of the present embodiment is made of an insulating resin material, and as shown in FIG. 1, a battery in which six (plural) unit cells 2 having positive and negative electrode terminals 3 are arranged. The module 1 has a connection portion 11 that electrically connects the electrode terminals 3 and 3 of adjacent unit cells 2. The connection part 11 is provided so as to correspond to the position of the electrode terminal 3 of the unit cell 2 constituting the battery module 1.
A connecting member 12 made of metal such as copper, copper alloy, aluminum, aluminum alloy, stainless steel (SUS) is disposed in the connecting portion 11. An electrode insertion hole 13 through which the electrode terminal 3 can be inserted is formed in the connection member 12. Although details are not shown, a bolt-shaped electrode terminal 3 is inserted into the electrode insertion hole 13 of the connection member 12 and is fixed by a nut 14 or the like.

  The battery connection plate 10 according to this embodiment includes a terminal 20 with an overcurrent blocking element connected to one electrode terminal 3 among the two electrode terminals 3 and 3 inserted through the electrode insertion holes 13 of the connection member 12. . In the region of the battery connection plate 10 where the terminal 20 with an overcurrent cutoff element is disposed, a frame-shaped element holding portion 16 formed so as to surround the overcurrent cutoff element 28, the overcurrent cutoff element 28, and the overcurrent cutoff. An insulating portion 17 having an L-shape in a top view formed so as to surround two lead wires connected to the element 28 is provided so as to protrude upward in FIG. The element holding part 16 and the insulating part 17 are provided integrally with the connection part 11 in one battery connection plate 10 (see FIGS. 3 and 4).

  The terminal 20 with an overcurrent interruption element is used as, for example, a terminal 20 for connecting a power source (battery module 1) and a load (not shown) such as an ECU (Electronic Control Unit). As shown in FIG. 2, the terminal 20 with an overcurrent interruption element includes an overcurrent interruption element 28 and a box-shaped terminal body 21 to which the overcurrent interruption element 28 is connected.

Specific examples of the overcurrent interruption element 28 include a PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) element. A first lead wire 28A is attached to the right end portion of the overcurrent interrupting element 28 shown in FIG. 1, and a second lead wire 28B is attached to the left end portion in the figure. The first lead wire 28A is connected to the terminal body 21, and the second lead wire 28B is formed by crimping the terminal 30A of the electric wire 30 that electrically connects the battery module 1 and the ECU and the co-crimp terminal 29. It is connected.
The overcurrent interruption element 28 is held by the resin element holding part 16. The element holding part 16 is continued from the insulating part 17 as shown in FIG.

  The electric wire 30 connected to the overcurrent interruption element 28 has a large number of stranded wires 31 (conductors 31) made of a conductive metal such as copper, and an insulating coating 32 that covers the stranded wires 31. In the terminal 30A of the electric wire 30 connected to the second lead wire 28B of the overcurrent interruption element 28, as shown in FIG. 2, the stranded wire 31 (conductor 31) is exposed by peeling and removing the insulating coating 32. (Corresponding to the conductor exposed portion 33). A portion of the electric wire 30 behind the terminal 30A (upper left in FIG. 2) and covered with the insulation coating 32 is a pair of electric wire crimping pieces 22A and 22A provided on the terminal body 21 (details will be described later). )).

  In the present embodiment, the electric wire 30 is used as a voltage detection line. When an overcurrent flows through the electric wire 30 or when the temperature of the electric wire 30 exceeds a set temperature, the electric current is interrupted by the overcurrent interruption element 28. ing.

  The terminal body 21 is made of a metal material such as copper, copper alloy, aluminum, aluminum alloy, stainless steel (SUS). A pair of wire crimping pieces 22A and 22A for crimping and fixing the wire 30 is provided at one end portion (left end portion in FIG. 1) in the length direction (left and right direction in FIG. 1) of the terminal body 21; This portion is the wire fixing portion 22. A pair of element connection pieces 23A and 23A for crimping and connecting the first lead wire 28A of the overcurrent interrupting element 28 are connected to the other end portion in the length direction of the terminal body 21 (the right end portion in FIG. 1). This portion is provided as an element connection portion 23.

  A pair of wall portions 24 </ b> A and 24 </ b> B that are cut substantially perpendicularly to the surface of the battery connection plate 10 are provided along the length direction of the terminal body 21 in the box-shaped portion that is continuous from the wire fixing portion 22 of the terminal body 21. It has been. Each of the pair of wall portions 24A, 24B is provided with two reinforcing ribs 25 formed along the longitudinal direction.

  The terminal body 21 is a rectangular terminal formed by bending a portion extending in the width direction from the front wall portion 24A in FIG. 2 so as to be substantially perpendicular to the wall portion 24A. A portion 26 is provided. The terminal portion 26 is provided with a terminal insertion hole 26A through which the electrode terminal 3 is inserted and connected. Hereinafter, the front wall portion 24A in FIG. 2 is referred to as a terminal side wall portion 24A.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the upper surface of the box-shaped portion of the terminal body 21 is cut out in a square shape. Specifically, on the upper surface of the terminal body 21, a region 27 </ b> A continuous from the wire fixing portion 22 (a region including the upper left end portion shown in FIG. 2, referred to as a first region 27 </ b> A) and a region continuous from the element connection portion 23 ( A region 27C (referred to as an element arrangement region 27C) in which the overcurrent blocking element 28 is disposed between the region including the lower right end portion shown in FIG. 2 and the second region 27B) is cut out. . In the element arrangement region 27C, a pair of wall portions 24A and 24B are provided along the length direction.

  Now, in the element arrangement region 27 </ b> C of the terminal main body 21, the insulating portion 17 is arranged along the end surface of the first region 27 </ b> A and the inner wall surfaces of the wall portions 24 </ b> A and 24 </ b> B of the terminal main body 21. The insulating portion 17 is L-shaped when viewed from above, but is continuous at the lower end of the portion 17B along the end surface of the first region 27A, as shown in FIG.

  A groove 17A having a U-shaped cross section is formed in a portion of the insulating portion 17 disposed along the end face of the first region 27A. The width of the U-shaped groove 17A is set to be equal to or less than the thickness of the electric wire 30 (the thickness of the portion covered with the insulating coating 32). It functions as a pair of clamping pieces 17B and 17B that are clamped and fixed from the direction intersecting the vertical direction.

  Of the insulating portion 17, portions disposed along the inner walls of the pair of wall portions 24 </ b> A and 24 </ b> B of the terminal body 21 are insulating walls 17 </ b> C that stand along both sides in the width direction of the electric wire 30. As shown in FIG. 2, the insulating wall 17 </ b> C is provided from the sandwiching pieces 17 </ b> B and 17 </ b> B to the element connection portion 23 where the first lead terminal and the terminal body 21 are connected.

Next, the attachment method of the battery connection plate 10 and the terminal 20 with an overcurrent interruption element of this embodiment is demonstrated.
After arranging the six unit cells 2 so that the electrode terminals 3 and 3 of the adjacent unit cells 2 have different polarities, the electrode terminal 3 of the unit cell 2 protrudes from the battery connection plate 10 of this embodiment. It arrange | positions so that 2 A of protrusion surfaces may be covered.
In this embodiment, since the connection part 11 is provided so as to correspond to the position of the electrode terminal 3 of the unit cell 2 constituting the battery module 1, the battery connection plate 10 is provided on the protruding surface 2A from which the electrode terminal 3 protrudes. The connection part 11 is distribute | arranged to the corresponding electrode terminal 3 only by arrange | positioning so that the top may be covered.

  Next, the connection member 12 is attached to the connection part 11 of the battery connection plate. Specifically, the connection member 12 is attached to a predetermined position by inserting the electrode terminal 3 through the electrode insertion hole 13 of the connection member 12.

  Next, the terminal 20 with an overcurrent interruption element is arranged and connected at a predetermined position of the battery connection plate 10. Here, since the battery connection plate 10 of the present embodiment is integrally provided with the connection portion 11 and the insulating portion 17 and the element holding portion 16, the battery connection plate 10 is arranged to cut off the overcurrent. The arrangement position of the element 28 and the arrangement position of the terminal body 21 can be clearly understood.

  The connection of the terminal 20 with an overcurrent interruption element to the battery connection plate 10 is performed according to the following procedure. First, the terminal body 21 having the shape shown in FIG. 2 is produced by pressing and bending the metal plate. The electric wire 30 having the conductor 31 exposed is attached to the terminal body 21 by removing the insulating coating 32 of the terminal 30A. Specifically, the electric wire 30 is arranged in the element arrangement region 27 </ b> C of the terminal main body 21, and the electric wire crimping pieces 22 </ b> A and 22 </ b> A of the terminal main body 21 are crimped and fixed to the portion covered with the insulating coating 32 of the electric wire 30.

Next, the pair of wall portions 24A and 24B of the terminal main body 21 are arranged outside the insulating wall 17C formed on the battery connection plate 10, and the electric wires 30 attached to the terminal main body 21 are clamped pieces 17B and 17B of the insulating portion 17. The terminal main body 21 is fitted into the battery connection plate 10 with the electrode terminal corresponding to the terminal insertion hole of the terminal portion 26. By inserting the terminal main body 21 into the battery connection plate 10 in this way, the insulating portion 17 is disposed in the element arrangement region 27 </ b> C of the terminal main body 21, and the electrode terminal 3 is inserted into the terminal insertion hole of the terminal portion 26.
Next, when the nut 14 is attached to each electrode terminal 3, the connection member and the terminal body 21 are connected to the electrode terminal.

  Next, the overcurrent interruption element 28 to which the first lead wire 28A and the second lead wire 28B are connected is disposed in the element holding portion 16, and the second lead wire 28B and the terminal 30A of the electric wire 30 are co-crimped together. When the terminal connection 29 is co-crimped and the element connection pieces 23A and 23A of the terminal body 21 are crimped and connected to the first lead wire 28A, the connection of the terminal 20 with the overcurrent blocking element to the battery connection plate 10 is established. Complete.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.
Even when vibration is generated in the battery module 1 to which the battery connection plate 10 of the present embodiment is attached, the electric wire 30 attached to the terminal 20 with the overcurrent interruption element is viewed from the direction intersecting the length direction of the electric wire 30. Since it is fixed by the clamping pieces 17B and 17B that clamp the electric wire 30, the movement in the direction intersecting the length direction of the electric wire 30 is prevented.
In addition, since the battery connection plate 10 of the present embodiment includes the pair of insulating walls 17C standing on both sides in the width direction of the conductor exposed portion 33 of the electric wire 30, Contact with the terminal body 21 due to movement can be prevented.
In particular, in the present embodiment, since the element holding portion 16 that holds and fixes the overcurrent interruption element 28 is provided, it is possible to prevent the overcurrent interruption element 28 itself from moving.

Next, the effect of this embodiment will be described.
In this embodiment, the connection part 11 which connects the adjacent electrode terminal 3, and the insulation part 17 which hold | maintains the conductor exposed part 33 and the terminal main body 21 of the electric wire 30 in an insulated state are provided integrally. Therefore, it is not necessary to separately prepare a member for preventing a short circuit at the connecting portion between the overcurrent interrupting element 28 and the electric wire 30.
In particular, in the present embodiment, the insulating portion 17 is provided on both sides in the width direction of the pair of holding pieces 17B and 17B for holding and fixing the electric wire 30 from the direction intersecting the length direction of the electric wire 30 and the conductor exposed portion 33 of the electric wire 30. Since it has a pair of standing insulating walls 17C, it prevents both the movement in the direction intersecting the length direction of the electric wire 30 and the contact with the terminal main body 21 due to the movement in the width direction of the electric wire 30. Therefore, the short-circuit prevention effect can be enhanced.

Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the element holding part 16 that holds and fixes the overcurrent interruption element 28 is provided integrally with the insulating part 17, thereby preventing the overcurrent interruption element 28 itself from moving. And the short-circuit prevention effect can be ensured.
Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to provide the battery connection plate 10 that can prevent a short circuit at a connection portion between the overcurrent interrupting element 28 and the electric wire 30 while reducing the number of components.

  In addition, in this embodiment, the terminal part 26 connected to the power source, the electric wire fixing part 22 for fixing the electric wire 30, and the element connecting part 23 connected to the overcurrent interrupting element 28 are one member. Since it is provided in a certain terminal body 21 and integrated by crimping and connecting the respective members, the number of parts can be reduced and the operation of connecting the terminal 20 with the overcurrent interrupting element can be simplified. be able to.

  Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the first lead wire 28A of the overcurrent interruption element 28 is connected to the terminal body 21 by crimping the element connection pieces 23A, 23A provided on the terminal body 21, and the overcurrent interruption element 28 is connected. The second lead wire 28 </ b> B and the terminal 30 </ b> A of the electric wire 30 are connected by crimping the co-crimp terminal 29. That is, according to the present embodiment, soldering is not required when connecting the overcurrent interrupting element 28 and the terminal body 21 and when connecting the terminal 30A of the electric wire 30 and the overcurrent interrupting element 28. Can be reduced.

  Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, since the pair of wall portions 24A and 24B of the terminal body 21 are provided along the element arrangement region 27C, the overcurrent blocking element 28 arranged in the element arrangement region 27C is provided. The terminal body 21 can be protected and the rigidity of the terminal body 21 can be increased. In particular, in the present embodiment, since the reinforcing ribs 25 are provided on the wall portions 24A and 24B, the rigidity of the terminal body 21 can be further increased.

<Other embodiments>
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described with reference to the above description and drawings. For example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.
(1) In the above-described embodiment, the insulating portion 17 includes the sandwiching pieces 17B and 17B and the insulating wall 17C. However, the insulating portion 17 is not limited to this. The insulating portion 17 may include only the sandwiching pieces 17B and 17B as illustrated in FIG. 5, or may include only the insulating wall 17C as illustrated in FIG.
(2) In the above embodiment, the battery connection plate 10 on which the element holding part 16 is formed is shown, but the element holding part 16 may not be formed.
(3) In the above embodiment, the wall portions 24A and 24B are provided with the reinforcing ribs 25. However, the wall portions 24A and 24B that are not provided with the reinforcing ribs 25 may be provided.
(4) In the above embodiment, the overcurrent cutoff element 28 is arranged along the connecting member 12, but the arrangement position of the overcurrent cutoff element 28 is not limited to this.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Battery module 2 ... Single cell 3 ... Electrode terminal 10 ... Battery connection plate 11 ... Connection part 16 ... Element holding part 17 ... Insulation part 17B ... Clamping piece 17C ... Insulation wall 20 ... Terminal with an overcurrent interruption element 21 ... Terminal body DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 22 ... Electric wire fixing part 23 ... Element connection part 26 ... Terminal part 28 ... Overcurrent interruption element 30 ... Electric wire 30A ... Terminal 31 ... Stranded wire (conductor)
32 ... Insulation coating 33 ... Conductor exposed part

Claims (4)

A battery connection plate having a connection part for electrically connecting the electrode terminals of the adjacent unit cells in a battery module in which a plurality of unit cells having positive and negative electrode terminals are arranged,
An overcurrent interrupting element that is connected to an end of an electric wire that electrically connects the battery module and the load, and that interrupts the current when an overcurrent flows through the electric wire or when the temperature of the electric wire exceeds a set temperature. An overcurrent interrupting element comprising: an element connecting part connected to the overcurrent interrupting element; a terminal part connected to the electrode terminal; and a terminal body provided with a wire fixing part for crimping and fixing the electric wire. With terminal,
The electric wire has a conductor and an insulating coating covering the conductor, and the end of the electric wire is a conductor exposed portion where the conductor is exposed by removing the insulating coating,
The battery connection plate, wherein the connection portion and an insulating portion for holding the conductor exposed portion of the electric wire and the terminal main body in an insulated state are integrally provided. 2. The battery connection plate according to claim 1, wherein the insulating portion includes a pair of clamping pieces that clamp and fix the electric wire from a direction intersecting a length direction of the electric wire. 3. The battery connection plate according to claim 1, wherein the insulating portion includes a pair of insulating walls standing on both sides in the width direction of the conductor exposed portion of the electric wire. 4. The battery connection plate according to claim 1, further comprising an element holding portion that holds and fixes the overcurrent interrupting element. 5.

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