JP2012227004A - Battery connection assembly and battery module - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide downsizable battery connection assembly and battery module.SOLUTION: A battery connection assembly 12 connects a plurality of single batteries 11, each having a positive pole terminal 13 and a negative pole terminal 14. The battery connection assembly 12 comprises: a plurality of bus bars 16 having a pair of through holes 15 respectively connected to the positive pole terminal 13 and the negative pole terminal 14; a plurality of bus bar insulation members 17 that connect the bus bars 16 by being respectively held by both of the adjacent bus bars 16; and a band-shaped flexible flat cable 28 extending along a direction in which the bus bars 16 are connected to each other. The flexible flat cable 28 includes a plurality of conductors 46 arranged side by side. The bus bars 16 are connected to the conductors 46 of the flexible flat cable 28.

Description

  The present invention relates to a battery connection assembly and a battery module.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a battery module in which a plurality of single cells are arranged side by side and used as a driving source for an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle, a battery connection assembly for connecting each single cell is known. Yes. This battery connection assembly is formed by connecting a plurality of single cells in series with a bus bar. A voltage detection line for detecting a voltage in the unit cell is electrically connected to the electrode terminal of the unit cell. This voltage detection line is connected to the cell controller, and the voltage of the unit cell is measured and the state of each unit cell is controlled.

JP 2001-266825 A

  In the battery connection assembly according to the above configuration, as the number of the single cells increases, the number of voltage detection lines connected to the single cells also increases. Then, in the battery connection assembly, a space for arranging a plurality of bundled voltage detection lines is required, and there is a problem that the battery connection assembly is enlarged.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a battery connection assembly and a battery module that can be reduced in size.

  The present invention is a battery connection assembly for connecting a plurality of single cells having a positive electrode terminal and a negative electrode terminal, and adjacent to a plurality of bus bars each having a pair of connection portions connected to the positive electrode terminal and the negative electrode terminal, respectively. A plurality of bus bar insulating members that connect the bus bars by being held by both of the bus bars, and a strip-shaped flexible flat cable that extends along a direction in which the bus bars are connected, and the flexible flat cables are arranged in parallel The bus bar is connected to the conductor of the flexible flat cable.

  In addition, the present invention is a battery module including a plurality of single cells having a positive electrode terminal and a negative electrode terminal, and a plurality of bus bars each having a pair of connection portions connected to the positive electrode terminal and the negative electrode terminal, respectively. A plurality of bus bar insulating members that connect the bus bars by being held by both of the bus bars, and a strip-shaped flexible flat cable that extends along a direction in which the bus bars are connected, and the flexible flat cable includes: A plurality of conductors arranged in parallel are provided, and the bus bar is connected to the conductors of the flexible flat cable.

  According to the present invention, the bus bar is connected to the conductor of the flexible flat cable. Since this flexible flat cable has a plurality of conductors arranged in parallel, a space for bundling and wiring the wires, which is required when a plurality of wires are connected to the bus bar, is not necessary. For this reason, since the space for wiring an electric wire can be reduced, a battery connection assembly or a battery module can be reduced in size.

As embodiments of the present invention, the following embodiments are preferable.
Of the two bus bar insulating members held by the bus bar, it is preferable that one or both of the one bus bar insulating member and the other bus bar insulating member are held movably with respect to the bus bar.

  Of the two bus bar insulating members held by the bus bar, one bus bar insulating member is held in a state in which movement in the direction in which the plurality of single cells are arranged with respect to the bus bar is restricted, The other bus bar insulating member is preferably held movably by the bus bar.

  When a plurality of unit cells are connected side by side, manufacturing intersections and assembly tolerances of each unit cell may be stacked. In this case, since the above tolerances are stacked as the both end portions of the arranged unit cells are approached, there is a concern that the pitch between the positive and negative terminals of the unit cells is shifted. According to this aspect, since the bus bar insulating member is held movably with respect to the bus bar, the shift of the pitch between the positive electrode terminal and the negative electrode terminal is absorbed by the relative movement of the bus bar and the bus bar insulating member. be able to.

  It is preferable that a mounting portion for mounting the flexible flat cable is formed on the bus bar insulating member.

  The mounting portion is formed with an engaging convex portion that engages with the flexible flat cable, and the flexible flat cable is engaged with the flexible flat cable in a state where the flexible flat cable is mounted on the mounting portion. It is preferable that an insertion hole into which the engaging convex portion is inserted is formed through the flexible flat cable at a position corresponding to the convex portion.

  According to said aspect, a mounting part and a flexible flat cable are controlled that a mounting part and a flexible flat cable move relatively by engagement with an engaging convex part and an insertion hole. Thereby, even when a tensile force is applied to the flexible flat cable, it is possible to suppress the force from being applied to the connection portion between the flexible flat cable and the bus bar. Thereby, the electrical connection reliability of a flexible flat cable and a bus bar can be improved.

  It is preferable that a descending inclined surface is formed on the end portion in the longitudinal direction of the flexible flat cable in the mounting portion.

  According to said aspect, it is suppressed that a flexible flat cable bends at an acute angle in the edge of a mounting part. Thereby, malfunctions, such as a conductor of a flexible flat cable being damaged, can be suppressed. As a result, the electrical connection reliability between the flexible flat cable and the bus bar can be improved.

  The battery connection assembly preferably includes a lid portion that covers the placement portion in a state where the flexible flat cable is placed on the placement portion.

  According to said aspect, it can suppress that a foreign material collides with a flexible flat cable. Thereby, since malfunctions, such as a conductor of a flexible flat cable being damaged, can be suppressed, the electrical connection reliability of a flexible flat cable and a bus bar can be improved.

  It is preferable that the mounting portion and the lid portion are integrally formed by a hinge.

  According to said aspect, since a number of parts can be reduced, a battery connection assembly can be reduced in size.

  The mounting portion is formed with an engaging convex portion that engages with the flexible flat cable, and the flexible flat cable is engaged with the flexible flat cable in a state where the flexible flat cable is mounted on the mounting portion. An insertion hole into which the engaging convex portion is inserted is formed through the flexible flat cable at a position corresponding to the convex portion, and the inner surface of the lid portion has interference with the engaging convex portion. It is preferable that an escape recess is formed.

  According to said aspect, compared with the case where an escape recessed part is not formed in a cover part, the thickness dimension of a cover part can be made thin. Thereby, a battery connection assembly can be reduced in size.

  It is preferable that a pressing portion that presses the flexible flat cable toward the placement portion protrudes from the inner surface of the lid portion.

  According to the above aspect, even when a tensile force acts on the flexible flat cable, the flexible flat cable is pressed against the mounting portion by the pressing portion, so that the flexible flat cable is relative to the mounting portion. It can suppress moving to. Thereby, since it can suppress that force is added to the connection part of a flexible flat cable and a bus-bar, the electrical connection reliability of a flexible flat cable and a bus-bar can be improved.

  The pressing portion is preferably a pressing rib extending in the longitudinal direction of the flexible flat cable.

  According to said aspect, a flexible flat cable can be reliably pressed to a mounting part about the longitudinal direction of a flexible flat cable. Thereby, the electrical connection reliability of a flexible flat cable and a bus bar can be further improved.

  A connecting piece for connecting to the flexible flat cable is formed on the bus bar so as to protrude from a side edge of the bus bar in a direction intersecting the direction in which the pair of connecting portions are arranged. It is preferable that the flexible flat cable and the connection piece are arranged to overlap each other.

  According to said aspect, since the flexible flat cable and the connection piece which were overlaid on the mounting part should just be electrically connected, the connection structure of a flexible flat cable and a bus-bar can be simplified. Thereby, size reduction of a battery connection assembly can be achieved.

  In the placement section, the connection piece and the flexible flat cable are arranged in this order, and the placement section is depressed in the region where the connection piece is placed by the thickness dimension of the connection piece. It is preferable that the connecting piece mounting recess is formed.

  According to said aspect, since a connection piece is accommodated in a connection piece mounting recessed part, the thickness dimension of a mounting part can be made thin. Thereby, a battery connection assembly can be reduced in size.

  Furthermore, since the connection piece mounting recess is formed to be depressed by the thickness dimension of the connection piece, in the state where the connection piece is accommodated in the connection piece mounting recess, the surface of the connection piece and the mounting portion It is substantially flush with the surface. For this reason, it can suppress that force is applied to a flexible flat cable from a connection piece in the state which piled up the connection piece on the mounting part, and mounted it. Thereby, since malfunctions, such as a conductor of a flexible flat cable being damaged, can be suppressed, the electrical connection reliability of a flexible flat cable and a bus bar can be improved.

  It is preferable that a placement portion side window portion into which a jig for connecting the flexible flat cable and the connection piece is inserted is formed in the placement portion.

  According to said aspect, since a flexible flat cable and a connection piece can be connected after mounting a flexible flat cable in a mounting part, positioning with a flexible flat cable and a bus-bar can be performed easily. Thereby, the efficiency of the connection operation | work with a bus-bar and a flexible flat cable can be improved.

  A connecting piece for connecting to the conductor is formed on the bus bar so as to protrude from a side edge of the bus bar in a direction intersecting the direction in which the pair of connecting portions are arranged. A flexible flat cable and the connection piece are arranged to overlap each other, and a lid side window portion into which a jig for connecting the flexible flat cable and the connection piece is inserted is formed in the lid portion. Preferably it is.

  According to said aspect, a flexible flat cable and a connection piece can be connected after mounting a flexible flat cable in a mounting part and also covering a cover part. Thereby, positioning with a flexible flat cable and a bus-bar can be performed still more reliably. Thereby, the efficiency of the connection operation | work with a bus-bar and a flexible flat cable can be improved.

  Moreover, since it can suppress reliably that a bus bar and a flexible flat cable shift | deviate, the electrical connection reliability of a bus bar and a flexible flat cable can be improved.

  It is preferable that a placement portion side window portion into which a jig for connecting the flexible flat cable and the connection piece is inserted is formed in the placement portion.

  According to the above aspect, after placing the flexible flat cable on the placement portion and further covering the lid portion, the jig is inserted from both the placement portion side window portion and the lid portion side window portion. Thus, the flexible flat cable and the connection piece can be connected. Thereby, a bus bar and a flexible flat cable can be connected by resistance welding, for example. As a result, the cost for connecting the bus bar and the flexible flat cable can be reduced.

  It is preferable that the flexible flat cable includes a pitch adjustment unit that adjusts a shift in pitch between the positive electrode terminal and the negative electrode terminal between the bus bar insulating members adjacent to each other.

  According to said aspect, even when the pitch of a positive electrode terminal and a negative electrode terminal has shifted | deviated, this shift | offset | difference of a pitch can be absorbed by the pitch adjustment part formed in the flexible flat cable. As a result, it is possible to provide a battery connection assembly that can easily adjust the deviation in pitch between the positive electrode terminal and the negative electrode terminal.

  It is preferable that the pitch adjusting part is formed by bending the flexible flat cable along a fold line intersecting with a longitudinal direction of the flexible flat cable.

  According to this aspect, the shift of the pitch between the positive electrode terminal and the negative electrode terminal can be adjusted with a simple configuration in which the flexible flat cable is bent.

  According to the present invention, the battery connection assembly and the battery module can be reduced in size.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the bus bar insulating member. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the bus bar insulating member. FIG. 4 is a side view showing the bus bar insulating member. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the bus bar insulating member showing a state where the lid portion is placed on the mounting portion. FIG. 6 is a plan view of the bus bar insulating member showing a state where the lid portion is placed on the mounting portion. FIG. 7 is a side view of the bus bar insulating member showing a state where the lid portion is placed on the mounting portion. FIG. 8 is a plan view showing the assembly process of the battery connection assembly. FIG. 9 is an enlarged side view showing the battery connection assembly.

<Embodiment>
An embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a battery module 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. The battery module 10 according to the present embodiment includes a plurality of unit cells 11 and a battery connection assembly 12 that connects the plurality of unit cells 11. The battery module 10 is used as a drive source of a vehicle (not shown) such as an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle. In the following description, the left side in FIG. 1 is the left side, and the right side is the right side. Further, the upper side in FIG. 4 is the upper side, and the lower side is the lower side.

(Single cell 11)
The unit cell 11 has a flat rectangular parallelepiped shape. On the upper surface of the unit cell 11, a positive electrode terminal 13 and a negative electrode terminal 14 are formed at positions near both ends in the major axis direction, respectively. The positive electrode terminal 13 and the negative electrode terminal 14 are formed by protruding electrode posts in a round bar shape upward from a base made of a metal plate material. Although not shown in detail, a thread is formed on the surface of the electrode post. The unit cells 11 are arranged so that the positive electrode terminal 13 and the negative electrode terminal 14 are adjacent to each other in the minor axis direction.

(Battery connection assembly 12)
The battery connection assembly 12 connects a plurality of unit cells 11 in series by electrically connecting the positive terminal 13 and the negative terminal 14 of different unit cells 11. The battery connection assembly 12 includes a plurality of bus bars 16 having a pair of through holes 15 (connection portions) that are inserted and connected to the positive electrode terminal 13 and the negative electrode terminal 14 of the unit cell 11, respectively, and both adjacent bus bars 16. A bus bar insulating member 17 made of synthetic resin to be held. In the present embodiment, the plurality of bus bars 16 are connected in the left-right direction via the bus bar insulating member 17.

(Bus bar 16)
The bus bar 16 is formed by pressing a plate material made of metal such as copper, copper alloy, stainless steel, or aluminum into a predetermined shape. In the present embodiment, the bus bar 16 includes a main body portion 18 having a substantially rectangular shape and a connection piece 19 having a substantially rectangular shape protruding from one long side of the main body portion 18. The surface of the bus bar 16 may be plated with metal such as tin or nickel.

  A pair of through-holes 15 are formed in the main body portion 18 of the bus bar 16 at a predetermined interval. In the through hole 15, the positive electrode terminal 13 and the negative electrode terminal 14 of the unit cell 11 are inserted. The through hole 15 in this embodiment has a circular shape when viewed from above. The pair of through holes 15 are formed at a predetermined interval. In the present embodiment, the distance between the centers of the pair of through holes 15 is set to the pitch between the adjacent positive electrode terminal 13 and negative electrode terminal 14. The inner diameter dimension of the through hole 15 is set to be the same or slightly larger than the outer diameter dimension of the positive electrode terminal 13 and the negative electrode terminal 14 plus a tolerance for the pitch between the adjacent positive electrode terminal 13 and the negative electrode terminal 14. Yes. The main body 18 of the bus bar 16 is formed with a recess 20 on one of the pair of long sides. In the present embodiment, the recess 20 is formed in the plane of the bus bar 16 and at a position near the right end of the upper edge of the main body 18.

  The connection piece 19 is formed from a position slightly to the right from the left end portion of the main body portion 18, and from the left end portion of the main body portion 18 to approximately two thirds of the length dimension in the left-right direction of the main body portion 18. . The length of the connecting piece 19 protruding from the main body 18 is set to be slightly longer than the length of the main body 18 in the short side direction.

  The bus bar 16 and the positive electrode terminal 13 or the negative electrode terminal 14 are screwed by a nut 21 screwed into the positive electrode terminal 13 and the negative electrode terminal 14.

(Bus bar insulation member 17)
Both adjacent bus bars 16 hold a synthetic resin bus bar insulating member 17. Among the plurality of bus bar insulating members 17, one bus bar insulating member 17 and the other bus bar insulating member 17 are connected to each other via the bus bar 16.

  The bus bar insulating member 17 is formed with a main housing portion 22 and a sub housing portion 23 that open upward and house the bus bar 16 side by side in the left-right direction. The sub-accommodating portion 23 is formed at a position near the left end portion of the bus bar insulating member 17. On the other hand, the main housing portion 22 is formed on the right side of the sub housing portion 23 via an insulating wall 24 that stands up and down to partition the sub housing portion 23. The sub-accommodating portion 23 accommodates the right end portion of the main body portion 18 of the bus bar 16, and the main accommodating portion 22 accommodates approximately two thirds of the main body portion 18 from the left. It has become.

  The heights of the side walls constituting the main housing part 22 and the sub housing part 23 and the insulating wall 24 are higher than the upper end parts of the positive electrode terminal 13 and the negative electrode terminal 14 when the battery connection assembly 12 is connected to the unit cell 11. Is set to be higher. Thereby, it can suppress that a tool etc. contact the positive electrode terminal 13 and the negative electrode terminal 14, and the positive electrode terminal 13 and the negative electrode terminal 14 are short-circuited via a tool etc.

  A convex portion 25 that protrudes inward of the sub-accommodating portion 23 is formed at the left end of the sub-accommodating portion 23. The convex portion 25 is formed at a position facing the concave portion 20 formed in the main body portion 18 in a state where the main body portion 18 of the bus bar 16 is accommodated in the sub accommodating portion 23. In a state where the main body portion 18 is accommodated in the sub-accommodating portion 23, the convex portion 25 is positioned in the concave portion 20.

  Further, a convex portion 25 that protrudes inward of the main housing portion 22 is formed at the right end portion of the main housing portion 22. The convex portion 25 is formed at a position facing the concave portion 20 formed in the main body portion 18 in a state where the main body portion 18 of the bus bar 16 is accommodated in the main accommodating portion 22. In a state where the main body portion 18 is accommodated in the main accommodating portion 22, the convex portion 25 is positioned in the concave portion 20.

  The movement of the bus bar 16 to the right is restricted by the engagement of the concave portion 20 formed in the main body portion 18 accommodated in the main accommodating portion 22 and the convex portion 25 formed in the main accommodating portion 22. Has been. Further, the bus bar 16 is restricted from moving to the left by the left edge of the main body 18 and the insulating wall 24 coming into contact with each other. That is, the main body portion 18 of the bus bar 16 housed in the main housing portion 22 is restricted from moving in the left-right direction (the direction in which the cells 11 are arranged).

  On the other hand, the concave portion 20 formed in the main body portion 18 accommodated in the sub-accommodating portion 23 and the convex portion 25 formed in the sub-accommodating portion 23 have a clearance in the left-right direction (the direction in which the cells 11 are arranged). have. Thereby, the main-body part 18 accommodated in the sub accommodating part 23 and the bus-bar insulation member 17 can move relatively in the left-right direction.

  The bottom portions of the main housing portion 22 and the sub housing portion 23 are opened downward, leaving the bus bar mounting portion 26 on which the bus bar 16 is mounted.

  Locking claws 27 projecting toward the inside of the main housing portion 22 and the sub housing portion 23 are formed on the side walls constituting the main housing portion 22 and the sub housing portion 23. The locking claw 27 can be elastically deformed in the thickness direction of the side walls constituting the main housing portion 22 and the sub housing portion 23. Elastic deformation is possible. When the bus bar 16 is housed from above (in the thickness direction of the bus bar 16) in the main housing portion 22 and the sub housing portion 23, the bus bar 16 comes into contact with the locking claw 27 from above, and the locking claw 27 is in contact with the main housing portion 22. And it elastically deforms outward in the thickness direction of the side wall constituting the sub-accommodating portion 23. When the bus bar 16 is further pressed downward, the bus bar 16 gets over the locking claw 27, and the locking claw 27 is restored and deformed. Thus, the bus bar 16 is held in the main housing portion 22 and the sub housing portion 23 from above (the thickness direction of the bus bar 16) by the locking claws 27. In other words, the main body portion 18 of the bus bar 16 is sandwiched and locked between the upper surface of the placement portion 29 and the lower surface of the locking claw 27.

  A predetermined clearance is provided between the main body 18 and the upper surface of the mounting portion 29 or the lower surface of the locking claw 27. In other words, a predetermined clearance is set between the upper surface of the mounting portion 29 and the lower surface of the locking claw 27, and the main body portion 18 is located between the upper surface of the mounting portion 29 and the lower surface of the locking claw 27. It is arranged in the clearance formed. This clearance is set corresponding to the tolerance set for the vertical position of the positive electrode terminal 13 and the negative electrode terminal 14 of the different unit cells 11. By this clearance, the bus bar 16 and the bus bar insulating member 17 are relatively movable.

  On the bus bar insulating member 17, a placement portion 29 on which a flexible flat cable 28 having a belt shape is placed is formed extending from the main housing portion 22 and the sub housing portion 23. The placement portion 29 has a substantially rectangular shape.

  On the bottom of the mounting portion 29, a connection piece mounting recess 30 is formed in a region where the connection piece 19 of the bus bar 16 is mounted. The depth dimension of the connection piece mounting recess 30 is set to be substantially the same as the thickness dimension of the connection piece 19. Note that “substantially the same” includes the case where the depth dimension of the connection piece mounting recess 30 and the thickness dimension of the connection piece 19 are the same, and the case where it is recognized that they are substantially the same even if they are not the same including.

  In the mounting portion 29, the flexible flat cable 28 is overlaid on the connection piece 19. The flexible flat cable 28 has a strip shape and extends long in the direction in which the cells 11 are arranged. The width dimension of the placement portion 29 (the vertical dimension in FIG. 3) is set to be slightly wider than the width dimension of the flexible flat cable 28.

  Of the upper surface of the mounting portion 29, the lower left and right edges are formed with downward inclined surfaces 31 that are inclined downward toward the outer side in the left-right direction.

  Four engaging convex portions 32 projecting upward are formed at substantially four corner positions of the mounting portion 29. The engagement convex portion 32 has an oblong shape elongated in the direction in which the flexible flat cable 28 extends as viewed from above. In the flexible flat cable 28, an insertion hole 33 into which the engaging convex portion 32 is inserted penetrates the flexible flat cable 28 at a position corresponding to the engaging convex portion 32 in a state of being placed on the placing portion 29. Is formed.

  A jig for connecting the conductor 46 of the flexible flat cable 28 and the connecting piece 19 to the portion corresponding to the portion where the bus bar mounting portion 26 of the main housing portion 22 is formed is provided at the bottom of the mounting portion 29. The placement portion side window portion 34 to be inserted is formed through the placement portion 29. The placement portion side window portion 34 is formed over substantially the entire width direction (vertical direction in FIG. 3) of the bottom portion of the placement portion 29.

  The mounting portion 29 is integrally formed with a hinge 35 protruding outward from a side edge located on the opposite side of the main housing portion 22 and the sub housing portion 23, and is connected to the hinge 35. A lid 36 is formed on the cover 29. In other words, the lid portion 36 is formed integrally with the placement portion 29 via the hinge 35.

  The lid portion 36 has a substantially rectangular shape and is slightly smaller than the placement portion 29. The lid portion 36 is formed with a plurality of locking projections 37 protruding outward at the side edge opposite to the hinge 35. The mounting portion 29 has a lock receiving portion that is elastically engaged with the locking protrusion 37 at a position corresponding to the locking protrusion 37 in a state where the hinge 35 is bent and the lid portion 36 is put on the mounting portion 29. 38 is formed. By engaging the lock projection 37 and the lock receiving portion 38, the lid portion 36 is held in a state of being covered with the placement portion 29.

  In the lid portion 36, a relief recess 39 that suppresses the front end of the engagement convex portion 32 from interfering with the inner surface of the lid portion 36 at a position corresponding to the engagement convex portion 32 in a state of being covered with the placement portion 29. Is formed. In a state where the lid portion 36 is placed on the placement portion 29, the tip of the engaging convex portion 32 enters the escape concave portion 39. In this way, the engagement projection 32 and the escape recess 39 are engaged with each other, whereby the lid portion 36 and the placement portion 29 are positioned.

  In the state where the lid portion 36 is covered with the placement portion 29, a treatment for connecting the flexible flat cable 28 and the connection piece 19 to a position corresponding to the placement portion side window portion 34 of the placement portion 29. The lid side window 40 into which the tool is inserted is opened. The lid part side window part 40 is formed over substantially the entire region of the lid part 36 in the width direction (vertical direction in FIG. 3).

(Flexible flat cable 28)
The flexible flat cable 28 placed on the placement portion 29 is formed by arranging a plurality of conductors 46 (not shown) side by side at intervals, and surrounding the conductors 46 with an insulating resin 45. As the conductor 46, an arbitrary conductor 46 such as a copper foil, a copper stranded wire, an aluminum foil, and an aluminum stranded wire can be used as necessary. Further, as the insulating resin 45, any synthetic resin such as polyolefin such as polyethylene and polypropylene, polyester such as polyethylene terephthalate and polybutylene terephthalate, polyamide, and polyimide can be used as necessary. The thickness of the flexible flat cable 28 is preferably 0.6 mm or more and 0.7 mm or less.

  On the inner surface of the lid portion 36, a pressing rib (pressing portion) 41 that presses the flexible flat cable 28 placed on the placement portion 29 toward the placement portion 29 is formed to protrude. In this embodiment, the pressing rib 41 extends in the direction in which the flexible flat cable 28 extends (the left-right direction in FIG. 3) and is formed in a row. The cross-sectional shape of the pressing rib 41 is a semicircular shape.

  The conductor 46 of the flexible flat cable 28 placed on the placement portion 29 is flexible flat from the lid portion side window portion 40 and the placement portion side window portion 34 in a state where the lid portion 36 is put on the placement portion 29. In a region where the cable 28 is exposed to the outside, the cable 28 is connected to the connection piece 19 of the bus bar 16. The insulating resin 45 of the flexible flat cable 28 is in a state in which, for example, the welding region 42 is removed by irradiating laser light, and the conductor 46 is exposed to the outside. The conductor 46 exposed to the outside and the connection piece 19 are sandwiched between a jig inserted from the placement part side window part 34 and a jig inserted from the lid part side window part 40, and known resistance welding is performed. By executing, the conductor 46 and the connection piece 19 are connected.

  As a method for connecting the conductor 46 and the connection piece 19, any method such as brazing, soldering, laser welding, ultrasonic welding or the like can be used as necessary. Of these welding methods, resistance welding is preferred because of its low cost.

  The terminal of the flexible flat cable 28 is connected to an ECU (not shown), and the voltage of the unit cell 11 is measured by this ECU.

  In the flexible flat cable 28, a pitch adjusting portion 43 that adjusts a pitch shift between the positive electrode terminal 13 and the negative electrode terminal 14 is formed between the adjacent bus bar insulating members 17. The pitch adjusting portion 43 is formed by bending the flexible flat cable 28 into a mountain fold along a fold line 44 that intersects the longitudinal direction of the flexible flat cable 28. The protruding dimension of the pitch adjusting portion 43 is preferably 10 mm or less.

(Assembly process)
Then, an example is demonstrated to the manufacturing process of this embodiment. The manufacturing process is not limited to the following description.

  First, the plurality of bus bar insulating members 17 are formed by injection molding a synthetic resin with a mold (not shown). Next, the plurality of bus bar insulating members 17 are arranged at predetermined intervals. At this time, the bus bar insulating member 17 may be arranged on a jig (not shown) having a configuration for temporarily determining the position of the bus bar insulating member 17.

  Subsequently, the main body portion 18 of the bus bar 16 is accommodated in the main accommodating portion 22 and the sub accommodating portion 23 of the bus bar insulating member 17, and the connection piece 19 of the bus bar 16 is disposed on the mounting portion 29 of the bus bar insulating member 17. The bus bar 16 is brought close to the bus bar insulating member 17 from above so as to be placed.

  Then, the main body portion 18 of the bus bar 16 is sandwiched between the bus bar mounting portion 26 and the locking claws 27 of the main housing portion 22 and the sub housing portion 23, and is placed in the main housing portion 22 and the sub housing portion 23. Retained.

  On the other hand, the connection piece 19 of the bus bar 16 is accommodated in a connection piece mounting recess 30 formed in the mounting portion 29. In this state, the bottom surface of the mounting portion 29 and the top surface of the connection piece 19 are substantially flush with each other.

  Subsequently, the insulating resin 45 in the welding region 42 is peeled off by irradiating a predetermined position of the flexible flat cable 28 with a laser beam. As a result, the conductor 46 of the flexible flat cable 28 is exposed from the insulating resin 45.

  Next, the flexible flat cable 28 is mountain-folded along a fold line 44 formed at a predetermined position of the flexible flat cable 28.

  Thereafter, the flexible flat cable 28 is placed on the placement portion 29 of the bus bar insulating member 17 from above. At this time, the engaging convex portion 32 of the placement portion 29 is inserted into the insertion hole 33 of the flexible flat cable 28.

  Subsequently, the lid portion 36 is placed on the placement portion 29 by bending the hinge 35. As a result, the lock projection 37 is engaged with the lock receiving portion 38, whereby the lid portion 36 is held in a state of being covered with the placement portion 29.

  Next, a resistance welding jig is inserted from the placement part side window part 34, and a resistance welding jig is inserted from the lid part side window part 40. In a state where the connection piece 19 and the conductor 46 of the flexible flat cable 28 are sandwiched by both jigs, the connection piece 19 and the conductor 46 of the flexible flat cable 28 are welded by a known method. By executing this step a plurality of times, a plurality of conductors 46 are connected to each bus bar 16. Thereby, the battery connection assembly 12 is completed.

  Next, the battery connection assembly 12 is lifted and placed on the upper surfaces of the plurality of unit cells 11 arranged. Next, the positive electrode terminal 13 and the negative electrode terminal 14 of the unit cell 11 are respectively inserted into the through holes 15 formed in the bus bar 16 from below. Manufacturing tolerances and assembly tolerances between the adjacent positive electrode terminals 13 and negative electrode terminals 14 are absorbed by the through holes 15 formed in the bus bar 16.

  As described above, the manufacturing tolerance and the assembly tolerance between the positive electrode terminal 13 and the negative electrode terminal 14 of the adjacent unit cells 11 are absorbed by the through holes 15 formed in the bus bar 16. However, when the plurality of single cells 11 are arranged, the above tolerances are stacked, and there is a concern that the through holes 15 formed in the bus bar 16 may not be able to absorb. In the present embodiment, the bus bar 16 holds the bus bar insulating member 17 movably, so that the accumulated tolerance can be absorbed by moving the bus bar insulating member 17 relative to the bus bar 16. .

  Subsequently, a nut 21 is screwed into the positive terminal 13 and the negative terminal 14 inserted through the through hole 15 of the bus bar 16. As a result, the bus bar 16 is connected to the positive terminal 13 and the negative terminal 14. Thereby, the battery module 10 is completed. The end of the flexible flat cable 28 is connected to an ECU (not shown).

(Operation and effect of this embodiment)
According to this embodiment, the bus bar 16 is connected to the conductor 46 of the flexible flat cable 28. Since the flexible flat cable 28 has a plurality of conductors 46 arranged in parallel, a space for bundling and wiring the wires, which is required when a plurality of wires are connected to the bus bar 16, is not necessary. For this reason, since the space for wiring an electric wire can be reduced, the battery connection assembly 12 can be reduced in size.

  In addition, when a plurality of unit cells 11 are connected side by side, manufacturing intersections and assembly tolerances of the unit cells 11 may be stacked. In this case, since the above-described tolerances are stacked as the both end portions of the arranged unit cells 11 are approached, there is a concern that the pitch between the positive terminal 13 and the negative terminal 14 of the unit cell 11 is shifted. According to the present embodiment, since the bus bar insulating member 17 is held movably with respect to the bus bar 16, when the bus bar 16 and the bus bar insulating member 17 move relative to each other, the positive terminal 13 and the negative terminal 14 Can be absorbed.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the placement portion 29 and the flexible flat cable 28 are moved relative to each other by the engagement of the engagement convex portion 32 and the insertion hole 33. To be regulated. Thereby, even when a tensile force is applied to the flexible flat cable 28, it is possible to suppress the force from being applied to the connection portion between the flexible flat cable 28 and the bus bar 16. Thereby, the electrical connection reliability of the flexible flat cable 28 and the bus bar 16 can be improved.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the inclined surface 31 is formed on the left and right end edges of the mounting portion 29. Thereby, since it is suppressed that the flexible flat cable 28 bends acutely at the edge of the mounting part 29, malfunctions, such as the conductor 46 of the flexible flat cable 28 being damaged, can be suppressed. As a result, the electrical connection reliability between the flexible flat cable 28 and the bus bar 16 can be improved.

  Moreover, according to this embodiment, since the cover part 36 is covered in the state in which the flexible flat cable 28 was mounted in the mounting part 29, it can suppress that a foreign material collides with the flexible flat cable 28. FIG. Thereby, since malfunctions, such as damage to the conductor 46 of the flexible flat cable 28, can be suppressed, the electrical connection reliability between the flexible flat cable 28 and the bus bar 16 can be improved.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the placement portion 29 and the lid portion 36 are integrally formed by the hinge 35. Thereby, since the number of parts can be reduced, the battery connection assembly 12 can be reduced in size.

  According to the present embodiment, the mounting portion 29 is formed with the engaging convex portion 32 that engages with the flexible flat cable 28, and the flexible flat cable 28 has the flexible flat cable 28 on the mounting portion 29. The insertion hole 33 into which the engagement protrusion 32 is inserted is formed through the flexible flat cable 28 at a position corresponding to the engagement protrusion 32 in a state where the is placed, and is formed on the inner surface of the lid 36. Is formed with a relief recess 39 that avoids interference with the engaging projection 32. Thereby, compared with the case where the escape recessed part 39 is not formed in the cover part 36, the thickness dimension of the cover part 36 can be made thin. As a result, the battery connection assembly 12 can be reduced in size.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the pressing rib 41 that presses the flexible flat cable 28 toward the mounting portion 29 is formed on the inner surface of the lid portion 36 so as to protrude. As a result, even when a tensile force acts on the flexible flat cable 28, the flexible flat cable 28 is pressed against the mounting portion 29 by the pressing rib 41, so that the flexible flat cable 28 is pressed against the mounting portion 29. Relative movement can be suppressed. Thereby, since it can suppress that force is added to the connection part of the flexible flat cable 28 and the bus bar 16, the electrical connection reliability of the flexible flat cable 28 and the bus bar 16 can be improved.

  According to the present embodiment, the pressing rib 41 is formed to extend in the longitudinal direction of the flexible flat cable 28. Thereby, the flexible flat cable 28 can be reliably pressed to the mounting portion 29 in the longitudinal direction of the flexible flat cable 28. As a result, the electrical connection reliability between the flexible flat cable 28 and the bus bar 16 can be further improved.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the connection piece 19 for connecting to the flexible flat cable 28 is formed on the bus bar 16 so as to protrude from the side edge of the bus bar 16 in a direction crossing the direction in which the pair of connection portions are arranged. The flexible flat cable 28 and the connection piece 19 are arranged on the mounting portion 29 so as to overlap each other. Thereby, since the flexible flat cable 28 and the connection piece 19 which are arranged on the mounting portion 29 may be electrically connected, the connection structure between the flexible flat cable 28 and the bus bar 16 can be simplified. As a result, the battery connection assembly 12 can be reduced in size.

  In addition, according to the present embodiment, the placement portion 29 is arranged with the connection piece 19 and the flexible flat cable 28 being stacked in this order, and the placement portion 29 is placed in an area where the connection piece 19 is placed. A connection piece mounting recess 30 that is depressed by the thickness dimension of the connection piece 19 is formed. Thereby, since the connection piece 19 is accommodated in the connection piece mounting recessed part 30, the thickness dimension of the mounting part 29 can be made thin. Thereby, the battery connection assembly 12 can be reduced in size.

  Furthermore, since the connection piece mounting recess 30 is formed to be depressed by the thickness dimension of the connection piece 19, when the connection piece 19 is housed in the connection piece mounting recess 30, the surface of the connection piece 19 is The surface of the mounting portion 29 is substantially flush. For this reason, in a state where the flexible flat cable 28 is placed on the placement portion 29 so as to overlap the connection piece 19, it is possible to suppress a force from being applied to the flexible flat cable 28 from the connection piece 19. Thereby, since malfunctions, such as damage to the conductor 46 of the flexible flat cable 28, can be suppressed, the electrical connection reliability between the flexible flat cable 28 and the bus bar 16 can be improved.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the placement portion 29 is formed with the placement portion side window portion 34 into which a jig for connecting the flexible flat cable 28 and the connection piece 19 is inserted. Thereby, since the flexible flat cable 28 and the connection piece 19 can be connected after mounting the flexible flat cable 28 in the mounting part 29, the positioning of the flexible flat cable 28 and the bus bar 16 can be performed easily. As a result, the efficiency of the connection work between the bus bar 16 and the flexible flat cable 28 can be improved.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the connection piece 19 for connecting to the conductor 46 is formed on the bus bar 16 so as to protrude from the side edge of the bus bar 16 in a direction intersecting the direction in which the pair of connection portions are arranged. The mounting portion 29 is provided with the flexible flat cable 28 and the connection piece 19 overlapped with each other, and a jig for connecting the flexible flat cable 28 and the connection piece 19 is inserted into the lid portion 36. A lid side window 40 is formed. As a result, the flexible flat cable 28 can be connected to the connection piece 19 after the flexible flat cable 28 is placed on the placement portion 29 and the lid portion 36 is further covered. As a result, the positioning of the flexible flat cable 28 and the bus bar 16 can be performed more reliably, and the efficiency of the connection work between the bus bar 16 and the flexible flat cable 28 can be improved.

  In addition, since the displacement of the bus bar 16 and the flexible flat cable 28 can be reliably suppressed, the electrical connection reliability between the bus bar 16 and the flexible flat cable 28 can be improved.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the placement portion 29 is formed with the placement portion side window portion 34 into which a jig for connecting the flexible flat cable 28 and the connection piece 19 is inserted. Thus, after placing the flexible flat cable 28 on the placement portion 29 and further covering the lid portion 36, the jig is inserted from both the placement portion side window portion 34 and the lid portion side window portion 40. Thus, the flexible flat cable 28 and the connection piece 19 can be connected. As a result, the bus bar 16 and the flexible flat cable 28 can be connected by, for example, resistance welding, so that the cost for connecting the bus bar 16 and the flexible flat cable 28 can be reduced.

  In addition, according to the present embodiment, the flexible flat cable 28 includes the pitch adjusting unit 43 that adjusts the pitch deviation between the positive electrode terminal 13 and the negative electrode terminal 14 between the adjacent bus bar insulating members 17. Thereby, even when the pitch between the positive electrode terminal 13 and the negative electrode terminal 14 is deviated, the deviation of the pitch can be absorbed by the pitch adjusting unit 43 formed in the flexible flat cable 28. As a result, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to provide the battery connection assembly 12 capable of easily adjusting the shift of the pitch between the positive electrode terminal 13 and the negative electrode terminal 14.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the pitch adjusting portion 43 is formed by bending the flexible flat cable 28 along the folding line 44 that intersects the longitudinal direction of the flexible flat cable 28. Thereby, the shift | offset | difference of the pitch of the positive electrode terminal 13 and the negative electrode terminal 14 can be adjusted with the simple structure of bending the flexible flat cable 28. FIG.

<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 present embodiment, the conductor 46 of the flexible flat cable 28 is configured to be resistance-welded to the connection piece 19. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and an optional welding method such as laser welding is required. Connected by. Further, the conductor 46 of the flexible flat cable 28 may be brazed to the connection piece 19 or may be soldered. As the brazing material, any brazing material such as silver brazing may be used as necessary.
(2) In the present embodiment, the bus bar 16 includes the connection piece 19 for connecting the bus bar 16 and the conductor 46 of the flexible flat cable 28, but the bus bar 16 and the conductor 46 of the flexible flat cable 28 It is good also as a structure which connects directly.
(3) A configuration may be adopted in which both one bus bar insulating member 17 and the other bus bar insulating member 17 are movably held by the bus bar 16, and both the one bus bar insulating member 17 and the other bus bar insulating member 17 are bus bars. 16 may be fixed and held.
(4) In the present embodiment, the mounting portion 29 includes the lid portion 36 integrally formed via the hinge 35. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the mounting portion 29 and the lid portion 36 are different. A body may be sufficient and the cover part 36 may be abbreviate | omitted.
(5) In the present embodiment, the flexible flat cable 28 placed on the placement portion 29 is covered with the placement portion side window portion 34 and the lid portion side window portion 40 after the cover portion 36 is covered. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the bus bar 16 and the flexible flat cable 28 may be connected and then mounted on the mounting portion 29. After placing the flexible flat cable 28 on the placement portion 29, a welding jig is inserted from the placement portion side window portion 34 and resistance welding is performed, and then the lid portion 36 is covered.
(6) In the present embodiment, the flexible flat cable 28 is configured to be pressed against the mounting portion 29 by the pressing rib 41 formed on the lid portion 36. However, the configuration is not limited thereto, and the shape of the pressing portion is a cylindrical shape. A projection having an arbitrary shape such as a prismatic shape may be used. Moreover, you may abbreviate | omit a press part.
(7) In the present embodiment, the pitch adjusting unit 43 is formed by folding the flexible flat cable 28 along the fold line 44, but is not limited thereto, and the flexible flat cable 28 may be valley-folded. Moreover, you may form the flexible flat cable 28 in a bellows shape by alternately carrying out a mountain fold and a valley fold along the several fold line which cross | intersects the longitudinal direction.
(8) The placement unit 29 may be omitted.
(9) In the present embodiment, each conductor 46 of the flexible flat cable 28 is configured to be connected to a different bus bar 16. The bus bar 16 may be connected, and only one conductor 46 of the plurality of conductors 46 connected to the one bus bar 16 may be connected to the ECU, and the other conductors 46 may not be connected to the ECU.
(10) It is good also as a structure which provides the protrusion part which protrudes toward the other in one of the adjacent bus-bar insulation members 17, and the insertion recessed part 20 in which this protrusion part is inserted in the other.
(11) In the present embodiment, the connecting portion formed in the bus bar 16 is the through-hole 15, but the connecting portion is not limited to this, and the connecting portion may be a U-shaped groove, and may have any shape as necessary. It can be.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Battery module 11 ... Single cell 12 ... Battery connection assembly 13 ... Positive electrode terminal 14 ... Negative electrode terminal 15 ... Through-hole (connection part)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 16 ... Bus bar 17 ... Bus-bar insulation member 19 ... Connection piece 28 ... Flexible flat cable 29 ... Mounting part 30 ... Connection piece mounting recessed part 31 ... Downward inclined surface 32 ... Engaging convex part 33 ... Insertion hole 34 ... Mounting part side Window part 35 ... Hinge 36 ... Lid part 39 ... Relief recess 40 ... Lid side window part 41 ... Pressing rib (pressing part)
43 ... Pitch adjuster 44 ... Fold line 46 ... Conductor

Claims (19)

A battery connection assembly for connecting a plurality of cells having a positive terminal and a negative terminal,
A plurality of bus bars having a pair of connecting portions connected to the positive terminal and the negative terminal,
A plurality of bus bar insulating members that connect the bus bars by being held by both of the adjacent bus bars;
A strip-shaped flexible flat cable extending along the direction in which the bus bars are connected,
The flexible flat cable has a plurality of conductors arranged in parallel, and the bus bar is connected to the conductor of the flexible flat cable.   2. The battery according to claim 1, wherein one or both of the one bus bar insulating member and the other bus bar insulating member among the two bus bar insulating members held by the bus bar are held movably with respect to the bus bar. Connection assembly.   Of the two bus bar insulating members held by the bus bar, one bus bar insulating member is held in a state in which movement in the direction in which the plurality of single cells are arranged with respect to the bus bar is restricted, The battery connection assembly according to claim 1, wherein another bus bar insulating member is movably held by the bus bar.   The battery connection assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a mounting portion for mounting the flexible flat cable is formed on the bus bar insulating member.   The mounting portion is formed with an engaging convex portion that engages with the flexible flat cable, and the flexible flat cable is engaged with the flexible flat cable in a state where the flexible flat cable is mounted on the mounting portion. The battery connection assembly according to claim 4, wherein an insertion hole into which the engagement protrusion is inserted is formed through the flexible flat cable at a position corresponding to the protrusion.   The battery connection assembly according to claim 4 or 5, wherein a descending inclined surface is formed in an end edge portion of the flexible flat cable in the longitudinal direction of the placement portion.   The battery connection assembly according to any one of claims 4 to 6, further comprising a lid portion that covers the placement portion in a state where the flexible flat cable is placed on the placement portion.   The battery connection assembly according to claim 7, wherein the placement portion and the lid portion are integrally formed by a hinge. The mounting portion is formed with an engaging convex portion that engages with the flexible flat cable, and the flexible flat cable is engaged with the flexible flat cable in a state where the flexible flat cable is mounted on the mounting portion. An insertion hole into which the engaging convex portion is inserted is formed through the flexible flat cable at a position corresponding to the convex portion,
The battery connection assembly according to claim 7 or 8, wherein an escape recess is formed on an inner surface of the lid so as to avoid interference with the engagement protrusion.   The battery connection assembly according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein a pressing portion that presses the flexible flat cable toward the placement portion protrudes from an inner surface of the lid portion.   The battery connection assembly according to claim 10, wherein the pressing portion is a pressing rib extending in a longitudinal direction of the flexible flat cable. A connection piece for connecting to the flexible flat cable is formed on the bus bar so as to protrude from a side edge of the bus bar in a direction crossing the direction in which the pair of connection portions are arranged,
The battery connection assembly according to any one of claims 4 to 11, wherein the flexible flat cable and the connection piece are arranged to overlap each other on the mounting portion.   In the placement section, the connection piece and the flexible flat cable are arranged in this order, and the placement section is depressed in the region where the connection piece is placed by the thickness dimension of the connection piece. The battery connection assembly according to claim 12, wherein the connection piece mounting recess is formed.   The battery connection assembly according to claim 12 or 13, wherein a mounting portion side window portion into which a jig for connecting the flexible flat cable and the connecting piece is inserted is formed in the mounting portion. . A connecting piece for connecting to the conductor is formed on the bus bar so as to protrude from a side edge of the bus bar in a direction intersecting the direction in which the pair of connecting portions are arranged,
In the mounting portion, the flexible flat cable and the connection piece are arranged to overlap,
The lid portion side window portion into which a jig for connecting the flexible flat cable and the connection piece is inserted is formed in the lid portion. Battery connection assembly.   The battery connection assembly according to claim 15, wherein a placement portion side window portion into which a jig for connecting the flexible flat cable and the connection piece is inserted is formed in the placement portion.   The said flexible flat cable is provided with the pitch adjustment part which adjusts the shift | offset | difference of the pitch of the said positive electrode terminal and the said negative electrode terminal between the said bus-bar insulation members adjacent to each other. Battery connection assembly.   The battery connection assembly according to claim 17, wherein the pitch adjuster is formed by bending the flexible flat cable along a fold line intersecting a longitudinal direction of the flexible flat cable. A battery module comprising a plurality of single cells having a positive terminal and a negative terminal,
A plurality of bus bars having a pair of connecting portions connected to the positive terminal and the negative terminal,
A plurality of bus bar insulating members that connect the bus bars by being held by both of the adjacent bus bars;
A strip-shaped flexible flat cable extending along the direction in which the bus bars are connected,
The flexible flat cable has a plurality of conductors arranged in parallel, and the bus bar is connected to the conductor of the flexible flat cable.

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